NH Special_2021

APRIL-MAY 2021

£4.95 • ISSUE 103

NH SPECIAL 2021 FEATURING our Cheltenham Festival bloodstock review and unique Weatherbys sales and covering statistics

IN DEPTH: NH stallion profiles

Tattersalls Ireland’s CEO Simon Kerins talks Cheltenham success, point-to-pointing and gives us the latest sales news Trainer Fergal O’Brien is more than satisifed with his season and a best-ever score of winners Breeder Ken Parkhill and family have bred Grade 1 winners at the last three Cheltenham Festivals, this year’s star is the Ballymore hero Bob Olinger

>> Find the Way To Paris at Coolagown Stud >> Take a look at Batsford Stud’s Passing Glance

MY DREAM BOAT €2 Fe ,5 e 00

#DreamDating

The foal we bought in Fairyhouse was a great stamp, with size, scope and movement, a typical example of his progeny.

Kevin and Anna Ross

GR.1 NH SIRE

Tough and genuine Gr.1 winner. OR: 122

Won 4 Group/Stakes races including the Gr.1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Won 6 races and placed 9 times over 7-10f, winning over €805,000.

A new bloodline for the NH market

Ideal for adding speed with stamina to jumping pedigrees. An outcross for Sadler’s Wells line mares.

Well supported by NH breeders First two-year-olds in 2021.

Cappella Sansavero

Far Above

Kuroshio

Smooth Daddy

My Dream Boat

Galileo Chrome

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

GALILEO CHROME #ClassicDating

e 0 Fe 0 ,0 €4

Galileo Chrome is easily one of the best I’ve trained, and he’s a beautiful looking individual.

Joseph O’Brien

NEW NH SIRE FOR 2021 Classic winner of the Gr.1 St Leger

Beating Gr.1/Gr.2 horses Santiago, Subjectivist, Pyledriver, Dawn Patrol, Mythical, etc.

Undefeated as a 3yo, also inc L Yeats Stakes by 5l.

Timeform Rating: 122p

Higher than Affinisea, Berkshire, Blue Bresil, Diamond Boy, Elusive Pimpernel, Idaho, Jet Away, Mahler, Malinas, Old Persian, etc.

By World Champion 3yo Australia

From the family of Aussie Rules, Alborada, Albanova, Allegretto, Coronet, etc.

Micheál Orlandi, Compas Stallions ! + 353 (0)83 809 2299

" info@compasstallions.com

! @CompasStallions

# compasstallions.com

contents nh special

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First Word

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It was a Hollow victory

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The younger generation

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NH stallions en Francais

Aisling Crowe reviews this year’s Cheltenham Festival which saw 20 of the 28 races won by Irish-breds and the big prize go to the son of Beat Hollow, Minella Indo

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NH foal sale averages

Allaho and away!

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NH store sale averages

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Covering statistics

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Photo of the month

What did we learn from this year’s Cheltenham Festival?

Timeform has given Ryanair Chase winner Allaho a rating of 178, one of the best ratings given to a Festival winner in recent years

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The rule of three

For the third year in succession Ken Parkhill and family bred a Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner, this year’s star Bob Olinger

If you build it, they will come

It’s been a hugely successful year for Fergal O’Brien. A new yard, pristine gallops and a season’s-best tally of winners is a sound foundation

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

The very best Way To Paris is via Cork and Coolagown Stud, writes Aisling Crowe

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Trade analysis

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Feeding to solve problems

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NH Stallion Fact Pact

Sales talk

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins talks over Cheltenham success, pointto-pointing and gives the latest on sales plans for the spring and summer

Navigate your way to Paris

An A-Z of the younger NH stallions Martin Stevens scrolls through the French NH stallion scene From Tattersalls Ireland November Sale and the Goffs December NH Sale Store sales in Britain, Ireland and France Statistics provided by Weatherbys Four boys out for a spring walk

John Dwan of Ballyreddin Stud is continually assessing the NH market and adjusting his sales strategy accordingly Nutritional advice from the Red Mills team Kicking off with a review of the established sires standing in Britain and Ireland

Minella Indo by Equine Creative Media

follow us on twitter @tbredpublishing

contents nh special

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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 editor sally duckett publisher declan rickatson photography trevor jones design thoroughbred publishing advertising declan rickatson 00 44 (0)7767 310381 declan.rickatson@btinternet.com subscriptions tracey glaysher itsubs@btinternet.com

the photographers alamy equine creative media courtesy of stud farms tattersalls | tattersalls ireland goffs | goffs uk laura green

the writers aisling crowe tony mcfadden sally duckett martin stevens

the stats weatherbys

the printers micropress press

accounts annie jones itaccounts@btinternet.com

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first word

Cheltenham pointers What can we learn from a Festival that saw non-participation by amateurs, smaller field sizes and Irish dominance?

T

HE BEGINNING OF MARCH was a difficult time for racing, coming on the back of a very difficult year.

The Gordon Elliott photo created a pre-Cheltenham Festival ten days of intense discussion, rumour, conjecture, social media opinion, division and scrutiny.

I have not voiced an opinion, there were enough people from all sides of the debate involving themselves. The only point I would like to make now is that we are responsible for our own actions, and we have to accept and deal with those consequences, whatever it was that led to that photo being published.

The Festival did all that was hoped and more … fantastic competitive racing with top-class horses shining, the light of Rachael Blackmore as bright a beacon for the sport as could have been hoped.

The racing looked fair, with the tactics (mainly from the lady above) winning the races rather than bad falls or unfortunate incidents.

As so hoped by all of us in the sport, The Festival went by without incident on the track; the bad publicity that would have been created by a “difficult” Festival on the back of the Gordon Elliott photo could have done immense damage, in the UK anyway, to the public perception of horseracing.

The racing throughout the week just felt comfortable, the ground was ideal, but maybe also the smaller field sizes helped, and maybe we weren’t watching races such as the Kim Muir or the (Fox)Hunters’ in fear as to just what some of the less experienced jockeys would do.

I am loathe to write this having enjoyed

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many years of riding as a bad amateur / point-to-point jockey and growing up amidst excitement at home ahead of the amateur events at Cheltenham and Aintree, but maybe there needs to be further examination of the relevancy of those amateur-ridden races in the modern sport of horseracing so under threat from those who are looking for any opportunity to discard it to history.

This year saw reduced field sizes because many owners did not run horses at Cheltenham for social reasons.

Of course, unfancied horses can come through unexpectedly to win races or claim valuable placed prizes, but the races this year were just so straight-forward without alsorans, who perhaps should not be in the race, getting in the way.

Horses can fall however talented they are – just hit replay on Envoi Allen’s race – but if only the really very best are running then the

risk chances are reduced.

It also means that horses (any horse who qualifies for an entry at Cheltenham at all is still a talented equine) might be directed to races in which they might have a better chance rather than going for the premier events.

British trainers might also become a little more proactive about persuading owners to run in the handicaps and so work harder at getting one well-handicapped aka the Irish.

Irish.

A

LOOK AT TIMEFORM’S table on page 19 shows just how dominant the Irish NH horses are – of the top 20 chasers, 12 are trained in Ireland, including seven of the top ten.

Of the eight chasers that are UK-based, three of them are ten-year-olds and over.

IT IS a long four days at the Cheltenham Festival – usually caused by excessive socialising – however this year, much like last year, there was opinion change as the days ticked by.

In 2020, that was due to the growing COVID grip on Europe; last year many of the masses who arrived at Prestbury Park had not heard the word pandemic since a history class on the Black Death, by Thursday last year all many wanted to do was head home.

This year it was due to the Blackmore factor.

Ahead of the meeting and over the first day, the wider world media comment regarding racing was still overwhelmingly negative – still bringing up the running of the meeting in 2020, and using the Gordon Elliott photo to show how uncaring the sport is toward its equine athletes.

Through the meeting, the wider media had to reassess its position as it began to realise just what Ms Blackmore was up to; it has been harping on about diversity and equal chances for the last few years, it could hardly sit on its hands now.

The media has been declaring what an inspiration she is for pony-riding teenage girls – she is pretty inspiring for the rest of us, too.

first word Of the top 21 hurdlers (includes joint rated), 14 are trained in Ireland, including a staggering nine of the top ten.

The reasons for the Irish green blitz are varying and prize-money has been discussed.

It goes a little deeper and perhaps the current British handicapping system needs greater examination. As mentioned by commentator Richard Hoiles on Luck on Sunday it can take a NH horse a long time to have mark dropped by the handicapper.

Has it become so difficult now to get one “well handicapped” in the UK that the avenue is impossible for British trainers and owners to compete against Ireland?

Daily races are run much faster in Britain, does that mean it is more difficult to bring a novice gently through the ranks? Is that taking a toll? Does the poorer prize-money mean that trainers and owners are stepping up horses too quickly, pushing them too early, in order to try and chase a better pot?

Some have said that Irish horses run more frequently and are more “race hardened”; I don’t believe that holds much weight.

A quick glance comparing runs against the runners for the leading Irish and British-based trainers shows no difference whatsoever.

Irish trainers are just so cash rich at the moment due to the fact that currently the large-scale owners want to have horses trained in Ireland.

That cash weight of ownership allows them to move quickly for talented horses. A good novice winning in France can be bought for a significant sum by a Willie Mullins-attached owner within half an hour of it crossing the line.

If anyone from the BHA is going to look into this the first port of call is to stop by Cheveley Park Stud or call in to see Rich Ricci and ask why do they prefer to have their top horses in Ireland’?

Is it just down to the financial funding as Irish racing means there is some return on investment? If you are spending north of €300,000 to buy a NH horse then a winning gallop around Gowran Park in maiden hurdle could be worth a handy €15,000, and a mid-range handicap success could be worth €50,000.

But is it deeper than that? Is there a better programme? Is it more of a craic? Are those

Top NH horses in Britain & Ireland (RPR ratings) Names in green = trained

Horse

Age

Minella Indo A Plus Tard Bristol De Mai Native River Allaho Chacun Pour Soi Clan Des Obeaux Al Boum Photo Cyrname Shishkin Politologue First Flow Frodon Presenting Percy Dashel Drasher

8 7 10 11 7 9 9 9 9 7 10 9 9 9 8

trainers just better at securing a cash-rich owner to join their ranks?

Once again on Luck on Sunday, Minella Indo’s owner Barry Maloney reported that when he had made some money he was always going to invest in horses to try and find Cheltenham success. How many self-made business men and women are there in the UK with that built-in passion to own top-class NH horses?

While De Bromhead and Mullins won six races each, the remaining Irish-won races were won by “smaller” Irish trainers and ownership entities.

Unlike the UK, there appears to be strength and ownership depth in the Irish NH ownership rank.

Due to the prize-money and the expensive long-term nature of NH ownership are UK owners, who may have once put £20,000 to buying a horse and having in it training with a top 20 NH trainer, turning to the Flat?

And even though British racing gets reproached that it is too focused on The Festival, is that really correct? Irish racing is surely even more about building a horse’s career to get to that meeting in March.

As Rachael Blackmore said on her return

to Ireland: “It is all about Cheltenham, and being able to get on the calibre of horse I was on over there.”

Is the criticism that is often levelled at Irish NH racing that it is uncompetitive and that races are often in “two parts” unfounded, if a view is taken that those races are all about producing Festival winners?

And we might be seeing this trend for some years to come yet – as the table left shows, a lot of these leading Irish-based horses are youngsters.

Shishkin aside the British horses are so much older – this dominating Irish success at the top level might be here for a while yet. yet.

W

E WILL FINISH WITH THE prize-money discussion and a glance at the trainers’ table reveals the stark differentials in prize-

money earnings.

Current leading British trainer Paul Nicholls is nearing £2 million in earnings having had 570 runners, Dan Skelton is £500,000 down on him from 600 runners and Nicky Henderson’s team has won just over the £1 million from 84 wins and 438 runs.

De Bromhead is now the fourth-leading trainer in the UK, and the next best is a £300,000 drop down to Jonjo O’Neill on £778,000 (63 wins, 423 runs).

In Ireland, Willie Mullins now has prizemoney earnings over €3.5 million (500 runners, similar to Nicholls), Gordon Elliott had 155 wins from over 1,000 runs for €2.8 million.

There are then staggered leaps down to De Bromhead on €1.7 million (88-577), Joseph O’Brien on €990,000, Noel Meade and Gavin Cromwell on the €700,000 and €600,000 marks and then another massive drop to Thomas Mullins on €350,000.

So let’s take the example of a middleranking trainer such as Mullins.

He has had 13 wins this season (from 114 runs) to collect that amount of prize-money – conversely in the UK, Neil Mulholland, who has won approximately the same amount in earnings for his owners, has had to have horses run 381 times to win 51 races.

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cheltenham festival review

T

HE 2021 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL will be written into the annals of Irish bloodstock as a remarkable one for the country’s thoroughbred breeding industry as 20 of the 28 contests over the four days were won by horses bred in Ireland.

Even more astoundingly the winners of nine of the 14 Grade 1 races were bred on the island, with three bred in Britain and just two in France, an unusually small return for French-breds at a meeting where they have enjoyed enormous success.

There were 17 different stallions represented by winners with a trio – Jeremy, Stowaway and Yeats – siring four winners apiece, while Sholokhov and Flemensfirth each sired a brace of winners.

There was more diversity amongst the broodmare sires with only three managing to double up – Turgeon, whose daughters produced Grade 1 winners Allaho and Vanillier, Saddler’s Hall had two Grade 2 winners in mares Colreevy and Telmesomethinggirl, while Supreme Leader was broodmare sire of the Gold Cup winner Minella Indo and Sky Pirate, winner of the Grand Annual Handicap Chase (G3) Authorized, whose diminutive but adored son Tiger Roll became just the third horse to win five times at The Festival with his third Cross-Country Chase success, emphasised how big a loss it was when the Turkish Jockey Club managed to buy him from Darley ahead of the 2020 breeding season – he was the only stallion to be sire and broodmare sire of a winner. In the latter case he combined with another enormous loss in Jeremy to produce the Grade 1 Champion Bumper winner Sir Gerhard.

The Gold Cup winner Minella Indo is by the long-term Ballylinch Stud sire Beat Hollow. He is now the sire’s top-rated NH runner and leading prize-money earnertopping that title previously held by Wicklow Brave.

Minella Indo was bred by the Lalor

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It was a Hollow victory A fantastic Cheltenham Festival meeting was topped by Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, a son of Beat Hollow, writes Aisling Crowe

family in 2013, the second year that beat Hollow stood in Ireland having moved from Juddmonte Farms’ Banstead Manor Stud.

Minella Indo is out of the homebred Supreme Leader-winning chase mare Carrigeen Lily and was sourced as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November Foal Sale

by John Nallen, who does most of his buying of NH horses as foals, for €24,000.

Kept at his Clonmel base and coverted into a winning point-to-pointer he reappeared under Henry de Bromhead’s care after just that one point-to-point start as a five-yearold in 2018.

The eight-year-old has now run 16 times under Rules, won six races, finished third three times and second twice.

Apart from his bumper, his debut run over hurdles and his first two starts over fences, he has not run out of NH graded company wining three Grade 1 races in the process.

The other successful runner by Beat Hollow, who has a last crop of three-yearolds to sell this sumemr, and out of a Supreme Leader mare is also trained by De Bromhad – the six-year-old point-to-point winner Minella Escape owned by Alan Halsall. He had every chance of Grade 3

cheltenham festival review

The eventual Gold Cup winner Minella Indo upsides Frodon on the first circuit of the Chetltenham Festival highlight

novice hurdle success at Navan in February until coming down two out.

Beat Hollow’s 13-year-old Group 2 winning son Sea Moon, who now stands at Burgage Stud, achieved a third placing in the St Leger and came home second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf behind St Nicholas Abbey (see page 78).

Of the 17 stallions who sired winners last week only four of them remain available to breeders and there are two stallions who enjoyed an especially successful Cheltenham Festival and who can benefit from their own success – Sholokhov and Yeats.

Sholokhov: Grade 1 double up

The Group 1 Gran Criterium winner may have been overshadowed a little by the trio of stallions who sired four winners apiece, but Sholokhov quietly enhanced a Cheltenham record that already boasted a Gold Cup winner with two Grade 1 stars in 2021; Shishkin and Bob Olinger.

A son of Sadler’s Wells, who was bred by the inimitable Jim Bolger, Sholokhov was also second to High Chaparral in the Irish Derby and runner-up to Hawk Wing in the Group 1 Eclipse, and achieved a feat that no other stallion could match at this year’s

Cheltenham Festival as he had a stallion son join him on the scoresheet.

Sholokhov began his stud career at Gestüt Etzean where he stood for nine seasons during which time he sired Don Cossack, whose Grade 1 triumphs in 2015 might well account for Sholokhov siring his biggest foal crop to date in 2016, the year of Don Cossack’s Gold Cup success.

He moved to the Cashman family’s Glenview Stud for the 2013 breeding season meaning his first Irish-bred crop is now seven and it includes the brilliant Shishkin, who is unbeaten in eight completed.

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cheltenham festival review After his runner’s Arkle success trainer Nicky Henderson commented: “He did today look as good as either of the other two (Sprinter Sacre and Altior). He has got a long way to go before he comes into the same breath, but you couldn’t have asked him to do any more than that today.

“We were schooling him on Thursday and AP [McCoy] was with us and he was nearly hurdling these fences. Shishkin is very, very quick from A to B – it frightens you a little bit!

“You would nearly say you would like to see a bit more height, but it doesn’t worry me – he is just very fast. He’s always been that way. He looks like a chaser and he acts like one. He is definitely a two miler and I don’t think you need to go any further he is just very natural at it.”

Victorious in the Grade 1 Arkle Chase by 12l for Nicky Henderson and Marie Donnelly, owner of dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo, Shishkin was bred by Clive Bennett and his late wife Eileen out of the Exit To Nowhere mare Labarynth.

Successful in three point-to-points, she

“Shishkin is very, very quick from A to B – it frightens you a little bit! is a half-sister to the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle winner Voler La Vedette, the Sandown Grade 3 handicap chase winner Hennessy and Molineaux, third in an Ascot Listed handicap chase.

Shishkin was sold by Rathbarry Stud at the 2014 Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale to Ben Case and returned to Fairyhouse for the 2017 Derby Sale, where he was sold

by Goldford Stud to Boyne Farm for just €28,000.

Third in an Inch four-year-old maiden, he then won at Lingstown for handler Virginia Considine and he made a handsome profit at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December

The pinpoint accurate Shishkin, the son of Sholokhov, jumps the last clear for Arkle glory

Sale where he was purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock for £170,000.

Labarynth has a five-year-old full-sister to Shishkin named Russian Maze, a fouryear-old Shirocco filly and a yearling colt by the sire, a two-year-old Karpino filly and returned to Sholokhov in 2020.

Bob Olinger is from Sholokhov’s second Irish-bred crop and his only defeat has come with his second place behind Ferny Hollow, with whom he grew up on breeder Ken Parkhill’s Castletown Quarry Stud, in a maiden hurdle at Gowran last November.

The dual Grade 1-winning novice hurdler was part of a history-making Cheltenham Festival for jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead and the first Festival winner in the Robcour silks of the Acheson family.

Sholokhov is also the grandsire of Galopin De Champs, who won the meeting’s finale, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap hurdle, for Willie Mullins.

Galopin Des Champs is a son of Timos, who was bred in Germany and won two Listed contests for Thierry Doumen and was third in the Group 2 Prix Foy to Duncan and Nakayama Festa.

Timos retired to stud in 2012 and until 2017 was the only son of Sholokhov at stud in France, when Night Wish retired to Haras du Montaigu (see page 84).

With Timos’s last recorded season in 2018, the Group 1-placed Night Wish at Haras du Montaigu was Sholokhov’s sole stallion son in France until this spring when Guendale Star began his career at Haras des Etincelles. Both horses are striking individuals who strongly resemble their sire.

Yeats: coming of age

Royal Ascot’s modern-day monarch reigned over Cheltenham last week with the 20-yearold celebrating the best week of his stud career, siring the winners of four races at The Festival with two of them at the highest level.

Yeats is now the sire of seven individual Grade 1 winners, which may boost his book size this year. The four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner has fewer than 100 foals born in each of the past four years with just 50 three-yearolds registered although he has 80 yearlings and covered 116 mares last year.

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cheltenham festival review A combination of the competition offered by younger stallions on the roster with a perceived lack of popularity at the store sales appear to have contributed to a decline in Yeats’s own attraction to mare owners, so much so that this is the fourth season in a row his fee has been advertised as €5,000.

With a day three treble on the greatest stage of them all, and smaller foal crops than many of his contemporaries, you would think that Yeats will receive a bigger book of mares this year.

The first of his Cheltenham winners was Chantry House in the Grade 1 Marsh Novices Chase, a race that had provided Yeats with

Flooring Porter under Danny Mullins made nearly all to take the Stayers’ Hurdle

Chantry House took the 2m4f Marsh Novices Chase and Henderson thinks he will step him up to 3m

his sole Festival success prior to 2021.

Shattered Love, the heroine of the 2018 running, was third in the new Grade 2 Mares’ Chase this time around, adding to her sire’s impressive results over the four days.

Chantry House was bred by Micheal Conaghan out of the Phardante mare The Last Bank and is a half-brother to the Grade 2 Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase third On The Shannon and Linnel, who was third in a Grade 3 Navan novice handicap chase.

The Last Bank is a half-sister to Morgiana Hurdle winner Nancy Myles and to Nancy’s Sister, who is the dam of Listed mares’ novice chase winner Mistletoe and second dam of Roadie Joe, winner of the Grade

2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle for Evan Williams.

“He was very good, although last year in the Supreme we knew he really wanted another another half a mile; today when he got the extra half it looked as though he wanted another half!” said winning trainer Henderson.

“You’d have to think he might be going over three miles sooner rather than later.

I don’t see why not – it depends on how quickly they recover from these races as to whether he can go on to Aintree – but it looks as though he will be looking for three miles. He was about in top gear all the way, but when he got there he did it well and

he quickened up well. We’ve got a lot of debriefing to do, but it looks as though three miles would help him.”

The seven-year-old was sold by Conaghan’s Evergreen Stud to John O’Brien at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale for €12,500 and was due to be sold at the 2017 Derby Sale, but missed that engagement and instead was bought for €28,000 by Eric Elliott at the company’s August NH Sale from Mount Brown Farm.

He won his four-year-old point-to-point for Cian Hughes at Tattersalls Farm and sparked a bidding war five days later at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale which he topped when making £295,000 to Michael Hyde.

The Last Bank has a five-year-old Ocovango gelding named Gaelic Park, who was retained by Conaghan and is in training with Patrick Turley. Her four-year-old Soldier Of Fortune filly was bought back

by Conaghan for €35,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale and has been named Helluva Girl.

She has a two-year-old Kingston Hill colt and foaled a full-brother to Chantry House last June.

Flooring Porter doubled his sire’s Grade 1 tally for the week with his front-running masterclass in the hands of Danny Mullins in the Stayers’ Hurdle for the Flooring Porter Syndicate and trainer Gavin Cromwell.

The six-year-old has ascended rapidly through the staying hurdle ranks with a handicap hurdle success leading to victory in Leopardstown’s Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle.

“We came across this fella by accident;

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cheltenham festival review

The bonny Heaven Help Us skips clear of her field to take the Coral Cup. She was bred by her trainer Paul Hennessy, who is also a top greyhound trainer

2017 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale

Over three days at Tattersalls Ireland in late June 2017 around 500 store horses changed hands through both parts of the company’s Derby Sale.

Amongst those who took their turn in the Fairyhouse sales ring were five future Cheltenham Grade 1 winners, including four who provided the company with a clean sweep of the Day 1 Grade 1 contests.

The most expensive of them was the first one – Appreciate It (Jeremy), who won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for Willie Mullins, cost €60,000 as a store.

He was sold by the Costellos’ Sladoo Farm to Pat Doyle’s famed academy of Suirview Stables, and was one of three winners during the meeting for Doyle the others being Bob Olinger and Colreevy, who won the inaugural Grade 2 mares’ chase.

Black Tears and Monkfish both sold for €36,000 at that sale with Bobby O’Ryan purchasing the daughter of Jeremy from Kilmoney Cottage Stud.

Monkfish, one of four winners at the meeting for the late sire Stowaway, went the way of the Monbeg Stables nursery for the same price.

Bought from Richard Busher, whose gift of a Monkfish to Cormac Doyle inspired the imposing chesnut’s name, he was bred by Cyril O’Hara out of the Old Vic mare Martovic.

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he was a very cheap store and progressed right through the ranks. It’s a bit of a fairytale, really, and just goes to show that it is possible with a cheap one. He wasn’t bought expecting him to be a Grade 1 horse or a Stayer’s Hurdle horse,” remarked the winning trainer.

His victory was one for the west of Ireland as he was bred in Galway by Sean Murphy’s Ryehill Stables out of the Revoque mare Lilymille. She was bred by Murphy and is out of the Roselier mare Miles Apart.

Flooring Porter was sold at the Goffs December NH Sale in 2015 by Murphy’s Ryehill Stables to Richard Rohan of Ballincurrig House Stud for just €6,000.

He was sent to the 2018 Derby Sale but he was led out of the rung unsold for just €5,500.

Lillymile has a four-year-old Elusive Pimpernel gelding bought by Tom Hegarty at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland August NH Sale and she foaled a filly by the same Irish National Stud stallion last May. The victory of Yeats’ daughter Heaven Help Us in the Grade 3 Coral Cup was probably the most popular of the meeting, and a case of David triumphing over Goliath.

Paul Hennessy, trainer and breeder of Heaven Help Us, is one of greyhound racing’s Goliaths with two English Derby winners under his belt and a host of other top-class successes, but when it comes to horseracing, the Kilkenny trainer was striking a blow for the smaller outfits.

“We bred her, she was born at home and

“We’ve always kept a mare at home, which we’d foal – that’s how this mare was born.

We’ve got about 40 greyhounds; we used to have maybe 100 at one stage I’ve raised her. The places she’s brought us are just ridiculous. It’s amazing. There she goes, she’s my Enable,” he told ITV Racing in the aftermath of her success under Richie Condon.

Hennessy has just three horses in training on his eight acres outside Gowran, where Heaven Help Us was born and reared alongside the greyhound string, about a mile away as the crow flies from the Purcell family’s Butlersgrove Stud, birthplace of Put The Kettle On who followed her former neighbour into the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure about 30 minutes later after her thrilling triumph in the Champion Chase.

cheltenham festival review We needed a miracle, and, Heaven Help Us, we got one.

“We’ve got three horses in training at home. Greyhounds is our career - we were lucky enough to win the English Derby a few times over here, one of which was for John Turner, who owns Heaven Help Us. We’ve always kept a mare at home, which we’d foal – that’s how this mare was born. We’ve got about 40 greyhounds now; we used to have maybe 100 at one stage.

“The Mullins family introduced me to horses and we’d go to Pony Club and gymkhanas together, and going racing with Paddy was the great excitement. It was a great grounding for all the rest of it,” said Hennessy Heaven Help Us is out of the Trans Island mare Spare The Air, owned by Hennessy and trained by neighbour Willie Mullins.

Unsuccessful on the track, she has surpassed herself as a broodmare which isn’t surprising as she hails from the Moyglare Stud family of US champion two-year-old filly Talking Picture, fourth dam of Heaven Help Us

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PARE THE AIR Is a granddaughter of the Group 2 Premio Legano winner Easy To Copy (Affirmed), who is the dam of three black-type winners, including the Round Tower Stakes winner Desert Ease, who is the second dam of Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Sydney Cup winner Gallante.

Easy To Copy’s full-sister Trusted Partner is the second dam of Group 1 winners Free Eagle and Search For A Song, and the third dam of last season’s Group 1 National Stakes winner and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes third Thunder Moon.

Heaven Help Us was born in 2014 and is the last foal of her dam Spare The Air, who died the same year she was foaled.

Chantry House and Mount Ida, who completed the Yeats Thursday treble, were born the same year.

Mount Ida was an unlikely winner of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase, but the perseverance and talent of Jack Kennedy got the mare finally into a rhythm and then into the lead at the second last.

Bred by Philip Hore and offered for sale

“The first thing I did when Rachael came back in was lift her number cloth to see if the lead bag was in there! from the family’s Mount Eaton Stud at the 2017 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, she cost James Gillespie just €16,000.

Following her success in a Tattersalls Farm four-year-old mares’ maiden for Jerry Cosgrave, who also guided Honeysuckle to her point-to-point success, she was sold to Gordon Elliott for £70,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale.

Out of the Dernier Empereur mare Jolivia, who won the Listed Prix Challenge des Haies des Quatrea Ans at Enghien, she is a half-sister to the Hennessy winner Sizing Tennessee.

Jolivia has a four-year-old Walk In The Park filly and three-year-old daughter by Flemensfirth. She also has a Kingston Hill two-year-old colt and saw Hillstar last year.

Young guns: Maxios and Ocavango

The nature of NH breeding makes it unsurprising that the successful stallions are at more advanced stages of their careers, but there was Grade 1 success for two stallions whose early careers have been full of excitement, no more so than No Risk At All Haras du Montaigu’s My Risk half-brother to Grade 1 winner and sire Nickname had already secured Cheltenham glory with his first-crop courtesy of Epatante’s victory in last year’s Champion Hurdle.

While that mare did him proud with a gutsy third place in this year’s renewal it was his newest Grade 1 winner, who provided one of the equine highlights of 2021 with a sublime all-the-way success in the Grade 1 Festival Trophy Chase for owner Cheveley Park Stud, jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Willie Mullins, who was as stunned as everyone watching on by the gelding’s scintillating success “Allaho did everything right. The first thing I did when Rachael came back in was lift her number cloth to see if the lead bag was in there as it looked like Allaho was just carrying Rachael around there!,” Mullins exclaimed. “He was just awesome.

His galloping and his jumping, if you put it together – I was hoping he could do that over three miles but if he is only a two and a half mile horse that will do me.”

The seven-year-old gelding is also from

The smart Quilixios, by Maxios, heads out for Triumph Hurdle success under Rachael Blackmore

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cheltenham festival review

The wonderful mare Honeysuckle (Sulamani) settled mid-division in the Champion Hurdle field by Blackmore. The pair went on to win by over 6l

the first crop of dual Group 3 winner No Risk At All and was bred by Eric Leffray out of the Turgeon mare Idaho Falls, a full-sister to the Thyestes Chase runner-up Tarquinius.

Allaho, who had been placed in Grade 1 novice contests at the previous two Cheltenham Festivals, is a half-brother to Spanish Moon mare Shanning, runner-up in a Listed mares hurdle for Mullins.

Allaho has a four-year-old full-sister named Shannone and a yearling full-brother, who has been given the name Attaho. Their three-year-old Spanish Moon half-sister Shaving was purchased for €36,000 by JD Moore at Arqana’s 2020 Autumn Yearling Sale on behalf of Peel Bloodstock, who also own Fishcake, the Mahler half-sister. She was picked up for just €25,000 by Moore at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Maxios sired his second Cheltenham Festival-winning four-year-old in as many festivals with Quilixios adding the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle to Aramax’s success in the Grade 3 Fred Winter last year.

Quilixios was the first Grade 1 winner over jumps for Maxios when he won the equivalent race at February’s 2020 Festival.

That success was achieved in the care of trainer Gordon Elliott, but his Cheltenham victory was in his first start for De Bromhead, who was quick to praise the Cullentra House team.

“All credit to Gordon and his team; the horse looked amazing when he came down.

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“We’ve done very little – it’s down more to them than to us. Everyone was very helpful, we knew he jumped really well and obviously we’ve seen him a good bit, and he’s been really impressive. He’s just a lovely horse to do anything with, gorgeous-looking, lots of size and scope, and will be a lovely chaser.”

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AXIOS WAS STANDING at Gestüt Fährhof in Germany when Quilixios’s dam Quilita (Lomitas) was covered, but he was born in the UK so boasts a GB suffix.

He was one of three Grade 1 wins at the meeting for British bred horses – Honeysuckle and the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle winner Black Tears the other two.

He was sold for €20,000 as a foal at Arqana’s December Sale by Haras d’Ombreville to Yan Durepaire. He made a winning debut over hurdles at Compiegne last March for trainer Francois Nicolle and owner Patrice Détré from whom he was bought by Nicolas Bertran de Balanda and Tom Malone for Cheveley Park Stud.

Quilita has produced a three-year-old colt by Kingman, who made 220,000gns to Juddmonte at the 2019 Tattersalls October Book 2 Sale. Named Colour Sergeant and in training with Ger Lyons, he ran seven times

last year and was second five times and third on two more occasions. The subsequent Group 1 winners MacSwiney, Thunder Moon and Van Gogh were amongst the winners of those maidens.

Quilita’s Exceed And Excel two-year-old filly made €70,000 to Thomas Janda at last September’s Baden-Baden Yearling Sale.

She was bought by Joseph Burke at the 2019 Arqana December Sale for €26,000 from Haras d’Ombreville carrying to Charm Spirit and produced a filly last year before she was covered by Make Believe.

Ocovango’s first-crop son Langer Dan narrowly missed out on picking up the £50,000 bonus for winning the Grade 3 Imperial Cup and the Martin Pipe Hurdle when running second to Galopin Des Champs in the final race of the Festival.

Dan Skelton’s five-year-old is the first black-type performer from Ocovango’s first crop; his Grade 3 Sandown success following on from his win in the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle.

Bred by Hugh O’Connor out of the Milan mare What A Fashion he was bought for €12,500 at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale 2016.

What A Fashion is an unraced half-sister to three Graded winners out of a full sister to Aintree Bowl winner Celestial Gold and a half-sister to Cheltenham Grade 1 winner Fiveforthree and the dam of Grade 1 winner No More Heroes.

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timeform review

Allaho: has been rated 178 by Timeform for his Ryanair Chase win, it is the highest mark given to a Festival winner since Altior’s 2018 Champion Chase

Allaho and away!

Tony McFadden of Timeform reviews The Festival – there were some stand-out performances given deserved high ratings, and all were from Irish-trained runners

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HE RYANAIR CHASE has looked as though it was going to be one of the most competitive contests of the week, but Allaho proved in a league of his own, running his rivals ragged and delivering one of the best performances seen at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years.

The son of No Risk At All earned a Timeform rating of 178 for his 12l defeat of Fakir D’Oudairies, which is the highest figure posted at the Festival since Altior ran to a mark of 179 when winning his first Champion Chase in 2018.

For further context, it’s worth considering

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that Timeform’s benchmark for a top-class performance is a rating of 165 and Allaho exceeded that by almost a stone.

On Timeform’s figures, Allaho is now the third highest-rated horse ever trained by Willie Mullins, behind only Douvan (182) and Vautour (180).

Allaho, under star of the week Rachael Blackmore, had some high-quality rivals toiling from a long way out, and it is notable that more than half of the 11-runner field were pulled up having been unable to maintain the blistering gallop.

It is to Allaho’s credit that he still posted an exceptional time, despite going faster

than ideal early on, and he is fully deserving of his new status as the highest-rated horse in training on Timeform’s figures.

He took that title from stablemate Chacun Pour Soi (176), who had been the standout performer in the 2m division and looked set to finally deliver Mullins an elusive Champion Chase title when perfectly delivered by Paul Townend at the second last. However, he found less than had looked likely and had to settle for third behind Put The Kettle On (160), who had been 8l behind him at Leopardstown.

It was Chacun Pour Soi’s first race at Cheltenham and it looked like a classic case

timeform review of failing to get up the hill. Put The Kettle On, in contrast, relishes the stiff finish and battled gamely to add to her victory in the Arkle at last year’s meeting.

Put The Kettle On (Stowaway) achieved the lowest rating for a Champion Chase winner since Voy Por Ustedes in 2007, though it’s worth remembering that it’s difficult for mares to post significant figures due to the 7lb weight allowance they receive.

n Timeform’s figures llaho is now the third highest rated horse ever trained

by Willie ullins

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NBEATEN STABLEMATE Honeysuckle (Sulamani), for example, is rated 165p – the ‘p’ indicating she may yet do even better – and that figure is good but not exceptional for a Champion Hurdle winner.

However, no Champion Hurdle winner this century has run to a rating of 172, highlighting how difficult it is going to be for anything to successfully give her 7lb. It might be a while before her unbeaten sequence, which stands at 11, is finally snapped.

Those mares are both trained by Henry de Bromhead, who completed a historic treble when Minella Indo (Beat Hollow) led home stablemate A Plus Tard in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Frodon set a sound gallop which provided the sort of examination of jumping and stamina you would hope to see in a Gold Cup. The front trio – completed by dual winner Al Boum Photo, who was beaten

on merit – pulled a long way clear of the remainder and Minella Indo’s rating of 175 is the best for a Gold Cup winner since Don Cossack ran to a figure of 181 in 2016.

It was also of similar merit to the performances produced by Bobs Worth and Long Run (both 176), who were two of the better winners in the past decade. Champ was a huge disappointment, pulled up in the early stages after jumping poorly, but it’s worth noting that he beat Minella Indo and Allaho in last season’s RSA Chase, so is worth another chance given the strength of that form.

