ITB_March-April 2020

MARCH-APRIL 2020

£4.95 • ISSUE 93

STALLIONS ON SHOW Aisling Crowe reports from two weekends viewing stallions in Ireland and France

Sally Ann Grassick interviews the talented and ambitious Dubai-based trainer Satish Seemar

Tally-Ho Stud talks...

SIRE POWER

THE BEST IN THE WORLD

Alan Porter examines the influence of genetics, mtDNA and thoroughbred bloodlines on the World's Best Racehorse Rankings

NH FOAL AVERAGES

Adam Potts reviews last autumn's NH foal sales

FIRST YEARLINGS 2020

MONDIALISTE GALILEO - OCCUPANDISTE (KALDOUN)

First foals sold with an average of

€40,490

ALMOST 6 TI M ES H I S NOM I NATI ON F EE

“Well made good muscled foals, he’s really stamping them, two year olds in the making.”

PETER NOLAN, BLOODSTOCK AGENT

STANDING AT ELWICK STUD Elwick Stud, Sheraton Farm, Co. Durham TS27 4RB

t: +44 (0) 1429 856 530 e: info@elwickstud.co.uk w: www.elwickstud.co.uk

FEE: £6,000

Positive Reports We have two lovely strong colts by The Gurkha, out of Bergamot Orange and Trip To Glory. He certainly seems to stamp his stock!

“She is a racy filly who is broken and cantering away. I like the way she points her toe and she’s good to work with. I’m looking forward to 2020 with her.”

John Quinn on the filly out of Moore's Melody

Andrew Balding

“We really like ours. They’re all precocious, forward-going horses who won’t take a long time. They are good movers, very clear winded and have great attitudes. But for suffering a colic, The Gurkha himself would have been one of our earliest 2YOs and these are no different.”

Aidan O’Brien on the €525,000 colt out of Larceny, the €260,000 colt out of Euphrasia, the €250,000 filly out of Pearl Grey and a homebred filly out of Blue Cloud

Looks like being a mid-season 2YO. He’s mature, athletic with a good attitude and has pleased us thus far.

Sir Mark Prescott on the colt out of Merritt Island

He’s a lovely straight forward and good moving colt Joseph O’Brien on the colt out of Kastania, bought for 180,000gns at Tattersalls October

Deep, strong filly with a good head and light on her feet.

Roger Charlton on the filly out of Healing Music

He’s all quality and everything is coming easily to him – a proper horse!

Richard Fahey on the colt out of Ravish

• AUSTRALIA • CALYX • CAMELOT • CARAVAGGIO • CHURCHILL • FASTNET ROCK • FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND • GALILEO • GLENEAGLES • GUSTAV KLIMT • HIGHLAND REEL • HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR • MAGNA GRECIA • • MASTERCRAFTSMAN • NO NAY NEVER • ROCK OF GIBRALTAR • SAXON WARRIOR • SIOUX NATION • STARSPANGLEDBANNER • TEN SOVEREIGNS • THE GURKHA • U S NAVY FLAG • ZOFFANY •

He’s pleased us since coming in from the sales. He’s been thriving in his work and we are very happy with how he is progressing.

James Fanshawe on the colt out of Don't Cry For Me, bought for 125,000gns at Tattersalls October

Both are extremely athletic and have a great attitude towards their work. If my two are representative of his first crop, then he will have a major chance of leading the freshman sires table.

Jamie Osborne on the colt out of Inkling & the filly out of Dream Role

❝

“Both have been very straightforward and are well forward in terms of their work, cantering upsides at the moment.”

Mark Johnston on the filly out of Missisipi Star and the colt out of Celtic Filly

Strong through the body.

Stands over a nice amount of ground, good temperament, cantering nicely.

John Gosden on the €300,000 colt out of Red Blossom

Early days but our Gurkha colt is always pleasing us and should make a two-year-old. Hughie Morrison on the colt out of Best Regards

❞

Also with other Gr.1 trainers Karl Burke, Clive Cox, André Fabre, Jessica Harrington (2), Ger Lyons, Hugo Palmer, Pascal Bary, Fabrice Chappet, Christophe Ferland, Henri-Alex Pantall, Jean-Claude Rouget (2), Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, Fabrice Vermeulen etc.

THE GURKHA European Champion 3YO Miler by GALILEO

Contact: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Tel: +353-52-6131298. Fax: +353-52-6131382. Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Jason Walsh, Tom Miller, Neil Magee or Hermine Bastide. Tom Gaffney, David Magnier, Joe Hernon, Paddy Fleming, Cathal Murphy or David Walsh: +353-25-31966/31689. Kevin Buckley (UK Rep.) +44-7827-795156.

E-mail: sales@coolmore.ie Website: www.coolmore.com All stallions nominated to EBF.

contents march-april 10 First Word

Jocelyn de Moubray takes over the spot for this month and argues that the recent changes made to the Pattern by the European Pattern Committee are poorly advised

20

14 News

Badgers Bloodstock finds compromises for the sale ring that would satisfy all subsequent to the bloodstock sale review, top mares have filly foals, Lope De Vega gets his first Group 1 of 2020

20 Celtic giants

The Dublin Festival produced some fine performances, many of the winners tracing in some way to the great Sadler’s Wells, writes Aisling Crowe

26 NH and All-Weather statistics From Weatherbys

30 Changing nations

Simon Rowlands reviews the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and sees changes in the numbers of representatives from differing countries

34 Tally-Ho Stud talks sire power

Aisling Crowe meets the O’Callaghan family and chats about the farm’s current stallion roster

40 Stallions on show

Reports from two weekends viewing handsome stallions on stud farms in Ireland and France, and avoiding slightly weird men on ferries

50 Saudi bound

The Pegasus World Cup winner may be heading for the world’s richest race as new options develop to suit US trainers in the Middle East, writes Melissa Bauer-Herzog

54 Best in the world

The WBRR shine a light on genetics, mtD1b and the depth of female lines, reports Alan Porter

8

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64 Seemar wants more

54

Sally Ann Grassick meets talented trainer Satish Seemar at Zabeel Stables in Dubai

70 Racing on new shores

Liz Price reports from St Lucia’s first-ever race meeting, the brainchild of China Horse Club’s Teo Ah Khing

75 Adam Potts reviews NH foal sales...

...and finds a surge in demand for the best

78 Ratings tables

The WBRR tables showing horses rated 128 to 119

82 European 2yo Classifications Headed by Pinatubo and Earthlight

84 Photos of the month Lots of foals of 2020

Decorated Knight

Photo by Zuzanna Lupa (for INS)

follow us on twitter @tbredpublishing

contents march-april

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64

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This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in whole or part without permission of the publisher. The views expressed in International Thoroughbred are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the content herein, or any consequences arising from them.

the team

the photographers

the writers

editor sally duckett publisher declan rickatson photography trevor jones design thoroughbred publishing

thoroughbred photography press association equine creative media tattersalls zuzanna lupa shamela hanley

jocelyn de moubray simon rowlands alan porter aisling crowe sally duckett badgers bloodstock melissa bauer-herzog sally ann grassick liz price adam potts

advertising declan rickatson 00 44 (0)7767 310381 declan.rickatson@btinternet.com subscriptions tracey glaysher 00 44 (0) 1428 724063 itsubs@btinternet.com

the printers micropress accounts tracey glaysher 00 44 (0) 1428 724063

the stats weatherbys

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9

first word

Changes are

wrong

The European Pattern Race Committee decision-making process is flawed and could have disastrous consequences, argues Jocelyn de Moubray

T

THE EUROPEAN PATTERN RACE COMMITTEE is slowly but surely destroying what used to be known as the European Classic programme.

The committee believes, according to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities whose representatives sit upon it, that its decisions bring “universally recognised benefits”, while at the same time remaining “adaptable and responsive to changes”.

However, by applying subjective and arbitrary rules across the whole of the European Pattern, the Committee has failed to reflect changes in the breeding industry and has worked to undermine the programme for middle-distance three-year-olds by systematically downgrading what used to be vital parts of the selection

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...simple average will always under-rate middle-distance races for three-year-olds

of the best middle-distance horses in each European country.

The Derrinstown Derby Trial, the Dee Stakes, the Prix Noailles, as well as a whole selection of French provincial and Scandinavian Derby’s, are amongst the races that have lost status in recent years, while in its most recent announcements the committee has put races such as the Prix Greffuhle, the Prix Hocquart, the Prix Malleret, the Deutches Derby, the Diana Trial and Derby Italiano under threat of downgrades.

There are two major problems with the way the European Pattern Committee takes it decisions.

They are based upon a three-year average of the ratings of the first four horses in any particular Pattern race. This simple, but flawed equation, does not reflect the way horses are placed to run and, more importantly,

first word Broome winning last year’s Group 3 Derrinstown Derby Trial.

The race was downgraded to a Group 3 in 2014, the same year the Dee Stakes was reduced from a Group 3 to a Listed race.

They, and other such races, are important middle-distance selection races in the European Pattern

a simple average will always under-rate middle-distance races for three-year-olds.

Three-year-olds were traditionally tested over middledistances in order to select the excellent horses from the good ones.

Few horses are able to run over 1m2f or 1m4f before the middle of their three-year-old season, which is why these races were used for selection and why there is more often than not a large margin between the winner and the fourth.

A straight average will never reflect this and is likely to give a higher rating to races run over shorter distances.

In Pattern races prize-money is usually distributed along the lines of 60 per cent to winner, 25 per cent to the second, 10 per cent to the third and five per cent to the fourth. It would be logical to judge middle-distance races

...recent changes in the breeding world make a revaluation of its criteria even more urgent than before

for three-year-olds by a rating calculated using similar ratios for the first four in any Pattern race.

These races were designed to select, and if they are won by top horses they are fulfilling their role; even if those who finish third or fourth turn out not to be top class.

This flaw in the Pattern Committee’s reasoning has been there since it decided upon its rules in the early 1990s, however, recent changes in the breeding world make a revaluation of its criteria even more urgent than before.

The production of thoroughbreds in Europe is focused on an ever-smaller number of popular sires.

In 1992, the year the European Pattern Committee was established, the major stallions Sadler’s Wells and Danehill were the only two sires with more than 20

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11

first word yearlings offered for sale in Europe.

By 2019 there were 38 who had more than 50 yearlings offered for sale and 12 with more than 75.

In 1992 there were nine stallions with ten or more progeny in the Tattersalls select yearling sale and their progeny made up 20 per cent of the catalogue.

In 2019 there were 18 and their progeny made up 70 per cent of the catalogue.

The best mares are, these days, sent to an ever-smaller number of popular stallions creating a homogeneity which was not there 40 years ago.

As a result of these changes the horse population is very different from how it was at the beginning of the European Pattern, and once again these changes have a particularly negative effect on middle-distance races for three-year-olds.

These races have come to be dominated by the progeny of Europe’s top four sires – Galileo, Dubawi, Sea The Stars and Frankel – all of whom stand at a fee between €150,000 and €400,000, and who covered around 650 mares between them in 2019.

T

HROUGH 2017-2019 only 47 three-year-olds achieved a rating of 115 or higher over 1m4f, and, of these, 58 per cent were by one of the four super sires, 55 per cent belonged to either Coolmore or Godolphin and 90 per cent were trained in Britain and

Ireland.

In the circumstances it is no wonder that Pattern races for middle-distance three-year-olds struggle to attract competitive fields and to fulfill the Pattern Committee’s stipulations.

Having a simple rule to apply does, without any doubt at all, make decisions easier, but it is no guarantee of making correct ones.

After all whole economies and international financial systems have been brought down because decision-makers were unable or unwilling to question the premises with which they had been used to working.

The European Pattern Committee needs to change the way it judges Group races and in particular those for three-year-olds over middle-distances.

If the Commmittee does not show the ability to adapt and be responsive it will be too late to save the Classic selection programme in Germany, France, Italy, and very soon Britain and Ireland, too.

There are other changes which could be made to protect the selection of the best middle-distance threeyear-olds in Europe.

It seems absurd, for instance, to run three of the most important Group 1s for three-year-olds over 1m4f – the Irish Derby, the Deutsches Derby and the Gand Prix de Paris – within 20 days of each other.

However if the Pattern Committee continues to apply its relentless and flawed logic we are moving inexorably towards a system of racing and breeding focused on races run between 6f and a mile.

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European Pattern Committee changes (upward and downward) – and races at risk of downgrade (*Note: all races deemed to be at risk are generally over 2000m+ Ed) Upgraded from Listed to Group 3 23/05/20 Marble Hill Curragh, IRE 24/07/20 Valiant Ascot, GB 16/08/20 Francois Boutin Deauville, FR

2yo 3yo+ f 2yo

6f 8f 1400m

New Listed Races 22/07/20 TBC 11/10/20 P. & C. Mile AWT Dec 20 TBC AWT

2yo f 3yo+ 3yo+

5f 1600m 2500m

Downgraded from Group 2 21/07/19 Meilen Trophy Dusseldorf, GER 25/08/19 Goldene Peitsche Baden-Baden

3yo+ 3yo+

1600m 1200m

Downgraded from Group 3 25/08/19 Polar Cup Ovrevoll

3yo+

1370m

Downgraded from Listed 23/05/19 Coupe de Trois 15/08/19 Copa de Oro 25/08/19 Norsk Derby 06/10/19 Norsk Jockeyklubs 20/10/19 Duque de Toledo

3yo 3yo+ 3yo 3yo+ 3yo+

2400m 2400m 2400m 1170m 2400m

Naas, IRE Jagersro, SWE Deauville, FR

Lyon-Parilly San Sebastian Ovrevoll Ovrevoll Madrid

Group 1 and Group 2 races at risk of downgrade in 2021 France 01/05/19 Greffuhle Saint-Cloud 3yo c & f 16/06/19 Hocquart Chantilly 3yo c & f 30/06/19 Eugene Adam Saint-Cloud 3yo 26/10/19 Crit. de Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud 2yo c & f

2100m 2400m 2000m 2000m

Germany 09/06/19 Diana Trial 07/07/19 Deutsches Derby 31/08/19 T. von Zastrow 22/09/19 Europa

Hoppegarten Hannover Baden-Baden Cologne

3yo f 3yo c & f 3yo+ f 3yo+

2000m 2400m 2400m 2400m

Italy 19/05/19

Derby Italiano

Rome

3yo c & f 2200m

Turkey 08/09/19

Topkapi Trophy

Veliefendi

3yo+

1600m

CAPPELLA SANSEVERO PROVEN SON OF SHOWCASING PIERRE LAPIN

SANSEVERO

Trainer: Roger Varian

Trainer: Archie Watson

Gr.2 Mill Reef Stakes winner targets the Gr.1 Commonwealth Cup in 2020

Eye-catching 3yo Maiden winner on debut

PANIC ROOM

ELOY D’AMERVAL

Trainer: Tom Dascombe

Trainer: Ger Lyons

Smart 2yo Novice Stakes winner at Haydock by 3¼l

2yo Maiden winner on debut.

“He looks like a horse with a future.”

Racing Post

EXCITING FIRST CROP 3YOS IN 2020 Cappella Sansevero

Kuroshio

Smooth Daddy

Micheál Orlandi,  + 353 (0)83 809 2299 Compas Stallions  + 44 (0)7535 263388

My Dream Boat

 info@compasstallions.com  compasstallions.com

Standing at Starfield Stud, Ballinagall, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland N91 K8Y9

the news

Share in No Risk At All bought for €62,000 THE ONE-50TH SHARE IN the French NH sire No Risk At All sold at the two-day Arqana February Mixed Sale was bought

by Goldford Stud for €62,000.

The Haras de Montaigubased stallion is an incredibly promising sire of NH horses and has recently enjoyed success with the likes of the Grade 1 winners Epatante and Esprit Du Large, as well as promising novice Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed chaser, Allaho.

All three hail from the sire’s first crop, which is still only six-year-olds,

and were conceived off €2,500.

“We’re missing National Hunt stallions in England,” said purchaser Richard Aston to Arqana.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with Haras de Montaigu. We love Martaline and we’ve been sending mares to No Risk At All since the start of his stallion career.

“It makes sense for us to invest

in him. We’ll look forward to using him every year.”

The Astons believe that there is the promise of a lot more to come from the young 13-year-old son of My Risk, who now stands at a fee of €7,000.

In the sale ring, Henrietta Knight recently paid £370,000 on behalf of owner Mike Grech for No Risk At All’s bumper winner Keskonrisk.

Badger suggests solutions that will give the sale ring the transparency required, as well as a way to use reserves that will make them of greater relevancy... both options will cost, but the end-result will be worth it

A fair compromise

14

“

What Nick Rust and his investigating team did not grasp is that everything in the ring has been honed to maximise values

“

I

T NOW LOOKS AS IF NICK RUST will have left the BHA before seeing the results of the lengthy investigation and review of ethics at bloodstock sales.

Will he have changed the way that bloodstock is sold at auction in Europe? I doubt it.

I have some sympathy for him in trying to grasp the conventions that bloodstock auctions have developed over the years.

And, yes, I am sure that many a newcomer to the sales ring will have been puzzled... and this may have led to disillusion too.

However, having practised my trade in sale rings around the world for 45 years, there are changes that I also consider desirable.

The nub of this whole tricky question is that changes to the current system of auctioning will cost money... to vendors and auction houses initially and then to the wider industry as sales prices are deflated

and breeder confidences start to wain.

What Nick Rust and his investigating team did not grasp is that everything in the ring has been honed to maximise values.

Despite the assertions of former top policeman Justin Felice, the bloodstock industry is probably no

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Photo: courtesy of Arqana and by Zuzanna Lupa

Arqana’s system of paying agents five per cent commission (via the vendor) has a number of industry advantages that could be adopted elsewhere

different from any other industry where large amounts of money are swilling around the system. There will always be the odd bad egg who will ruin an omelette, despite the very best systems in place.

The following suggestions will inevitably cost money, however, maybe such expense could be justified as the results could regain the confidence of new participants,

and banish forever the big dark cloud that has been propagated by certain journalists who simply do not want to understand conventions that have been established probably back in the days when Tattersalls were selling horses on Hyde Park Corner or opposite Harrods.

The term “reserve” lies at the root of most misunderstandings.

This is not surprising really for it is

the news

Leading European and US race mares produce fillies THE TWO-TIME US champion Songbird produced a filly foal

by Tapit in February, while the record-breaking Marsha has had a filly by champion sire Galileo at Coolmore in Ireland Songbird, a daughter of Medaglia D’Oro, won 13 of her 15 starts with nine of those victories coming at Grade 1 level.

No Risk At All

The double act

“

Increasingly purchasers have been reticent about agreeing to payment of commission, with a few reportedly taking this a step further and actually refusing to pay an agreed sum

“

a total misnomer, and currently has no relevance to the auction process in a Tattersalls or Goffs sale ring.

In truth, most vendors register a reserve with the auctioneer at approximately two-thirds of their pre-sale valuation of their horse and then proceed (perfectly legally) to bid beyond this reserve price to a level that is more in line with their expectations.

The logic may seem obtuse, but this convention enables the auctioneer to entice likely bidders into the action, seducing them into believing that they can actually buy at the price indicated on the sale board.

If the procedure were to change whereby the reserve was the actual price acceptable to the vendor, then bidders would sit on their hands and many lots would be led out unsold... only for there to be a rush to the stable door for that unsold lot with effectively a second auction taking place with the disgruntled vendor.

The instant result would be reduced turnover, with financial implications for the industry, and complications with private deals that often leave unsatisfactory dealings.

In my opinion, there is a halfway house. The term reserve must be empowered to have relevance in the process.

I suggest that the reserve has to be officially lodged with the auctioneers (as now) and, once this price is achieved, then the auctioneer announces that he is

She was bought for $9.5 million by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Songbird’s first foal was a filly

by Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song).

Marsha was bought for a record-breaking 6,000,000gns

by M.V. Magnier at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Marsha won seven of her 18 starts for owner-breeder Elite Racing with her Group 1 victories coming in the 2016 Prix de l’Abbaye and the following year’s 5f Nunthorpe Stakes (G1).

“selling” (again as now).

However, the big difference will be that, if the lot is bought back later in the auction process by the vendor, then the conditions of sale will state that anyone has the right for the next 30 days to buy at the officially lodged reserve.

It will be perfectly legal for a vendor to bid beyond his reserve, but that vendor will risk being forced to sell later at the lower price.

The process will require auction companies to list the lodged reserve price for any unsold lot... be that by being purchased as vendor or not achieving the required reserve value and not sold in the ring.

Without doubt this will reduce

the opportunity for the sale process to maximise value in the ring, but this could be the price to pay for transparency.

And the same word “Transparency” can be improved in relation to ownership of the horse.

I defend the right of the auction houses and vendors to limit the available information in the catalogue. However, there is again another half-way house that will ensure peace of mind to purchasers.

