Recorder

RECORDER, a chestnut sonof Galileo, has paved new ground for crosschannel collaboration. Winner of the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at two for his owner-breeder Her Majesty The Queen, the beautiful Normandy countryside and Haras de Montfort et Préaux was chosen as the base to stand the monarch’s first stallion in over a decade.

An imposing classically-bred chestnut he showed plenty of speed and precocity in his short racing career, winning the Group 3 Acomb Stakes for William Haggas and Frankie Dettori. That was the second victory of his career, his first coming in a maiden at Newmarket’s July meeting.

Sadly, injury after his Acomb success prevented him from racing again.

Recorder is the first foal bred by The Queen out of her Group 2 Cherry Hinton and Group 3 Albany Stakes winner Memory (Danehill Dancer). Since then she has produced the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes winner Call To Mind, a full-brother to Recorder, and Learn By Heart, winner of the Group 3 Stockholms Stora Pris, as well as a Frankel three-parts brother to Recorder.

Memory is a Danehill Dancer half-sister to Remember Alexander (Teofilo), winner of Leopardstown’s Group 3 Tyros Stakes, and she is inbred 3x3 to Sharpen Up through her broodmare sire Diesis and Mira Adonde, dam of Danehill Dancer.

Recorder is bred on the excellent Galileo-Danehill Dancer cross that has produced six individual Group 1 winners, including the outstanding filly Minding, this year’s runaway Investec Derby (G1) winner Serpentine, first-season sire and dual Group 1-winning miler The Gurkha, Circus Maximus, who won the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June, and 2019’s Irish Derby winner Sovereign.

Galileo has also produced leading sire and European champion Teofilo and the outstanding Frankel, as well as his Group 1-winning full-brother Noble Mission, the sire of 2019 Preakness winner War in his first crop, from Danehill mares. Maybe, the Group 1 winner and dam of exciting young sire Saxon Warrior, is another bred on that cross so it is one that has already borne fruit at stud.

Recorder served one of the biggest books in France in his first season at Montfort et Préaux covering 152 mares at €6,000. He has been strongly supported by leading international breeders including his own, Gerard Augustin-Normand, Barry Irwin’s Team Valor and the Niarchos family’s Haras du Fresnay le Buffard.

Amongst the first book of mares Recorder covered were Lidana, the dam of Mont Ormel, who has a yearling half-sister to the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) winner.

La Hoguette finished third to Charm Spirit in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat and Gerard Augustin-Normand’s daughter of Le Havre has a yearling colt by Recorder.

Raymi Coya, winner of the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes, has a yearling half-sister to dual Listed winner Make Fast, dam of this season’s Group 2 July Stakes and Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner Tactical.

Aspen Darlin, successful in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes and second in the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1), is another classy racemare with a Recorder yearling filly.

Six short yearlings by Recorder were offered at the Arqana February Sale and all of them were sold, with an average price of €21,416.

The top price of €52,000 was given by Sylvain Vidal for Camille and Guillaume Vitse’s half-brother to Listed Prix Pelléas winner Aubevoye (Le Havre). The couple’s Normandie Breeding also sold the second and third-most expensive Recorder foals in the sale with a half-sister to five winners, including Celtic Rock, successful in the Group 3 Prix André Baboin, and Listed winner Fresles going for €38,000 to Guy Petit.

The third-highest price for Recorder’s offspring was the €26,000 paid by Agence BHB for a half-sister to Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Lafitte second Boos, descended from Whakilyric.

Racing Form

Three runs, two wins, one place | Best Timeform Rating: 111 | Average winning distance: 7.00f

Stakes form

AT 2 Won Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, York, Gr.3, (7f. beating Bing Bang Bong (IRE) and Cymric