Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder

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£4.95 | August 2015 | Issue 132

Incorporating

Look to Deauville Will Frankel’s first yearlings create fireworks at Arqana?

Plus • David Simcock talks early struggles and future dreams • TBA Awards: The Queen receives top breeding accolade • Jeff Smith on his enduring passion for racing in Britain

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31964_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Aug'15_31964_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Aug'15 15/07/2015 17:12 Page 1

Leading 3rd crop sires in Europe in 2015 RK STALLION 1 2 3 4 5

MASTERCRAFTSMAN FASTNET ROCK Sea The Stars Champs Elysees Le Havre

SW’S

GP WNRS

EARNINGS £

8 6 6 1 3

3 4 1 1 0

1,287,646 1,088,492 965,678 740,304 635,480

Source: Hyperion Promotions, 14th July

7 Group winners from his first crop including dual Group 1 winners THE GREY GATSBY and KINGSTON HILL, recent Falmouth Stakes-Gr.1 winner AMAZING MARIA etc.

• AUSTRALIA • CAMELOT • CANFORD CLIFFS • DYLAN THOMAS • EXCELEBRATION • FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND • GALILEO • • HENRYTHENAVIGATOR • HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR • KINGSBARNS • MASTERCRAFTSMAN • MOST IMPROVED • NO NAY NEVER • POUR MOI • POWER • • REQUINTO • RIP VAN WINKLE • ROCK OF GIBRALTAR • RULER OF THE WORLD • SO YOU THINK • THEWAYYOUARE • WAR COMMAND • ZOFFANY •

31964_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Aug'15_31964_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Aug'15 15/07/2015 17:12 Page 2

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

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

Aug_132_Editors_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 12:06 Page 3

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Publisher: Michael Harris Editor: Edward Rosenthal Bloodstock Editor: Emma Berry Designed by: Thoroughbred Group Editorial: First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0209 Fax: 020 7152 0213 editor@ownerbreeder.co.uk www.ownerbreeder.co.uk @OwnerBreeder

EDWARD ROSENTHAL

Advertising: Giles Anderson Tel: 01380 816 777 USA: 1 888 218 4430 Fax: 01380 816 778 advertise@anderson-co.com Subscriptions: Keely Brewer Tel: 020 7152 0212 Fax: 020 7152 0213 subscriptions@ownerbreeder.co.uk Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker can be purchased by non-members at the following rates: 1 Year 2 Year UK £55 £90 Europe £66 £105 RoW £99 £154 Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker is published by a Mutual Trading Company owned jointly by the Racehorse Owners Association and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association is a registered charity No. 1134293 Editorial views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the ROA or TBA ABC Audited Our proven average monthly circulation is certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulation at 9,340* *Based on the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.

Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stanstead House, The Avenue, Newmarket CB8 9AA Tel: 01638 661 321 Fax: 01638 665621 info@thetba.co.uk • www.thetba.co.uk

Incorporating

Look to Deauville Will Frankel’s first yearlings create fireworks at Arqana?

Plus • David Simcock talks early struggles and future dreams • TBA Awards: The Queen receives top breeding accolade • Jeff Smith on his enduring passion for racing in Britain

ews that a record number of people have enjoyed a day at the races in Britain during the first six months of the year (see page 14) should be music to the ears of the entire industry.

Competition for the leisure pound is fierce and racing’s often-knocked PR folk, including the Great British Racing team, deserve a collective pat on the back for their efforts.

While the prestigious festivals and major racedays attract impressive crowds, they are but small pieces in the jigsaw of 1,471 fixtures. Forming a cohesive strategy with all these meetings, an increasing number of which now take place on the all-weather, is a puzzle that has proved too tricky for a succession of racing administrators to solve, but perhaps Nick Rust can change that.

The BHA Chief Executive, who has made a strong impression despite his brief time in the role since switching from the bookmaking sector, is banking on the success of the Members’ Agreement. This is a tripartite arrangement that will see the BHA, horsemen and racecourses join forces to co-ordinate future growth for the sport.

It is hoped the Members’ Agreement will help to put an end to geographical clashes and fixture congestion that have caused so much frustration, with racecourses frequently accused of putting on races and meetings to serve themselves and not the sport. Time will tell if such problems can be overcome.

At the time of writing the racecourses still had not signed up, being accused of “dragging their heels” by ROA President Rachel Hood in her Leader column this month (page 7).

If Nick Rust’s hopes for 1,000 extra horses in training by 2020 are to be realised as part of a more “ambitious view” on the fixture list, he’ll need the support of British owners and breeders. Men like Jeff Smith, who has been a significant investor for the last four decades.

Smith’s famous purple and light blue silks have been carried by a number of top-class horses including Chief Singer, Lochsong and Persian Punch, the lastnamed being one of the most popular Flat horses of recent times.

As someone who races all his stock, selling only a small number of horses in training to recoup some of his expenses, Smith doesn’t have the commercial concerns of those breeding purely for the sales ring.

Racing to him is a passion, one that hasn’t waned since his first ownership experience in 1976.

“I still love the game,” he tells Julian Muscat (The Big Interview, pages 38-42). “I’d much rather do this than be sat on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean.

“Whether we break even in a given year depends entirely on the sales [of the horses in training]. I can make sense of the outlay over a number of years. I certainly wouldn’t claim to be making a profit, but let’s not forget: this is a sport. It will continue to be a sport until I can no longer afford it.”

The statistics show that Smith has had more than 100 runners every season bar two in the previous 20 years. His value to the British racing and breeding industries cannot be underestimated. Let’s hope his homebreds win enough prize-money to keep that involvement affordable.

David Simcock understands the finances of racing only too well. The trainer started out with seven horses 11 years ago and describes the early days as a “massive struggle” financially. But the early effort was worth it – he now oversees a string of over 100, including exciting colt Balios, who gave him a first Royal Ascot winner this year.

Simcock talks to Tim Richards (Talking To, pages 44-50) about his early days in the sport, including time spent working for legendary trainers Ian Balding and Dick Hern, his approach to training and why it’s unlikely he’ll ever handle another thoroughbred as good as Dream Ahead.

“Support from

Racehorse Owners Association Ltd First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0200 Fax: 020 7152 0213 info@roa.co.uk www.racehorseowners.net

£4.95 | August 2015 | Issue 132

Rust’s sporting chance of achieving ambitious goals N

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Cover: A yearling is a picture of calm before entering the sale ring Photo: Sarah Farnsworth

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owners and breeders is required to achieve an extra 1,000 horses in training

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Aug_132_ContentsV2_Contents 23/07/2015 12:39 Page 4

CONTENTS AUGUST 2015

44

58

NEWS & VIEWS

FEATURES

7

10

ROA Leader Members’ Agreement vital

9

TBA Leader Welcoming new board members

14

News Racing attracts bumper crowds

16 22

Tony Morris Remembering Godiva

24

Howard Wright Familiarity breeds contempt

INTERNATIONAL SCENE 27

In the words of owner Clive Smith

20

View From Ireland

The Big Picture July Cup glory for Muhaarar

38 44

58

La Motteraye Rising young French consignors

64

DBS Yearling Preview In search of the perfect ‘Donny’ horse

70

Sales Circuit From Fairyhouse to Hokkaido

Talking To...

Trainer David Simcock

TBA Awards The Queen honoured

The Big Interview Jeff Smith, owner and breeder

Changes News in a nutshell

Kauto Star Tribute

52

76

Caulfield Files Teofilo packs a punch

105 Dr Statz Stallions quick off the mark with juvenile runners

112 24 Hours With...

Alex Salmond MP

150th Derby a triumph

31

Continental Tales Versatile Vincent

35

Around The Globe Brown excels at Belmont

Kauto Star, the greatest chaser of recent times, sadly passed way in June (tribute, pages 10-13)

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4:53 pm

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BLOODLINES Simply the right policy – without the fuss We are able to provide cover for: All risks of mortality Theft Stallion’s congenital or permanent infertility Broodmare barrenness Prospective foal Foals from 24 hours

52

Yearlings unsoundness of wind Horses at grass

FORUM 78

ROA Forum Including AGM coverage

90

TBA Forum Regional visits to Tweenhills and Littleton Stud

94

LEADING THE FIELD IN BLOODSTOCK INSURANCE

Breeder of the Month Hascombe & Valiant Studs; Minster Stud

95

Next Generation Club Meet the new Chairman

99

TO STAY

Focus On... Training Agreements Essential contract between owner and trainer

102 Vet Forum A day at the races with the NEH team

AHEAD OF THE FIELD CONTACT US

DATA BOOK 106 European Pattern Latest Group winners

TODAY

110 Stallion Statistics Dubawi’s purple patch continues

Our monthly circulation is certified at

9,340 Can other magazines prove theirs?

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

BLOODLINES Marlow House, 1A Lloyd’s Avenue London EC3N 3AA TEL: +44 (0) 207 938 3033 FAX: +44 (0) 207 938 3055 ENQUIRIES@BLOODLINES.CO.UK WWW.BLOODLINES.CO.UK Bloodlines is a trading name of Bloodlines Thoroughbred Insurance Agency Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Tattersalls December Foal Sale Europe’s Premier Foal Sale

In 23 of the last 25 years the 3 highest priced foals in Europe have all sold at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale In 2014

64 204

foals sold for foals sold for 100,000gns or more

50,000gns or more

12 of the top 15 foals in Europe Record Median Record Aggregate Double the number of 100,000gns+ foals than the rest of Europe combined

Entries Close: August 26th

or enter online at www.tattersalls.com

MAKE BELIEVE

POULE D’ESSAI DES POULAINS , Group 1 sold 2012 Tattersalls December Foal Sale

Tel: +44 1638 665931, sales@tattersalls.com, www.tattersalls.com

Owner.Breeder.M&F.August .indd 2

21/07/2015 12:56

Aug_132_ROA_Leader_Layout 1 23/07/2015 14:34 Page 7

ROA LEADER

RACHEL HOOD President Racehorse Owners Association

Only tripartite structure can keep racing on track Racecourses must sign Members’ Agreement and let BHA govern effectively

W

ith the Racecourse Association still dragging its heels in signing up to the hugely important Members’ Agreement, it is understandable that the BHA and Horsemen’s Group are becoming exasperated after almost a year of racecourse procrastination.

Let us please not go back to the bad old days when the constitution of the BHA (and the BHB before it) fuelled internal wrangling, which in turn gave rise to individual constituents constantly questioning the BHA’s authority and showing dissent when decisions didn’t go their way.

The racecourses must recognise that today’s BHA is an altogether better organisation and the unity that now exists in racing is one of the key reasons why the government has picked up the cudgel on the industry’s behalf over the imposition of a racing right. This is in marked contrast to the days when racing’s various factions, driven by selfinterest, were often at each other’s throats and, even worse, didn’t much care that disagreements were played out in public.

Now with an independent board, the BHA has almost all of the pieces in its administrative jigsaw in place. But the most important one – the agreement between the BHA and all the industry’s stakeholders – remains outstanding. Here we are talking about nothing less than binding the whole industry, with the Horsemen’s Group, representing owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and racing’s workforce, and the RCA, representing the racecourses.

Still, it seems, some of the racecourses and, as usual, Arena Racing Company, remain very sceptical about what they see as ceding power to the governing authority for fear of not being able to realise individual advantages, in particular with regard to fixtures. Such an attitude betrays a failure to recognise that ultimately racing can only fulfil its full potential if it works harmoniously.

Under its Chairman, Steve Harman, and its new inspirational Chief Executive, Nick Rust, the BHA has shown itself capable of balancing expertise with good

judgement and, as such, has gained the respect and support of its shareholders.

It has shown that only a governing authority that has the overall interests of this multi-faceted sport at heart is in a position to weigh up all the complexities and come to the right decisions, even though those decisions will obviously not always find favour with every constituent.

Taking the example of the controversy that recently erupted over so-called Super Saturday, there are probably four interest groups including the betting industry all pulling in different directions on this issue.

But only the BHA is in a position to stand back and make an objective decision on what appears to be a ridiculous concentration of highquality fixtures and races on this one day. And it is only they who are in possession of all the facts to assess whether the current focus on Saturdays, leaving much of the weekday programme threadbare, should be reversed.

Much more important, of course, is the stance BHA adopts over fixtures – and particularly allweather fixtures. The ROA only recently stated that we are against any further expansion of allweather racing, being convinced that it will change the whole complexion of British racing.

Yet this stance clearly collides with the wishes of Arena Racing Company and Chelmsford City who will also be elbowing themselves to the front of the all-weather fixture queue. It is a fair bet that Arena will soon be pushing for more fixtures to satisfy Newcastle’s new all-weather racecourse (tragically, due to be built on the site of its wonderful turf course), although we must ensure it honours its recent pledge not to transfer fixtures from their turf tracks to Newcastle.

Of course, Nick Rust knows the fundamental problem is that the BHA currently manages only about 13% of the fixture list and the racecourses reckon they ‘own’ the rest.

The BHA has all of this and more on its plate in the next few months – but then, as the governing authority, it must be allowed to govern.

“It seems some of the racecourses remain very sceptical about ceding power to the governing authority

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Did you know?

TBA Members can save money on mobile phone bills

TBA Membership includes instant membership to the TBA Buying Group where you will have access to incredible discounts on a vast range of products – including discounts on your mobile, landline and broadband services.

Other TBA membership benefits include tours of yards and studs, social events, seminars, race meetings and networking forums, as well as advice and support.

To register, email info@thetba.co.uk or call for more details.

01638 661321

l

thetba.co.uk

Aug_132_TBA_Leader_TBA 23/07/2015 15:35 Page 9

TBA LEADER

JULIAN RICHMOND-WATSON Chairman Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

Taking to the helm at a time of change for racing As a stakeholder, the TBA will continue to influence how our sport develops

A

s I take over from Richard Lancaster, I must first thank him for everything he has done for the TBA over the past three years in his role as Chairman, as well as during the many years he served as a member of the board. His knowledge and support has been invaluable and everyone involved with the TBA owes him a huge vote of thanks.

I would also like to thank Chris Wright, who is leaving the board after four years, for his contribution and support, and to congratulate and welcome Anthea Gibson Fleming and Ted Voute after their success in being voted on to the board.

The latest election was a closely-run contest between all four candidates, and the fact that a record number of votes was cast was most encouraging, since it reflected a gratifying level of interest and support from the rank-and-file within the TBA. Any organisation such as ours is only as strong as the overall commitment of its members. As for the board, its strength comes from diversity, and the recent election has resulted in our gaining the experience and knowledge of a dual-purpose breeder in Anthea and a sales consignor and racing and stud owner-manager in Ted. They are coming on board at a fascinating time for the industry. The world of racing is always changing and, not for the first time, we are in many ways at a crossroads.

The next few years will bring about substantial changes to the status quo. The potential switch in direct funding by betting operators through the Levy Board to universal payment by way of a racing right, the likely ending of one company having a monopoly on Tote betting, and a combined pictures deal involving Racecourse Media Group and Arena Racing Company are exciting opportunities.

Every one of these issues will bring a change to racing’s income and consequently its distribution, and that will affect every breeder and owner in the sport.

As a shareholder in the BHA and a member of the

Horsemen’s Group, the TBA will be involved in supporting and influencing how these issues play out.

From the breeders’ perspective we will look to ensure that the distribution of income which accrues from every available source is imaginative and progressive, and encourages breeders across the whole spectrum of Flat and National Hunt racing. We will also seek to ensure that the Pattern and international competitiveness of our racing is secured.

As breeders we have a vested interest in the race programme and the establishment of a suitable pyramid that leads to meritocracy and the proper testing of our thoroughbreds, so we will work with the BHA and racecourses to ensure that the programme is vigorous and fair, and, particularly for fillies and mares in general and stayers in particular, gives us an opportunity to test them at every level.

As an example of already working closely with the BHA, we have developed the Plus 10 bonus scheme to support breeders and owners, especially those breeding and racing fillies.