It should again be included in the conditions of sale that “from the fall of the hammer” the successful bidder should have full knowledge of the precise current ownership details for that lot.

This situation would prevent so many accusations from Justin Felice that certain individuals were benefiting from lack of transparency in ownership.

Finally, one eminently sensible change to English and Irish auctions has always been summarily dismissed purely due to cost to the industry.

In France, if a recognised agent buys a lot through the ring, then that agent is paid a commission by the sales company.

In the case of Arqana, the agent’s commission is five per cent and this is funded by the vendor being charged a sales commission as well as the purchaser.

There is logic in extending that practice to Ireland and the UK simply to ensure more transparency. Many

of Justin Felice’s accusations would be totally defused. The important part is ensuring that only a licensed agent can be registered to receive such commission and the licensing will partly be dependent on legally signing up to a Code of Ethics with a nominated authority... which could be the BHA, if required.

The term “agent” could easily include trainers and syndicators as well, so long as they participate in the required licensing procedures.

Any purchaser not accordingly licensed can not reclaim the commission.

As a practising bloodstock agent for very many years, this process has much appeal.

Increasingly purchasers have been reticent about agreeing to payment of commission, with a few reportedly taking this a step further and actually refusing to pay an agreed sum.

With a built-in sum already on the table, there would be nothing to stop an agent/purchaser negotiation on the distribution of the licensed agent’s five per cent.

It would not take purchasers long to work out that there are multiple benefits of the system too, while vendors would logically be saved any prior discussions with interested parties.

So there we have it. Pay more money (as detailed above) and the bloodstock Industry will solve its “transparency” issues. Who is going to vote for that?

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15

the news

Lope De Vega gets his first Group 1 of 2020 with Gytrash’s Lightning Stakes victory SOUTHERN AUSTRALIAN gelding Gytrash upset some of Australia’s best sprinters to give 68-year-old trainer Gordon Richards his first Group 1 in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington, and sire Lope De Vega his first top level winner for 2020.

Gytrash missed most of 2019’s spring carnival with a knee problem, but the fouryear-old gelding made a triumphant return for his biggest career success.

S

Unbeaten in his two previous Flemington appearances against his own age last winter, Gytrash had a much stronger challenge to contend with in the weight-for-age Lightning Stakes (1000m), which featured multiple Group 1 winner and top-rated Australian sprinter Nature Strip and dual Everest winner Redzel.

Ridden by Mark Zahra, Gytrash tracked leader Redzel before surging past the 15-time

....Girls aloud

PRING IS A WONDERFUL TIME in the thoroughbred Industry.

All of the yearlings have turned into budding two-year-olds, full of promise and excitement for the racing season.

New additions are being foaled at farms everywhere, bringing joy and excitement to their breeders. It is particularly exciting to see the first foals being born to first-crop stallions, and the racing publications are filling up with wonderful photographs and foaling announcements.

A wonderful new addition to spring in the thoroughbred industry are the stallion tours – the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Stallion Trail in Ireland and the Route des Etalons in France have both very quickly become important fixtures in the calendar.

They have proved to be useful and exciting for European thoroughbred breeders, as they have to those fans of the sport who wish to reconnect with their racing heroes.

Another major role of the stallion tours is that it encourages breeders and media to seek out smaller stallion farms and allows these farms to be promoted in order to attract new breeders to their stallions.

The coverage and feedback from these tours and, in particular from the ITM Irish Stallion Trail, has been very encouraging with more than 25 leading stud farms opening their doors over the two days and a record numbers of registrations to take part.

With the welfare of racehorses is so high on the public agenda, the ITM Stallion Trail and the Route des Etalons allow members of the public to get up close and personal with the heroes of the racetrack.

They are able to see first-hand just how well the horses are cared for after they have retired from racing. It allows both members of the public and breeders alike the chance to look behind the scenes on some of the most famous and beautiful stud farms in the world. They are wonderful initiatives and deserve every congratulation on their success.

Another great new initiative which gives a chance for the public to see behind the scenes of the thoroughbred industry is Thoroughbred Tales.

Thoroughbred Tales is a global social media project which aims to promote racing to a wider audience and works to improve the image and perception of the industry.

16

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winner at the 200m pole to defeat him by a length. The win was a triumph for Richards, who experienced the thrill of his first Group 1 in a career spanning five decades.

“I’m 68 and I’ve won my first Group 1,” said Richards to the media after the victory.

“Not that I’ve had many tries at it. But if ever I was going to win one this is the horse that was going to do it. He’s just a machine.

Jason Holder rides him fast work for me and rode him in a special gallop between races and said, ‘This horse frightens me!’”.

Gytrash was bought by Richards at the 2017 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for A$40,000.

Cathy Grassick recognises the importance of the ITM Stallion Trail and the Route des Etalons weekends

Photo courtesy of ITM

Waldgeist on show on the trail weekend at Ballylinch Stud

The account is hosted by a different industry professional each week, who gives a behind-the-scenes all-access look at what they do in their dayto-day life and how their work associates with racing.

Thoroughbred Tales mainly focuses around its Twitter account, though other forms of social media such as Facebook and Instagram are used to attract traffic to the account.

There have been some terrific hosts so far, including Catch Bissett, the Godolphin Stable Staff Employee of the Year, who works for trainer Nick Alexander, and Peter Roe of Fairyhouse racecourse.

There are no limits to the aspects of racing and the thoroughbred industry that the Thoroughbred Tales team wish to cover.

In the past few weeks the teams from Bellharbour Point-to-Point, Coolagown Stud and Lackendarra Breeze-Up Stables have all taken turns at hosting the account and they are always are on the lookout for new volunteers from every part of the industry.

With all of the activity happening at this time of year, I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who could do a wonderful job at promoting the hard work and the care and attention given to the horses by people in this industry.

For those that are interested in either hosting or following the account,Thoroughbred Tales can be contacted either by emailing thoroughbredtales@gmail.com or can be followed on Twitter @ ThoroughbrdTale.

EQTIDAAR INVINCIBLE SPIRIT - MADANY (ACCLAMATION)

ROYAL ASCOT

GROUP 1 WINNER (6f)

“

He was a very talented sprinter and what he did in the Commonwealth Cup, considering his draw, was ULTRA IMPRESSIVE - Jim Crowley

“

2020 Fee:

£6,500 ( 1 st J a n S L F )

Get in touch for a great deal

Tom Pennington 01842 756963 or 07736 019914 - tpennington@shadwellstud.co.uk Ellen Bishop 01842 756929 - ebishop@shadwellstud.co.uk

L AND FORCE N O NAY N E V E R £750 TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR EUROPEAN MARES ON REQUEST “A brilliantly fast 2yo which he proved when winning the Richmond.

He was very unlucky not to win the Norfolk, we were drawn on the wrong side.”

- RYAN MOORE

Gr.2 Richmond Stakes

SPEED

PEDIGREE

LOOKS

5f Norfolk Gr.2, 6f Richmond Gr.2, 6f Morny Gr.1 Won/Placed

Family of Cassandra Go, Magical, Photo Call, Verglas etc

£350k Yearling Excellent conformation like his sire

FEE: £6,500

1st Oct SLF

LAND FORCE MARES SMART MARES FROM SMART BREEDERS (HIGHCLERE STUD SENDING 30 QUALITY MARES) Sylvestris

Black Type Mare, dam of Vitalogy (No Nay Never) 2nd Gr3 3rd Gr1 at 2 in 2019

Brook Stud

Kuriosa

Winning 1/2 Sis to Gr2 w Gr1 pl Kite Wood

Northmore Stud

Light Hearted

Green Desert mare, dam Gr2 Lowther pl Merletta

Martin Percival

Kelowna

Black Type Mare by Pivotal, three winners from three runners

Lavington Stud

Kaminari

2yo winning mare by Sea The Stars, 1/2 sis to & daughter of Gr1 animals

Byerley Stud

Caelica

By Sea The Stars, Daughter of Vital Statistics, 1/2 sis to Gr1 performer East by Frankel

Ballyhimikin/Stewart

Marysienka

Dam of Gr2 Robert Papin pl True Mason

Throckmorton Stud

Olvia

Black Type 2yo Mare by Giants Causeway from family of Champion Mill Reef

Haras de Marmion

Pack Together

Black Type 2yo Mare from the Gr1 family of Highclere & Hight of Fashion

The Royal Studs

Red Japonica

Dam of stks pl 2yo Bohemian Flame, daughter of Champion 2yo Red Camellia

Ballydorgan Stud

Scarborough Fair

Pivotal Mare, daughter of Gr1 w Kinnaird, 1/2 sis to Gr2 Royal Lodge w Berkshire

Floors/Ors

Sheer Indulgence

Pivotal Mare, dam of Pavilion Stakes winner Mick’s Yer Man

Shoreham Stud

Specific Dream

Danehill Dancer mare, dam of BT 2yo, 1/2 sis to Gr1 1000gns w Speciosa

North Farm Stud

Whim

Black Type Mare from the family of Invincible Spirit

Bartisan Racing

Queen of Mean

Young Pivotal mare, 1/2 sister to Gr1 w Zoffany

New England Stud

Musical Art

Black Type 2yo Mare, pl Gr3 Princess Margret from family of Gr1 w Finsceal Beo

Foresters Stud

Sugar Free

Black Type 2yo Mare by Oasis Dream, daughter of Gr2 Robert Papin w Much Faster

Flint Cottage Ltd

She Is Great

Black Type Mare by Dalakhani, family of Gr1 pl Al Rep

Bloodline Breeding

Pure As Gold

Kingman mare, 1/2 sis Gr2 w Gr1 pl sprinter Sayif & Gr2 Flying Childers pl Hunter Street Winning Bloodstock

Selinka

Black Type 2yo Mare, dam of Gr3 w 2yo sprinter Hit The Bid

Oak Tree Partners

Miss Spinamix

Verglas mare, 1/2 sis Gr2 Norfolk pl Spin Cycle and 3 other BT winners

Skymark Farms

ALSO COVERING MARES BY… Galileo, Dark Angel, Dubawi, Street Cry, Shamardal, Sea The Stars, Siyouni, Singspiel, Exceed and Excel, Green Desert, Oasis Dream, Danehill Dancer, Kodiac, Pivotal, Giants Causeway, Dansili, Kingman, Iffraaj, Selkirk etc.

C A L L J A K E WA R R E N T O D I S C U S S +44 (0)1635 253 212

+44 (0)7730 272 895

www.highclerestud.co.uk

nh racing

Celtic giants Despite ground concerns, the successful Dublin Festival produced some noteworthy performances with the Sadler’s Wells light shining bright, reports Aisling Crowe

Last Exhibition: the son of Oscar was one of seven winners at the Dublin Festival meeting who has the “breed-shaping” Sadler’s Wells in the pedigree

A

GLANCE THROUGH THE catalogue for any recent NH sale of young stock will reveal how the influence of Sadler’s Wells is growing ever-more dominant in NH breeding, with a sizeable number of horses now featuring close in-breeding to the breed-shaping patriarch.

Looking through the pedigrees of the winners at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival,

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it was easy to see one of the reasons why breeders have no compunction about sending grand-daughters of Sadler’s Wells to his grandsons, or even sons.

Of the 16 races run over the two days, Sadler’s Wells featured in the pedigrees of seven winners, six of them successful in Graded races.

His Prix du Jockey-Club runner-up Oscar was one of the first of Sadler’s Wells’s sons to make his mark as a NH stallion, and although

Oscar was retired from covering duties five years’ ago, the former Coolmore sire is still making his presence felt at the highest level of jump racing.

The very first race of the Dublin Racing Festival provided Oscar with a new Grade 1 winner, and one that was raucously celebrated on his return to the winners’ enclosure.

Latest Exhibition was the first Grade 1 in seven years for his popular trainer Paul

nh racing

Nolan, and a first in four for jockey Bryan Cooper. Both trainer and jockey have endured the lows of their professions in the intervening years so their resurgence, aided and abetted by the seven-year-old Latest Exhibition, was warmly received and set the tone for an emotional and joyous weekend at Leopardstown.

Latest Exhibition was bred by James Mernagh out of his home-bred Supreme Leader mare Aura About You, winner of the Grade 3 Dawn Run Novice Chase and third in the Grade 1 Barry and Sandra Kelly Memorial Navan Novice Hurdle and Grade 2 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.

Her pedigree is traditional Irish NH breeding with her broodmare sire none other than the six-time champion NH sire, Rathbarry Stud’s stalwart Strong Gale.

Withdrawn from the 2016 Derby Sale, Latest Exhibition has quickly illustrated his owner-breeder and dam’s abilities; he has never finished out of the first two in six starts so far.

The Navan Novice Hurdle now holds Grade 2 status, but Latest Exhibition went two better than his mother when winning the 2019 renewal in December, and his victory at Leopardstown over 2m6f indicated that he has every chance of bettering his dam’s Cheltenham record, too.

He is the first foal out of Aura About You, who has a six-year-old full-brother to him and a yearling colt by Walk In The Park.

Interestingly, Mernagh moved away from the Sadler’s Wells line for his dam’s 2019 covering instead sending the now 17-year-old mare to Ballylinch Stud’s Group 1 Champion Stakes winner Fascinating Rock.

Paisley Park, Oscar’s Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle hero of 2019, warmed up for a title defence with victory in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham.

With no more Oscars to come, the focus is now on his young relation Imperial Monarch, whose oldest crop are making their point-topoint maiden and bumper debuts this season.

The ten-year-old Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner stands for €2,500 at Coolmore’s The Beeches Stud and is by Galileo and out of Ionian Sea, a Slip Anchor half-sister to Oscar.

Another son of Sadler’s Wells was responsible for the winner of the very next race, the Grade 1 Dublin Chase.

Policy Maker, winner of four Group 2 races in the colours of the Wildenstein family, is the sire of Chacun Pour Soir, who has only run four times for Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci, despite being an eight-year-old.

With no more Oscars to come, the focus is now on his young relation Imperial Monarch Chacun Pour Soir has won three of those four starts, starting off in a 2m beginners’ chase at Naas last March, then outclassed Defi Du Seuil in the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown before finishing second to A Plus Tard in the Grade 1 over the Dublin Chase’s course and distance at Christmas.

Chacun Pour Soir was bred by Didier Berland out of the Grade 3 winner Kruscyna, a daughter of Ultimately Lucky, a Group 3 and Listed-winning Kris horse. She is the dam of two winners with her first two runners, her seven-year-old Kap Rock daughter Diva Reconce won a mares’ bumper. Kruscyna has a three-year-old daughter by Lauro.

Policy Maker moved from France to Blackrath Stud in Kildare for the 2016 season and his fee for the 2020 breeding season is listed as private. Trainer Peter Maher runs the stud in conjunction with his training career, and he is carrying on a family tradition as his grand-father Frank Latham stood French NH stallions at the farm in the 1970s, including Vulgan, who sired three individual Grand National winners.

Sadler’s Wells featured in the dam-lines of five Dublin Racing Festival winners, two of them through his grandson Winged Love. The Irish Derby winner and son of In The Wings spent the last eight seasons of his stud career

Paisley Park: put himself on target for Cheltenham and made it a good weekend for his sire Oscar

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

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nh racing at Hugh Suffern’s Tullyraine Stud in County Down, where he died five years’ ago.

The best of his offspring include the ill-fated Grade 1-winning 2m chaser Twist Magic and the Grade 1 RSA Chase, Fort Leney Novice Chase and Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase winner, Bostons Angel.

Unsurprisingly, given the status of his sire In The Wings in Germany, Winged Love stood a number of seasons at Gestüt Karlshof during the early part of his stallion career, which accounts for his position as dam-sire of the Grade 1 Irish Arkle Chase winner Notebook, a German-bred son of Samum.

Winged Love is also the broodmare sire of the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares’ Bumper winner Darling Daughter by Presenting.

Bred by Fergal Duncan, Darling Daughter is the first foal out of Premier Victory, who won a pair of Grade 3 novice hurdles and was second in the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle for trainer Tom Hogan of Gordon Lord Byron fame.

She was bred by Hugh Suffern and is a full-sister to Evan Williams’ Midlands National winner and Welsh National runner-up Firebird Flyer. They are two of four winners the King’s Ride mare Kiora Lady produced to Winged Love.

Darling Daughter won her point-to-point at Portrush in March last year and was bought by Margaret O’Toole for a now-value-looking £82,000 Premier Victory was purchased for €44,000 by Duncan, with a covering by Oscar, at the 2012 Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale, but Darling Daughter, born in 2014, is her first foal.

She was purchased at the 2014 November NH Sale by Rathbarry Stud for €19,000, and sold by the Cashman’s operation to Cormac Doyle of Monbeg Stables for €30,000 at the

2017 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

Darling Daughter won her point-to-point at Portrush in March last year and was bought by Margaret O’Toole for a now-valuelooking £82,000 at Cheltenham’s April Sale.

She is now unbeaten in both her starts for Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott and jockey Lisa O’Neill.

Premier Victory has a four-year-old full-sister to Darling Daughter named Premier Queen, a three-year-old full-brother who made €48,000 to Rathbarry Stud as a foal, a two-year-old Shirocco filly and a yearling colt by Youmzain, who was unsold as a foal in November before his half-sister made her track debut. Their dam was covered

by Diamond Boy in 2019.

The success of Montjeu and his sons in the NH sphere is no secret, but his daughters have yet to enjoy anything close to the level of success of their paternal half-brothers with 2015 Grade 1 Slaney Novice Hurdle winner McKinley the most high profile winner out of a Montjeu mare over jumps.

However, like that old cliché, two Grade 1 winners with Montjeu as their dam-sire have appeared this year.

First up was Colin Tizzard’s Fiddlerontheroof in the Tolworth Novice Hurdle at Sandown on January 4.

Darling Daughter: was a strong winner of the mares’ bumper. She’s out of a dual Grade 3-winning Winged Love mare Premier Victory and by Presenting

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nh racing

It must be impossible to be Born To Sea, forever destined to live in the enormous shadow cast by his half-brothers Galileo and Sea The Stars...

Fiddlerontheroof: is by Stowaway and his success has helped improve the standing of Montjeu as a broodmare sire of NH horses

A 2019 ÂŁ200,000 Goffs Aintree Sale purchase by the father and son teams of trainers Colin and Joe Tizzard and agents Peter and Ross Doyle, Fiddlerontheroof had won a bumper and was placed in two more for trainer Timmy Hyde and Harry Swan, son of the great jockey Charlie Swan, Bred by The Treaty Pals Syndicate, Fiddlerontheroof is the second foal out of Inquisitive Look, twice a winner at three.

She has a perfect record with her foals as the first two, both by the late Whytemount Stud sire Stowaway, have both won. Her first, the seven-year-old mare Love Lane, is a threetime winner over hurdles for Henry Daly and Fiddlerontheroof is her second.

Fiddlerontheroof has always been highly regarded by the Tizzard team and began his hurdling career in the Grade 2 Persian War Novice Hurdle in which he finished a good second to Thyme Hill. He was second on his next start at Wincanton and then got his head in front at the third attempt, winning at Sandown in early December before he returned to that course for an easy Grade 1 success.

Inquisitive Look has a four-year-old filly by Valirann, a two-year-old colt by Affinisea and returned to the three-parts brother to Sea The Stars last year.

Montjeu mares were responsible for a 1-3 in the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, but the result was more notable for the identity of the winner’s sire.

It must be impossible to be Born To Sea, forever destined to live in the enormous shadow cast by his half-brothers Galileo and Sea The Stars, but the Listed winner and Irish Derby second may have found his niche at last as a sire of NH stars.

His third crop just turned four and he is

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

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nh racing

A Wave Of The Sea: was the “other” juvenile runner for Born To Sea at the Dublin Festival, but ended up being the successful one after Aspire Tower crashed out at the last hurdle

now the sire of a Grade 1 winner over hurdles, but not with the horse who was anticipated to have that honour.

Aspire Tower won the Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival and were expected to take the Grade 1 equivalent at the Dublin Racing Festival.

However Aspire Tower, who was in with every chance of fulfilling that prediction, fell at the last when about to commence battle with Cerberus. That gelding, a son of Iffraaj out of a Montjeu mare, represented the Joseph O’Brien and JP McManus axis, but idled when left in front . It was the partnership’s apparent second string, A Wave Of The Sea, who pulled out more on the runin to overtake Cerberus, who was also passed

by Wolf Prince and could only finish third.

Montjeu was also represented in the pedigrees of second and fourth, who are by his Derby-winning son Pour Moi. A Wave Of The Sea is quite the experienced hurdler, his Grade 1 success was his sixth start and third win over obstacles.

He is the third runner and first winner out of Je T’Adore, who is out of Tree Tops, a Grand Lodge half-sister to the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes winner and Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes second Tuscan Evening.

