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New sires: £/€7,000-£/€5,000
ISAAC SHELBY
Night Of Thunder-Kentucky Belle (Heliostatic)
Newsells Park Stud
£7,000
The first son of Night Of Thunder to retire to stud, the Group 2 winner and Classicplaced Isaac Shelby has a very interesting pedigree being inbred 3x3 to the outstanding Galileo, who is the broodmare sire of Night Of Thunder and the sire of Heliostatic, broodmare sire of Isaac Shelby.
Heliostatic was bred by Jim Bolger and is a full-brother to Soldier Of Fortune, from the family of Sholokhov, Skitter Scatter and Intense Focus.
Isaac Shelby was bred by Elaine Chivers out of Kentucky Belle, an unraced half-sister to the Grade 2 Mac Diarmada Handicap winner Ramazutti and to the dam of the stakes winner Vow To Recover.
Isaac Shelby was sold by Park Wood Stud to Sam Sangster for £92,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.
Trained by Brian Meehan, he made a winning debut at Newbury on the last day of May and then won the Group 2 Superlative Stakes on his second start. He had one more run at two when behind Chaldean in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1).
Isaac Shelby defeated Charyn when winning the Greenham Stakes (G3) on his seasonal debut at three, and lost out by just over a head to Marhaaba Ya Sanaafi in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (G1).
Acquired privately by Wathnan Racing, he carried those silks when fourth behind Paddington, Chaldean and Charyn in the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) and when a neck second to Kinross in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes stepping back to 7f at Goodwood.
He was fourth behind that rival in the Group 2 City Of York Stakes and the final run of his career saw him finish second in the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein.
Night Of Thunder is by Dubawi and out of the Listed-placed Galileo mare Forest Storm, who is from the family of the champion two-year-old filly and Irish 1,000 winner Forest Flower. Night Of Thunder is now the sire five Group 1 winners and 29 Group race winners.
AESOP’S FABLES
No Nay Never-How’s She Cuttin (Shinko Forest)
Starfield Stud
€6,500
Successful in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes and fourth to Al Riffa in the Group 1 National Stakes and Chaldean in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at two, Aesop’s Fables developed into a smart sprinter at three.
The best performances of Aesop’s Fables career were towards the end of that threeyear-old season when he finished third in both the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
He was kept in training at four, but he failed to scale those heights again for the Ballydoyle team, but he added a third career success to his resume when defeating Twilight Jet in the Listed Sole Power Sprint at Naas.
Aesop’s Fables retired with a record of three wins and six places from 17 starts.
One of 42 stakes-winning two-year-olds from the first eight crops of No Nay Never, the sire of the juvenile Group/Grade 1 winners Alcohol Free (Hard Spun), Blackbeard (Born To Sea), Little Big Bear (Bering), Meditate (Dalakhani), Ten Sovereigns (Exceed And Excel) and Whistlejacket (Bering).
Aesop’s Fables is a half-brother to the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Washington DC, a son of Zoffany who was Group 1-placed in the Phoenix Stakes, the Prix de l’Abbaye and the Commonwealth Cup.
He is also a half-brother to Sandhurst (Galileo), a runner-up in the Group 2 Chester Vase. They are three of the six winners out of How’s She Cuttin’, a daughter of Shinko Forest, who was third in the Listed Land O’Burns Fillies Stakes.
Under fourth dam Magic Flute, the Cheveley Park (G1) and Coronation Stakes (G1) winner, is the St James’s Palace (G1) and Dewhurst Stakes (G1) winner and sire Grand Lodge.
SAKHEER
Zoffany-Shortmile Lady (Arcano)
Ballyhane Stud
€6,500
A classy juvenile who won the Mill Reef Stakes (G2), Sakheer defeated a field then that included Charyn, who is proving to be such a yardstick for this group of sires.
Sakheer was bred by Drumlin Bloodstock from the penultimate crop of Zoffany.
An 80,000gns foal offered by Yellowford Farm, he was sold by Mocklershill for €550,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale to Oliver St Lawrence for KHK Racing.
Sakheer made his debut over 6f at Windsor in mid-August and was a good runner-up before winning at Haydock. The third and final run of his juvenile season was in the Mill Reef Stakes (G2) where those behind him also included Shouldvebeenaring.
His seasonal reappearance at three was in the mile 2,000 Guineas – he appeared not to stay so was sent to the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot for his next run.
After that he didn’t run until the following May when he was much too keen in the Listed Cathedral Stakes and had one more run last season in the Listed Hopeful Stakes.
