9 minute read
Weatherbys Stallion Scene
And its stallion Mondialiste moves up to the top stage with his colt Mondo Man
THIS JUNE has been an exciting month for the Turnbull family’s Elwick Stud courtesy of its broodmare Stream Song and its own stallion, the former globetrotting, two-time Grade 1 winner Mondialiste.
The double-header enjoyed at the beginning of the month by the farm’s broodmare Stream Song (Mastercraftsman), courtesy of handicap success at Haydock for her son Iron King and a Listed victory at Goodwood for her daughter Lava Stream in the Weatherbys/British EBF Agnes Keyser Stakes, the filly subsequently putting in a brilliant run when second in the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, was a highlight, but the farm has also enjoyed lesser-heralded but equally important performances by the Elwick-bred, French-trained Mondo Man.
The three-year-old Mondialiste colt is in the care of the Chantilly-based trainer Pia Brandt and he gave connections a Classic shout when an excellent and eye-catching fifth in the Prix du Jockey-Club (G1). The chesnut went on to prove that run was no fluke when a fine fourth in the 1m4f Group 2 King Edward Stakes VII at Royal Ascot.
Brandt purchased Mondo Man privately at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale in 2023 after he was led out unsold for €30,000.
“He impressed me at the sales with his big stride and good balance, even though he still had some growing to do,” reported Brandt, adding: “I liked his head and his eyes – calm and confident.
“He has a lovely temperament and is confident in himself – he is relaxed in training but reacts well when asked to accelerate.”
Of his Royal Ascot run, she added: “I am pleased with that as he has not been tried over the trip before and these are top class horses. William [Buick] said he thought the ground was a bit quick for him.”
The best so far by Mondialiste, Mondo Man is joint-owned by the trainer alongside two partners, including Ecurie Serge Stempniak, which last year enjoyed a wonderful season with Ace Impact.
Mondo Man has made rapid progress this spring emerging from winter quarters to win his maiden in February over 1m1f at Deauville, going on to win a Chantilly Listed race over 1m1f and then finish a Group 3 second on his fourth career start.
Brandt has an ambitious plan for her talented colt and the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) is currently the autumn target.
Mondialiste, who was the love of the late Geoff Turnbull’s life, retired to Elwick in 2018 and stood at the County Durham farm for three years.
In 2021 the stallion transferred to France, where the commercial opportunities are perhaps more numerous for a stallion with his profile, initially based at Haras d’Annebault before moving for the 2023 season to his current home at Ralphael Detouillon’s Haras de Longechaux in the east of France.
“Mondo Man is an exciting horse and has been so progressive this season,” reported Gary Moore, stud manager at Elwick, adding: “Mondialiste has seen 40 mares this spring, and we have seven permanent boarders at the farm and they have visited him.”
Of the reasons for the stallion’s move to Longechaux, he added: “We think the sire suits the German broodmare band and the farm, which is near the Alps, is just that bit closer to the border.”
And of Mondo Man’s dam Moghrama, he updated: “She has an Almanzor colt foal at foot, and she is in-foal to Chaldean.”
King Of Change blasts on to the sales scene and the racecourse
The stallion success story at this spring’s breeze-up sales was Starfield Stud’s first-season sire King Of Change.
Six lots by the son of Farhh were sold at the two-year-old horses in training sales for an average price of 113,063gns and a top price of £280,000, which was given by Alex Elliott and Amo Racing at the Goffs UK 2yo Breeze Up Sale for the filly and first foal out of the two-year-old-winning Dawn Approach mare Evie Speed. Now called Too Sweet, she is in training with David Loughnane.
This year’s results show superb sales ring progression for the sire – his first crop foal average was 17,814gns, a figure which increased marginally to 18,544gns when the crop sold as yearlings, but this spring there has been a massive upturn with the sire’s average for his two-year-olds growing sixfold to the six-figure sum.
The improvement is even more marked if looking at King Of Change’s fillies alone – the five sold at the breeze-up sales achieved an average price of 130,476gns.
At the time of writing, the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes-winning and 2,000 Guineas runner-up has had two winners from three runners, all fillies.