His third dam The Faraway Tree is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan winner

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and sire Susuru, and Krisalya, the dam of Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Rose Gypsy. She is the second dam of Crystal Caver, who is the grand-dam of last year’s joint-highest-rated horse in the world and new Coolmore NH sire, Crystal Ocean.

A Wave Of The Sea was bred by John Yarr, who purchased Je T’Adore for 28,000gns from Baroda and Colbinstown Studs at the

2014 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

She has a two-year-old colt by No Nay Never, who made €140,000 to Al Shaqab Racing at the 2019 Arqana August Yearling Sale. He had previously been purchased for 120,000gns by Charles Briere’s Fairway Consignment at the 2018 Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Her yearling daughter by Starspangledbanner made 47,000gns to Colbinstown Stud at Tattersall’s December Foal Sale and she was amongst the first group of mares covered by Gustav Klimt in 2019.

Born To Sea has clicked very well with Pivotal mares, his two highest-rated hurdlers so far are out of his daughters. Galileo has also enjoyed success with Pivotal daughters, and Sea The Stars also has a Group 1 performer with Pivotal as a broodmare sire, so it is not a surprise that their youngest half-brother has done well with Cheveley Park Stud’s kingpin.

Given that Sea The Stars has also clicked well with Sadler’s Wells mares – three of his ten highest-rated runners so far are out of the great stallion’s daughters, including Taghrooda – and Born To Sea has promising runners out of Montjeu mares, the proliferation of Sadler’s Wells daughters and grand-daughters in NH breeding should suit Born To Sea. No discussion of the influence of Sadler’s Wells on the Dublin Racing Festival would be complete without mentioning the amazing Faugheen, who won the Grade 1 Novice Chase at the ripe old age of 12.

Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore were cheered home by the enthusiastic Leopardstown crowd

nh racing The former Champion Hurdler, who won his first Grade 1 over fences at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, made pulses race and tears come to the eyes of the huge crowd drawn to Leopardstown to witness the old warrior raise the roof on the grandstand.

By the Trempolino horse Germany, who was a 1m4f Group 1 winner in that country, Faugheen is out of the Accordion mare Miss Pickering and was bred by the late Dr John Waldron.

His six-year-old Fracas half-brother Osmotic is in training with Gordon Elliott for Gigginstown House Stud and won a bumper last year, while his Shirocco half-sister, who was fourth in a Worcester bumper, made €27,000 to Seamus Murphy at the Tattersalls Ireland February Sale.

He has a four-year-old half-sister by Califet, the final produce of their dam.

The sweet scent of Honeysuckle filled the Leopardstown air following the success of the mare in the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead, Rachael Blackmore and owner Kenny Alexander.

A six-year-old daughter of Sulamani, Honeysuckle was extending her unbeaten sequence to eight, seven of those successes on the track following from her a debut success in a point-to-point.

The sweet scent of Honeysuckle filled the Leopardstown air following the success of the mare in the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle Bred by Doug and Lucy Proctor at The Glanvilles Stud in Dorset, Honeysuckle was sold in Part Two of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale to Mark O’Hare for what now looks a steal at just €9,500.

Four days after an impressive winning debut with her 15l under O’Hare in the fouryear-old mares’ maiden at Dromahane, she was sold at the Goffs Punchestown Sale for €110,000 to Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud from Shanrod Stables on

behalf of owner Kenneth Alexander.

She has an unraced five-year-old fullbrother named Last Royal, who was bought back for £30,000 at last August’s Goffs UK Sale by The Glanvilles Stud.

Her Shirocco half-sister Roc Royal raced in France and was bought back by the Proctors last year to breed from – their dam First Royal is no longer with us.

First Royal was German-bred and won twice on the Flat in the country at three and was placed twice in Listed hurdles there at four.

She was by Lando, the Japan Cup winner and son of Acatenango, and a sire of top-class jumpers, including the Grade 1 winners Fox Norton and Air Force One. He is also the sire of Scalo, who will stand his first season at Yorton Farm in 2020, and is the sire of last year’s Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner Laccario.

Yorton Farm was home to Honeysuckle’s sire Sulamani until his death at 18 in 2017 and on official rating, she is the joint-best of his offspring along with Grand National hero Rule The World.

The Group 1-winning son of Hernando has a number of two and three-year-olds who, no doubt, will be of interest at the store sales after the exploits of Honeysuckle.

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nh stallion stats Leading NH sires in Britain and Ireland 2019-2020: (by prize-money earned to February 14, 2020) Stallion Milan Flemensfirth Yeats Stowaway Presenting King’s Theatre Oscar Beneficial Westerner Gold Well Getaway Mahler Kayf Tara Jeremy Shantou Network Court Cave Scorpion Midnight Legend Kalanisi Kapgarde Martaline Doyen Sulamani Voix du Nord Arcadio Saddler Maker Shirocco Black Sam Bellamy Saint des Saints Poliglote Beat Hollow Robin des Champs Fame And Glory Authorized Mastercraftsman No Risk At All Dubai Destination Brian Boru Craigsteel Malinas Winged Love Arakan Born To Sea Vinnie Roe Walk In The Park Ask Mountain High

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To Stud

Rnrs

Runs

Wnrs

Wins

Wnrs-Rnrs

SWnrs

2004 251 822 61 89 24.30 1998 229 671 61 81 26.64 2010 207 680 60 78 28.99 2001 243 741 56 79 23.05 1997 234 778 61 86 26.07 1997 100 387 40 65 40.00 1998 224 742 57 73 25.45 1997 168 594 46 72 27.38 2006 167 609 47 64 28.14 2006 173 662 63 94 36.42 2011 234 737 67 82 28.63 2009 188 649 45 61 23.94 2001 167 476 44 57 26.35 2008 140 464 38 49 27.14 1999 130 457 52 72 40.00 2002 55 171 15 27 27.27 2004 138 557 36 57 26.09 2008 167 606 39 51 23.35 1998 137 456 42 58 30.66 2002 115 341 27 39 23.48 2004 66 207 19 26 28.79 2005 91 256 33 39 36.26 2006 89 353 29 34 32.58 2005 76 267 24 34 31.58 2006 25 86 8 12 32.00 2008 121 424 24 38 19.83 2005 28 81 11 12 39.29 2007 128 355 32 43 25.00 2004 105 313 36 50 34.29 2003 48 137 17 20 35.42 1998 27 84 12 15 44.44 2003 70 204 23 31 32.86 2001 84 276 23 35 27.38 2013 110 318 27 41 24.55 2008 50 172 17 27 34.00 2010 58 224 19 27 32.76 2013 30 83 16 21 53.33 2004 69 246 18 26 26.09 2005 57 234 15 22 26.32 2003 51 207 13 22 25.49 2006 75 199 20 26 26.67 1996 59 174 17 23 28.81 2006 58 245 15 25 25.86 2013 28 117 13 21 46.43 2006 59 220 14 20 23.73 2008 19 65 7 7 36.84 2011 74 245 13 20 17.57 2008 51 188 15 20 29.41

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Courtesy of Weatherbys SWs

Earnings

Best horse

9 13 1,451,525 Roaring Bull 9 12 1,360,549 Lostintranslation 7 8 1,258,883 Tudor City 5 7 1,188,566 The Worlds End 6 7 1,152,690 Slate House 7 7 1,140,417 Happy Diva 4 6 1,123,670 Latest Exhibition 3 5 1,095,232 Lady Buttons 3 3 1,048,085 Jepeck 2 3 993,267 Well Set Up 4 4 866,020 Thosedaysaregone 2 2 783,683 Ok Corral 3 5 780,273 Ballyandy 5 5 729,679 Black Tears 2 2 720,417 Bun Doran 2 3 696,035 Delta Work 1 1 651,832 Limited Reserve 0 0 644,866 Riders Onthe Storm 2 2 597,937 Midnight Shadow 1 2 582,037 Darver Star 3 3 580,840 Clan des Obeaux 4 4 557,982 Warthog 2 3 461,320 Battleoverdoyen 1 2 445,137 Honeysuckle 2 4 429,204 Defi du Seuil 0 0 422,824 Crievehill 3 3 419,371 Apple’s Jade 1 2 414,302 Casablanca Mix 2 2 407,078 Sam Spinner 2 2 406,887 Lord du Mesnil 3 3 405,398 Capeland 2 2 401,459 Not So Sleepy 2 2 398,671 Robin de Carlow 1 1 380,793 Sebastopol 1 1 372,401 Ciel De Neige 2 2 332,961 Razoul 3 4 330,922 Epatante 0 0 329,561 Elegant Escape 0 0 313,971 McGroarty 1 1 288,360 Doctor Duffy 1 1 287,327 Harambe 0 0 280,151 Ravenhill 1 1 279,739 Sirobbie 2 2 273,997 A Wave of The Sea 1 1 272,510 Vinndication 3 3 268,583 Walk In The Mill 0 0 258,901 Ask Susan 1 1 251,930 Stoney Mountain

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all-weather stallion stats Leading All-Weather sires in Britain and Ireland 2020: (by prize-money earned to February 17, 2020) Stallion

To Stud

Rnrs

Runs

Wnrs

Wins

Dark Angel 2008 47 102 12 Kodiac 2007 64 119 12 Shamardal 2005 24 45 6 Exceed And Excel 2005 46 88 8 Cape Cross 2000 20 39 8 Camacho 2006 39 81 6 Kyllachy 2003 34 65 8 Lope de Vega 2011 27 48 6 Dragon Pulse 2013 20 33 6 Dandy Man 2010 42 73 10 Dutch Art 2008 23 37 9 Arcano 2011 23 43 4 Showcasing 2011 35 71 6 Invincible Spirit 2003 30 54 6 Mayson 2013 21 45 7 Champs Elysees 2010 28 53 5 Iffraaj 2007 31 49 7 Casamento 2013 29 52 5 Epaulette 2014 25 45 8 Acclamation 2004 29 66 6 Aqlaam 2010 9 18 1 Zebedee 2011 26 58 5 Harbour Watch 2013 16 29 7 Equiano 2011 29 57 4 Pivotal 1997 11 19 4 Dubawi 2006 19 31 6 Dawn Approach 2014 19 31 4 Sea The Stars 2010 24 33 5 Helmet 2013 34 64 4 Toronado 2015 17 27 5 Zoffany 2012 35 54 5 No Nay Never 2015 18 28 4 New Approach 2009 22 36 4 Nathaniel 2013 16 24 8 Sepoy 2013 23 44 6 Teofilo 2008 14 24 4 Frankel 2013 14 22 1 War Front 2007 8 19 2 Garswood 2015 13 27 5 Camelot 2014 18 28 5 Farhh 2014 4 7 2 Bated Breath 2013 30 55 3 Foxwedge 2013 22 40 2 Brazen Beau 2016 13 23 5 Footstepsinthesand 2006 26 41 4 Australia 2015 14 26 1 Dream Ahead 2012 16 29 2 Raven’s Pass 2009 14 20 3

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Wnrs-Rnrs

13 13 8 10 9 9 10 9 9 13 12 5 8 6 7 5 8 9 9 6 3 6 8 6 4 7 5 6 5 7 6 4 7 9 7 4 2 4 7 5 3 4 2 7 4 1 2 3

25.53 18.75 25.00 17.39 40.00 15.38 23.52 22.22 30.00 23.80 39.13 17.39 17.14 20.00 33.33 17.85 22.58 17.24 32.00 20.68 11.11 19.23 43.75 13.79 36.36 31.57 21.05 20.83 11.76 29.41 14.28 22.22 18.18 50.00 26.08 28.57 7.14 25.00 38.46 27.77 50.00 10.00 9.09 38.46 15.38 7.14 12.50 21.42

SWnrs 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Courtesy of Weatherbys SWs

Earnings

Best horse

0 113,040 San Andreas 0 107,539 Kwela 1 104,121 Good Effort 0 97,164 Harry’s Bar 0 78,622 Solar Heights 0 74,091 Rangali Island 0 66,668 Zylan 0 64,993 Revolutionise 0 62,951 Kondratiev Wave 0 62,308 Brains 0 62,140 Asdaa 0 57,584 Another Touch 0 57,459 Will To Win 0 55,283 Via Serendipity 0 51,892 Raydiance 0 51,850 Petite Jack 0 50,168 Corazon Espinado 0 49,465 Adnap 0 47,030 Matewan 0 46,581 Abby Hatcher 0 45,952 Rainbow Dreamer 0 45,941 Moveonup 0 44,251 Ayr Harbour 0 44,043 Sandridge Lad 0 42,453 Watchable 0 42,383 Blowing Dixie 0 42,220 Court House 0 42,159 Tynecastle Park 0 42,045 Love Your Work 0 40,617 Almufti 0 39,092 Mickey 0 38,000 Never Before 0 37,544 Arabian King 0 37,421 Vibrance 0 36,481 Deleyll 0 36,143 Mildenberger 0 35,068 King’s Vow 0 34,202 Battle of Marathon 0 34,065 Garsman 0 33,945 Guinevere 0 33,885 Sky Defender 0 33,402 Major Power 0 33,289 Wasntexpectingthat 0 32,030 Dazzling Des 0 31,850 Fizzy Feet 1 31,310 Bangkok 0 30,257 Silent Attack 0 30,168 Soldier’s Minute

Enter now!

At our 2019 Premier Yearling Sale: • 3 yearlings sold for more than 350.000 € • 21 yearlings sold for more than 100.000 € • Average price: 56.300 €

ch. f. by Sea The Stars – Anna Mia Vendor: Gestüt Brümmerhof Purchaser: Godolphin

Our 2020 sales Spring Breeze Up and HIT Sale, 22nd May, Entries close: 10th April Premier Yearling Sale, 4th September, Entries close: 24th April October Mixed Sales, 16th and 17th October, Entries close: 7th September

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simon says...

Timeform rates Battaash, courtesy of his Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) success, superior to the joint highest-rated on the WBRR – Enable, Waldgeist and Crystal Ocean

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simon says...

Changing nations Simon Rowlands reviews the assessments on the WBRR and sees drops in representatives from the UK, France and Germany, and increases in numbers from Japan and South Africa

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ANDICAPPERS (IN THE EUROPEAN SENSE) do have something to occupy them during the lull in winter proceedings – January is when the Longines-backed World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are revealed.

After slippage and retrospective recalibration, the WBRRs seem to be on a level footing again now, on average some 4lb to 5lb below the longerestablished Timeform ratings.

There was some controversy regarding the awarding of joint-highest status on WBRR 128 to Crystal Ocean, Enable and Waldgeist, and the rankings, which are thrashed out at committee level, have not entirely shed their reputation of being political.

As it is, Timeform currently has one horse rated higher than any of that trio, and that is Battaash, courtesy of his widemargin win in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York in August.

He figures on 136 with the private handicappers, but only 126 (joint-fifth) with the official panel.

This comes down to different interpretations of the correct allowance for margins beaten under varying circumstances.

The official version is approximately 2lb per second in this instance – where 5f was covered in just 55.90s, breaking

It has to be wondered just what a sprinter has to do to top the WBRR? Dayjur’s long-standing course record – which is significantly less than many other authorities, including Timeform and I, think it should be.

It has to be wondered just what a sprinter has to do to top the WBRR listings? Only Black Caviar (130 in 2013) has managed it in recent times, even

then she tied with Treve with that year’s outstanding Japanese sprinter Lord Kanaloa only in joint-fifth.

There are not many other major differences of opinion, though a few of the US horses – such as Omaha Beach (whose Dirt Mile defeat seems to have been disproportionately held against him) – have arguably been under-rated.

For what it is worth, I agree with the positive view of the WBRRs of some of the Japanese performers, including the brilliant Arima Kinen winner Lys Gracieux (126 with WBRR, only 128 with Timeform).

On a wider scale, the WBRRs help to identify the ebbing and flowing of individual national fortunes, or at least of the official

By country representation in the WBRR Country Australia France UK Germany Hong Kong Ireland Japan South Africa UAE US

2019

2009-2018 average high

low

42 48 55 40 14 26 36 17 44 51 68.5 37 1 8 11 5 20 21 26 15 20 20 28 14 44 35 43 28 14 11 22 4 9 9 12 3 69 77 91 62

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simon says... assessment of their better horses.

The US was again top dog in terms of representatives in the classifications, but 69 was down eight on the average for the preceding decade.

Britain on 44 was joined in second place by Japan, the former down from an average of 51 in the previous 10 years, the latter up sharply from 35.

The Land of the Rising Sun – or at least of the rapidly inflating rating – was the real global success story of 2019 with Glory Vase (125 WBRR) and Almond Eye (124) close behind Lys Gracieux.

The two failures, in relative terms, were France (14 representatives having been at 36 as recently as 2011) and Germany, for whom Laccario was the sole representative when eight had been the par.

Individual anomalies often come out in the wash when dealing with larger samples, but not when viewed in isolation.

That holds not only for individual horse ratings, but to more recent attempts by the WBRRs to apply those ratings to an assessment of race importance.

Race strength is an old concept in handicapping, in which it is used extensively in standardisation and automated assessments. But it really needs to consider more than just the first-four finishers, unweighted for position, and to draw on a horse’s performance on the day itself rather than its end-of-year rating (which is what WBRRs do).

The ad-absurdum of this flawed approach may be illustrated by the presence in joint-sixth place in 2019’s top races of the (Longinessponsored) Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April, a race won by Winx on her final start (the Arc edged out the King George for top spot).

Runner-up in that race was the Japanese horse Kluger, who seems fortunate to have made the

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classifications on 117.

From that, it may be inferred that neither Hartnell nor Happy Clapper in third or fourth ran anywhere near their classification figures of 120 and 122, and yet those are what have been used to assess the worth of this particular contest.

There was less that was contentious about the separate

European Two-Year-Old Classifications in which Pinatubo was a long way clear on 128, the highest figure awarded in 25 years.

That, and maybe more besides, seems justified about a horse who won the Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh in a fast time and by 9l.

Timeform has the colt on 134.

Perhaps the only real mystery is why the assessments have never been extended to juveniles in North America and possibly even further afield?

As the Classifications stand, they have much less clout than they might have, which is disappointing given the global ambitions of the closely related WBRRs.

Mucho Gusto and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr

Mucho Gusto: 125-rated Pegasus winner

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HERE IS NOT MUCH to report in terms of action on the track since the last ratings review with January traditionally a quiet month in international horseracing and seemingly even more so this year than usual.

The Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida was a somewhat diminished affair, especially after Omaha Beach and Spun To Run had to be withdrawn.

Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) was a classy winner – rated 125 by Timeform on the day – if not as classy as those that had preceded him. Arrogate had run to 133 when winning the inaugural contest in 2017.

The seven-year-old gelding Zulu Alpha (Street Cry) was a meritorious winner of the second-ever Pegasus World Cup Turf on the same card running to a 122 figure in accounting for a slightly-belowform Magic Wand, who made much of the running.

The meeting at Sha Tin in Hong Kong the previous Sunday seemed to settle a few outstanding questions, including, “Is Waikuku now a significant presence on the world stage?” (yes, just about) and “Is Beauty Generation the force he once was?” (no, he isn’t but he has won since) as those two finished first and second in the Stewards’ Cup, running to ratings of 126 and 125 respectively.

Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) followed up his big win at Sha Tin in December with a narrow one in the Centenary Sprint, running to 120 compared to his 125 peak.

The early meetings of the Dubai Carnival have taken place, and perhaps the most significant performance was that of Benbatl with the son of Dubawi winning the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes easily by nearly 5l, though his opposition was not strong. Timeform rated this a 122 performance compared to the six-year-old’s master rating of 129.

Barney Roy showed he may yet return to his best – following his failed spell at stud – when winning a Group 2 at Meydan at the end of January with a 124 Timeform rating.

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IMPRESSIVE RESULTS FOR

TATTERSALLS ASCOT BREEZE-UP 31st March - 1st April SUMMER SANDS - £85,000

3rd Gr.1 Middle Park, 1st Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy Sold for 625,000gns at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale

SANDS OF MALI - £75,000

1st Gr.1 British Champions Sprint Career earnings - £726,220

TATTERSALLS CRAVEN BREEZE-UP 13th - 15th April VALDERMORO - 50,000GNS

1st Gr.3 Acomb Stakes

BRANDO - 115,000GNS

1st Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest Career earnings - £1,012,425

GOFFS UK BREEZE-UP 22nd - 23rd April A'ALI - £135,000

Three time Gr.2 winner including Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot

QUIET REFLECTION - £44,000

Dual Gr.1 winner Sold at Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 2.1million gns

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Please contact: Amanda Prior - aprior@greatbritishracing.com - +44 (0)7471 216 075

tally-ho stud

Tally-Ho Stud talks...

