Two stars on offer at Keeneland

Two former stars of Qatar Racing will go under the hammer at Keeneland in America today.

Peace And War (Hip 32) and Secret Gesture (Hip 53 - pictured right) are being consigned by Hunter Valley Farm on day one of Keeneland's mammoth November Breeding Stock Sale, which runs until November 20. The two mares are among a jewelled cast.

Both were top-class racehorses, with Peace And War, a daughter of War Front, winning the Gr.1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes for trainer Olly Stevens, and Secret Gesture, by Galileo, being a Classic-placed winner of the Gr.2 Middleton Stakes for Ralph Beckett's yard. Placed in the Gr.1 Oaks and Gr.1 Preis Der Diana, Secret Gesture was cruelly denied a Grade One win when passing the post first in last year's Beverly D. Stakes, only to be placed third by local stewards who said interference had taken place.

Today the two mares go under the hammer carrying foals by outstanding stallions Peace And War is in foal to America's leading sire Tapit, while Secret Gesture, who is being offered to dissolve a partnership with Newsells Park Stud, was successfully covered by War Front.

The sale starts today at 11am local time (4pm in Britain), and, following a number of withdrawn mares, both Qatar Breeding's mares are likely to appear within the first 90 minutes. Live screening of the event is being shown on www.keeneland.com.

Lethal Impact, a son of Deep Impact, made a promising start on his racing debut at Newcastle in North East England yesterday. He finished fourth, but only a neck behind the winner, Stradivarius, who had the benefit of two previous races. Jockey Oisin Murphy was pleased with the performance and said the colt would learn plenty from the experience.

Photo of Secret Gesture: Laurence Squire