Once Plus 10 is fully operational next year, it will be the richest multi-jurisdictional scheme of its kind, offering more than £5.5 million in bonuses in Britain and Ireland. In the meantime, I am delighted that having been introduced at the end of March, Plus 10 had paid out its 50th bonus of £10,000 or €12,500 before the middle of June, and by the end of the month had galloped past the century mark. As well as continuing to promote Plus 10, we must ensure that the generous contribution from stallion owners to the BEBF is used to best effect in encouraging breeders, owners and racecourses to support the race programme that develops the thoroughbred.

I look forward to working with the energetic TBA board, who through our revitalised committee structure will have important roles to play. We will work tirelessly to create the best environment for breeders and to ensure that the rest of the industry understand breeders’ issues and the important and vital role we play in the sport.

“Once Plus 10 is fully

operational next year it will be the richest multi-jurisdictional scheme of its kind

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Aug_132_Kauto Star_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:45 Page 10

KAUTO STAR TRIBUTE

Aug_132_Kauto Star_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:45 Page 11

‘I was in awe of Kauto’ Following the death of Kauto Star, owner Clive Smith pays tribute to his brilliant dual Gold Cup-winning chaser

I

had been a follower of jump racing since the 1970s and acquired my first horse in 1987. Hawthorn Hill Lad won three times over hurdles during the 1988/89 season but sadly had to be put down after a paddock accident. I soon bought two others with the aim of having a winning chaser.

Hawthorn Blaze won several chases for me and then I was lucky enough to own Royal Auclair, winner of the 2002 Cathcart Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, trained by Martin Pipe. That whetted my appetite for owning a top-class chaser, so I began to search for another.

Anthony Bromley sent me some videos of horses he had found in France and one stood out. He had a beautiful stride and won his last race over hurdles very easily. I knew he was something special – different to the other horses I had seen – and potentially a great talent.

However he couldn’t be scoped. He had a mind of his own – his nickname at Serge Foucher’s stable was ‘L’Extra Terrestrial’. But Paul Nicholls’s vet went to see him and told me he was definitely a very good horse. So I bought him for €400,000. That was Kauto Star. I was very excited about him from the beginning.

Kauto went to Newbury on his first run for me, on December 29, 2004 and produced a terrific performance to beat Foreman by nine lengths. Immediately after the race I was offered double what I paid for him – but I had complete faith in the horse. It never even crossed my mind to sell him.

He then had a couple of bad experiences either side of his first Tingle Creek Chase victory, falling twice, at Exeter in January 2005, after which he was given box rest for the remainder of the season, and in the 2006 Champion Chase at

Kauto Star and regular rider Ruby Walsh jump the open ditch on the way to winning the 2008 Ascot Chase

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Aug_132_Kauto Star_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:43 Page 12

K A U T O S TA R T R I B U T E

Clockwise from left: Ruby Walsh gives Kauto Star a wellearned pat after their record-breaking fifth triumph in the King George VI Chase; the Kempton crowd salutes a true great after the historic 2011 win; with old rival Denman at trainer Paul Nicholls’s Ditcheat stable; Clive Smith and his Star at the unveiling of Kauto’s statue at Kempton in 2014

>>

XX

the Festival. He was badly trampled on at Cheltenham and came back with hoof-prints on his flank and legs.

But he made a remarkable recovery ahead of his 2006/07 campaign, starting with brilliant victories in the Old Roan Chase and Betfair Chase, his first win over three miles. That told us all we needed to know. He was a champion in the making, which he proved that year with wins in the Tingle Creek again, King George, AON Chase and Gold Cup. I’ll never forget his first Gold Cup triumph. He was behind a wall of horses with two to jump but Ruby Walsh, who always rode him brilliantly, pulled him out and he flew home to see off Exotic Dancer. It was my most exciting moment. Of course, he went on to become the first horse ever to regain the Gold Cup, beating Denman in 2009.

Things didn’t always go to plan with Kauto – he was pulled up at

Aug_132_Kauto Star_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:43 Page 13

K A U T O S TA R T R I B U T E

Punchestown in 2011 when we shouldn’t have run him there after his Gold Cup defeat behind Long Run and Denman. But the next season, aged 11, he came out and won his fourth Betfair Chase and fifth King George.

I think it was that ability to keep coming back from adversity, allied with his tremendous talent, determination and will to win, that really endeared him to the public.

I’ve done a lot in my life but without doubt he was the best thing that ever happened to me. You could say he dominated my life, even in his retirement.

Through Kauto I have met so many wonderful people – I was even invited to meet the Queen at Windsor Castle. There was so much appreciation from the public for this special racehorse and it was always a pleasure to see the depth of feeling towards him. When he was pulled up in his final Gold Cup, the amount of applause he received trotting back was amazing.

His death came as a big shock. I doubt I’ll ever own another horse because I’ve had the most remarkable run. It’s been an extraordinary journey.

In truth I was in awe of Kauto and had so much respect for what he achieved. When he was in his pomp he was simply unbeatable. He had a lordly swagger; he loved all the attention and he loved being photographed.

I’ve owned other top-class horses, like Master Minded, who produced some breathtaking performances, but Kauto Star was my superstar.

There will never be another like him.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Aug_132_News_Owner 23/07/2015 11:48 Page 14

NEWS Stories from the racing world

Plus 10 entries soar More than 4,000 yearlings had been registered for the Plus 10 bonus scheme to the end of June, marking year-on-year growth of 17%. When these yearlings commence racing in 2016, £10,000/€12,500 Plus 10 bonuses will feature on approximately 550 two- and three-year-old races in Britain and Ireland.

Already, owners and breeders of Plus 10-qualified two-year-olds have claimed £1.25 million in bonus prize-money. This has been spread across 84 different owners. With yearling registration now closed for 2014 foals, breeders are encouraged to turn their attention to the 2015 foal crop, ensuring eligible foals are registered by August 31.

British and Irish breeders who wish for their foal to be a part of Plus 10 must pay the foal registration of £150/€187.50 by that date by completing a registration form that is downloadable from www.plus10bonus.com.

Plus 10 Committee Chairman, Julian Richmond-Watson, said: “We brought forward the registration deadline for foals and yearlings in 2015 to ensure all Plus 10 horses sold in the ring will be flagged as such, which will provide significant advantages to buyers chasing future bonus winners and ensuring breeders receive a quick return on their investment into the scheme.”

More than 2.9 million people visited a UK racecourse between January and June

Britain flocks to the races RCA figures suggest 2015 could be a record year trackside

T

he first six months of the year witnessed a significant rise in attendances at British tracks, according to figures released by the Racecourse Association (RCA).

The overall figure of 2,987,103 for January 1 to June 30 is higher even than the same period in 2011, the record year for attendances in British racing.

Numbers show a rise of almost 300,000 on the same period in 2014, equivalent to 10%. The average number of racegoers at each fixture was 4,184, an 8% increase on 2014 and, again, higher than the record figures of 2011.

RCA Chief Executive Stephen Atkin said: “We are delighted to see such a strong performance in terms of attendances so far for this year. There are, of course, a number of factors that impact on racecourse attendances, and it is pleasing to see that they seem to have come together in the first half of this year.

“Whilst factors beyond our control, mainly the weather, play a significant role in achieving these numbers, the racecourse and central sales and marketing teams, supported by the national promotion of the sport by Great British Racing, must be congratulated on their hard work to capitalise on the opportunities that are offered to sell our sport.”

Atkin continued: “Evidence would suggest that hospitality sales at racecourses are increasing along with general economic growth of the country, and we have seen a

14

series of record attendances at our major meetings in the first half of 2015.

“However, across the board, racing offers not just one of the best value days out in sport, but an assurance of quality across Britain’s racecourses as evidenced through the RCA’s work with VisitEngland and Deloitte.”

BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust hopes that by 2020, along with an extra 1,000 horses in training and a 5% increase in betting participation, British racing will be attracting seven million racegoers a year.

The record figure is 6,151,243, set four years ago, and Atkin concluded: “The racecourses will look to continue their hard work for the second half of the year, in which we are confident, given the right conditions, we will be able to beat the record total of attendances that was achieved in 2011.”

Plus 10 yearlings are proving popular

Racing Foundation offering scholarship place The Racing Foundation is offering a scholarship place for this year’s Thoroughbred Horseracing Industries MBA. The course is the first of its kind and has been created by the BHA, Levy Board and University of Liverpool.

The part-time MBA, starting in September, takes two years and is designed for individuals already working in British racing or anyone wishing to embark upon a career in the industry. Employers within the sport are also being urged to enrol suitable

employees to the course, so that their business can benefit from the expertise of the MBA and develop future leaders.

The Racing Foundation scholarship is open to those employed by a racing-related charity or anyone interested in working for one who will commit to writing a dissertation on a topic of direct relevance to racing charities, or undertake a work placement at a racing charity.

Applicants currently in work must have the full support of their employer and intend

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_News_Owner 23/07/2015 11:48 Page 15

Contributions from tracks up £3m in 2015 Prize-money for the first half of 2015 has risen by over £5.5 million compared with the same period in 2014. The total of £63.6m includes £2m from the additional voluntary contribution made by William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and Betfred, which has been used to extend prize-money to at least sixth place in eligible Class 2 to 6 races across both Flat and jumps.

The total contributions from racecourses during the period have risen by almost £3m following all but four tracks – Catterick, Plumpton, Redcar and Towcester – signing three-year agreements with the Horsemen’s Group and BHA. Racecourses’ contribution to prize-money had previously been totally discretional but, as a result of the agreements, racecourses are contracted to invest a percentage of their media rights income into prize-money.

The adjacent table shows the average amount each racecourse group and independent track contributes at its fixtures.

All but six racecourses have increased their contribution compared with last year.

Chelmsford City, which re-opened in January, has entered the table for the first time in eighth place.

Richard Wayman, Chief Executive of the ROA, said: “These tables give owners a very clear view of how much of their own money racecourses are willing to return to those who provide them with horses.

“Owners can, at a glance, compare any racecourse with its peers and we know that many take this into account when deciding where to run their horses.”

for Horseracing MBA to remain with their charity after graduation, as well as meeting all scholarship eligibility requirements. Tansy Challis has more information on the scholarship and can be contacted at tansy.challis@racingfoundation.co.uk.

More information about all other aspects of the course, applications for which close on August 17, can be found at www.liverpool.ac.uk/horseracingmba/ or by contacting Neil Coster on 07813 247575 or neil@edeneurope.com.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Racecourse Performance Table January-June 2015

Ranking (2014 ranking)

Racecourse contribution to prize-money per fixture 2015 (£) 2014 (£)

1. ASCOT (1)

295,816

273,876

2. YORK (2)

131,858

120,631

3. JOCKEY CLUB GROUP (3)

65,781

59,924

4. NEWBURY (5)

65,485

47,178

5. CHESTER/BANGOR GROUP (4)

56,901

52,183

6. GOODWOOD (6)

55,403

42,625

7. MUSSELBURGH (7)

41,886

39,202

8. CHELMSFORD CITY (-)

38,101

–

9. AYR (8)

35,950

33,683

10. RIPON (9)

31,648

28,739

11. KELSO (16)

31,096

23,281

12. PONTEFRACT (10)

30,293

28,071

13. SALISBURY (13)

29,468

24,374

14. THIRSK (12)

29,199

25,403

15. BEVERLEY (15)

25,564

23,349

16. HAMILTON PARK (17)

24,988

21,884

17. LUDLOW (11)

24,725

25,912

18. STRATFORD (14)

24,205

24,258

19. WETHERBY (20)

22,650

19,999

20. FAKENHAM (23)

22,519

17,148

21. ARC (19)

21,616

20,952

22. FFOS LAS (18)

20,016

21,232

23. CARTMEL (29)

19,713

14,512

24. PERTH (21)

19,369

18,874

25. REDCAR (26)

19,363

15,284

26. LEICESTER (25)

18,987

16,182

27. HEXHAM (27)

17,027

15,103

28. TAUNTON (28)

16,849

14,825

29. CATTERICK (23)

16,599

16,695

30. NEWTON ABBOT (22)

16,311

17,215

31. PLUMPTON (30)

13,918

13,944

32. TOWCESTER (31)

10,334

9,816

Key to agreement level: GOLD Premier Tier • SILVER Standard Tier • RED Not Signed Notes: 1. Racecourse Groups have signed single agreements to cover all of their tracks. Jockey Club group comprises Aintree, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Epsom, Exeter, Haydock, Huntingdon, Kempton, Market Rasen, Newmarket, Nottingham, Sandown, Warwick and Wincanton. ARC comprises Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Fontwell, Lingfield, Newcastle, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Windsor, Wolverhampton, Worcester and Yarmouth 2. The average racecourse contribution per fixture shows the average amount provided by the racecourse to prize-money at all fixtures during the period including any abandoned fixtures.

3. Comparable prize-money statistics for Chelmsford City have not been provided as no fixtures were staged during the period January-June 2014.

15

Aug_132_Changes2pp_Layout 1 23/07/2015 16:20 Page 16

in association with

Racing’s news in a nutshell PEOPLE AND BUSINESS Hilary Parrott Trainer of Wayward Prince, who had previously said she was retiring along with her stable star, decides to carry on.

Jim Culloty Trainer ends massive drought without a winner, extending from March 2014 to last month, a period which encompassed 73 runners.

Newbury Racecourse unveils upgraded development plans, which it estimates will cost £20 million, to begin in January if approved.

Barry Geraghty Gets off the mark as JP McManus’s number one jockey when scoring on Riviera Sun at Roscommon in early July.

GBI Racing Joint venture set up to broadcast British and Irish racing to betting shops and online operators abroad enjoying record year so far in 2015.

Point of Consumption tax Ryan Moore Three-time champion jockey suffers neck injury in stalls accident at Newmarket and is set to miss the rest of the season; initial reports suggested he would only be out for a month.

Chelmsford City Racecourse undertakes rewaxing of surface in a bid to lessen kickback – the exercise receives a mixed reaction from trainers and jockeys.

Brian Toomey Jump jockey who was clinically dead for six seconds and given a three per cent chance of living makes miraculous comeback to the saddle.

Issue referred to Europe after court appeal

by Gibraltar authorities – end result could see the government having to repay bookmakers hundreds of millions.

Lady Cecil Trainer announces that she will retire at the end of the season following news that Warren Place Stables has been sold.

Also...

AP McCoy, the recently-retired 20-time champion jump jockey, makes a brief return to the saddle to help jockeys’ team win a special challenge at Barbury Horse Trials. Threetime champion Flat jockey Richard Hughes will retire from the saddle at the conclusion of Glorious Goodwood to embark on a training career. Young jockey Connor Beasley suffers serious head and spinal injuries in a fall at Wolverhampton. Chris McFadden calls time on his role as Chairman of British racing’s commercial arm, Racing Enterprises Ltd; he will leave at the end of the year. Lucy Alexander, the leading female jump jockey who has had bad luck with injuries, suffers another setback after cracking her collarbone. Former jump jockey Isabel Tompsett whose career was ended by a fall is reissued with driving licence, which will help in her training of point-to-pointers.

Chester racecourse restricts the taking in of alcohol to a certain section of the track on the advice of police. Kei Chiong Ka-kei becomes the first female apprentice in Hong Kong in 15 years; the 22-year-old will be attached to the yard of Francis Lui. Up-and-coming Flat jockey Shelley Birkett fractures her leg in freak accident at David O’Meara’s yard. Frankie Dettori is inducted into Newmarket’s Hollywood Boulevardstyle Walk of Fame, 30 years on from first arriving in racing’s headquarters. Victoria Pendleton, the Former cycling champion, has her first race-ride amid her quest to compete in the 2016 Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Talks are ongoing regarding a merger between bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral, which would create the largest betting shop operator in Britain.

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>>

Aug_132_Changes2pp_Layout 1 23/07/2015 16:20 Page 18

RACEHORSE AND STALLION MOVEMENTS AND RETIREMENTS Toormore Europe’s champion juvenile of 2013 is purchased by Godolphin from Middleham Park Racing.

Just The Judge Charlie Hills-trained filly who will always have a place in Qatar Racing hearts due to being their first Classic winner is retired with a tendon injury.

Annacotty Grade 1 winner is moved to Alan King by owner Liz Prowting, from Martin Keighley’s yard.

Suits You Winner of Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot is sold out of Normandy-based Irishman Eoghan O’Neill’s yard to continue his career in Hong Kong.

