Bella Nouf delivers another winner

Bella Nouf, the Tweenhills-based dam of Gr.2 Royal Ascot winner Running Lion, added another winner to her record as a broodmare when 2yo colt King High won a 1m maiden at Newbury on Friday.

Bred by The Bella Nouf Partnership and sold by Tweenhills for 200,000gns as a foal, King High had shown ability on debut a fortnight ago and was much improved to hold off a 500,000-guinea newcomer at Newbury.

King High was always handy under Callum Rodriguez and was engaged in a good duel with Ruper The Brave from the 2f pole. He got to the front in the final 50yds only for Quicken Away to close to within a neck. They look two smart colts it should pay to follow.

King High is trained by Owen Burrows for Valmont and was bought as a Tattersalls Book 1 yearling from Yeomanstown Stud for 320,000gns by the owner’s bloodstock agent Alex Elliott. 

Bella Nouf was the first broodmare purchased by Running Lion’s owner-breeder David Howden, in partnership with his co-breeder David Redvers. The mare was bought at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mare sale for 325,000gns carrying a Frankel filly who would be sold by Tweenhills for 350,000gns the following November.

That filly was Majestic Glory, a Gr.3 winner as a 2yo, and Bella Nouf would do even better when her daughter Running Lion (obviously, by Tweenhills’ late sire Roaring Lion) won the Gr.2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot 2024 among other wins. 

Bella Nouf is also the dam of Runman, who runs in the 4.55pm at Newbury on Saturday. She has a colt foal by Camelot and is in foal to Tweenhills’ newest stallion, King of Change.