Champ’s trainer Nicky Henderson enjoyed better times with Shishkin (Sholokhov), whose easy success in the Sporting Life Arkle earned him a rating of 171P. That is the highest awarded to a novice chaser this season – in what is an exceptional crop – and it will be fascinating to see how high he can go. The benchmarks to watch out for are the peak ratings set by stablemates Altior (180) and Sprinter Sacre (192). He is already a short-priced favourite for next season’s Champion Chase, though Mullins has also suggested Allaho could drop back in trip. A clash between the pair is an exciting prospect.

On the same afternoon that Allaho blitzed his rivals, the Yeats gelding Flooring Porter (164) also delivered a dominant display from the front in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He had been beaten in handicap company earlier in the season, but has progressed rapidly and his three-and-a-quarter-length success identifies him as the best Stayers’ Hurdle winner since Thistlecrack in 2016.

The novice hurdle division is headed by Appreciate It (160p), whose 24l victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle was the best performance in the race since Altior beat a stellar field in 2016.

The son of Jeremy is a pound ahead of Ballymore winner Bob Olinger (Sholokhov), whose smooth success was the secondbest performance in that race this century, behind only Simonsig’s effort in 2012. Both are excellent prospects for novice chasing next season.

Timeform’s top jumpers

Irish-trained horses in green (to 21/03/2021) Horse

Sire

Rating

CHASERS Allaho Chacun Pour Soi Minella Indo A Plus Tard Shishkin Min Al Boum Photo Altior Kemboy Native River Politologue Saint Calvados Monkfish Champ Bristol De Mai Delta Work Frodon Melon Monalee The Storyteller

No Risk At All Policy Maker Beat Hollow Kapgarde Sholokhov Walk In The Park Buck's Boum High Chaparral Voix Du Nord Indian River Poliglote Saint Des Saints Stowaway King's Theatre Saddler Maker Network Nickname Medicean Milan Shantou

178 176 175 174 171p 171 170 169 168 168 168 168 167p 167+ 167 166 166 166 166 166

Sulamani Yeats Monsun Doctor Dino Poliglote Jeremy Muhtathir Doyen Oscar Sholokhov Sholokhov Great Pretender Authorized Milan Kayf Tara Davidoff Sans Frontieres Milan Al Namix Camacho Medicean

165p 164 162 162 161 160p 160p 160 160 159p 159p 159 159 158 158 157 157 157 157 156 156

HURDLERS Honeysuckle (f) Flooring Porter Aramon Sharjah Sire Du Berlais Appreciate It Envoi Allen Beacon Edge Paisley Park Bob Olinger Shishkin Benie Des Dieux (f) Goshen Brewin'upastorm Thyme Hill Abacadabras Jason The Militant Mcfabulous Petit Mouchoir Mr Adjudicator Song For Someone

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ken parkhill

The rule of three

Aisling Crowe chats with Ken Parkhill whose family has bred three Cheltenham Grade 1 winners over the last three seasons, this year’s star performer being Bob Olinger

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Ken Parkhill Photo courtesy of Tattersalls Ireland

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OB OLINGER’s stroll to success with Rachael Blackmore in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices Hurdle will, quite rightly, be remembered as part of the jockey’s history-making achievements at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, but the six-yearold gelding was also adding to his breeder’s phenomenal record at NH’s theatre of dreams.

His success was the third year in a row that breeder Ken Parkhill has celebrated Grade 1 glory for one of his graduates on racing’s greatest stage following on from City Island’s victory in the 2019 renewal of the race and that of Ferny Hollow in last year’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

“It was some thrill,” said a delighted Parkhill of his family’s latest Cheltenham hero. “There was so much talk about him and hype over him in the run-up to Cheltenham, I wondered if it could actually happen.

“The pressure was worse this year because with City Island it was unexpected and Ferny Hollow, winning was a possibility but

it wasn’t really expected in the same way that people were anticipating Bob Olinger winning; there was a lot or pressure.”

Even more remarkably, Bob Olinger and Ferny Hollow were part of the same crop bred at Parkhill’s Castletown Quarry Stud near Trim in County Meath.

The pair made their hurdling debuts in the same race at Gowran Park back in November when Ferny Hollow, trained by Willie Mullins, inflicted the only defeat of an otherwise blemish free career on Bob Olinger, who finished a length behind in second.

This latest Parkhill Cheltenham triumph is just one on a long roll of honour that stretches back 30 years to the full-brothers Morley Street and Granville Again, who were both winners of the Champion Hurdle.

Ferny Hollow and City Island come from different branches of their family, while Parkhill and his family have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Bob Olinger’s family that reaches back even further than that.

There is no secret to their success in having bred so many top-class horses and founded equine dynasties, and Parkhill believes that fortune shining favourably is a key element and one beyond anyone’s control.

“Luck is the main thing really. I inherited a few good pedigrees from my parents and we try to mind the fillies and nurse them along,” he qualifies. “There’s a lot of luck involved in getting them into the right people. I can’t emphasise how important

ken parkhill Photo by Debbie Burt

Bob Olinger, this year’s Grade 1 Ballymore hero, was initially retained by Parkhill and sent to Pat Doyle of Suirview Stables to point-to-point

luck is really, the day my father bought High Board he turned away when she was at £2,900, but someone said to give it another one so he did and he got her.

“If they hadn’t said that, how differently would things have turned out? So luck really does play a huge role.”

Castletown Quarry Stud is a family affair; Ken’s wife Louise and their two sons Nicky and Peter are all heavily involved in the work of breeding, racing and selling their horses and Bob Olinger’s family holds a special place in the affections of all of them.

“I won a bumper on his great-great grandmother, that’s how far it goes back!

“She was a little light filly at the sales, we were only small fish at the time and we bought her for very little. We kept her and I trained her, it was the year I finished college, and I won a bumper on her at the Punchestown Festival. It was my first ride and her first run.

“Peter won a bumper first time out on Bob Olinger’s dam so there was a lot of sentiment and history involved,” he says.

Bob Olinger, like another nine 2021 Cheltenham Festival winners, is a graduate of the Irish point-to-point scene. The Parkhill family chose not to send the Sholokhov gelding to the store sales – like his older Kalanisi half-brother Six Gun Serenade he was a big and backward type, not really a sale horse.

Six Gun Serenade went to leading pointto-point trainer Pat Doyle for whom he won a four-year-old maiden at Ballyarthur and was sold. Bob Olinger was successful on debut at Turtulla for Doyle before he was acquired privately by current connections.

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HE PARKHILLS aim to keep the fillies from their good pedigrees as much as they possibly can, something that hasn’t always been simple.

“It hasn’t been easy at times, because we could have sold three-year-old fillies with that type of pedigree for a good few quid, but we would be looking at the pedigree dying out and we have had these families for generations so we couldn’t sell them and risk that happening,” Parkhill reveals.

Those fillies are living, breathing heirlooms as precious as any Fabergé egg or Ming vase and they are cared for by the family as part of a 25-strong broodmare band.

“We have his dam still, she is in-foal to Poet’s Word, and we have three half-sisters.

There is one down with Willie Mullins, she is leased to the Blue Bloods Racing Syndicate and called Never So Blue, and we have his three-year-old Flemensfirth half-sister here and she will be covered this year.

“His Presenting half-sister Myska was a

very good filly, who won a Listed hurdle for Willie Mullins and we have her daughter as well,” adds Parkhill.

Both City Island and Ferny Hollow’s dams have three-year-old geldings, who will be gracing a store sale in the summer. Victorine, dam of City Island, has a Mount Nelson gelding, while Ferny Hollow’s Westerner full-brother will no doubt be enormously popular. His Kalanisi four-year-old halfbrother achieved the third highest price of €135,000 at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale. Their dam Mirazur also has a twoyear-old Court Cave filly, who will remain at Castletown Quarry Stud.

Mirazur and Victorine are from the great High Board family of Morley Street and Granville Again. Victorine is an Un Desperado half-sister to the pair and one of three daughters of High Board to produce a Grade 1 winner, while Mirazur is out of Victorine’s Strong Gale half-sister Higher Again.

While Cheltenham 2021 was undoubtedly a memorable one for the Parkhill family, he says they were just delighted to be part of an astoundingly successful one for the sport.

“It was a great week for everything, it was great for racing because there were no controversies, it was a great week for Irish breeding, and it was a week full of great stories like Rachael Blackmore’s and Paul Hennessy’s, that was a real fairytale. It was fantastic.”

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simon kerins

Sales talk...

Simon Kerins in action on the Tattersalls Ireland Fairyhouse rostrum.

Kerins joined the company in 2000 and became CEO last October

...with Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland about Cheltenham, point-to-pointing and the latest sales calendar

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HE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL became a week of continued Irish magic, the horses trained in the country accruing a record-breaking 23 winners, and so ensuring that by day three the meeting’s Prestbury Cup, the annual British verses Irish challenge, had become an irrelevance.

As 13 of those winners were sold at a Tattersalls Ireland Sale, including seven of the 14 of the Grade 1 winners, the smiles were broad amongst the Tattersalls Ireland staff, and certainly cause for satisfaction for the new CEO Simon Kerins, who is now five months into his role having taken over from the departing Matt Mitchell in October.

We chatted on the Saturday morning at the end of Festival week and that Kerins smile will have broadened further by the afternoon as the glitter from the Gloucestershire racecourse drifted over the Irish Sea to Dublin, the rugby team securing a Six Nations 32-18 thrashing of England.

“Going into the meeting we were hopeful as we knew we had some really nice graduates due to run, but it was an extraordinary week, we couldn’t have foreseen so many winners and Derby Sale graduates as well – that is what we really want, Derby Sale Grade 1 winners,” says Kerins, who joined Tattersalls Ireland in 2000 as a marketing manager after working for Goffs for five years.

“Of course, it gives a huge degree of satisfaction and pride when you see your

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Photo courtesy of Tattersalls Ireland

simon kerins countrymen do so well, and there was success for a lovely spread of trainers and owners and jockeys. The likes of Monkfish was hugely satisfying, Appreciate It, Black Tears as well,” he smiles, adding: “I remember Black Tears being bought, and saw her as a store with Michael and Ciara Carty who live nearby. I know the owners Aiden and Karen Walsh.

They are nice people and will always buy a filly or two at the Derby Sale, and she didn’t cost a huge amount.”

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OWEVER, putting his national loyalties to one side, and replacing sentiment with his industry hat, Kerins, who must have wondered at times over the last six months if he really wanted the job at the top through this difficult and continued COVID-influenced year, goes on to warn that the Irish domination is not exactly the ideal scenario.

“Personally, I would have liked to have seen a few more British-trained horses successful, I think it is much healthier for the business,” he reasons. “Historically, our business has always been dependent on English buyers and, while the pendulum has swung at the top end, and this has been the case for a number of years now, I just think for our business I want competitive British trainers or owners, I really do, it is critical, it always has been. If I am being perfectly honest, looking at the business at large, I would rather the results had been more half and half.”

The nature of the bloodstock business means that those involved pick up on trends before those at the sporting end of the industry even have an inkling as to what is going on at the shop-front. To an extent, this year’s Cheltenham success achieved by the Irish trainers was not such a surprise to Kerins and the Tattersalls Ireland team.

“Over the last number of years I have seen that the buying power is with the Irish trainers or those agents working on behalf of Irish trainers, generally the top horses are being bought for the trainers in Ireland,” he says.

“The clients might be UK owners, but they want their horses trained in Ireland.”

Kerins is ever the optimistic and believes that the arc will swing again. While the reasons for this year’s Irish Cheltenham dominance are many and varied, he does believe that the UK prize-money discrepancy is key.

“I think English racing is the best in the

world; it is the most varied, it is so competitive, left-handed tracks, right-handed tracks, different racecourses, British racing is amazing and the most prestigious in the world.

“But prize-money is a concern, a real concern; I speak to people who are now in their 30s and they recall that, when perhaps their fathers were riding, prize-money was better; it is scary.”

The biggest issue concerning Irish racing and NH bloodstock at the moment is the continued COVID-caused cessation of pointto-point racing.

“Looking at Cheltenham with so many winners hailing from the Irish point-to-point sector – it is so integral to the business,” argues Kerins, who has been lobbying government, frequently liaising with Brian Kavanagh of HRI and has been in touch with a number of government ministers as well for resumption plans.

“It is difficult because you can lobby away, but government will make the decisions and be guided by the public health advice. The hope is that things will open up in April.”

He explains further: “You can call pointto-pointing a sport, but the reality is it is an industry. And, of course, it feeds all the way down – the demand for stores is increased when the point-to-pointers are doing well, it feeds into the foal market, as well as to those who are breeding and making nomination decisions. The trickle-down effect is just huge. It feeds into all the sales we have at Cheltenham as well – you just have to look at the results from The Festival to see how key it has become.”

Kerins agrees that the “emergency” oncourse point-to-point bumpers have helped provide a shop window for the point-to-point consignors and are something of an immediate solution but as he says “in an ideal world these horses would be running over fences.”

“Personally, I think it makes absolute sense for point-to-point to restart,” he argues. “It is outdoor, and racing is continuing and is being run under strict professional protocols and, point-to-pointing, as proved in the autumn, would be too.”

Let’s hope that some from Dail Eireann found time to watch Cheltenham, enjoy the success achieved by the nation’s point-topoint community and there will be push for a resumption of the “sporting industry”. Maybe by the time you are reading this there will even be some plans in place.

Tattersalls Ireland sale dates and plans “We have moved the May Sale back to July 14. It is a sale that is so dependent on the point-to-point buyers from Ireland and the UK; it is a stand-alone sale, just one day – we just felt it was going to be difficult to go ahead in May with point-to-pointing still yet to resume in full, there was no point really in trying to hold the sale in early May. “We did look at a date in early June, but after consultation with vendors there was a strong preference to move the sale to July in order that the store horse season starts with the strongest store sales, the Goffs Land Rover and our Derby Sale.

“All the vendors wanted a little bit of clarity and by moving it back to July at least we have clarity, and they can focus on the other sales.

“The Derby Sale, at the moment, will happen as scheduled June 23-24. I am quietly confident that it will go ahead on those dates, but I have to be a realist as well as the landscape can change day to day.

“The Goresbridge Breeze-Up is planned for May 21. We have again consulted with clients and, if we don’t get an easing of restrictions and people can’t travel freely into Ireland, there is a contingency plan of moving to Park Paddocks, but our priority is to have the breeze-up in Ireland.

“It is extremely disappointing to have been informed by the Department of Agriculture that we are not permitted to hold the rescheduled February NH Sale.

“We explored every avenue to hold the sale and to offer vendors the chance to sell their stock, but unfortunately it is not possible to hold a physical sale while the country remains in Level 5 lockdown “I don’t think we’d have had the sale as an online version only; I like the idea of it as a concept, but for NH weanlings the buyers like to see them in the flesh. I think for NH weanlings an online only sale would be a step too far.”

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thefergal news o’brien

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Trainer Fergal O’Brien is ending the 2020-21 season with a best-ever score of winners and prize-money earnings, and considering he moved only 18 months ago to a new and bespoke-built yard, he admits he is a...

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Photography by Debbie Burt

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A happy man

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HAT IS A GOOD SEASON FOR A NH TRAINER? One with a best-ever score of winners? One that has secured bestever prize-money? Ensuring that a new training base has worked out? Surviving in business, and taking that business forward for another year – particularly through the COVID-influenced problems we have endured for the last 12 months? One with Cheltenham Festival success? One that has challenged for championship honours?

This NH season trainer Fergal O’Brien has acheived four of those six targets, and

he is not too far of the last two: he claimed honours as a rare British-based trainer who took a podium position at the 2021 Festival – Elham Valley was third in the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle (G3) – and he is heading for a top ten finish on this season’s British trainers’ table.

So it can easily be argued that the 2020-21 season has been a pretty successful one for the Irish-born trainer, who is based at Ravenswell Farm near Cirencester in the Cotswolds, a mere scenic half-hour’s drive away from Prestbury Park.

The trainer himself is understandably pretty delighted with the progress with the year – at time of writing he and his team,

fergal o’brien alongside partner Sally Randell, have trained 86 winners; personally he certainly does not feel the omission of a Festival winner (so far) to be a particularly weighty monkey on his back.

“If you said to me you can train 86 winners for next 20 years or have a Cheltenham winner and the next 20 years will be sketchy, I will take the 86 winners every year!” he laughs. “Plenty of trainers have had a Festival winner and don’t train any more, and there are plenty of good trainers who have never trained a Festival winner. I would much rather be consistent through the year, then the Cheltenham horse will come along.”

And, while not wishing to chase down the century, the team has that target firmly in their sights. To hit 100 winners through the 2020-21 season from a yard that was moved into just 18 months ago through the difficulties of a pandemic, would be a fair achievement.

“We came here in October 2019,” recalls O’Brien. “It has surpassed all hopes, we went from not really knowing what was going to happen, to then having a new yard with 80 stables, new gallops, and rented up to the maximum.”

“If you said to me you can train winners for the ne t 0 years or have a heltenham winner and the ne t 0 years will be sketchy I will take the !

Just five months later, the pandemic emerged and racing was halted; the new dream could have come to an abrupt awakening before it had even started to roll.

“Our owners have been amazing, when racing stopped there was the feeling that

racing was going to start again in July and they stuck by me – we were very lucky and very fortunate. We have had an awful lot of support,” says O’Brien.

The purpose-built yard, which was not even in existence just three years ago, is burrowed onto the Cotswold escarpment, and has been designed for the horse, staff and owners alike.

“I met our landlords Rupert and Nick Lowe in July 2018, and they could not have been more helpful. I think they have spent a lot more than they thought they would, but my rent is a lot more than I thought it would be, it works both ways!” laughs O’Brien “The gallop was very expensive, but it wouldn’t have been the gallop we have got now if we hadn’t spent the money. We have a fantastic schooling strip, at the time I thought ‘I was at Nigel’s [Twiston-Davies] for 20 years and we never had a schooling strip’; I would be totally lost without it now.

“Apart from the gallop mornings on Tuesdays and Fridays we use it nearly everyday. We can school 30 horses in an hour, it takes half an hour to power harrow and then the surface is back to being immaculate.”

Of the yard itself, and referencing to the

Fergal O’Brien overseeing his string exercising at his Ravenswell yard on the top of the Cotswolds

fergal o’brien fact that when we visited that it was a cold and wet March morning, he says: “The yard is totally under cover – on a winter’s morning it can be three or four degrees warmer in there, everything is in the dry, but there is still plenty of air.

“It is an easy place to work, I know what it is like to work in the yard – the muck trailers are well placed so saves time, the whole yard is concrete so sweeping is efficient.”

O’Brien himself mirrors the change that the last 30 years has produced in horseracing and he reflects how NH training has changed over the last 30 years. He started out with the brilliant trainer Captain Tim Forster where one lot took an hour and three-quarters, the staff just looked after two horses, and those old-fashioned chasers probably only made it to the racecourse three or four times by the time they turned seven.

He then spent 19 years as head lad with Nigel Twiston-Davies where he learnt how to use a short hill gallop, a reflection of the

“We have uite a few syndicates and the pointers suit rather than the slow burn of a store horse dynamic change in training techniques brought about by the record-breaking West Country trainer Martin Pipe.

O’Brien is making good use of the knowledge learnt in the two very different environments.

“They have reinvented the wheel since I was at the Captain’s! I was very lucky to go

The jumping strip is used nearly every day and O’Brien admits that it is an invaluable facility

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there, he was very regimental, but I learned how to do things.

“Everything was slower, racing was slower, it was a different world then. I think it is the same in any sport, Olympic athletes are now different in size, and horses have adapted, too. We couldn’t train today as the Captain did – we’d be training ten horses and losing a fortune!”

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HE TRANSITION from a longterm head lad to a leading top five NH trainer has not been seamless for O’Brien, even though the jump was tempered by some years training pointto-pointers alongside his leadership role for Twiston-Davies.

O’Brien set out on his own with his trainers’ licence moving from TwistonDavies’s Naunton-based stables to rent a training yard from the former champion NH jockey Timmy Murphy.

“And we did ok when we first moved away,” he say, but adds: “Then the wheels fell off, my personal life went wrong, I split from my wife and we had a young family, all went wrong for me, we went from 50 horses down to 20 or so, and the yard was put up for sale.

“You need lucky breaks in life and perhaps my lucky break came then when Nigel rang me and said, ‘I hear Timmy’s yard is for sale, do you want to come back and rent my top yard?’”

O’Brien admits it was like pressing a reset button, the return to a yard and gallop he was acquainted with allowed him to get back to a structure that he knew worked, while also giving him the time and space to organise his private life. The first runner back at the Naunton yard was a winner. But it did not last for long.

“Though the two years at Naunton we quickly got busier again, we outgrew the yard and it was time to move on; it has all worked out because it has led to what we have ended up with here at Ravenswell.”

The yard’s young horses are mainly stocked from the Irish point-to-point field, and Irish consignors, who have endured a very difficult spring, will be pleased to hear that O’Brien found out very early on that

fergal o’brien

The Ravenswell string walking down the hill gallop. Horses head up three times when getting fit, but once they have run, the work load is lifted

“the French-produced horses don’t suit our way of training for some reason”. Even more importantly, that he has orders to fill.

“We have slowed up a little bit with the buying this spring because of everything, but we have a couple of syndicates ready to go.

“Hopefully, they will get back pointing in April, we find it hard to buy without seeing them and going to look at them.”

Of the decision to stick with buying pointto-pointers O’Brien explains: “We have quite a few syndicates, and the pointers suit rather than the slow burn of a store horse. They don’t always work out, but you tend to know what you are getting, Sally loves, and knows, the Irish racing and we have some good contacts who help source the horses.

“We often fly over to Cork on a Sunday and go pointing. It is a really good day out – a couple of my brothers come down, and, as the maidens are always early, then we can go and have lunch ahead of flying back that evening.”

And although the sales headlines would have you believe that every decent Irish point-to-pointer costs something north of €200,000, O’Brien has had plenty of success buying away from the six-figure accountemptying prices.

“Alaphilippe would be a good example of one of ours – he ran in five Irish point-topoints and we bought him for 20 grand,” he says of the son of Morozov.

Since joining Ravenswell, the seven-

“We have slowed up a little bit with the buying this spring because of everything but we have a couple of syndicates ready to go yearold has won four races (second on his other start) for owner Nic Brereton and picked over £23,000 in prize-money.

O’Brien adds: “We were also very lucky with Silver Hallmark – he was a £115,000 purchase as a first-time-out-winning fouryear-old and is now a Grade 2 winner for us.

“We went back and bought Global Fame, who was fourth in the same point-to-point and had run three times previously.

“He has now won two for us and is rated 127.

“It is important to stick to what you know

– the Irish pointers are the ones we know and the ones we like.”

O’Brien admits to being “very ambitious”, but despite his current eighth placing (fourth by number of winners) on this year’s British NH trainers’ table, a push on to be champion trainer is not on the bucket list.

“It is not in me. To do that you need to be like Paul [Nicholls] and Dan [Skelton], you need that drive. Dan has got the mental capacity to train 200 horses and I wouldn’t, we have got 80 here with perhaps 100 horses on the books, and that is enough.

“If we can keep going with them and keep those numbers, it works for us. That is far more important. To be champion trainer you need ten Saturday horses – the year Dan trained 220 winners and he still wasn’t champion trainer, it shows how difficult it is.”

The team is now looking forward to the end of lockdown and some return to normality.

“We have a very open yard here, we love for owners to come in and see the horses. We are part of the leisure industry, it is a very expensive hobby, owners need to get more out of it than race day,” he reasons.

“Lockdown has been difficult for us. Of course, we do lots of What’s App videos and the like, but it is not the same as getting together here over a cup of tea and chatting over plans, working out why a horse has run well or run bad. We are looking forward to getting back to normality.”

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coolagown stud Way To Paris by Champs Elysees

Navigate your Way To Paris!

Irish NH breeders have been finding that the best Way To Paris is via Cork, writes Aisling Crowe Photography courtesy of Coolagown Stud

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HE WAY TO PARIS is, at least for Irish-based NH breeders, not to board a flight or ferry to France, but to travel down the M8 to Cork where they will find the exciting new stallion bearing that name, who was one of the sensations of 2020 when winning the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud.

Now an eight-year-old, the son of Champs Elysees mixed it with the best middledistance performers in France, running the last two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners close on a number of occasions most notably when Sottsass had to work hard for his narrow victory over Way To Paris in the Group 1 Prix Ganay last season.

The striking grey, who gets his colouring from his broodmare sire Linamix, an influential presence in the pedigrees of some top-class performers and sires, was on David Stack and agent Richard Venn’s radar for a long time as the pair searched for new stallions to bolster the Coolagown roster that is now at its strongest since the Stack family made their first foray into the stallion arena 24 years ago.

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“Way To aris’s first mares have been scanned in foal and we have a lot of good mares booked into him “We were tracking him, myself and Richard Venn, and he was able to get the deal brokered for us,” remarks the affable Stack. “Way To Paris is a tall, good-looking horse with plenty of size and scope and is sound of wind and limb.

“As well as his race record, he has the looks and the pedigree to back it up. Champs Elysees has made his mark and he is Champs Elysees’s only son at stud.”

Champs Elysees covered around 400 mares in his two seasons in Ireland as a predominantly NH stallion, standing just a few miles away from where his son now resides. The Group 1 winner and full-brother of the brilliant Dansili leaves a strong legacy that includes Way To Paris, the 1,000 Guineas and Sun Chariot Stakes winner Billesdon Brook and the Australian Group 1 winner Harlem on the Flat. That, combined with Way To Paris’s own race record and good looks, has seen a significant amount of Flat breeders make a date for their mares with him.

“Way To Paris’s first mares have been scanned in-foal and we have a lot of good mares booked into him, we are pleasantly surprised at the level of mares he is attracting,” reveals Stack.

“There are a lot of half-sisters to good black-type horses and good black-type performers, he is getting Flat and NH mares.

“In-foal to him already is a mare who was a Listed winner at two and has bred a Listed winner on the Flat and over hurdles already.

“Flat breeders aiming to get 1m2f to 1m4f are sending him nice mares; his book will

coolagown stud be about 70 per cent NH mares but there is a good number of Flat mares going to him, too.”

There is quite an Anglo-French air in the Coolagown stallion yard as Way To Paris has joined compatriots Carlotamix and Zambezi Sun in the Blackwater Valley, with Coolagown’s stallion line-up completed

by Shantaram, who raced not under the Tricoleur but the red, white and blue of the British flag.

Carlotamix was a Group 1 winner at two and is the sire of dual French champion hurdle winner Gemix, who is now an exciting young stallion in France. A son of Linamix, like Martaline, he offers an outcross for Sadler’s Wells and Danehill-line mares; he some beautiful breeding lines that include two strains of the great Nasrullah on his dam’s side.

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RED BY JUDDMONTE, Zambezi Sun boasts a typically strong pedigree for one produced by the breeding empire.

Successful in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Group 2 Prix Foy, he is one of four stakes performers out of the Zafonic mare Imbabala, a winning half-sister to the dams of the Group 1 winners Continent and Rinterval. His first Coolagown crop is just three this year.

Richard Venn sourced Way To Paris and Zambezi Sun for Stack and with “Le Stallion Man” there is an honesty that allows for a deep sense of trust between Stack and Venn.

“If you can’t trust your agent in this game then you’re at nothing,” remarks Stack.

“I’ve bought mares, foals and stallions with Richard and if he tells me he has found something nice, that’s enough for me. I know the horse will be good before I even look at all the information or see it.”

And then there is Shantaram, the odd one out in this French confection but the Britishbred Group 3 Bahrain Trophy winner offers strong qualities all of his own, not least the fact that he is a handsome son of Galileo.

Out of a mare by Darshaan and with a second dam by Be My Guest, Shantaram has a proven pedigree that offers NH breeders every element that they require in a stallion.

“Shantaram is a gorgeous son of Galileo

The striking grey Way To Paris was on the David Stack and Richard Venn stallion radar for some time

“We have been improving as we have gone along but collectively this is the best group of stallions that I have stood who is 16.3h but has a heart about four times that. He has an unbelievable temperament, he is one of the nicest horses you will ever come across,” enthused Stack.

“He loves his job, has an unbelievable mind, he has a great nature. His attitude is second to none, he is a credit to John Gosden and his staff because it has to be down to the way he was cared for and handled, as well as his own nature.”

A full-brother to the 2,000 Guineas third Gan Amhras, Shantaram’s oldest crop is just

six and from a handful of opportunities has some promising youngsters already The Carpenter made a good debut in a bumper at Navan in March when a good second for the Crawfords and he looks very promising.

He has a very nice pedigree as his dam is a half-sister to Kemboy.

Air Display was the first stallion to call Coolagown Stud home when Stack’s father Bernie decided to develop that aspect of his breeding enterprise.

“In 1997 we stood Air Display who we bought off Hugo Merry,” recalls Stack. “My dad had a lot of broodmares and we thought it would be more economically viable to have our own stallion and it’s gone from there.

“In theory this was the plan to keep going upwards but we have hit a few bumps along the way!” he laughs.

“We have been improving as we go along, but collectively this is the best group of stallions that I have stood. There are three French Group 1 winners, who were all sound and tough horses, and a well-bred son of Galileo.”

The way to success may also be found alongside Way To Paris in the north Cork countryside.

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Weatherbys

nhstallions.co.uk The most comprehensive digital information on National Hunt Stallions

john dwan

Market analysis

John Dwan is continually reassessing the NH bloodstock trade and is now selling most of his stock as foals. We find out more from the man at Ballyreddin Stud

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HE ABILITY TO ADAPT is critical in business and in bloodstock and for John Dwan of Ballyreddin Stud, breeder of Grand National hero One For Arthur and producer of the record-breaking store horse, that meant changing the emphasis of a business that had worked well.

“We changed our model here a little bit over the past few years; we would have normally sold up to 15 store horses per annum but six or seven years ago we changed that and now sell the majority of our stock as foals whether they are home bred or bought in France as foals,” Dwan explains of the shift in direction. ““I felt that perhaps the three-year-old market was overheating and there were too many horses being offered and the demand might not continue at the levels.

“I felt that the risk was too high. You have one customer for a three-year-old store horse so that if there was any dip in the market that was where it would hit hardest,” is his assessment.

“The exposure you have when buying nice foals is anywhere from €25,000 up to John Dwan with Lot 462, top lot at the 2018 Derby Sale. By Milan and out of Monte Solaro the gelding, a half-brother to Altior, made €365,000 bought by MV Magnier. He was pinhooked as a foal by Ballyreddin for €40,000

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john dwan €50,000, keeping them for two or three years, and hoping that everything goes well and you have no vet issues.

“I felt it was a high-risk, high-stakes game and that perhaps the better option was to sell foals. Now we only sell between five and ten three-year-olds, and it was simply from a risk assessment view that we changed to selling more foals. That has worked out well so far.”

Dwan prefers not to complicate matters when planning matings for his mares; he has ten NH broodmares on his farm in Kilkenny and keeps a few in France.

Any prospective stallion for a Ballyreddin broodmare has to be in possession of a good race record, move well with good conformation and have a nice pedigree to go along with all of those qualities.

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OR THE younger mares, who are embarking on their life in the breeding paddocks, then it will be an older, proven stallion, while the mares who have proven themselves as producers could go to a younger model, even a firstseason sire if he has the right profile.

“My pick of the active stallions at the moment are Walk In The Park, No Risk At All, Doctor Dino, Kapgarde and Crystal Ocean,” he recommends “Crystal Ocean in my view is one of the most exciting – by Sea The Stars and the highest-rated horse ever to retire straight to a NH stud farm.

“For me as a breeder it is a great opportunity to breed to such a good racehorse and even at this early stage in 2021, there is a positive word about his first-crop of foals. I’ve spoken to a number of breeders who have foals on the ground by him and they are delighted with them.

“I’ll be using him this year for two or three mares, so I’m hanging my shirt on him!” he laughs.

Jukebox Jury and Vadamos are also on Dwan’s list for his mares in 2021.

Last year Dwan bred and sold the most expensive foal from the first crop of Coolmore’s Group 1 Irish St Leger and Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George.

The colt made €90,000 to Aiden Murphy

at an incredibly robust Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale and the youngster illustrates Dwan’s breeding principles perfectly – his dam Tetou, by Peintre Celebre, has already bred the Listed Cheltenham bumper winner Tetlami.

“If you look at the sales results, young stock by a small number of stallions make the money and it’s a hard sale for the rest.

“I use the top four or five stallions here in Ireland and also take a couple of mares to France to the good, proven stallions there.

“Then I will try to suit each mare to the particular stallion based on conformation, size and what might have worked before.

“Once they are good moving and athletic horses with good pedigrees, I don’t dig into it much deeper than that because you can get completely bogged down. If you get two or three very good foals in a particular year, then it keeps the ball rolling.”

Dwan regularly comes up with just that, whether with homebred foals or those he buys in France, and his select store sales offerings this summer include some beautifully-bred fillies.

The recent Cheltenham Festival represented something of a triumph for

mares and proved the success of the schemes that were put in place to make breeding and buying fillies a more profitable enterprise.

In some respects now is probably a better time than ever to have a NH filly to sell.

He comments: “The programme for mares’ races has improved over the last few years andhas really benefitted breeders because it has boosted the attractiveness of a nice filly andhas increased their worth.

“A nice filly with a bit of a page is just as attractive now as a gelding, if you have a nice filly now it can be is an easier sell.”

He has a few examples of just that for sale in both Ireland and France this year with his pick of the Irish stores a Flemensfirth filly out of the dual Grade 3-winning hurdler Morning Run, who was also placed in a Grade 2 contest. She is just the second foal out of the King’s Theatre mare, and her fullsister made €80,000 as a foal last December at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

She is pencilled in for the same company’s Derby Sale.

His homebred Kayf Tara half-sister to Grand National winner One For Arthur is another three-year-old filly he singles out, and the half-sister to James Nash’s Graded -placed chaser Forza Milan has been accepted for both flagship store sales.

At Arqana’s summer sale of NH two-yearolds he picks a Kapgarde filly from the family of Hammersly Lake, Far West and Fou Et Sage.

“There is also a Kamsin filly out of Minirose, a winning Mansonnien mare,” he adds. “She is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Irish Saint and Listedplaced Welsh Saint.

“Minirose has been very good to us.

Her Martaline two-year-old gelding made €140,000 at the Arqana two-year-old sale last summer and her filly foal by Flemensfirth made €80,000 to Peter Molony at Goffs last December. Kamsin is a German horse who stood in France and is now with Michael She in in Anshoon Stud; he has a very successful strike rate in France with his progeny,” Dwan explains.

The highest-price foal by Order Of St George was sold by Ballyreddin at the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale for €90,000. He is a half-brother to the Listed bumper winner Tetlami

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equine nutrition

Feed to reduce problems

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ETTING INTO the winner’s enclosure is a long and winding road and requires a fine balance of management, genetics, and patience.

Feeding the NH horse is just one piece of the puzzle and one which comes with many challenges.

Correct nutrition not only helps to ensure the horse is healthy and performs to the best of its ability it also plays a role in reducing the risk of and managing conditions such as tying up and equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).

There are few conditions more distressing to see than an episode of “tying up”.

Watching a horse sweat and tremble with severe muscle cramps is very difficult and knowing you may have been able to prevent the condition makes it even more frustrating.

Few studies have investigated population

The team from Red Mills advise how trainers can use nutrition to reduce incidents of tying up and problems caused by gastric ulcers occurrence rates of tying up, one study reported an incidence rate of 5-7 per cent in UK racing thoroughbreds.

In this study the re-occurrence rate was up to 17 per cent, resulting in those racehorses not racing again that season.

This has significant welfare and economic implications.

Therefore, developing preventative

Manage stomach pH for gastric ulcer problems NH HORSES ARE KNOWN to have a high occurrence of EGUS; as many as 80-100 per cent of horses affected within 2-3 months of training.

Clinical symptoms of EGUS are numerous and often vague.

Different horses cope with EGUS in different ways. One horse with EGUS (Grade 3) may display the classic symptoms – poor performance, poor coat and

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poor appetite – however another may display only one symptom or even no symptoms at all but could still have an equally bad ulcer score.

Effective treatment of gastric ulcers focusses on increasing the pH of the stomach by inhibiting or buffering stomach acid, which provides a better environment to allow ulcer healing (usually medication such

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methods to manage these conditions is now an everyday part of running a training yard.

When you get repeated episodes of “tying up”, this individual may have a condition known as Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER), which is thought to be caused by a genetic fault in the control of muscle contraction and relaxation due to dysregulation of calcium.

For horses with an individual susceptibility to RER, certain specific factors make these horses more likely to have episodes.

These may include female gender, nervous temperament, high level of fitness, limited daily turn-out, irregular exercise schedules, high stress environment, pain from lameness, holding back the horse’s speed when exercising, and excitement during exercise.

Horses prone to RER must be managed carefully and will require a specialist diet.

as Gastroguard, also known as omeprazole, will be prescribed by the veterinary surgeon) and dietary and environmental management.

