'It’s a shame to let them go but my life has changed a fair bit' - Paul Wildes to offer dispersal with ThoroughBid

A four-horse dispersal by owner Paul Wildes including the exciting unbeaten Minnie Wildes will be offered in a ThoroughBid sale on October 13. 

The three-year-old Bated Breath filly, who romped home at Ffos Las and then at Newcastle earlier this week, looks the star in the collection trained for Wildes by Charlie Fellowes.

Also in the draft is recent Chester winner Stapleford Park,  multiple placed two-year-old filly Cressida Wildes and 85-rated Holy Roman Emperor gelding Way To Dubai.

Explaining his reasoning for the dispersal, Wildes said: "I’ve been in horse racing for around 12 years, and this is certainly one of the nicest strings of horses I’ve had running in my colours.

"It’s a shame to let them go but my life has changed a fair bit. I barely get to go to the races anymore. There was a time when I wouldn’t have missed a fixture at my local track, Chester, all season, but I think I’ve only been to one meeting this year. 

My kids are growing up and playing lots of sport, whereas before they used to come to the races with me, so that’s where I’m spending a lot of my time now. I didn’t go to Newcastle on Tuesday night [where Minnie Wildes won] as Minnie, my daughter, was playing hockey, so that’s a case in point really."

He is also going to offer stakes-placed and six-times winner Wynter Wildes later in the year.

“It takes a while to build up a nice string and I wanted to carry on breeding them from Wynter Wildes and continue naming them after my kids, but there’s very little point being involved in racing if you can’t go and watch them," he continued.

"Wynter Wildes is going off to the mares’ sale, while these four horses in-training are all being sold with ThoroughBid, as I felt they were the best auction house to handle the situation. When you’re a small owner, like I am, and you want to make it clear why you are selling, then doing a bespoke dispersal, where we can make sure the story doesn’t get lost, and we get the right promotion is really important."

Wynter Wildes has been a flagbearer for the ownerCredit: John Grossick

Of his four lots, Wildes added: "Charlie [Fellowes] had always told me that Minnie Wildes was very talented, so we were confident heading to Ffos Las, though there was a slight element of doubt when the ground turned soft. She won easily and then backed that up without getting out of first gear at Newcastle on Tuesday night. I’ve owned horses for a fairly long time and that’s about as easy a race as I’ve ever watched!

Stapleford Park has been a bit of an enigma for Charlie, but I think he’s just found the key to him going over seven furlongs. I know Charlie is really excited about his future over seven, as he got the trip really well when winning at Chester on his last start despite being wide throughout.

"Cressida Wildes is another very talented horse who should make up into a nice three-year-old. She’s bumped into some good horses and will find a race to get her head in front soon I would have thought. Then Way To Dubai is on a very attractive mark at the moment. He’s a nice horse who should be winning very soon."

On the sale, ThoroughBid CEO James Richardson said: "It’s great to be offering a quartet of exciting horses in this bespoke ‘On-Demand’ sale. Instead of putting them into a wider, more general, sale, we’re able to make this a bespoke one-off auction and hope to attract plenty of interest.

"They are a talented string of horses, not least Minnie Wildes, who maintained her unbeaten record in stellar style at Newcastle on Tuesday night and looks a very bright prospect.

"We’re excited to announce that from this sale onwards our agent’s commission will be in effect. We’re offering a five per cent agents' commission to the purchaser of any horse bought for £20,000 or more provided they are a recognised bloodstock agent or a licensed trainer. We believe this will be a really attractive incentive to agents looking get involved in our future sales."

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