Photography courtesy of Tally-Ho Stud and by Amy Lanigan

sire power

Aisling Crowe chats to the O’Callaghan family about the farm’s current roster

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T IS OVER 40 YEARS since Tony and Anne O’Callaghan put down roots near Mullingar in County Westmeath. Over the intervening years the couple, along with their sons Roger and Henry, have striven to build a family business now in its fifth decade.

Synonymous with fast, precocious and successful sires, Tally-Ho Stud has enjoyed success right around the world producing such horses as the Group/Grade 1

winners Fairyland, Sky Lantern, Desert Encounter and Bushranger.

Many of those are the result of the support and dedication to building the careers and reputations of the stallions that the O’Callaghan family stands; Tally-Ho Stud now a leading producer of top-class Flat sires.

Crowe chats with Tony, Anne, Roger and Henry about the stallions currently resident at Tally-Ho Stud.

INNS OF COURT: the new name at the County Westmeath farm THE LATEST SIRE to receive the O’Callaghan backing is Inns Of Court, a son of Invincible Spirit who was trained by André Fabre for Godolphin, and has retired to the farm for this spring season.

He was a Group winner over 5f, 6f and 7f and finished second in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois and Prix de la Forêt.

As well as an exciting race career that saw him win his sole start at two and go on to win at three, four and five, he also has an excellent pedigree – his dam Learned Friend is a Seeking The Gold half-sister to Fierement, a son of Deep Impact, who has won twice at the highest level in Japan.

Roger: Inns Of Court is going well, people are very interested in him. He was a Group 1 winner in everything bar name.

We had been following him for a few years, heard he was finished racing and went from there. It was his race performance that caught our eye, and he is a good-looking horse. He’s tough and sound from a good family and had an exceptional rating.

Tony: He put in a good time for his two-year-old race, ran 14 times and has a good mind. He has good size and scope, he is

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16.1 with good bone, and very competitively priced!

We are always looking for the next one and the next one...

It could take 20 years, but we have been lucky

Inns Of Court: the son of Invincible Spirit was a dual Group 1 runner-up

Photo: PA

enough with Danetime, Society Rock and, of course, Kodiac.

R: We have to replace Kodiac, and it won’t be for the lack of trying!

Henry: And don’t forget Zebedee and Sir Prancealot – they had their Group 1 winners as well...

tally-ho stud VADAMOS and MEHMAS: a key year with first runners in 2020 THAT QUEST ENSURES that the renovated stallion yard at Tally-Ho is populated by young sires with their careers all in their early stages.

For two of those horses – Vadamos and Mehmas – 2020 will be a crucial year as the both have their first runners.

The Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner Vadamos is a son of Monsun, while Mehmas, who was a highclass juvenile, is bred on the same Acclamation-Machiavellian cross as leading sire Dark Angel.

Mehmas was a juvenile performer of the highest order and won the Group 2 Richmond Stakes by a neck from Blue Point, conceding 3lb to the future sprint champion.

Mehmas: a talented two-year-old

He also won the Group 2 July Stakes and was second to Churchill in the Group 1 National Stakes and third in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes – an impressive resume.

His yearlings averaged 32,665gns last autumn with his top-priced yearling bought by Oliver St Lawrence for £260,000 at Goffs Premier Sale.

He had five yearlings sell for six-figure sums.

R: Mehmas was a class horse, a top breeze-up horse and be beat Blue Point, giving him weight, and people forget that.

We have a Mehmas half-sister to Justifier [Tally-Ho-bred Listed winner and Group 3-placed filly from the first crop of Free Eagle] for the breeze-ups, and about half a dozen by both Mehmas and Vadamos for the breeze-up sales.

We have to have a little look to see what’s under the bonnet!

T: He ran the last furlong of the Moulin in a very good time, under 11 seconds [10.47s].

He is a very good-looking horse, and he just floats around the yard. You need that genetic diversity and he offers that to breeders.

R: He is a class horse and looks it, too.

We’ll see in two years if we are right or wrong!

Vadamos: a good-looking type, he had good Group 1-winning form over a mile

Vadamos, perhaps untypical of a son of Monsun, won his Group 1 the Prix du Moulin over a mile demonstrating serious speed.

He also won three Group races over the same trip and was second in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois to Ribchester and ahead of fellow Tally-Ho resident and 2000 Guineas winner, Galileo Gold.

Last autumn, Vadamos’ yearlings achieved a top price of €180,000 and he had four lots make six-figure sums.

T: I think Vadamos might surprise a lot of people this year, and we are expecting to get two-year-old winners from him.

R: He was a very good miler and he is an outcross for a lot of mares; you have to think outside the box sometimes.

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tally-ho stud COTAI GLORY and GALILEO GOLD: first yearlings in 2020

KODIAC and KESSAAR: the Tally-Ho king and his son

NESTLED BETWEEN Inns Of Court, Mehmas and Vadamos in their career development are Cotai Glory and Galileo Gold. The pair’s oldest foals are yearlings this year and both have faced the judgment of the market place with their first foals.

The first foals by Cotai Glory, the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes-winning son of Exceed And Excel and placed in three Group 1 sprints, including when a neck defeat by Profitable in the King’s Stand, sold for an average price of 11,358gns headed by a colt out of the Fast Company mare Sommorell, who fetched €62,000.

Galileo Gold was a very good racehorse. After a two-year-old year, which saw him successful in the Vintage Stakes (G2) and third in the Lagardère, he won the 2,000 Guineas and just 21 days later finished second to Awtaad in the Irish version.

He returned to winning ways at Royal Ascot when beating The Gurkha in the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) before the Ballydoyle runner just gained revenge in the Sussex Stakes with Galileo Gold a neck second.

Tally-Ho Stud supported the sire’s stock in the ring and bought his top-priced foal for €80,000 from Ringfort Stud. The colt is out of Flare Of Firelight, the dam of the dual 2019 Group 2 two-year-old winner Threat.

KODIAC HAS come a long way and now boasts four individual Group 1 winners to his name and status as one of the most popular stallions around.

From a book that once only included 14 outside mares to a book populated by mares from most of Europe’s leading breeders, it’s been some journey for the 19-year-old stallion.

R: Cotai Glory’s foals went very well at the sales, he stamps his stock, he gets lovelylooking horses so you would be hopeful for a horse that had loads of ability.

Galileo Gold, well people are slagging him because he is by Paco Boy, but they forget he is out of a Galileo mare and he did win a 2,000 Guineas and a St James’s Palace – he wasn’t a one-race wonder!

T: Galileo Gold was a good two-year-old, too, he won the Group 2 Vintage Stakes and was third in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère.

R: And he has a good pedigree – his third dam is a half-sister to Montjeu and Aclaim, and Again is also on the page, so with a little luck...

T: We are going to battle on!

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Cotai Glory: G1-placed son of Exceed And Excel

R: People didn’t want to go to Society Rock either and look what happened there! Once the yearlings got to the sales they were mad for him.

T: But, at the end of the day you have to get the results, too. The market is very severe on stallions, it probably wasn’t as vicious in the past as it is now.

R: There is fashion before a stallion has runners – and then there is fashion after their performances on the track.

R: Danetime was a hard enough sell...

T: And it was, too, we started with Kodiac – but I suppose Kodiac hadn’t raced much.

Galileo Gold: a Group 2-winning two-year-old

T: He holds the world record for two-year-old winners, had the highest number of two-yearold winners last season and twice he has been leading sire of two-year-olds on prize-money [2016 and 2018].

H: He had two Group 1 winners last year, and two the year before with Best Solution winning Group 1 races over a 1m4f.

Anne: He has done it the hard way, the quality of mares he got in his first few years would have been very close to the floorboards!

In the early days, he improved his mares by at least 10lb, and now Darley, the Wertheimers, Derrinstown, Coolmore, Juddmonte, Moyglare, Cheveley Park are all sending him mares.

He has been very good to us. He has got both high class colts and fillies; he just gets good horses.

H: They have a good attitude and they want to win, that’s the big thing with them. In fairness to him, his results speak for themselves T: A lot of them are still racing at seven or eight years of age and seem to thrive on racing and love what they do.

A: Kessaar being a home-bred is special for us; we couldn’t help but get excited when he won his novice by 10l before he went onto better things.

When we went to see him while he was in training we were even surprised how well he had done physically and we all immediately said that he would do for us as he had developed into the most gorgeous-looking horse – some have said he like Kodiac only better looking!!

It was a double-edge sword retiring him at the end of his two-year-career as we were taking a high-class horse out of Kodiac’s armoury but, what can I say, we loved him!

He has a few lovely foals on the ground and we look forward to sending him plenty of our own mares.

tally-ho stud

Main picture: Kodiac,the sire gets horses who “want to win� their races, and inset, Kessaar, the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes-winning son of Kodiac, bred by Tally-Ho and now standing alongside his sire

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tally-ho stud THE RACING WORLD: competition is good for all

Fairyland: G1-winning two and three-year-old

The 95-year-old Mrs Evie Stockwell with her grandson M.V. Magnier, her filly and Aidan O’Brien

THE O’CALLAGHAN family enjoy their racing, and the competitive nature of the sport in Ireland seems only to inspire them more.

A: It is. You meet people from all walks of life

T: We are mad keen on racing, we enjoy winning – races are not easily won, but that’s fair enough. It’s the same with the All-Ireland, it’s competitive!

A: If you win in Ireland, or even if you are well placed, it is on the internet and even those in as far away as Hong Kong will know the result and will be on the phone.

Everyone is watching and the standard of racing in Ireland is so high; we are the best in the world.

Ballydoyle and all that comes with it – well we all have to aspire to beat them.

T: The competition is healthy.

A: It raises the standard and, if the bar keeps going up, hopefully we’ll get some bit of the wash of it and go with it. We are lucky to be in the game.

R: It is a good game to be in, there’s a new story every day.

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T: And tomorrow never comes!

R: You’re always thinking about tomorrow!

T: It is always tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow; you are never thinking about yesterday.

H: There is the chance of a bit of magic, too The family had its own sprinkling of magic last season with the victory of Fairyland in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.

The daughter of Kodiac was bred by the farm and sold at Tattersalls Book 1 to Anne’s nephew M.V. Magnier for 925,00gns, the top-price given for a Kodiac yearling to date.

Magnier purchased the filly on behalf of his grandmother, and Anne’s mother, Mrs Evie Stockwell.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Fairyland won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at two and crowned her career with that thrilling victory at

The Curragh, providing the family with one of those special days unique to racing.

A: My mother is in her 95th year and she spends an hour every day with a cup of coffee reading the racing papers.

She said the win would give her another ten years! She can’t wait for the Flat season to start again, the horses keep her going.

R: It was a fairy story, and, Mother, you got some kick out of it!

A: The Curragh was unbelievable and mother never lost faith, considering that the filly had only run the week before.

R: That was one of the great days.

A: Especially being at The Curragh and the day that was in it, for Pat Smullen. The atmosphere was incredible. It was magic wasn’t it? The goodwill and everyone was pulling together; it was a great family day.

And that is what puts the meaning of family into family business, what the O’Callaghans are working to achieve.

stallions on show

Stallionson show Aisling Crowe reports on her two weekends spent viewing handsome stallions in Ireland and France, and avoiding strange men on ferries

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HE CHRISTMAS COBWEBS were quickly shaken off this year with an exciting couple of weekends going around stud farms in Ireland and France in early January, getting a close look at some of the stallions both countries have to offer.

Breeders in both countries are spoiled for choice and here are a selection of young sires that caught my eye as I travelled around the farms.

Irish Thoroughbred Marketing’s annual Stallion Trail kicked off the extravaganza in Ireland over January 10-11.

First stop was the sylvan idyll that is the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud, based outside Kilcullen in County Kildare. It was there where HH The Aga Khan hosted a lunch for HM The Queen during her historic state visit to Ireland in 2011 and the setting, fit for a queen, is home to a king; the champion racehorse and leading sire Sea The Stars whose dual Derby-winning son Harzand stands alongside him.

Gilltown is one of the most popular studs on the Irish Stallion Trail, and the cars spilling out of the parking area and down either side of the road leading to the offices and courtyard where the stallions are shown, were testament to the enduring popularity of the champion racehorse, whose undefeated three-year-old season was all of 11 years’ ago.

Many of the people visiting the farm were there for one reason only, to see in the flesh the horse who thrilled them when winning

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Invincible Spirit has plenty of admirers at the Irish National Stud Photo: courtesy of the Irish National Stud and by Zuzanna Lupa

stallions on show Right: Tamayuz with some admirers at Derrinstown Stud Far right: the busy two days all becoming a bit too much for Vendangeur at Anngrove Stud Photo: ITM

six Group 1 races from the 2,000 Guineas to the Arc for owner-breeders the Tsui family, trainer John Oxx and jockey Michael Kinane in that unforgettable season.

The reaction from many when Sea The Stars strutted under the archway into the courtyard was a joy to witness, the power a racehorse has over human emotions so very clear to see in the delighted faces of the crowds at Gilltown.

Now 14 years old and the sire of 12 individual Group/Grade 1 winners and more than half a century of individual stakes winners, Sea The Stars looks every inch a champion worth his €150,000 covering fee.

Already the sire of a successful young stallion in Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner Sea The Moon, Sea The Stars’ next stallion prospect lives alongside him in the same, immaculate stallion complex.

The Aga Khan’s homebred Derby winner

The Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Decorated Knight has really let down into a fine horse Harzand will have his first runners in 2020 and the European champion three-year-old of 2016 has developed into an imposing stallion.

Much darker than his sire, Harzand endeared himself to those who were waiting for the arrival of Sea The Stars with a touching display of affection for handler Billy.

Mark and Elaine Clarke of Wardstown Stud inspect Decorated Knight at the Irish National Stud

Photo: courtesy of the Irish National Stud and by Zuzanna Lupa

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stallions on show Ruler Of The World has a chat with his friend Isere before his day’s showing begins

Even in the gusts of an Irish storm, Maxios projected an imposing presence and generated plenty of attention My first encounter with Harzand came at Gilltown in the winter of 2016, shortly after his arrival at the farm, when he displayed that gentle and affectionate nature and it was heartwarming to see that his character remains unchanged by his change of career.

It’s an important point for breeders to note when considering a stallion for their mare, and Harzand has a fantastic temperament to go with his handsome looks and Derby victories.

Arnauld Poirier of France Sire interviewing Criquette Head-Maarek at Haras de Quesnay

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stallions on show One of the next studs visited was appropriately the Irish National Stud, which is developing a stallion roster to cater for a broad spectrum of breeders from NH to the elite level on the Flat.

The newest recruit to the band is last year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain, who was also such a close second in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity at two.

Adding a Classic winner to the roster for this spring, and with the first foals by Decorated Knight and National Defense impressing at the sales earlier in the winter, the Tully farm was a must on the opening day of the trail.

The Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Decorated Knight has really let down in to a fine horse since he retired to stud.

Very closely related to Gleneagles, whose first crop contained seven stakes horses, including the Group 2 winners Royal Lytham and Royal Dornoch, Decorated Knight hails from one of the best equine families in the world.

His dam Pearling is a full-sister to the legendary Giant’s Causeway and to Group

2 winner You’resothrilling, the dam of Gleneagles and his Group 1-winning fullsisters Marvellous and Happily, all, like Decorated Knight, by the inimitable Galileo.

A select bunch from Decorated Knight’s first crop came onto the open market as foals and were headed by the 190,000gns colt out of the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes second Princess Noor, from the family of Fairyland and Dream Ahead.

It should be an exciting year for those Decorated Knight’s connections who house his first yearlings and, if they develop the way their sire has since his racing career ended, they will have nothing to worry about come sales time next autumn.

National Defense is a different type of horse, very “French” in his physical makeup and was a Group 1 winner at two in the country when successful in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère.

He stands alongside his own sire Invincible Spirit and his first crop are yearlings of 2020.

An easy mover and an athletic horse, it’s easy to see why he cost Sun Bloodstock €280,000

at the 2014 Arqana August Yearling Sale.

The stud will be hoping those athletic qualities will have been transmitted to his foals and, as his sire has shown time and again with his sons, those genes he has are some of the strongest out there.

From the moment Phoenix Of Spain is led from his box it’s obvious why the farm bought his breeding rights, even before he made his three-year-old debut.

A handsome horse who cost 220,000gns as a yearling and 78,000gns as a foal, he has an athletic walk and a fine presence about him.

Top class at two, he was scintillating in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

As a Guineas and Group 3 Acomb Stakes winner, Phoenix Of Spain has plenty to recommend him to breeders, but he is also from the hottest sire-line in Europe as a son of Lope De Vega and grandson of Shamardal.

With his sire now boasting a six-figure covering fee and Shamardal private at Darley, Phoenix Of Spain’s €15,000 fee looks a bargain for breeders wishing to tap into the sire-line.

My second day of the trail was dedicated

Wootton Bassett at Haras d’Etreham, a first viewing on day one of the Route des Etalons

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stallions on show

Kendargent: one of the leading sires in France and Haras de Colleville’s flagbearer, the 17-year-old son of Kendor has produced six Group 1 winners

to NH stallions and concentrated on the Blackwater Valley area of Cork and Waterford.

It’s the home of steeplechase racing and a picturesque location, but Fermoy and its surrounding townlands were shrouded in the mists of the first storm of 2020.

At Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud, where the operation stands a mixture of Flat and NH stallions, new acquisition Maxios, the 12-yearold son of Monsun, was the undoubted star of the show.

Even in the gusts of an Irish storm, Maxios projected an imposing presence and generated plenty of attention from breeders anxious to assess his physical qualities ahead of booking a date for their mares.

On looks alone it’s easy to see why Coolmore bought the dual Group 1 winner and relocated him to Ireland from Germany.

A dark bay, almost black horse, he looks to have the physicality, size and scope that NH breeders look for in a stallion and, as a son of Monsun, the pre-eminent source of NH sires in Europe, he has the right bloodlines.

At €6,000 he could also offer value to Flat breeders who are not wholly concerned with breeding for commercial speed, although as the winner of the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile, Maxios did not lack for acceleration.

He hails from an outstanding Niarchos pedigree as a half-brother to Arc winner Bago and a grandson of the Group 1 Prix Morny winner Coup De Genie, a full-sister to the brilliant sire Machiavellian, with Group 1-winning or performing juveniles

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A very good pizza found in the depths of Trouville on evening one was followed by pasta on evening two, and a stay in a slightly bizarre Airbnb... under his second dam.

From just his second crop he has already sired a Classic winner in Diamanta, successful in the Group 1 Preis der Diana last year for trainer Markus Klug and ownerbreeder Gestuet Brummerhof. He also produced the Group 3-placed juvenile filly Suada out of an Invincible Spirit mare in his first crop.

Across the Channel

First impressions of the Route des Etalons the following week will remain with me forever as the glorious Haras d’Etreham had the dubious honour of being the first French stud farm I ever visited.

The Etreham stallions more than lived up to their fabulous surroundings with Saint Des Saints, the patriarch at 22 gleaming in

Galiway: had six winners from 13 runners in his first crop, including the Group 3 winner Kenway

RELIABLE MAN 2008, grey, 163 cm by Dalakhani - On Fair Stage (Sadler´s Wells)

CHAMPION FIRST SEASON SIRE AND PROVEN GROUP 1 SIRE ALREADY THE SIRE OF 2 CLASSIC OAKS WINNERS AND 6 GROUP 1 HORSES (2nd/3rd)

Standing in France at Haras d’Annebault for 2020 - Contact Niccolò Riva 00 33 62 091 36 59 Fee: €7,000 LF www.reliablemanstallion.com

By European Champion Sprinter and leading sire influence OASIS DREAM out of European Champion 2YO ATTRACTION Successful first crop sire standing at a stud which produces Group 1-winning sprinters

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Wins and places from his first crop runners including GRAVITY FORCE 4th Horris Hill Stakes, Gr.3 His second crop of yearlings sold for up to 55,000gns

Fee: £3,500 Oct 1st SLF Tel: 07974 948755 or 01630 647197

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stallions on show the early morning winter sun, but it was a younger member of the roster who really caught the eye, the European champion three-year-old colt Almanzor looking an absolute picture in the stallion yard.

He is another young sire with his oldest crop just yearlings, and he looks to have a very bright future ahead of him.

His first foals to come on the market made a splash, not just at Arqana where they averaged €110,571 for seven sold, but at Goffs and Tattersalls, too.

A handsome horse, like his sire Wootton Bassett alongside whom he stands, he has that aura about him so many champions do.

A fine physical, Almanzor has a pedigree to match his looks – he hails from an Aga Khan family, his dam Darkova was a Listed winner and half-sister to the champion Darjina.

S

OME SLICK nagivating (google maps and the very good Route des Etalons map) got us from Etreham back to Haras de Logis, to Haras de Grandchamp where we bumped into Skysports and Equidia’s Katherine Ford, checking out stallions for her own mare, and then on to Haras de Bonneval to see Siyouni and friends We ended the day at Montefort Et Preaux where we were kindly looked after by Mathieu Alex and were given a late parade by Le Havre and Recorder, and a viewing of some choice yearlings by the younger sire.