Dietary management to help reduce the risk of gastric ulcers, largely comprises of increasing chewing activity in order to increase saliva production.

This is because salvia contains bicarbonate ions, which help to buffer stomach acid. Restricted forage intake has a notable effect on stomach pH and the best practice is ‘free choice’ where possible.

At a minimum the diet should provide forage at a rate of 1.5 per cent of the horse’s body-weight

per day, ideally a horse should receive two per cent of its bodyweight as forage (grass, hay, haylage or chaff) each day.

Feeding ad lib forage is advised but, where this is not possible, the daily forage ration should be divided into several smaller portions so that ideally the horse spends no more than four hours without forage.

Studies have reported a lesser incidence of gastric ulcers in horses fed alfalfa hay (which is high in calcium and protein) compared to normal grass hay.

In addition, studies on thoroughbred racehorses in training have found that horses who have access to pasture

equine nutrition When feeding a racehorse that is prone to RER consider the following:

Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC)

NSC mostly refers to the levels of sugar and starch in a feed. Diets low in NSC produced lower glucose, insulin, and cortisol responses along with a calmer demeanour and lower pre-exercise heart rates.

Therefore, low-NSC diets are recommended for horses prone to tying up.

There are a number of excellent commercial feeds available that have been specifically formulated to provide energy from super fibres and oil rather than traditional high starch, cereal-based feeds.

Forage

Increasing forage availability can significantly reduce stress levels. Forage is also important for maintaining an optimal Dietary Cation Anion Balance (DCAB), which relates to the balance of the minerals within the diet that have either an alkalising or acidifying effect.

Although not scientifically proven, low DCAB levels may increase the risk of “tying up”.

Electrolytes

Adequate electrolyte intake is essential to support normal muscle function and aid muscle recovery.

turnout daily have a lower incidence of EGUS. This is not possible in every training environment, but it is a good idea to just let your horse “be a horse”.

Finally, it’s important to ensure the horse has access to forage or short chopped fibre prior to exercise as this has been shown to help maintain a “fibre mat” in the stomach, preventing acid from splashing onto the sensitive upper region of the stomach as a result of increased abdominal pressure when the horse is working.

Watch the energy

The high energy demands for a

Effective treatment of gastric ulcers focuses on increasing the pH of the stomach Most commercial feeds will contain adequate levels of electrolytes for horses in low levels of work, however, supplementation is advised throughout training and especially in spells of warmer weather.

Electrolyte imbalances within the individual horse, rather than the diet, may also be a concern in horses prone to RER. In these situations, your vet may recommend a Fractional Electrolyte Excretion test.

Antioxidant

Additional dietary antioxidants such as

horse in hard work means a diet high in energy.

Grain naturally provides such energy and has traditionally been used as the main source of carbohydrates. Whilst there are benefits to using grain in a diet, the amount consumed needs to be regulated for horses with ulceration issues.

Grain naturally contains a high level of starch, a type of carbohydrate that converts to glucose, which is needed to fuel the muscles and other tissues.

Keeping starch intake per meal at 1g of starch for every 1kg of body-weight helps reduce the risk of irritation to the stomach lining.

Vitamin E and selenium may help to limit the occurrence and severity of a “tying up” episode.

This is because Vitamin E and selenium work together to limit the oxidative damage/ stress to cell membranes caused by free radicals, creating a protective effect.

A suitable hard feed should contain good levels of these antioxidants.

However, for horses prone to RER it is often beneficial to provide higher levels in the form of a supplement.

Management and exercise Managing exercise

regimes, stress levels and excitability in affected horses will reduce the likelihood of a repeated episode.

Optimise exercise regime by avoiding over exertion and/or working in a tight profile/ outline and avoid situations that will increase excitability.

Altering the amount you feed, according to workload, will also influence excitability levels.

If you reduce exercise, then reduce feed and/or feed type accordingly.

It is too easy to get into a rigid feeding routine, but when something affects the amount of exercise you provide, e.g. a frozen gallop, you must act accordingly to reduce intake.

The maximum recommended intake is 2g of starch for every 1kg of body-weight per meal, above this rate the risk for ulceration increases.

For example, a 500kg horse should have an ideal intake of 500g of starch per meal, with the upper intake being 1000g of starch per meal.

Oil can also be added to the feed as an additional source of calories, indeed an oil rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties, may well be beneficial for horses prone to EGUS. Add any additional oil gradually and if feeding more than 100mls of oil per day

consult a nutritionist, as it may be necessary to provide additional Vitamin E. Finally, to help stomach health it can also be beneficial to choose a feed or supplement with ingredients designed to buffer stomach acid and/or create a protective coating.

When altering your horse’s feeding to manage specific clinical conditions it is always best to speak to a nutritionist.

They will be able to work with you and your vet to developing a comprehensive, cost-effective and customised feeding plan to suit your horse’s individual needs.

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FALCO AXXOS HUNDRED ACRE FARM STALLIONS 2021

B. 2005, 16.3HH (1.70M), P I V O TA L E X I C E L I P S ( U N B R I D L E D )

FEE: £3,500 OCT 1ST SLF

A proven Group 1 sire of both flat and NH horses

Stakes sire again under both codes in 2020 including Gr.1 placed chaser Hitman Sire of Gr.1 Cheltenham Festival winner Peace And Co

51% lifetime winners to runners and progeny earnings of over £7.7 million in prize money

Stock in 2020 made up to £110,000 to astute judges including Anthony Bromley and Monbeg Stables

B. 2004, 16.1HH (1.64M) MONSUN EX ACERBIS (RAINBOW QUEST)

A proven Sire of Top Class National Hunt Horses including Stakes performers Calett Mad, Earlofthecotswolds and Regaxos Gr.2 winning son of Leading NH Sire Monsun

FEE: £1,500

OCT 1ST SLF

A complete outcross to Northern Dancer and ideal cross for Sadler’s Wells line mares

First Season in UK in 2021

Never sired a chesnut foal

Also Standing Exceptionally well-bred dual Stakes winning

SUN CENTRAL

half-brother to multiple Group 1 scorers GRANDERA and GEORGE WASHINGTON

CONTACT: JAMES GRAY HUNDRED ACRE FARM, MARSH ROAD, BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE, PE20 1ND MOBILE: +44 (0) 7743 042742 • ELUSIVEBLOODSTOCK@HOTMAIL.CO.UK • WWW.ELUSIVEBLOODSTOCK.CO.UK

2021 stallion NH factbook

2021 NH stallions

The photo below has nothing directly to do with NH stallions (apart from the influence the success the horses listed will have on nomination and buying decisions); we just thought that if ever there were a picture to paint “a thousand words” this is it

nh stallion stats Top 100 NH sires in Britain and Ireland 2020-21: (by prize-money earned to March 23, 2021) Stallions in bold denotes active sires in Europe Stallion

Breeding

Stowaway Flemensfirth Yeats Jeremy Getaway Oscar Shantou Presenting Fame And Glory Milan Mahler Westerner Beneficial Midnight Legend Gold Well Martaline Kayf Tara Kapgarde Beat Hollow Sulamani Court Cave Shirocco Saint des Saints Doyen King’s Theatre Sholokhov No Risk At All Scorpion Kalanisi Arcadio Dubai Destination Authorized Network Poliglote Malinas Saddler Maker Black Sam Bellamy Nathaniel Voix du Nord Born To Sea Great Pretender Passing Glance Ask Doctor Dino Dylan Thomas Coastal Path Maxios Nickname Robin des Champs Mastercraftsman

Slip Anchor-On Credit (No Pass No Sale) Alleged-Etheldreda (Diesis) Sadler’s Wells-Lyndonville (Top Ville) Danehill Dancer-Glint In Her Eye (Arazi) Monsun-Guernica (Unfuwain) Sadler’s Wells-Snow Day (Reliance II) Alleged-Shaima (Shareef Dancer) Mtoto-D’Azy (Persian Bold) Montjeu-Gryada (Shirley Heights) Sadler’s Wells-Kithanga (Darshaan) Galileo-Rainbow Goddess (Rainbow Quest) Danehill-Walensee (Troy) Top Ville-Youthful (Green Dancer) Night Shift-Myth (Troy) Sadler’s Wells-Floripedes (Top Ville) Linamix-Coraline (Sadler’s Wells) Sadler’s Wells-Colorspin (High Top) Garde Royale-Kaprika (Cadoudal) Sadler’s Wells-Wemyss Bight (Dancing Brave) Hernando-Soul Dream (Alleged) Sadler’s Wells-Wemyss Bight (Dancing Brave) Monsun-So Sedulous (The Minstrel) Cadoudal-Chamisene (Pharly) Sadler’s Wells-Moon Cactus (Kris) Sadler’s Wells-Regal Beauty (Princely Native) Sadler’s Wells-La Meilleure (Lord Gayle) My Risk-Newness (Simply Great) Montjeu-Ardmelody (Law Society) Doyoun-Kalamba (Green Dancer) Monsun-Assia (Royal Academy) Kingmambo-Mysterial (Alleged) Montjeu-Funsie (Saumarez) Monsun-Note (Reliance II) Sadler’s Wells-Alexandrie (Val de L’Orne) Lomitas-Majoritat (Konigsstuhl) Sadler’s Wells-Animatrice (Alleged) Sadler’s Wells-Urban Sea (Miswaki) Galileo-Magnificient Style (Silver Hawk) Valanour-Dame Edith (Top Ville) Invincible Spirit-Urban Sea (Miswaki) King’s Theatre-Settler (Darshaan) Polar Falcon-Spurned (Robellino) Sadler’s Wells-Request (Rainbow Quest) Muhtathir-Logica (Priolo) Danehill-Lagrion (Diesis) Halling-Coraline (Sadler’s Wells) Monsun-Moonlight’s Box (Nureyev) Lost World-Newness (Simply Great) Garde Royale-Relayeuse (Iron Duke) Danehill Dancer-Starlight Dreams (Black Tie Affair)

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To Stud

Rnrs

Runs

2001 1998 2010 2008 2011 1998 1999 1997 2013 2004 2009 2006 1997 1998 2006 2005 2001 2004 2003 2005 2004 2007 2003 2006 1997 2004 2013 2008 2002 2008 2004 2008 2002 1998 2006 2005 2004 2013 2006 2013 2006 2005 2011 2010 2008 2010 2014 2009 2001 2010

238 241 264 155 325 204 157 236 261 271 227 186 127 142 177 112 175 83 69 80 169 217 59 126 76 90 41 179 129 163 60 67 57 25 87 44 104 63 19 51 49 58 95 14 113 32 31 7 79 68

864 800 968 616 1103 694 574 806 795 889 794 670 543 549 672 391 501 298 225 289 661 642 198 429 262 299 129 659 424 546 227 249 218 98 277 164 315 206 80 178 167 202 296 43 352 92 120 27 251 203

Courtesy of Weatherbys

Wnrs

Wins

Wnrs/Rnrs%

SWnrs

69 81 72 55 85 51 52 60 59 59 60 58 37 50 52 47 36 24 22 23 44 49 21 26 22 28 13 35 32 35 18 27 22 12 29 20 23 22 6 16 18 20 19 6 20 13 8 4 19 15

109 116 110 85 113 70 76 82 81 72 78 76 53 67 87 65 51 34 33 37 63 69 29 41 29 44 16 44 39 46 26 35 28 16 40 30 33 33 10 21 25 28 30 8 26 19 15 5 30 22

28.99 33.61 27.27 35.48 26.15 25.00 33.12 25.42 22.61 21.77 26.43 31.18 29.13 35.21 29.38 41.96 20.57 28.92 31.88 28.75 26.04 22.58 35.59 20.63 28.95 31.11 31.71 19.55 24.81 21.47 30.00 40.30 38.60 48.00 33.33 45.45 22.12 34.92 31.58 31.37 36.73 34.48 20.00 42.86 17.70 40.63 25.81 57.14 24.05 22.06

11 12 6 10 1 6 6 6 5 4 4 2 5 1 5 4 6 2 5 1 2 3 3 4 5 3 4 2 1 2 3 4 2 4 2 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 0 2 1 3 1 2 1 1

% SWnrs/Rnrs 4.62 4.98 2.27 6.45 0.31 2.94 3.82 2.54 1.92 1.48 1.76 1.08 3.94 0.70 2.82 3.57 3.43 2.41 7.25 1.25 1.18 1.38 5.08 3.17 6.58 3.33 9.76 1.12 0.78 1.23 5.00 5.97 3.51 16.00 2.30 4.55 2.88 4.76 10.53 5.88 4.08 3.45 0.00 14.29 0.88 9.38 3.23 28.57 1.27 1.47

£ 1,788,733 1,537,630 1,480,521 1,086,922 1,064,858 1,031,167 1,014,258 1,002,049 864,102 864,022 858,794 840,425 833,418 825,691 814,450 692,747 659,899 650,329 645,554 601,899 596,358 587,993 568,067 533,816 520,620 486,006 453,810 451,958 449,773 438,761 431,527 412,806 388,047 376,372 376,289 367,452 362,168 345,224 310,940 295,583 293,099 290,829 285,456 275,589 273,691 269,652 261,993 254,420 221,259 216,983

nh stallion stats Top 100 NH sires in Britain and Ireland 2020-21: (by prize-money earned to March 23, 2021) Stallion

Breeding

Al Namix Arakan Camelot Aizavoski Brian Boru Policy Maker Elusive Pimpernel Califet Dark Angel Schiaparelli Montmartre Buck’s Boum Cokoriko Craigsteel Galileo Blue Bresil Soldier of Fortune Champs Elysees Maresca Sorrento Walk In The Park Monsun Papal Bull Medicean Trans Island Spanish Moon Well Chosen Morozov Sixties Icon Jukebox Jury Vinnie Roe Primary Winged Love Canford Cliffs Muhtathir Fair Mix Sans Frontieres Indian River Samum Fast Company Tiger Groom Pour Moi Davidoff Dink Mountain High Le Havre Sageburg Motivator Sea The Moon Khalkevi September Storm

Linamix-Dirigeante (Lead On Time) Nureyev-Far Across (Common Grounds) Montjeu-Tarfah (Kingmambo) Monsun-Arlesienne (Alzao) Sadler’s Wells-Eva Luna (Alleged) Sadler’s Wells-Palmeraie (Lear Fan) Elusive Quality-Cara Fantasy (Sadler’s Wells) Freedom Cry-Sally’s Room (Kendor) Acclamation-Midnight Angel (Machiavellian) Monsun-Sacarina (Old Vic) Montjeu-Artistique (Linamix) Cadoudal-Buck’s (Le Glorieux) Robin des Champs-Cardounika (Nikos) Suave Dancer-Applecross (Glint of Gold) Sadler’s Wells-Urban Sea (Miswaki) Smadoun-Miss Recif (Exit To Nowhere) Galileo-Affianced (Erins Isle) Danehill-Hasili (Kahyasi) Cadoudal-French Free Star (Carmarthen) Montjeu-Classic Park (Robellino) Konigsstuhl-Mosella (Surumu) Montjeu-Mialuna (Zafonic) Machiavellian-Mystic Goddess (Storm Bird) Selkirk-Khubza (Green Desert) El Prado-Shining Bright (Rainbow Quest) Sadler’s Wells-Hawajiss (Kris) Sadler’s Wells-High Hawk (Shirley Heights) Galileo-Love Divine (Diesis) Montjeu-Mare Aux Fees (Kenmare) Definite Article-Kayu (Tap On Wood) Giant’s Causeway-Prospective (Mr Prospector) In The Wings-J’Ai Deux Amours (Top Ville) Tagula-Mrs Marsh (Marju) Elmaamul-Majmu (Al Nasr) Linamix-Fairlee Wild (Wild Again) Galileo-Llia (Shirley Heights) Cadoudal-The Fun (Funny Hobby) Monsun-Sacarina (Old Vic) Danehill Dancer-Sheezalady (Zafonic) Arazi-Rifada (Ela-Mana-Mou) Montjeu-Gwynn (Darshaan) Montjeu-Dapprima (Shareef Dancer) Poliglote-Napeta (Woodman) Danehill-Hellenic (Darshaan) Noverre-Marie Rheinberg (Surako) Johannesburg-Sage Et Jolie (Linamix) Montjeu-Out West (Gone West) Sea The Stars-Sanwa (Monsun) Kahyasi-Khalisa (Persian Bold) Monsun-So Sedulous (The Minstrel)

Courtesy of Weatherbys

To Stud

Rnrs

Runs

Wnrs

Wins

Wnrs/Rnrs%

SWnrs

2005 2006 2014 2013 2005 2008 2012 2005 2008 2011 2009 2011 2014 2003 2002 2010 2010 2010 2002 2008 1996 2009 2002 2001 2011 2004 2005 2009 2013 2006 2008 1996 2012 2001 2005 2013 2000 2003 2011 2007 2012 2009 2021 2008 2010 2009 2006 2015 2004 2008

40 63 43 32 59 8 55 75 32 68 40 18 28 36 55 31 20 60 25 39 4 20 20 39 22 40 57 43 14 36 8 48 32 27 50 53 15 9 28 14 25 7 1 59 18 44 19 16 12 36

134 267 151 127 195 27 178 193 112 186 125 63 77 149 214 78 54 193 88 114 14 80 80 190 70 131 237 143 52 122 29 165 97 80 176 154 44 37 98 42 96 28 2 202 54 113 62 40 40 134

9 15 13 16 9 1 12 16 5 15 13 7 6 9 12 8 6 15 8 11 2 7 4 12 10 10 10 6 5 9 4 10 7 6 7 13 3 3 9 3 8 3 1 7 8 4 5 6 4 5

12 18 20 25 10 3 18 20 8 18 21 12 9 16 16 12 6 20 10 11 4 12 5 17 12 14 14 14 7 15 9 12 12 9 10 16 4 4 14 5 9 3 1 13 11 8 7 10 6 8

22.50 23.81 30.23 50.00 15.25 12.50 21.82 21.33 15.63 22.06 32.50 38.89 21.43 25.00 21.82 25.81 30.00 25.00 32.00 28.21 50.00 35.00 20.00 30.77 45.45 25.00 17.54 13.95 35.71 25.00 50.00 20.83 21.88 22.22 14.00 24.53 20.00 33.33 32.14 21.43 32.00 42.86 100.00 11.86 44.44 9.09 26.32 37.50 33.33 13.89

0 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1

% SWnrs/Rnrs 0.00 0.00 4.65 0.00 0.00 12.50 1.82 2.67 3.13 0.00 2.50 5.56 7.14 2.78 1.82 3.23 5.00 1.67 4.00 2.56 25.00 5.00 5.00 0.00 4.55 0.00 1.75 4.65 7.14 0.00 12.50 0.00 3.13 3.70 0.00 1.89 6.67 22.22 3.57 7.14 0.00 14.29 100.00 0.00 5.56 0.00 0.00 12.50 8.33 2.78

£ 211,584 204,715 196,088 189,612 188,132 187,713 187,101 181,953 180,476 175,688 174,546 173,753 168,425 166,867 165,173 160,710 156,243 149,340 148,919 148,209 143,256 141,736 141,595 141,452 134,946 132,076 131,510 131,058 130,130 130,058 128,865 128,000 124,201 120,293 120,107 119,116 118,750 113,242 112,793 111,787 111,644 110,207 109,964 108,619 108,450 107,953 105,591 105,275 104,013 104,012

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established nh stallions

Upward trajectory for Yeats We run through the leading active NH sires at stud in Britain and Ireland

T

HIS HAS BEEN written before the running of the Aintree Grand National, a decision that we made so that a one-off race with its massive prize-money won’t significantly affect our analysis of the NH sires’ table for 2020-21.

It was difficult to find the perfect timing for this review – we did not want to publish at the end of the NH season so too late to be of use to NH breeders, or too early so that it did not accurately reflect the season the NH sires have had.

So hence this post-Cheltenham publication – we might not have the final tables but, aside from the National, the Punchestown Festival and the Sandown end-of-season finale – the framework for the final NH stallion standings are pretty much in place.

First, we go through the season enjoyed by the older active NH stallions standing in Britain and Ireland before we run through profiles of younger sires – those with runners and those yet to be represented on the track – and we analyse the French-based stallion scene.

Sadly, generally British and Irish NH stallions have to get so old before they are able to start challenging for top honours – for many, their moments of glory don’t arrive until they are either pensioned or dead – the fantastic year enjoyed by the deceased Stowaway a prime example.

The late Whytemount Stud stallion has been challenging for his first-ever NH sire championship – he led the table for much of the season and regained the top spot after The Festival, courtesy of two Grade 1 success and four winners. His main protagonist is the previous champion Flemensfirth, now retired from the breeding shed.

Coolmore’s Yeats has been in close attendance to the pair throughout the season and is enjoying his best-ever results in terms of the NH sires’ table. He has already beaten his best-ever prize-money earnings and winner numbers, and he also matched Stowaway’s four Festival winners.

Progeny by the son of Sadler’s Wells were the first by an active NH stallion to break the seven-figure prize-money earnings this season, tipping the million in February.

He has achieved his seasonal success courtesy of 72 winners and six NH stakes

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winners (the leading active NH stallion on that statistic), headed by Flooring Porter, winner of the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle and then the Stayers’ Hurdle for trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Yeats’s highest earning son is actually running in France – Figuero, trained by François Nicolle and bred by the Cypres family out of the Saint Des Saints mare Annaland, was a Grade 1 winner in 2019.

He won the Prix Ingre (G3) in September and then finished second and third in last autumn’s Grand Steeple Chase de Paris (G1) and Prix la Haye Jousselin (G1).

His most expensive sales ring progeny Chantry House, who fetched £295,000 sold as a winning point-to-pointer at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale in 2018, finished third in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and built on that performance taking this year’s Marsh Novices Chase (G1).

The sire has had one store horse sale over €200,000 back in 2014 with a second-best price of €185,000 given for an as-yetunraced gelding sold by Rathmore Stud at the 2019 Goffs Land Rover Sale. At the same year’s Derby Sale, Highflyer Bloodstock spent €150,000 on a gelding from Springhill

Stud out of the Presenting mare Gaye Preskina.

Yeats’s average at last year’s store horse sales was 14,871gns, and at the foal sales 10,092gns.

He stands at Castle Hyde at an affordable fee of €5,000.

Yeats has not had the most winners of any living stallion this year, that honour goes to Getaway, his big books and support from NH breeders, purchasers and from his stud owners beginning to reap dividends.

The son of Monsun is two years younger than Yeats and has enjoyed a breakthrough season – Sporting John became his first Grade 1-winning chaser when taking the Scilly Isle Novices Chase in February for trainer Philip Hobbs.

He has had seven six-year-old winners over fences this season behind only Yeats as an active NH sire.

Getaway’s stock has always been highly regarded at the sales, and the sire has benefited from the flurry of point-to-point sales that have emerged over the past few years – he has had 12 horses who have fetched over €/£200,000 sold at the various NH horses in training sales with a top price

established nh stallions Yeats: is the current leading active NH stallion in Britain and Ireland for the 2020-21 season – as we went to press he had produced 72 winners and his progeny had won over £1,480,000 in prize-money earnings

another book of over 200 this season.

Three fellow Coolmore stallions are following up the two big names – the 2004-born Mahler is topped and tailed by Westerner (1999) and the ever-consistent Milan (1998).

Milan’s most expensive sales horse is in fact a store horse – Ballyreddin Stud’s gelding out of Monte Solaro, who made €365,000 at the 2018 Derby Sale.

Royale, was sold by Oak Tree Farm at last year’s Goffs UK Summer Sale for £175,000.

At last year’s Derby Sale, Kevin Ross Bloodstock paid €170,000 for a gelding out of the Milan mare La Scala Diva from the family of Egypt Mill Prince.

Getaway’s store horses averaged 24,084gns, and foals 19,134gns.

He stands at Grange Stud for €9,000, his highest fee yet, and is bound to receive

of £570,000 given last autumn at the Goffs UK December P2P Yorton Sale for Classic Getaway.

The sire has had ten point-to-point winners through the disjointed Irish pointto-point season and four five-year-old chase winners this season in Britain and Ireland.

His top-priced store horse, a gelding out of an own-sister to the Grade 1-placed pair of Shadow Eile (Beneficial) and Corskeagh

YEATS: statistics by crop with runners so far

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

Year

Foals

Rnrs

% W-R

Wnrs

%

Wins

BT Wrs

%

P-M

Highest BHA

2011

124

91

73

59

48

219

4

3

2,332,029

157

2012

120

90

75

61

51

176

8

7

2,345,354

160

2013

92

66

72

37

40

99

1

1

1,045,185

154

2014

168

103

61

49

29

109

4

2

949,329

151

2015

173

111

64

36

21

64

2

1

1,001,525

137

2016

174

67

39

13

7

18

0

0

129,149

110

2017

92

2

2

1

1

1

0

0

853

0

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41

established nh stallions Milan was given a €2,000 fee reduction for this spring to €8,000.

His current runner Brewin’upastorm, rated 155, was a £250,000 Ryan Mahon/ Dan Skelton purchase at the April Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale in 2017. He is now trained by Olly Murphy.

Mahler, by Galileo, has made good and steady progress over the last few years and is due a best-ever finish on the table (previous best finishes were 13th in 2019-20, and 14th in 2018-2019).

His top-priced sale horse is the BHA 164-rated and Grade 1-placed Chris’s Dream, who sold for £175,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland December Sale in 2017 to Tom Malone as winning hurdler. Chris’s Dream holds an entry in the Grand National.

Mahler’s priciest store horse so far is his third-most expensive sales horse – €150,000 given by MV Magnier to Lakefield Farm for a gelding out of the Listed-winning juvenile

Mahler, by Galileo, has made good and steady progress over the last few years and is due a best-ever finish on the table hurdler Newtown Dancer (Danehill Dancer).

Mahler’s stock is performing well in the Irish point-to-point field and, despite the restricted season that sphere has endured, he leads the sires’ table with 16 winners.

Take more than a Passing Glance Batsford Stud's son of Polar Falcon is enjoying a fine NH season

PASSING GLANCE stands at Batsford Stud in the UK having started out at the National Stud before transferring to David and Kathleen Holmes's Pitchall Stud, the home of the late sire Midnight Legend.

On the “Legend’s” death after the 2015 covering season, the Holmes decided to call time on their stallion operation and Passing glance moved across the Cotswold Hills to Batsford.

His NH progeny have been enjoying a fine winter. His leading performer of 202021 is Dachel Drasher, an eight-year-old bred and trained by Jeremy Scott and winner of the Ascot Chase (G1) in February. He has run four times this season, winning three on the bounce and taking his BHA rating from 148 to 162. He was a Festival withdrawal after the ground quickened.

However, Latenightpass still managed to put his sire on the Festival scoreboard after a running a well in the Hunters’ Chase to finish fourth – Passing Glance one of the

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handful of British-based stallions over the Festival to get a result in the four.

Ahead of Cheltenham the first weekend’s racing in March saw Passing Glance enjoy a three-timer; the most exciting winner of the trio being the 5l Newbury bumper winner Charlie’s Glance, who is out of the Midnight Legend mare Call Me A Legend and bred by Pitchall Stud.

Midnight Legend is certainly doing his bit to help his former stud mate – all nine runners by Passing Glance out of mares by the former Grade 2-winning hurdler are winners.

The Varey family at Batsford Stud in the Cotswolds is a busy team through the spring – finding a 20-minute slot to chat with Alan, father to Tim who works on the stud alongside mother Anna, was a challenge.

With 20 resident broodmares and 30 mares booked for foaling, and probably more to come, as well as three active stallions in the covering barn the spring

His store horses averaged 12,737gns for 34 sold and his fee for 2021 is €5,000.

The first non-Coolmore-based stallion on the living NH list is Court Cave, a son of Sadler’s Wells out of Weymss Bight and standing his 14th season at Boardsmill Stud.

He is another enjoying a best-ever season – a sixth place on the “living list”, current runners bred on the back of the graded races successes of Champion Court through the 2010-14 seasons.

He has 16 runners this year rated over 130 headed by Mister Whittaker (153) and the mare Court Maid (152), who picked up a winning prize fund of €73,750 when winning a 3m5f handicap chase at Fairyhouse.

He saw 64 mares in 2020, and has a private fee for this season having stood at €4,000 for the last couple of years.

The 20-year-old Shirocco retired to stud in 2007 and stood initially as a Flat stallion at Dalham Hall Stud (one year at Kildangan

season has certainly been springing for the team.

“Some of the mares come to foal and be covered by some of our stallions, the others we will walk-in elsewhere,” explains Varey.

The first stallion stood at Batsford by the Vareys was the rare jumping entire Kadastrof and it was always the plan to stand stallions at the stud, which has a rich history as a stallion farm.

Passing Glance now stands alongside Haafhd, and the St Leger winner Harbour Law. “Passing Glance is a rare stallion who has had a Group 1 winner on the Flat [Side Glance] and a Grade 1 winner jumping,” smiles Varey.

“Last year he saw just under 50 mares, the year previous it was just under the 90.

“At the moment for this year he is above 40 now, but without a doubt we will exceed last year’s number as he always gets a number of late mares – a lot of ownerbreeders support him and they are not too worried about a late foal, they just want a Passing Glance!

“The ones that are racing now are out of the better mares that he covered when he

established nh stallions in 2009) moving to Rathbarry’s Glenview in 2014 after the subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power appeared on the track in 2012 and won her first Grade 1 in 2013.

Those results helped give the sire 11th and 25th placed finishes the NH table in those years, form which has subsequently drifted downward.

His results have picked up over jumps subsequent to receiving books of mainly NH mares with his oldest Irish-bred crop now six-year-olds. He seems to be setting up a strong link with Old Vic mares – of the 15 runners by the stallion out of mares by the late Sunnyhill Stud stallion, 11 have won.

They include Annie Power and this year’s three-time novices’ handicap hurdle winner Grumpy Charley.

The son of Monsun is still represented on the Flat at the highest level – the admirable globetrotting stayer Prince Of Arran a recent flagbearer, while the German-trained

moved to Pitchall. His early numbers were low, but they have slowly increased and he really has had to do it the hard way,” outlines Varey.

A good reflection of a well-regarded sire is repeat business and Varey says it is “amazing the number of people who come back to him year after year and support him, for instance The Scotts have been using him on their mares for quite a number of years.”

The “Scotts” are Jeremy and wife Camilla, breeders of the sire’s Dachel Drasher.

According to Varey the Grade 1 winner is a good indication of the type of NH horse that Passing Glance gets.

“They are athletic types, and they have stamina and gutsiness. When you watch Dashel Drasher and he comes to the last sometimes you think he is going to be done with, but a horse takes him on and you can see him thinking No, no, no! They are just very tough.”

For Passing Glance, as for all NH sires, it is a battle against time and the 22-yearold sire is hitting his heights now he is the wrong side of 20.

“The NH stallions they click and

Sholokhov: had a brilliant Cheltenham with two Grade 1 winners from two runners

Windstoss was a runner-up in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran last autumn.

He has had eight point-to-point winners on this winter’s interrupted Irish circuit.

suddenly people start to take notice, it is a numbers’ game.

“The better quality mares start coming through, it pushes the sire to the fore and then suddenly everybody wants one,” comments Varey.

He is a big supporter of the Great British Bonus Scheme saying: “We have got some really nice NH stallions in this country now, and now we have got the GBB Scheme it is encouraging more breeders to keep the mares here and breed rather than sending

PASSING GLANCE: NH statistics

Shirocco’s store horse averages are 15,026gns, and his foals have fetched an average price of 8,082gns.

The Grade 1 Arkle Novice Chase winner Shishkin and the Grade 1 Ballymore Novice Hurdle winner Bob Olinger are both sons of Rathbarry Stud’s Sholokhov (Sadlers’ Wells).

Shishkin’s dam Labarynth (Exit To Nowhere) was covered in 2013, the first year that the sire stood in Ireland, and the year that his subsequent Gold Cup winner Don Cossack won his first Grade 1 when taking the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in December.

Sholokhov’s results should continue moving forwards for a few years yet as a result of bigger and quality books covered on the back of his Gold Cup-winning son’s success in 2016 and this year’s dual Grade 1-winning Festival successes. He is now on private fee, and his store horse average price is 24,070gns.

them to Ireland. It is a damn good bonus.

“For those breeders who don’t particularly go to market with their horse, if they could win a GBB race that pays the training for a full year.”

Passing Glance’s youngest NH stud mate is the eight-year-old St Leger winner Harbour Law (Lawman) and of him Varey says: “His first book was reasonable, last year it was in the 20s, this year will be harder for him; that is just the way it goes until runners hit the track.”

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

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established nh stallions Irish point-to-point sires 2020-21 Statistics courtesy of www..p2p.ie

SIRE Mahler Fame And Glory Getaway Milan Shirocco Stowaway Westerner Doyen Imperial Monarch) Oscar Scorpion Coastal Path Flemensfirth Kayf Tara Publisher Ask Beat Hollow Court Cave Jeremy Malinas Presenting Sholokhov Arcadio Arctic Cosmos Black Sam Bellamy Dylan Thomas Gold Well Morozov Mountain High Shantou Al Namix Beneficial Califet Cloudings Dansant Dragon Dancer Gentlewave Great Pretender Jet Away No Risk At All

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Nos of Wnrs 16 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

The first UK-based stallion on the list is Scorpion, the former Castle Hyde Stud sire standing since 2017 at Shade Oak Stud.

Although the 19-year-old son of Montjeu has produced one of the best staying chasers over the last ten years, the multiple Grade 1 winner and 2018 Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite, who was rated 172 at his best, as well as a further 46 horses rated over 130, breeders can use his services at an advertised fee of just £3,000.

The sire’s strong years of 2017-18 and 2018-19 resulted in 50-odd winners in each season and seven-figure prize-money earnings followed by £880,000 in 2018-19.

He has 31 winners so far this year and he covered a book of 22 mares last year.

His leading runner this season is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Riders Onthe Storm, third in this season’s Grade 2 Shloer Chase and an Ascot Chase (G1) winner in February 2020.

Nathaniel is the leading UK-based stallion by winners-to-runners on the NH table, in fact his winners-to-runners percentage of 36 per cent is the best on the table by a stallion who has had more than 50 runners.

He is marketed as a Flat sire and, as a sire of Enable, has produced one of the best horses in the world though the last decade. He provides Flat breeders with an increasingly rare, but affordable, middledistance Flat stud option.

However, he has had a lot of success in the jumping sphere and his £15,000 fee is just about in reach for the best of NH mares.

At Cheltenham, Concertista finished second in the Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle and

SHOLOKHOV: NH statistics

Zanahiyr fourth in the Triumph Hurdle (G1).

Nathaniel has had two three-year-old winners under NH Rules in England and Ireland this season behind Sixties Icon, Mastercraftsman, Authorized and Alhebayeb (Dark Angel) on three.

Du e Coat by Alhebayeb was a spring strong fancy for the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle but did not get to Prestbury Park due to injury.

Another perhaps more obvious Flat transitory than Alhebayeb is the Irish National Stud’s Free Eagle, who has had two three-year-old winners, the progeny by the son of High Chaparral always having looked scopey types who would suit hurdling.

Another similar type is Sea The Moon – his son Allmankind a winner over fences in Britain as a four-year-old and fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (G1).

This spring Dink moved to stand in Warwickshire from Spain, bought by Alne Park Stud after the success of Nube Negra in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase. The Dan Skelton-trained runner went onto justify that decision with a good second in the Queen Mother Champion Chase (G1) to Put The Kettle On. Dink, who finished third in the Spanish Derby, is by Poliglote and is out of the Woodman mare Napeta. He is from the family of the champion French three-yearold Comtesse De Loir and the dual European champion Miesque.

Dink’s first crop was born in 2017 and he has had just six runners, five of those are winners including the Grade 1 runner-up, who is out of a Highest Honor mare.

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

DINK “A ten-time winner himself, Dink won the Spanish 2000 Guineas and placed third in the Spanish Derby.

We have closely followed him and his progeny for the last three years and have been impressed by NUBE NEGRA’s ability and looks for some time. I have previously purchased Dink’s progeny to come into training at my own yard because of their exemplary conformation and strength. We have a number of young horses

by Dink on the farm and all possess great presence, with plenty of size and scope.

When the opportunity to buy Dink arose, I jumped at the chance and I am delighted that he is now standing in the UK. He is now one of only four active sires standing in the UK to have produced a Grade 1 or 2 winner over jumps in the UK or Ireland this season. He only has a limited number of runners as he has not previously had the opportunity to cover many mares however, he has a high fertility rate.

We fully intend to make use of him on our own mares and very much believe in his potential as a sire.

I consider him to be a very exciting prospect for all breeders.”

Dan Skelton Fee 2021: £3,000 1st Oct.

