The small Welsh stud that bred classic winner Gstaad
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Kelly Thomas' passion for horses hits you the second you walk into her home.
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Maywood Stud, a breeding operation based in Pencader, a small Welsh village in Carmarthenshire, has bred a Classic winner in the form of Gstaad.
The three-year-old's Breeders Cup, Coventry Stakes, and Irish 2,000 Guineas trophies are proudly displayed, surrounded with photos of his successes on the track.
Before a mouth-watering rematch with 2,000 Guineas winner Bow Echo in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, 16 June, Thomas reminisces about his early days.
"That foal always had a profile since the minute he drew breath, he was always likely to be quite valuable," she says.
Gstaad's Dam, Mosa Mine, was born at Maywood Stud and going winless throughout her career she was bought back by Thomas for £800.
"But they've still got to come out with everything put in the right way and be a nice quality animal for them to really reach the potential that they possibly could do," she adds.
"He was a really lovely foal. I couldn't fault him really. We were really lucky."
Gstaad won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November 2025 [Getty Images]Gstaad was sold as a foal for 450,000 guineas (£472,500) to M V Magnier for the powerful Coolmore and Ballydoyle operation in Ireland.
"We had an idea of who'd be putting their hand up for him, so to have that team buy him was very pleasing for us."
The horse was trained by one of racing's most decorated trainers ever - Aidan O'Brien, the master behind Ballydoyle.
"It sounds like a lot of money, but it costs a lot of money to do it." Thomas says.
"If you don't have things to sell every year, then you need to look after that money because you might never, ever get another sale like that."
Vandeek success
Vandeek won the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in 2023 [Getty Images]Although Gstaad is Thomas' first Classic winner, it is not her first big success on the track.
Vandeek, a son of Havana Grey out of Mosa Mine - and a half brother to Gstaad - was unbeaten as a juvenile for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford.
He secured a Group 1 double with victory in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, becoming the highest-rated British trained two-year-old of 2023.
"He was such a big frame when he was born, he was quite unfurnished at the time," says Thomas.
"He just had such long legs. He looks like a spider, you know, such long legs. But gorgeous at the same time.
"During his foal prep, he was doing a bit of exercise, walking, learning the ropes, and he really started to build a physique that I'd be more used to in a sprinter.
"So he was getting more muscular on top and he was a great walker. He was very sharp and I was like, 'I really like this foal'."
Maywood Stud sold Vandeek as a foal for 52,000 Guineas (£54,600).
He went onto win £445,000 in prize money and now stands as a stallion at Cheveley Park Stud.
Bow Echo v Gstaad - the rematch
The St James' Palace Stakes - one of three Group 1 races on the opening day at Royal Ascot - is a rematch of the 2,000 Guineas and Irish 2,000 Guineas winners.
Bow Echo, trained by George Boughey and ridden by 20-year-old Billy Loughnane, put in a seriously impressive performance to beat Ryan Moore's mount in the 2,000 Guineas by two and three-quarter lengths.
Moore and Gstaad responded to that defeat by cruising to victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
O'Brien is the most successful trainer in Royal Ascot history, and Thomas will be travelling from Camarthenshire to Ascot to cheer on her horse.
"It's been an unreal journey. Unreal," she says.
"To have a classic winning horse is a dream. I'm not even sure I even aimed that high, to be honest.
"I wanted to breed a group one winner by the time I was 40. I was 45.
"I nearly did it."