The farm has of course recently been purchased by Nurlan Bizakov and Alex is looking forward working with the new

We returned to Le Havre for our cross-channel ferry, pleased with the number of farms visited and stallions viewed on a beautiful weekend in Normandy management team.

A very good pizza found in the depths of Trouville on evening one was followed by pasta on evening two, and a stay in a slightly bizarre Airbnb (one of the bedrooms boasted a fridge!) and conversation in Spanish, the only common language with the bachelor landlord.

Day two kicked off early doors at Haras de Bouquetot, which opened its doors at 9.30am so we could get in early, and the champion juvenile Shalaa is clearly one on whom a lot of hopes are pinned for 2o2o. Following the success of his sale foals in 2018, his sale yearlings were well received last autumn with an average price of 99,000gns and a top price of €600,000 and 29 six-figure lots.

He has the look of a tough running champion and, if his juvenile runners inherit

Reliable Man at Haras d’Annebault: has produced two Group 1 winners in the southern hemisphere

his outlook, the stud’s 2020 hopes should be realised.

The former Derby winner Ruler Of The World caught the eye, even amongst a group of good-looking stallions such as Shalaa and Toronado.

Owned in partnership by Coolmore and Al Shaqab, the chesnut son of Galileo is standing his first season at the French stallion farm.

Already the sire of a Group 1 winner in his small first crop through the exploits of the Moyglare Stakes, the Pretty Polly Stakes, the Matron Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare heroine Iridessa, the Derby winner is a boost to the French stallion ranks, which are becoming increasingly more powerful.

A gorgeous looker, well made and put together, Ruler Of The World appears to have that impeccable Galileo temperament that trainers love.

From an outstanding sire-producing family that includes A.P. Indy, Lemon Drop Kid, Summer Squall and Duke Of Marmalade, French breeders are fortunate to have the opportunity to use such a well-bred and goodlooking stallion.

Our tour moved on to Haras de Quesnay where the energetic Arnaud Poirier from France Sire was busy filming, and then to Haras de Colleville.

The farm’s stallion showing zone really is a stunning spot, and Galiway, who had a good summer last year with his first crop of runners producing six winners from 13 runners, including a Group 3 winner, presented himself well.

The farm’s flagbearer Kendargent looked in great nick and surveyed the surrounding Normandy countryside as the king he is.

Our final stop of the tour was at Haras d’Annebault to see the good-looking Group 1 winner and producer Reliable Man, heading into his third year at stud in France.

The son of Dalakhani looked very well – as in fact did all the sires on the farm, a credit to Vita and Niccolo Riva.

We returned to Le Havre for our crosschannel ferry, pleased with the number of farms visited and stallions viewed on a beautiful weekend in Normandy. What could have been better than to spend two days driving around the Gaellic countryside visiting wonderful farms for the chance to see such fine stallions?

The ferry’s return trip was not as turbulent as when we headed to France the previous Friday, and, thankfully, the slightly weird man we met on the way over and who took it upon himself to become our friend, did not re-materialise.

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us news

Saudi bound Pegasus World Cup winner heads overseas as new options develop in the Middle East that suit US horses, writes Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Mucho Gusto winning the Grade 1 Pegasus Cup. Is the next stop Saudi and then Dubai?

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us news

W

HAT WAS ONCE considered a quiet time in US racing has quickly turned into an important part of the racing season with the running of the Pegasus World Cup. Now in its fourth year the Pegasus World Cup (G1) was lacking the star power seen in its first three editions with likely favourites Omaha Beach (War Front) and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Spun To Run (Hard Spun) scratched only days before the race. However, that didn’t stop the race from producing a potential new star in the form of Musto Gusto, who ran away with the victory by four and a half lengths.

The first Grade 1 winner for his Breeders’ Cup Classic-winning sire Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), the win was just what connections were looking for to get an invite to the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 29.

“You know what, the horse shipped well and I wasn’t planning on taking him there, but he worked really well the other day,” said trainer Bob Baffert about his change of plans.

“I was going to run in the San Pasqual, but

after he worked so well I thought, ‘You know what, I’m just going to take a shot at the mile-and-an-eighth and maybe that will get him ready.’

“He didn’t get an invite to The Saudi Cup [before the Pegasus], so I thought maybe if he runs well enough he’ll get an invitation.”

Baffert isn’t afraid to run horses abroad and has often had runners on the Dubai World Cup card – including three winners of the headline race.

Mucho Gusto was nominated for the Dubai World Cup by connections before his Pegasus victory so there’s a chance he’ll be seen in Dubai also.

The Saudi Cup could well become a challenge

to the Dubai World Cup (G1) and its attraction for American runners.

The new $20 million race has attracted some of the best older horses in the US ranging from last year’s champion threeyear-old Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) to the champion older Dirt female Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute).

Although most of the runners from the US heading to The Saudi Cup are also nominated for the Dubai World Cup, it is likely their performances in Saudi Arabia will play a large part as to whether connections decide to stay in the Middle East until the following month’s race.

One trainer who will

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us news likely have multiple representatives on Dubai World Cup night will be Doug O’Neill, who broke new ground this year by keeping a string at Meydan.

O’Neill has quickly proven that Americans can compete throughout the Meydan meet with a slew of seconds and thirds and a win in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) with Fore Left (Twirling Candy) in early February.

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’NEILL hasn’t been afraid to run his horses back quickly in Dubai and, as of writing, was aiming Fore Left at another start before the UAE Derby (G2) so taking full advantage of the winter meet at Meydan.

“If he’s diving into his feed tub, we may run him one more time [in the $350,000 Al Bastakiya on March 7], but, if for any reason he shows fatigue, we’ll wait for the Derby.

“Dubai has made it so easy for us to relax and enjoy this and I’m a big believer that horses are a reflection of the people around them and this has been a great experience,” said O’Neill after the UAE 2000 Guineas.

Fore Left is just one interesting three-yearold in a competitive year for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The colt is trying a relatively uncharted path by running his whole season in Dubai instead of just shipping for the UAE Derby, a route that has not worked for others before.

However, it’s almost guaranteed that if Fore Left finds Derby success after wintering in Dubai, it may set up a system for the future.

In the US the competition has already ramped up for Kentucky Derby spots, but going into late-February, there still seems to be no stand-out as we head into the final months of Derby madness.

The champion two-year-old male Storm The Court (Court Vision) threw the division into disarray in November when he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at 45-1, but the colt disappointed on his return in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) when only fourth.

An interesting prospect did turn up, however, thanks to the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert – his Blame colt Nadal took the race on his second career start and retained his unbeaten record.

Nadal has the problem of the dreaded “Apollo Curse”, but Baffert proved that, with the right horse, it is possible to win the Derby with a horse who did not run as a juvenile – as he did with Justify (Scat Daddy).

Nadal should also get better with

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Two years after his last Triple Crown, Baffert seems to have a full hand going into the heat of Derby prep season Doug O’Neill’s and Reddam Racing’s Fore Left winning the Group 3 UAE Guineas

Photo: Dubai Racing Carnival / Erika Rasmussen

experience and distance – his sire is the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame (Arch) and his dam is by Pulpit (A.P. Indy).

Two years after his last Triple Crown, Baffert seems to have a full hand going into the heat of Derby prep season.

The trainer has multiple undefeated colts on the Kentucky Derby trail with Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) the weekend before the San Vicente for two graded stakes wins in three starts.

He also has the two-for-two Authentic (Into Mischief), who looks like another who will improve with age and is owned by some of the partnership who raced Justify.

Also working toward his 2020 debut is Baffert’s Eight Rings (Empire Maker), a Grade 1-winning colt owned by Authentic’s connections.

Baffert currently has three horses officially in the Top 20 in the Kentucky Derby points scheme with Nadal the only colt of the aforementioned group who has not yet run in an official Kentucky Derby prep.

While Baffert seems to have control of the West Coast trail, many people are reliving the days of watching Funny Cide (Distorted Humor) on the East Coast as Tiz The Law (Constitution) is marching his way to the Kentucky Derby.

A New York-bred owned by Funny Cide’s owners Sackatoga Stable and trained by Funny Cide’s trainer Barclay Tagg.

While Funny Cide didn’t make much noise until finishing second in a pair of Derby preps in March and April of his year, Tiz The Law has been firmly entrenched as one of the favourites since his Grade 1 win in October.

The colt’s only blip in his career came when third on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) in his two-year-old finale. The colt was back to his winning ways earlier this month when winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) on his three-year-old debut – the same race that was used for Funny Cide’s sophomore debut in 2003.

As a fitting end to the connection the WinStar-bred Funny Cide turns 20 this year, while Tiz The Law’s sire Constitution was a leading freshman sire last year and stands at WinStar Farm.

While no horse is currently a huge standout in any US division right now, it’s clear that US racing will leave this year’s “quiet period” with plenty of story lines to pay attention to around the world as racing heats up in coming months.

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N AT I O N A L S T U D . C O . U K

world’s best racehorse rankings

The best in the world

WBRR tables shine a light on genetics, Mitochondrial DNA, and the influence of deep female lines, writes Alan Porter Tables: pg78-82

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HE TRIO TIED for the top of the World’s Racehorse Rankings – Crystal Ocean, Enable and Waldgeist – pay a tribute to the remarkable matriarch Urban Sea, who threatens to become to the European Classic pedigree what Queen Victoria was to the crowned heads of Europe at the turn of the last century.

Crystal Ocean is by Urban Sea’s son Sea The Stars, Enable, who emerges best if weight-for-sex is taken into account, is by Nathaniel, who is by Urban Sea’s son Galileo, while Waldgeist is by Galileo himself.

Each of the trio in their own way are illustrative of some commercial and genetic talking points of current interest.

One that was picked up immediately when the figures were announced was that Crystal Ocean would retire to stud at The Beeches, one of the NH wings of Coolmore.

It’s long been hard for all but the most stellar middle-distances runners to gain much purchase at stud in Europe, but Crystal Ocean might represent a new extreme. It’s quite remarkable that one of the year’s leading horses, who gained his most prestigious Group 1 victory over 1m2f, who is by one of Europe’s top stallions, and is a half-brother to two other group/graded winners, one Grade 1, and who is out of a two-year-old stakes winner, isn’t even considered to have a shot as a mainstream Flat sire!

On the other hand every year seems to see a new, almost generic, seemingly interchangable new intake of Green Desert/ Danehill/Acclamation line two-year-old sprinters covering large initial books

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before gradually fading away, many never to be heard from again as far as high-level performers are concerned.

In passing we have to wonder what kind of opportunities the magnificent Stradivarius – like Crystal Ocean, by Sea The Stars – who topped the extended division again this year, will have to do to make the grade as a Flat sire when he retires.

Last year we noted Enable made some pedigree history as the first Group or Grade 1 winner to be inbred 3x2 or closer to the epoch dominating Sadler’s Wells (although she is not the most closely inbred Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, that title is still held by Coronation V, a dominant heroine of the 1949 running, who was by a son of Tourbillon out of a mare by Tourbillon).

What’s particularly interesting is that the re-affirmation of the closely inbred Enable’s standing as a world-leader came just before publication of a study that raised concerns about the degree of inbreeding in the modern thoroughbred.

Published in mid-January this year, a paper by a team at University College Dublin, led by UCD Professor in Equine Genomics, Emmeline Hill, through DNA analysis of 10,000 thoroughbreds demonstrated that inbreeding across the breed has steadily increased across over the last 45 years.

The concern expressed in the article is that a phenomenon known as “inbreeding depression” can compromise both fertility and health.

The conclusion of the article is that inbreeding has been driven by commercial

Two of the best horses in the world in 2019: Crystal Ocean (far side) and Enable battle out the finish to last July’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

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world’s best racehorse rankings

The development of the racehorse has been for a complex set of characteristics that make for performance, rather than to create a specific type selection of certain popular sire lines.

According to this paper, particularly powerful has been the influence of Northern Dancer (who appeared in the pedigrees of 97 per cent of the horses in the study), his son Sadler’s Wells and his grandson, Danehill.

We’d actually speculate that as far as the horses tested here are concerned, the really decisive factor has been Northern Dancer’s grand-dam Almahmoud.

Her daughter Natalma, the dam of Northern Dancer, is 3x3 in the pedigree of Danehill, another daughter Cosmah is dam of Halo, whose son Sunday Silence is the dominant factor in Japanese pedigrees; and another sire Machiavellian is out of a mare bred 3x3 to Almahmoud.

The situation may well be further compounded by the fact that Mr. Prospector, so often a foil for Northern Dancer, is by Raise A Native, a son of Native Dancer and out of Gold Digger, a mare by a grandson of Nearco. Northern Dancer is by a son of Nearco and out of a mare by Native Dancer.

What strikes us as rather counter-intuitive about these statistics is that as a phenotype – the physical horse we see before us – the thoroughbred retains a high degree of hetrozygocity (has lots of genetic variability), and is far more diverse in type than most horse breeds.

That’s probably because, despite it’s name, the thoroughbred really evolved as a category – a running horse – rather than a true-breeding type. The development of the racehorse has been for a complex set of characteristics that make for performance, rather than to create a specific type. This focus on function, keeping those that can run fast (or those closely related to them), and

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discarding those who don’t, or who are not physically robust enough to run, has kept the thoroughbred remarkably free from inherited disease.

A

LTHOUGH THE CAUSE of inbreeding is laid at the door of the focus on predominant sire lines, the paper also observes that there are differences between genomic and pedigree inbreeding in that the degree of inbreeding on the page doesn’t always reflect the degree of genetic homozygosity (possessing two identical forms of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent).

In fact, when we look at Enable – who with Sadler’s Wells 3x2 would be thought of as highly inbred by thoroughbred standards – and take her whole pedigree out to ten generations, we find she has 861 unique ancestors, not a lot less than the average of 884 found among Group/Grade 1 winners in a study of nearly 12,000 thoroughbreds taken from yearlings sold at premier sales around the world in 2015.

Incidentally, the same study showed that Group/Grade 1 winners had a lower average of unique ancestors than any other group in the population.

Professor Hill, warned that the rise in (genomic) inbreeding in the international thoroughbred population could compromise the future of the breed, and counselled that the trend should be combated by using DNA-based tools for choosing genetically diverse mates.

That, however, may prove to be more easily said than done, since it would require either stallion farms making

Waldgeist’s breeding represents an interesting development for modern pedigrees

genomic information about their stallions public, or mare owners subjecting their mares to stallion farms for approval on the basis of DNA. Then there is the question as to whether the “outcross” is synonymous with the “best cross” at least as far as performance is concerned.

Although we have said that the paper noted that inbreeding and genomic inbreeding are not synonymous, there is still a broad link.

There is no doubt that if you took a herd of horses with high inbreeding coefficients and another with low inbreeding coefficients, the group with high inbreeding coefficients would also have a higher degree of genomic inbreeding.

With that in mind it’s interesting to note that there appears to be optimal degrees of paper inbreeding, as described by inbreeding coefficient, coefficient of relationship and ancestral history coefficient, all of which indicate that the best runners appear to fall in an optimal range, rather than being the least inbred.

In fact, in the sample previously referred to, Grade 1 winners had a lower ceiling for inbreeding coefficient, but also a higher average and higher floor than any other group separated by ability, similarly their minimum ancestral history coefficient is higher than all other groups.

Enable’s fellow Sadler’s Wells/Galileoline classification topper Waldgeist gives the opportunity to consider another relatively recent genetic development that may have significance to the thoroughbred breed.

Rated 121 by Timeform

FIRST FOALS 2020 Rated 121 by Timeform

Champion 3yo sprinter & the only son of ZOFFANY at stud in Britain

Group 1 placed in 3 countries

By ZOFFANY - who sired more than 120 winners in 2019, 28 of them 2yos including Group 1 winner Albigna, one of his 26 black type horses

From the family of leading sire GRAND LODGE

He retired with career earnings of £513,679

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world’s best racehorse rankings “When Blandford met D1b” isn’t quite as catchy as “When Harry met Sally,” but it proved to be both a lot less rocky romance, and a breed-shaping combination Lowe families regaining relevance via mtDNA

At the end of the 19th century the Australian pedigree researcher Bruce Lowe traced back the pedigrees of the winners of the Epsom Derby, the Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes, then grouped them by direct lines of tail female descent going back to the earliest ancestor found in the General Stud Book.

He then proceeded to arrange these families in order of Classic winners produced, thus the family with the most Classic winners – that whose earliest known descendent was Tregonwell’s Natural Barb Mare – became family No. 1, the Burton Barb Mare and her descendents was family No. 2, and so on.

Lowe ended up with 43 families, a number that has since been expanded, and now includes American, Colonial, and some halfbred families.

This concept of designating numbers to the various Thoroughbred female families was popularised when Lowe’s work Breeding Horses by the Figure System was published posthumously in 1895 by his friend and editor, William Allison.

In addition to the historical research, Lowe added some rather fanciful theories about how to utilise the family numbers in a breeding programme.

Lowe’s ideas suffered a body blow in the late 1930s when Phil Bull, founder of Timeform, conducted an analysis of what he called the “430 worst horses in training” and revealed that the representation of the Lowe families among the worst was proportional to their representation, the No. 1 family the highest number, the No. 2 family was the second highest.

This effectively ended the use of family numbers in planning breedings, but many still use those notations as a convenient way to categorise thoroughbred families.

Having said that, and acknowledging that Lowe’s theories are never likely to return to vogue, his work may have more relevance to breeding than might have been thought.

This is because of Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which exists outside the nucleus of the cell, and is passed on exclusively through the female line.

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Mitochondria have numerous vital functions, one of which is energy production, hence the description “the power pack of the cell,” and it plays a vital role in aerobic component of athletic performance.

The average overall rate of mutations in mtDNA are measured in thousands of years, which means, if we take for example, Enable, who is from Bruce Lowe family 4 (sub-branch m) she will have the same mtDNa as the earliest-known direct female ancestress, The Layton Barb mare, who was at stud in the second half of the 17th century.

This has become much more important with the relatively recent discovery that there are important interactions between mtDNA and nuclear DNA – or in pedigree terms the female line and the rest of the pedigree.

As a result there is the potential for a stallion to combine particularly well with mares from a particular female family (mtDNA line), even though those mares may only be connected by a distant ancestor.

Just after the turn of the most recent century scientists began to investigate the equine mtDNA genome, and subsequently established haplogroups (a genetic population group who share a common ancestor) and haplotypes (a group of genes within an organism that was inherited together from a single parent).

In 2012, Achilli et al. identified 18 major equine mtDNA genotypes (part of the genetic makeup of a cell) – A through R – ten of which have been identified in the thoroughbred.

Subsequently researchers have harmonised the Lowe family numbers with the Achilli mtDNA haplotypes, in the course of which discovering several instances where the haplotype differs from what is suggested by the stud-book record, the majority of which are very distant both in time and generations from the current population.

The Bruce Lowe No 5 family

One of the most interesting of these anomalies impacts the Bruce Lowe No. 5 family.

The majority of this family are Achilli

haplotype B1a, but the 5g and 5h are D1b.

This is a deep-rooted error which appears to stem from the 5g/5h foundation mare Miss West (born in 1777) being wrongly attached to root of the No. 5 family in the 5th edition of the General Stud-Book.

Rare globally and stemming from the same root as the Shetland Pony, Icelandic Pony and Norwegian Fjoird, in the thoroughbred it is only found through the 5g/5h family.

Looking at the pedigrees of early thoroughbreds, it’s rare that we find more than one individual from the 5g/5h in any single pedigree, which would have considerably reduced the likelihood of the optimal nuclear/mtDNA combination for individuals from this female line to occur.

This state of affairs began to change from the early 1930s.

“When Blandford met D1b” isn’t quite as catchy as “When Harry met Sally,” but it proved to be both a lot less rocky romance, and a breed-shaping combination.

The number of foals by Blandford – a three-time champion sire in England – out of mares from the D1b mtDNA line could be counted on the fingers of a hand with a couple to spare, but they included the Prix de la Salamandre and Prix du Conseil General winner Blue Skies, and a Yorkshire Oakswinning filly to whom we will return in a moment.

Blandford line saved by D1b and extended by Sadler’s Wells

The Blandford sire line, however, would have disappeared quite quickly had it not been for the D1b haplotype.

The 1930 Epsom Derby winner Blenheim, Blandford’s best stallion son, was out of a mare by the foul-tempered but talented Charles O’Malley, a member of the D1b tribe.

The branch of Blandford descending from the great French runner Brantome saw it’s last outstanding stallion in Val De Loir – champion sire in France in 1973, 1974 and 1975 – emerge from the D1b family, his fourth dam Simons Shoes being a three-quarters sister to Charles O’Malley.