NUBE NEGRA (right) Winner of Gr.2 Desert Orchid Chase and second in Gr.1 Queen Mother Champion Chase

Alne Park Stud, Park Lane, Great Alne, Warwickshire B49 6HS T: 07464633938 • E: info@alneparkstud.com • www.alneparkstud.com Follow us

@alneparkstud

young nh stallions: gb

The younger generation Aisling Crowe scrolls through active young sires at stud in Britain ARRIGO

Shirocco-Aiyana (Last Tycoon) Yorton Farm £1,300 Year to stud: 2016 (new to Yorton this year) Arrigo has the pedigree to succeed as a stallion – he is a grandson of Monsun from the family of Galileo and is a half-brother to the top-class sire Adlerflug; his credentials are undoubtedly of the highest calibre.

The son of Shirocco, sire of Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power and six Group 1 winners on the Flat, including Classic winners Brown Panther and Windstoss, stands his first season in the UK in 2021 having begun his career in his native Germany and his oldest foals are four-yearolds.

Bred by Gestüt Schlenderhan, the Group 2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen winner resembles his sire physically with the same strong shoulder and forearm.

Second in the Group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Group 3 Bavarian Classic (over 1m2f), he is a half-brother to the German champion three-year-old of 2007 Adlerflug.

By In The Wings, Adlerflug is the sire of last year’s Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner In Swoop, who went on to finish a fine second to Sottsass in the Arc. Their Last Tycoon dam Aiyana was a winner at two and three in Germany and

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has also foaled the Listed winner Andorn (Monsun) and is the second dam of offany’s German 2000 Guineas winner Knife Edge.

His second dam Alya finished second in the Preis Der Diana and is a full-sister to the dynasty-founding matriarch Allegretta. The daughter of Lombard, the German St Leger winner and twice Horse of the Year, she is a full-sister to another German St Leger winner in Anno and Listed winner Arionette.

She is also a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and Group 1 second Anatus and Andronikus, a Listed winner. It is arguably the best family in the stud book.

Arrigo’s pedigree has two lines of Northern Dancer through The Minstrel, who is the damsire of Shirocco, and Try My Best, the sire of Arrigo’s broodmare sire Last Tycoon.

Despite this influence, he is free of Northern Dancer’s most successful son Sadler’s Wells so is an option for mares by his sons and grandsons. Annie Power, Shirocco’s most famous offspring, is out of an Old Vic mare, as is this season’s Grade 3 Joe Mac Novice Hurdle winner Shewearsitwell.

Last season’s Grade 2 Dovecote Novice Hurdle winner Highway One O Two (Shirocco) is out of a Supreme Leader mare and his Gold Cup runner-up and Cheltenham Festival winner Minella Rocco is out of a mare by Alleged so daughters of

Flemensfirth and Shantou are options for Arrigo.

The mares he has covered in France and Germany included Kauto Abana, whose dam Kauto Karolyna is a full-sister to the legendary Kauto Star.

She has a yearling colt by Arrigo named Zorro Mes. Sun Seal, a Cape Cross mare whose dam is a half-sister to the dam of Laurens, has a two-year-old colt and yearling filly, both by Arrigo.

DARTMOUTH

Dubawi-Galatee (Galileo) Shade Oak Stud £2,500 Year to stud: 2018 The Royal Ascot winner Dartmouth, whose eldest foals are two-year-olds of 2021, offers NH breeders access to the exciting DubawiGalileo cross that has produced leading young sire Night Of Thunder and last year’s world champion Ghaiyyath.

The Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes winner and King George third is one of three black-type winners so far out of Galatee, a member of Galileo’s first crop and winner of the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes.

She has also foaled the Group 2 Grand Prix du Chantilly and Prix du Conseil winner Manatee (Montjeu) and the Listed-winning Dubai Destination filly Gaterie. Galatee is a

young nh stallions: gb half-sister to the dam of Australian Group 2 winner Aylmerton.

Bred by The Queen, Dartmouth hails from a wonderful Wildenstein family. His second dam Altana is a half-sister to the champion Arcangues and to the Group 3 winner Agathe, who is the dam of champion Aquarelliste and the Group 1 winner and sire Artiste Royal, as well as being the second dam of 1,000 Guineas winner Cape Verdi.

Altana is also a half-sister to the dams of the Group 1 winner Angara and the Group winners Actrice, Breton Rock and Forgotten Voice.

Six members of the first two crops by Dartmouth have sold at auction as foals making an average of €19,117. He stood for £3,000 for each of his first three seasons making his sales average a very healthy return on that investment. A look through his top-priced foals gives insight into the

calibre of mare he is attracting.

The most expensive foal by Dartmouth to sell so far was bred Dr Bryan Mayoh, breeder of Gold Cup winner Sizing John, who has bred two Dartmouth colt foals out of Unika Le Reconce, a winning Robin Des Champs half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 Kauto Star Novice Chase winner Black Corton.

Her now two-year-old made €35,000 to Kevin Ross and Ben Case at the 2019 Tattersalls November NH Sale, while his year-younger full-brother sold for €24,000 last November to Lulham Bloodstock.

Ballincurrig House Stud also sold a Dartmouth colt out of La Doelenaise, a King’s Theatre half-sister to Sizing John, for €24,000 at the 2019 November NH Sale.

Dartmouth covered 55 mares in 2019 and that rose to 71 last year, his largest book since retiring. La Perrotine, the dam of Sizing John, was one of those covered

by Dartmouth in 2020.

He is 5S x 4D to Northern Dancer and 4D x 5S to Mr. Prospector, and Sadler’s Wells would be in the fourth generation of his foals meaning he is perhaps an option for daughters and grand-daughters of Montjeu.

Dubawi has sired the Group 1 winner Journey and the Group 2 winner Indigo Girl out of a Montjeu mare and the Group 2 winners Al Hilalee and Brundtland have sons of Montjeu as their broodmare sires.

Dubawi has gelled with the In The Wings branch of the Sadler’s Wells tree, with four Group 1 winners out of Singspiel mares.

Crossing Dubawi with daughters of Barathea has resulted in three Group 1 winners so far.

Dartmouth’s sire and broodmare sire both work exceedingly well with mares by Monsun and with that sire line one of the pre-eminent in Europe, Dartmouth is an attractive option for Monsun mares.

Dartmouth was rated 119 at his best, was a two-time Group 2 winner over 1m6f and 1m4f and twice a runner-up at Group 1 and Grade 1 level

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young nh stallions: gb Dubawi has a 20 per cent stakes winnersto-runners rate with his runners out of Monsun’s daughters, headed by the triple Group 1 winner Wild Illusion.

DIPLOMAT

Teofilo-Desidera (Shaadi) March Hare Stud £2,000 Year to stud: 2021 An interesting recruit to the NH stallion ranks, this son of Teofilo was a Group 2 winner on the Flat and successful over hurdles at Auteuil.

Bred by Gestüt Röttgen, Diplomat showed plenty of speed during his racing career with his two best performances coming at around a mile. He won Cologne’s Group 2 Meilen

Trophy at that trip and the 1m1f Premio Presidente della Repubblica, also a Group 2.

At the age of eight Diplomat made his hurdling debut at Auteuil and it was a successful one – he defeated subsequent Listed winners Derby De Tendron and Bonaparte Sizing. He ran twice more over hurdles, once in a Listed contest, but failed to improve on his initial success.

Diplomat is out of the Group 3 Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Desidera, one of the handful of good horses sired by the 1989 Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Shaadi, a son of Danzig.

Shaadi is also the broodmare sire of Telescope’s dam and her half-brother, the Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad.

Diplomat’s pedigree also contains the

influence of Hoist The Flag, the broodmare sire of Shaadi and sire of Alleged, whose sons Flemensfirth and Shantou both retired last year after long and distinguished careers as NH stallions.

Desidera was a successful broodmare for R ttgen, and produced the Listed winner and Deutsches Derby second Dickens and the Listed winner Daressalam. She is also the second dam of Sancta Simona, who won the Grade 3 Lough EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle and was second in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle for Willie Mullins and JP McManus.

Desidera was a champion two-year-old filly in Germany and her Cadeaux Genereux half-sister Diacada, who won the German 1,000 Guineas, was a champion three-yearold filly there.

Flag Of Honour: the son of Galileo stands at the National Stud in Newmarket and he has been well-supported by British-based breeders

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young nh stallions: gb They are out of a German champion two-year-old filly in Diasprina, who won the Group 3 Preis der Winterkoenigen.

Dynamis, another of Diasprina’s offspring, belied her moderate racing career to produce the Group 3 winner Dalicia, who is better known as the dam of Animal Kingdom.

Havana Gold is the best stallion to emerge so far by Teofilo, the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner having sired the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes winner Havana Grey.

Despite the apparent speed in the sire line Teofilo has a superb record siring stayers – two winners of the Melbourne Cup attest to that.

The duplication of Danzig in Diplomat’s pedigree through Danehill and Shaadi, as well as his own race record, suggests that Diplomat should be capable of adding speed to more stoutly-bred mares.

FLAG OF HONOUR

Galileo-Hawala (Warning) National Stud £3,000 Year to stud: 2020 The acquisition of the Group 1 Irish St Leger winner Flag Of Honour was something of a coup for the National Stud, as it gives British NH breeders access to a Classic-winning son of Galileo.

Bred by Barronstown Stud out of the winning Warning mare Hawala, Flag Of Honour is a half-brother to Air Chief Marshal, who won the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at two, the Listed Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy and European Free Handicap winner Misu Bond, and the Irish 2,000 Guineas second Foxtrot Romeo, all by Danehill Dancer.

Their Celtic Swing half-sister Slip Dance won the Listed Empress Stakes and Listed Flower of Scotland Stakes and is the second dam of Listed winner and Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes second Awesometank.

Although Flag Of Honour only made his two-year-old debut in late September of 2017, Aidan O’Brien managed to get four juvenile runs into him and he ended that year in October with victory in the Group 3 Killavullen Stakes.

At three he ran in the Group 1 Prix du

Forever Now has been strongly supported by the northern NH breeding powerhouses Jockey Club won by Study Of Man before going on a winning run that started in the Group 2 Curragh Cup over 1m6f, took in the Group 3 St Leger Trial, in which he prevailed by a neck from the 2020 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment, and culminated in his Irish St Leger triumph over a field that included Irish Derby winner Latrobe, Twilight Payment and Idaho.

At four he was dropped back in trip to 1m2f for his first three starts, occupying the runner-up slot behind Magical in each of them, including in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. His final race was the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) when he was fifth to Stradivarius, Dee Ex Bee, Master Of Reality and Cross Counter.

There is no denying that Galileo is Flag Of Honour’s sire – he has similar face markings and that “Galileo look” and physique mark him out.

Amongst his first book of 40 mares was the Balding family’s Victoria Pollard. She is a half-sister to Listed Rose Bowl Stakes winner Ranch Hand out of the Listed and Group 3-placed Victoria Montoy, who is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and sire Passing Glance.

Cherry Pie, dam of Trevor Hemmings and Henry Daly’s Grade 3-winning hurdler Stoney Mountain, and Septembers Hawk, who produced Hemmings’ Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle winner Hawk High, were also covered by Flag Of Honour in 2020.

Stuart Parkin’s Listed EBF Mares’ Novices Chase Series Finale winner Pumped Up Kicks foaled a filly by Flag Of Honour. ulema, a Shamardal half-sister to Brian

Boru, Sea Moon, Soviet Moon, the dam of Workforce, and Moon Search, the dam of Cinders And Ashes, was also members of Flag Of Honour’s first book.

FOREVER NOW

Galileo-All’s Forgotten (Darshaan) Norton Grove Stud £1,000 Year to stud: 2018 Forever Now is a younger full-brother to Shantaram, who has made an encouraging start to his stud career from a handful of opportunities.

The Galileo-Darshaan cross has a 19 per cent stakes winners-to-runners rate and Forever Now is one of the 22 black-type winners bred on the cross – his victory coming in the Listed March Stakes at Goodwood over 1m6f. He was also third in the Sagaro Stakes and the Bahrain Trophy, both Group 3 contests.

His oldest crop are two-year-olds of this year and numbers 15. He has covered small numbers from his Yorkshire base with seven yearlings of 2021 and eight mares covered in 2020, but Forever Now has been strongly supported by the northern NH breeding powerhouses that including Mick Easterby and the Lingwoods of Norton Farm, who stand the stallion.

Bezant, the dam of the Group 3 Jersey Stakes second and Group 3 Diomed Stakes third Deposer, who was also fourth in the Group 1 Breeders’ Futurity, has a yearling colt by Forever Now.

FRONTIERSMAN

Dubawi-Ouija Board (Cape Cross) £1,000 Overbury Stud Year to stud: 2019 An impeccably bred son of Dubawi, who is a half-brother to Derby winner Australia out of the seven-time Group 1 winner Ouija Board, Frontiersman’s appeal is obvious.

The Listed Godolphin Stakes winner, who was runner-up to Highland Reel in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, impressed breeders with his first crop of 63 foals, and his second book increased by 54 per cent in 2020.

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young nh stallions: gb Bred by Ouija Board’s owner-breeder Lord Derby, the eight-year-old is also a half-brother to Australian Group 3 winner Voodoo Prince.

Frontiersman raced in the Godolphin blue silks for Charlie Appleby and made his debut at three, winning over 1m2f on his second start.

In all he ran five times that year and won twice. On just his third start at four, he was pitched into Group 1 company and produced possibly the best performance of his career when second to the global Group 1 winner Highland Reel and finishing ahead of the Group 1 winners Hawkbill and Journey, as well as the Group 2 winners Idaho, Red Verdon, Prize Money, the Group 3 winner and Derby runner-up US Army Ranger, the Listed winner and Group 1-placed Elbereth and the Listed winner Air Patrol.

Later that summer he won the Godolphin Stakes, a 1m4f Listed race at Newmarket, defeating subsequent Group 1 winner Best Of Days. He was also placed in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes and the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

Frontiersman made two starts at Meydan at five and was placed both times – runnerup to Hawkbill in the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold Stakes and fourth to Vazirabad in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup on the World Cup card. He ran 16 times and was only out of the first four on three occasions.

His pedigree is an exciting one – his Galileo half-brother Australia won three times at the highest level and was third in the 2,000 Guineas. His stallion career has yielded 17 individual stakes winners from his first three crops headed by last year’s St Leger winner Galileo Chrome and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia, as well as seven further Group 1-placed horses.

They are two of the five winners so far foaled by the European champion threeyear-old filly of 2004, Ouija Board.

Among the seven top level trophies collected by Lord Derby’s homebred daughter of Cape Cross were those for consecutive victories in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Her dam Selection Board is a Welsh Pageant full-sister to the Grade 1 Arlington Million and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

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to the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle winner Across The Bay, was among the mares covered by Frontiersman in his first book and she has a yearling colt by the Listed winner.

Ocarina Davis, a Ballingarry half-sister to Grade 2 winner Violin Davis out of a full-sister to six time Grade 1 winner Klairon Davis, also has a Frontiersman yearling colt.

HARBOUR LAW

Harbour Law (Lawman) winning the St Leger

winner Teleprompter and a half-sister to Rosia Bey, the dam of Group 1 winners Roseate Tern and Ibn Bey, and second dam of Red Camellia, a Group 2 winner who has been a highly influential broodmare for Cheveley Park Stud.

As a son of Dubawi and a half-brother to one of Galileo’s five Derby winners, with a pedigree absolutely clear of Sadler’s Wells, Frontiersman is an excellent choice for daughters of Galileo and his stallion sons.

As mentioned earlier, Dubawi has an excellent record with various branches of the Sadler’s Wells line and daughters of Kayf Tara, Milan, Old Vic, Singspiel, In The Wings, Adlerflug, Soldier Hollow et al would also suit Frontiersman on pedigree.

Black Sam Bellamy could be a good fit as he is a full-brother to Galileo.

Southern Kate, a Kayf Tara half-sister

Lawman-Abunai (Pivotal) Batsford Stud £2,000 Year to stud: 2019 A tough and talented Classic winner from an excellent Hascombe Stud family, Harbour Law brings an exciting genetic mix to NH breeders as a son of Lawman out of a Pivotal mare.

Bred by Anthony Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Studs, Harbour Law is a half-brother to the Group 3 Craven Stakes third Moheet out of Abunai, a Pivotal half-sister to the Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes winner Miss Keller by Montjeu.

Abunai is also a half-sister to the Group 2 May Hill Stakes second Kotsi, Sir George Turner, who was second in the Group 3 Select Stakes and Listed Dee Stakes, and to Oshiponga, the winning dam of Hatta Fort, Spirit Of Appin and the Group 3 winner Blue Bayou. She is also the second dam of Irish St Leger second and Group 2 Geoffrey Freer Stakes winner Agent Murphy.

His second dam Ingozi won a Listed mile at Sandown and is a Warning half-sister to Inchinor, who died before he could fulfil his early stallion potential. She is also a half-sister to Listed winner Incheni and to Inchyre, the winning dam of Group 3 winner Ursa Major and second dam of Poet’s Word, the dual Group 1 winner by Poet’s Voice.

Sold by Malcolm Bastard to Killtown Bloodstock at the Goffs London Sale in 2015, Harbour Law had a short but successful racing career that began at three with a debut second place in a 1m4f maiden.

He won a Salisbury maiden over that trip on his second start and, when stepped up to 1m6f, added a second success.

Harbour Law was less than a length behind Sword Fighter when second in the

FLAG OF HONOUR G A L I L E O - H AWA L A ( WA R N I N G )

WE ARE DELIGHTED WITH OUR FLAG OF HONOUR FOAL!

COLT EX MADAME ROUGE (MAJOR CADEAUX) BREEDER: MR & MRS WAYNE & SARAH CLIFFORD, BYERLEY STUD (6 weeks old)

He’s a strong colt with plenty of substance and quality. We couldn’t be more pleased with him he’s a great advert for the stallion. It’ll be our intention to race him.”

M R W AY N E C L I F F O R D , BYERLEY STUD

OUR FLAG OF HONOUR FILLY OUT OF OUR BLACK TYPE MARE HAS REALLY IMPRESSED ME. FILLY EX LISTED WINNER PUMPED UP KICKS (FLEMENSFIRTH) BREEDER: MR STUART PARKIN (3 weeks old)

She’s very athletic, has a great walk and ticks all the right boxes. We are thrilled with her.”

M R S T U A R T PA R K I N

FEE: £3,000 LIVE FOAL N O M I N AT I O N E N Q U I R I E S J O E C A L L A N 07872 058295

T I M L A N E 07738 496141

young nh stallions: gb Listed Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, and ahead of subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment. Dropped back to 1m5f for the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy for his next run, he was two lengths fourth behind Housesofparliament.

His greatest moment came in the St Leger when he provided trainer Laura Mongan with her first Classic success showing determination and talent to defeat Ventura Storm and Housesofparliament.

He ran twice at four, his final start a sterling effort when chasing home Big Orange and Order Of St George to finish third in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup. It was discovered after that he had suffered a career-ending injury.

Lawman is the sire of six individual Group 1 winners, the most recent being last season’s Fillies’ Mile heroine Pretty Gorgeous.

One third of Lawman’s Group 1 winners are out of mares by Rainbow Quest and in total 19 per cent of Lawman’s Group winners have Rainbow Quest as their broodmare sire.

Lawman’s Group 1 winner Most Improved and the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed US Law are both out of mares by Linamix, hinting that mares with Linamix and his sons such as Martaline might suit Harbour Law. His owners Jackie and Nick Cornwell have supported Harbour Law and his first crop numbers 36 yearlings and he covered 27 mares in 2020.

JACK HOBBS

Halling-Swain’s Gold (Swain) Overbury Stud £3,000 Year to stud: 2018 Over the past four decades the Irish Derby has impacted massively on the breeding of thoroughbreds with winners including Kahyasi, Old Vic, Montjeu, Galileo, High Chaparral, Soldier Of Fortune and Fame And Glory making their mark on the breed.

Stallions such as Old Vic, Montjeu and Galileo, and sons Soldier Of Fortune and the late Fame And Glory, the Irish Derby has exerted enormous influence on NH racing.

Jack Hobbs, the John Gosden-trained winner of the 2015 race, is the first Irish Derby hero since Fame And Glory to retire

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Jack Hobbs has received strong support from breeders in his first three seasons at stud directly to the NH breeding ranks.

Bred by Willie Carson and his late wife Elaine, Jack Hobbs was sold for 60,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock at the 2013 Tattersalls October Book 3 Sale.

He had the misfortune to be of the same Classic crop as Golden Horn, whom he chased home in both the Group 2 Dante Stakes and Derby. In between those two runs he was purchased by Godolphin for whom he comfortably won the Irish Derby, beating Storm The Stars, Highland Reel and Oaks winner Qualify.

Freshened up after a summer break, Gosden sent him to Kempton for the Group 3 September Stakes, which he won easily, before a third place in the Group 1 Champions’ Stakes at Ascot.

He ran just twice at four again taking the third step on the podium in the Champions’ Stakes.

Kept in training at five, he started the

JACK HOBBS: race statistics

season with a triumphant return to the winners’ enclosure after the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, defeating Group 1 winners Highland Reel, Postponed and Seventh Heaven.

He is one of four winners out of Swain’s Gold and the best runner she has produced so far. Her other black-type performer is Niceofyoutotellme, a son of Hernando who was third in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes for Ralph Beckett the same season Jack Hobbs won the Irish Derby.

His second dam Golden Pond, by the Ahonoora stallion Don’t Forget Me, was twice a Graded winner at Gulfstream Park and won the Listed Prix de Cochere at SaintCloud. At stud she foaled the stakes-winning Stravinsky mare Brazilian and is a half-sister to the dam of Group 3 May Hill Stakes winner Pollenator.

As a son of Halling out of a Swain mare, Jack Hobbs offers breeders a vital complete outcross with a pedigree clear of inbreeding within the first five generations and with just one line of Northern Dancer through Nijinsky.

Halling is already the sire of Coastal Path, who was on his way to becoming an influential NH sire before a testicular problem forced his retirement from stud duties at the age of 15. He is the sire of a trio of Willie Mullins-trained Grade 1 winners Asterion Forlonge, Bacardys Franco De Port, as well as the Closutton maestro’s 2020 Grade 2 Fred Winter winner Saint Roi. Jack Hobbs has received strong support from breeders in his first three seasons at

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

young nh stallions: gb stud with a first crop of 99 foals and 80 foals registered in 2020. He covered 134 mares in his third season, a slight increase on his 2019 book.

Five foals from his first crop were offered for sale at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale with four selling for an average of €34,500 with the median price slightly higher at €35,500. It represented an excellent return on his covering fee which was set at £4,000 for 2018.

The most expensive foal of those was the half-sister to the Grade 1 winner L’Ami Serge out of the Auteuil Listed winner La ingarella, who made €42,000 to Kieran Mariga sold by Stephen Kemble.

Jack Hobbs’ most expensive colt foal so far was the first foal of Luz De La Vida, a King’s Theatre half-sister to the four-time Grade 1 winner Punjabi and Grade 3 winner Attribution. He was sold by Throckmorton Court Stud for €38,000 to Timmy Hillman.

Brendan Bashford went to €33,000 to secure Mill House Stud’s Jack Hobbs colt out of Clever Mode, a Poliglote half-sister to Master Minded, while Stephen Kemble also sold a Jack Hobbs colt out of the Listedplaced Blaeberry for €25,000.

Three members of that first crop sold at the 2019 Goffs December NH Sale for an average price of €22,333. The most expensive was Thistletown Stud’s colt out of Lady Karina, a daughter of Kayf Tara and Lady Rebecca, who made €34,000 to Kevin Ross.

Mill House Stud also sold the most expensive Jack Hobbs’ weanling at the 2020 Goffs UK January Sale, a colt out of Grade 2 winner Easter Legend, who made £24,000 to George Mullins.

In total, 19 members of his first crop changed hands at that sale for an average price of £8,395, slightly more than double his covering fee.

MASTER CARPENTER

Mastercraftsman-Fringe (In The Wings) March Hare Stud £1,000 Year to stud: 2019 A tough and hard-knocking son of Mastercraftsman who was still winning at the age of seven, Master Carpenter is from the stallion family of Eljazzi.

If you were asked to come up with a dream pedigree for a stallion, you would be hardpressed to design one better than that of Masterstroke Winner of the Group 3 Prix Daphnis and Listed Herod Stakes at three, Master Carpenter was a £30,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale purchase by trainer Rod Millman from Newtown Stud.

As one would expect from a Doncaster yearling, he was a precocious sort winning a 5f maiden on debut at Leicester in April 2013.

On his seasonal reappearance at three he finished third to Kingman in the Group 3 Craven Stakes and filled the same position behind Western Hymn in the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial, his first attempt at 1m2f.

He followed up that performance with second place in Newmarket’s Listed Fairway Stakes before gaining his first stakes success in the Listed Heron Stakes over a mile at Sandown.

He then travelled to Chantilly to win the 1m1f Group 3 Prix Daphnis before third placed in Maisons-Laffitte’s Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam.

At four he won York’s John Smith’s Cup, earning him his career-best official rating of 110, and was also second in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

He made ten starts as a five-year-old without winning, his best performance arguably his third place behind Cannock Chase and Western Hymn in the Group 3 Huxley Stakes at Chester.

Master Carpenter was sixth to Postponed in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom,

finishing ahead of Group 1 winner Arabian Queen.

Kept in training at six and seven he ran 19 more times and won twice, a victory in each season for a total of seven career wins and 12 places from 53 wins.

He is a member of the first crop of foals by the four-time Group 1 winner Mastercraftsman, who is now the sire of 15 individual Group 1 winners.

Mastercraftsman showed remarkable soundness and an aptitude for racing, as well as talent, during a career that began in April 2013 and finished five and a half years later in October 2018.

His pedigree is one of the best in the world for producing stallions – his dam is an In The Wings close sister to the Listed Prix Petite Etoile winner Mount Elbrus (Barathea). She is the dam of the Listed winner Lava Flow, who is the dam of European champion two-year-old Pinatubo, a new Flat stallion at Darley for 2021.

Mount Elbrus and Fringe are out of El Jazirah, an unraced Kris full-sister to Rafha, dam of leading stallions Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Rafha is also the dam of the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes winner Acts Of Grace, who is the second dam of the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club and Saudi Cup winner Mishriff.

Another of Rafha’s daughters, the Listed winner Massarra, is the dam of the Group 1 winner Nayarra and the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Gustav Klimt, whose first crop also turned one this year.

El Jazirah and Rafha are also half-sisters of Al Anood, the Listed-winning dam of the Australian Group 1 winner Pride Of Dubai, who was leading first-season sire Down Under last season and had the highest percentage of stakes winners-to-runners of any first-season sire in Europe during 2020.

His pedigree features linebreeding to Sharpen Up through Mira Adonde, dam of Mastercraftsman’s sire Danehill Dancer, and through Kris, who is the sire of his second dam El Jazirah.

Master Carpenter’s first crop contained 11 reported foals, including the first foal of Achianna, a Gemologist half-sister to Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes winner Saint Anddan, and he covered four mares in 2020.

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young nh stallions: gb MASTERSTROKE

Monsun-Melikah (Lammtarra) Yorton Farm Stud £3,000 Year to stud: 2014 If you were asked to come up with a dream pedigree for a stallion, you would be hardpressed to design one better than that of Masterstroke. New to Britain for 2021, the 12-year-old is a son of the leading NH stallion influence Monsun out of arguably the best female family in the world.

Bred by Godolphin out of the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner and Oaks and Irish Oaks-placed Melikah (Lammtarra), he is a half-brother to the Group 3 winners Royal Line and Moonlight Magic and the Listed winner Hidden Gold.

His Selkirk half-sister Villarrica is the dam of the Group 2 winner and Group 1 Jebel Hatta second Vancouverite (Dansili), but, more importantly, she is the second dam of the Group 2 UAE Derby and Group 3 UAE Oaks winner Khawlah (Cape Cross), who is the dam of Godolphin’s first homebred Derby winner Masar, a son of New Approach.

That would usually be more than enough of a pedigree to recommend a stallion, but it doesn’t tell half the story.

Masterstroke’s dam was the first foal out of legendary Urban Sea, so she is a half-sister to the era-defining stallion Galileo, first-class sire Sea The Stars and Black Sam Bellamy, who was a successful NH sire getting the likes of Sam Spinner and The Giant Bolster.

Urban Sea’s final foal, Born To Sea, is also the sire of Grade 1-winning hurdler A Wave Of The Sea, and the Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed hurdler Aspire Tower.

The family also includes the Group 1 winner and sire Tamayuz, whose Anabaa half-sister Thamaraat is the second dam of last season’s Irish Derby and Group 2 Queen’s Vase winner Santiago.

Tamayuz is out of Al Ishq, a Nureyev halfsister to the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner and sire Anabaa Blue.

Tertullian, a Miswaki three-parts brother to Urban Sea, was champion sire in Germany prior to his enforced retirement, but his Group 1 Grosser Preis DallmayrPreis-winning son Guiliani, who is out of a Monsun mare, is now at stud in Germany

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asterstroke’s four-year-old son Hardi Du Mesnil topped the 2021 Arqana February Sale and his oldest crop is three.

Of course there is also last year’s German champion sire Adlerflug from this family – the son of In The Wings sired last year’s Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner and Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Grand Prix de Paris second In Swoop.

He is one of five individual Group 1 winners so far sired by the Deutsches Derby and Deutschland-Preis winner whose second dam Alya was second in the Preis der Diana and is a Lombard full-sister to Allegretta.

On the track Masterstroke narrowly failed to become the third Arc winner in his direct female family when third behind Solemia and Orfevre, but ahead of Group 1 winners that included Great Heavens, Camelot and St Nicholas Abbey.

He won the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville and the Listed Prix Frederic de la Grange, all run over trips around 1m4f.

Trained by André Fabre, he won his only start at two, over a mile at Saint-Cloud, and was also placed in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart and Group 3 Prix du Lys at three.

He retired to Haras du Logis in 2014 and his oldest runners are six. He has 165 foals from his first six crops with 125 of racing age with 33 winners from 81 runners.

On the Flat he is the sire of Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Miss Extra, a fouryear-old filly out of the Keltos mare Kestria.

Already from his first crop emerged the Grade 3 Prix Bournosienne and Listed Prix de Chambly winner Floridee, an AQPS mare out of a daughter of Dom Alco, while he is the sire of Middleham Park Racing’s promising juvenile hurdler Paros.

Masterstroke’s four-year-old son Hardi

Du Mesnil topped the 2021 Arqana February Sale when making €250,000 to Gold Cup winning owner Robert Waley-Cohen.

Successful over hurdles on his debut in January he is a half-brother to Dublin Racing Festival’s Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Gaillard Du Mesnil. That is the highest price achieved at auction by Masterstroke’s offspring to date.

A Masterstroke colt foal out of Ryme Bere made 30,000gns to Timmy Hillman from Mill House Stud at last December’s Tattersalls Foal Sale.

His pedigree is free of inbreeding with Lammtarra’s sire Nijinksy the only representative of Northern Dancer in the first five generations.

Inbreeding to Allegretta has already provided him with two winners on the Flat, Ballydoyle and Bullet Boy, who are both out of mares by Urban Sea’s half-brother, the 2,000 Guineas winner King’s Best.

Inbreeding to Urban Sea has already provided the family with their third Epsom Derby winner in Masar, so mares by Galileo’s stallion sons would only create 3x4 inbreeding to the great matriarch.

PETHER’S MOON

Dylan Thomas-Softly Tread (Tirol) Yorton Farm Stud £2,000 Year to stud: 2016 The Group 1 Coronation Cup winner Pether’s Moon enters an exciting period of his stallion career at Yorton Farm as his first crop of runners are now four-year-olds.

One of seven individual Group/Grade 1 winners by Dylan Thomas, the first horse to win successive renewals of the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, Pether’s Moon was bred

by Michael Daly and bought for €52,000 by Peter and Ross Doyle at the 2011 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.

Trained by Richard Hannon, he ran seven times at three at trips varying from a mile to 1m6f and won three. The most important victory was his first at stakes level in the Listed Floodlit Stakes at Kempton.

He ran up a sequence of four placed results in Group company on his first four starts at four, including behind Telescope and Hillstar in the Group 2 Hardwicke

young nh stallions: gb Stakes at Royal Ascot, before defeating St Leger winner Encke in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes.

Pether’s Moon also won the Group 2 Bosphorus Cup and the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes, beating Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Parish Hall.

Owner John Manley kept Pether’s Moon in training at five and was rewarded with a breakthrough Group 1 success in the Coronation Cup, with Flintshire in third.

That triumph was the final act of a 21-race career in which he demonstrated remarkable consistency across a variety of distances.

He is out of the Group 3 Gladness Stakes and Listed Tyros Stakes winner Softly Tread (Tirol) so his dam showed precocity to win a Listed race at two and was successful over 7f at three. She is one of two winners produced by the Listed Trigo Stakes second Second Guess, who is by Ela-Mana-Mou. Pether’s Moon is another outcross option for British NH breeders given that Sadler’s Wells is entirely absent from his pedigree.

He is inbred 5x5 to the great Natalma through his grandsire Danehill and, with the known affinity of the Galileo line with

Danehill line sires, he is a valid option for mares by Galileo and his stallion sons.

Peintre Celebre and the Nureyev line could also work as two more of Dylan Thomas’s top level winners were out of Nureyev mares From just four first crop runners so far, he is already off the mark as a sire. Daughter Anneloralas won an Auteuil three-year-old hurdle for Gabriel Leenders and has since been placed in the Listed Prix Robert Weill and Prix Fiferlet. She was bought by her trainer at the 2019 Yorton Sale and is out of Kahyasi mare Loralas, a half-sister to two Listed placed jumpers.

He is also the sire of Honey Wolf, who was second on debut at Pau in December for David Cottin. The AQPS filly was bred by Yorton, as was Anneloralas.

His first crop averaged €25,566 as threeyear-olds in 2020 with the highest price of £30,000 given by Charlie and Francesca Poste for Martson Stud’s gelding out of Koolala, a three-time winner by Kayf Tara, at the Goffs UK Summer Sale.

The top-priced filly was the daughter of Drop Of Spirit, a Westerner mare out of Jessica Harrington’s Tote Gold Trophy and

County Hurdle winner Spirit Leader.

Highflyer Bloodstock on behalf of Lucy Wadham went to £20,000 to secure the filly whose dam is also a half-sister to Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle winner Prince Of Scars and the Grade 2-winning chaser Fulsom Blues.

That first crop numbers 45 foals, with 52 three-year-olds. He has 41 yearlings and 36 foals and in 2020 he covered 39 mares.

PLANTEUR

Danehill Dancer-Plante Rare (Giant’s Causeway) Chapel Stud £3,000 Year to stud: 2-14 (New to Chapel) Planteur hails from a Wildenstein family that continues to produce top class horses.

Planteur is a Danehill Dancer close brother to Pretty Please (Dylan Thomas), who is the dam of last year’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin and Prix d’Ispahan winner Persian King, a son of Kingman who won the Group 1 Poule d’Essais des Poulains at three for André Fabre.

His dam Plante Rare is a Giant’s Causeway half-sister to the Group 2 winner and sire

Pether’s Moon: the Group 1 winner is by Dylan Thomas and is standing at Yorton Farm for £2,000. From just four runners he is already off the mark

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young nh stallions: gb Policy Maker, as well as the Group 2 winner Pushkin and the Group 3 winner Place Rouge.

They are out of Palmeraie, a Lear Fan half-sister to Peintre Bleue, the Grade 2-winning dam of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Grand Prix de Paris winner and sire Peintre Celebre (Nureyev).

The winner of seven of his 24 starts including the Group 1 Prix Ganay, as well as the Prix d’Harcourt and the Prix Noailles, both Group 2 contests over 1m2f at Longchamp, as well as Windsor’s Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes and the Listed Witer Derby Trial at Lingfield, Planteur is already a sire of Group winners.

Placed on six occasions at the highest level including twice in both the Dubai World Cup and Prix d’Ispahan, Planteur was also second

in the Prix du Jockey Club.

He was trained by Elie Lelouche for the Wildenstein family until a private sale after his four-year-old season in which he won the Prix Ganay ahead of multiple Group 1 winners Sarafina, Cirrus des Aigles and Cape Blanco. He raced in the colours of Sheikh Joaan Al-Thani for his five-year-old career, placing second to Maxios in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan and third behind Animal Kingdom and Red Cadeaux in the Dubai World Cup. Planteur retired to Haras de Boquetot in 2014 and stood there for five seasons before a two-year stint at Haras de Grand Courgeon prior to his move to Rosin Close’s Chapel Stud ahead of the 2021 season.

From 155 runners so far he has sired Group/Graded horses on the Flat and over jumps with his best performer on the level the Alan King-trained Trueshan, who won

Planteur: the son of Danehill Dancer has stood one season at Chapel Stud and is available at £3,000

the Group 2 Long Distance Cup with Hollie Doyle on Champions’ Day last October.

The five-year-old also won the Listed Tapster Stakes over 1m4f last year.

He is also the sire of the Listed Premio Archidamia winner and the Group 3 St Leger Italiano second Agnes, as well as three further Listed winners – Domagnano, Plegastell and Road To Arc. The Group 2 UAE Derby third Manguzi and Over Reacted, who was third in the 5f Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg, are amongst the 10 stakes horses sired by Planteur on the Flat.

