Sheikh Hamdan acquires new recruit

David Myerscough’s unbeaten juvenile Bruges has been purchased by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, but will not take up an engagement in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster this week.

The son of Marju was bred and owned by the trainers parents, Philip and Jane Myerscough, and he won a Listed race at Leopardstown on his last start.

He is set to stay in training with Myerscough and will have his next start in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on September 30.

“Bruges has been purchased by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and as part of the deal the colt shall stay here with us and hopefully for his three-year-old career also,” said Myerscough.

“He won’t run in the Champagne Stakes this week as the plan at the moment is to run in the Beresford Stakes at the end of this month. Depending on how he features in that he’ll probably run in the Dewhurst.

“He had a slight setback with a stone bruise but he’s fully over that now and back in full work and doing things very nicely,” he told the Racing Post.