Blandford’s fine son Windsor Lad, whose victories included the Epsom Derby, the St. Leger, the Eclipse Stakes and the Coronation Cup, had a short-lived sire line that extended furthest via son Windsor Slipper, an undefeated winner of the Irish Triple Crown. He, too, was from D1b mtDNA haplotype – his dam Carpet Slipper being out of Simons Shoes.

Best of all Blandford’s offspring as a

world’s best racehorse rankings

The Blandford sire line, however, would have disappeared quite quickly had it not been for the D1b haplotype runner was the undefeated English Triple Crown winner, Bahram.

Only moderately successful as a stallion in a career that saw him stand in England, the US and Argentina, Bahram is the conduit through which a branch of the Blandford sire line is still represented.

Bahram’s son Persian Gulf wasn’t from the D1b mtDNA line, but his grandsire Willbrook was – being also out of a mare inbred 3x2 to Lord Gough (also in the pedigree of Blandford), a son of the magnificent “Avenger of Waterloo” Gladiateur, a horse who was from the D1b tribe.

The Persian Gulf line comes down to the present day through Tamerlane and Dschingis Khan to German Horse of the Year Kongisstuhl, and thence to that horse’s son, Monsun.

Konigisstuhl was from the D1b maternal line and carried the previously mentioned Blandford/Db1 horse Blue Skies.

Monsun was also inbred 4x4 to Kongisstuhl’s third dam Kaiserkrone and her brother, Kaiseradler.

Considering that the Db1 haplotype represents only two per cent of the breed, and less than that until relatively recently, it’s remarkable that four male lines of Blandford extended through horses from that branch.

We also mentioned that there was a notable mare by Blandford from that maternal line.

So what of she?

That mare was Dalmary, who showed herself to be among the best of her sire’s daughters with a win in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Dalmary was out of Simons Shoes, so had a very similar background to Blenheim – both by Blandford, with Blenheim being out of a mare by Simons Shoes’ three-quarters brother, Charles O’Malley.

Charles O’Malley and Dalmary came

together at 4x2 in the mating between Nantallah and Dalmary’s daughter Rough Shod.

The results of that union included Moccasin, who earned a US Horse of the Year title as a two-year-old filly, a champion two-year-old colt in Ridan, stakes winner Lt. Stevens, who is broodmare sire of Lear Fan and Alysheba, and Thong, who produced four major stakes winners, and who is grand-dam of Nureyev and third dam of Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King.

Son of Noble Mission: a champion on Dirt Circling back to Waldgeist – he is by Galileo, a son of Sadler’s Wells (D1b), out of a mare

by Monsun, a son of Konigsstuhl (D1b), and is himself from the D1b maternal haplotype.

Bearing in mind that, until Rough Shod and her descendants, it was rare in the extreme to see more that one member of the D1b family in a five-cross pedigree, this is very striking.

Galileo apart, Sadler’s Wells has, of course, founded male-lines that have reached throughout the world, and on occasion found some surprising manifestations, one of those being Code Of Honor, 2019’s top-rated Dirt three-year-old.

A member of the first crop of Frankel’s brother Noble Mission, Code Of Honor won the Travers Stakes (G1) against his fellow three-year-olds, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) over his elders.

On a mark of 122, Code Of Honor was actually rated superior to any of Frankel’s offspring in 2019, although Frankel did have seven horses in the WBRR, including Logician, whose victory in the St. Leger (G1) saw him as the top threeyear-old over the extended distances.

Interestingly enough, Frankel also supplied two of the nine horses from four

and up to be rated at extended distance.

Whether or not it’s just a reflection of the mares to which he has been bred, it seems that, by and large, Frankel is clearly getting more stamina than speed, which is interesting for a horse who impressed – at least on 2,000 Guineas (G1) day – as being quick enough to win an event like the July Cup (G1)!

Australia’s top three-year-old Castelvecchio is another scion of the Sadler’s Wells line. He’s by Dundeel, a son of High Chaparral, and out of a mare by Zabeel, whose own broodmare sire is Nureyev.

This means that he has the three-quarters brothers from the D1b family mtDNA haplotype 3x5.

Code Of Honour: the dual Grade 1 winner is

by Frankel’s brother Noble Mission and was rated superior to any of Frankel’s progeny in 2019

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world’s best racehorse rankings That combination reversed – a Nureyevline stallion with Sadler’s Wells in the dam – produced the top-rated three-year-old Sottsass, successful in the Prix de JockeyClub (G1) and third to his elders in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1).

He is by Siyouni (by Pivotal, by Polar Falcon, by Nureyev), out of a mare by Galileo.

Siyouni is firmly placed as one of the stars of the European stallion firmament, but Farhh, a lower profile son of Pivotal, supplied the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) victor King Of Change. He is rated just three points below Sottsass in the three-year-olds rankings.

Farhh is also sire of Dee Ex Bee, jointsecond to Stradivarius among the older extended distance runners.

King Of Change is out of a mare by Echo Of Light, whose dam is by Sadler’s Wells, so he has Nureyev/Sadler’s Wells 4x4.

Dee Ex Bee is bred on a similar cross to King Of Change – his dam is a sister to Dubai Millennium, the sire of Echo Of Light.

Not to be outdone, Fairy King, the brother to Sadler’s Wells, and three-quarters brother to Nureyev, is in the sire line of Beauty Generation, the Hong Kong-trained star who took top spot among older horses at the middle-distance.

He’s by the New Zealand sire Road To Rock, who’s by Fairy King’s leading stallion son, Encosta De Lago.

That line has another representative on the classification in Australian-bred Yes Yes Yes, who won the world’s richest Turf event, The Yes Yes Yes winning The Everest.

He is from the Fairy King-line through Encosta De Lago’s son Rubick

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Horses from the Storm Cat line would have dominated the sprint division, had it not been for Battaash Everest, and is the joint-second rated threeyear-old sprinter.

He is from the first crop of Rubick, a son of Encosta De Lago and out of a three-quarters sister to Redoute’s Choice (Danehill).

Encosta De Lago and Redoute’s Choice also combine in another promising young sire, the reverse shuttler Zoustar.

Out of a Redoute’s Choice mare, he is

by the short-lived sprint star Northern Meteor, who was by Encosta De Lago out of a granddaughter of Moccasin, having the sisters Thong and Moccasin 5x3.

Storm Cat succeeding around the world

Another branch of the Northern Dancer line that is beginning to show both considerable internationalism, and aptitudinal diversity, is that of Storm Cat. Horses from the Storm Cat line would have dominated the sprint division, had it not been for Battaash, who is by Dark Angel, from the Acclamation/Royal Applause line.

Joint-second in the rankings of older sprint runners were Blue Point (by Shamardal, who is by Giant’s Causeway, a son of Storm Cat) and the Australian Santa Ana Lane (by Shamardal’s rapidly-rising son, Lope De Vega).

Fourth, and the world’s top-rated Dirt sprinter, was the US champion Mitole, a son of the Giant’s Causeway stallion Eskendereya, who is now standing in Japan.

The highest-rated three-year-old sprinter was Ten Sovereigns, who is from the first crop of No Nay Never, a very fast son of Scat Daddy, who goes back to Storm Cat via Johannesburg and Hennessy.

Scat Daddy died at the tragically early age of 11, but in the US he has the Triple Crown winner Justify and Into Mischief’s Grade 1-winning

world’s best racehorse rankings half-brother Mendelssohn, both with first foals in 2020. In Europe, No Nay Never flies his flag and in addition to his record with precocious runners and sprinters, he also has a Chilean Oaks (G1) winner from a southernhemisphere crop.

Other Group 1-winning Scat Daddy sons Caravaggio and Sioux Nation, and the newlyretired Ten Sovereigns in Europe, mean that the chances of his male-line thriving over the next decade or two look bright.

To complete the Storm Cat sprinting story, we should also add that the top-rated Dirt sprint filly (and co-highweighted sprint female) Covfefe is by Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday), a great-grandson of Storm Cat. Having appeared as grand-sire of the top US sprinter Mitole, Giant’s Causeway himself was represented by a totally different type of horse in Bricks And Mortar, a champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year in the US for 2019, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1)

The Mr. Prospector line, so long the outstanding foil for Northern Dancer, is also undergoing some interesting international diversification

Above, Santa Ana Lane, the descendant of Storm Cat, was joint second in the rankings of older sprinters, below, Alizee, by Sepoy (Elusive Quality), tied with Covfefe as leading filly or mare

and rated 122. He begins his stud career at Shadai Farm, Japan, in 2020.

The Mr. Prospector line, so long the outstanding foil for Northern Dancer, is also undergoing some interesting international diversification.

Seeking The Gold, one of Mr. Prospector’s best sons, was unable to found a major sire line in the US, but through the one crop of his brilliant son Dubai Millennium is responsible for Dubawi.

He had no less than 11 horses on the ratings. His son Night Of Thunder made a tremendous start with his first two-yearolds in 2019, which has also served to further heighten enthusiasm for newly-retired Dubawi son Too Darn Hot. He was the

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world’s best racehorse rankings

Joao Moreira on board Glory Vase, a son of Deep Impact one of 11 WBRR horses by the late sire

top-weighted European juvenile of 2018, and top-rated Turf miler among the three-yearolds in 2019.

The career of the remarkable Australian mare Winx, joint top-rated in 2018, ended in April 2019. By then she was a seven-year-old by southern-hemisphere time, and eight by northern hemisphere standards. In the space of eight weeks last southern hemisphere season, she won all four of her starts with the last being her 33rd straight victory.

Although she was rated below two other females – Enable and Lys Gracieux – on the overall classification, she was still the top female at a mile.

Winx is a daughter of Street Cry, who was

by Mr. Prospector’s European-raced son Machiavellian, out of the Irish Oaks (G1) heroine Helen Street, who did not race on Dirt.

Street Cry’s North American-based son Street Sense came close to getting a divisional leader with Mckinzie being second top-rated Dirt miler, while another son, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) scorer New Year’s Day and now standing in Japan, is sire of leading three-year Dirt horse, Maximum Security.

He lost the battle, being disqualified after winning the Kentucky Derby (G1), but won the war taking the three-year-old colt Eclipse Award.

Just above McKinzie as the top Dirt miler was City Of Light, who is by very hot sire Quality Road, a son of Elusive Quality, from the Gone West branch of Mr. Prospector.

Another Elusive Quality son Sepoy was represented by the Australian filly Alizee, who was tied with Covfefe for overall leadership of the filly and mare division.

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Kingmambo hitting heights in Japan

The Fappiano branch of the Mr. Prospector line has brought us such talented horses as American Pharoah, who headed the World Racehorse Rankings in 2015, Arrogate, who was top-rated in both 2016 and 2017, and Gun Runner.

He was less prominent in the upper reaches in 2019, but did supply Midnight Bisou (a son of Midnight Lute from the Fappiano line) the top-rated Dirt mare of 2019.

Another branch that has made less of an international impact outside of America is that of Smart Strike, who provided the highest-rated US horse of 2019 in Vino Rosso, who was just two points off the top-rated horses of 2019.

Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on his last appearance before retiring to stud, Vino Rosso is by Curlin, a Smart Strike son who twice earned honours as Horse of the Year. He is now firmly ensconced in the upper echelons of the Kentucky stallion colony.

We mentioned that the Seeking The Gold branch of Mr. Prospector has needed to go outside of North America to establish a thriving male-line, and the same can be said of Kingmambo.

His best stallion son has probably been the Japan Derby (G1) winner King Kamehameha.

He died last year, but left behind Lord Kanaloa, himself a leading sprinter – and a horse who looks a worthy heir to his sire.

With just two crops of three-year-olds and over he was represented by Almond Eye – whose victories in last year’s Dubai Turf (G1) and Autumn Tenno Sho (G1) saw her become the leading older mare in the intermediate

Japanese colt Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa)

category – and the champion Japanese threeyear-old colt Saturnalia, just three points off top of the three-year-old classification.

Rulership, another son of King Kamehameha, had two runners, Kiseki and Mer De Glace, in the long distance category.

In 2019, Japanese breeding suffered a double blow, as less than two weeks earlier, the country’s 12-time leading sire Deep Impact, who stood alongside King Kamehameha at Shadai Farm, died.

Deep Impact had 11 individuals in the WBRR’s, including Glory Vase, who was only two points off the top-rated trio.

The sire’s influence has a chance to become internationally significant as he has the Classic winner Saxon Warrior in his second season at Coolmore in Ireland and shuttling to Australia, where at least three other Grade 1-winning sons of Deep Impact hold court. His Prix du Jockey-Club (G1) winner Study Of Man (rated 115 this year) is now at Lanwades Stud in Newmarket.

However, the actual highest-weighted Japanese horse of 2019 was not by Deep Impact, but by a fellow son of Sunday Silence, Heart’s Cry. This is Lys Gracieux, who closed her career taking the Takarazuka Kinen (G1), the Cox Plate (G1), and the Arima Kinen (G1) .

Heart’s Cry is also gaining a high-level international representative at stud in 2020 in Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on Dirt and Turf in 2018, who appeared at 119 on this year’s classifications.

Out of the US Grade 1-winning sprinter, Hilda’s Passion, he kicks off his stud career at Winstar Farm, Kentucky.

satish seemar

Seemar wants more

Ahead of this year’s Dubai World Cup meeting, Sally Ann Grassick chats with the successful and ambitious Dubai-based trainer Satish Seemar Photography by Shamela Hanley 64

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satish seemar

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satish seemar

D

UBAI HAS BEEN SEEN as a land of opportunity by racehorse trainers and many names have come and gone since racing first started to develop on a bigger scale in the emirate 30 years ago.

One trainer who has there from the outset, has stood the test of time in the desert, and positively flourished is Satish Seemar.

The Indian native was headhunted by Sheikh Mohammed in 1990 to assist with the creation and development of the now world-famous Zabeel Racing Stables. An oasis of equine paradise surrounded by towering skyscrapers, Zabeel sits on 200 acres in the centre of the Dubai metropolis and is now home to around 135 horses.

Seemar left India in 1984 in search of an education and recognised qualification with horses, which he eventually found in California. His studies led to an opportunity to work with the world-renowned “horse whisperer” Monty Roberts and from there to a role as farm manager for Taylor Made Farms in Lexington, Kentucky.

Three years later, Seemar made the life-changing decision to accept Sheikh Mohammed’s request for help to make Dubai into the next major racing destination.

This was not a role that Seemar undertook

“I am proud to say I have 37 horses

by Dubawi in my stable, so that will give you some idea of the standard of horses available for purchase to us now! lightly and he took trips around top-class training and racing facilities the world over in order to draw inspiration to aid the construction process in Dubai.

“Right from the very beginning, Sheikh Mohammed had a vision for what Dubai was going to be racing wise,” explains Seemar.

“When His Highness shared his ambitions and advice with me, I took it very seriously.

Racing in Dubai would never have existed

North America: a flagbearer for Zabeel Stables, he is due to make a third World Cup appearance

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without the initial investment from the Maktoum family, but the Sheikh always maintained that eventually this would be a nation of private racehorse owners.

“I am proud to say that now 99 per cent of the horses in my care are privately owned by people from all walks of life – from the gentleman who has a dental practice here, English and Scottish people working in construction and oil, Indians, Pakistanis and some new owners who have recently arrived from Libya.

“Between my owners and my staff it is like the United Nations here at Zabeel!

“I have to say that I am loving it; it is so nice to have owners who are so keen and interested.

“However, this is all new to me so my stable has been in a sort of transition period for the last few years.

“Private owners are also beneficial for the economy here in Dubai on a level that supersedes racing: from the airline they use to fly here and then the taxi driver who drives them to the hotels where they stay and the restaurants where they eat. It is one consistent chain that is all Dubai.

“They get the whole experience when coming to Meydan for the racing and then going out for a nice dinner afterwards; no matter whether the result was good or bad!

“The industry here is utterly unique, you cannot compare racing in Dubai to anywhere else in the world. Each area has their own club, but the whole system in the UAE falls under one organisation in the ERA [Emirates Racing Authority] so it is very fair to everyone involved.”

With the time spent in Dubai under his belt, Seemar can reflect on how the logistics of the industry has changed, developed and improved as it has grown.

“A lot of people have little or no idea of how racing actually works out here and how much it has evolved in recent years,” he says.

“We started off in the early days with lowly rated horses, but with each passing year the quality of our horses improves,” he says, going onto explain how the trainers have had to become more self-sufficient in recent years.

“Previously the Godolphin horses would arrive and be distributed amongst the trainers. That was, of course, very nice for us because it made our lives as trainers very easy, but it also made us quite lazy because we didn’t have to work to get new horses.

“I was always quietly against that practice but then, a few years ago, His Highness suddenly announced a change to the previous policy. He decided that all those horses would

satish seemar be sold at auction to private owners instead of to the royal family.

“The rules state that the horses must remain in Dubai for that season to prevent people coming here to buy all our horses and then taking them out of the country.

“After a season you can sell the horse on or race it elsewhere, that is your choice. This new policy has raised the standard of racing here so much and has been one of the best things to happen in recent years for racing in Dubai.”

Satish Seemar: born in India, Seemar created a career path that took him to Taylor Made Farms in Kentucky before he accepted a life-changing job offer from Sheikh Mohammed to help develop Zabeel Racing Stbles and Dubai as a racing nation

I

T IS A POLICY that Seemar has benefited from himself.

“I have bought horses, such as North America, from that sale who have gone on to win Group 1 races l, and others who have won stakes races at every level,” he says.

“Of course, these horses used to belong to Sheikh Mohammed and they were bred by him so you can’t go wrong with their pedigrees. I am proud to say I have 37 horses

by Dubawi in my stable, so that will give you some idea of the standard of horses available for purchase to us now!

“This year I have about a dozen Carnival horses (rated 90 or over) and next year I hope to have at least double that. If I have 25 Carnival horses next season, then I will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Dubai is obviously famed for its mild winters, which sees many trainers based in colder climes send their charges there for their racing season, but also for its searing hot summers.

This year the Dubai World Cup Carnival began on January 2 and runs through to March 7, with Dubai World Cup night always falling on the final Saturday of March.

Due to the extremes in weather, the UAE racing season traditionally began in early November and went through to the end of March, which provided limited opportunities for trainers to run their charges, particularly if a horse picked up an injury at an inopportune moment of the season.

“It may be a short season here, but it is ultra-competitive with the best pedigrees in the world and the highest standards of racing.

“As trainers we have aggressively been campaigning our racing clubs here for a longer racing season, but, of course, they have their own reasons, too.

“The population of the horses is important as you can’t just decide to extend the season and then only have four-runner races. This season was the first time that we started

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satish seemar

“One of my plans for the near future is to improve the standard of my Turf horses so that we have the option to race in Europe racing at Meydan as early as October 24 and finish as late as April 10.

“That is a good sign, but I’m in favour of extending it further to include all of October and April, maybe even into early May.” The ambitious Seemar would also like to see further tweaking of the programme book to reflect the type of horse that he and many of his fellow trainers are now buying.

“We would also like more Turf racing here as most of our horses are from Europe and the horses we can now purchase from the new sales here have mostly Turf pedigrees.

“That is something I would like to see improved here, and not just for the Carnival as there are very few opportunities to run lower-rated horses on Turf here.

“The US is a good source of Dirt pedigrees for our racing here, but it is a long way to travel horses and they take longer to acclimatise when they get here compared to horses sourced in Europe.

“Currently 99.9 per cent of thoroughbred racing takes place at Meydan and Jebel Ali so it would also boost the opportunities enormously if we added more thoroughbred races to tracks such as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain, which currently only have one such race per meeting.”

Seemar became the first UAE-based trainer to win a race in Europe with the success of Dayflower in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York in 1993, but his overseas raids have dwindled since.

“In the past I have successfully travelled horses abroad, to places such as Japan, the UK and France, in search of opportunities at other times of the year but not recently.

“However, now that we have new owners in the yard, I plan to do that again in the coming years, depending on individual owners and their ambitions.

“Trips to Royal Ascot and other prestigious

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The Zabeel string in Dubai: Seemar is constantly looking at ways that he could suggest for the racing programme to be improved and developed in Dubai

satish seemar

Using the cryotherapy unit at Zabeel Stables

meetings are most definitely on the cards in the near future for our team. One of the consequences of having a short racing season is that you always have one eye on the future.

“I am already planning for next season and thinking about what pedigrees I will need to source at the sales to make us competitive.

“One of my plans for the near future is to improve the standard of my Turf horses so that we have the option to race in Europe after the end of the Dubai racing season.”

Bought from the Dubai Sale in 2015, having failed to win a single race for Godolphin, North America has been a flagbearer for Zabeel Stables in recent years.

At eight years of age, the son of Dubawi has now won seven starts for Seemar, including all three rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge over two separate seasons.

