Gr.2-winning two-year-old and Classic miler Isaac Shelby has been retired and will stand at Newsells Park Stud.  The Superlative Stakes winner, who was beaten a short-neck in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, will be the first son of Night Of Thunder to stand at stud.  He remains in the ownership of Wathnan Racing.  His fee has been set at £7,000 1st Oct SLF.

At two, Isaac Shelby made a four-length winning debut at Newbury in May before following up in the Gr.2 Superlative at the July meeting, a race also won by his grandsire Dubawi.  He made his three-year-old debut in a high-class running of  the Gr.3 Greenham – the race in which Night Of Thunder lost his unbeaten record to Kingman. Isaac Shelby ran out the convincing winner, defeating multiple Gr.1-winning miler Charyn by three lengths. Caught late in the French Guineas, he returned to seven furlongs to run second to Kinross in the Gr.2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood, beating the 2024 winner of the race Audience. He was also runner-up in the Gr.2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein.

Trainer Brian Meehan said, “Isaac Shelby is one of the smartest horses I’ve ever trained.  He oozed style and class throughout his racing career.  His win in the Superlative Stakes was impressive, but his performance in the Greenham was sublime.  His greatest attribute was his tenacity and his will to win.  I have been privileged and proud to have trained him and look forward to training his progeny in the future.”

Julian Dollar, General Manager at Newsells Park Stud, said, “We’re delighted to be standing the first son of Night Of Thunder to retire to stud.  Isaac Shelby was hugely talented – even better than his sire at two, and a proper Guineas horse too. I can’t wait to show him off to breeders: he’s great-looking, very athletic and has a wonderful temperament.  We’re very grateful to the team at Wathnan and look forward to supporting him strongly.”

Richard Brown, Wathnan’s racing manager, added, “Isaac Shelby was a hugely talented horse who so nearly got Wathnan off to a dream Gr.1 start when second in the French Guineas – the very first runner in the Wathnan silks.  He’s a fine horse by a very special young stallion and we’ll be very keen to see all his offspring when they come to market.”