His oldest crop is still just six, but Planteur has four black-type winners over jumps to his credit, headed by the Grade 2 Premio Criterium de Primavera winner Edidindo and Henry Brulard, winner of the Listed Prix Wild Risk Hurdle at Compiegne and placed in two Listed races at Autueil.

Planteur has 78 winners from 155 runners so far over jumps with reduced crops of 18 three-year-olds and 19 two-year-olds.

Few of Planteur’s offspring have gone through the ring at the store sales, but one eye-catching sale took place at the 2018 Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables offered a half-brother to three winners out of an Epervier Bleu full-sister to Group 3 Prix de l’Air winner Yvecrique. The gelding made €65,000 to Kevin Ross, a figure significantly higher than the sale’s average of €48,389.

Sons of Danehill Dancer are sought after by the NH studs, especially with the proliferation of the Sadler’s Wells line through Montjeu and Galileo.

TELESCOPE

Galileo-Velouette (Darshaan) Shade Oak Stud £3,000 Year to stud: 2016 Bred by the David and Diane Nagle at their renowned Barronstown Stud, Telescope made his racecourse debut in the September of his two-year-old season when second over 7f before stepping up to a mile for his second start and winning a Newmarket maiden.

Successful on his seasonal reappearance at three, he was then second in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes ahead of Noble Mission before winning the Group 2

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young nh stallions: gb Great Voltigeur Stakes.

At four he won Royal Ascot’s Hardwicke Stakes (G2) and performed well when runner-up at Group 1 level giving Taghrooda a stone in the King George. He was third to Australia and The Grey Gatsby over the 1m2f of the Juddmonte International (G1).

Telescope ended the season taking fourth place behind Main Sequence and Flintshire in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Telescope is by Galileo and out of the Darshaan mare Velouette, thus bred on a cross that has an impressive 19 per cent black-type winners-to-runners rate.

Velouette is an unraced half-sister to the Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner, Champion Stakes second and Derby third Moon Ballad, who also won the Group 2 Dante Stakes. She is also a half-sister to the Nashwan mare Velvet Lady, who is the dam of Grade 2 Elite Hurdle winner Purple Bay. His second dam Velvet Moon is a daughter of Shaadi, already discussed under Diplomat, and won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at two so there is potential for speed in Telescope’s genes along with the obvious stamina influences of Galileo and Darshaan and the stouter elements of his dam’s family.

Velvet Moon is a half-sister to the Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler Buena Vista (In The Wings), and his Group 1 Derby Italiano and Premio Presidente della Repubblica-winning full-brother Central Park and full-sister Mellow Park, winner of the Group 3 Lancashire Oaks. They are out of the Relkino mare Park Special.

With the point-to-point seasons restricted in both Ireland and the UK, Telescope’s first crop has not so far had the opportunity to strut their stuff in four-year-old maidens.

Of that first crop, the highest price paid at the 2020 store sales was for a gelding out of the King’s Theatre mare Theatre Belle, a Listed-placed hurdler and the dam of three winners. He was sold for €47,000 by Liss House Stud to Warren Ewing and Barry Geraghty at the Goffs Land Rover Sale, a healthy return on the £21,000 Bleahen paid for him at the Goffs UK January 2018 Sale.

Telescope’s first crop averaged €16,579 at the store sales last year and his foal sale average was €9,959 down from 2019’s figure of €12,299.

Telescope covered 124 mares last year and one of his regular dates has been La Perrotine, the dam of Gold Cup winner Sizing John Of his second crop, the most expensive so far to sell is the first foal out of Listed-placed chaser Storming Strumpet.

The colt made €32,000 to Kevin Ross at the 2018 Goffs December NH Sale and again he is 3x3 to Sadler’s Wells, having Kayf Tara

as his broodmare sire.

Telescope’s books have been large on both quantity and quality; in 2019 he was the second-busiest stallion in Britain covering 176 mares, which was bettered only by Kingman that year.

Telescope covered 124 mares last year and one of his regular dates has been La Perrotine, the dam of Gold Cup winner Sizing John, the recent Grade 2-winning hurdler Anythingforlove and the Listedplaced Scholastica.

She has a three-year-old colt by Telescope, who made £40,000 to JD Moore at the 2019 Goffs UK January Sale and foaled a filly by him in 2020.

Another regular name in Telescope’s black book is the Listed winning mare Lifeboat Mona, who also has Kayf Tara as her sire.

She has a three-year-old filly and twoyear-old and yearling colts by Telescope and remained faithful to him last year.

Her yearling colt was bought for €24,000

by Rathbarry Stud at Goffs December NH Sale.

Telescope

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young nh stallions: ire

The next generation Young-bloods based in Ireland: an A-Z by Aisling Crowe

AFFINISEA

Sea The Stars-Affianced (Erins Isle) Whytemount Stud €2,500 Year to stud: 2017 As a Sea The Stars three-parts brother to the Irish Derby and Coronation Cup winner and established NH sire Soldier Of Fortune, the appeal Affinisea holds for NH breeders was immediately apparent when he retired to the O’Neill family’s Whytemount Stud in 2017.

Bred by Jim Bolger’s Redmondstown Stud from the first crop of Sea The Stars, Affinisea topped the Goffs’ November Foal Sale when selling for €850,000 to his sire’s ownerbreeder.

He made a winning racecourse debut at four over 1m4f for John Oxx and narrowly failed to make it two wins from two starts when second over 1m6f at Killarney as a five-year-old.

Affinisea has an outstanding pedigree that has been nutured by Jim Bolger over successive generations – he is also a threeparts brother to Group 3 Meld Stakes and Listed Silver Stakes winner Heliostatic, who is at stud in Argentina. Carriglawn, their Rock Of Gibraltar half-brother, also won the Listed Silver Stakes, and they are out of Affianced, a daughter of Erin’s Isle and winner of The Curragh’s Debutante Stakes (L).

Affianced is a half-sister to the Group 1-winning two-year-old Sholokhov, sire of Gold Cup winner Don Cossack, Shishkin and Bob Olinger.

Another half-sister, the Listed winner Zvaleta, is the second dam of Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Intense Focus and third dam of Skitter Scatter, winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Her Nordico half-sister Raghida was second in the Group 3 Curragh Stakes and is the ancestress of last season’s Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Subjectivist and his Teofilo full-brother Sir Ron Priestley,

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Affinisea: the most expensive foal by the son of Sea The Stars made €58,000 bought by Richard Rohan

who was runner-up in the 2019 St Leger.

Affianced’s dam La Meilleure is a Listed Flat winner by Lord Gayle.

In his first season at stud, Affinisea covered 123 mares but that number has increased in each of the subsequent three seasons with his book accommodating 203 mares in 2020 on the strength of the quality of his foals.

His oldest crop will be making their first appearances at the 2021 store sales and there are a number of well-bred and pricey pinhooks amongst those, including the most expensive Affinisea foal so far – a colt who made €58,000 to Richard Rohan of Ballincurrig House Stud at Goffs December 2018.

Bred by Debbie O’Neill, he is the second foal out of Medicine Woman, by the family’s

late sire Stowaway, and a full-sister to the Grade 1 winner Outlander, as well as the Grade 2 winners Western Leader and Ice Cold Soul, and the Listed-winning hurdler Mart Lane.

Whytemount Stud also sold the second highest-priced foal from Affinisea’s first crop, a €30,000 colt out of the bumper-winning Behena, a Halling half-sister to the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Four-YearOld Hurdle winner Barizan.

At the same sale, John Donaghy went to €20,000 for an Affinisea colt out of Glenadoon, a Beneficial half-sister to Troytown Chase winner Royal County Star.

Noted pinhookers with members of Affinisea’s first crop for this year’s store sales include the Bleahen Brothers and Oneliner Stables. A dozen foals from his first crop sold

young nh stallions: ire at auction for an average of €14,871, almost 10 times his advertised fee of €1,500.

The foal out of Ceol Rua, the Listedwinning Bob Back half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Glen’s Melody, topped the prices for Affinisea’s second crop of foals making €38,000 to Ian Ferguson at Goffs December 2019.

Borris House’s colt out of Presenting mare Derrinlana was the most expensive foal of the handful from his third crop who changed hands at auction in 2020 when making €23,000 at Goffs in December.

Other well-bred members of Affinisea’s first crop include a son of Sosua, an Exceed And Excel half-sister to Hurricane Fly and to the dam of Grade 1 winner Tornado Flyer, a half-brother to Grade 3-winning chaser Village Vic, and a colt out of an unraced full-sister to Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase winner Bog Warrior.

AUSTRIAN SCHOOL

Teofilo-Swiss Roll (Entrepreneur) Clongiffen Stud €3,000 Year to stud: 2020 A Teofilo half-brother to one of the most famous and popular chasers of the decade, Austrian School’s kinship with Tiger Roll is not the main reason why this 16.2h bay was snapped up for stud duties – he has a pedigree to recommend him.

Dam Swiss Roll has produced blacktype performers on the Flat as well as her Cheltenham Festival and Grand Nationalwinning son.

The daughter of Entrepreneur was second in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes and her Dubawi son Ahzeemah was a high-class stayer on the Flat for Godolphin winning the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup and the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy.

Austrian School was a classy performer and earned an official rating of 110 during his four-year-old season.

Forward enough to win on his debut at two over mile for Mark Johnston in August, he also won over 1m2f that season. At three he made a winning seasonal reappearance over 1m6f and was second in the Listed Glasgow Stakes over 1m6f.

His final start of 11 races that year came

in the 1m6f Listed Noel Murless Stakes in which he finished a close third.

The following year he won on his seasonal bow once more and was third to Dee Ex Bee in the Group 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown and second in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes.

A consistent horse Austrian School ran 18 times and won four races finishing out of the first four on just three occasions.

Dam Swiss Roll is a full-sister to Berenson, who was second in the Group 1 National Stakes at two and is a half-sister to Group 3 Park Express Stakes winner Pollen, the dam of Japanese Group 3 placed Pollentia.

Austrian School retired to Clongiffen Stud in 2020 and is an option for mares free from Sadler’s Wells blood considering he is inbred 3x3 to the dominant sire of our times.

His first book of 25 was populated by some well-related mares including Mariah Mooney, a half-sister to the Grade 1 Leopardstown novice chase winner Mariah Rollins, who is also the dam of Pendra, a Grade 3-winning chaser also second in the Grade 1 Tolworth Novice Hurdle.

Haarth Of Gold, an unraced Alhaarth half-sister to the Grade 3-winning mare Listen Dear from the family of Grade 1 Finale Hurdle winner Tempo d’Or, was also covered

by Austrian School in 2020.

The stakes-producing Danehill Dancer mare Kawaha visited Austrian School last year. She is the dam of the Listed Silken Gilder Stakes winner Seolan and out of a half-sister to Listed winner Kenmist, dam of the Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner Grey Lilas, dam of the three-time Group 1 winner Golden Lilac.

BERKSHIRE

Mount Nelson-Kinnaird (Dr Devious) Kedrah House Stud Private Year to stud: 2018 Berkshire impressed breeders when he transferred to the Meaghers’ Kedrah House Stud from France in 2019 and so happy were those who patronised him in his first Irish season that his book grew to 193 in 2020, from 149 a year previously.

By the late Mount Nelson, sire of top level winners on the Flat and over hurdles, Berkshire is an excellent cross for the

sizeable broodmare population that hails from the Sadler’s Wells line.

He was a high-class juvenile winning at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes and was successful in the Group 3 Darley Stakes at three. As a five-year-old he won the Listed August Stakes over 1m3f demonstrating he possessed stamina allied to the precocity of his earlier days.

He began his stud career at Haras de Gelos in 2018, but was just one season in France before his move to Ireland.

He has an excellent pedigree as a son of Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner Kinnaird, (Doctor Devious). He is a half-brother to Keenes Royale, the winning dam of the Group 2 Richmond and July Stakes winner Ivawood, also placed in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Group 1 2,000 Guineas and Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Kinnaird is a half-sister to the Group 3 Chester Vase winner Mickdaam and it is also the family of multiple Group 1 queen Laurens.

Berkshire is inbred 4x3 to the highly influential stallion Be My Guest, and has four lines of Northern Dancer in his first five generations, but three of them are in the fifth generation and one in the fourth.

At the 2020 foal sales, 14 members of his first Irish-bred crop were sold for an average price of €8,821. The most expensive was the colt out of Chosen Destiny, a Well Chosen half-sister to the triple Grade 2-winning novice chaser Burton Port.

Sold by Kedrah House Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale, he made €20,000 to Gatterstown Stud.

Robert Wade’s Tipperary nursery was also the buyer of the second-highest priced Berkshire foal at the sale going to €16,000 to secure a colt from the same family. He is the first foal out of Chosen Law, an unraced Rule Of Law half-sister to Burton Port.

The Bleahen brothers were amongst the purchasers of Berkshire’s first crop securing Barbara Lordan’s colt, the first foal of a Getaway half-sister to Grade 1 Golden Cygnet Novices’ Hurdle winner and Albert Bartlett second Commander of Fleet, for €15,500.

His dam Getaway Franjoe returned to Berkshire in 2020 as did Chosen Destiny, and her full-sister Winding Bae, who has a Berkshire yearling colt.

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young nh stallions: ire Great Decision, dam of the Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 third Top Ville Ben, has a yearling filly by Berkshire as does the Autueil Grade 1-placed hurdler Clear Riposte, who was a Grade 2 winner at Leopardstown.

CAPRI

Galileo-Dialafara (Anabaa) Grange Stud €4,000 Year to stud: 2020 Capri’s first foals are eagerly awaited having covered 150 mares in his first season at stud.

He is a dual Classic winner defeating Cracksman and Wings Of Eagles in the Irish Derby and Crystal Ocean and Stradivarius in the St Leger. He was also a classy juvenile, landing the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at two for Aidan O’Brien.

Bred by Lynch Bages and Camas Park Stud, Capri ended a juvenile season with a third place to Waldgeist and Best Solution in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud.

He remained in training at four and the best performance of the season in Group 1 company was his fourth place in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

At five he was third in the Listed Saval Beg Stakes at 1m6f behind subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment

and filled the same position in the 2m Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes.

The seven-year-old is one of nine stakes winners from 27 runners, including full-sister Passion and full-brother Cypress Creek, bred on the successful Galileo-Anabaa cross.

Europe’s champion three-year-old stayer of 2017 is a grandson of the Group 2 Prix de Malleret winner and Group 1 Prix Vermeille second Diamilina, a daughter of the hugely influential sire Linamix.

The top class NH stallion Martaline is a son of Linamix, while the likes of the Group 1 Prix du Cadran and dual Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Vazirabad, the Classic winner Blue Bunting, the Group 1 winner and first-season sire Ectot and his Group 1-winning half-brother Most Improved, are amongst the top class horses with Linamix as their broodmare sire.

Bauer, who was second in the Melbourne Cup for Luca Cumani and comes from the same family as Capri, is also out of a Linamix mare.

The Grade 3 winner Shivermetimber, dam of the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase winner The Dutchman and the Listed-winning hurdlers Katie Too and The Pirate Queen, was one of the first mares covered by Capri.

Renowned German breeders Gestüt Hof Ittlingen sent Lavorna, the dam of

The first foals by Capri (Galileo), the champion European stayer of 2017, are arriving this spring

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Lucarelli, a Listed winner and Groupplaced performer, the Group 3-placed Love Happens and the Listed-placed Laviva to Capri in his first season.

CRYSTAL OCEAN

Sea The Stars-Crystal Star (Mark Of Esteem) Beeches Stud €8,000 Year to stud: 2020 Coolmore’s move to stand Crystal Ocean at The Beeches caused quite a stir with 2019’s best racehorse, in a deadheat with Waldgeist and Enable, earmarked for stallion duties at its NH division.

Evidently breeders were impressed by the son of champion Sea The Stars and only Coolmore’s new recruit Maxios and Jet Away were busier than Crystal Ocean in the covering sheds in 2020.

Bred by the late Renee Robeson and raced in the colours of her brother Sir Evelyn Rothschild, Crystal Ocean was incredibly consistent. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute he was never once out of the first three in 17 career starts, all but two of which were in Group races. .

After a winning reappearance at three, he finished third in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York then occupied the same position behind Permian in Royal Ascot’s Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes before breaking through the glass ceiling in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes.

He went down fighting to Capri in the St Leger, a trait that would come to define some of his greatest performances over the following two seasons.

Given time to mature, Crystal Ocean developed into one of the best horses in the world. In his first three starts at four he won three Group races on the bounce, and then was second to Poet’s Word in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He was second to Cracksman in the 1m2f Group 1 Champions Stakes.

As a five-year-old he finally got his head in front in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, defeating Group 1 winners Magical, Waldgeist, Sea Of Class, Deirdre, Zabeel Prince and Desert Encounter.

In a thrilling renewal of the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

young nh stallions: ire he and Enable battled most of the way up Ascot’s home straight with the mare just getting the better of him by a neck, and receiving three pounds.

It was a similar scenario in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York with Japan, who had to dig deep into his reserves to see off Crystal Ocean by a head.

Crystal Ocean is a three-parts brother to the dual Group 2 Pride Stakes winner Crystal Capella (Cape Cross) and a half-brother to Grade 1 Canadian International winner Hillstar (Danehill Dancer).

He is also a half-brother to the Listed Newbury Fillies’ Trial winner Crystal vezda out of the Mark Of Esteem mare Crystal Star, winner of the Listed Radley Stakes.

The only mare offered in-foal to Crystal Ocean last year, the Grade 2 and Grade 3 placed Moskovite, made €170,000 to Robert McCarthy at Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale. The Flemensfirth mare is a half-sister to the Grade 2 winner Moyhenna and out of the Grade 3 winner Moskova, from the family of the Group 1 winner and sire Prince Gibraltar.

Come Softly, who is from the family of Sleeping Indian and Aiken, has a colt foal by Crystal Ocean as does Supreme Serata, an unraced daughter of Supreme Serenade and Presenting.

The first foal out of Judy’s Oscar, an Oscar three-parts sister to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle second Get Me Out Of Here and the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle second Rock On The Moor, is a colt by Crystal Ocean. He was also chosen as the first mate for the younger full-sister to Grade 1-winning hurdler and chaser Battleoverdoyen.

Supreme Serata is due to return to Crystal Ocean this spring and also returning to him after foaling a colt is Carrowmore, a halfsister to Grade 1 winner Pingshou and the Grade 2 winner and Grand National second Magic Of Light.

Ex-Ireland international Kevin Doyle’s Slaney River Stud is sending the Grade 1 winners Augusta Kate and La Bague Au Roi to Crystal Ocean this year. It will be the first mating for the dual Grade 1 chase winner La Bague Au Roi, who was bought by the former Reading star for £170,000 at Goffs UK in January.

GALILEO CHROME

Australia-Curious Mind (Dansili) Starfield Stud €4,000 Year to stud: 2021 Galileo Chrome, the first son of the dual Derby winner Australia to retire to stud, is an exciting prospect for Compas Stallions.

As well as being Australia’s first stallion son, Galileo Chrome has the distinction of being the first Group 1 winner by the impeccably bred sire.

Raced once at two, Galileo Chrome pieced together an unbeaten three-year-old season starting with a maiden success over 1m2f at Golden Tickets can be won for Galileo Chrome

The Curragh where the vanquished included the subsequent Derby winner Serpentine.

His first attempt at stakes level gave him victory in the 1m5f Listed Yeats Stakes, an impressive performance which convinced connections to let him take his chance in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster, a decision that was rewarded with a thrilling success over Berkshire Rocco and Pyledriver with Irish Derby winner Santiago in fourth.

Bred and raced by Mohamed Ali Meddeb, who will be lending his star stayer significant support in his stud career with some choice mares, Galileo Chrome hails from the outstanding Lanwades Stud family founded

by Alruccaba.

His dam Curious Mind is a Dansili daughter of the Listed-placed Intrigued, a Darshaan full-sister to the Listed Ballymacoll Stakes winner Approach, who is the dam of the dual Group 1 winner Coronet (Dubawi) and Midas Touch (Galileo), who won the Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and was second in the Irish Derby.

Intrigued’s Danehill half-brother Aussie Rules won the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile for Coolmore. They are out of the Alzao mare Last Second, who won the Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes as Group 2 contests.

Last Second is a half-sister to the Group 3 Doncaster Cup winner Alleluia (Caerleon), who is the dam of the Group 1 Prix RoyalOak winner Allegretto (Galileo).

She is also a half-sister to Listed Oyster Stakes winner Alouette, a daughter of Darshaan, who was also third in the Moyglare Stakes (G1) at two and is the dam of the Group 1-winning Alzao full-sisters Albanova and Alborada, a dual winner of the Champion Stakes.

Another of Last Second’s half-sisters is Jude, a daughter of Darshaan who failed to win on the track but has made a lasting impact as a broodmare with no less than six daughters earning black-type.

They are headed by the Sadler’s Wells full-sisters – the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Yesterday and the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes winner Quartermoon, also placed in three Classics and is dam of four black-type performers, including the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Diamondsandrubies.

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young nh stallions: ire Quartermoon is also the second dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Eminent (Frankel).

The dynasty-founding matriarch Alruccaba is Galileo Chrome’s fourth dam.

Galileo Chrome is inbred 4x5 to Northern Dancer and 5x4 to his son Danzig so they are far enough back to appear in the fifth generation of his foals’ pedigrees, while Sadler’s Wells will be in the fourth.

HILLSTAR

Danehill Dancer-Crystal Star (Mark Of Esteem) Garryrichard Stud On application Year to stud: 2016 A Danehill Dancer half-brother to Crystal Ocean with his first crop of 51 runners ready to go, and already a Flat winner in their midst, Hillstar is an exciting young sire for Garryrichard Stud.

The Grade 1 Canadian International winner Hillstar was one of the first by Daenhill Dancer to retire to an Irish NH stud, the Hickey family’s Garryrichard in Wexford, after the brief but brilliant careers of the star-crossed Our Conor and Jeremy.

Hillstar’s pedigree is top notch and has only improved in the intervening years thanks to his younger half-brother Crystal Ocean’s Group 1-winning exploits (see before).

Hillstar represented the same connections as the world champion and was a high-class racehorse in his own right. He won at two and went two better than his sibling when winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished third in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At four he won the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine.

He also won the Group 3 Newbury Arc Trial and was second in the Hardwicke Stakes and Princess of Wales’s Stakes (G2).

At the foal sales his highest-priced offering so far has been colt Luanna sold by Garryrichard Stud to Kevin Ross and Chris Jones’s Killeen Glebe at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

Hillstar’s three-year-olds made their debuts at the 2020 store sales with a top price of €26,000 achieved at the Goffs Land Rover Sale, trainer Gavin Cromwell buying the gelding from Garryrichard Stud, the first

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...it’s easy to see why Idaho has been popular with breeders covering almost 400 mares in his first two seasons foal of a Presenting half-sister to Grade 1 chase winner Ground Ball and the Becher Chase winner Mr Pointment.

Michael She in and Paul Holden went to €22,000 at the same sale to secure a close relation to the Grade 2-placed Mr Fifty One. The first-crop stores averaged €15,000 in 2020.

HUNTING HORN

Camelot-Mora Bai (Indian Ridge) Castlefield Stud €2,500 Year to stud: 2021 The importance of the Montjeu line in NH breeding was illustrated by Authorized at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The 2007 Derby winner was the only one of the 17 stallions to sire a winner to also feature as the broodmare sire of another winner at showpiece meeting.

The best hope of continuing that Montjeu influence in Europe lies with Camelot and his sons – the 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner has covered a select number of top class NH mares, including Annie Power and Vroom Vroom Mag. This year sees the first sons of Camelot retire to stud with Fighting Irish and Irish Derby winner Latrobe now in France, Russian Camelot likely to stand in Australia, and in Ireland Hunting Horn, who was a high-class performer around the world retiring to Castlefield Stud.

What makes Hunting Horn of particular interest is his female family – his dam Mora

Bai is an Indian Ridge half-sister to High Chaparral whose best NH runner is Altior.

Hunting Horn is a closely-related to the Group 2 winner David Livingston (Galileo), also third in the Group 1 National Stakes.

Their dam Mora Bai is a full-sister to Treasure The Lady, who was Listed-placed and is the second dam of last season’s Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial (G3) winner Love Locket and a half-sister to Chenchikova, the dam of the 2020 Group 1 Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes winner Fancy Blue, the Listed winner and Group 1 third Smuggler’s Cove.

She is also half-sister to Group 2 Black Bear Island (Sadler’s Wells) and second in the Secretariat Stakes (G1).

It is a fine Aga Khan family and second dam Kasora (Darshaan) is out of the Group 2 winner Kozana, who was placed in the Prix du Moulin (G1) and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). A daughter of Kris, she four black-type performers at stud.

Hunting Horn was a Group winner in both hemispheres claiming the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at three and the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup as a four-year-old.

He ran twice at two, placing on both occasions at the start of a 25-race career that included third in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, and Group and Grade 1 fourth placings in the Dubai Sheema Classic, the Grade 1 Man O’War Stakes and the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. His Group race wins came over 1m2f and 1m4f and he was placed in Group 1 contests at both those distances.

IDAHO

Galileo-Hveger (Danehill) Beeches Stud €3,500 Year to stud: 2019 A full-brother to the globe-trotting seventime Group 1 winner Highland Reel, from a top-class family and a Royal Ascot winner, Idaho has been popular covering almost 400 mares in his first two seasons.

Successful on his debut at two, and pitched straight into Group 1 company on just his second start, Idaho was a high-class performer.

Placed behind Harzand in both the Derby and Irish Derby, Idaho was an authoritative

THE ONLY SON OF

DANEHILL DANCER AT STUD IN GB

Fee: £3,000 1st October LFFR

STAKES PRODUCER ON THE FLAT AND OVER HURDLES

NEW NH SIRE IN 2021 TRUESHAN Winner of 7 races from 11 runs including the Gr.2 British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot by 7l.

NH WINNERS/ PERFORMERS INCLUDE: EDIDINDO (Gr.2 winner), HENRY BRULARD (3xL), LADY MINX (LP), MILOS (LP), NEBUCHADNEZZAR (Won Silver Cup), etc.

GR.1 WINNER AND WON/ PLACED IN 12 STAKES RACES ALL THE CREDENTIALS TO BE THE NEXT JEREMY

His paternal brother and sire of Gr.1 Cheltenham winners Appreciate It, Black Tears and Sir Gerhard.

“Planteur was a pure athletic horse with a great constitution and a fighter.”

Chapel Stud Ltd Chapel Lane, Bransford, Worcestershire WR6 5JQ 01452 717 342 www.chapelstud.co.uk

HENRY BRULARD Won/placed in 3 Listed races over hurdles in France.

Marco Botti, trainer

Contact Roisin Close 07738 279 071 roisin@chapelstud.co.uk

Tina Dawson 07776 165854 tina.dawson@tdbloodstock.com

Follow us: @Planteur07

young nh stallions: ire winner of the Group 2 Great Voltiguer Stakes and was sent off favourite for the St Leger at Doncaster in which he suffered a nasty spill.

At four he was a comfortable winner of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes and then finished third to Enable and Ulysses in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

His next four starts were all in Group or Grade 1 company and he went from New York to Paris to Woodbine and then Tokyo with fourth in the 1m4f Grade 1 Canadian International his best result.

At five he easily won the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes over 1m5f, but his best performances came with two third places behind Stradivarius in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup and the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup. Idaho has an impressive pedigree, bred on the excellent Galileo-Danehill cross that has produced Group 1 winners and leading stallions Frankel and Teofilo, as well as his full-brother Highland Reel whose first crop runs on the Flat this summer. Idaho is also a full-brother to Cape Of Good Hope, who won the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes, and to the Group Ballysax Stakes winner Nobel Prize.

His is also a half-brother to Group 1 Storm Queen Stakes and Victoria Oaks second Valdemoro.

Dam Hveger was placed in the Australasian Oaks (G1) and is a full-sister to the Australian champion and five-time Group 1 winner Elvstroem and a half-sister to the three-time Group 1 winner Haradasun.

They are out of Circles Of Gold, winner of the Group 1 AJC Oaks and a half-sister to the second dam of the Group 1-winning sprinter and good sire Starspangledbanner.

Retired to stud in 2019, Idaho was the second busiest new NH stallion behind stud mate Order Of St George covering 201 mares. His first crop of foals went under the hammer last winter and averaged €10,575 for 17 sold.

JET AWAY: first crop progeny statistics

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The most expensive foal sold by Idaho was a half-brother to the Grade 2 Paddy hurdles winner and Grade 1 third Alletrix.

He made €28,000 to Richard Frisby at Goffs December NH Sale from The Beeches Stud.

At the same sale Lisnagar Paddocks sold a colt out of unraced Westerner mare West Elite, from the family of Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere, to Ford Bloodstock for €20,000.

Conna Stud’s colt out of Present Your Own, a Presenting mare who is the dam of two winners, achieved €17,000 when knocked down to Tom Fleming.

Also amongst the first crop of Idaho foals is a half-brother to the recent Grade 3 Solerina Mares’ Novices Hurdle second Royal Kahala, so a grandson of the great Lady Rebecca.

Bell Walks Dawn, an unraced Flemensfirth full-sister to the Listed winner and Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle second Time For Rupert, has a yearling colt by Idaho entered in the Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale.

JET AWAY

Cape Cross-Kalima (Kahyasi) Arctic Tack Stud Private Year to stud: 2015 Known as one of the most fertile stallions in Ireland, Jet Away is now one of the busiest stallions in the country as his other attributes become more apparent with his first crop of five-year-olds.

The son of Cape Cross has an outstanding pedigree as his dam is a full-sister to the blue hen Hasili, dam of five individual Group/ Grade 1 winners and three stallion sons who have sired at least one top level winner, headed by Dansili who has been one of Europe’s leading sires for the last decade.

Bred by Juddmonte Farms out of

the Kahyasi mare Kalima, who is also a full-sister to the Listed winner Arrive, the dam of Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Promising Lead, and a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 winner and sire Leroidesanimaux, Jet Away began his racing career with the late Sir Henry Cecil for whom he won the Listed Festival Stakes, beating subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.

Jet Away was sold for 200,000gns at the 2012 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale to continue his career in Australia.

There he was trained by David Hayes to win the Group 3 Easter Cup and was fourth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup. He returned to Europe and began his stallion career at Eoin Banville’s Arctic Tack Stud, where he proved an instant hit with 113 first-crop foals.

That first crop has excelled from limited opportunities and two successful point-topoint graduates by Jet Away have sold for six-figure sums.

The most expensive member of his first crop to sell is Hollymount, who was sold by Stuart Crawford at the Goffs UK January Online Sale having won her bumper on debut in Carlisle a month previously. A half-sister to a pair of Grade 2 performers, she was bought for £300,000 by Noel and Valerie Moran’s Bective Stud.

Another filly from that first crop made £200,000 at the 2020 Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale having impressed when winning a four-year-old maiden on her debut for Colin Bowe. Brandy Love was bought by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for Michael Grech for whom she has finished third in the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Donald McCain’s unbeaten novice hurdler Dreams Of Home is another of the eight individual winners from Jet Away’s first crop.

The instant impact made by those four-

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

young nh stallions: ire year-olds in such a short period of time had a positive effect on the prices of his second crop at the store sales in 2020.

At Goffs Land Rover Sale his quintet averaged €27,000 with a top price of €50,000 given for Mocklershill’s halfbrother to the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase winner Zero Ten bought by the RedGap Partnership.

Highflyer Bloodstock’s Tessa Greatrex went to €42,000 to secure Peter Nolan’s gelding out of Gaye Mercy, dam of the Grade 2-placed Couleur France and a half-sister to Simon from Mercy Rimell’s great family of Gaye Brief and Gaye Chance.

Two of Jet Away’s second crop sold at Tattersalls Ireland’s Derby Sale with Anna Calder and Cormac Farrell paying €45,000 for Francis Whelan’s half-brother to the Grade 2-winning hurdler and chaser Westerner Lady. The Doyles of Monbeg secured a half-brother to the Doncaster Grade 2 hurdle winner Smart Talk and the Royal & SunAlliance Chase (G1) second Idle Talk for €22,000 from Roland Rothwell.

The early success of Jet Away and the faith that Banville and Douglas Taylor have in their sire was reinforced by Taylor’s purchase of the Grade 1 Fairyhouse Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Laurina for a sale record price at Tattersalls Ireland’s November NH Sale. The daughter of Saint Des Saints set Taylor back €290,000 and he confirmed immediately after the purchase that she would begin her broodmare career by visiting Jet Away.

Laurina isn’t the only high-class mare who has visited Jet Away – the legendary Solerina has previously been amongst his book and the five-time Grade 1 winner has a threeyear-old colt by him.

KEW GARDENS

Galileo-Chelsea Rose (Desert King) Castle Hyde Stud €5,000 Year to stud: 2021 With a Group 1-winning dam and as a stakeswinning juvenile himself, Kew Gardens is an exciting recruit to the Irish stallion ranks.

Bred by David and Diane Nagle, Kew Gardens ran five times at two for Aidan O’Brien winning the Listed etland Stakes

With his race record, pedigree and good looks Kew Gardens is certain to be amongst the busiest of the new recruits for 2021 at Newmarket in a track record time from Dee Ex Bee, who went on to be second in the Derby. Kew Gardens was also second in the Group 3 Champions’ Juvenile Stakes and won his maiden over a mile on his second start.

At three he won the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot on his first start over 1m6f.

That victory set him up for Group 1 glory in the Grand Prix de Paris, the first of his two triumphs at the highest level. He added the St Leger comfortably from Lah Ti Dar with Dee Ex Bee and Old Persian further back.

At four he lost by a nose by a nose to Defoe in the Group 1 Coronation Cup and finished runner-up to Search For A Song in his quest to add the Irish St Leger to his CV. His final race was memorable for halting the unbeaten run of champion stayer Stradivarius by a nose in thrilling finish to the Group 2 British Champions’ Long Distance Cup. He is one of three Group winners out of the Moyglare Stakes winner Chelsea Rose, a daughter of Desert King, so he is bred on a version of the Galileo-Danehill cross. His full-sister Snow won the Group 3 Munster Oaks last season and their older Tamayuz half-sister won the Group 3 Prix de Ris-Orangis and was second on the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Chelsea Rose’s winning Invincible Spirit daughter Pale Orchid is the dam of Free Eagle’s first-crop Listed Caravaggio Stakes winner Justifier.

Chelsea Rose trained on to win the

Ballyroan and Dance Design Stakes (both Listed contests then) and to be placed in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and Premio Lydia Tesio.

She is a half-sister to Downdraft (Camelot), who won the Group 3 Holtham Stakes in Australia and the Listed Lenebane Stakes and Her Majesty’s Plate in Ireland.

European, their half-brother by Great Commotion, won the Listed Amethyst Stakes.

Their dam Cinnamon Rose is by Trempolino, and out of the Green Dancer mare Sweet Simone, who is the dam of Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam winner River Warden and Sweettuc, who won the Grade 3 Hoist The Flag Stakes.

What makes Kew Gardens stand out is his inbreeding to the great mare Special. She features in the fourth and fifth generations of his pedigree through her daughter Fairy Bridge, dam of Sadler’s Wells, and son Nureyev, who is a three-parts brother to Sadler’s Wells and is the broodmare sire of Desert King.

Kew Gardens is also 4S x 5D x 5D to Northern Dancer, but two of those lines won’t appear in the first five generations of his foals’ pedigrees.

With his race record, pedigree and good looks Kew Gardens is certain to be amongst the busiest of the new recruits for 2021.

KINGSTON HILL

Mastercraftsman-Audacieuse (Rainbow Quest) Castle Hyde Stud €4,000 Year to stud: 2016 Kingston Hill was a Group 1 winner at two and three, and hails from the Danehill Dancer line with the excellent Rainbow Quest as his broodmare sire. A Classic winner from the first crop of Mastercraftsman, he has his first crop of four-year-olds this year and much is expected.

His pedigree is a mix of speed and stamina influences. Kingston Hill is out of the Rainbow Quest mare Audacieuse, who won the 1m2f Group 3 Prix de Flore at Saint-Cloud and is a half-sister to the Group 3 Acomb Stakes winner and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes fourth Waiter’s Dream, a son of Oasis Dream.

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young nh stallions: ire Another of her half-brothers is the Listed Challenge Stakes winner Lord Jim, while her half-sister Intellectuelle is the second dam of Captain Conan, winner of the Grade 1 Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle and three Grade 1 novice chases.

Second dam Sarah Georgina is by Persian Bold and was fourth in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at two. She is a half-sister to the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de la Forêt winner Danseuse du Soir, who is the dam of Scintillo, a son of Fantastic Light who won the Group 1 Gran Criterium, and the Group 3 winner Jumbajukiba. Sarah Georgina is also a half-sister to a pair of Listed winners and to the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club third Circus Dance.

The St Leger and Racing Post Trophy winner began his stud career at Coolmore’s Fethard headquarters before his transfer to Castlehyde Stud last year, so his initial crops are more tilted towards Flat pedigrees.