He finished third in a Group 2 on his return this season, despite taking a false step on the rain loosened Dirt surface, and looks to have lost none of his talent with age.

“I am very proud of our older horses such as North America, who is due to contest the Dubai World Cup for a third time this year, and the now-retired Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Reynaldothewizard.

“They have been excellent advertisements for our stable, but it is the young horses who really excite me as they are the future. We have some nice three-year-olds currently including Commanding who is very talented and looks to be one to watch.”

With Satish Seemar at the helm hungry for more top level success, Zabeel Racing Stables looks to be a yard with a bright future, even after nearly 30 years already in existence.

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st lucia

Racing on new shores

Liz Price reports from St Lucia’s first-ever race meeting, the brainchild of Teo Ah Khing

A

CCORDING TO SPENCER, our Rastafarian taxi driver, St Lucians have horses in their blood. Sure enough, barely 20 yards out of the airport, we see horses tethered to a post, grazing the verges of a busy roadside.

Later on, at the hotel where we enjoyed a refreshing drink on the beach, a group of four young men canter bareback past us on horses who look a lot like polo ponies, except that their manes are flowing in the wind and they seem a little “compacter” than the ones we are used to seeing in Europe.

They are Creole ponies, Spencer tells us when he picks us up the next day to take us to the new racecourse, which was being prepared for the grand opening on December 13, St Lucia’s National Day. The Caribbean island, one of the Windward Islands and known as the green island of the Caribbean as it enjoys daily bursts of

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short-lived showers that Spencer tries to sell to us as “liquid sunshine”, is brimming with excitement.

For years St Lucians have watched racing from Barbados on their local TV, but on that December Friday they watched racing live for the first time in their home country when they stood at the rails of the newly built racecourse in Vieux Fort, which is located in the South of the island.

“Everyone will go,” says Spencer. “It is a big event. It is the first time in the history that we will go racing and it’s cheap too. Everyone can go, it’s only $25 EC [£7.00] and then there are some local artists afterwards, so it’s going to be a big party...ya man!” he concludes and starts moving his head to the rhythm of the music he will be hearing after the fourth and final race on the inaugural card at the The US Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was at St Lucia for the opening day ‘s racing – he was not riding, he was on his honeymoon!

st lucia St Lucia racecourse.

The idea of building a racecourse in St Lucia has been long in the making. It originated with local horseracing enthusiast Winston Trim, who spent time in America where he learnt all about there is to know about horseracing and whose family built the first stables in St Lucia.

Trim sadly passed away in 2017, but not before he had made the acquaintance and become a friend of Teo Ah Khing, renowned architect, entrepreneur, racehorse owner and chairman of the China Horse Club.

Khing, the designer of Meydan who has become a hugely successful racehorse owner thanks to the likes of dual derby winner Australia and Triple Crown champion Justify, has become a regular visitor to St Lucia where with the support of the local government, he is currently overseeing a project that is known as the “Pearl of the Caribbean”.

T

RIM HAD DREAMT OF BUILDING a racecourse that would not only benefit the local trainers, who at that time were literally running their horses next to the roadside, but that would also become a tool for educating the young people of his beloved country, and to provide them with new job opportunities.

In his wildest dreams he could have never imagined that not only would the racecourse be built, but it would become the beating heart of a project that involves a new marina, shops, offices, waterfront villas, restaurants and a casino. It seems with visionary Ah Khing by your side, dreams can actually become true.

“I really believe that St Lucia has the opportunity to offer the best racing in the Caribbean in maybe five years time,” confirms native Jamaican trainer Anthony Nunes, who is one of a handful of trainers to set up a satellite yard in St Lucia.

“I really believe that. And what do I base that on? I base it on the facility. It’s a really nice facility. Look at those boxes, they are well designed and positioned in the right direction of the wind. The track is similar to the one we race on in Jamaica.”

He interrupts himself to give orders to his lad, who is leading one of his horses onto the track, before continuing: “And they have Teo Ah Khing, who with the late Winston Trim, ensured the St Lucia racing project became a reality – the state-of-the-art racecourse also boats a marina, shops, offices and restaurants

“Government backing is essential and we will continue to subsidise the race meetings. It must be made affordable so that even a family of five can enjoy a day at the races the financial support to do it. Horseracing is expensive, but this is not a standalone racetrack, it’s an entire project that includes a marina, high-end restaurants, hotels, housing. And obviously, I have faith in Teo.” It is an ambitious project that will take many years before it is completed, but the first phase, through which horses can run on a proper racecourse, are stabled in airy, comfortable boxes and where people can enjoy an actual day at the races whilst having a flutter, was successfully implemented on that Friday last December.

There is no stand yet and only temporary seating structures, but the weighing room, which even features a female jockey’s changing room speaking volumes of the mindset of the people involved, is ready and operational.

Across the track, 40 thoroughbreds, many of them bought at the OBS sales in Florida, are currently stabled in the newly built barns

that have impressed trainers and owners, as well as visitors alike.

“We currently have 125 boxes, but we have room to build up to 500,” explains Michael Smith, the Australasian representative of the China Horse Club, who has been based in St Lucia for the past two months.

“Right now, we have 40 thoroughbreds here and trainers who have come from Barbados, Jamaica, South Africa and New Zealand. Some of them will operate here like a satellite yard, while Deon Visser, who has trained Group 1 winners in South Africa, and New Zealander Robbie Hewitson, who has worked in Australia and Hong Kong, will be based here permanently.

“The goal ultimately is for St Lucians to train and ride and work here but, to get them into those positions, you need to bring in people with experience.”

If the trainers were impressed with the beautifully built barns, US Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who combined a visit to the races with his honeymoon, was full of praise for the 1700m left-handed track, which also features a 1800m shoot.

Made up of beach sand that seems to drain relatively quickly,Smith said after having watched the final race: “I haven’t ridden on the track, but looking at the horses coming back, the kickback seems to be not that bad and they are all coming home.

They are coming across really well. It does remind me very much of American racing.”

St Lucian jockey Eric Daniel, whose family had turned out in their finery to watch the local legend in action, was over the moon to be finally riding on his own island.

“I have been based in Barbados for the last three

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st lucia “The St Lucians are keen to learn, and we set up the Winston Trim training programme that is similar to the China Dream of the China Horse Club. It gives the opportunity to compete, to learn and to get a degree.”

As of that first race day in St Lucia, Ah Khing announced that he was more than satisfied.

“This is all built by St Lucians. It is very satisfying to me to see that people understand horses and learn about the industry. Racing is for everybody. It has been a very good start.

“Government backing is essential and we will continue to subsidise the race meetings.

It must be made affordable so that even a family of five can enjoy a day at the races without breaking the bank. And soon there will be more horses, as well as a polo field on the inside. This is a place for everyone, our doors are always open, 24/7!”

Already a popular destination with daily direct flights to St Lucia from Britain’s major airports, the St Lucian racing project is bound to become a valuable attraction in the area.

“Ya Man!” says Spencer, as we are scrambling for space under the umbrella after another burst of liquid sunshine.

“This is good, it will be good for the island and it will be good for the people. They have horses in their blood,” he nods wisely and then, as the rain stops, he moves on, ready to enjoy the music he has been looking forward to for the last few days.

years now,” he said. “It is wonderful to ride here and I enjoy it.”

Daniel, who started riding at the age of eight, still remembers the times when there was no proper racecourse.

“It was just a quarter mile straight course and we were having a good time, bareback riding. And then I got the opportunity to go to Barbados and push myself and learn everything. I just had a passion for it. I always wanted to ride.”

A St Lucian jockey on the podium of $150,000 The Pitons Cup, the feature race of the day, would have been a dream result, but considering the involvement of the China Horse Club in the project, the victory of Chinese jockey Qin Yong aboard the Visser-trained Casting Crowns was just as appreciated.

In any case, owner Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm was visibly elated when he said: “This is just as good as winning the Dubai World Cup! The atmosphere here is great, the people friendly and the day went like a dream.”

The mainly St Lucian audience also seemed to appreciate a day at the races and were busy betting with the UK Tote that offered punters four types of bets, including win, place, exacta and double.

Food and drinks were plentiful from local cuisine to fancy canapes, home-brewed beer to champagne. Locals were mixing with some of the tourists who found their way

to the track and very much embraced this new sporting venue that, though far from completed, is certain to soon rival all the other racecourses in the Carribean.

“I came to St Lucia thanks to Winston Trim,” concluded Ah Khing. “After Meydan, I just could not sit still! We surveyed the region – Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados – and I believe that we have a talent pool in terms of jockeys, veterinarians, farriers, etc… important enough to support the sport.

Trainer Anthony Nunes really believes the future is bright for racing in St Lucia

Casting Crowns: the winner of The Piton Cup, now the richest race in the Caribbean. She is trained

by Don Visser and owned by Taylor Made Farm (Frank Taylor looking backward)

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Jockey Eric Daniel is supportive of the project

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nh foal sales

Adam Potts reviews last autumn’s NH foal sales and finds a surge in demand for the

All the colts offered by Jack Hobbs (pictured) sold for excess of his stud fee, while two fillies by the Overbury Stud stallion sold for €42,000 and €33,000

best NH foals

P

ATIENCE WITH YOUR RESULTS is a virtue in horseracing, no matter where in the industry you sit. But, as far as patience required goes, breeders need plenty of it if they are producing NH horses.

With most jumpers unraced until the age of four or five (and peaking at seven or eight), largely unproven mares are sent to largely unproven stallions.

Graded races for juvenile hurdlers are mostly made up of either Flat-breds or Frenchbreds, both of whom start racing earlier than the traditional British or Irish jumper.

By the time there is a real handle on a sire or broodmare, they have few active years left at stud. With this delayed information feedback, prices in the market for unraced NH stock tend to have less volatility.

Total receipts for foals sold at the four major foal sales aggregated €18.8m for an average of €15,000.

But, beware of taking the average at face value.

As Nassim Taleb, the

probability genius and flaneur pointed out: “The average behaviour of the market participant will not allow us to understand the general behaviour of the market.”

There are a number of behaviours in the foal market on the tail ends of the average, which shall be discussed.

Foals, who realised €40,000 or more, are in the top five per cent of those offered therefore are deemed as “elite”.

Let me provide some analysis of the table right.

The last three years have seen a surge in demand for the best NH foals – the foal market has changed and become more lucrative, just like the point-topoint and store horse sales.

From a general economic viewpoint, sellers of luxury goods do well when wealth inequality rises.

What is more important for them than the average rate of GDP growth is the distribution around that growth.

After all, if all the population each earned €50,000 with no inequality, no one could afford a €40,000 foal.

Number of foals sold for €40,000 + 2019/20 79 2018/19 81 2017/18 86 2016/17 52 2015/16 41 2014/15 41 If some in the population earned millions and others earned little, then there is a demand at that level.

The GINI co-efficient (an economic gauge for inequality) has risen since the financial crisis, which I believe is helping fuel demand at the top end of the bloodstock industry.

NH racing is also arguably more popular in Britain and Ireland as a collective than Flat racing – a bigger crowd will gather for the best jumps meetings than the best Flat meetings in Ireland.

Cheltenham is ever-more the be-all and end-all of the NH season, not least one of the UK’s biggest sporting events.

There is a perception that there is more open access to jumps racing than on the Flat.

The money required to have a shot at a Flat Classic is much greater than that required to buy a winner of a Cheltenham Festival Championship race.

At the boutique point-to-point sales, £400,000 has become the new £250,000. With the possibility for a point-to-pointer to realise this sort of money, many handlers are increasing their average spend per store horse, both to maintain competitiveness and to offer a higher quality of horse.

Likewise, those owners who aren’t willing to spend six figures on a ready-made point winner might instead choose to buy an unbroken store.

These forces are, of course, helping to increase the prices of store horses.

It thus allows store vendors to increase their spend on foals.

A slight decline for the second year from 86 to 79 is still a vast increase on the figures from five years ago and the lack of buybacks in this price range shows vendors are generally

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

75

nh foal sales meaning most breeders weren’t even tempted to run their filly through the ring.

Bonus schemes and races confined to mares are helping incentivise owners to buy fillies to go into training, but given that the NH market is narrower than the Flat, we still lack an outlet for so many filly foals.

Just five per cent of fillies made €20,000 or over, compared with nearly a quarter of colts.

With only one in seven horses catalogued at the boutique store sales being fillies, foal buyers are discouraged from purchasing a filly to pin-hook as chances of making a catalogue are restricted.

Blue Bresil: offers breeders an outcross option and his colt foals achieved an average price of 24,686gns

content with prices.

The surge might well have been stunted in 2016 by the shock announcement of Brexit in the summer of that year.

A NH pinhook is a 2.5-year long investment – much longer than their Flat counterparts of less than 12 months.

The added uncertainty of being locked into an asset for this length of time in an industry, which is heavily reliant upon seamless trade from the tripartite countries, might have been too much for some.

Brexit talks ramped up in October of last year, chiefly through extensions and a revised withdrawal agreement, which brought to the attention of the public the looming exit from the union.

Transactions have dropped in the property market as people sit tight, but it has had little impact on the foal market.

The highest-priced NH foal in 2019 was a Camelot half-brother to Altior, who sold to former Irish footballer Kevin Doyle for €155,000 and was the only foal to break the six-figure barrier.

The highest-price filly was a

76

daughter of Flemensfirth out of a half-sister to Hurricane Fly bought by Rathmore Stud for €88,000.

Both were the best prices paid for a colt or filly since 2007, just before the Celtic Tiger was to stop its roar.

The money required to have a shot at a Classic is much greater than that required to buy a winner of a Cheltenham Festival Championship race

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Of the sires standing in Britain and Ireland and with large numbers offered, the exalted Flemensfirth posted the highest average of 30,541gns and a median of €30,000 for his 31 lots sold, while Kayf Tara achieved a 32,506 average and €31,000 median for eight lots.

Besides their influence on NH racing, it is remarkable that these elder statesmen are still covering at the ages of 28 and 26 respectively.

The disparity in demand between colts and fillies is still leaving a lot to be desired, and this problem is influencing stud fees, where many NH stallions have a filly discount.

The median colt offered was €10,000, the median filly €3,800.

One-third of the fillies failed to find new homes (though the clearance rate for colts was only marginally better at 70 per cent).

The most sobering statistic was that 61 per cent of fillies offered had a hammer price of €5,000 or less, compared with just 28 per cent of colts.

We must also bear in mind that 72 per cent of the foals offered this year were colts,

T

HE CONCENTRATION of sires is particularly high. The top five sires by lots offered made up nearly a quarter of the lots offered.

Breeders are latching onto a small pool of sires, causing them to cover huge books.

Of those sires who aren’t covering books in the 200300’s, Blue Bresil posted some impressive figures and in the realm of those achieved by Walk In The Park.

His colts achieved an average and median of over 21,020gns and his fillies earned a median of €10,000,.

He’s a proven sire of over ten stakes winners over jumps, commercially hot and an outcross to Sadler’s Wells.

The year just gone saw the eagerly anticipated first crop of Overbury Stud’s Jack Hobbs, the Irish Derby winner and Epsom Derby runner-up.

Every colt by him offered exceeded their stud fee, with seven of his 12 colts offered exceeding €20,000.

He even had two fillies make €42,000 and €33,000. The sizable son of Halling is an outcross, and his stock look cut out for NH racing.

DEADLINE

31 MAY DEADLINE FOR NOMINATING US SIRED YEARLINGS OF 2020 FOR $600

31 MAY st

KEY DATES (EBF payments and deadlines) 2YO’S February 15th - for nominating two-year-olds for $3,000 Yearlings May 31st - for nominating yearlings for $600 2YO’S June 30th - for nominating two-year-olds for $6,000 STALLIONS June 30th - for provisionally registering stallions to the EBF for the year STALLIONS December 15th - for payments to fully qualify stallions to the EBF for the year

F O R F URTHE R D ETAILS, CONTACT:

Lushington House, 119 High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9AE T: +44 1638 667960 E: info@ebfhorseracing.co.uk www.ebfstallions.com

world best racehorses Leading World Best Racehorses 2019: to horses rated 119 Rating Distance Surface

Horse

D of B

Sex

Sire

Dam

Dam sire

Owner

128 L,I T Crystal Ocean (GB)

2014

128 L T Enable (GB)

2014

128 L T Waldgeist (GB)

Country

H

Sea The Stars

Crystal Star

Mark Of Esteem

Sir Evelyn de Rothschild

GB

M

Nathaniel

Concentric

Sadler’s Wells

Khalid Abdullah

GB

2014

H

Galileo

Walderche

Monsun

Gestut Ammerland & Newsells Park

FR

127 M T Beauty Generation 2012

G

Road To Rock

Stylish Bel

Bel Espirit

Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen

HK

126 S T Battaash (IRE)

2014

G

Dark Angel

Anna Law

Lawman

Hamdan Al Maktoum

GB

126 L T Ghaiyyath (IRE)

2015

C

Dubawi

Nightime

Galileo

Godolphin

GB

126 L T Lys Gracieux (JPN)

2014

M

Heart’s Cry

Liliside

American Post

U Carrot Farm

JPN

126 I D Vino Rosso (USA)

2015

C

Zebedee

Fonseca

Red Clubs

Repole Stable & St Elias Stable

USA

125 M T Benbatl (GB)

2014

H

Dubawi

Nahrain

Selkirk

Godolphin

GB

125 L T Glory Vase (JPN)

2015

C

Deep Impact

Mejiro Tsubone

Swept Overboard

Silk Racing Co Ltd

JPN

125 M T Winx (AUS)

2011

M

Street Cry

Vegas Showgirl

Al Akbar

Magic Bloodstock Racing et al

AUS

124 I T Almond Eye (JPN)

2015

F

Lord Kanaloa

Fusaichi Pandora

Sunday Silence

Silk Racing Co Ltd

JPN

2014

H

Shamardal

Scarlett Rose

Royal Applause

Godolphin

GB

2014

H

Quality Road

Paris Notion

Dehere

Mr & Mrs William Warren Jr

USA

124 S T Santa Ana Lane (AUS) 2012

G

Lope De Vega

Fast Fleet

Fastnet Rock

William St

AUS

123 M D McKinzie (USA)

2015

C

Street Sense

Runaway Model

Petionville

K Watson, M Pegram & P Weitman

USA

123 S D Mitole (USA)

2015

C

Eskendereya

Indian Miss

Indian Charlie

William & Corinne Heiligbrodt

USA

123 L T Sottsass (FR)

2016

C

Siyouni

Starlet’s Sister

Galileo

White Birch Farm

FR

Bricks And Mortar (USA) 2014

H

Giant’s Causeway

Beyond The Waves Ocean Crest

Klaravich Stables Inc & William Lawrence

USA

122 I D Code of Honor (USA) 2016

C

Noble Mission

Reunited

Dixie Union

William Farish

USA

122 M T Happy Clapper (AUS) 2010

G

Teofilo

Busking

Encosta De Lago

M. W. Thomas

AUS

122 I,L T Japan (GB)

2016

C

Galileo

Shastye

Danehill

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier & M. Tabor

IRE

2015

F

Galileo

Halfway To Heaven Pivotal

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier & M. Tabor

IRE

122 M D Maximum Security (USA) 2016

C

New Year’s Day

Lil Indy

Anasheed

Gary & Mary West

USA

122 S T Nature Strip (AUS)

2014

G

Nicconi

Strikeline

Desert Sun

R. A. E. Lyons, P. D. Harrison et al

AUS

122 L T Old Persian (GB)

2015

C

Dubawi

Indian Petal

Singspiel

Godolphin

UAE

122 E T Stradivarius (IRE)

124 S T

Blue Point (IRE)

124 M D City of Light (USA)

122 I T

122

I, L

T

Magical (IRE)

2014

H

Sea The Stars

Private Life

Bering

Bjorn Nielsen

GB

122 S T Ten Sovereigns (IRE) 2016

C

No Nay Never

Seeking Solace

Exceed And Excel

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier & M. Tabor

IRE

121 S T Beat The Clock (AUS) 2013

G

Hinchinbrook

Flion Fenena

Lion Hunter

Merrick Chung Wai Lik

HK

2014

G

Twice Over

Sweet Virginia

Casey Tibbs

N. Jonsson, B. Kantor & W. J. C. Mitchell

SAF

121 M T Mustashry (GB)

2013

G

Tamayuz

Safwa

Green Desert

Hamdan Al Maktoum

GB

121 L T Suave Richard (JPN)

2014

H

Heart’s Cry

Pirramimma

Unbridled’s Song

NICKS Co Ltd

JPN

121 I D Thunder Snow (IRE)

2014

H

Helmet

Eastern Joy

Dubai Destination

Godolphin

UAE

121 M T Too Darn Hot (GB)

2016

C

Dubawi

Dar Re Mi

Singspiel

Lord Lloyd-Webber

GB

120 S T Aethero (AUS)

2016

G

Sebring

Pinochio

Encosta De Lago

Andrea Tien & Arthur Cheng

HK

121 L T

Do It Again (SAF)