Al Ferof Top chaser moved to Dan Skelton from Paul Nicholls, on the advice of the champion trainer who believes the tenyear-old will benefit from switch.

Udododontu Runner-up in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot is sold to Darley and leaves the yard of Richard Guest.

California Chrome Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner from 2014 will miss the rest of the year with a bruised cannonbone but will return in 2016.

Main Sequence Last year’s champion turf horse in the US is retired with a tendon problem.

PEOPLE OBITUARIES

Borderlescott Hugely popular sprinter is retired for the second time, aged 13; he won two Nunthorpes and a Stewards’ Cup.

HORSE OBITUARIES

Omar Sharif 83 Screen legend whose pink and black hooped silks were a feature on French racecourses for nearly 50 years.

Midge Burridge 77 Involved in breeding Desert Orchid with her late husband James and was among his owners throughout an iconic career.

Paddy Fitzgerald 93

Ronald Kay 77

Partnered Monaleen to win the 1955 Welsh Grand National during many years as an Epsom-based jump jockey.

Part of the furniture at Abington Place Stables, where he worked for more than 50 years, first for Harry Wragg and later his son Geoff.

Kieran O'Connell 72

Ken Payne 78

One of Ireland's best known tipsters and a racing correspondent for almost 50 years with different publications.

Colourful former trainer who was known as the ‘King of the Sellers’ in the 1960s and 1970s.

Werner Hefter 61

Alfie Sherrin 87

German trainer who specialised in raiding French provincial tracks, with considerable success; in all he saddled almost 400 winners.

Former point-to-point commentator whose relaxed countryman's tones were a feature of the west country scene for more than 40 years.

Walter Bentley 79

Deryk Bastiman 89

Won the Chester Cup as a lightweight jockey and trained the winner of an Ayr Gold Cup.

18

Trained near Wetherby in the 1960s, and the father of Robin and grandfather of current licence holder Rebecca.

Overdose 10 Hungary's champion sprinter, nicknamed the ‘Budapest Bullet’, he was denied a famous victory in the 2008 Prix de l’Abbaye when the race was declared void.

Kauto Star 15 Outstanding chaser, winner of two Cheltenham Gold Cups and five King George VI Chases for owner Clive Smith (see tribute, pages 10-13).

Daltawa 26 Aga Khan-bred daughter of Miswaki, a Listed winner on the track and the dam of top-class duo and later stallions Daylami and Dalakhani.

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Aug_132_BigPic-Muhaarar_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:33 Page 20

THE BIG PICTURE

DESERT’S SPEED LEGACY The Darley July Cup is sprinting’s big clash of the generations and three-year-old Muhaarar (left), trained by Charlie Hills, proved his champion status with a thrilling win over Tropics under Paul Hanagan, following up his success in the inaugural Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. For Hamdan Al Maktoum the result had particular significance as homebred Muhaarar is a grandson of his brilliant stallion Green Desert, winner of the 1986 July Cup. Muhaarar’s sire, Oasis Dream, also captured Newmarket’s prestigious Group 1 event in 2003 Photo George Selwyn

Aug_132_BigPic-Muhaarar_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:33 Page 21

D A R L E Y J U LY C U P

Aug_132_Tony_Morris_Owner 23/07/2015 16:05 Page 22

THE MAN YOU CAN’T IGNORE COMMENT

Tony Morris Godiva’s story may not be widely known but 75 years on from her death, this Guineas and Oaks heroine deserves to be remembered as one of Britain’s truly great racemares

22

ROUCH WILMOT

P

erhaps because her racing career was brief and was not followed by a career as a broodmare, Godiva is a filly whose name rarely crops up when the subject of Britain’s greatest racemares comes under discussion. She deserves to be remembered and celebrated for what she achieved, and this is an appropriate time, 75 years after her death in August 1940.

Bred and raced by Esmond Harmsworth, who would later become the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, the filly was foaled on April 8, 1937 a product of Hyperion’s second crop and the third foal of Carpet Slipper, a National Studbred Phalaris mare who had been a 400gns yearling purchase in 1931. She won at Newmarket as a juvenile in the Harmsworth colours, showed nothing in minor handicaps at Wolverhampton and Bath as a three-year-old, then was sent to her owner’s Mereworth Stud in Kent.

For some unexplained reason Harmsworth decided in October 1938 that he would give up breeding and send all his bloodstock to the forthcoming December Sales. The HyperionCarpet Slipper filly was to be in the draft, but her breeder allowed himself to be persuaded to keep her by his trainer, William Jarvis, who recognised her promise and made the valid point that she would be unlikely to fetch her true value months after the regular yearling sales had been held. The filly, already named Godiva, was sent to Jarvis to be broken, while her dam, in foal to Windsor Lad, went to Tattersalls and realised 2,000gns, bought on behalf of Lord Furness. The foal inside Carpet Slipper at the time would win the 1942 Irish Triple Crown as Windsor Slipper for Joe McGrath.

In common with many other of Hyperion’s daughters, Godiva was a difficult, temperamental subject, but she got on well with her teenage lad Doug Marks, who looked after her, rode her out, and forged a relationship with her that was built on mutual tolerance. Noting that rapport between lad and filly, Jarvis decided that Marks should also lead Godiva up for her races, and the plan met with instant success; she was on her best behaviour for her debut at the Kempton Easter fixture, and she bolted up by

Esmond Harmsworth’s Godiva possessed a tricky temperament but huge talent

four lengths in the hands of stable jockey Jack Crouch.

It was a different story a fortnight later when Godiva reappeared for the Sandown Park Stud Produce Stakes. She dug her toes in at the start, defied Crouch to get her to move, and won the argument. This was a filly who clearly had ability, but if she were to persist in such selfwilled antics, it might never be expressed.

However, punters trusted her next time in a minor event at Newmarket, and, as 2-1 favourite, she came home three lengths clear of her nearest rival, who was receiving 7lb. Crouch returned, enthusing about the filly’s future prospects, but, alas, he had hardly any future himself.

Only 20 when appointed Royal jockey to King George V, he had retained that role for George VI and had come close to Derby glory when riding 100-1 shot Sandsprite into second place behind Mid-day Sun in 1937. By 1939 the former Epsom apprentice had bought a property close to Tattenham Corner that was to be his marital home. His wedding day was set for July 1. On June 20, engaged to ride one of the King’s horses in a race at Newcastle, he boarded a light aircraft for the journey from Surrey. The plane never arrived, and it was three days later before the wreckage

and the bodies of Crouch, pilot and radio operator were located.

The tragedy could not interfere with the running of Newmarket’s Egerton House stable.

Godiva was due back in action in the Stud Produce Stakes at her home meeting on June 28, and Jarvis informed Marks that he would not be leading up the filly; this time he would be riding her. There were 13 runners, but only two attracted real support. Snowberry – later the dam of St Leger hero Chamossaire – had won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, so was most people’s idea of the winner, but the 4-7 favourite was made to submit, 3-1 shot Godiva taking her measure in the last furlong and holding on to win by a length. Marks was understandably elated at besting Gordon Richards in the finish.

Godiva’s connections were beginning to think she might be a serious racehorse, and they elected to find out by pitching her into top company in the Middle Park Stakes. She had a lot on her plate, trying six furlongs for the first time, in heavy ground, against 19 opponents, all but one of them colts. Just to make things more difficult for herself, Godiva missed the break and gave away lengths to all her rivals before Marks could induce her to pursue them.

It was anybody’s guess what she might have THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_Tony_Morris_Owner 23/07/2015 16:05 Page 23

achieved if she had got off on terms. She finished third, beaten two lengths and three-quarters of a length by Djebel and Tant Mieux, the respective champion juveniles of France and England.

In the two-year-old Free Handicap Godiva ranked second among the juvenile fillies of 1939, placed 3lb behind Golden Penny, another daughter of Hyperion out of the Oaks heroine Pennycomequick. A novice form student could tell that Golden Penny’s form was clearly inferior to Godiva’s, but at that time the official handicapper’s brief required him to take a view on how horses would progress as three-yearolds; he might well speculate that a daughter of a Derby winner and an Oaks winner would do better in her second season than a temperamental filly who could be dodgy at the gate.

Wartime conditions made many aspects of racing different, an early example being the transfer of Newmarket’s First Spring meeting to the July course. In the 2,000 Guineas on May Day, Djebel and Tant Mieux, the pair who had led Godiva home in the Middle Park, took first and third places. That result might have served as a pointer to Godiva’s chance in the 1,000 Guineas two days later, but she was allowed to go off at 10-1, with Golden Penny, already a winner at the Craven meeting, at odds-on. Godiva was always among the leaders and left the favourite for dead coming out of the Dip, eventually scoring by five lengths.

A ten-furlong Oaks Trial Plate was staged at Hurst Park on June 1 with Godiva now odds-on. She was last away from the gate, but Marks had her in front after a furlong and she was never threatened, scoring by three lengths. After those results it was expected that Godiva would start an overwhelming favourite for the Oaks, but she was value at 7-4, while Golden Penny’s party, gluttons for punishment, vowed revenge, backing her down to 2-1.

Godiva seemed more determined than ever to give her rivals a chance in the Oaks, ignoring the start. After half a mile she was still tailed off, 14th of 14 and apparently going nowhere, but well into the straight there came an amazing transformation.

Travelling easily, Godiva progressed from last to first, and once she had assumed command her rider had the cheek to turn around and urge the pursuers to ‘come on!’

Three lengths clear at the line, recording a faster time than that of Pont L’Eveque in the previous day’s Derby, Godiva had to be hailed as a champion. Apprentice Marks had had only seven race-rides that season, but he had won three times on the filly, beating Gordon Richards into second place each time.

Where was Godiva to go next? Her owner/breeder reckoned she had nothing more to prove and, with phoney war developing into real war, he felt that the best place for his prize filly was neutral Ireland. In July he despatched her to the Fort Union Stud in County Limerick. She had been there barely a month when she trod on a nail and contracted septicaemia. The prognosis was soon hopeless and the best three-yearold of either sex in 1940 was lost.

When John Randall and I analysed 100 years of form for our book A Century of Champions, we credited Godiva with a rating of 134. The only fillies trained in England whom we could rank above her in the 20th century were Pretty Polly (137), Sun Chariot (136), Sceptre and Pebbles (both 135). It would be a crime to forget her.

“Recording a faster

time than that of Pont L’Eveque in the Derby, Godiva had to be hailed as a champion”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

23

Aug_132_HowardWright_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 12:38 Page 24

HOWARD WRIGHT COMMENT

The more in the public eye you are, the more important it is to hit the right notes relentlessly – below-par incidents will be ruthlessly trashed

Delivering on early promise

I

n the harsh world of public scrutiny it takes no time at all to go from darling to derision, and from there it’s only a short step to dodo. Clare Balding has been the subject of more criticism in the past six weeks than in the rest of her media career put together, while the England women’s football team could be heading for a similar, summary fall from grace. So, look out, Nick Rust.

Balding’s broadcasting star shone ever more brightly as she climbed high through the relatively minor reaches of horseracing and the lesser pursuits of early Olympics to the Paralympics and its all-powerful big brother. She picked up myriad assignments along the way, all delivered with professional aplomb, and suddenly, with her initial sport all but cast aside, she was everywhere.

The British public in general, and some of its media commentators in particular, have a quaint way of dealing with such visual ubiquity – they turn against it. And so, when a bright spark in the BBC TV production department decided to convert the channel’s informative, mid-evening Wimbledon highlights programme into a dumbed down, audience participation event, with Balding at the helm, there was going to be only one target when the miss-hit volley struck the fan. And it wasn’t the producer.

Balding could not be blamed for merely playing her part, but as the centre of attention in the shambles, she was naturally in the line of fire.

By battling their way to third place in the women’s football World Cup, the England squad drew attention to the cause of their sport – said to be the fastest growing of all – in a different way, attracting late-night TV audiences of more than a million and social media messages by the thousands in a way that outstripped all expectations, let alone previous experience.

Having reached this unexpected pinnacle of achievement, and captured many hitherto innocent hearts and minds in the process, reality takes over. There is

24

no opportunity to build on recent success in next year’s Olympics, since a fall-out among the home country Football Associations has precluded the formation of a GB team, and the next big event is this month’s cup final between Arsenal and Notts County. Yes, Notts County no less.

As a Daily Telegraph commentator observed: “Grabbing the national sporting

“The British public

have a quaint way of dealing with visual ubiquity – they turn against it”

spotlight was, in many respects, the easy part. Keeping it will be far harder.” Which brings us to Nick Rust.

No longer able to don the cloak of the new man, the BHA Chief Executive has come to the end of an unblemished public honeymoon, or as he described it at the ROA annual meeting, “a whirlwind induction,” which was capped by an assured and engaging Racing UK interview with Lydia Hislop during Royal Ascot, and a largely persuasive presentation and Q&A session at the ROA gathering.

Rust’s explanation of how the BHA agreed to adopt Newcastle’s all-weather track scheme did not entirely match earlier, critical comments at the latter function, but it was factual and transparent, two qualities that he has stressed will be cornerstones of his tenure.

The roadshow conducted with GBR rep Rod Street has been parked, and its blue-sky thinking replaced for the time being by matters of urgency – an executive restructure, which has yet to be completed, the impending nitty gritty of the fixture list and race programming, the still-unsigned Members’ Agreement, and the pursuit of the racing right, whose timescale is impossible to gauge.

And all this played out against the background of a warning note that Rust sounded at the ROA meeting: “Of course, the gap between the matters that the BHA is responsible for, and those we are deemed accountable for, was one of the key things that struck me on arrival.”

Perhaps so, but if Rust is to avoid falling into the trap of Clare Balding’s Wimbledon debacle, and repeating the likely retreat to relative obscurity of the England women’s football team, he has to decide what is possible, and what is not. In other words, he has to deliver on the promises of his induction.

The BBC’s Wimbledon highlights programme was not of Clare Balding’s making, but she received the flak

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Aug_132_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:45 Page 27

VIEW FROM IRELAND

By JESSICA LAMB

That’s more like an Irish Derby Ballydoyle dominance interrupted as entry initiative helps produce better contest

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

associated with it, including the Prix du Jockey Club and Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

“The entry initiative meant we had the second, third and fourth from the Epsom Derby, the winner of the Epsom Oaks, the second from the Prix du Jockey Club and the winner of the King George V Cup from Leopardstown, so it certainly worked.”

Perhaps the most intriguing addition to the list of targeted races were those confined to fillies – the Oaks and the French equivalent, the Prix de Diane. Chantilly winner Star Of Seville

“There are years

when the fillies are every bit as strong as the colts, and often stronger”

did not take up her free entry option, but Epsom heroine Qualify did, taking Hensey back in time.

He explained: “Certainly, Qualify probably wouldn’t have run had it not been for the free entry and we were delighted to have her.

“There are years when the fillies are every bit as strong as the colts, and often stronger; I can remember Salsabil, who won both the Irish Derby and the Epsom Oaks in 1990. That’s why we were keen to include those races.”

When it was launched, the incentive was described as a “one-off” and though Hensey could not say whether that could change – given the fragility of the race – he did add: “It’s amazing, one Derby is over and you’re immediately planning the next. We’ll be reviewing everything soon and will see if that is something we could continue.”

Shortening the distance of the race, like the French Derby, and creating a Triple Crown incentive have also been mentioned as ways of driving the Irish Classic back to the glory days it once enjoyed as the deciding Derby, when Chantilly and Epsom winners often met at the Curragh.

These are things that must be put before the European Pattern Committee, though. It has already opened a full review of the sector, following last year’s disappointing Irish Derby.

Jack Hobbs ran out an impressive winner of a competitive Irish Derby GEORGE SELYWN

I

t’s all under control: that was the feeling from the Curragh after entry initiatives and extensive promotion turned the 150th anniversary of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby into a race to remember.

In 2014, the Irish Derby was an uncompetitive affair, sparking unrest from many in the industry about a lack of middledistance horses. It was the second time in three years that the Irish Classic had gone off with only five runners and it was won by 1-8 favourite Australia, representing Ireland’s superpower, Ballydoyle, winning their eighth Irish Derby in nine renewals.