He is a half-brother to the Group 2 Kilboy
Estates Stakes and dual Group 3 winner Lemista, a Raven’s Pass mare who was third in the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes.
They are the best two of the six runners, all winners, out of Shortmile Lady, who is a daughter of Arcano, also the broodmare sire of this year’s first-season sire Supremacy.
Placed at two, Shortmile Lady is a half-sister to the Group 3 and Listed winner Indian Maiden (Indian Ridge), the dam of Group 3 winner Maid In India (Bated Breath) and the Listed winner Love Spirit (Elusive City).
Third dam Minifah is a half-sister to the brilliant champion Winning Colors, triumphant in the Kentucky Derby (G1) of 1988 as well as the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1).
SHOULDVEBEENARING
Havana Grey-Lady Estella (Equiano)
Irish National Stud
€6,000
The first son of Havana Grey to stand in Ireland is Shouldvebeenaring, a tough and hardy racehorse who ran 30 times over three seasons and was a Group 3 winner at four and a Listed winner at two and three.
From the first crop of Havana Grey, Shouldvebeenaring was bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud and sold for £40,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle and Middleham Park Racing at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.
Trained by Richard Hannon, the grey ran seven times at two. He won a Ripon novice on his second start and then came with a perfectly timed challenge to land the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes on his next.
After that he won Ripon’s Listed Champion 2YO Trophy and was fourth in that seemingly pivotal juvenile race of that season, the Mill Reef Stakes (G2).
As a three-year-old, he was even busier running a dozen times over 6f or 7f, winning twice including gaining a second Listed success which came in the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket.
His efforts in defeat were very noteworthy – he was beaten just by a neck by Regional in the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock and when third in the Prix de la Fôret (G1) behind Kelina and Kinross.
At four, he won the Group 3 Prix de RisOrangis and was runner-up to Mill Stream in the Duke Of York Stakes (G2) and third in both the City Of York (G2) and Park Stakes (G2).
He won six and was placed in ten of his 30 starts and is one of three winners from six runners out of Lady Estella.
She is a winning Equiano half-sister to the Group 3 Prix du Palais-Royal winner Rosso Corsa out of the Woodman mare Lady Scarlett, a half-sister to the dam of triple Grade 1 winner Grand Couturier.
ZAGREY
Zarak-Grey Anatomy (Slickly)
Haras de Grandcamp
€6,000
Zagrey’s success in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden under Christophe Soumillon was the first by a son of Zarak at the highest level, and he is now one of two new stallions in France by the Aga Khan’s son of Dubawi and out of Zarkava.
Bred by Societe Civile Ecurie Enrolling, he is from the first crop of the Group 1 winner who stood for €12,000 but this season will command a fee of €80,000.
Unsold for €32,000 as a yearling when offered by Haras de Grandcamp at Arqana, he was sent into training with Yann Barberot and won on the third of his four starts that year – over 1650m at Amiens.
He had five starts at three, was a dual Listed winner and finished second in the Group 2 Prix Eugene-Adam.
He improved again at four and took third behind the superstar Equinox and Group 1 winner Westover in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, was runner-up to Westover in the Group 1 Grand Prix de SaintCloud and then gained that significant top level win at Baden Baden.
Zagrey is a half-brother to the dual Group 3 runner-up and Group 1 Criterium International third Graignes (Zoffany) and the Listed-placed Anatiya, a daughter of Dariyan.
Dam Grey Anatomy is an unraced Slickly half-sister to Listed winner Nova Step (Dubawi) and out of the Listed-winning Nureyev mare Light Step, who is a half-sister to the Group winners Eltish (Cox’s Ridge) and Forest Gazelle (Green Forest) out of an ownsister to the Grade 1 winner Contredanse.
RIVER TIBER
Wootton Bassett-Transcendence
Haras de la Huderie
€5,500
Wootton Bassett’s rise to glory started as a relatively inexpensive sire in France and Haras de la Huderie will hope that his Group 2 Coventry Stakes-winning son River Tiber can repeat the trick.
A 480,000gns purchase from Pier House Stud in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm, River Tiber’s early promise hinted that it was money well spent.
He went unbeaten in his first three starts, from a Navan maiden in April to Royal Ascot two months later.
River Tiber was third to Vandeek and Ramatuelle in the Group 1 Prix Morny and then filled the same position in the Middle Park Stakes (G1).