120 I T Blast Onepiece (JPN) 2015

C

Harbinger

Tsurumaru Onepiece King Kamehameha

Silk Racing Co Ltd

JPN

120 I T Castelvecchio (AUS)

2016

C

Dundeel

St Theresa

Dehere

Galletta Construction Co Pty Ltd

AUS

120 I T Elarqam (GB)

2015

C

Frankel

Attraction

Efisio

Hamdan Al Maktoum

GB

120 M,I T Exultant (IRE)

2014

G

Teofilo

Contrary

Mark Of Esteem

E Wong Ming Chak & W Leung S Hing

HK

78

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world best racehorses Leading World Best Racehorses 2019: to horses rated 119 Rating Distance Surface

D of B

Sex

Sire

Dam

Dam sire

Owner

120 I D Gift Box (USA)

2013

H

Twirling Candy

Special Me

Unbridled’s Song

Hronis Racing LLC

USA

120 I D Gronkowski (USA)

2015

C

Lonhro

Four Sugars

Lookin At Lucky

Phoenix Thoroughbred III Ltd

UAE

120 M T Hartnell (GB)

2011 G Authorized Debonnaire Anabaa

Godolphin

AUS

120 M,I T Hawwaam (SAF)

2015

C

Silvano

Halfway To Heaven Jet Master

Hamdan Al Maktoum

SAF

120 S T Hot King Prawn

2014

G

Denman

De Chorus

Unbridled’s Song

Lau Sak Hong

HK

120 S D Imperial Hint (USA)

2013

H

Imperialism

Royal Hint

Lahint

Raymond Mamone

USA

120 M T Indy Champ (JPN)

2015

C

Stay Gold

Will Power

King Kamehameha

Silk Racing Co Ltd

JPN

King of Change (GB) 2016

C

Farhh

Salacia

Echo Of Light

Ali Abdulla Saeed

GB

H

Rulership

Blitz Finale

Deep Impact

Tatsue Ishikawa

JPN

120 M T

Horse

120 L T Kiseki (JPN)

2014

Country

120 M T Magna Grecia (IRE)

2016

C

Invincible Spirit

Cabaret

Galileo

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & Flaxman

IRE

120 S D Omaha Beach (USA)

2016

C

War Front

Charming

Seeking The Gold

Fox Hill Farms Inc

USA

120 S D Roy H (USA)

2012

G

More Than Ready

Elusive Diva

Elusive Quality

Rockingham Ranch & David Bernsen LLC

USA

120 L T Saturnalia (JPN)

2016

C

Lord Kanaloa

Cesario

Special Week

U Carrot Farm

JPN

120 S D Shancelot (USA)

2016

C

Shanghai Bobby

True Kiss

Is It True

Ivan Rodriguez, Albert & Michelle Crawford

USA

120 S T Trapeze Artist (AUS)

2014

H

Snitzel

Treppes

Domesday

Vieira Racing, B. Vieira et al

AUS

120 I T Win Bright (JPN)

2014

H

Stay Gold

Summer Eternity

Admire Cozzene

Win Co Ltd

JPN

120 S T Yes Yes Yes (AUS)

2016

C

Rubick

Sin Sin Sin

Fantastic Light

Yes Yes Yes, B. Sokolski et al

AUS

119 I T Addeybb (IRE)

2013

G

Pivotal

Bush Cat

Kingmambo

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum

GB

119 S T Advertise (GB)

2016

C

Showcasing

Furbelow

Pivotal

Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited 1

GB

2014

G

Pivotal

Alessandria

Sunday Silence

Godolphin

AUS

2012

H

Heart’s Cry

Halwa Sweet

Machiavellian

Kazuhiro Sasaki

JPN

119 I T Danon Premium (JPN) 2015

C

Deep Impact

Indiana Gal

Intikhab

Danox Co Ltd

JPN

119 E T Dee Ex Bee (GB)

2015

C

Farhh

Dubai Sunrise

Seeking The Gold

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum GB

119 E T Fierement (JPN)

2015

C

Deep Impact

Lune D’Or

Green Tune

Sunday Racing Co Ltd

JPN

119 E T Kew Gardens (IRE)

2015

C

Galileo

Chelsea Rose

Desert King

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier & M. Tabor

IRE

119 M D Midnight Bisou (USA) 2015

F

Midnight Lute

Diva Delite

Repent

Bloom Racing, Allen Racing & Madaket Stables USA

119 S T Mr Stunning (AUS)

119

I, L, M

T

Avilius (GB)

119 L T Cheval Grand (JPN)

2012

G

Exceed And Excel

With Fervour

Dayjur

Maurice Koo Win Chong

HK

119 M T Phoenix of Spain (IRE) 2016

C

Lope De Vega

Lucky Clio

Key Of Luck

Tony Wechsler & Ann Plummer

GB

119 S T Pierata (AUS)

Flying Spur

2014

H

Pierro

November Flight

G. D. Hickman, R. W. Wilson et al

AUS

119 L T Rainbow Bridge (SAF) 2014

G

Ideal World

Halfway To Heaven Jet Master

Mr & Mrs M. L. P. Rattray

SAF

119 I T Regal Reality (GB)

2015

C

Intello

Regal Realm

Medicean

Cheveley Park Stud

GB

119 L T Roger Barows (JPN)

2016

C

Deep Impact

Little Brook

Librettist

Hirotsugu Inokuma

JPN

2015

C

Epaulette

Elzeeza

Hussonet

Hamdan Al Maktoum

SAF

119 M D Spun To Run (USA)

2016

C

Hard Spun

Yawkey Way

Grand Slam

Robert Donaldson

USA

119 I T Sungrazer (JPN)

2014

H

Deep Impact

Mantis Hunt

Deputy Minister

G1 Racing Co Ltd

JPN

119 M T The Revenant (GB)

119

M, I

T

Soqrat (AUS)

2015

G

Dubawi

Hazel Lavery

Excellent Art

Al Asayl France

FR

119 L T World Premiere (JPN) 2016

C

Deep Impact

Mandela

Acatenango

Ryoichi Otsuka

JPN

119 M D Yoshida (JPN)

H

Heart’s Cry

Hilda’s Passion

Canadian Frontier

China Horse, Winstar & Head of Plains Partners USA

2014

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79

world best racehorses Leading extended Stradivarius (IRE) Dee Ex Bee (GB) Fierement (JPN) Kew Gardens (IRE)

122 119 119 119

Vino Rosso: the two-time Grade 1 winner was the highest-rated Dirt runner of 2019

Sottsass: the leading three-year-old colt of 2019, a son of Siyouni and bred by Monceaux

Leading 3yo colts Sottsass (FR) Code of Honor (USA) Maximum Security (USA) Japan (GB) Ten Sovereigns (IRE) Too Darn Hot (GB) Omaha Beach (USA) Shancelot (USA) Castelvecchio (AUS) King of Change (GB) Magna Grecia (IRE) Saturnalia (JPN) Yes Yes Yes (AUS) 80

123 122 122 122 122 121 120 120 120 120 120 120 120

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Leading Dirt horses Vino Rosso (USA) City Of Light (USA) McKinzie (USA) Mitole (USA) Code of Honor (USA) Maximum Security (USA) Thunder Snow (IRE) Gift Box (USA) Gronkowski (USA) Imperial Hint (USA) Omaha Beach (USA) Roy H (USA) Shancelot (USA) Midnight Bisou (USA) Spun To Run (USA) Yoshida (JPN) Blue Prize (ARG) Chrysoberyl (JPN) Country House (USA) North America (GB)

126 124 123 123 122 122 121 120 120 120 120 120 120 119 119 119 118 118 118 118

Leading Turf horses Crystal Ocean (GB) Enable (GB) Waldgeist (GB) Beauty Generation (NZ) Battaash (IRE) Ghaiyyath (IRE) Lys Gracieux (JPN) Benbatl (GB) Glory Vase (JPN) Winx (AUS) Almond Eye (JPN) Blue Point (IRE) Santa Ana Lane (AUS) Sottsass (FR)

128 128 128 127 126 126 126 125 125 125 124 124 124 123

Leading long runners Crystal Ocean (GB) Waldgeist (GB) Enable (GB) Ghaiyyath (IRE) Lys Gracieux (JPN) Glory Vase (JPN) Sottsass (FR) Magical (IRE) Japan (GB) Old Persian (GB) Do It Again (SAF) Suave Richard (JPN)

128 128 128 126 126 125 123 122 122 122 121 121

Leading intermediate runners Almond Eye (JPN) Magical (IRE) Japan (GB) Code of Honor (USA) Bricks And Mortar (USA) Thunder Snow (IRE) Gronkowski (USA) Blast Onepiece (JPN) Elarqam (GB) Castelvecchio (AUS) Gift Box (USA) Win Bright (JPN)

124 122 122 122 122 121 120 120 120 120 120 120

Leading middle-distance runners Beauty Generation (NZ) Benbatl (GB) Winx (AUS) City of Light (USA) McKinzie (USA) Maximum Security (USA) Happy Clapper (AUS)

127 125 125 124 123 122 122

Leading sprinters Battaash (IRE) Santa Ana Lane (AUS) Blue Point (IRE) Mitole (USA) Ten Sovereigns (IRE) Nature Strip (AUS) Beat The Clock (AUS)

126 124 124 123 122 122 121

Distance Categories S : 5f-6.5f : 1000m-1300m M : 6.51f -9.49f : 1301m-1899m I : 9.5f-10.5f : 1900m-2100m L : 10.51f-13.5f : 2101m-2700m E: 13.51f+ : 2701m+

european 2yo classifications European 2yo Classifications 2019: through to horses rated 110 Rating Horse

Sex

Sirex

Dam

Dam sire

Owner

Trainer

128

Pinatubo

c

Shamardal

Lave Flow

Dalakhani

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby

GB

118

Earthlight

c

Shamardal

Winters Moon

New Approach

Godolphin SNC

Andre Fabre

FR

118

Kameko

c

Kittens Joy

Sweeter Still

Rock Of Gibraltar

Qatar Racing Limited

Andrew Balding

GB

116

Arizon

c

No Nay Never

Lady Ederle

English Channel

Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & D. Smith

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

115

Millisle

f

Starspangledbanner

Green Castle

Indian Ridge

Stonethorn Farms Ltd

Jessica Harrington

IRE

115

Mums Tipple

c

Footstepsinthesand

Colomone Cross

Xaar

Marian Lyons & Patricia Zanelli

Richard Hannon

GB

114

Albigna

f

Zoffany

Freedonia

Selkirk

Niarchos Family

Jessica Harrington

IRE

114

Golden Horde

c

Lethal Force

Entreat

Pivotal

Almohamediya Racing

Clive Cox

GB

114

Quadrilateral

f

Frankel

Nimble Thimble

Mizzen Mast

Prince Khalid Abdullah

Roger Charlton

GB

114

Raffle Prize

f

Slade Power

Summer Fete

Pivotal

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

Mark Johnston

GB

114

Siskin

c

First Defence

Bird Flown

Oasis Dream

Prince Khalid Abdullah

Ger Lyons

Ire

114

Threat

c

Footstepsinthesand

Flare of Firelight

Birdstone

Cheveley Park Stud

Richard Hannon

GB

114

Victor Ludorum

c

Shamardal

Antiquities

Kaldounevees

Godolphin SNC

Andre Fabre

Fr

114

Wichita

c

No Nay Never

Lumiere Noire

Dashing Blade

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier & M. Tabor Aidan O’Brien

IRE

113

Military March

c

New Approach

Punctliious

Danehill

Godolphin

Saeed Bin Suroor

GB

113

Positive

c

Dutch Art

Osipova

Makfi

Alan Spence

Clive Cox

GB

113

Powerful Breeze

f

Iffraaj

Power Of Light

Echo Of Light

Dr Ali Ridha

Hugo Palmer

GB

112

A’Ali

c

Society Rock

Motion Lass

Motivator

Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa

Simon Crisford

GB

112

Al Suhail

c

Dubawi

Shirocco Star

Shirocco

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby

GB

112

King’s Command

c

Dubawi

O’Giselle

Octagonal

Godolphin

Charlie Appleby

GB

112

Mkfancy

c

Makfi

Fancy Green

Muhtathir

Abdullah Al Maddah

Pia Brandt

FR

112

Rubaiyat

c

Areion

Representero

Lomitas

Darius Racing

Henk Grewe

GER

112

Wonderful Moon

c

Sea The Moon

Wonderful Filly

Lomitas

Stall Wasserfreunde

Henk Grewe

GER

111

Alson

c

Areion

Assisi

Galileo

Gestut Schlenderhan

Jean-Pierre Carvalho GER

111

Innisfree

c

Galileo

Palace

Fastnet Rock

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & Mrs A. O’Brien

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

111

Love

f

Galileo

Pikaboo

Pivotal

M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs J. Magnier

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

111

Monarch Of Egypt

c

American Pharoah

Up

Galileo

P. Brant, Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & D. Smith

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

111

Royal Lytham

c

Gleneagles

Gotlandia

Anabaa

M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs J. Magnier

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

111 Tropbeau

f

Showcasing

Frangipanni

Dansili

Lady Bamford

Andre Fabre

FR

110 Armory

c

Galileo

After

Danehill Dancer

Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & D. Smith

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

110

Cayenne Pepper

f

Australia

Muwakaba

Elusive Quality

Jon Kelly

Jessica Harrington

IRE

110

Daahyeh

f

Bated Breath

Affluent

Oasis Dream

Victorious Racing LLC

Roger Varian

GB

110

Ecrivain

c

Lope De Vega

Sapphire Pendant

Danehill Dancer

Wertheimer & Frere

Carlos Laffon-Parias

FR

110

Max Vega

c

Lope De Vega

Paraphernalia

Dalakhani

The Pickford Hill Partnership

Ralph Beckett

GB

110

Mogul

c

Galileo

Shastye

Danehill

M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs J. Magnier

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

110

Mystery Power

c

No Nay Never

Gems

Haafhd

King Power Racing

Richard Hannon

GB

110

Pierre Lapin

c

Cappella Sansevero

Beatrix Potter

Cadeaux Genereux Sheikh Mohammed Obaid

Roger Varian

GB

110

Royal Crusade

c

Shamardal

Zibelina

Dansili

Charlie Appleby

GB

110

Royal Dornoch

c

Gleneagles

Bridal Dance

Danehill Dancer

M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs J. Magnier

Aidan O’Brien

GB

110

Year Of The Tiger

c

Galileo

Tiggy Wiggy

Kodiac

D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, M. Tabor & Flaxman

Aidan O’Brien

IRE

82

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Godolphin

KOROPIK

Bay 2014 by Kodiac – Kathoe (Fayruz)

GROUP WINNING SPRINTER

BY KODIAC

By Kodiac, record-breaking Champion Sire of 2YOs out of Kathoe, by leading sprint sire Fayruz. From the immediate family of Champion 2YO Woodstream.

RACE RECORD Won 2 races at 2 & 3, 6f and placed twice incl. Gr.3 Chipchase S, 6f, Newcastle, beating Aeolus (Gr.3) and 5 other Stakes Winners.

FEE 2020:

£200 Oct 1st

Mahsoob

Bay 2011 by Dansili – Mooakada (Montjeu)

FIRST YEARLINGS 2020 By sire of sires Dansili, out of MOOAKADA by Champion and outstanding broodmare sire MONTJEU.

RACE RECORD Won 5 races including 9f Earl of Sefton Stakes, Gr.3 Newmarket and 10f Wolferton Stakes, LR Royal Ascot.

Timeform Rated 120

FEE 2020:

£1,250 Oct 1st

INTRINSIC

Bay 2011 by Oasis Dream – Infallible (Pivotal)

OFF TO A GOOD START AT STUD Sire of dual winner Najm and multiple placed horses from his first few runners. From a Stakes winning family including MUTAKAYYEF and INTIMATION and half-sisters VERACIOUS (won Atalanta S. Gr.3) and ALAADEL (3-time winner incl. on debut at 2).

RACE RECORD Winner of the Glorious Goodwood, Stewards’ Cup – in record 1 min 10.27 secs A race he won in a faster time than LOCHSONG or DANETIME.

FEE 2020:

£1,750 Oct 1st

CONTACT Andrew Spalding • T: 01325 730209 or M: 07990 518751 • E: andrew@hedgeholmestud.co.uk

Hedgeholme Stud, Winston, Darlington, Co. Durham DL2 3RS - www.hedgeholmestud.com

photos of the month: foals of 2020

1

2 1. Elwick Stud’s colt by Roaring Lion out of Stream Song (Mastercraftsman), born on February 9. Stream Song is a half-sister to Group 1-winning Journey (Dubawi) and will be covered by Too Darn Hot 2. Colt out of the Group 3-winning sprinter Dark Reckoning (Equiano) by Lightning Spear, born on January 31 at Tweenhills Stud 3. Zoustar colt, born January 25, at Haras d’Etreham out of Fortitude (Oasis Dream). She is a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Broome 4. Zoffany colt out of the Listed-placed Garance (Teofilo), a daughter of the Group 1 winner Germance, born February 5 5. North Farm Stud filly by Hot Streak born on January 29. She is out of Treasured 6. Adday filly out of Kristollini (Bertolini) born on January 25 at North Farm Stud 7. Roaring Lion filly at Tweenhills, born January 18. She is out of Common Knowledge (Rainbow Quest) and is a half-sister to Group 3 winners Astrophysical Jet and Coral Wave

84

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

11

Photos: with thanks from the breeders and stud farms

3 8. Meon Valley Stud’s Ulysees filly out of Perfectly Spirited (Invincible Spirit), born January 23. Perfectly Spirited visits Postponed

4

9. Colt out of Sutton’s Smile (Paddy O’Prado)

by Exaggerator, born on January 24 at Polo Green Stable, Woodford County in Versailles, Kentucky 10. One of Elwick Stud’s colts by Mondialiste.

His dam is Out Of Context (Intikhab) and she returns to Mondialiste

10

9

11. A filly by Mastercraftsman out of Desire To Win (Lawman), a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Don Bosco. The filly was born on January 30 at Etreham

5

8 7

6 www.internationalthoroughbred.net

85

photos of the month: foals of 2020

Photos: with thanks from the breeders and stud farms

13 12 12. Colt by Kingman out of Big Break. He was born on January 10 and was Juddmonte’s first foal of 2020. He is out of dual Group 3 winner Big Break and he is a half-brother to the Group-placed Georgeville 13. Whitsbury Manor Stud’s filly foal by Havana Grey and out of Funny Enough (Dansili). She is a half-sister to Laugh A Minute (Mayson) and Endless Joy (Showcasing), both placed in Group 3s 14. Günther Schmidt’s colt by Adlerflug out of Meerschweinchen (Areion). He was born at Haras de Rabodanges on February 5 and Meerschweinchen is due to visit Waldgeist 15. Jochen Nass and Stephanie Hehlgans’ filly foal by the young Haras de Saint Arnoult stallion Dschingis Secret. She is the second foal out of the winning mare Goudevivre (Gentlewave) and was born on February 8 at Gestüt Etzean

14

16. Filly by Expert Eye out of Domitilla (Cape Cross). The filly, born on January 25 at Old Buckenham Stud, was Expert Eye’s first foal. Her winning dam Domitilla is out of Listed winner Dan Loose Daughter (Sakhee) and hails from the family of Group 3 winner Killachy Loose (Kyllachy) and 2019 two-year-old Listed winner Ifrachy (Iffraaj)

16 15 86

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

LE HAVRE

AMONG THE BEST IN EUROPE 13 Stakes winners in 2019 including Gr.1 winner Villa Marina Yearlings sold for 850,000 Gns, 575,000 Gns, €500,000… €50,000 live foal

© Agence G / Z. Lupa

RECORDER

2YO GROUP WINNER OVER 7F By champion sire GALILEO Out of Gr.2 & Gr.3 2yo winner MEMORY (Danehill Dancer) €5,000 live foal Mathieu ALEX • +33 (0)6 26 59 19 18 I Sylvain VIDAL • +33 (0)6 20 99 10 15

SERIOUSLY GOOD FIRST FOALS

Colt ex Thiel, bred by B & B Equine Ltd.

Filly ex Samaden, bred by Ballinasisla Stud

SIOUX Filly ex Dream Can True, bred by Allevamento Nuova Sbarra

Filly ex Cmonbabylitemyfire, bred by Minch Bloodstock

NATION Phoenix S.-Gr.1 and Norfolk S.-Gr.2 winner by SCAT DADDY

Contact: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Tel: +353-52-6131298. E-mail: sales@coolmore.ie Website: www.coolmore.com