From 38 runners from that first crop, he has sired 18 winners, 17 of them on the Flat and one under NH rules; Keith Dalgliesh’s debut bumper winner Hear Me Out. With more of his books comprising NH bred mares, his foal crops increased in 2019 and 2020 and he has 100 two-year-olds and 110 yearlings registered. In his first season at Castlehyde he covered 171 mares.

The most expensive foal sold so far by Kingston Hill is a relation to multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler and chaser Altior; Patrick McCann going to €72,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale 2019 for a colt foal out of Altior’s Old Vic halfsister Princess Leya, winner of the Grade 2 New Stand Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Three were sold at the Tattersalls Ireland’s flagship Derby Sale with the top price of €27,000 given by Liam Cusack for a gelding consigned by Peter Nolan. He is the first foal of the unraced Authorized mare Silver Pearl, a daughter of the Group 3 Prix Corrida winner Jomana.

At Goffs Land Rover Sale, there were a trio of Kingston Hill’s offspring in Part Two with top billing shared by a gelding and filly who made €15,000. Peter Molony’s Rathmore Stud and Willie Twiston-Davies teamed up for a gelding out of Ella Watson, a winning hurdler by Supreme Leader from the family of Cane Brake and Judge Roy Bean.

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That first crop includes a gelding out of Milly’s Gesture so a half-brother to the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase winner Coney Island. Milly’s Gesture is a half-sister to the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle winner Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman, winner of the Grade 1 Challow Novice Hurdle.

Also from that first crop is a gelding out of Cattiva Generosa, winner of the Listed Prix des Lilas and dam of French Listed hurdle and chase winner Catmoves.

His final Fethard-bred crop made a splash at the Goffs December NH Sale last year with some well-connected foals taking the eye.

The most expensive of them was Five Naughts Stud’s half-brother to the Grade 3 winner Just Janice and the Listed-placed Sheer Liss out of the Listed-placed Liss Na Tintri, a daughter of Presenting and the triple Grade 1 winner Liss A Paoraigh.

He was bought by Mount Eaton Stud for €25,000.

Killawenna Farm went to €20,000 for a colt out of Deadly Pursuit, an unraced half-sister to the Grade 1 Kerry National winner Ponmeoath from the family of Grand National and Irish Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde.

LEADING LIGHT

Montjeu-Dance Parade (Gone West) Grange Stud €3,000 Year to stud: 2015 Leading Light is a dual Group 1 winner bred on the same Montjeu-Gone West cross as the Derby winner Motivator, sire of a pair of Grade 1-winning hurdlers.

Although a top-class stayer, Leading Light is out of a mare who won the Queen Mary Stakes so Leading Light’s DNA possesses speed and precocity as well as stamina.

Winner of the Group 1 St Leger and Group 3 Queen’s Vase at three, and the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup at four, Leading Light was a 520,000gns yearling purchase by Coolmore at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale.

He is a full-brother to the Grade 3 Swinton Handicap Hurdle winner Sir John Constable and the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes third Warwick Avenue out of Dance Parade, who won a Grade 2 at Santa Anita, as well as the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes and Royal

Ascot’s Queen Mary Stakes (G2).

She is a Gone West half-sister to Treasure Trove, the dam of Group 1 Prix de la Forêt winner Toylsome (Cadeaux Genereux) and Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes winner Coral Mist (Bahamian Bounty).

Leading Light was one of the busiest sires in Britain and Ireland in his first season and he is the sire of 203 five-year-olds.

From that cohort, 74 have raced so far with seven individual winners with the exciting debut bumper winner Three Stripe Life, bred by Pat O’Reilly, fourth in the Cheltenham bumper.

Leading Light is also the sire of Light Brigade, who is two from two this season over hurdles and is a half-brother to the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase and Punchestown Champion Bumper winner Colreevy, the Munster National winner Spiders Web and Runfordave, second in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novices Hurdle.

His second crop has been hampered by the pandemic restrictions – just three of his 142 four-year-olds have made their debuts.

That first crop averaged €18,569 at the store sales with the headline sales being those of the filly out of the Grade 3-placed chaser Glibin, who made €68,000 to Brendan Bashford from Peter Nolan at Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. At the same sale Highflyer Bloodstock purchased a halfbrother to Presenting Mahler for €50,000.

Kilbarry Leader made £75,000 to Kevin Ross Bloodstock at the Yorton Farm Goffs UK Point to Point Sale having won her fouryear-old mares’ maiden at Dromahane.

The most expensive store horse from Leading Light’s first crop was the €70,000 gelding bought by MV Magnier at the Goffs Land Rover Sale. He is the first foal out of Liss Ui Riain, out of Liss Rua, a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Liss A Paoraigh and the Grade 3 winner Liss De Paor.

Leading Light’s second crop returned a store sales average of €15,435 in 2020 with the highest price of €40,000 given for the second foal out of Princess Leya, the Grade 2 winner and Milan sister to Altior.

Gerry Hogan bought him at Goffs Land Rover Sale from Railstown Farm. Mags O’Toole was the purchaser of the most expensive Leading Light offspring at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale going to

young nh stallions: ire Leading Light: sire of seven winners and Three Stripe Life was fourth in the Champion Bumper

€33,000 for Lismakeera Stud’s gelding out of Honey Blond, an unraced Pilsudski halfsister to Irish Grand National winner Point Barrow.

His smaller third crop consisting of 80 three-year-olds will be selling this summer while he has 60 two-year-olds and 59 yearlings.

LIBERTARIAN

New Approach-Intrum Morshaan (Darshaan) Knockhouse Stud Private Year to stud: 2015 The exploits of Holymacapony have helped showcase what Libertarian can do, despite the limited opportunities his first two crops have been given.

Henry de Bromhead’s five-year-old made a winning debut in a Kirkistown point-topoint prior to the shutdown in 2020 and defeated none other than Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 winner Gaillard Du Mesnil when making a winning debut over hurdles.

He is one of just 12 starters for the Group 2 Dante Stakes winner, who was runner-up to Ruler Of The World in the 2013 Derby and fourth to Leading Light in the St Leger. Interestingly from a pedigree point of view, Holymacapony is out of a King’s Theatre mare so inbred 4x3 to Sadler’s Wells.

From the first crop of Derby and Champion Stakes winner New Approach, Libertarian is bred on a variation of the Classic cross of Sadler’s Wells over Darshaan which produced top-class racehorse and stallion High Chaparral, sire of Altior.

The St Leger winner and leading NH sire Milan is also bred on this cross as are the Group 1 winners Islington, Yesterday and Quarter Moon.

Libertarian is one of seven winners foaled so far by Intrum Morshaan with his siblings including the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes winner and the Group 1 Criterium International second Prince Siegfried (Royal Applause) and the Listed-winning Big am.

She is also the dam of Ned Buntline (Refuse To Bend), who was Graded placed over hurdles and fences, including when second in the Grand Annual (G3)l.

Libertarian’s first crop of store horses averaged €12,019 in 2019 with Highflyer

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young nh stallions: ire Bloodstock picking up the most expensive of them, including an €18,000 half-sister to the multiple Grade 2 winner Mister Fisher at the Goffs Land Rover Sale from Mill Race Stables.

Highflyer also bought a half-brother to two winners out of a Supreme Leader mare on behalf of Charlie Longsdon at the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale for £18,000.

The point-to-point fraternity were out in force for both his first and second crop of stores with Monbeg Stables, Denis Murphy and Colin Bowe all among the purchasers.

Libertarian’s average for his second crop of three-year-olds was €9,126 with Rob James buying the most expensive store so far to sell by Libertarian, a €30,000 gelding out of a Beneficial full-sister to the Grade 1-placed Rindoon.

From the family of Stayers’ Hurdle hero Doran’s Pride he was sold by Niall Bleahen’s Liss House Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland May NH Sale.

That second crop contains 67 horses and there are 43 three-year-olds, 23 two-yearolds and 31 yearlings by Libertarian, who covered 57 mares in 2020 on the back of the positive start made by his first crop.

Amongst that second book was Hot On Her Heels, a Stowaway granddaughter of High Ace. She is a half-sister to the Champion Hurdle-winning siblings Granville Again and Morley Street.

Court Artist, a Grade 3-placed hurdler and a half-sister to the Grade 3-placed Aruacaria from the family of Corbiere, was sent to Libertarian last season, as was Stowaway Annie, a half-sister to black-type performer I Hear A Symphony out of a granddaughter of Anaglog’s Daughter.

LUCKY SPEED

Silvano-Lysuna (Monsun) Sunnyhill Stud Private Year to stud: 2016 A exciting option for NH breeders, Lucky Speed brings German Classic success allied with some of that country’s best bloodlines.

Lucky Speed won the 2013 Group 1 Deutsches Derby, a race that has in the past been won by such stallions as Surumu, Koengistuhl, Acatenango, Samum,

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Shirocco and Sea The Moon.

Lucky Speed is one of 25 Group 1 winners

by Silvano, a globetrotting son of Lomitas, who won the Group 1 Singapore Cup and Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong King and the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

His half-brother Lyvius was successful on the Flat in Germany before becoming a Graded performer in Britain, winning the Listed Gerry Feilden Hurdle for Nicky Henderson and Trevor Hemmings. Another half-brother Lyonell was a Grade 2 Temple Gwatheny Hurdle in America so there is jumping aptitude in the blood.

More importantly however is his potential to be a successful stallion – as well as being free from Sadler’s Wells and Danehill blood, his family is that of top-class stallion Bellypha. His third dam La Luna (Lyphard) is a winning full-sister to the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois runner-up who was champion sire in France.

Lucky Speed also won the Group 3 Bavaria Classic, the Grade 3 American St Leger, finished third in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and fourth in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine.

Lucky Speed’s first crop of 35 returned an average of €21,225 at the 2020 store sales. Bobby O’Ryan bought the most expensive representative at the Goffs Land Rover Sale, the Galbertstown Stablesproduced €30,000 gelding out of a full-sister to Voy Por Ustedes, whose five Grade 1 victories included the Champion Chase and the Arkle.

Rathmore Stud’s first foal out of Limerick Rose, an Oscar half-sister to the dam of the Listed winner and the Grade 3-placed Robin Des Forets and the Grade 2-placed Port Melon, made £35,000 at the Goffs UK Summer Sale that encompassed some Land Rover entries, including this gelding.

His second crop includes the first foal out of a half-sister to the Listed winner Tikkanbar, a filly out of Grangeclare Star, who is an Old Vic full-sister to the Grade 3 winner Grangeclare Lark and a half-sister to Scarthy Lad, a Grade 2 winner who was second in the Grade 1 Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle.

There is also a half-sister to the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Galway Plate third Princely Conn out of the

Grade 3-placed hurdler High Priestess in Lucky Speed’s second crop.

He has 34 yearlings registered and covered 57 mares in 2020.

MARCEL

Lawman-Mauresmo (Marju) Anngrove Stud Private Year to stud: 2017 The Group 1 Racing Post Trophy winner impressed breeders with his first crop of 27 Irish-conceived foals as mare numbers increased to 54 for his second season at Anngrove Stud in 2020.

A son of the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Lawman out of the unraced Marju mare Mauresmo, Marcel was bred by David Hyland and sold for €50,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale to Mick Flanagan by Oghill House Stud. Troy Steve purchased him from Baroda and Colbinstown Studs at Tattersalls October Book 2 on behalf of Paul Makin.

Pitched into Group 1 company on just his third start, Marcel justified connections faith with victory in the Racing Post Trophy (G1) over Johannes Vermeer, who went on to win the Group 1 Criterium International and be placed in the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup. Marcel suffered a career-ending injury on his next start in the 2,000 Guineas and began his stallion career in the National Stud at Newmarket in 2017 before transferring to Alistair Pim’s Anngrove Stud in Laois ahead of the 2019 breeding season.

All five of Marcel’s runners on the Flat at two have either won or been placed, which is grounds for optimism that he can go on and have a successful stud career.

His sire Lawman isn’t particularly noted for his NH runners although he is the sire of the Grade 3 Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle third Orgilgo Bay. On the Flat he is the sire of St Leger winner and young NH stallion Harbour Law. Marcel’s second dam’s half-brother is the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Grand Prix de Paris and MacKinnon Stakes winner At Talaq. She is also a half-sister to the dam of the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes winner and sire Scribe.

young nh stallions: ire Marcel’s second dam is by Alleged, who has been an important influence in NH breeding over the past two decades through his excellent stallion sons Flemensfirth and Shantou.

That first Irish-bred crop includes a colt out of Kalaroa, an unraced half-sister to Lawman’s Group 3 Prix de Conde and Prix Penelope winner Luminate, bred by Sean Madigan.

There is also a filly out of Youmeetmehalfway, an unraced halfsister to the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle winner and the Grade 1 Neptune Investments Novices’ Hurdle third It’safreebee.

Carinena, a winning Shantou half-sister to the Grade 2 Ayr Future Champions’ Novice Chase winner Eduard, has a Marcel yearling colt as her first foal. All three were due to sell at the Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale.

Pamalee, a half-sister to the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase winner Promalee and the dual Grade 3 novice chase winner Micheal Mor, is the dam of a yearling filly by Marcel.

From his first crop Marcel has a threeyear-old filly named Helvic Princess, who has run on the Flat for Noel Meade. She is out of Jersey Cream, a half-sister to the illfated Kempes, whose three Grade 1 victories included the Irish Gold Cup.

MAXIOS

Monsun-Moonlight’s Box (Nureyev) Castle Hyde Stud €7,000 Year to stud: 2014 If a stallion could be said to have a pedigree for the job then it is the dual Group 1 winner Maxios, who is a son of Monsun and a grandson of a Coupe De Genie, a full-sister to Machiavellian, whose name is found in the pedigrees of a significant proportion of Europe’s best stallions, and from the family of Northern Dancer and Danehill.

Maxios was best at around a mile, a speedier distillation of the Monsun genes which should make him the ideal mate for more stoutly-bred mares.

He won the Group 1 Prix du Moulin and the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan, and had the stamina to win the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt

and Group 3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte both over 1m2f ,and to finish second in the Group 1 1m2f Prix Ganay. He was a European champion two-year-old and threeyear-old with five Group 1 successes, which also included the Grand Prix de Paris.

His Frankel half-brother abriskie was third to Roaring Lion in the Group 2 Dante Stakes for Aidan O’Brien.

They are out of Moonlight’s Box, an unraced daughter of Nureyev and Coup De Genie, who won the Group 1 Prix Morny and Prix de Salamandre at two and was third in the 1,000 Guineas.

Moonlight’s Box is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Denebola, who was also placed in the Group 1 Prix de la Forêt and Prix Morny.

Grand-dam Coup De Genie is also the dam of the Group 3 winners Snake Mountain and Loving Kindness and she is a full-sister to Machiavellian, whose influence is keenly felt in the upper echelons of the stallion ranks Third dam Coup De Folie is a daughter of Raise The Standard, a half-sister to the eradefining stallion Northern Dancer. Raise The Standard is also the second dam of another outstanding stallion in Danehill.

Maxios’s wider female family is one of the most important for producing stallions.

Maxios began his stud career in Germany at Gestüt Färhof until his acquisition

by Coolmore in 2019 and he moved to Castlehyde Stud for the 2020 breeding season.

From his first three crops he has sired the Group 1 Preis der Diana winner Diamanta,

MAXIOS: sale statistics

the Group 2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club winner Walderbe, Master Of Wine, a Group 3 winner in Australia and the Group 1 Prix du Cadran runner-up Alkuin as well as six individual Listed winners.

Over jumps that first crop produced the 2020 Grade 3 Fred Winter Hurdle winner Aramax.

His third crop contains this season’s Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle and Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle winner Quilixios, who is the second Cheltenham Festival winner for his sire.

At the store sales, his average increased significantly from €25,500 in 2019 to €41,360 last year. The Goffs Land Rover Sale sold his most expensive three-year-old to date, an €80,000 half-brother to the Listedplaced All About You out of a Winged Love mare so bred along similar lines to Aramax.

At the Yorton Farm Goffs UK September Sale a two-year-old Maxios half-brother to the Group 3 winner Steel Princess, dam of the Group 1 Canadian International winner Sarah Lynx, made £50,000 to Dai Walters.

At the 2020 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale Peter Nolan sold a Maxios half-brother to the Listed Fairway Stakes winner and Group 3 Dee Stakes second Unnefer for €35,000 to Rob James and James and Ellen Doyle’s Baltimore Stables.

The gelding comes from another Niarchos family as his dam is a half-sister to the Derby winner Kris Kin and Cheltenham Festival winner Cause Of Causes.

Maxios was the busiest sire in Ireland and the UK last year covering a whopping

Statistics courtesy of Weatherbys www.nhstallions.co.uk

3yo store foal

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young nh stallions: ire 283 mares up from just five reported foals in 2020.

As well as being high on quantity, his book had plenty of quality too. His first Irish group of mares included the Grade 1 Fairyhouse Mares’ Novice Hurdle winner Augusta Kate, Carrigeen Lonicera, a half-sister to the this year’s Gold Cup winner Minella Indo and the Grade 3 winner Benatar, the Grade 2-winning chaser Heltornic, Millerina, who is daughter of Solerina, and Sizing Stephanie, an unraced half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Prince Of Scars out of the Grade 1 winner Spirit Leader.

MY DREAM BOAT

Lord Shanakill-Betty Burke (Choisir) Starfield Stud €2,500 Year to stud: 2018 The Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes has played an important role in NH breeding over the past 30 decades as dual winner Mtoto sired Presenting, one of the greatest NH stallions of the past two decades.

My Dream Boat, who won the race in 2016 for trainer Clive Cox and owners Paul and Claire Rooney, offers access to different bloodlines for NH breeders looking for an alternative to the dominant stallion lines.

He is also from a family that has worked well with Sadler’s Wells lines and by a sire who is a Group 1-winning half-brother to a pair of Group 1 winners by Galileo, which gives rise to the idea that My Dream Boat will be a successful option for those looking for something different.

He is a son of the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), a top-class sire and son of Gone West whose progeny tend to improve with time.

As a three-year-old My Dream Boat progressed through the ranks from an emphatic win in a mile handicap at York’s International meeting to win the Listed Prix du Ranelagh at Chantilly and the Group 3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud, both over mile.

At four he made a winning seasonal debut in the 1m2f Group 3 Gordon Richard Stakes and then beat Found by a neck in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

He finished the season with a fourth place behind Almanzor, Found and Jack Hobbs in

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rom covango’s first crop 57 horses have made their debut with five individual winners the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

At five, his best result came when second to arak in the Group 1 Grand Prix de SaintCloud over 1m4f.

Dam Betty Burke is by the top-class sprinter Choisir and was a winner over 6f at three. She is out of a Turtle Island half-sister to the Nassua Stakes and Group 3 Musidora Stakes winner Optimistic Lass, who was also fourth in the Oaks.

Optimistic Lass became a very successful broodmare producing the Group 1 Coronation Stakes winner Golden Opinion, who is the dam of Group 3 Daksha. Another of Optimistic Lass’s daughters is Joyful, the second dam of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Samitar and the Group 2-winning juveniles Shawell and Nijoom Dubai.

Joyful’s half-sister Golden Coral is the second dam of Alice Springs (Galileo), a triple Group 1 winner at mile.

My Dream Boat’s family has that blend of speed and stamina combined with important stallion influnces in Theatrical, broodmare sire of Lord Shanakill, Blushing Groom, Danehill and Fairy King. He has two lines back to Special in his pedigree, as well through Nureyev and Fairy King.

His first couple of crops on the ground are small in number but include well-related youngsters. That first crop averaged €5,599 at the foal sales, but his second crop achieved an average price of almost double that at €9,200. He has 17 yearlings registered and covered 21 mares in 2020.

The top price for a first-crop foal was €16,000 for the first foal of My Little Cracker, a bumper and hurdles winner from the family of the Grade 1 winners Behrajan

and Barizan. He was sold by Rahinston Stud to Drumgoose Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale. Her second foal is also a colt by Mr Dream Boat and he sold for €14,500 at the November NH Sale.

His second crop also includes a halfbrother to the Grade 2 winners Shadow Eile and Corskeagh Royale, who made €13,000.

OCOVANGO

Monsun-Crystal Maze (Gone West) Beeches Stud €5,000 Year to stud: 2015 Ocovango’s first crop features Langer Dan, winner of the Grade 3 Imperial Cup and Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle and second in the Grade 2 Martin Pipe Hurdle.

Langer Dan is out of a Milan mare which bodes well for Ocovango’s prospects as an option for mares by Sadler’s Wells line sires.

Ocovango’s pedigree combines the influences of Monsun, Surumu, Gone West and Nureyev and it is free of inbreeding through the first five generations.

By Monsun and out of the Gone West mare Crystal Maze, Ocovango began his three-year-old career with victory in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet and followed that up with success in the Group 2 Greffulhe, both run over 1m2f.

He was then fifth to Ruler Of The World and Libertarian in the Derby at Epsom and third to Flintshire in the 1m4f Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.

He filled the same position behind Kizuna and Ruler Of The World in the Group 2 Prix Niel, again at 1m4f, before finishing down the field in the first of Treve’s successive Arc wins.

He comes from an excellent family that has excelled around the world. His second dam Crystal Maze won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at two and was second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at three. She is the dam of five black-type performers, headed by the Meydan Listed winner Firnas.

Crystal Music is a half-sister to the Group 3 winners Dubai Success by Sadler’s Wells, Solar Crystal, an Alzao mare, and State Crystal, a daughter of High Estate.

State Crystal is the dam of Jack The Giant

young nh stallions: ire (Giant’s Causeway), who won the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices Chase for Nicky Henderson.

Her Sadler’s Wells daughter Opera Aida is the second dam of the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner elzal, a son of Sea The Stars who stands at Haras de Boquetot and has his first runners this Flat season.

Ocovango retired to The Beeches Stud in 2015 and was heavily subscribed, resulting in 204 foals from that first crop. He has 170 four-year-olds, his third crop numbers 117, 109 two-year-olds with 70 yearlings registered and he covered 132 mares in 2020.

From Ocovango’s first crop 57 horses have made their debut with five individual winners, headed by the aforementioned Langer Dan. For obvious reasons only five of his second crop has managed to run with How Will I Know finishing second on debut in a mares’ point-to-point bumper and General

Medrano placing third in a similar gelding’s contest. How Will I Know is out of an Old Vic mare.

The most expensive point-to-point graduate sold to date by Ocovango is Glenglass, who made £155,000 to Gordon Elliott after winning his four-year-old maiden on debut for Colin Bowe last February.

He is a half-brother to the dual Listedwinning hurdler Mrs Hyde and the Listedplaced Flementime out of a Listed-winning half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 Champion Bumper winner Relegate. Elliott sold the other six-figure point-to-point graduate with his Umma House four-year-old maiden winner Percy Warner making €100,000 to Basil Holian at the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale.

Ocovango’s first-crop averaged €18,275 at the 2019 store sales with Glenglass one of the most expensive of his Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale graduates that year.

Glenglass (Ocovango), who sold at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham February Sale 2020 for 155,000

The sire’s top price at that sale was a gelding out of Clever Mode, a Poliglote fullsister to the Auteuil Listed winner Lucky To Be and a half-sister to the dual Champion Chase hero Master Minded, who went to the Monbeg team for €60,000. His most expensive lot at that year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale was a €47,000 half-brother to the Grade 3 novice hurdle winner Moylisha Tim. His second crop returned an average of 12,148gns at the store sales last year with the Derby Sale again providing the most expensive three-year-old by Ocovango at €50,000.

At the Land Rover Sale the highest-priced Ocovango offspring was a gelding out of a full-sister to Gold Cup winner Synchronised, who was bought for €47,000 by Gerry Hogan from John Hutch.

OLD PERSIAN

Dubawi-Indian Petal (Singspiel) Glenview Stud Private Year to stud: 2021 Old Persian, a Group 1-winning son of Dubawi from one of the greatest families of the past 40 years, is an exciting new recruit to the ranks of Irish NH stallions.

Dubawi isn’t a stallion normally associated with NH racing, but he has produced a number of classy performers over jumps including the Grade 1 Champion Chase, Tingle Creek and Clarence House Chase winner Dodging Bullets. He is also the sire of Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Four-YearOld Hurdle winner Hisaabaat, who is from the same crop as Dodging Bullets.

Old Persian’s damsire is Singspiel, a Group 1-winning son of In The Wings who sired triple Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle hero Inglis Drever, while his son Winged Love sired dual Tingle Creek winner Twist Magic.

Singspiel is the sire of Irving, who won two renewals of the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Grade 2 winners Junior and Prima Vista.

The In The Wings sire line has excelled in Germany where his son Soldier Hollow, sire of the Grade 1-winning hurdlers Arctic Fire and Saldier, is the outstanding stallion but his dominance is being challenged by another son of In The Wings in Adlerflug.

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young nh stallions: ire Old Persian’s female family traces back to Pasadoble, his fourth dam who was a Listed winner in France but excelled as a broodmare producing the champion racemare and broodmare Miesque.

At three, Old Persian won the Listed Fairway Stakes before emulating his relation Permian with victory in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He added the Group 2 Great Voltiguer Stakes at York in which he defeated Group 1 winners Kew Gardens and Cross Counter before finishing fifth in the St Leger itself.

Shipped to Dubai he began his four-yearold season with success in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold Stakes before making the breakthrough at Group 1 level in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

He was then a narrow third in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin behind French King before Canadian success in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes over 1m4f. He made two starts at five; in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud won by Way To Paris and the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes.

OL’ MAN RIVER

Montjeu-Finsceal Beo (Mr Greeley) Arctic Tack Stud Private Year to stud: 2017 Ol’ Man River topped the Goffs Orby Sale in 2013 when bought for €2.85m by M.V. Magnier from his breeder Micheal Ryan’s Al Eile Stud.

A quick glance at his pedigree is enough to see why he commanded such a high price, – he is from the final crop of the brilliant Montjeu out of Finsceal Beo, who went so close to making history when narrowly denied victory in the Group 1 Poule d’Essais des Pouliches to go with her triumphs in the Irish and English Guineas.

Ol’ Man River had a successful juvenile season winning a mile maiden at The Curragh on debut and following that up with an easy success in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes. He looked a prime contender for Classic Glory, but the best he could manage in four starts at three was fourth place in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes. He retired to stud in Arctic Tack Stud in 2017.

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The first foals by Order Of St George set sales rings ablaze in December Finsceal Beo is a half-sister to Frozen Power, who won the Group 2 MehlMuehlens Rennen, and to abeel Park (Medicean), who was second in the Listed Prix Six Perfections. Their Barathea halfsister Musical Bar was second in the Listed Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes and is the dam of Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes second Musical Art. Interestingly, Ol’ Man River’s pedigree features inbreeding to Dominion through Derring-Do and his more famous son High Top, the sire of Top Ville, who is the damsire of Montjeu.

Montjeu himself is responsible for Cheltenham winners, including the legendary Hurricane Fly, as well as Noble Prince and Ivanovic Gorbatov, but his stallion sons are carving out an enormous legacy for him in the NH game.

Authorized is the sire of Tiger Roll and Nichols Canyon, Jukebox Jury has already sired the Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner Princess Zoe and Triumph Hurdle winner Farclas. Motivator has had two Grade 1 winners in the last two seasons, while Fame And Glory was at the start of an exciting NH stud career before he died young.

Ol’ Man River is bred along similar lines to Motivator, who is out of a mare by Gone West. Finsceal Beo’s sire is Gone West’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint-placed son Mr Greeley, a half-brother to the second dam of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

Since retiring to Arctic Tack Stud, Ol Man River’s book has been similar in numbers and he has 46 first-crop foals, who are threeyear-olds of 2021 and set for a big date with the store sales. He has 35 two-year-olds, 29 yearlings and covered 44 mares in 2020.

Amongst his three-year-olds is a gelding out of Devil’s Pride, an unraced Stowaway half-sister to the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle

winner Rogour Back Bob, and the Grade 3 winners Devils Bride and The Boat People, from the family of Showcasing and Camacho.

Grape Love, a half-sister to the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breuil Four-Year-Old Summer Hurdle winner Great Love and to the dam of the Listed winner Lifeboat Mona, has a three-year-old daughter by Ol’ Man River.

Star Of The Season, an Arcadio halfsister to Monkerhostin, has a three-year-old gelding and two-year-old filly by him.

The most expensive youngster by him to sell so far at public auction is a half-brother to the Listed-placed hurdler Milliner and Do Ya Feel Lucky, also a winning hurdler.

They are out of Carthanoora, a half-sister to the Grade 2-winning chaser Carthalawn.

He was sold for €35,000 by Peter Nolan to Aiden Murphy at the Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale 2019.

ORDER OF ST GEORGE

Galileo-Another Storm (Gone West) Castle Hyde Stud €6,500 Year to stud: 2019 The first foals by Order Of St George set sales rings ablaze in December as buyers fell for the impressive physiques of foals molded in the image of their triple Group 1-winning sire.

His advertised fee in 2019 was €6,500 and his foals averaged €24,856 for 46 sold, indicating a sustained level of quality throughout the crop which numbers 153.

The most expensive of his foals was Ballyreddin Stud’s half-brother to the Listed bumper winner Tetlami, who made €90,000 to Mags O’Toole on behalf of Aiden Murphy at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

Dam Tetou is a Peintre Celebre half-sister to the dams of six black-type performers, including the Grade 3 Winter Festival Juvenile Hurdle winner The Last Stand, and to the second dam of Grade 1 Frank E Kilroe Mile winner River Boyne.

That colt was one of four by the sire to sell for more than €50,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November Foal Sale, including a half-sister to the Gold Cup winner Bob’s Worth, who made €55,000 to Kieran Mariga’s Coolmara Stables from Thistledown Stud.

GR.1 WINNER BY CHAMPS ELYSEES 0 0 5 , €3 FOAL E LIV

“A huge addition to the Irish stallion ranks” HAROLD KIRK

“Soundness, Gr.1 success, good looks & clean windWay To Paris ticks all the boxes.” GERRY HOGAN

Won 4 Stakes races, defeating 13 Gr.1 winners Earned €620,000 & Timeform Rating of 123 STANDING AT COOLAGOWN STUD ALONGSIDE CARLOTAMIX SHANTARAM ZAMBEZI SUN

CONTACT DAVID STACK +353 (0)86 2314 066 W: www.coolagown.ie | E: info@coolagown.ie

young nh stallions: ire Mags O’Toole bought an Order Of St George colt out of a winning half-sister to the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle winner Sam Spinner for €55,000. Timmy Hillman went to €68,000 to secure Caroline Berry’s son of Mile From The Moon, a Beat Hollow three-parts sister to the Grade 3 winner The Dutchman and the Listed-winning pair of Katie Too and The Pirate Queen. Mile From The Moon returned to Order Of St George in 2020.

At the Goffs December NH Sale, the demand for Order Of St George’s progeny continued unabated.

Mags Melody’s colt, consigned by Peter Molony’s Rathmore Stud, sold for €65,000 to Kevin Ross and Ben Case. A half-brother to a winner, he is out of a half-sister to the Grade 3 winner and the Grade 1-placed Splash Of Ginge and their dam is a half-sister to Gold Cup winner See More Business.

As well as large numbers, Order Of St George attracted high-class mares in his first season at stud.

Asian Maze, winner of four Grade 1 hurdles and the dam of the Grade 3 winner Cup Final, has a yearling colt bought by the Bleahen Brothers’ Liss House Stud at Goffs.

Jeree, an unraced Flemensfirth full-sister to the Grade 2 winner Jett and half-sister to the Champion Hurdle winner Jezki and the Grade 1 winners Jered, Jett and Jenari, has a yearling colt and was covered again by Order Of St George.

On Eagles Wings, winner of this season’s Grade 3 Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle has a yearling half-brother by the sire and their dam was another repeat visitor to Order Of St George in 2020.

Order Of St George received a larger number of mares in 2020 with his booking growing to 236. Amongst them were uzka, dam of two winners from her first two runners, and the winner of the Grade 3 Greenmount Novices’ Hurdle and placed in the Grade 1 Royal Bond.

She is a Flemensfirth half-sister to the Grade 2 winner Puffin Billy out of a halfsister to Grade 1 winner The Railway Man from the family of Bob Olinger.

Wurfklinge, dam of the Grade 3 winner and the Grade 1-placed Landofhopeandglory was another to visit Order Of St George last year as did Gorgeous Kate, an unraced

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Pillar Coral was chosen as the first stallion to cover Vivd Red, a Royal Anthem half-sister to onet’s arden Westerner full-sister to the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner Captain Kate from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Alberta’s Run. Order Of St George was from the top drawer and his second victory in the Irish St Leger was hailed as one of the greatest staying performances of modern times.

That was the third of his three Group 1 victories having won his first Irish St Leger by 11l and the Ascot Gold Cup by 3l.

Despite having the stamina to win the 2m4f Ascot Gold Cup, he also had speed and he finished third in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He was also fourth to Enable the following year, ahead of Group 1 winners including Brametot, Iquitos, Winter, arak, Seventh Heaven and Capri.

He comes from an excellent female line and is one of six foals out of Another Storm to earn black-type – the others include the Grade 3 winner Angel Terrace, and Asperity, winner of the Group 3 Prix Paul Moussac.

Another Storm is a daughter of Gone West and the US champion two-year-old filly of 1996 Storm Song. Her Kingmambo half-sister Strawberry Fair is the dam of nine winners.

PILLAR CORAL

Zamindar-Coraline (Sadler’s Wells) Kilbarry Lodge Stud €1,500 Year to stud: 2018 The son of Zamindar was bred by Juddmonte Farms out of Coraline making him a half-brother to the NH stallion Martaline, who was a Group 2 winner in

France, the Group 2 winner Coastal Path, who sired Grade 1 winners despite testicular issues, and the Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner Reefscape, who is also the sire of Grade 1 winners.

Coraline is a Sadler’s Wells full-sister to Trellis Bay, who is the second dam of the Group 1 winner and exciting young Flat sire New Bay, and a half-sister to Hope, the dam of the champion sprinter and top-class sire Oasis Dream and Zenda, winner of the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and dam of Kingman Her Irish Oaks-winning half-sister Wemyss Bight is the dam of Beat Hollow (Sadler’s Wells), who won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and is the sire of top flight winners on the Flat and over jumps.

Martaline is the sire of more than 50 individual Graded or Listed winners, while Coastal Path’s Grade 1 winners include the Willie Mullins-trained trio of Asterion Forlonge (third in the Marsh Novices Chase (G1)), Bacardys and Frano De Port.

Pillar Coral has 33 registered two-yearolds with 33 yearlings and his book increased significantly to 105 mares in 2020.

The most expensive member of that first crop at auction was Ballinaroone Stud’s colt out of Quine De Sivola, a half-sister to Auteuil Grade 3 winner Graal De Chalamont.

He made €30,000 to George Mullins at the Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale.

Pillar Coral was chosen as the first stallion to cover Vivd Red, a Royal Anthem half-sister to Monet’s Garden, and she has a two-year-old gelding by him.

From that first crop is a gelding out of Gee Whizz, winner of eight in France and from the family of Allaho.

His second crop of foals achieved a higher average at the sales of €11,929, and they were headed by a colt out of Kilbarry Cliché, a half-sister to Grade 2 Henry VII Novice Chase winner and the Grade 1-placed Racing Demon, and to the dam of the Grade 2 winners Askanna and Abolitionist.

He was sold for €25,000 to Redbridge Stables at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale. Kilbarry Cliché returned to Pillar Coral in 2020.

Kilbarry Maze, an unraced Milan halfsister to Asian Maze and the Grade 3-winning chaser Quantitativeeasing

young nh stallions: ire from the family of Grade 1 winner Outlander, was sent to Pillar Coral for her first covering and she has a yearling daughter by him.

Kilbarry Angel, who is a half-sister to Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel, from the family of Grade 1 winners Minella Indo and Carrigeen Victor, is another to have a yearling filly from Pillar Coral’s second crop and she was covered again by him in 2020.

POET’S WORD

Poet’s Voice-Whirly Bird (Nashwan) Boardsmill Stud €5,000 Year to stud: 2019 Poet’s Word began his stallion career at Shadwell’s Nunnery Stud before his switch to the Flood family’s Boardsmill Stud in 2020 after just one season as a Flat stallion.

The change from Flat to NH made a marked difference to his book size. His first

foals are just yearlings and there are only 20 of them registered, but he covered 220 mares in his first year at Boardsmill making him one of the busiest stallions in Britain and Ireland last year.

Given his race record and pedigree, he is another stallion who should have had major appeal to Flat breeders looking to produce a middle-distance prospect.

He also has the major attraction of being entirely free of Sadler’s Wells blood making him an attractive proposition, especially as he is inbred 5x3 to the great Shirley Heights.

Poet’s Word is a grandson of the brilliant Dubawi, who has worked to great effect with Galileo mares to produce top-class racehorses, including the exciting young stallion Night Of Thunder.

With all of these pedigree pointers, without even looking at his own female family and his race record, it’s easy to see why he attracted such a large book of mares

Poet’s Word: book size went from 20 to 220 after he was transferred from Flat duties to Boardsmill Stud

in his first Irish season.