One year on and the eight-runner Group 1 provided a chance for Derby and Dante runnerup Jack Hobbs to take glory with Epsom third and fourth, Storm The Stars and Giovanni Canaletto, also turning out again.

The Curragh’s new free entry incentive, applied to the first four home in three key Classics and to the winner of seven other leadup races, meant all three horses’ connections paid nothing to take part, and the same went for fifth Highland Reel, the Prix du Jockey Club second, and Oaks winner Qualify – who most definitely would not have run but for the entry refund.

In 2011, the Curragh trialled giving €12,500 worth of the entry fee back to those runners that were entered before the supplementary stage and who had won a Group or Listed race that year.

Five of that year’s eight runners qualified, all winning Group races before taking part, including winner Treasure Beach, but the new edition of the initiative is sexier and puts the racecourse back in the driving seat of the race’s future.

Curragh Manager Paul Hensey said: “The Derby was more competitive than it has been and that was a big attraction for people with a very impressive winner in Jack Hobbs.

“We tried to identify the key races that would generate the best runners for the 150th Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and that included the races that have long been

>> 27

Aug_132_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:45 Page 28

VIEW FROM IRELAND

Sprinter Great Minds is poised to give Tommy Stack an exciting end to the season, despite disappointing in the Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock.

Unfavourably dry ground for the Group 2 event diminished his chances before the starting gates, but he was still sent off at 13-2, representing the respect he gained from winning a brace of Listed sprints at home in Ireland.

However, he was hampered in the final furlong and was squeezed out to finish last.

It was a frustrating afternoon, but Fozzy Stack, trainer Tommy’s son and assistant, is looking forward to the wet weather returning for another crack in Group company with his five-year-old sprinter.

He said: “He got knocked down in the

GEORGE SELYWN

Stack season about to click into top gear

Tommy Stack: juveniles to run

Temple Stakes, which was unfortunate, though the ground could have been too good for him that day too.

“We’ll maybe have a look at the Champions Sprint at Ascot in October and the Abbaye at Longchamp. You’d be very likely to get his ground at either of them.”

The Tipperary outfit is famed for getting off to a good start and made no mistake when Onenightidreamed won the feature on the opening day at the Curragh in March.

However, after just two runners in May, the team’s juveniles did not get off the mark until last month, Holy Roman Emperor filly Optimism And Hope winning at Bellewstown. Dr Doro, a filly by the same sire, was beaten a short head a day earlier and Stack was quick to stress there is more to come.

He said: “The two-year-old runners have been light. We have had a lack of them in the early part of the season, but it’s not that we don’t have them; they will be a bit later than normal.

“The ones that came out towards the end of June and the beginning of July have done well, winning and placing, and there are a couple there that we think will go quite well in the autumn.”

Nothing’s too far for the Madden crowd Teenage sisters Kate and Annie Madden, whose FenuHealth was named in the Irish Independent’s ‘30 Hottest StartUps’ list earlier this year, have begun developing their second product and are looking for testing volunteers.

Last year the Meath students developed a feed supplement to encourage fussy equine eaters to grub up and took second place at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in their category.

The tasty powders, which are mixed into food, are made from the seed fenugreek with varying strengths of flavour and are all entirely natural, making it safe and anti-doping compliant for all horses.

Feed company Connolly’s Red Mills and equine nutrition organisation Foran have come on board, with Dr Pearse Lyons from Alltech, Enterprise Ireland and the Meath County Enterprise Board also involved, and last month they sold their first 2,000 units at €4 each.

With that in full flight, they have begun research and development on their second project; a cure for gastric ulcers.

Annie Madden said: “We are really excited about our next project for the BT Young Scientist Competition – it is trying to come up with a solution for gastric ulcers in horses.

“According to a UCD study, 76% of racehorses have stomach ulcers. We have

28

Kate Madden (left) and sister Annie with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney

developed a product that we have tested for NOPS [naturally occurring prohibited substances] and early results are very encouraging in getting rid of ulcers.

“We’re now looking for volunteers.

Everybody thinks the ulcer supplement could be massive. The more vets and trainers we can get involved the better.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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DREAM AHEAD

INTENSE FOCUS

CHAMPION 2YO AND 3YO GROUP SIRE WITH HIS FIRST CROP

GR.1 WINNING 2YO AND SIRE OF A GR.1 WINNING 2YO

First crop 2yos include the unbeaten Gr.3 winner FINAL FRONTIER

2015 successes include the top sprinter Astaire and smart 2yo MISS ELIZABETH

LAWMAN

LOPE DE VEGA

SIRE OF 3 GR.1 WINNERS FROM HIS FIRST 2 CROPS

CHAMPION 3YO AND CHAMPION FIRST CROP SIRE IN 2014

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www.ballylinchstud.com 22/07/2015 09:05

Aug_132_Continental_Tales_v2_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 12:17 Page 31

CONTINENTAL TALES CE

Level-headed Cheminaud jumps to it Champion National Hunt rider makes seamless transition to the Flat

V

incent Cheminaud has come a very long way in the eight years since, at the ripe old age of 13, he decided that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a jockey after all. Up until that point he had no interest in horses, preferring to play computer games.

Once his mind had changed, dad Christophe, who at that time was sporadically managing a position among France’s top 20 steeplechase riders, quickly enrolled his son in the AFASEC Jockeys’ School in Mont-de-Marsan and Vincent’s subsequent progress was rapid.

Having initially been apprentice to trainer Emmanuel Clayeux, he switched to one of the nation’s top National Hunt handlers, Arnaud Chaillé-Chaillé, just days before riding his first winner in July 2010. Picked out three months later on Equidia (the French Racing television channel) as a jockey to follow, his rise has been meteoric.

By the end of his first full season, 2011, he had already surpassed his father by breaking into the top ten in the jump jockeys’ table, and before his 21st birthday last November he had won France’s top chase, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, on Storm Of Saintly, and partnered enough winners to be assured of his first Cravache d’Or – the golden whip trophy awarded to the champion jockey.

What more could he achieve? Of course, he still had a long way to go to rival the career of France’s best ever jump jockey, Christophe Pieux, who retired in 2012 with 15 titles and over 2,000 victories to his name.

But Cheminaud had one big advantage over Pieux in that he was light enough to ride on the Flat – his minimum weight is 8st 5lb – and, taking the advice of his agent, Herve Naggar, he decided to start plying his trade both over the sticks and on the level.

Naggar got him the plum job as work rider

for 26-time champion trainer Andre Fabre, himself a former master of jumps racing.

Fabre can spot riding talent a mile off (Messrs Jarnet, Soumillon and Barzalona can vouch for that) and the first time he legged Cheminaud up in public was aboard Mexican Gold prior to her victory in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte in early April.

Another high-profile ride in the same Khalid Abdullah silks came in the shape of New Bay and, lo and behold, just seven weeks on from his initial Fabre booking, the pair had teamed up to land the Prix du Jockey-Club.

A week later and Cheminaud signed off from the jumps scene with a big-race treble on French Champion Hurdle Day at Auteuil.

GEORGE SELWYN

FRAN

By JAMES CRISPE, INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU

>> Cheminaud with trainer Andre Fabre, who gave the jockey his big chance on French Derby hero New Bay (below)

Aug_132_Continental_Tales_v2_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 12:17 Page 32

CONTINENTAL TALES

“A great owner has

given me his trust to ride his horses, therefore I cannot afford to take risks” from Guillaume Macaire to Andre Fabre – I am very lucky.”

And did he ever countenance being a dualpurpose jockey on a permanent basis? “I thought that I could continue doing both as long as jumping was the priority and Flat racing was just me trying to ride out my apprentice claim and improve myself,” he explains.

“But it is impossible to work horses at both Royan [on the west coast, where Macaire trains] and Chantilly [where Fabre trains, 350 miles to the north].

“The evening after I won the Jockey-Club, when I began to understand the importance of that victory, the choice was obvious.

Meeting Andre Fabre and Prince Khalid Abdullah made me aware that the risks of jump racing are incompatible with the choice of riding on the Flat.

“A great owner has given me his trust to ride his horses, therefore I cannot afford to take risks any more, not when given such quality horses to ride.

“I had a bad fall at Cagnes-sur-Mer two years ago, suffered five fractures and was on the sidelines for two and a half months.

Some friends have suffered long and difficult interruptions to their careers following falls, and my father missed more than a year when he suffered a broken vertebra.”

But he refutes any suggestion that his weight meant that he was too light to maximise his effectiveness as a jump jockey, given the amount of lead that he had to carry

32

in his saddle.

“I have never subscribed to the dead weight theory and the fact that I was champion jockey last year proves that you can be light and still win a lot of races,” he says. “The jockey’s position and controlling the horse’s breathing are more important than how much dead weight you carry.”

And he has not completely given up on the idea of returning to jumping should the right set of circumstances present themselves.

“If the opportunity comes along, outside of the Flat season, I don’t rule out riding again in some top hurdle races,” he continues. “Maybe I can imitate Christophe Soumillon [who won the French Champion Hurdle in 2010] and have some more success at Auteuil.”

The switch appears to have been seamless, although Cheminaud admits that he has had to make changes to his riding style.

“I’ve had to learn about the rhythm of morning exercise and about race tactics,” he says. “There is more space in jumps races and some decisions can easily be corrected as you have more time. In Flat races everything happens very fast and it is more tactical.”

Flat racing being such an international sport, he has one important obstacle to overcome before he can start becoming more familiar to UK racing fans – his inability to speak English.

“I watched Royal Ascot and I would love to ride there one day,” Cheminaud says. “So I am going to learn English and am sure that, by the end of the year, I will be able to communicate with owners and trainers who are kind enough to offer me rides in Britain.”

So Cheminaud does not lack determination and, when asked to name his racing heroes, his response is one of a deep thinker.

“Lester Piggott, Yves Saint-Martin, Christophe Pieux and Tony McCoy all call for respect,” he replies. “Their courage, regularity and longevity at the top are qualities that I look for in horses as well as

GER

Now he is looking forward to New Bay’s tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe rather than plundering big jump prizes for trainer Guillaume Macaire.

So was the decision to switch codes a hard one? As an interviewee, Cheminaud immediately comes across as an impressive young man, both very eager and at the same time determined not to forget his rustic background.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision, but I didn’t expect it to happen so fast,” he admits.

“Though my roots are in jump racing, a race is a race, whether it is Flat or jumping, and I want to get to the top.

“There are worse situations than going

BLIC PU

ECH RE CZ

>>

M

Y AN

Dream double

Saturday, June 13, 2015 is a day that will live long in the memory of Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep.

Up until then this little-known permit holder, whose yard is in the very north-east corner of Germany near Rostock (close to the shores of the Baltic Sea), had managed a dozen modest victories during her training career.

Yet now she came up with an outrageous international cross-code double, as she won both the Swedish Grand National at Stromsholm, near Stockholm, with Landler and a Listed Flat race, the Sachsen Preis at Dresden, with Alberto Hawaii. At combined odds of 234-1, the brace was achieved at a pair of racecourses that are 600 miles apart.

Landler’s success was the more remarkable, as he went into the race as a winless nine-year-old with 19 straight losses to his name. And the double was almost a Mullins-esque treble, as a couple of hours before the Grand National another Schleusner-Fruhriep inmate, Abbanandi, had found only one too good in the Swedish Champion Hurdle.

men. But, if I have to name my heroes, it would be my father plus Guillaume Macaire, New Bay and Storm Of Saintly.”

My sign-off question is a light-hearted request as to what suddenly made horses overtake computer games in his affections. “I can’t really remember,” he muses. “Maybe my computer broke down…”

Galileo gains compensation

Galileo may have been denied a third consecutive Epsom Derby success as a stallion (the best that he could manage was Giovanni Canaletto’s fourth place) but his dominance right across our continent was underlined when his son, Touch Of Genius, won the Czech Derby in Prague a fortnight later.

Indeed, Galileo almost notched a 1-2 in the Classic as another of his progeny,

Tamarind Cove, like the winner trained by Josef Vana, failed by just a head to catch the runner-up Oriental Sky. The result proved that even in Eastern Europe you need a colt with a pretty fancy pedigree to win a Derby. Touch Of Genius is out of Festoso, a Group 1-placed and Listed winner for Harry Dunlop in 2007 and 2009, while Tamarind Cove’s dam is none other than Saoire, the 2005 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

m14915 Newsells TOB N ad AWP.indd 1

17/07/2015 15:41

Aug_132_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:31 Page 35

AROUND THE GLOBE THE WORLDWIDE RACING SCENE

NORT H A M E R I CA

by Steve Andersen

Red-letter weekend for Brown

C

GEORGE SELWYN

had Brown walked through the stable area at Monmouth Park in New Jersey early on the afternoon of July 5. He wasn’t able to get far without saying hello to an acquaintance or well-wisher.

“Hi, how ya doin,” he said. “Thank you.”

The folks Brown encountered stopped him frequently to offer congratulations on the results from the previous afternoon at Belmont Park in New York.

Lady Eli, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita last November, extended her unbeaten streak to six in the $1.25 million Belmont Oaks. Sadly, she is now battling laminitis. For Brown, the Belmont Oaks was his third Grade 1 win of 2015. He did not wait long for a fourth. A few hours after he arrived at Monmouth, Big Blue Kitten won the $500,000 United Nations Stakes, beating a field that included 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Main Sequence. As summertime was getting under way, Brown’s stable was hitting peak form.

Summer is the favourite season for Brown, 37. When the New York racing circuit moves upstate from Belmont to Saratoga in late July, Brown is home. He grew up in the small Hudson River town of Mechanicville, New York, about 15 miles south of Saratoga Springs.

Chad Brown is only in his 30s but is an established leading light among US trainers

“So many of my

friends and family are there. Saratoga is what got me into the game” “So many of my friends and family are there,” he said. “Saratoga is what got me into the game, going there with my parents.”

Brown had a background in harness horses before he began spending summers working for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, while studying for a degree in animal husbandry at Cornell University in New York.

After earning his degree, Brown went to work for trainer Bobby Frankel at Hollywood Park in California and on the New York circuit.

Those years formed the foundation of the THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

operation Brown launched in 2008, a nationally prominent stable racing at the highest level with a mixture of homebreds, sale acquisitions and transfers from Europe. Hardly a day goes by, Brown says, when he does not reflect on his years with Frankel, who died in November 2009.

“I tried to do the best I could for him,” he said. “I believe if he was a coach, he’d have been a coach that always won championships. You didn’t want to disappoint him. I learned how to be patient and not to lie to yourself. You make adjustments. I learned a lot from him when I worked at Hollywood.”

When Frankel, the colt, was the star of British racing from 2010 to 2012, Brown was an admirer from afar. “The whole story, it’s a great tribute to him,” he said.

Brown’s strong stable mirrors what Frankel had in the last 20 years of his career. Brown lives year-round in Saratoga with his wife and two daughters, and has more than 100 horses in training there and at Belmont. He spends

winters racing at Gulfstream Park, near Fort Lauderdale.

The stable has won training titles at Aqueduct and Belmont, and in 2014 ranked second in the nation with earnings of $15.3m, behind Todd Pletcher’s haul of $22.4m. As of early July, Brown ranked third behind Pletcher and Bob Baffert, with $8.4m in earnings.

To surpass last year’s earnings, Brown will need a successful Saratoga and a strong autumn. Last year at Santa Anita, he won three Breeders’ Cup races at the two-day meeting, including the Filly & Mare Turf with Dayatthespa and the Turf Sprint with Bobby’s Kitten.

“I’ll tell ya, with the Breeders’ Cup, if you win one in a year, it’s tremendous,” he said. “The fact we were able to win three was incredible.

We don’t expect that every year.”

With the strength of his stable, Brown is a trainer who could do that again when the Breeders’ Cup is held at Keeneland in late October.

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Aug_132_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:31 Page 36

AROUND THE GLOBE

by Stephen Howell

BRONWEN HEALY

AUST R A L I A

Darren Weir, pictured with Group 1 winner Lucky Hussler, is on course for back-to-back Melbourne metropolitan premierships

Weir not weary despite end in sight Victoria’s ‘country king’ Darren Weir, now firmly entrenched in the top echelon of city trainers, has a shelf prepared in the trophy cabinet at his Ballarat stables for a second straight Melbourne metropolitan premiership prize. Last season, in addition to winning his tenth consecutive country crown, Weir dethroned the four-time city champion, Caulfield’s Peter Moody.