River Tiber started off last season in the Irish 2,000 Guineas when third to Rosallion and Haatem, but was well-beaten by the Phoenix Of Spain colt in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes.
Reverting to sprinting for the July Cup didn’t produces a success and his ninth and final career start came in the Prix de la Fôret on Arc weekend.
He is the first foal out of Transcendence who is an unraced Arcano half-sister to Listed Harry Roseberry Stakes winner Mister Manannan and to the stakes winner Shermeen. She is dam of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Sudirman.
Under the fourth dam are soem tlented horses including Dandy Man, Anthem Alexander and Mother Earth.
AL HAKEEM
Siyouni-Jadhaba (Galileo)
Haras de Boquetot
€5,000
A homebred for Al Shaqab, this Group 2 winner is bred on the same cross as Group 1 winners St Mark’s Basilica and Sottsass.
Al Hakeem was fourth on debut at Deauville in October of his two-year-old career and won at Chantilly a month later.
At three, he was successful in the Listed Prix des Suresnes and then fourth in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club behind Vadeni, El Bodegon and Modern Games.
His first black-type win came in his next start, the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and he was fourth to Alpinista, Torquator Tasso and Vadeni in the Arc.
His best performance at four was in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt and he returned to winning ways back by the sea at Deauville in the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at five.
Al Hakeem is the best of four winners out of the Group 3 Prix Penelope third placed Jadhaba (Galileo), a daughter of the multiple Grade 2 winner Naissance Royale (Giant’s Causeway).
FEED THE FLAME
Kingman-Knyazhna (Montjeu)
Haras de la Hetraie
€4,500
One of 11 individual Group 1 winners by Kingman, Feed The Flame cost €270,000 as a yearling when purchased by SAS Gerrard Larrieu.
He is a half-brother to the multiple Group/ Grade 3 winner Sacred Life (Siyouni), who was also third in the Arlington Million (G1) and Maker’s Mile (G1).
Feed The Flame made a winning debut in April as a three-year-old and, on the back of two wins, he contested the Prix du JockeyClub (G1) in which he finished fourth to Ace Impact, Big Rock and Marhaba Ya Sanafi.
Stepping up 300m in trip for the 1m4f Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris next time out, he was an impressive winner over Irish Derby runner-up Adelaide River and the Oaks winner Soul Sister.
Trainer Pascal Bary followed the tried and tested route to the Arc with the Kingman colt who was bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, Lordship Stud and Clear Light SAS.
Second to Fantastic Moon in the Group 2 Prix Niel, he finished in midfield in the autumn highlight.
At four, his best result was in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) to Dubai Honour and he was also third in the Coronation Cup (G1) and Prix Ganay (G1).
He is out of the unraced Montjeu mare Knyazhna, who is a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Migwar (Sea The Stars). Their dam Katyusha is a Kingmambo full-sister to the St Leger winner Rule Of Law (Kingmambo).
ELDAR ELDAROV
Dubawi-All At Sea(Sea The Stars)
Chapel Stud
€5,000
A Classic-winning son of Dubawi from the family of Alpinista, Eldar Eldarov is available to breeders at just £5,000.
He was bred by Kirsten Rausing out of the mare All At Sea (Sea The Stars), who was a Listed winner over 1m2f as a three-year-old. She is out of Albanova (Alzao), who was a three-time Group 1 winner in Germany over 1m4f and is a sister to Alborada, the dual winner of the 1m2f Champion Stakes (G1).
Albanova is granddam of the brilliant Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Alpinista.
Eldar Eldaraov was sold at the Goffs Orby Sale to Norman Williamson for £110,000 and then at the Arqana Breeze-Up for £480,000 where he was bought by Oliver St Lawrence.
He made a winning appearance in KHK Racing’s colours over a mile at Nottingham in his two-year-old season in October, following up that success over 1m2f in May at Newcastle. He then belied his inexperience when taking the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot on his first stakes race start
A respectable fourth place in the Grand Prix de Paris precedented his 2l Classic victory at Doncaster in the St Leger.
He opened up his four-year-old season with a good second in the Yorkshire Cup (G2), finished mid-division in the Royal Ascot Gold Cup (G1), was fourth to Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup (G1) before success when beating Kyprios in the Irish St Leger (G1).
Eldar Eldarov is one of only two horses to have beaten Kyprios since his three-year-old season.
Sadly, Eldar Eldarov subsequently sustained a neck fracture in a stalls accident at Meydan. He was lucky to recover from the injury and did not race again.