He is out of the Nashwan mare Whirly Bird, who was third in the Listed Harvest Stakes and is also the dam of Malabar (Raven’s Pass), who won the Goodwood Group 3 contests, the Prestige Stakes and the Thoroughbred Stakes, and was fourth in three Group 1 races, including the 1,000 Guineas. She is also the second dam of Beckford, who won the Group 2 Railway Stakes at two and was second in the both the Phoenix Stakes (G1) and the National Stakes (G1) that season.

Second dam Inchyre is a half-sister to Inchinor, who was putting together a good stud career prior to his early death. Inchyre is also a half-sister to the Listed winners Incheni and Ingozi, the latter is the dam of Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes winner Miss Keller and the second dam of Harbour Law, successful in the St Leger.

Ingozi’s daughter Oshiponga is the dam of the Group 2 winner Hatta Fort and the Group 3 winners Spirit Of Appin and Blue Bayou, and is the second dam of the Group 3 winners War Story and Agent Murphy, who was also second in the Group 1 Irish St Leger.

The Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes winner and Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and Irish Oaks second Venus De Milo is out of Inchmahome, a half-sister to Inchyre.

Poet’s Word is a son of Poet’s Voice, who was a classy miler and won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over that trip at three. He also won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at two and the Celebration Mile, also a Group 2, as a three-year-old.

Poet’s Word ran once at two and moved up through the ranks at three. He ran five times during his three-year-old season, winning a 1m2f maiden and an 1m3f handicap At four he stepped up to 1m4f for the Group 3 Glorious Stakes, which he won comfortably, before an impressive brace of second places in his first two runs in Group 1 company behind Decorated Knight in the Irish Champion Stakes and Cracksman in the Champion Stakes.

He fulfilled that promise as a five-year-old becoming one of the best middle-distance performers in Europe taking the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and

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young nh stallions: ire defeating Crystal Ocean to win the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He ended his career with second in York’s Group 1 International Stakes to Roaring Lion, but defeating Group 1 winners Saxon Warrior, Benbatl, Without Parole, Latrobe and Thunder Snow.

Amongst the top-class producers in his 2020 book were Thuringe, the dam of the Grade 1 winner The New One, as well as of Zenaide, dam of the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices Hurdle winner Bob Olinger.

SEA MOON

Beat Hollow-Eva Luna (Alleged) Burgage Stud Private Year to stud: 2017 A son of Beat Hollow, sire of this year’s Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, from a typically strong Juddmonte family the Group 2 Great Voltiguer Stakes winner and St Leger third Sea Moon is a young stallion who looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

Standing alongside Jukebox Jury at Burgage Stud, where Shantou and Bob Back became top-class NH stallions, Sea Moon has a further connection with Shantou. His broodmare sire Alleged is the sire of Shantou and the other recently retired colossus of NH breeding – Flemensfirth.

His pedigree combines the powerful Sadler’s Wells line, which has provided the likes of top-class NH stallions Old Vic and King’s Theatre as well as Beat Hollow, Milan and Sholokhov, with that of Alleged.

That family really is something else – he is a three-parts brother to the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy and St Leger winner Brian Boru, as well as to the Listed Park Express winner Kitty O’Shea, who is the dam of the Group 1-placed Kissable, and the Group 3 Noblesse Stakes second Kushnarenkova.

She is the second dam of Best Solution, a Group 1 winner in Europe and Australia for Godolphin and now at stud in Germany.

Another three-parts sister Soviet Moon is the dam of Workforce, winner of the Derby and Arc and of whom you can read more at the end of this section.

Their Rainbow Quest half-sister Moon Search won the Group 2 Prix Royallieu and is the dam of Donald McCain’s Supreme

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Novices (G1) winner Cinders And Ashes, who is by Sea Moon’s sire Beat Hollow.

Second dam Eva Luna (Alleged) is out of Media Luna (Star Appeal), who defeated Dahlia and Allez France when becoming the first German-trained horse to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Eva Luna was a classy stayer winning the Group 3 Park Hill Stakes over the St Leger course and distance. She had a perfect record as a broodmare with all six of runners winning and five of the earning black-type.

Sea Moon was a high-class performer in both hemispheres. At three he developed from a handicapper to a Grade 1 performer starting with victory in an extended 1m2f contest at York and then collected the Group 2 Great Voltiguer Stakes where he defeated the subsequent multiple Group 1 winner Al Kazeem.

After that came his third place in the St Leger before he travelled to Churchill Downs for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf where only St Nicholas Abbey finished ahead.

At four, he won the Listed Tapster Stakes

at Goodwood before victory in Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Hardwick Stakes. Sea Moon moved to Australia and the best of his seven runs Down Under was a Group 2 success.

Transferred to the care of John Oxx, who nursed him back to health after suffering a life-threatening bout of shipping fever, he managed a second to Order Of St George in the Group 3 St Leger Trial at The Curragh.

His oldest crop is now four and he has 26 registered foals on the ground.

Tipperary Moon, his one runner to date, has been placed over 7f at Dundalk.

At the store sales last year Sea Moon’s first crop averaged €13,500 for four sold.

There was a pair of €21,000 sales at the Goffs Land Rover Sale where Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins bought a filly out of Duchess Dee, dam of two winners, from Limefield Stud.

At the same sale Ash Hill House’s halfbrother to the winning hurdler Printing Dollars fetched €21,000. His second dam is a Phardante half-sister to Denman and Grade 1 winner Silverburn.

Sea Moon: the son of Beat Hollow has had one runner so far - Tipperary Moon placed over 7f

young nh stallions: ire Amongst that first crop is a filly out of Bobaway (Shantou), who is a full-sister to the Grade 1 winner Briar Hill out of a Bob Back full-sister to the Grade 1 winner and Gold Cup second Boston Bob. Her year-younger full-brother made €20,000 to Mount Eaton Stud at the 2018 Goffs December NH Sale.

Bobaway’s younger full-sister Easeaway has a three-year-old Sea Moon filly.

Revelate, a half-sister to the Grade 1 winners Fiveforthree and Celestial Gold, who won the Aintree Bowl and Hennessy Gold Cup, has a four-year-old filly by Sea Moon.

His second crop also includes the first foal out of Right So Joe, an unraced full-sister to the Grade 3-winning chaser Perfect Gentleman and half-sister to the Listedplaced What Lies Ahead.

Toye Native, a Grade 2-placed chaser by Presenting has a three-year-old Sea Moon gelding.

There are 22 registered members of his second crop, while he has 10 two-year-olds currently registered and 20 yearlings. Sea Moon covered a bigger book of 51 mares in 2020.

SHANTARAM

Galileo-All’s Forgotten (Darshaan) Coolagown Stud Private Year to stud: 2014 Bred on the Galileo-Darshaan cross Shantaram is starting to make a name for himself with his first runners from limited opportunities on the track and between the flags.

Bred by Lady Bamford out of All’s Forgotten, who was a winner over mile, he is a full-brother to the Irish 2,000 Guineas third Gan Amhras, the Listed March Stakes winner Forever Now, the Listed Chalice Stakes winner and the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes third To Eternity.

All’s Forgotten is a half-sister to the Listed Jebel Ali Mile winner Parole Board (Dynaformer) and Remain Silent (Chester House), who was the winner of three Listed races in America.

Shantaram is 3x4 to Northern Dancer and has the great sire on his top and bottom lines

now ky’s yearlings include a colt out of the rade 1 atton’s Grace Hurdle winner Voler La Vedette through Sadler’s Wells and Be My Guest.

Shantaram was a classy stayer, and he was an easy winner of the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over 1m5f at three.

On his first start at three he was beaten a nose in a 1m2f Newmarket maiden and then ran a length second to subsequent American Champion Turf Horse Main Sequence in the Group 3 Lingfield Derby Trial.

He retired to stud in 2014 and his oldest offspring are now six.

His first crop includes the point-to-point winner Ballela, who won her maiden at Tyrella for Jerry Cosgrave.

She is out of an Acatenango half-sister to the Classic winner Brametot and her second dam is a Law Society half-sister to Monsun.

From his second crop, he has the promising The Carpente, who was second on his debut in a Navan bumper in March for Stewart Crawford, who bought him at Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2019 for €15,000.

He is out of a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Kemboy. That crop also contains Paul Webber’s debut bumper winner Litigate, who is a half-brother to the Listedwinning hurdler Indefatigable, fourth in the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

His four-year-olds of 2021 include a filly out of Raven’s Bay, a half-sister to the three-time Grade 1-winning chaser Tidal Bay and the dam of the Grade 1-placed OK Corral from the family of the Grade 1 winners Buck Rogers and Brewster.

His book rose to 76 last year.

SNOW SKY

Nayef-Winter Silence (Dansili) Ballycurragh Stud Private Year to stud: 2016 The Group 2 winner offers something different and welcome – a pedigree that is free from inbreeding in the first five generations with absolutely no Sadler’s Wells blood.

At three Snow Sky won the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial on his second start before finishing fourth to Eagle Top and Adelaide in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes.

He won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood and then was second to subsequent Group 1 winner Postponed in the Great Voltiguer (G2) at York. He was third to Kingston Hill in the St Leger (G1) and ended his three-year-old season in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase won by Flintshire.

Kept in training at four, he added Royal Ascot’s Hardwicke Stakes (G2) gaining revenge on Eagle Top and Postponed with Hillstar and Telescope further back.

He is a full-brother to the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak and Group 2 Prix Chaudenay and Prix Hocquart winner Ice Breeze, and is out of Winter Silence, a Listed-placed daughter of Dansili.

Winter Silence is a half-sister to the dual Grade 1 winner and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1) runner-up Meteor Storm (Bigstone), and to the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner, Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Group 1 Hong Kong Vase runner-up Polish Summer, a son of Polish Precedent.

Winter Silence’s Unfuwain sister Winter Solstice was Group 3-placed and is the second dam of the Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner Winsili and the Grade 1 handicap hurdle winner Low Sun. Second dam Hunt The Sun is a Rainbow Quest half-sister to the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak and the Grade 1 San Capistrano Handicap winner Raintrap and to Sunshack, who won the Group 1 Coronation Cup, Criterium de Saint-Cloud and Prix Royal Oak. Snow Sky’s first crop of runners numbers 47 and amongst them is the sale-topper from last year’s Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale,

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young nh stallions: ire a gelding consigned by Springhill Stud and bought by Harley Dunne for €40,000.

At the same sale Lacke Stud sold a halfbrother to the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Tolworth Hurdle winner Sommerville Boy to Kevin Ross for €20,000.

Their dam Suny House is a half-sister to the dam of the Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Chase winner Annacotty.

Their sales contributed to an average store sale price in 2020 of 14,507gns for Snow Sky’s progeny, quite a healthy return for a first-crop stallion.

Snow Sky may not have had the largest books, but he is attracting some blueblooded mares.

Shop DJ, a Grade 3 winner who was second in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown and is out of a halfsister to the dam of triple Grade 1 winner First Lieutenant, has a two-year-old gelding by him.

Snow Sky’s yearlings include a colt out of the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle winner Voler La Vedette, who is also a half-sister to the dam of dual Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner Shishkin.

Another regally-bred Snow Sky yearling is the colt out of Zeb’s Little Sister, who is an Oscar full-sister to Big Zeb, winner of six Grade 1 chases, including the Champion Chase. Zeb’s Little Sister returned to Snow Sky in 2020. They are amongst the 39 registered Snow Sky yearlings and he covered 59 mares last year.

SUCCESS DAYS

Jeremy-Malaica (Roi Garde) Kilbarry Lodge €2,000 Year to stud: 2020 The 2021 Cheltenham Festival provided an enormous reminder of the gaping hole left

by Jeremy in the NH stallion ranks. Along with Yeats, and the also deceased Stowaway, he claimed top stallion honours with four winners, three of them in Grade 1 races.

Fortunately there is reason for hope with two sons of Jeremy now at stud; Kool Kompany and Success Days at Kilbarry Lodge, where he is currently standing his second season.

Success Days was a remarkably tough and

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Success Days was a remarkably tough and sound racehorse who ran 30 times during the course of his six-season career sound racehorse who ran 30 times during the course of his six-season career.

He announced himself as a Derby contender with victories in both of Ireland’s most successful trials – the Ballysax Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial – both 1m2f Group 3 contests. He finished down the field in the Blue Riband itself.

At four he was unlucky to come up against the Group 1-winning mares Zhukhova and Found in his first two starts, finishing second to the former in the Listed Alleged Stakes and the later in the Group 3 Mooresbridge Stakes. He was third to Fascinating Rock and Found in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and then claimed victory in the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes.

He ran six times at five and won the Group 2 York Stakes from the dual Group 1 winner Mondialiste. In 2018 he was second in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes and ended the season with a third place finish in the Listed Trigo Stakes.

He won six races, four of them stakes races, and finished second or third on 11 further occasions. After his 7f win at two, all of his other victories were at around 1m2f.

Success Days was bred by Robert Ng and Dermot Farrington out of the Roi Gironde mare Malaica.

Malaica earned podium positions in the Albany Stakes (L) and the Prix Miesque (G3) and she is a half-sister to the Group 3 Fort Macy Stakes winner Olympico.

His second dam Carmel is an unraced Highest Honor mare, which is where he gets his grey colouring, and she is a half-sister to

the Group 1 Prix Ganay winner Execute.

She is also a half-sister to the Group 2 Grand Prix d’Evry winner Tot Ou Tard and Ing Ing, who won the Group 3 Prix Quincey.

Her unraced half-sister Sissysis is the dam of the French Listed-winning hurdler Magneli.

His pedigree includes three lines of Northern Dancer through Danzig, Danseur Fabuleux, who is the dam of Jeremy’s broodmare sire Arazi, and Fairy King, the full-brother to Sadler’s Wells, who is the sire of Success Day’s dam-sire Roi Gironde.

He also has two lines of Sharpen Up, 4 x 5, through Mira Andonde, who is the dam of Danehill Dancer, and Sharpo sire of his third dam She’s My Lovely.

In his first season, Success Days covered 45 mares, including Dona Katharina, a winning hurdler and full-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Outlander, the Grade 2 winners Western Leader and Ice Cold Soul, the Listed winner Mart Lane and the Grade 2-placed Now McGinty.

Kilbarry Angel, a winning Kalanisi half-sister to Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel from the family of Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, was also in his first book of mares, as was Kilbarry Maze, an unraced Milan half-sister to Grade 1 winner Asian Maze and Grade 3 winner Quantitativeeasing.

SUMBAL

Danehill Dancer-Alix Road (Linamix) Boardsmill Stud €2,500 Year to stud: 2019 Any stallion prospect from the Danehill Dancer line is highly sought, hence Sumbal is now standing at his third stud in his third season having moved from Haras de Grandcamp to Anshoon Stud and now on to Boardsmill.

Being out of a daughter of Linamix is another enormous positive for Sumbal as that line has produced the likes of Martaline, who sired yet another Grade 1 winner at this year’s Cheltenham Festival – Vanillier.

Sumbal was bred by Aleyrion Bloodstock and, as befits a six-figure yearling, he is a handsome looker with an attractive profile.

He was bought by David Redvers at Arqana and was trained initially by François-Henri

young nh stallions: ire Graffard for Qatar Racing.

He was unbeaten in his first three starts at three, including the Group 2 Prix Greffuhle before finishing fifth to New Bay in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club. He was also second in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange that season.

As a four-year-old he was second in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt and the Group 3 Prix Exbury, both 1m2f races. He ran twice more in France before he was switched to England and the yard of David Simcock. His best result in England was a fourth place in the Group 3 St Simon Stakes over 1m4f.

He is a half-brother to the Listed Grand Prix du Nord winner Lily Passion and Lavender Lane, who was third in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette and Group 2 Prix de Malleret.

His dam Alix Road is a three-time winner

by Linamix and finished second in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris and third in the

Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary.

His pedigree is an interesting mix and although there is plenty of Northern Dancer in there, he is 5x5 to him and 5x5 to his son Lyphard, he is free from all Sadler’s Wells blood.

He is also inbred 4x5 to the influential Caro through Lettre d’Amour, the second dam of Danehill Dancer, and Miss Carina, the dam of Linamix’s sire Menez.

Sumbal has nine registered yearlings from his first season in France.

VADAMOS

Monsun-Celebre Vadala (Peintre Celebre) Grange Stud €6,000 Year to stud: 2017 The transfer of Vadamos from Tally-Ho Stud to Coolmore’s NH division before his second crop even ran raised a few eyebrows among

commentators, who were desperate to see a son of Monsun get the chance to shine as a Flat stallion.

However, the switch makes enormous sense – Vadamos is a Group 1-winning miler by Monsun so theoretically should bring speed to some of the more stoutly bred mares amongst the NH broodmare population. He was already covering NH mares so the demand for breeders to use him was already rolling.

Vadamos has a similar profile to fellow Coolmore recruit Maxios. Both horses won the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile and are sons of Monsun with the influence of Nureyev on their dam’s side.

Vadamos is out of the Peintre Celebre mare Celebre Vadala, while Maxios is out of the Nureyev mare Moonlight’s Box. The two stallions are impressive physical specimens with good looks to go with their pedigrees and proven ability.

Vadamos saw 149 mares in his last year at Tally-Ho Stud.

He transferred to Coolmore for 2021 and is one of four sons of Monsun standing in the stud’s NH division

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young nh stallions: ire That ability to inject an element of pace into NH pedigrees might be seen in Vadamos’s relative success as a first-season sire. Despite being overshadowed by his former stud mate Mehmas, Vadamos still managed to quietly compile 17 individual Flat winners headed by Spycatcher, who was second in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes.

He also sired the Listed-placed, winning filly Messidor, who is being aimed at Classics this summer.

On the back of that bright start, his second crop was well received at the sales and achieved a top price of 220,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1. Peter and Ross Doyle bought the half-brother to the Group 3-placed Starbright out of a Galileo half-sister to Grade 1 Gamely Stakes winner Tuscan Evening from the family of Crystal Ocean and Hillstar.

At the same sale, trainer Ed Dunlop paid 70,000gns for a half-brother to the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes winner Shumookhi out of a half-sister to the Group 3 Solario Stakes winner and sire Windsor Knot.

Both horses were consigned by Tally-Ho Stud, who are due to consign a Vadamos half-brother to the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes winner and the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes second The Mackem Bullet at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.

His three-year-olds with NH pedigrees include a half-brothers to Marsh Warbler, who won the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle, to Nicky Henderson’s Listed Summer Cup Handicap Chase winner Brave Eagle, and to the Grade 3 handicap hurdle and chase winner Rock The Kasbah out of a halfsister to Top Novices’ Hurdle winner Royal Shakespeare.

Yearlings with NH pedigrees include the second foal out of the Listed Prix Wild Monarch and Prix Sagan third Colline Magique, who was bought for €41,000

by Kevin Ross at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

Ross also bought a Vadamos half-brother to the Grade 2-placed hurdler Kiltealy Briggs out of a full-sister to the Grand National winner Ballabriggs for €38,000.

Richard Rohan went to €30,000 for a Vadamos colt out of Scooping, a winning half-sister to the Grade 1-winning hurdler Won In The Dark.

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Assistance, a Dansili half-sister to the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Cinders And Ashes, has a yearling colt by Vadamos.

She Took A Tree, dam of the Grade 2 winner Fitzhenry and a half-sister to the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle winner Jazz Messenger, has a Vadamos yearling filly.

At the Goffs December NH Sale two colts

by Vadamos made €20,000 or higher; the first was a colt out of the Listed Plymouth Novices’ Hurdle third Revaader from the family of Grade 1 winners Strong Promise and Defy Logic, while the other was a halfbrother to the Grade 2 Johnstown Novice Hurdle third Hannon.

Vadamos has 49 registered foals and covered 149 mares in his last year at TallyHo Stud. Amongst the NH breeders who sent him mares in 2020 were Ken Parkhill, Kenilworth House Stud and Cyril O’Hara.

VALIRANN

Nayef-Valima (Linamix) Whytemount Stud €2,000 colt, €1,000 filly Year to stud: 2015 Valirann has made an encouraging start with the Listed bumper winner Knapper’s Hill in his first crop.

The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding

is unbeaten in two starts and currently holds the distinction of being his sire’s most expensive store horse when making €155,000 to Tom Malone and Nicholls at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2019.

The Group 2-winning son of Nayef has also been disadvantaged by the moratorium on point-to-point action currently in place in Ireland and a icted last year’s season with neither of his first two crops being given the opportunity to strut their stuff.

So far 29 members of his first crop have made a start – five of them have won with Knapper’s Hill the star so far.

Six of his 80-strong second crop have made debuts, but with no winners so far.

Interestingly, both of his bumper winners are out of King’s Theatre mares and he is an outcross for mares from that line – as a son of Nayef out of a Linamix mare, he does not have a drop of Sadler’s Wells blood in his veins.

He was bred by the Aga Khan and ran five times as a three-year-old, winning four times. Those victories included the Group 2 Prix de Chaudenay and the Group 3 Prix de Lutece, both over 1m7f. His only defeat came in his debut when he was second by a short head over 1m4f.

His family is that of Vadamos and was acquired by the Aga Khan in 2004 with the batch purchase of the Jean-Luc

The Listed bumper winner Knappers Hill (Valirann) was bought by Paul Nicholls for €155,000

young nh stallions: ire Lagard re stock, which included Valirann’s dam Valima, who went on to bred Valyra (Azamour), winner of the Prix de Diane.

Valima was a good race filly winning the Listed Prix Imprudence and is the best runner out of her dam Vadlawysa, an Always Fair full-sister to Group 2 Prix Hocquart winner Vadlawys and a half-sister to Val Royal, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Her Listed Prix de Lieurey winner Vadlamixa produced the Aga Khan’s Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes and Prix d’Ispahan winner Valixir and the Listed winner Celebre Vadala, the dam of Vadamos.

Vadlamixa’s Listed-placed daughter Vadaza ( afonic) is the dam of the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winners Vazira and Vadawina and the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre winner Vadapolina.

Valirann’s first crop recorded an average of €21,159 at the store sales in 2019, including Knapper’s Hill, and his only representative at that year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale made €58,000, Consigned by Baroda Stud, the half-brother to the now Grade 3 winner Run Wilde Fred, was bought by GC Bloodstock.

His second crop did not feature any six-figure sales, which contributed to the drop in average at the store sales to €15,863.

The most expensive store by Valirann in 2020 was a half-brother to the Put The Kettle On, who had won the Grade 1 Arkle Chase earlier that year and is now the heroine of the Grade 1 Champion Chase.

Bred by the Purcell family and sold by Glen Stables at the Derby Sale, he made €55,000 to Denis Murphy and is named Duhallow Rainbow.

Their dam Name For Fame also has a three-year-old Valirann filly.

Murphy also bought another gelding by Valirann for €27,000 – consigned by Peter Nolan he is out of a half-sister to the Galway Plate winner Ballyholland.

A Valirann filly from the family of the great Annie Power made €30,000 at the same sale. She is out of a Stowaway full-sister to the Grade 2 winner Giantofaman and the Grade 2-placed Stowaway Shark, her second dam is a halfsister to the Champion Hurdle winner from the family of 1,000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook.

At the Goffs UK Summer Sale Goldford Stud consigned the full-brother to Mullins Cross who made £32,000 to Tom Malone and Jamie Snowden. Their unraced Accordion dam Julimark has two younger full-brothers and a two-year-old full-sister and was covered

by Valirann once again in 2020.

Valirann has 38 three-year-olds of whom a significant proportion will be seen at the store sales. There are 54 two-year-olds

by Valirann and 36 yearlings; last year he covered 109 mares.

WAY TO PARIS

Champs Elysees-Grey Way (Cozzene) Coolagown Stud €3,500 Year to stud: 2021 The Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner is an exciting recruit for Coolagown Stud and offers breeders a proven outcross for the Galileo line as he is a son of the Group 1 winner Champs Elysees (Danehill).

His sire proved enormously popular with NH breeders when he moved to Coolmore’s Castle Hyde Stud from Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud. He covered over 400 mares in the two seasons in Ireland before his death at the age 16 in 2019. The first crop of stores by Champs Elysees will be sold this summer.

Way To Paris was a tough, sound, cleanwinded horse who made 35 starts over six seasons and mixed in the best company.

He won a pair of Listed races at three. He ran seven times at four, finishing second in the Gran Premio di Milano and the Premio Federico Tesio and third in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club, all Group events from 1m2f to 1m4f. He was also third in the Group 3 Prix d’Hedouville behind Tiberian and subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Talismanic.

Way To Paris was third to Waldgeist and Group 1 winner Dschingis Secret in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, defeating Tiberian and Cloth Of Stars. He was also fourth to Waldgeist, Talismanic and Cloth of Stars in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp.

As a six-year-old he won the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Neuil and was also second to Waldgeist in the Group Prix Foy and was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse

Vigier and Group 3 Prix de Barbeville.

Kept in training at seven, he started off the season with a narrow defeat to Shaman in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt and then went down by a head to subsequent Arc winner Sottsass in the Group 1 Prix Ganay before making the breakthrough at Group 1 level in his next start, the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud.

Way To Paris is a half-brother to the dual Group 1 Premio Presidente della Repubblica winner Distant Way (Distant View) and the Group 3 Premio Ambrosiano winner Cima de Pluie, who is by Singspiel.

Their dam is the Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Grey Way (Cozzene), who was champion sire in North America in 1996 and is a son of Caro.

Grey Way’s dam is by Nureyev and you can read about Way To Paris in our feature on him and Coolagown Stud.

WINGS OF EAGLES

Pour Moi-Ysoldina (Kendor) Beeches Stud €5,000 Year to stud: 2018 Wings Of Eagles emulated his sire Pour Moi with a breathtaking last-gasp victory in the Group 1 Derby at Epsom.

Unfortunately he then suffered a careerending injury in the Irish Derby, but the fact that he managed to finish a close third in that race to Capri and Cracksman speaks volumes to the courage and ability of the horse, characteristics that if he passes them on to his offspring are likely to make him a success at stud.

Bred by Aliette and Giles Forien, the imposing bay was bought by Coolmore’s MV Magnier at the 2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale for €220,000.

Wings Of Eagles is out of the Kendor mare Ysoldina, who won the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte and was third in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.

He is the best of five winners produced

by Ysoldina – they also include the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes third Sparkle Roll and the Listed fillies Torentosa and Gyrella.

Ysoldina is a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Belle Et Celebre and the Group 2 Prix Jean Romanet winner Whortleberry, who is the dam of the Group 3

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young nh stallions: ire Unicorn Stakes winner Straw Hat. Her half-brothers are the Group 3 winners Valentino and Appel Au Maitre and they are out of Rotina by the Blushing Groom stallion Crystal Glitters.

Wings Of Eagles spent one season in Normandy at a fee of €12,000 before being recalled to Coolmore and a spot in the team at The Beeches Stud.

His first crop of 36 foals, conceived in France, are now two-year-olds. His first yearlings made a splash at Arqana’s October Yearling Sale with a pair making €60,000 apiece and a third selling for €52,000.

Tina Rau bought Haras du Hoguenet’s colt out of the winning Medicean mare from the family of Group 1 winners Sagamix, Japan and Mogul for €60,000 on behalf of Nicholas Clement, while Jeremy Brummitt paid the same for a half-brother to the 2020 Group 3 Killavullan Stakes third Mexico City, consigned by Haras des Granges.

Oceanic Bloodstock bought Haras de Boureauville’s son of Brazilian Group 2 winner and the Group 1-placed Notting Hill for €52,000.

Wings Of Eagles’s first crop of Irish foals numbers 154 and they achieved an average of 7,000gns at the sales in 2020.

The most expensive foal sold by him was at the Goffs December NH Sale where Conor O’Brien bought a half-sister to the Grade 2 handicap chase winner Noble Endeavour for €25,000 from The Beeches Stud.

Out of a half-sister to Grade 1 runner-up Warden Hill, she is from the further family of Mole Board, Deep Dawn and Bob Olinger.

At Tattersalls Ireland’s November NH Sale the most expensive foal by Wings Of Eagles was a colt out of a half-sister to Grade 3 Shannon Spray Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Kate Appleby Shoes was bought by Ryan Mahon for €21,000.

WORKFORCE

King’s Best-Soviet Moon (Sadler’s Wells) Knockhouse Stud Private Year to stud: 2012 Workforce’s first crop of stores go through the ring in the summer. Returned to Europe in time for the 2017 breeding season from Japan, where he had stood since retiring in

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2012, Workforce has 55 registered threeyear-olds in his first NH European crop.

Workforce made his seasonal debut in the Group 2 Dante Stakes when a tack malfunction hampered him but he ran on to take second place behind Cape Blanco.

That experience was put to good use in the Derby where he was a commanding 7l winner on just his third start.

He could only manage fifth behind stable companion Harbinger in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but he was back to his Derby-winning self in the Arc, winning the European showpiece in just the fifth race of his life by a head.

He made his four-year-old debut a winning one in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes and then took on So You Think in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes, in which the Australian raider’s turn of foot proved decisive. He was struck into in the King George but still took second to Nathaniel.

His stud career in Japan was a quiet one, but he is the sire of six stakes performers there, headed by the Listed Kobi Stakes winner Meisho Keimei.

He is by King’s Best, winner of the 2,000 Guineas and a three-parts brother to the outstanding broodmare Urban Sea. His dam is a Sadler’s Wells unraced full-sister to Group 1 St Leger winner Brian Boru and

the Listed Park Express Stakes winner Kitty O’Shea, dam of the Listed winner Kissable.

Another of Soviet Moon’s full sisters is Group 3 placed Kushnarenkova, second dam of Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden and Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution

by Kodiac. She is also a three-parts sister to Group 2 Great Voltiguer Stakes and Hardwicke Stakes winner Sea Moon.

Workforce has had solid support and he has 55 foals registered in his first Irish crop who are now three. His two-year-olds number 70 and he has 65 yearlings, while he covered 4 mares in 2020.

The most expensive of his first crop to sell at auction is a colt out of Cluain Easa, an Accordion half-sister to Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner Classified. He was bought by Kelvinside Stud at the 2018 Goffs December Foal Sale from Mill Road Stables.

Also in the first Irish crop is a colt out of Carrigeen Kamala, an Old Vic full-sister to Grade 1 Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase winner Carrigeen Victor and a half-sister to the dam of Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel.

Second dam Carriggen Keria is a half-sister to the dam of Gold Cup winner Minella Indo.

Tranquil Lass, an unraced full-sister to Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Shadow Leader, also has a colt from the first crop of Workforce.

The Derby winner Workforce – his first European-bred NH crop will sell as store horse this summer

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nh stallions: fr

NH stallions en Français Martin Stevens casts his eye over the major NH sires at stud in France Read in full at: www.martinstevensbloodstock.com

O

NLY FOUR FRENCHBREDS struck at the meeting this year — the lowest number since 2013.

The dearth of winners carrying the FR suffix seemed really odd, as there had been a double-figure tally of them in each of the past three years, hitting a high of 14 as recently as 2019.

French breeders still had cause for cheer, though, as this year’s festival haul did include one of the most impressive winners of the week — Allaho, who delivered a command performance in the Ryanair Chase — and another Grade 1 scorer in Vanillier, who took the Albert Bartlett by 11 lengths.

French-breds also finished second and third in the Champion Hurdle (Sharjah and Epatante) and Gold Cup (A Plus Tard and Al Boum Photo), as well as second in the Stayers’ Hurdle (Sire Du Berlais). The likes of Concertista, Fusil Ra es and Petit Mouchoir also put up commendable placed efforts.

And it isn’t all about Cheltenham, of course. It should be remembered that French-breds Abacadabras, Bravemansgame, Chacun Pour Soi, Envoi Allen, Franco De Port, Frodon, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Kemboy and Min had all landed Grade 1 races in Britain or Ireland this season before falling or being beaten at the festival.

The evergreen Bristol De Mai and exciting Energumene missed the meeting altogether.

All things considered, that underwhelming total of four French-bred winners at Cheltenham 2021 looks a little anomalous.

There should be no reason for breeders,

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traders and stallion masters across the Channel to panic.

So which French sires should breeders and traders be looking out for? This year’s Festival winners are a good place to start our search, in particular the awesome Allaho.

Allaho a fine example

He is by Haras de Montaigu resident No Risk At All, a 14-year-old son of My Risk and half-brother to high-class chaser Nickname, who was a dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed in the Prix d’Ishapan.

The chestnut stallion is hot property,

having also sired Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante, Grade 1-winning novice chaser Esprit Du Large and a number of domestic stars — not to mention big-priced Irish point-to-point graduates Keskonsisk and Papa Tango Charly.

Breeders will need to act fast to get into No Risk At All as he is limited to 130 mares each season and has been booked out well in advance of February for the last few years.

His €10,000 covering fee has not put many off using him, which is hardly surprising when he has come up with Allaho, Epatante, Esprit Du Large and others from his first crop alone.

No Risk At All: is limited to 130 mares each season and recently has been fully booked by February

nh stallions: fr Interestingly, the French stallion ranks offer a less expensive and more readily available alternative to gaining access to No Risk At All’s distaff pedigree.

Sadly, Nickname died aged only 12 at Haras de Victot, leaving behind three crops that contained Cyrname, Frodon, Yala Enki and more, but the son of Lost World’s fullbrother Nom De D’La, a Grade 3-winning chaser, stands at Haras de la Baie.

Nom De D’La’s first crop numbers only four six-year-olds, but has yielded two winners, one at Auteuil. His second output of 17 five-year-olds and third generation of 14 four-year-olds each contain an Auteuil Listed hurdle scorer, in Irresistibles and Chichi De La Vega respectively.

He has 11 three-year-olds, 14 two-yearolds and 33 yearlings, and covered 31 mares last year. With his pedigree, it wouldn’t take many good representatives in Britain or Ireland for him to come into the crosshairs of more breeders.

Martaline’s marvellous legacy

Vanillier, meanwhile, is by Haras de Montaigu’s late powerhouse dual-purpose sire Martaline, who gave British and Irish trainers further Grade 1 winners Disko, Dynaste, Terrefort, Very Wood and We Have A Dream.

Martaline passed away in 2019, and the sire’s devotees will have to console themselves with using his stallion sons.

There are plenty of them in France, where connections often allow jumps colts to keep their reproductive organs, headed by his Grade 1-winning sons Beaumec De Houelle and Nirvana Du Berlais who are available at €6,000 and €6,500.

Beaumec De Houelle, winner of the prestigious Prix Cambaceres at Auteuil for three-year-old hurdlers, is out of a Listedplaced daughter of Trempolino. He has stood at Montaigu since 2019 and has 67 first-crop yearlings on the ground, with a book of 144 mares covered last year.

Nirvana Du Berlais, another winner of the Prix Cambaceres, is a half-brother to Aubusson, a Grade 3-winning hurdler in Britain, out of a Listed-placed Mansonnien half-sister to the likeable chasing mare Ma Filleule. The well-bred stallion received

125 mares in his first season at Haras de la Hetraie last year.

Other Martaline sons standing in France include 2021 newcomers Gary Du Chenet (Haras du Lion, €2,200), King Edward (Haras de la Courlais, €2,000) and Moises Has (Hamel Stud, €4,500), as well as Kitkou (Elevage du Fruitier, €1,500), a full-brother to Grade 1-winning chaser Kotkikova who has 80 offspring in his first four crops aged between yearlings and four-year-olds.

A rare son of Sholokhov

Montaigu scores a tangential win again as it stands another rare stallion son of Sholokhov — on the mark himself at the Festival with the superstar novices Bob Olinger and Shishkin — in Night Wish.

A Group 3 winner over 1m2f and twice Group 1-placed over two furlongs further in his native Germany, Night Wish is a fullbrother to that country’s Horse of the Year Night Magic. He has 35 first-crop threeyear-olds, 23 two-year-olds and 24 yearlings, while he covered another 40 mares in 2020.

With a decent race record, a strong German pedigree and the fact that Montaigu and its clients have made successes out of so many of the stud’s earlier NH sires, I’d have thought he deserved a little more support.

Saints go marching in

For the second year in a row, Saint Des Saints did not put quite manage to put a winner on the board at Cheltenham but he did supply three runners-up Fusil Ra es in the Marsh, Gaillard Du Mesnil in the Ballymore and Saint Sam in the Boodles and a third-place finisher, in Haut En Couleurs in the Triumph.

That was a remarkably similar outcome to the Festival in 2020, when he also had three seconds — Lord Du Mesnil (National Hunt Chase), Saint Calvados (Ryanair Trophy) and Dolcita (Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) and two thirds in Elfile (Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle) and Saint D’Oroux (Boodles).

Saint Des Saints, also damsire of Cheltenham champions Appreciate It, Douvan and Envoi Allen, is still in service at Haras d’Etreham at the age of 23, although

breeders have to stump up €15,000 for his services. Considering he is such a conduit for class, and his progeny are so versatile, that shouldn’t deter any breeder from using him.

Fortunately, as was the case with Martaline, there are several stallion sons of Saint Des Saints in France who are available for less money.