This season the country award is Weir’s again, by a runaway margin, and he was seven wins clear of Moody in the city race with only four meetings to go when this magazine went to press. Workaholic Weir, 45, has made the most of his Ballarat base, 120km north-west of Melbourne, and his satellite set-up 170km away in the beach town of Warrnambool to race more horses than any other Victorian trainer. He has managed to upgrade the quality too.

“I’m a country boy and I want my horses trained in the country, just like any good European stable,” he said.

Before this season Weir had four Group 1 successes in Adelaide but broke through with gusto in Melbourne in 2014-15, when Trust In A Gust won two spring Group 1s and sprinter Lucky Hussler won a Group 1 in the autumn. Weir has mentioned the influence of support from owners such as Gerry Ryan,

36

owner of the big caravan company Jayco and the Orica-GreenEDGE Tour de France cycling team, with the likes of Puissance De Lune and Signoff, and Darren Dance’s Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock with dual-Group 1 winner Platelet.

Weir also credits bloodstock agent John Foote, who bought Makybe Diva’s dam, for helping upgrade Ryan’s and other owners’ stock, and acknowledges the professionalism of others involved in the stable.

He names two in particular: jockey John Allen, a regular winner over jumps and on the Flat and a key trackwork rider, whom he says is “a great judge of how a horse goes”, and Peter Ellis, a renowned track walker and form analyst whose advice to stable riders has lifted the Forest Lodge strike-rate considerably.

Their work is a sign of the increased professionalism needed to keep such a big stable ticking over, but Weir never misses the chance to thank his staff. “I have a wonderful group of people that are overseeing my horses – let’s face it, if they weren’t that good the winners wouldn’t be there,” he said.

Nearing the end of this season the winners tallied 280 Australia-wide from more than 1,800 runners, well clear of the closest chaser, Sydney’s champion Chris Waller (210 from 1,650). Weir’s prize-money tally of A$10

million puts him A$2.4m ahead of Moody.

The Victorian jockeys’ premiership was a three-way fight between Dwayne Dunn, Craig Williams and Damien Oliver. Dunn had 55 wins, Williams 53 and Oliver 52.

In Sydney, Waller has his fifth straight metro training premiership wrapped up.

With four meetings remaining, Waller had 136 wins (plus two dead-heats, considered half-wins), furlongs clear of Darley’s John O’Shea (78.5) and Gai Waterhouse (71.5).

Darley’s retained jockey James McDonald (88.5 wins) had returned from England to try to hold on to the crown he won for the first time last year. He had to fend off Blake Shinn (also 88.5) and Hugh Bowman (87).

With the season’s 72 Group 1 races run, Bowman (nine wins) is the top elite-race jockey in Australia, from McDonald (six) and Shinn (five). Waller (14 wins) is top elite trainer, from Moody and Waterhouse (seven).

Moody, meanwhile, along with other Group 1-winning Victorian trainers Danny O’Brien, Mark Kavanagh and father-son team Lee and Shannon Hope, faces cobalt charges.

After a long investigation, Racing Victoria charged him on July 10, a month after the others were cited on offences involving horses racing with more than the threshold 200 micrograms per litre of cobalt in their system.

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Aug_132_JeffSmith_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:52 Page 38

THE BIG INTERVIEW JEFF SMITH

Jeff Smith has bred horses at his Littleton Stud in Hampshire for more than 30 years

Aug_132_JeffSmith_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:52 Page 39

Enchanted by glorious

UNCERTAINTY Nearly 40 years after having his first runner, owner/breeder Jeff Smith is still as enthusiastic as ever about the sport he loves, and there’s nowhere he’d rather be despite British racing’s comparatively lowly financial rewards – France is all well and good, but it’s not England, is it?

Words Julian Muscat • Photos George Selwyn

J

eff Smith emits a smile of wry amusement when it is suggested an owner and breeder of his standing makes an ideal soundingboard for the raft of targets racing’s rulers have trained their sights on.

It is certainly a busy time on that front.

Perennially challenging issues like poor prizemoney levels have combined with the horserace betting right the Chancellor alluded to in March to raise the possibility of real progress in racing’s gridlocked corridors of power.

So who better to assess the landscape than Smith? He is soon to embark on his fourth decade of ownership, having raced his first horse, Rush Bond, in 1976. He has since campaigned Chief Singer, Lochsong and Persian Punch, who were acknowledged as champion racehorses in 1984, 1993 and 2003 respectively.

And he has bred horses at his Littleton Stud, in Hampshire, for more than 30 years.

Furthermore, he is a steward of the Jockey Club, to which he was elected in 1984. He is also Chairman of Salisbury racecourse, and treasurer of the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.

He is supremely well placed to offer a balanced assessment, yet while few can bring such apposite credentials to the table, even fewer are in the sport for the same reasons as Smith. In thrall from the moment he first visited a racecourse, his passion has never waned. “You don’t lose it, do you?” the 69-year-old says. “I still love the game. I’d much rather do this than be sat on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean.”

The financial demands of breeding annually from 26 mares and putting all their progeny into training are a price he is happy to pay. Unlike THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

most contemporary owner/breeders, he does not sell yearling colts to help balance the books.

Any such sales come from the ranks of horses in training – like Norse Prize, a Listed winner in France whom he sold handsomely to Hong Kong last year.

“Whether we break even in a given year depends entirely on those sales,” he reflects. “I can make sense of the outlay over a number of years. I certainly wouldn’t claim to be making a profit, but let’s not forget: this is a sport. It will continue to be a sport to me until I can no longer afford it.”

“I still love the game.

I’d much rather do this than be sat on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean” That’s not to say he’s the type who writes cheques with reckless abandon. He has noticed the spiralling cost of nominations to preeminent stallions during a decade when economic hardship visited practically every walk of life except top-end yearling sales. He considers the impact it has had on his own breeding programme with a mild sense of exasperation, but he no longer dwells on the illogicality of it.

“Nomination costs have kept rising,” he reflects. “Or at least, they haven’t realigned in tandem with the state of the economy. But t’was ever thus. Racing and breeding defies any financial logic, primarily because the top end is driven by people for whom the cost of a nomination is irrelevant.

“For instance, if they could get a nomination to Dubawi, it wouldn’t matter to them whether they paid £90,000, £100,000 or £110,000 for it. It is basically a luxury goods market. I mean, how can you justify buying a handbag for £3,000? But people do.

“I think the effects of high nomination fees are being felt by those at the lower end, but it all comes back to why people have horses in the first place. Nobody does it with the expectation of making money, and nor should they. The statistics are there for all to see and, to be fair, all professional trainers spell out the financial position from the outset.”

As he weighs up each argument it becomes clear that Smith is enchanted by the glorious uncertainty of the sport. He loves its capacity to surprise; he can even smile at disasters when sufficient recovery time has passed. It had made the ideal foil to a prolifically successful career in which Smith was Executive Chairman and Director of AIM Group Ltd (now AIM Aviation Ltd), a company that makes interior fittings for aircrafts, and which still occupies him two or three days a week.

Lochsong’s career makes a perfect vignette of Smith’s relationship with the sport. Sent home to Littleton in the midst of a three-year-old campaign that had yet to see her reach the racecourse, she thrived sufficiently for Smith to

39

>>

Aug_132_JeffSmith_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:52 Page 40

JEFF SMITH >> return her to Ian Balding’s stable for one last try.

Given her disarming propensity to lose weight, a winning bracket – anywhere at all – would have been a bonus.

Yet Lochsong thrived to the extent she was virtually unbeatable when on song. She could be mercurial, as she showed in the 1994 Nunthorpe Stakes, when she lost all chance by bolting to the start. But she could be deadly, as she showed two months later when making all to win the Prix de l’Abbaye by five lengths.

Her career came in stark contrast to that of Chief Singer, whose prowess on the gallops was such that he was fully expected to make a winning racecourse debut in the 1983 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He duly obliged – and by four lengths into the bargain. Yet no horse epitomised the glorious uncertainty like Lochsong.

As you would expect, the broodmare band on Littleton’s 190 acres is well stocked with Lochsong’s relatives. The line is a fast one that has thrown a number of other aboveaverage sprinters, in particular Lochsong’s Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes-winning half-sister Lochangel. But Smith has raced successful

horses across all the distance ranges.

During a barn-storming career spanning seven seasons, Persian Punch served up as much drama as Lochsong, if not more. Smith reflects that the respective experiences were

“You notice the races that struggle to fill, but it has no impact on the sort of horse I’m trying to breed”

quite different: Persian Punch never won a Group 1 race, whereas Lochsong won three. But the pleasure he derives is not confined to horses of Pattern calibre. Smith is of the ilk who believe an engaging story could be written about every thoroughbred ever foaled.

Since 2008 Smith has been Chairman of Salisbury racecourse, where he oversees the

delicate juggling act of making a country venue punch above its weight. Salisbury does more than most tracks of its size to provide opportunities for better horses despite the associated risk of small fields.

He is involved in race programming at Salisbury, a process that must dovetail with the policies laid down by the central authorities, yet despite first-hand experience of recurring trends within the horse population, which he has absorbed, he doesn’t incorporate that information into the breeding ethos at Littleton.

“You can’t help but notice the sort of races that struggle to fill, but that has no impact on the sort of horse I’m trying to breed,” he says.

“To my way of thinking, the two processes are not connected. You might think it made sense to breed the sort of horse for which opportunity abounds at the time of the mating, but you’ll have to wait three years before you race the progeny. In that time the whole landscape might have changed.”

Nor is Smith convinced there is a solution to the troubling shortage of middle-distance and staying horses being produced in Britain. He maintains the trend is predictable, with breeders

Arabian Queen and Ryan Moore captured last year’s Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes in Smith’s silks

40

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Aug_132_JeffSmith_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:52 Page 42

JEFF SMITH

you like but I’m afraid nature and genes will always have their say” >> breeding for speed and trainers wanting to buy

yearlings with pedigrees and physical attributes to run as early two-year-olds.

He believes there are other difficulties, too.

“To talk about breeding middle-distance horses and stayers is too vague a concept,” he says. “The gestation period for any plan would take too long, and even then, as a breeder, you never know what you are going to end up with.”

By way of example Smith highlights the fate of a colt he bred when he sent his Oaks fourth, Spot Prize, to Nayef. “When he popped out as a foal we stood there saying, ‘Here is our Derby winner’,” he reflects, “but the horse – Royal Prize – has turned out to be a six-furlong sprinter. He is running in good-class handicaps in France.

“You can plan all you like but I’m afraid nature and genes will always have their say,” he continues. “And is something actually broken?

English horses have won the Derby [Golden Horn] and the Irish Derby [Jack Hobbs] this year, and an English-trained horse [The Grey Gatsby] won the French Derby last year.”

Smith and trainer David Elsworth have enjoyed a long, successful partnership

Racing right to set up a direct negotiation with bookmakers A wave of optimism swept through racing’s corridors of power in March when Chancellor George Osborne declared the intention to establish a horserace betting right, otherwise known as the ‘racing right’, under which bookmakers would have to pay to accept bets on British racing.

This right has long been sought by the BHA and its predecessors as a means of replacing the levy system, allowing the sport to close the loophole by which bookmakers with betting platforms outside Britain are not obliged to make levy payments.

While Osborne’s announcement was warmly welcomed by all in racing, bookmakers were quick to condemn the proposal, describing it as “unworkable”. Jeff Smith is inclined to agree. He has seen plenty of ‘game-changing’ financial scenarios come and go, and fears this will be yet another.

“I’m not for the racing right,” he says.

“Personally, I think it could give rise to more problems that people simply don’t understand at this stage. It’s an easy latch-on.”

Smith highlighted the clamour within racing to buy the Tote as an example of unreasonable expectations. “We had this three or four years ago,” he says. “People were going around saying that buying the Tote would solve everything. Well, racing didn’t buy the Tote, and even if it had, it wouldn’t have done that.”

Against that, Smith believes the offshore drain on levy should be addressed as a

PA

“You can plan all

George Osborne: backs racing right

priority. “It is clearly wrong,” he says. “There needs to be a solution that extracts some sort of payment from the offshore operators but that’s another thing that is easier said than done.”

He also feels that an agreement between racing and betting is the best long-term solution to the vexing question of racing’s beleaguered finances. “I believe the principle of setting up a direct negotiation with bookmakers is the right one,” he says. “I just don’t think it has been properly thought through.

“I think that, like Mark Twain, reports of the Levy Board’s death are somewhat premature. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Levy Board was still there in ten years time.”

In Arabian Queen, who will be a very valuable addition to the Littleton Stud broodmare band when she retires, and Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up Magic Dancer, Smith has a pair of talented three-year-olds in training in Britain. It was a different story last year, when the Smith livery was carried to three Group-race triumphs in France, courtesy of Norse King and Cocktail Queen. Between them, those two earned more than Smith’s entire string of 40 horses at home.

“We had some terrific wins in France,” he says, “but it doesn’t make me want to have more horses trained there. Yes, prize-money matters, but I’m an Englishman living in England.”

That last sentiment encapsulates everything about Smith and his interaction with the Sport of Kings. Horseracing in Britain is probably the most competitive in the world, yet it takes place within some of the least advantageous fiscal parameters in the world. It is an irony best appreciated by an Englishman living in England.

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THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 14:51 Page 44

TALKING TO...

DAVID SIMCOCK

David Simcock on the Newmarket gallops, overseeing some of his 100plus string, which he has built up from seven when he started out in 2004

Aug_132_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 14:52 Page 45

Still dreaming

AHEAD

David Simcock is hardly a veteran of the training ranks, but he considers Dream Ahead, the top-rated juvenile in Europe in 2010 and champion sprinter the following year, his defining horse and the best he will ever have – there remains, however, stacks to look forward to

By Tim Richards • Photos George Selwyn

Y

ou enjoyed your first Royal Ascot winner this year when Balios won the King Edward VII Stakes. What were your emotions after the race and what did it mean to you and the team?

I am not one of these people that hollers, jumps in the air and gives people massive hugs. We have always thought a lot of the horse so you are actually relieved that the faith you’ve put in him has come to fruition, that everything has worked out and he has fulfilled his early promise. At this stage of the season you are looking for boosts for the yard

and this was a very big one for everyone at Trillium Place.

Of course it was very important for the owners, Al Asayl Bloodstock, who are a relatively young breeding operation based in Abu Dhabi with ten to 15 mares. They have some lovely broodmares and this is the first big winner they have produced. They all watched the race in Abu Dhabi and got a great thrill, which, for me, was as much pleasing as anything. At the end of the day the owner is the most important person, not the punter, not the jockey, not the trainer. The owner provides the raw materials and pays the bills.

Balios ran a close fifth in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris after Royal Ascot. Is the plan now to run him in the Great Voltigeur and then the St Leger?

We’ll discuss with the owners what route we’re going to take. Making plans for him doesn’t get any easier as he progresses so we’ll just have to see how he comes out of Longchamp and look at all the possibilities. My wife Jennie is his regular rider at home and Balios has always shown up well. He had sore shins as a baby and other niggly little things but has always displayed plenty of talent. >>

Aug_132_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 14:52 Page 46

D AV I D S I M C O C K

Balios in relaxed mode at Trillium Place under Jennie Simcock, and in racing action at Royal Ascot (right), winning the King Edward VII Stakes

>>

Originally, what fired your interest in racing and what are your earliest memories?

Watching racing on television at home in Herefordshire on a Saturday afternoon with my father, who would take me racing at places like Hereford, Worcester, Cheltenham, Ludlow and Taunton. We used to go on holiday to Torquay every year and that used to coincide with the summer festival at Devon and Exeter and Newton Abbot. One horse that sticks in my mind is Man Alive, ridden

by Ron Barry in the Mackeson Gold Cup in the 70s. Being a grey and winning at Cheltenham stood out and left an impression in a young mind.

Your school of learning included spells working for Ian Balding, Dick Hern, William Muir and Luca Cumani.

How did each of these men prepare you for a training career?

