Simon Callaghan started training in his hometown of Newmarket in January 2008 but swapped East Anglia for a life in California last year and seemingly hasn’t looked back.
On 31 May, he sent out Dubawi Heights to land the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park for his first top-flight win, and that filly’s success has been followed up by another British-bred, Up In Time, who won Sunday’s Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar.
The 28-year-old, whose father Neville trained the likes of Danehill Dancer and Danetime during his successful career and bought Dubawi Heights as a yearling for 72,000gns at Tattersalls, has the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington on August 13 in sight for the four-year-old daughter of Dubawi.
Bred by Aston Mullins Stud, Dubawi Heights is a daughter of the Suave Dancer mare Rosie’s Posy, a half-sister to the Haydock Sprint Cup winner Tante Rose. Placed in the Lowther Stakes at two, she remains unbeaten since switching to the US, having also won the Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap on May 1.
Three-year-old Up In Time started racing in Britain for William Knight, whose brother Richard bought her as a yearling at Tattersalls for 24,000gns. Bred by bloodstock agent Larry Stratton, a New Zealander based in Britain, she won a Newmarket maiden last September and was fifth on her first start in Grade 2 company in America before her San Clemente triumph.
Up In Time is the latest decent galloper to emanate from a family that includes crack Hungarian sprinter Overdose and the UAE Oaks winner Tamarillo. Out of the Inchinor mare Up At Dawn, she is by the now Indian-based Noverre. Her two-year-old Araafa half-brother Dont Take me Alive made his debut at Sandown on July 13 for Clive Cox.