Lady With The Lamp was successful at Bath for trainer Joseph O’Brien on her second career start, and Transcending won her maiden for Ger Lyons at Leopardstown on June 13 having previously finished a good fourth in a hot maiden behind none other than Royal Ascot winner Bedtime Story.
Lady Roxby also put in a taking debut when fourth at Ripon on June 19 for trainer Bryan Smart, who paid 180,000gns for the filly at the Tattersalls Guineas Sale.
“His runners so far are looking very promising, all progressive fillies,” said Micheal Orlandi of Starfield Stud, adding: “His breeze-up horses sold exceptionally well and the results definitely brought in some late mares as breeders revisited his profile – those who came to see him were impressed as he is an eye-catching individual with plenty of length, strength and substance.
“He is a very good-walking, well-balanced stallion and all his stock have great action, too.”
The eight-year-old sire began his stud career at Derrinstown at €7,000, a price that was reduced to €6,000 for year two.
He has stood for the past two years at Starfield starting out at a fee of €6,000.
Orlandi continued: “This year’s book will be around 120, his biggest so far and up from a previous best of 70.
“He is working off a small crop this year, but it is all relative and if he can get a good winners-to-runners ratio and some stakes horses that will be ideal. The future looks promising as his stock should come forwards at the back end of the year, as three-year-olds, and over a mile and further.”
Mount Everest making a strong start in Italy
STEFANO LUCIANI’S FARM Azienda Agricola Luciani, which is found in the beautiful Lazio region of Italy, some 35km west of Rome, stands two stallions and is currently enjoying a fine time of it – its young sire Mount Everest making possibly an unexpected but impressive early mark on the European first-season sires’ table.
The son of Galileo currently sits in third place with four early-season winners, a tally achieved from just seven runners.
And at Milan on June 14 he sired a onetwo – his colt and previous winner El Buitre coming home ahead of Zenorione, already with two previous successes to his name.
It is an admirable performance for the stallion, but even more commendable when looking at his own racing profile.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for Flaxman Stables and the Coolmore partners, Mount Everest made his juvenile debut over 7f, but that was the only time he ran over a distance less than a mile – his best two-yearold performance achieved when second in the mile Beresford Stakes (G2). His career highlights came at three with Listed victory in the Trigo Stakes over 1m2f and a sixth-place finish in the 1m4f Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
Luciani argues that it is his stallion’s topclass pedigree and outstanding physique that is giving his progeny this extra impetus for these early spring season successes over the sprint trips of 5f and 6f.
“Mount Everest is a lovely horse and just exudes class – he has a lot of quality and is a good-bodied horse,” says Luciani on the Weatherbys section of the Nick Luck Podcast.
“We bought him from Flaxman Stables and Coolmore, and he is bred in the purple being out of the brilliant mare Six Perfections – she won the Prix Marcel Boussac as a two-year-old, was a champion three-year-old and a Breeders’ Cup winner. He is a full-brother to two black-type winners and from Miesque’s family of Karakontie, Kingmambo and Miesque’s Son, a real stallion’s family.
“He should not really be getting winners over 5f, but I think it is just down to the quality that he is passing on – I think he will really come into his own as his progeny age and start to run over further.”
The 15-year-old Dragon Pulse stands alongside the young sire, the son of Kyllachy into his second year in Italy having moved from his long-term domain at the Irish National Stud where he had been a standing dish since his retirement in 2013.
Winner of the mile Prix de Fontainebleu (G3), The Curragh’s EBF Futurity Stakes (G2) and a runner-up in the National Stakes (G1), Dragon Pulse boasts a solid and highly respectable 53 per cent career winners-torunners record with 26 winners so far in 2024.
“I am happy to have Dragon Pulse on the farm, and he is a well-mannered horse,” says Luciani. “He is a solid winner-producing sire.”
His leading earner is the Irish-bred fiveyear-old Happy Together, who has collected over £3 million from 23 starts.
He is trained in Hong Kong by Frankie Lor with his last run being his best when fourth behind Romantic Warrior in April’s QEII Cup (G1), his first start at the highest level.