All wonderful people in their own right. Ian Balding gave me my first job and looked after me very well. If I was a young person going into racing today that’s where I’d like to start

46

again. With Andrew in charge now I believe it is just the same, the most friendly, wonderful environment where there is a great community and you feel very safe. Dick Hern was a great disciplinarian and I probably needed shaping up when I went to him and he did that to a certain extent. William Muir is a marvellous people person, a wonderful guy with owners and hugely enthusiastic and a very good friend now. Just watching Luca Cumani’s attention to detail was enough; he never missed an evening stables, he’d know

every horse however good or bad. They were four great guys to work for.

Have you modelled your training methods on any one of these trainers in particular? And which part of training do you enjoy most and find the most rewarding?

You feel your own way and train your horses individually; they all want different things at different times. I find there is a certain feel for each individual. You look at them every day

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

>>

A LOT MORE THAN LOT S

LE HAVRE Prix du Jockey-Club winner 2009

AVENIR CERTAIN Dual Classic winner 2014

HOME OF THE BRAVE See you in Deauville…

To us horses are never just lots. They are marvels of nature.

Deserving and getting respect and kindness. Letting us live by their sides.

When we escort them to the sale, it marks only the end of a beginning.

Now it’s your turn.

COULONCES CONSIGNMENT HARAS DU GRAND CHENE

Anna Drion: +33 6 76 74 94 74 Etienne Drion: +33 6 37 06 01 31 | hgchene@gmail.com

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Aug_132_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 14:52 Page 49

D AV I D S I M C O C K >> and see them every night and find you develop

an empathy with each one. Some people think it’s set in stone that they have a routine and they are going to do this, that and the other. As their trainer your own sense for the way they are developing tells you when, where and how you work them. I love training two-year-olds and seeing their potential, in particular watching them first time out and seeing their reactions.

They are the future. The most rewarding part of the job is winning with a horse you thought would never win a race.

You won with your first runner, Cut And Dried, at Lingfield on Valentine’s Day in 2004, the day you asked Jennie to marry you. Has Mrs Simcock become an integral part of the running of Trillium Place?

Jennie is the most important part. In fact, I wouldn’t be training now if it wasn’t for Jennie, it’s as simple as that. She has a huge involvement now, as she did when we started 11 years ago. She is brilliant with the finances, brilliant with the owners; I’m sure they like her more than they like me! She is massively enthusiastic, riding out every day, busy in the office, mother of two tiny children – she’s got plenty on her plate. We bounce things off each other all the time and she is far more competitive than I am. She really doesn’t like it when any of the horses get beat.

How tough was it setting up on your own?

I wouldn’t want to repeat the way we did it.

We had no owner base, no background and financially it was frightening. It was a massive struggle starting with seven horses, though we did eventually get lucky. We had to borrow from the bank, from everybody when Trillium Place came on the market. But Jennie put together a business plan for a property developer, who had no interest in racing, but a lot of interest in the property and liked Jennie’s proposal. He supported us and the place is ours now.

Was there a particular turning point when you felt you had arrived?

I am not sure I have arrived, quite honestly.

You feel if you pop your head above the parapet there is always something out there waiting to knock you back down. The defining moment would have to be Dream Ahead, our first really good horse. I have no doubt I’ll never train another one as good, not at two and three over six and seven furlongs.

It’s job opportunism. To beat Group 1 horses in England is extremely difficult and, for me, that makes racing in Britain the best. It is harder to win a Group 1 here than it is anywhere else in the world. Sheikhzayedroad is what I’d call a ‘nearly’ Group 1 horse. In Europe he was more of a Group2/3 performer, but suddenly became a Group 1 horse abroad, where he won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine.

That’s what you’re looking for together with the prize-money. If you’re racing for Group 3 in England you’re running for £65,000, while in North America it would be $500,000. It is lack of foresight if you’re not looking out for those type of races abroad. We don’t want to pay £20k travelling a horse abroad that’s not

“Financially, starting training will be very tough, but don’t set your financial sights too low”

going to be competitive; we like to think that what we do take abroad generally has a good chance.

Is there a particular type of horse you like to train?

I’ve always been intrigued by the two-year-olds but I also like middledistance and staying horses as well. I like to think I can train every type of horse,

from a two-year-old, through speed horses to stayers. I look for value at the sales because our budgets tend not to be very high. Along with my agent Richard Brown, of Blandford Bloodstock, we have always had to buy horses and then sell. We don’t get huge orders and are always looking for value, an angle. My view is that I’d rather buy a slowly-bred horse that’s a bit slow because it can usually be placed, and if by chance it turns out to be fast it’s going to be worth a lot of money.

In contrast, if a speedily-bred horse turns out to be slow, it is worth zero and they can be very expensive to buy. Richard has been with me since day one. We are very good friends and he and Tom Goff have been a huge help to me along the way. We get on well, disagree well and even argue well!

What advice would you give to a young man or woman embarking on a career in training?

Go in with your eyes open because it is quite daunting out there and you are expected to get results. Financially it will be very tough, but don’t set your financial sights too low. We thought starting with our training fees low would attract owners. Basically, it does anything but, and can attract the wrong type of owner. Don’t sell yourself too low.

As the man who supplied Hayley Turner’s first Group 1 winner in Dream Ahead and with two female apprentices in your yard, you clearly have no problem with female jockeys. So why are they struggling to make an impact at places like Royal Ascot?

We’ve had several; Alice Haynes, Laura Pike, Siobhan Miller, and now we have Millie Naseb and Sophie Killoran. At the end of the day they struggle probably because they are not as strong as men, and I think that’s the case even with the very best, Julie Krone in America and Hayley Turner in England.

Dream Ahead gave Hayley Turner her first Group 1 success

You have trained Group 1 winners in America and Canada as well as big races in Dubai and are not afraid to travel your horses far and wide. Why is globe-trotting so high up on the Simcock list of priorities?

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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>>

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D AV I D S I M C O C K

CLOSE UP AND...

PERSONAL My biggest fear is… anything happening to my children Four dinner party guests…

Margaret Thatcher, Max Boyce, Dick Hern and Jennie, my wife Actor to play me on screen…

Nicholas Lyndhurst I am annoyed by… bad manners My weakness is… smoking

CLOSE UP AND...

PROFESSIONAL Biggest lesson I’ve learnt… not to be complacent My hero is… people who fight wars and save people David Simcock is focused on horses and family, though he likes top sporting events

>> It’s

down to strength. There are probably more girls working in racing than ever before and the majority that come into racing at a young age want to be jockeys. I’d like to see races confined to lady riders and girl apprentices to get them started. It would be a great opportunity for them. We always try and give them a chance here and I don’t think there are many girls that have walked away from Trillium Place that haven’t ridden winners.

As a trainer building your career in a sporting world widely covered by the media, do you think the professionals in racing do enough to promote the sport to the non-specialist audience?

Times have changed and the new generation of trainers are more open and far happier talking to the press, and the older generation have followed suit. There’s no question we have to, like football managers after the game and tennis players the moment they come off court. The only thing I would say is that we are indebted to the owners, who provide the raw material for a very, very expensive game.

The owner deserves the first insight into how their race was run. I am quite happy to talk to the press at any time, but am not always happy to answer every question because the media might be getting knowledge before the owner.

Which racing moment do you treasure most, and why?

Dream Ahead’s 2011 July Cup because that victory put him back on track and reinforced his reputation. Dream Ahead was an exceptionally talented two-year-old, but we

50

couldn’t run him early doors as a three-yearold for various reasons and he probably had something to prove after two races where things didn’t go to plan.

Best bet I’ve ever had…

Swindon Town to win Division 2 three years ago I handle losing by… taking the positives out of defeat Alternative career… sports media

You started out with seven horses – now you oversee a string of over 100.

How do you and Jennie find time to relax away from the horses?

Everything revolves around the children, Charlie, 3, and Lucy, 1, and Sundays are precious to us when we go out with the kids.

be competitive we’ll be there, hopefully. These new sponsorships from foreign investors are making a huge, huge difference and they need supporting.

Jennie’s and my relaxation is the children and for me personally I love going to sporting events like the British Open, test matches, American Football, rugby, football and cricket.

There’s been lots of talk about the expansion of all-weather racing and its place in the sport. What is your view?

It’s obvious to me the all-weather is becoming more and more important. It’s always been good to us; we have a separate team for the all-weather in the winter and we’ve always been avid supporters. You only have to see what John Gosden has introduced on the all-weather, with the likes of Jack Hobbs and Western Hymn, and Sir Michael Stoute’s King George and dual Breeders’ Cup winner Conduit won his maiden on the all-weather. There is definitely a place for the all-weather with its winter series and Good Friday meeting, which have been huge successes.

Will you be targeting runners at British Champions Day, where you enjoyed Group 1 success in 2014 with Madame Chiang?

Everyone would target runners at British Champions Day if they could because the prize-money is phenomenal. It is a wonderful day’s racing and if we have horses we think can

You say you want to “keep raising the bar”, so where do you want to be in five years’ time?

I am quite happy where we are now. As it stands at the moment racing is very competitive, very tough. All I want to do is to keep producing good horses and train any kind of winner.

“Times have changed, the new generation of trainers are more open and far happier talking to the press”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 08-2015_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 06.2015 22/07/2015 12:39 Page 51

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TBA AWARDS

Classic glory celebrated in style The annual TBA Awards dinner honoured breeders great and small who contributed to a banner year on the racecourse for British-breds

In a special ceremony in Newmarket, Her Majesty the Queen received the Andrew Devonshire Bronze from the TBA’s Caroline Turnbull, Lucinda Miller, Louise Kemble, Julian Richmond-Watson, Richard Lancaster, Carrie Cherry, Pauline Stoddart and Christine Standley

R

eflecting on a year in which three of the five English Classics fell to British-bred horses, there was plenty of cause for celebration at the annual TBA Awards dinner, which was generously sponsored by Lanwades.

The evening’s most prestigious prize, the Andrew Devonshire Bronze, had already been delivered to its recipient, Her Majesty the Queen, at a special gathering at the Jockey Club Rooms and a film of the occasion was broadcast at the awards evening, at which John Warren represented the Queen.

Outgoing TBA Chairman Richard Lancaster commented: “It was only when going through the list of previous winners that we noticed one of the most important breeders in Britain had not been recognised. As the patron of the TBA and a fine example of a committed and knowledgeable British breeder, it was an honour to be able to thank the Queen in person and to present this esteemed award.”

The former manager of the Royal Studs at Sandringham, Joe Grimwade LVO, was also honoured at the awards by the presentation of the Dominion Bronze to acknowledge his contribution to the British breeding industry and 17 years on the board of the TBA.

Mohammed’s Darley operation was named leading British-based Flat breeder by prizemoney and Dalham Hall Stud representative Ray Eyre collected the Silver Cup in recognition of this achievement. It was not the only accolade for Darley as the company’s flagship stallion, Dubawi, was the leading British-based sire by earnings, courtesy of the exploits of top-flight performers such as 2,000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder and Al Kazeem, and was awarded the BBA Silver Cigar Box, which was received

by Director of Stallions Sam Bullard.

Darley’s Newmarket neighbour Juddmonte is never far from the limelight and such stellar homebred representatives as Kingman and Noble Mission ensured that this was once again

Golden era for British sires For the second year running, Sheikh

Philip Mitchell collects Juddmonte’s award from Julian Richmond-Watson

52

the case during 2014. Prince Khalid Abdullah’s representatives Philip Mitchell and Simon Mockridge received the TBA Silver Rose Bowl for Flat Breeder of the Year (discretionary award) and the Barleythorpe Cup for Oasis Dream, who was the leading British sire with 83 individual winners.

Oasis Dream and Juddmonte also played their part in the winner of the Tattersalls Silver Salver for leading British-based first-season sire.

This was awarded to Showcasing, who was bred at Banstead Manor Stud and is by Oasis Dream but now stands in Hampshire at Whitsbury Manor Stud. With stakes winners Cappella Sansevero, Toocoolforschool and Accipiter to his name in 2014, Showcasing has made a terrific start to his stud career, much to the delight of Ed Harper, who was on hand to collect the award on his behalf.

The best of the best Lord Derby has already tasted Classic success with his outstanding homebred Ouija Board and the daughter of Cape Cross’s 2010 mating with champion sire Galileo very much upheld the old adage of breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best. In dual Derby winner Australia, the owner of Stanley House Stud achieved perhaps more than he could ever have hoped for and his achievement of breeding the THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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three-time Group 1 winner was marked with the presentation of the H J Joel Silver Salver for Flat Broodmare of the Year.

Another star of Epsom, the Oaks winner Taghrooda, earned her owner/breeder Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and his Shadwell Stud the TBA’s Special Merit award.

Small Breeder of the Year honours went to Albert Perry of Woodcote Stud and Ridgecourt Stud whose Mastercraftsman colt Kingston Hill, sold as a yearling to Paul Smith, delivered on his two-year-old prowess when finishing runner-up in the Derby to Australia before winning the St Leger.

Jumping for joy In the National Hunt division, Kayf Tara continues to be a great British success story. The dual winner of the Ascot Gold Cup has been leading British-based jumps sire for six of the last seven seasons and he once again was awarded the Whitbread Silver Salver, collected

by Overbury Stud’s Catherine Morse. Simon Sweeting was also in attendance to receive the second of Kayf Tara’s awards, the Horse & Hound Cup for leading National Hunt sire by individual chase winners, his leader in this regard being dual Grade 1 winner Special Tiara.

The Lord Oaksey-bred novice chaser Coneygree delivered one of the most thrilling front-running performances in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in living memory and his dam Plaid Maid – who also produced Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers and the highly promising Flintham – was honoured posthumously by the Dudgeon Cup as National Hunt Broodmare of the Year.

The Queen Mother’s Silver Salver is awarded annually to someone who has made a significant contribution to the British jumps breeding industry and this year’s fitting winner was

Ray Eyre of Darley collects the Queen’s Silver Cup from Richard Lancaster

Darley’s Sam Bullard and TBA Chief Executive Louise Kemble Catherine Morse, representing Overbury Stud, with Philippa Cooper

Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud and Tattersalls’ Edmond Mahony

The 2014/15 TBA Award winners

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Simon Sweeting and Hannah Lemieux

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TBA AWARDS

Alan and Sarah Waller of Coneygree’s breeding syndicate receive the Dudgeon Cup from Robert Waley-Cohen

Robert Waley-Cohen, Chairman of the TBA’s National Hunt Committee and principal of Upton Viva Stud. Waley-Cohen has worked tirelessly in his TBA role to steer the National Hunt Committee in exciting new initiatives, including organising an annual ‘Stars Of Tomorrow’ National Hunt Foal Show and the setting up of the TBA Elite National Hunt Mares Incentive Scheme, which subsidises stallion fees for high-achieving racemares and broodmares.

Joe Grimwade LVO was awarded the Dominion Bronze by Richard Lancaster

Porter-Mackrell honoured The Newsells Park Stud stallion ranks have been boosted in recent years by the arrival of Mount Nelson, Equiano and Nathaniel, the pride and joy of Senior Stallion Man David PorterMackrell, who received this year’s New England Stud-sponsored TBA Stud Staff Award. The winner not only received a prize of £1,000 but also a painting of his favourite stallion, Mount Nelson, by artist Liz Armstrong.

The evening began with a tantalising parade of another well-credentialed group of stallions at Lanwades Stud, along with champagne and canapés kindly hosted by former TBA Chairman and successful breeder Kirsten Rausing.

A great believer in supporting her own sires, Rausing’s faith was rewarded last season when her homebred Madame Chiang became the first Group 1 winner for young stallion Archipenko on British Champions Day. Archipenko was on view alongside his stud-mates, the British-bred Derby winner and former British champion two-year-old Sir Percy, as well as Animal Kingdom’s sire Leroidesanimaux, stalwart Aussie Rules and newcomer Sea The Moon.

Reflecting on another successful awards ceremony, TBA Chief Executive Louise Kemble said: “2014 was a triumphant year for British breeding so we were delighted to be celebrating and recognising those successes with breeders here tonight. It’s a rare occasion where this vital part of the industry is able to gather together and be acknowledged and, whilst we honoured the winners, we would like to thank the work of all the British breeders, as all of them support the future of this industry, and also our sponsor Lanwades Stud.”