Goliath Du Berlais is the most glamorous of those. He is out of King’s Daughter, an Auteuil Grade 3 winner by King’s Theatre and half-sister to RSA Chase runner-up Lyreen Legend (also by Saint Des Saints) who has also produced high-class hurdler James Du Berlais.

The 11-year-old won the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure, a Grade 1 chase at Auteuil, by 14l. That result, taken with his persuasive pedigree, has ensured he has been in strong demand at Haras de la Tuilerie. He covered 144 mares at a fee of €7,500 in his first season last year.

Other sons of Saint Des Saints on offer include Castle Du Berlais, a Listed-winning chaser at Enghien and half-brother to Sire Du Berlais, who is standing his fourth season at Haras du Lion at a fee of €2,500; and Jeu St Eloi, a non-winner but half-brother to dual Auteuil Grade 1 chase scorer Oculi and close relation to Balko whose first crop comprises 47 four-year-olds.

Jeu St Eloi already has five winners to his name, and some of his progeny are in training with kingmakers such as Emmanuel Clayeux, Isabelle Gallorini and Francois Nicolle.

It would be no surprise to see some of his better runners make it to Britain and Ireland, so this year might be the right time to send a mare to him in order to capitalise on that potential rise in profile.

Kapgarde the king

Saint Des Saints is not the only elder statesman of the French NH stallion ranks still available to breeders. Kapgarde, on the mark at Cheltenham with brave Gold Cup runner-up A Plus Tard and Ryanair Chase second Fakir D’Oudairies, is also commanding a fee of €15,000, in his case at Haras de la Hetraie.

The 22-year-old has also delivered dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux

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nh stallions: fr and other classy exports such as Alisier D’Irlande, As De Mee, Dolos, Edgardo Sol, Garde La Victoire, Hammersly Lake, Ubak and Ultragold, as well as numerous stars in France led by champion Milord Thomas.

Kapgarde has no sons at stud in France yet, which is a shame as not only is he such a fine conduit of jumping talent, but he also has a true connoisseur’s pedigree — by one great sire in Garde Royale and out of a winning daughter of another, Cadoudal. He is also a half-brother to Grade 1-winning hurdler Geos.

In 2019 he covered 106 mares and in 2020 he received 77.

fter okoriko’s debut runners fared well, his numbers soared again and he has 14 two year olds and 1 yearlings

Boum stallion

A younger stallion still in his prime who made his influence felt at The Festival once again was Buck’s Boum. His standout son Al Boum Photo failed to make it three Cheltenham Gold Cups in a row, but lost little caste in defeat in third.

Duc Des Genievres, who became another early star for the sire when he won the Arkle in 2019, has not hit those same heights since, but did run a fair seventh in the Grand Annual.

With his oldest crop aged nine, Buck’s Boum has also come up with Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase winner Dynamite Dollars and useful British/Irish imports such as Coup De Pinceau, Enrilo and Favorito Buck’s, while in France he has been represented by the smart Lou Buck’s — all from limited representation.

Having covered as few as 20 mares in 2017, Buck’s Boum was sent 111 in 2018, 102 in 2019 and 57 last year. His fee has risen to a high of €7,000 for 2020 and 2021.

The future looks bright for the full-brother to legendary staying hurdler Big Buck’s, who found only fellow Cadoudal son Long Run too good in the Prix Cambaceres in his racecourse pomp, even if he may experience a few leaner years in the shorter term due to those earlier smaller books.

Cadoudal clues

Sire of Saint Des Saints and Buck’s Boum, damsire of Kapgarde: what a wonderful influence for staying and jumping Cadoudal

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was. His name provides quite the hallmark of quality in a stallion’s pedigree, and another in France who bears that stamp is the popular Cokoriko.

Conqueror of Milord Thomas in an Auteuil four-year-old hurdle during his brief racing career, Cokoriko is a Robin Des Champs half-brother to top French hurdler Ceasar’s Palace out of a smart Nikos mare who boasted Cadoudal as damsire.

He has been strongly supported since his retirement to Haras de Cercy in 2014, and has 91 first-crop six-year-olds, 66 five-yearolds, 69 four-year-olds and 70 three-yearolds. After Cokoriko’s debut runners fared well, his numbers soared again and he has 143 two-year-olds and 138 yearlings.

Cokoriko’s French-bred runners in Britain and Ireland include the Grade 2-winning novice chaser Coko Beach, the Grade 3-winning novice hurdler Fakiera and the Betfair Hurdle runner-up Fifty Ball, while François Nicolle has sent out sons Polirico and Flyingstart And Co to big-race success at home.

With so many youngsters set to come through the French jumps academies, it seems unthinkable that many more won’t graduate to the top stables on this side of the Channel. All the same, he is punchily priced at €8,000 considering he has achieved what he has without doing it the hard way, as Buck’s Boum did.

The buzz surrounding Cokoriko in France has seen Chanducoq, his Listed-placed half-

brother by Voix Du Nord, retired to Haras de Barbottiere in 2019 and Choeur Du Nord, a half-brother to those siblings’ dam also

by Voix Du Nord, join the roster at Elevage Lassaussaye Guillaume in 2016.

Both have been quite popular, thanks in to breeders also being keen to use sons of Voix Du Nord, who supplied numerous topnotchers Defi Du Seuil, Espoir D’Allen, Kemboy, Taquin Du Seuil, Vaniteux, Voix Du Nord, Vroum Vroum Mag and so on — from the eight crops he delivered before his untimely death aged only 12.

Chanducoq, who stands at €1,400 this year, covered 50 and 40 mares in his first two seasons, while Choeur Du Nord, priced at €4,000, has 48 four-year-olds (including Auteuil Listed winner Baladin De Mesc), 50 three-year-olds, 74 two-year-olds and 74 yearlings. Both sires rank as intriguing prospects at the lower end of the price scale.

Another young French stallion who has a pedigree replete with proven jumping influences, including a strand of Cadoudal, is Voiladenuo.

The Grade 2-winning hurdler is by Network, famed as the sire of Sprinter Sacre and only a short-head away from a winner at this year’s festival with Entoucas having run second in the Grand Annual, and is a halfbrother to smart hurdlers Atuvuedenuo and Biendenuo. His dam Paresca is a daughter of the Cadoudal stallion Maresca Sorrento, source of Felix Desjy, Pineau De Re and the narrowly beaten National Hunt Chase third Escaria Ten. Among Voiladenuo’s oldest crop of 48 four-year-olds, all of them AQPS-breds, are four winners including Holly, who has scored in a pair of Grade 3 bumpers in the French provinces and has since been sold to JP McManus, and Heros, a wide-margin winner at Fontainebleau in February.

Voiladenuo has 43 three-year-olds, 47 two-year-olds and 35 yearlings. Rather encouragingly, he covered his largest book of 102 mares last year to suggest breeders were pleased with what they had seen of his early stock once they had reached maturity.

He stands at Elevage Denuault at just €2,500. A striking dark bay on video evidence, he had a son sell to the shrewd Monbeg Stables for €32,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale last year.

FINSCEAL FIOR

by Galileo - Finsceal Beo by Mr Greeley

#FinscealFiorFacts

FROM SMALL CROPS, sire of Multiple Winners, over 50% won/placed under both codes and BLACK TYPE HORSES inc. DEWCUP 2nd Gr.2 Celebration Hurdle at Punchestown, beaten by Fury Road, ANNIE FIOR 3rd Gr.2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh, etc.

Fee 2021: €1,000 1st Oct. Green Hills Stud, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford Paul Lenihan 087 668 8958 • John Clarke 087 255 2970

www.finscealfior.com

stallion foal averages

NH stallion

foal averages

Stallions with horses sold as foals in 2020 in Britain and Ireland, showing averages, medians, numbers sold and vendor buyins. In guineas, compiled by Weatherbys.

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

Affinisea (IRE)

9,758

10,088

22

19

3

Arctic Cosmos (USA)

4,540

4,237

4

4

0

36,320

36,320

1

1

Authorized (IRE) Axxos (GER)

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

Feel Like Dancing (GB)

7,264

7,264

1

1

0

Finsceal Fior (IRE)

3,228

3,228

1

1

0

0

Flemensfirth (USA)

39,548

40,355

13

10

3

3,228

3,228

1

0

1

Free Eagle (IRE)

4,439

4,439

1

1

0

Balko (FR)

12,914

12,914

1

1

0

Fuisse (FR)

5,650

5,650

1

1

0

Beat Hollow (GB)

16,142

16,142

1

1

0

Getaway (GER)

19,134

16,545

42

39

3

Beaumec de Houelle (FR)

15,496

12,914

5

4

1

Great Pretender (IRE)

13,317

13,317

2

1

1

Berkshire (IRE)

7,704

6,860

13

12

1

Harzand (IRE)

13,626

11,299

6

4

2

Blue Bresil (FR)

21,792

20,178

3

3

0

Highland Reel (IRE)

17,958

17,958

2

2

0

7,264

7,264

1

1

0

Hillstar (GB)

3,454

1,695

10

10

0

Brave Mansonnien (FR)

15,335

15,335

1

1

0

Idaho (IRE)

8,535

8,071

16

16

0

Buck’s Boum (FR)

Born To Sea (IRE)

29,056

29,056

1

1

0

Irish Wells (FR)

3,632

3,632

1

1

0

Califet (FR)

6,840

6,860

8

7

1

It’s Gino (GER)

3,430

3,430

2

1

1

Casamento (IRE)

5,316

4,116

16

14

2

Jack Hobbs (GB)

3,228

3,228

1

1

0

Castle du Berlais (FR)

7,532

3,228

3

1

2

Jet Away (GB)

9,508

7,869

16

16

0

Cloudings (IRE)

5,112

4,843

3

3

0

Jukebox Jury (IRE)

20,581

15,335

21

18

3

Cokoriko (FR)

10,357

8,878

3

3

0

Kapgarde (FR)

38,337

38,337

2

2

0

Conduit (IRE)

2,421

2,421

3

3

0

Karaktar (IRE)

4,036

4,036

1

0

1

Court Cave (IRE)

9,382

8,676

8

8

0

Kayf Tara (GB)

16,142

16,142

1

1

0

Dartmouth (GB)

14,729

14,729

2

2

0

Kingston Hill (GB)

6,275

3,834

12

11

1

Desinvolte (FR)

4,439

4,439

1

1

0

Lauro (GER)

1,654

1,049

4

3

1

Diamond Boy (FR)

7,410

6,860

27

26

1

Laverock (IRE)

1,856

1,856

2

2

0

Doctor Dino (FR)

15,469

18,159

6

4

2

Leading Light (IRE)

5,184

4,036

13

12

1

Doyen (IRE)

11,203

10,290

26

24

2

Libertarian (GB)

9,416

9,685

3

3

0

Dragon Pulse (IRE)

2,421

2,421

1

0

1

Lucky Speed (IRE)

8,071

8,071

1

1

0

El Salvador (IRE)

7,371

8,071

3

3

0

Magneticjim (IRE)

5,448

5,448

2

1

1

Elusive Pimpernel (USA)

8,138

5,851

30

28

2

Mahler (GB)

8,264

7,869

30

29

1

Fascinating Rock (IRE)

9,685

9,685

2

2

0

Malinas (GER)

8,958

8,071

17

17

0

88

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

stallion foal averages Top 10 NH stallions by foal average (two or more sold) Sire Name

Average

Flemensfirth (USA) Kapgarde (FR) Walk In The Park (IRE) Blue Bresil (FR) Jukebox Jury (IRE) Policy Maker (IRE) Order of St George (IRE) Getaway (GER) Muhtathir (GB)

39,548 38,337 29,128 21,792 20,581 20,312 19,660 19,134 18,563

The 2020 top-priced NH foal of 2020 was a colt by Walk In The Park out of a daughter of the Grade 2 winner Rose Of Inchiquin sold by Yellowford Farm’s (Frank Motherway and grandchildren, left) bought by Mags O’Toole/Aiden Murphy for €100,000

Sire Name Manatee (GB)

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

5,380

4,843

3

1

2

Shantaram (GB)

4,843

4,843

1

1

0

Masked Marvel (GB)

14,427

9,281

8

7

1

Shantou (USA)

14,637

14,931

11

10

1

Milan (GB)

16,931

16,142

41

40

1

Shirocco (GER)

8,082

6,255

14

11

3

Mizzou (IRE)

8,071

8,071

1

1

0

Sholokhov (IRE)

14,205

12,107

15

14

1

Montmartre (FR)

13,115

13,115

2

2

0

Sir Percy (GB)

4,681

4,681

1

1

0

Mores Wells (GB)

1,211

1,211

1

1

0

Snow Sky (GB)

4,843

4,843

1

1

0

Mount Nelson (GB)

13,670

11,703

32

31

1

Soldier of Fortune (IRE)

16,029

12,914

55

48

7

Muhtathir (GB)

18,563

14,528

3

2

1

Spanish Moon (USA)

10,694

10,089

4

2

2

6,833

7,062

6

5

1

Telescope (IRE)

8,292

6,255

8

8

0

My Risk (FR)

32,284

32,284

1

1

0

Tunis (POL)

9,685

7,264

3

1

2

No Risk At All (FR)

15,637

8,878

8

7

1

Vadamos (FR)

18,432

16,545

8

8

0

My Dream Boat (IRE)

Notnowcato (GB)

807

807

1

1

0

Valirann (FR)

3,435

1,614

7

7

0

Ocovango (GB)

6,034

4,036

13

13

0

Vendangeur (IRE)

3,874

3,874

1

1

0

Ol’ Man River (IRE)

7,667

7,667

1

1

0

Voiladenuo (FR)

12,107

12,107

1

1

0

19,660

15,335

46

44

2

Waldpark (GER)

8,071

8,071

1

1

0

Passing Glance (GB)

8,878

8,878

1

1

0

Walk In The Park (IRE)

29,128

28,249

61

57

4

Pillar Coral (GB)

9,627

8,071

7

7

0

Walzertakt (GER)

21,792

21,792

1

1

0

20,312

17,756

3

3

0

Well Chosen (GB)

40,355

40,355

1

1

0

8,071

8,071

4

3

1

Westerner (GB)

1,3410

12,106

26

24

2

Order of St George (IRE)

Policy Maker (IRE) Pour Moi (IRE) Raven’s Pass (USA)

20,573

8,071

0

0

0

Wings of Eagles (FR)

7,001

5,448

36

34

2

Sageburg (IRE)

5,918

3,228

3

2

1

Workforce (GB)

3,040

3,228

6

5

1

Sandmason (GB)

5,125

5,125

2

2

0

Yeats (IRE)

10,092

8,474

20

18

2

Sans Frontieres (IRE)

2,421

2,421

1

1

0

Yorgunnabelucky (USA)

2,259

2,259

2

2

0

12,644

5,246

3

2

1

Youmzain (IRE)

10,218

4,036

5

5

0

5,515

5,650

3

3

0

Zambezi Sun (GB)

4,035.67

4,843

3

3

0

Schiaparelli (GER) Sea Moon (GB)

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

89

stallion store averages

NH stallion store horse averages Stallions with horses sold as NH 3yo store horses in 2020 in Britain, Ireland and France, showing averages, medians, numbers sold and vendor buy-ins. In guineas, compiled by Weatherbys.

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

Aizavoski (IRE) Al Namix (FR)

10,728

7,857

4

4

33,171

33,333

3

3

Alkaadhem (GB)

11,429

11,429

1

American Post (GB)

23970

23,970

Arcadio (GER)

3,228

3,228

Arctic Cosmos (USA)

6,745 14,286

Arvico (FR) Ask (GB)

buy-in

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

0

Court Cave (IRE)

14,522

14,528

15

12

3

0

Creachadoir (IRE)

25,020

25,020

2

2

0

1

0

Crillon (FR)

28,539

27,619

4

4

0

2

2

0

Crossharbour (GB)

9,281

6,860

3

3

0

2

1

1

Curtain Time (IRE)

2,824

2,824

2

1

1

5,650

7

7

0

Diamond Boy (FR)

22,977

19,047

16

14

2

14,286

1

1

0

Diamond Green (FR)

15,981

15,981

2

1

1

7,494

6,537

14

9

5

Doctor Dino (FR)

51,049

54,479

4

4

0

Authorized (IRE)

50,177

27,441

5

5

0

Doyen (IRE)

15,991

11,299

19

15

4

Balko (FR)

23,717

14,286

7

5

2

Dunaden (FR)

27,385

27,385

2

2

0

3,632

3,632

1

1

0

Dylan Thomas (IRE)

5,435

2,421

11

10

1

Bathyrhon (GER)

33,333

33,333

1

1

0

El Salvador (IRE)

5,569

5,569

2

2

0

Beat Hollow (GB)

13,882

13,317

4

4

0

Elusive Pimpernel (USA)

12,510

8,878

6

3

3

Black Sam Bellamy (IRE)

11,284

7,619

15

13

2

Epaulette (AUS)

23,809

23,809

2

2

0

7,264

7,264

1

1

0

Fairly Ransom (USA)

6,457

6,457

2

2

0

Barely A Moment (AUS)

Blek (FR) Blue Bresil (FR)

29,076

24,213

23

19

4

Falco (USA)

7,264

7,264

2

1

1

Born To Sea (IRE)

8,474

8,474

6

6

0

Fame And Glory (GB)

19,24

16,142

61

52

9

Buck’s Boum (FR)

31,727

23,349

6

5

1

Feel Like Dancing (GB)

19,370

19,370

2

2

0

Califet (FR)

15,768

12,107

25

20

5

Flemensfirth (USA)

35,955

27,602

40

35

5

Camelot (GB)

35,469

15690

6

3

3

Fracas (IRE)

3,894

3,894

2

2

0

Carlotamix (FR)

13,418

13,115

4

3

1

French Navy (GB)

10,089

10,089

1

1

0

Casamento (IRE)

18,563

18,563

1

1

0

Fuisse (FR)

10,690

10,690

2

2

0

Champs Elysees (GB)

33,285

33,285

2

2

0

Full of Gold (FR)

14,291

11,429

3

2

1

Choeur du Nord (FR)

42,857

42,857

1

1

0

Gentlewave (IRE)

25,926

13,333

6

6

0

Cloudings (IRE)

13,412

13,333

6

6

0

Geordieland (FR)

6,255

6,255

2

2

0

Coastal Path (GB)

24,399

24,213

11

9

2

Getaway (GER)

24,804

19,370

67

63

4

Cokoriko (FR)

40,395

46,489

4

4

0

Great Pretender (IRE)

22,643

26,230

6

5

1

Conduit (IRE)

5,548

5,044

4

3

1

Gris de Gris (IRE)

20,985

20,985

1

1

0

90

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

stallion store averages Top 10 NH stallions by store horse average (two or more sold)

The 2020 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale top lot: three-year-old gelding by Walk In The Park sold by Coole House Farm to Aidan O’Ryan/ Gordon Elliott for €300,000

Sire Name

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

High Rock (IRE)

15,633

15,633

2

2

Hillstar (GB)

11,517

9,935

6

5

7,062

7,062

2

Honolulu (IRE) Imperial Monarch (IRE)

Average

Network (GER) Universal (IRE) Doctor Dino (FR) Martaline (GB) Authorized (IRE) Saint Des Saints (FR) No Risk At All (FR) Midnight Legend (GB) My Risk (FR) Lauro (GER) Cokoriko (FR) Mount Nelson (GB)

buy-in

72,719 52,381 51,049 50,337 50,177 45,984 43,490 41,428 41,331 41,162 40,395 38,386

Sire Name

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

0

Malinas (GER)

10,771

7,869

18

15

3

1

Manduro (GER)

9,270

6,053

3

3

0

2

0

Martaline (GB)

50,337

40,355

7

6

1

4,872

4,681

17

13

4

Masked Marvel (GB)

30,557

29,459

6

5

1

It’s Gino (GER)

32,284

32284

1

1

0

Masterstroke (USA)

22,857

22,857

1

1

0

Jet Away (GB)

14,637

10,895

20

17

3

Maxios (GB)

36,134

37,127

4

3

1

Joshua Tree (IRE)

11,372

11,372

2

1

1

Midnight Legend (GB)

41,428

41,428

2

2

0

Jukebox Jury (IRE)

9,887

9,887

2

2

0

Milan (GB)

22,926

16,949

29

26

3

Kalanisi (IRE)

15,759

6,457

14

10

4

Montmartre (FR)

23,851

24,762

7

6

1

Kamsin (GER)

34,286

34,286

1

1

0

Mores Wells (GB)

952

952

1

1

0

Kap Rock (FR)

13,720

13,720

2

0

2

Motivator (GB)

9,281

4,842

3

2

1

Kapgarde (FR)

33,849

29,055

10

10

0

Mount Nelson (GB)

38,386

38,386

2

2

0

Kayf Tara (GB)

32,758

23,204

32

28

4

Muhtathir (GB)

30,670

30,670

1

1

0

Kingston Hill (GB)

10,024

8,878

10

7

3

Mustameet (USA)

6,025

3,333

5

5

0

Konig Turf (GER)

29,056

29,056

1

1

0

My Risk (FR)

41,331

41,331

2

2

0

Kutub (IRE)

8,071

8,071

1

0

1

Network (GER)

72,719

48,426

5

5

0

Lauro (GER)

41,162

41,162

2

2

0

Nicaron (GER)

13,721

13,721

1

1

0

Laverock (IRE)

6,080

6,578

6

4

2

No Risk At All (FR)

43,490

13,721

5

4

1

Lawman (FR)

36,190

36,190

1

0

1

Norse Dancer (IRE)

14,977

14,286

5

5

0

Leading Light (IRE)

13,020

8,071

27

23

4

Notnowcato (GB)

11,395

6,739

8

6

2

Let The Lion Roar (GB)

3,766

4,439

3

3

0

Ocovango (GB)

12,148

7,667

38

31

7

Libertarian (GB)

8,122

4,544

6

6

0

Papal Bull (GB)

17,756

17,756

1

1

0

Linda’s Lad (GB)

22,599

22,599

1

1

0

Passing Glance (GB)

16,598

16,598

2

2

0

Lord of England (GER)

23,535

23,535

2

1

1

Pether’s Moon (IRE)

20,635

19,048

3

3

0

952

952

1

1

0

Petillo (FR)

22,329

22,599

3

3

0

6,457

6,457

1

0

1

Planteur (IRE)

22,599

22,599

1

1

0

Lucky Speed (IRE)

17,130

14,931

4

4

0

Pour Moi (IRE)

3,810

3,810

1

1

0

Mahler (GB)

12,737

11,768

34

27

7

Presenting (GB)

29,777

23,406

22

19

3

Lucarno (USA) Lucayan (FR)

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

91

stallion store averages

Sire Name Prince Gibraltar (FR)

average

median

sold

n/s

buy-in

5,448

5,448

2

2

0

Rail Link (GB)

10,694

9,281

4

3

1

Recharge (IRE)

2,476

952

3

3

0

Red Dubawi (IRE)

6,457

6,457

1

1

0

26,193

20,177

6

6

0

3,417

2,825

3

2

1

Saddler Maker (IRE)

30,623

27,441

15

12

3

Sageburg (IRE)

12,380

10,238

32

26

6

Saint des Saints (FR)

45,984

54,439

4

4

0

Sans Frontieres (IRE)

2,542

2,542

2

2

0

Schiaparelli (GER)

4,558

4,036

3

2

1

Scorpion (IRE)

6,300

6,190

3

3

0

Sea Moon (GB)

10,895

11703

4

4

0

3,148

2,825

3

3

0

Shantou (USA)

23,968

17,756

24

21

3

Shirocco (GER)

15,026

16,142

27

21

6

Sholokhov (IRE)

24,070

25,020

21

17

4

Sinndar (IRE)

22,867

25,827

3

3

0

Sir Percy (GB)

24,213

24,213

1

1

0

Snow Sky (GB)

14,507

10,492

4

4

0

Soldier Hollow (GB)

40,355

40,355

1

1

0

Soldier of Fortune (IRE)

28,775

28,249

35

33

2

Spanish Moon (USA)

24,277

29,290

6

5

1

4,843

4,843

1

1

0

Sulamani (IRE)

38,741

38,741

1

1

0

Telescope (IRE)

13,301

10,952

16

15

1

Tiger Groom (GB)

22,599

22,599

1

1

0

Trans Island (GB)

19,048

19,048

1

1

0

Turgeon (USA)

11,703

11,703

2

2

0

Universal (IRE)

52,381

52,381

2

2

0

2,018

2,018

1

1

0

Valirann (FR)

12,775

8,878

16

12

4

Voiladenuo (FR)

14,608

14,608

2

2

0

Walk In The Park (IRE)

36,822

30,670

69

56

13

Robin des Champs (FR) Rule of Law (USA)

September Storm (GER)

Stormy River (FR)

Urban Poet (USA)

Watar (IRE)

4,278

4,439

4

3

1

Well Chosen (GB)

12,814

9,685

5

4

1

Westerner (GB)

16,991

12,914

30

27

3

Worthadd (IRE)

4,170

4,843

3

2

1

14,871

8,071

13

11

2

8,571

8,571

1

1

0

28,571

28,571

1

1

0

Yeats (IRE) Yorgunnabelucky (USA) Youmzain (IRE)

92

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Above, one of the Goffs UK 2020 joint top price store horses sold at the Summer Sale – a son of Diamond Boy consignoed by Lakefield Farm and bought by Twiston-Davies Equine for £80,000. Below, the Goffs Land Rover top lot. By Network, the three-year-old gelding was sold by Oak Tree Farm to Aidan O’Ryan/Gordon Elliott for €185,000

Below, a sight we have got used to seeing in bloodstock sale rings over the last year, the Tattersalls Ireland ring set up for socially distanced selling at the 2020 Derby Sale

STUD

stallions 2021

Marcel

2YO Gr.1 winner of Racing Post Trophy Gr.1 Sire of the multiple winner MARCELLA MIA and the placed HELVIC PRINCESS and CREATIVE MOJO from his first small crop First Irish yearlings 2021

‘One of the best looking stallions at stud.’

Tim Lane The National Stud

Famous Name

Sire of Stakes winners FAMOUS MILLY over hurdles and ESCOBAR on the flat, also Stakes placed PISGAH PIKE in 2020

First NH crop 5YOs in 2021

Vendangeur

Black type horses inc. ARZAL (Gr.1 winner), BARRA (Gr.2), CREATION (Gr.3), etc.

Foals made up to €30,000, first Irish crop 3YOs 2021

Anngrove Stud, Mountmellick, Co. Laois. Contact Alastair Pim, tel: +353 (0)87 290 2188 or 057 862 4122 email: alastairpim@gmail.com • www.anngrove.com

nh covering statistics

NH stallion

covering stats 2020 Table showing the covering statistics of the major NH / dual purpose sires standing in Britain or Ireland in 2020.

Black-type results include both NH and Flat From Weatherbys STALLION

wnrs

208

42

3

0

Alhebayeb (IRE)

8

4

0

0

Maxios (GB)

298

Alkaadhem (GB)

12

1

0

0

Jet Away (GB)

288

Altruistic (IRE)

12

0

0

0

Crystal Ocean (GB)

280

Ask (GB)

14

4

0

0

Order of St George (IRE)

247

Austrian School (IRE)

26

6

0

0

Getaway (GER)

242

Axxos (GER)

18

4

1

1

Wings of Eagles (FR)

240

1

1

0

0

Poet’s Word (IRE)

235

Berkshire (IRE)

201

31

8

2

Walk In The Park (IRE)

235

Blue Bresil (FR)

190

77

36

12

Soldier of Fortune (IRE)

224

Bullet Train (GB)

21

4

2

1

Affinisea (IRE)

208

Califet (FR)

33

9

3

0

Idaho (IRE)

204

Capri (IRE)

158

45

10

5

Berkshire (IRE)

201

7

3

0

0

Blue Bresil (FR)

190

Conduit (IRE)

18

5

0

0

Kingston Hill (GB)

184

Court Cave (IRE)

64

13

2

0

Shirocco (GER)

182

280

127

54

25

Elusive Pimpernel (USA)

165

Dansant (GB)

19

5

1

0

Vadamos (FR)

161

Dartmouth (GB)

74

41

5

3

Capri (IRE)

158

Diamond Boy (FR)

77

29

11

3

Jukebox Jury (IRE)

145

Doyen (IRE)

62

27

6

2

Harzand (IRE)

142

Dragon Dancer (GB)

39

19

0

0

Highland Reel (IRE)

139

Dragon Pulse (IRE)

40

10

0

0

Jack Hobbs (GB)

134

Affinisea (IRE)

Barraquero (IRE)

Carlotamix (FR)

Crystal Ocean (GB)

94

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

BT pfrs

BT wnrs

NH stallions by nos of mares covered

covered

STALLION

mares

nh covering statistics

STALLION

covered

wnrs

165

52

Falco (USA)

43

Famous Name (GB)

27

Fascinating Rock (IRE)

Elusive Pimpernel (USA)

BT pfrs

BT wnrs

6

4

15

1

0

6

1

0

46

19

3

3

Feel Like Dancing (GB)

87

24

3

1

Finsceal Fior (IRE)

16

3

1

0

Flag of Honour (IRE)

40

23

3

1

8

2

1

0

Free Eagle (IRE)

105

54

11

5

Frontiersman (GB)

Forever Now (GB)

103

44

4

3

Gamut (IRE)

24

3

0

0

Gemix (FR)

1

1

0

0

43

25

10

3

Gentlewave (IRE) Getaway (GER)

242

117

51

19

Golden Lariat (USA)

10

1

0

0

Great Pretender (IRE)

1

1

0

0

27

12

1

0

Harzand (IRE)

142

70

30

18

Heeraat (IRE)

17

7

0

0

Highland Reel (IRE)

139

79

27

10

Hillstar (GB)

118

25

8

Idaho (IRE)

204

34

15

Jack Hobbs (GB)

Harbour Law (GB)

Jack Hobbs: the busiest British stallion in 2020

NH stallions by winning mares covered STALLION

wnrs

2

Crystal Ocean (GB)

127

3

0

Getaway (GER)

117

2

0

0

Walk In The Park (IRE)

104

134

79

16

10

Maxios (GB)

101

Jet Away (GB)

288

72

19

8

Poet’s Word (IRE)

95

Jukebox Jury (IRE)

145

59

18

9

Highland Reel (IRE)

79

18

15

5

3

Jack Hobbs (GB)

79

184

42

15

4

Order of St George (IRE)

78

Lauro (GER)

63

11

0

0

Blue Bresil (FR)

77

Leading Light (IRE)

51

5

1

0

Nathaniel (IRE)

73

Libertarian (GB)

57

10

4

1

Jet Away (GB)

72

Linda’s Lad (GB)

35

20

3

2

Telescope (IRE)

72

Lucky Speed (IRE)

57

11

1

0

Soldier of Fortune (IRE)

70

133

28

4

1

Harzand (IRE)

70

Malinas (GER)

39

10

2

0

Jukebox Jury (IRE)

59

Marcel (IRE)

63

19

3

2

Wings of Eagles (FR)

57

Master Carpenter (IRE)

4

1

0

0

Vadamos (FR)

56

Masterstroke (USA)

47

25

11

5

Free Eagle (IRE)

54

Maxios (GB)

298

101

29

11

Elusive Pimpernel (USA)

52

Milan (GB)

92

34

11

3

Yeats (IRE)

51

Mountain High (IRE)

18

4

0

0

Capri (IRE)

45

My Dream Boat (IRE)

23

4

1

0

Frontiersman (GB)

44

Imperial Monarch (IRE)

Kayf Tara (GB) Kingston Hill (GB)

Mahler (GB)

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

95

nh covering statistics

STALLION

wnrs

Nathaniel (IRE)

102

73

33

20

Ocovango (GB)

132

27

4

2

Crystal Ocean (GB)

54

45

9

1

0

Getaway (GER)

51

Order of St George (IRE)

247

78

21

9

Walk In The Park (IRE)

46

Passing Glance (GB)

49

31

7

3

Blue Bresil (FR)

36

Pether’s Moon (IRE)

39

17

2

1

Poet’s Word (IRE)

34

111

19

2

1

Nathaniel (IRE)

33

1

1

0

0

Harzand (IRE)

30

Poet’s Word (IRE)

235

95

34

18

Maxios (GB)

29

Policy Maker (IRE)

28

10

3

0

Telescope (IRE)

29

Saddex (GB)

50

3

0

0

Highland Reel (IRE)

27

Sandmason (GB)

18

4

0

0

Order of St George (IRE)

21

Scalo (GB)

29

15

3

2

Schiaparelli (GER)

21

6

0

0

Scorpion (IRE)

22

11

2

1

Sea Moon (GB)

51

17

4

1

Shantaram (GB)

76

14

1

1

Shantou (USA)

8

4

0

0

Shirocco (GER)

182

42

9

4

Sholokhov (IRE)

84

24

3

2

Sir Percy (GB)

21

11

1

1

Snow Sky (GB)

61

6

0

0

224

70

19

5

Success Days (IRE)

48

18

1

0

Sun Central (IRE)

2

2

1

1

Telescope (IRE)

124

72

29

15

Tirwanako (FR)

59

12

3

1

Urban Poet (USA)

14

2

0

0

Vadamos (FR)

161

56

10

3

Valirann (FR)

109

14

0

0

20

2

0

0

235

104

46

25

Ol’ Man River (IRE)

Pillar Coral (GB) Planteur (IRE)

Soldier of Fortune (IRE)

Vendangeur (IRE) Walk In The Park (IRE) Well Chosen (GB)

BT pfrs

BT wnrs

NH stallions by BT performing mares

covered

18

6

1

0

Westerner (GB)

129

31

7

2

Wings of Eagles (FR)

240

57

16

9

47

4

0

0

123

51

19

7

Yorgunnabelucky (USA)

48

25

0

0

Youmzain (IRE)

59

6

1

0

Zambezi Sun (GB)

20

3

1

00

Workforce (GB) Yeats (IRE)

96

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

STALLION

wnrs

Crystal Ocean: was busy in 2020, and saw a quality book, too

NH stallions by BT-winning mares STALLION

wnrs

Crystal Ocean (GB)

25

Walk In The Park (IRE)

25

Nathaniel (IRE)

20

Getaway (GER)

19

Poet’s Word (IRE)

18

Harzand (IRE)

18

Telescope (IRE)

15

Blue Bresil (FR)

12

Maxios (GB)

11

Highland Reel (IRE)

10

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photo of the month: four boys out for a walk

EQUINE LEGENDS: the 18-year-old Pigeon Island (left) and the two-year younger Walkon. They are being ridden by NH jockey Paddy Brennan and ex-jockey Robert “Choc” Thornton, who now manages Apple Tree Stud.

Pigeon Island (Daylami) ran 86 times and Paddy Brennan rode him in 32 of those races. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Pigeon Island won 11 races with Brennan on board for eight victories. Pigeon Island achieved a BHA best rating of 150 and his biggest successes came in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices Hurdle at Kempton and the Grade 3 Grand Annual Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2010. He was bred by the late Sir Eric Parker.

Walkon (Take Risks) ran 31 times for trainer Alan King. Thornton rode him in 17 races, the pair successful four times, including twice at Grade 1 level over hurdles in 2008 and 2009. He finished second in the 2009 Triumph Hurdle (G1) to Zaynar and went on to finish second in the 2013 Aintree Grand National. In total, Walkon won nine races, finished second and third on another nine occasions. He was bred by the late Marquise Soledad De Moratalla.

Photo by Debbie Burt

98

www.internationalthoroughbred.net

Weatherbys

nhstallions.co.uk The most comprehensive digital information on

National Hunt Stallions

CHANTRY HOUSE (YEATS), bred by M Conaghan, won the G1 Marsh Novices’ Chase for Nicky Henderson and J.P. McManus

CHANTRY HOUSE

FLOORING PORTER (YEATS), bred by Sean Murphy, won the G1 Stayers’ Hurdle for Gavin Cromwell and the Flooring Porter Syndicate QUILIXIOS (MAXIOS), bred by Stiftung Gestuet Faehrhof, won the G1 Triumph Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead and Cheveley Park Stud to remain unbeaten

FLOORING PORTER

COLREEVY (FLEMENSFIRTH), bred by Niall Flynn, won the G2 Liberthine Mares’ Chase for Willie Mullins and Mrs Niall Flynn MRS MILNER (FLEMENSFIRTH), bred by Mrs A Coffey, won the G3 Pertemps Final for Paul Nolan and Manverton Limited HEAVEN HELP US (YEATS), won the G3 Coral Cup for trainer/breeder Paul Hennessy and John Turner MOUNT IDA (YEATS), bred by Philip Hore, won the Kim Muir for Mrs Denise Foster and KTDA Racing

QUILIXIOS

LANGER DAN (OCOVANGO), bred by Hugh O’Connor, won the G3 Imperial Cup at Sandown for Dan Skelton and Colm Donlon

WORKING FOR THE BREEDERS OF THE BLACKWATER VALLEY SINCE THE 1850’s GRANGE STUD Tel: 025-33006 THE BEECHES STUD Tel: 058-56254 CASTLEHYDE STUD Tel: 025-31966