A Derby winner and a few champion sires
The Holland Martin family, which owns the Overbury Estate, established Overbury Stud shortly before the Second World War. Benefitting from free-draining sandy soil and a mild climate which is so important to this fruit-growing area of the Vale of Evesham, Overbury Stud encountered success quickly: the Coventry Stakes of 1952 was won by the Overbury-bred Whistler, who went on to be a Champion sire of two-year-olds. He was a son of foundation mare Farthing Damages, whose Overbury-bred descendants also include Cork & Orrery and Prix Maurice de Geest winner College Chapel, who later became Europe's leading first season sire; his dam the speedy King George V Stakes winner Scarcely Blessed; and his grandam, the exceptional Parsimony who won the July Cup and the Cork & Orrery. Globetrotting German-trained multiple G1 winner Caitano and the Nunthorpe and Prix de l'Abbaye winner Tower Walk (who also ran second in the 2,000 Guineas) are other top-class racehorses bred at Overbury Stud, which also became famous for producing big-priced commercial yearlings at the Houghton Sales of the 1970s and '80s. The stud's greatest ever son, however, was sold for the relatively modest sum of 27,000 gns: Grundy, Horse of the Year in 1975 and winner of the Derby (by three lengths), the Dewhurst (by six lengths), and a legendary King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, in which he defeated Bustino in course record time.
At the turn of the new millennium, the Holland Martin family leased Overbury Stud to Simon Sweeting who launched Overbury Stallions Ltd and, under his management, the Stud has grown a reputation for standing stallions. The Champion stayer Kayf Tara, who retired to Overbury Stud in 2001, was joined by the leading sprinter Bertolini in 2002. Both Darley-owned stallions were keenly priced, have been extremely well supported and have become spectacularly successful. Bertolini was Europe's leading first-season sire of 2005, when he numbered the Cheveley Park heroine among his winners; and if the jumps game had a Champion first-season sire, Kayf Tara would be the one - in fact, with his first crop just turned six he has already led all British stallions on the National Hunt win prize money list. Two fine horses complete the Overbury stallion line-up: the European Champion three-year-old miler of 2003, the imposing Zafeen, and the Timeform Champion miler of 2005, the exceptional Proclamation.
Overbury Stallions Ltd is committed to standing exciting, well-bred stallions who represent value for breeders keen to use young stallions who could be the next big thing. As many successful breeders know, this kind of stallion offers the possibility of huge rewards for a modest outlay. Besides its stallion business, Overbury Stud also offers top quality boarding and sales services and is developing a new broodmare band with the aim of repeating this famous nursery's earlier successes. Particularly, we intend to strengthen our position at the leading foal and yearling sales, where we are already achieving good prices for youngstock.
Raised and grazed
Obviously any win for a horse conceived here is special, but doubly treasured are the successes of horses raised here. As previously outlined in the news section, the wins of the progeny of Jeremy Hinds’ two mares Another Secret and Megalex have been extremely satisfying: these two permanent boarders have had three runners between them and all have won in 2008, Another Secret’s two Bertolini fillies (Smokey Rye and Smokey Ryder) both having won on the Flat and Megalex’s first foal Megasue (a daughter of Kayf Tara) having posted an easy bumper victory on her debut in August 2008, which she followed up with another win in October.
Another promising Kayf Tara youngster who was raised here is Tot Of The Knar, bred by Pillerton Stud from the Relkino mare Maggie Marne. She has run consistently well since winning over hurdles at Stratford in August, her succession of placings including an excellent fourth to Diamond Harry in a Grade Two hurdle at the Cheltenham Open Meeting. She clearly remains a very exciting prospect, and a similar remark could be made about a colt foal currently resident at the stud: by Kayf Tara from Relkeel’s half-sister Royal Keel, this youngster is a full-brother to the very promising Kayf Keel, a winner over hurdles at Warwick in November.
Another very promising young National Hunt horse to hail from Overbury is Dream Garden, a 12-length winner at Uttoxeter in October on his first steeplechase start. This five-year-old son of Kayf Tara is the fourth foal of the Slip Anchor mare Arcady and races in the colours of his breeder James Henderson.
On the Flat, a very exciting victory for the stud was the debut success at Yarmouth in October of the two-year-old filly Bombina, another to have spent her early days here. Bred in partnership between Dukes stud and Overbury, her Listed-winning dam Firebelly switches between Gloucestershire and Newmarket. Her cadeaux Genereux foal fetched 62,000gns at the 2008 December Sales at Tattersalls.
Agent Almeida hoisted the Overbury flag on French soil when winning at Cagnes Sur Mer. The Dubai Destination colt was another to have spent his formative years with us as his dam Shining Vale is a member of the stud’s broodmare band.