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Simon Mockridge with Oasis Dream’s trophy and Sam Hoskins

Woodcote Stud’s Barry Reilly collects the Langham Cup from Philip Newton

Giles Gaisford St Lawrence, Lord Derby and Philip Mitchell

David Porter-Mackrell of Newsells Park Stud and Peter Stanley

Chairmen past and present, Richard Lancaster and Julian Richmond-Watson

Robert Waley-Cohen receives his award from Bryan Mayoh

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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ROLL OF HONOUR

BHA anti-doping policy in the spotlight at TBA AGM After three years in office, Richard Lancaster officially handed over the chairmanship of the TBA to his deputy during that time, Julian Richmond-Watson, at the 98th AGM. Richmond-Watson, a Classic-winning owner/breeder and the proprietor of Lawn Stud in Northamptonshire, is also Chairman of the Plus 10 bonus scheme.

Addressing members gathered at the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket, Lancaster said: “Over the last three years we’ve made a concerted effort to raise the profile of the TBA and it is acknowledged that without breeders there would be no racing.”

Referring to the Stayers Report, which was published earlier this year to highlight the dearth of middle-distance horses being produced, he added: “The TBA is the custodian of the thoroughbred and it is our duty to highlight issues which we feel should be of concern to the whole industry.”

A panel of experts, which included TBA veterinary advisor James Crowhurst, legal advisor Justin Wadham and the the BHA’s Chief Veterinary Officer Jenny Hall, addressed issues arising from the introduction in March of the BHA’s zero-tolerance policy on anabolic steroids. The new rules affect thoroughbreds from birth and not simply while in training, but Wadham sought to assure the audience that a memorandum of understanding is being drawn up to ensure breeders that stud farms – which are unlicensed premises – fall under

TBA veterinary advisor James Crowhurst

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

The Queen’s Silver Cup For the leading British-based Flat breeder by prize-money Darley The BBA Silver Cigar Box For the leading British-based stallion

by Flat earnings Dubawi The Barleythorpe Cup For the leading British-based stallion by individual Flat winners Oasis Dream Tattersalls’ Silver Salver For the leading British-based first-season sire Showcasing The H J Joel Silver Salver Flat Broodmare Of The Year, Discretionary Award Ouija Board

BHA Chief Veterinary Officer Jenny Hall

BHA jurisdiction solely in relation to the antidoping policy.

Jenny Hall reported that work is underway to ensure continuity in testing procedures internationally. She said: “The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities is putting together a group of certified laboratories operating to the same standard and hair-testing will also be part of the capability of that group. You can be confident that if a horse is tested in one country it will be the same if the horse is tested here – vendors and purchasers in the US need to be reassured that any tests there mirror those in the UK.” Hall also assured breeders that they can continue to use Regumate, which is not considered to be an anabolic steroid.

Also on the agenda was the issue of foals being subjected to repeat endoscopic examinations at the foal sales – a topic which will be visited in a forthcoming Vet Forum in these pages. James Crowhurst advised those present that the veterinary committee is hoping to issue guidelines to discourage this practice, with the preference being for vendors to provide a high-quality video scope to be lodged in the sales repository.

TBA board member Philip Mitchell is spearheading a new marketing sub-committee aimed at raising the profile of British-bred thoroughbreds, and which will oversee the TBA’s younger division, currently known as the Next Generation Club. Open to members aged between 16 and 35, the NGC is currently undergoing a number of changes and will be relaunched in the near future. Chairman Sam Hoskins has recently been succeeded by Harry Williams (see page 95).

The TBA Silver Rose Bowl TBA Flat Breeder Of The Year, Discretionary Award Juddmonte Farms The TBA Silver Salver Special Merit, Discretionary Award Shadwell Stud The Langham Cup Small Breeder of the Year (Flat), Discretionary Award Albert Perry, Ridgecourt Stud TBA Annual Stud Staff Award Generously Sponsored By New England Stud David Porter-Mackrell, Newsells Park Stud The Whitbread Silver Salver Leading active British-based National Hunt stallion by earnings Kayf Tara The Horse & Hound Cup Leading active British-based National Hunt stallion by number of chase winners Kayf Tara The Dudgeon Cup National Hunt Broodmare of the Year Plaid Maid The Queen Mother’s Silver Salver National Hunt Achievement Award Robert Waley-Cohen The Dominion Bronze Joe Grimwade LVO The Andrew Devonshire Bronze Her Majesty The Queen

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FUTURE IN MIND

Sales preparation, with the future in mind.

For that extra bit of back up and support during sales preparation, Saracen are here to help. A combination of the correct feeds introduced at the right moment, and a fresh pair of eyes at regular intervals is all part of the service we offer. Consignors & Owner Breeders know they can rely on it.

Our goal, your success. In the ring, then on the racecourse.

Call a member of our dedicated specialist Thoroughbred team.

POLLY BONNOR Tel: +44 7973 802 210 CLARE ROBERTS Tel: +44 7714 768 250 or contact the Thoroughbred Office Tel: +44 (0) 1488 73 456 or visit www.saracenhorsefeeds.com/thoroughbred working with

FEED THE DIFFERENCE

Aug_132_Bloodstock_Intro_Owner 23/07/2015 11:41 Page 57

BREEDERS’ DIGEST

By EMMA BERRY, Bloodstock Editor

Our extended bloodstock coverage this month includes:

• Arqana August preview: The growing force of La Motteraye Consignment – pages 58-63 • DBS Premier preview: Pinpointing the perfect ‘Donny yearling’ – pages 64-66 • Sales Circuit: Round-ups from Europe and Japan; Cathy Grassick on the beat – pages 70-74 • Caulfield Files: Teofilo’s Classic success a good pointer for fans of Frankel – pages 76-77 • Dr Statz: Which stallions are fastest out of the blocks with juvenile runners? – page 105

Frankel renews old rivalries in the ring

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

thunder stolen, however, with the inclusion in the catalogue of a rare jewel in the form of a full-sister to Treve. The Haras du Quesnay homebred features as lot 176 and is scheduled to sell late on Sunday, August 16.

Treve herself didn’t make the cut for the August Sale of 2011, appearing instead in October and even then not garnering enough intersest from potential buyers to prevent her being bought back for €22,000. The figure attached to her subsequent private sale to Al Shaqab Racing can only be guessed at but her five Group 1 wins, including two Arcs, mean that she is now priceless and any of her relations or future offspring to be offered for sale will come under the closest scrutiny.

Frankel is of course not the only sire with first yearlings for sale this summer and autumn. Nathaniel, who was runner-up to Frankel on debut at two and third to him in

their final meeting in the 2012 Champion Stakes, meets his nemesis again in the battle of the sales ring. He too has six on offer at Arqana, including a colt out of treble Group 1 winner Aquarelliste, while Excelebration, who was runner-up to Frankel on four agonising occasions, has 13 representatives.

There’s a distinctly Antipodean feel to some of the other freshman sires with yearlings on offer in Deauville. The Darley duo of Sepoy and Helmet are represented alongside Coolmore’s ten-time Group 1 winner So You Think, while the former Australian champion sire Redoute’s Choice has 15 of his first European-bred yearlings slated to sell following his two-year shuttling stint at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval.

Following a record-breaking sale in Japan in July, the scene is set for the European yearling season to start on a similar high.

ARQANA.COM

W

ith the Arqana August Sale taking place later this month, for those involved in horse-trading, the relentless slide towards Christmas begins as one bloodstock sale swiftly follows another.

For an auction that turned over almost €40 million last year, it would be wrong to take the August Sale any way other than very seriously but it does however provide a wonderful holiday-like feel to the start of the season, thanks predominantly to its glamorous seaside location. The stakes are likely to be even higher this year in Deauville where the first six Frankel yearlings are set to go under the hammer.

Despite the great horse having retired in 2012, there’s no sign yet of the interest in him abating. Since he left the racecourse, we’ve had the excitement of the first book of mares booked to Frankel, the first foals being born and a handful being offered for sale – with mixed results – and now we have the yearlings and the first hint of his stock as nascent racehorses.

Making full use of its early slot in the sales calendar, the Arqana team has not held back in its marketing of the sextet, with a special microsite (frankel.arqana.com) launched to flaunt the esteemed youngsters, which include a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Stacelita, a half-brother to Group 1winning two-year-old Naaqoos, and another filly whose half-sister, the Listed winner Prudenzia, has already produced the Irish Oaks winner Chicquita.

Four of the six are offered by Lucien Urano’s Ecurie des Monceaux, which has been the leading vendor at the August Sale for the last three years and surely must be oddson to retain that title this time around.

The ‘Frankels’ could well have their

Arqana lot 125, Monceaux’s Frankel colt out of a half-sister to Arc winner Sagamix

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Aug_132_LaMotteraye_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:18 Page 58

LA MOTTERAYE CONSIGNMENT

Combined FORCES

Gwénaël Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte’s La Motteraye Consignment is not only a joining of names but also of a passion and work ethic that has seen the young business grow rapidly Words and photos Emma Berry

F

rance has long enjoyed an advantage over its English and Irish neighbours when it comes to prize-money and premiums, and the sterling effort of the French Racing & Breeding Committee (FRBC) to encourage owners to buy in France has led to an increased vibrancy in the country’s sales market.

This has heralded the arrival of some major consignors to the ranks over the last decade, with the likes of the Coulonces Consignment and Ecurie des Monceaux swift to be recognised as dominant forces. Eager to join those names at the top table is the young operation La Motteraye, a portmanteau derived from the names of its two owners, Gwénaël Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte.

This August, the La Motteraye Consignment will feature for the sixth successive year at Arqana’s premier yearling sale, offering a draft of 20, followed by another five yearlings in the following day’s V2 Sale. Situated roughly an hour from Deauville in the serene Normandy hamlet of Les-Autels-Saint-Bazile, the 35hectare farm has been home to the young couple, their characterful labrador Elliott, as well as boarding mares, foals and yearlings, since December 2009.

“We moved in just after the December Sale and the very first horse on the place turned out to be Leaupartie, who went on to be a Group winner,” recalls Monneraye, a 34-year-old native of Brittany.

“She was a foal then and she was sent to us by William Huntingdon and Liam Norris, and we sold her for them the following August to Sylvain Vidal. Sylvain has been a great support to us since then and we now consign horses for him too and still do business with William and Liam.”

Vidal, who manages the racing and breeding interests of Gérard Augustin-Normand, runs Haras de la Cauvinière, now a thriving stallion operation standing one of France’s flagship sires, Le Havre. Its proximity to La Motteraye has been a boon for the developing farm.

“We didn't really know Sylvain but we went to La Cauvinière to see the farm, so we could see how they operated and get some ideas, and

The tranquil mood on the farm reflects the serenity of the rolling Normandy countryside surrounding Les-Autels-Saint-Bazile

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>>

Aug_132_LaMotteraye_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:18 Page 59

ARQANA AUGUST & V2 YEARLING SALES Gwénaël Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte at home with Elliott

Aug_132_LaMotteraye_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:18 Page 60

L A M O T T E R AY E C O N S I G N M E N T

The team heads out to bring in the yearlings following an afternoon at grass

>> our relationship grew from there really,” explains

Monneraye.

Cultivating contacts and gleaning ideas from the top operations around the world stood the pair in good stead when it came to setting up their own business after time spent in America, New Zealand, Ireland, England and Australia.

The couple met ten years ago while working at Haras d’Etreham and Monneraye, who had already performed one global tour of duty, managed to persuade Lamotte to join him on another round of travels.

She says: “We spent a year in Kentucky working for Ben Berger at Woodstock Farm and also at Corduff Stud in Ireland. Everywhere we went we were learning. Neither of our families are in the horse business so we needed to learn and it was good to see how in each country they did things slightly differently.”

Lamotte did however grow up close to the major French racing centre of Chantilly and spent her formative years involved in the trotting world.

“I wanted to be a jockey really but I knew that it would never work out,” she adds. “I decided I could get close to the thoroughbred world by learning about the breeding side.”

It’s hard to imagine a more restful scene than the bucolic setting of La Motteraye, with its halftimbered farmhouse and barns nestled into the lea of a hill. This tranquillity is surely absorbed by its equine residents. Even the yearlings, just a few weeks into their sales prep as we visit, wander in from the fields in a calm single file with manners belying their relative inexperience.

The ripple of contentment continues through to the humans at the helm. The foaling season has not long finished and there’s plenty to be done with 25 yearlings to be readied by midAugust, followed by further batches for Osarus

60

“We are lucky enough to work with people who don’t put pressure on us, so we don’t feel stressed”

in September and Arqana in October, not to mention the associated paperwork, but at La Motteraye calmness pervades.

Lamotte says: “We love what we do and we

always aim to do the best we can for our clients.

We are lucky enough to work with people who don’t put pressure on us, so we don’t feel stressed, and we certainly wouldn’t want to put that on the horses. I suppose for me, once the horses go into the parade ring at the sale then I get a bit nervous.”

The keenness for overseas breeders and pinhookers to be involved in the French market means that La Motteraye’s client base stretches from England, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Spain to as far as Australia.

Monneraye, who, like his partner, is a fluent English speaker, explains: “The stallion market has become really strong in France in the last few years but the biggest reason is the premiums on offer in France. When we first started I didn't realise how much of a help that would be to us but it’s huge.

“We had mainly English and Irish clients when we first started but now we have close to 50% French clients for the sales. All our boarding and breeding clients are from abroad.”

The quietly spoken Lamotte is quick to add: “We never went after any clients – if the people want to come, they will come. Every year we have to prove we can do the job and we certainly don’t want to steal clients from other consignors.”

It’s a statement which might well sound disingenuous from some quarters in the competitive world of bloodstock, but from this genial duo it is highly believable. They have been happy to let the horses do the talking for them at the sales and so far they have been listened to. The aforementioned Leaupartie, graduate of their first draft of yearlings, won the Group 3 Prix de Psyche and was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette for AugustinNormand and trainer Fabrice Chappet, and sold that same year was subsequent Group 3 Prix de

Monneraye and Lamotte watch the bidding as their top lot sells at Osarus September THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

>>

© P. le Bris - Photomontage

Oh I do like to buy beside the seaside

Catalogue online

August Yearling Sale

374 selected yearlings from the leading breeders in Europe.

The very first by Frankel and fellow promising young guns Nathaniel, Excelebration, So You Think etc.

Some very special ones by Galileo, Dubawi, Invincible Spirit, New Approach, Oasis Dream, Redoute’s Choice, Siyouni, Sea The Stars, Shamardal, Zoffany, etc. Siblings to Charm Spirit, Dabirsim, Stacelita, Style Vendôme, Zagora and a full sister to Trêve.

August 15-17 deauville Freddy Powell: +44 (0) 750 783 25 82 - fpowell@arqana.com

Aug_132_LaMotteraye_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:18 Page 63

L A M O T T E R AY E C O N S I G N M E N T

Some of this year’s Arqana August yearlings return from the paddocks

>> Ris Orangis winner Abu Sidra. The following

year’s consignment contained Group 3 runnerup Holy Dazzle – this time bought by rather than sold for Norris/Huntingdon.

Last September saw La Motteraye top a yearling sale for the first time when consigning a Le Havre filly for Sylvain Vidal at the Osarus September Sale. Her price tag of €130,000 was also notable as a first six-figure transaction for the sales company. The next ambition is to take star billing at Arqana August, though Monneraye is realistic about achieving this aim in the near future, stating: “You need to have the pedigree as well as the individual to do that and there’s big competition from farms like Monceaux. One day we hope to sell outside France, too. I’d really like to take a good draft to Tattersalls.”

This year’s August consignment does however contain plenty of desirable individuals.

On paper at least, there’s certain to be plenty of interest in the Oasis Dream filly out of a winning half-sister to Classic hero and young sire Tin Horse (lot 136), while La Motteraye also consigns the sole yearling by Kodiac in the sale (lot 347), who is a half-brother to juvenile Listed winner Sushi Tuna and eligible for French premiums.

Colts by stallions of the calibre of Redoute’s Choice, Makfi, Lawman and this year’s leading freshman Zoffany are joined by two of the three first-crop Rajsaman yearlings in the sale, whose results will be of great importance to the breeder of one of them, Haras de la Cauvinière, which stands the young son of Linamix.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

While all need to be ready at the same time to face the judges during the important midAugust sale, their preparatory work is undertaken on an individual basis at the farm.

Monneraye explains: “We do the prep over ten weeks, which seems like a long time but it goes by so quickly so it is really important to keep a close eye on each horse. Yes, we try to have a routine but at the same time, some will want to do more work, some will need less, for some you will have to adjust their feed, and so on.

“We look at each horse every day and make decisions for each of them as individuals.”

As well as the daily horse care, this year’s projects at the farm have included the installation of a smart new lungeing ring and German horse-walker, while the ongoing quest is for more land.

He adds: “We have access to 35 hectares and at the moment we are trying to buy 40 more, but this process can be a little slow in France!”

While the expansion of the farm may be taking its time, the reputation and growth of La Motteraye as a consigning operation has been anything but slow.

Monneraye says: “My father was a farmer and he works for himself so I always wanted to do the same. This is all we’ve ever wanted to do.”

He and Lamotte not only have their names entwined in business, but their passion and drive for their work is similarly shared. It’s a combination which is likely to ensure that the name La Motteraye will soon be seen beyond the borders of France.

European yearling sales curtain-raiser The Arqana August Sale takes place in Deauville from August 15 to 17 and is followed by the Arqana V2 Sale on August 18.

2014 figures – Arqana August Aggregate:

€39,417,500

Top price:

€1,200,000

Average:

€147,864

Median:

€90,000

Offered:

324

Sold:

261

Clearance:

81%

2014 figures – Arqana V2 Aggregate:

€3,754,000

Top price:

€90,000

Average:

€36,369

Median:

€28,000

Offered:

113

Sold:

103

Clearance:

91%

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Aug_132_DBSPreviewV3_Owner 23/07/2015 12:36 Page 64

DBS PREMIER & SILVER YEARLING SALES

The ‘Donny’

YEARLING Few sales are as closely aligned with a particular type of horse as the DBS Premier Sale, which routinely yields plenty of eye-catching juveniles combining speed and precocity Words John Berry • Photos Sarah Farnsworth

O

ver the past few decades, Doncaster’s principal yearling sale – formerly held during St. Leger week, now held during August as the Premier Sale – has become synonymous with yielding fast, tough horses who “come to hand quickly”. The sale’s position in the bloodstock world is secure as it has firstly carved its own niche, and then consolidated that niche thanks to the exploits of an evergrowing list of high-class juvenile winners who have come out of the sale.

What, though, makes the Premier Sale such a reliable source of such horses?

What do the DBS inspectors look for when they are choosing the yearlings who will make up the catalogue? What decides whether a yearling finds a place in the sale? We asked DBS Director Jeremy Mactaggart to run through the selection process with us, and to highlight what factors are likely to decide whether or not a yearling will make the cut.

He says: “When I do my rounds in the second half of May, I often look at the yearlings in the field. The horses have overwintered, spring has arrived, they’ve been living out, and their sale preparation has not yet started. I’m seeing them in their natural environment, although at the same time

64

some vendors will bring them in and we inspect them in the stable yard.

“On this first look, I won’t always have my full notes to hand because what I want is a first and full impression of the horses as individuals. What I most like to see on this first inspection are horses who already look as if they are ready for the sale, even though the sale is still three months away

“I don’t always have

my notes to hand as I want a first and full impression of the horses as individuals” and they haven’t yet begun their sale preparation. In other words, I like to identify the horses who are naturally strong. The qualities which I like to see standing out are a good chest, big shoulder and strength down into the forearm.

Similarly with the rear end I like to see

good muscular hind quarters with clear strength running right down to the hock.

“On my tour of inspection through Ireland, I generally like to make John Tuthill’s Owenstown Stud my first stop-off point. It’s on the road out of Dublin, and John has a consistent and proven record of breeding good horses and sending them to Donny, horses such as Excelebration and Chandlery. Year in, year out he produces good, strong horses. If I look at his stock first, then I feel that I’ll have got my eye in and established a good benchmark.

“I then go round the regular studs, and you get to know your vendors. That’s a huge help. They all have different routines for rearing their stock, and at that stage some can look more ready than others. If you know what to expect at each stud, it makes it much easier to assess how the horses are likely to turn out.

“Having got the first impressions of each horse, pedigree then comes into it.

The two parts go hand in hand. If you see a horse with an unremarkable pedigree, by a stallion who does not do particularly well and from a mare with a poor breeding record, you would be much less forgiving of him on the physical inspection. Every year we have some such horses in the sale, >> THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_DBSPreviewV3_Owner 23/07/2015 12:36 Page 65

Yearling viewing at farms starts as early as May

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Aug_132_DBSPreviewV3_Owner 23/07/2015 12:36 Page 66

D B S P R E M I E R & S I LV E R Y E A R L I N G S A L E S

2014 figures – Premier Sale

2014 figures – Silver Sale

Offered: 476 Sold: 419 Aggregate: £15,545,500 Top price: £230,000 Average: £37,101 Median: £27,000

Offered: 130 Sold: 103 Aggregate: £1,253,000 Top price: £55,000 Average: £12,165 Median: £10,000

The DBS Premier Sale is on August 25 and 26 and the Silver Sale on August 27.

GEORGE SELWYN

>> but

DBS graduate: Group winner Illuminate

View from the buyers...

Year in, year out, many purchasers have cause to agree with Jeremy Mactaggart’s assertion.

Among those who unearthed bargains last year is Mickley Stud principal Richard Kent, who bought Delizia, a Listed winner at York in May. The daughter of Dark Angel was consigned by Oaks Farm Stables and was knocked down for £48,000 on behalf of Lowther Racing at the Premier Sale last August.

Modestly, Kent reflects that the selection of Delizia was fairly straightforward.

“She was a fairly mature filly who looked like she had a lot of her growing done already,” he says. “She behaved very well at the sale, which is always a help, and she came from a family of early-maturing horses. And she was

by Dark Angel, which is a big plus.

“That’s a scenario which keeps happening at Donny, because they’re very good at putting together a collection of yearlings who

Ross Doyle: ‘selection process excellent’

66

they all will have one common denominator: they will all be stunning individuals.

“Similarly, when you see pedigrees which are strong but at the same time are more suggestive of longer-distance racing, or of slower-developing stock, that aspect will also influence the decision. You will always want to take what looks like being a very good horse, but at the same time we’re always very keen to work with our vendors, and for the less precocious horses we would generally recommend going to a later sale anyway. That

generally tend to have these types of credentials.”

Peter and Ross Doyle too have found that the archetypal Donny yearling is the type that they like to buy. Latest of the many Royal Ascot-winning juveniles whom they have unearthed at the Premier Sale is this year’s Albany Stakes heroine Illuminate, who has subsequently augmented that victory by taking the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeting.

Ross Doyle’s recollection of Illuminate as a yearling is illuminating: “We liked the Zoffanys anyway, and she seemed a very good example of a very good Zoffany. She had a lovely head, a lovely top line, a great body; she was medium-sized with a very good walk. And her temperament seemed good. All in all, she seemed the complete package of what we look for in a yearling – and the fact that she was out of a Green Desert mare was a bonus, as he often seemed to put quality into a pedigree.

“Furthermore, she came from Croom House Stud, who have been top-class breeders for many years. It’s no coincidence that they keep sending out good horses, the likes of Damson as well as Zoffany himself, and she’s turned out to be merely the latest star from this great nursery. Doncaster have a great rapport with many good studs, who keep breeding good horses and keep sending them to Donny.

“The selection process for the sale is clearly excellent, and the racecourse evidence keeps confirming that. Both the sales company and the breeders do a great job. They keep producing good, sound, fast, hard-knocking horses who make good two-year-olds, and

would clearly be in the vendors’ interests.

“Basically, it’s not just that we can afford to be very choosy; we have to be very choosy. We look at 2,500 horses for 500 places in the Premier Sale plus up to 150 in the Silver Sale, so we’re living by the sword. It is in our interests, our vendors’ interests and our purchasers’ interests that we put the right horses in the sale. It’s very competitive, and we want to make sure that the 500 horses in the Premier Sale are the right 500. Year in, year out, the results suggest that we’re generally getting it right.”

Richard Kent bought Delizia for £48,000

plenty of them then train on too, with Canford Cliffs being the ultimate Doncaster horse.

Toormore has been another Classic Donny horse, and Limato too, whom my father bought on behalf of Mr Jacobs – he’s another example of a very fast, very tough horse. He’s

by Tagula; you don’t see many of them nowadays, but over the years he’s sired plenty of good, hard-knocking horses.

“We’ve been going to Doncaster for many, many years; first my grandfather and then my father, for much longer than I’ve been around.

We’ve always loved the type of horse which you can get at Doncaster, and our clients love the place too.”

Such enthusiasm is easy to understand when one considers the long list of good horses unearthed by Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock at Doncaster over the years – which itself becomes easy to understand when considering the ground work that goes into putting the catalogue together, with the aim of ensuring that such horses are very much par for the course there.

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SALES CIRCUIT

By CARL EVANS and EMMA BERRY

Numbers up but figures slightly down at store season highlight

PAT HEALY

Clearance rate still encouraging following stellar results in 2014 for untried jumpers

The extended Bleahan family of Lakefield Farm with their Robin Des Champs gelding who topped the Derby Sale at €320,000

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale

U

nbroken jumping stores are currently so popular that an additional, singlesession Part II element was added to this flag-bearing auction. It followed an extra day that had been added last year to the same sales company’s August Sale of stores.

These additional sessions were introduced to satisfy demand from vendors, while adding Part II to this event will have encouraged the attendance of buyers on limited budgets following meaty rises in average prices and it proved very popular with Irish point-to-point trainers, buyers and pinhookers. Yet the figures raised questions as well as answers.

Given that the main event Derby Sale was slightly down on numbers – 335 offered compared to 372 in 2014 – it was no surprise that turnover fell (by 14%), yet even when Part II was added in, taking offered lots to 460, the aggregate figure was still just short of last year’s Derby Sale alone. Six-figure lots dropped from 27 to 16, while the number of horses who made

70

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale Top lots Sex//Breeding

Vendor

Price (€) Buyer

G Robin Des Champs – Night Therapy (Mandalus) Lakefield Farm

320,000 H Kirk/W Mullins

G Big Bad Bob – Gilt Ridden (Heron Island)

170,000 Bobby O’Ryan

Busherstown

G Stowaway – Court Leader (Supreme Leader)

Ballincurrig House Stud 160,000 Kevin Ross Bloodstock

G Martaline – Gaelic Jane (Hero´s Honor)

Peter Nolan B/s

160,000 Aiden Murphy

G Mahler – Newtown Dancer (Danehill Dancer)

Lakefield Farm

160,000 M V Magnier

G Yeats – Valleya (Linamix)

Mount Brown Farm

160,000 Aiden Murphy

G Flemensfirth – Mrs Masters (Un Desperado)

Rathturtin Stud

130,000 Gerry Hogan Bloodstock

G Presenting – Parthenia (Night Shift)

Kilminfoyle House

130,000 Aiden Murphy

G Yeats – Ella Watson (Supreme Leader)

Coolnagour House Stud 125,000 Kevin Ross Bloodstock

G Presenting – Lasado (Jurado)

Redpender Stud

125,000 Highflyer B/s/Middleham Park

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

2015

289

12,416,500

42,964

36,000

Top Price (€) 320,000

2014

337

14,685,000

43,576

34,000

220,000

2013

307

11,540,500

37,591

30,000

250,000

2012

337

9,423,450

27,926

22,000

250,000

2011

331

10,455,000

31,586

22,000

340,000

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_Sales_Circuit_Sales 23/07/2015 14:50 Page 71

Arqana Summer Sale A horse to go jumping with Britain’s champion trainer, and another bound for Gai Waterhouse in Australia, set a record for the top price at this two-day sale in Deauville.

The dual stars, both colts and valued at €380,000, headed a selection that included Flat-bred juveniles and jumping stores in addition to horses that had raced, a menu that attracted plenty of buyers from Britain and Ireland. Agents Tom Malone and Johnny McKeever, who gained the top lots, had both crossed the Channel.

Their purchases helped the average price rise by just over 4%, but the clearance rate of 65% and the 21% fall in turnover were disappointing results. Horses-in-training sales can lurch up THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale II Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

G Midnight Legend – Cyd Charisse (Kayf Tara)

Liss House

Price (€) 55,000

Buyer Kevin Ross B/s

G Flemensfirth – Perky Lass (Executive Perk)

Rockton Stud

40,000

Monbeg Stables

G Oscar – Monanore Music (Needle Gun)

Monanore Stables

35,000

Monbeg Stables

G Mahler – Valley Supreme (Supreme Leader)

Lisnagar Paddocks

35,000

Pierce Power

G Morozov – Carrigeen Rocket (Presenting)

Blackhall Stud

32,000

Paurick O Connor

G Assessor – Precieuze (Video Rock)

Ballincurrig House Stud

32,000

Sam Curling

Figures Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2015

124

1,943,000

15,669

14,000

55,000

Arqana Summer Sale Top lots Sex/Name/Breeding

Vendor

Zubayr (Authorized – Zaziyra)

Aga Khan Studs

Price (€) Buyer

High Dynamite (Kentucky Dynamite – Highborne)

Dissolution d’Association 380,000 McKeever B/s/Gai Waterhouse

Asangy (Gentlewave – Art Naif)

Alessando Botti

225,000 T J Bloodstock

Townshend (Lord Of England – Trikolore)

Boisnard

170,000 Harold Kirk

C Zoffany – More Respect (Spectrum)

Mocklershill

160,000 Broadhurst Agency

Burgas (Protektor – Tyrolienne Bleue)

Peltier

140,000 Harold Kirk

Achille (Dom Alco – Hase)

Clayeux

100,000 Guy Petit (Private Sale)

Red Hammer (Falco – Voie De Printemps)

Channel Consignment

105,000 Highflyer Bloodstock

Baraymi (Makfi – Brusca)

Aga Khan Studs

105,000 Tom Malone

Mon Prestige (Kapgarde – Prestige Girl)

Channel Consignment

100,000 Bertrand Le Metayer B/s

380,000 Tom Malone

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

2015

215

5,582,000

25,963

13,000

Top Price (€) 380,000

2014

283

6,965,500

24,613

12,000

190,000

2013

255

6,509,206

25,526

13,000

280,000

2012

201

3,724,500

18,530

9,000

160,000

2011

176

3,981,000

22,619

15,000

200,000

and down, but Olivier Delloye of Arqana said analysis of the number of two-year-old stores offered would be on the agenda – he recognised that demand for such horses was not unending.

breeders and fillies with potential in the paddocks. That section of horses contained several that made the top-ten board, including sale-topper Riskit Fora Biskit, a >>

Tattersalls July Sale Improved turnover (+7%) and gains in median and average prices (both 10%) made good reading from this annual, three-day mixed sale held in Newmarket.

Admittedly the clearance rate was down slightly, but 90% is still a superb figure and reflects realistic reserves and a wide diversity of buyers. Tattersalls would love to offer some big-name horses at this event, but the multitude of lesser beasts who walk into its ring are not short of admirers.

Middle Eastern buyers are particularly prolific in securing lesser horses, but their primary target is horses in training, not

LAURA GREEN/TATTERSALLS.COM

€50,000-plus fell to 80 from 104. The small intraining section also took a hit, with just four of the eight offered horses finding a new home, although the overall clearance rate of 84% was very respectable. Perhaps a little market correction had taken place, closing the lid slightly on the simmering pot?

The average for this sale alone fell by just 1%, but on a brighter note the median rose to a new record high, up 11%, and the top lot, who had been bought privately as a foal, was a corker whose €320,000 price was the best since 2011.

John Bleahan’s Lakefield Farm consigned this headliner, a three-year-old gelding by Glenview Stud’s Robin Des Champs, who continues to be one of Ireland’s finest French imports. Harold Kirk signed for the horse and Willie Mullins will train him, which suggests Ireland’s champion trainer is as hungry as ever, but he has had great success with progeny of the sire, and this particular gelding was a half-brother to the dam of Clondaw Warrior, a recent Royal Ascot winner for the stable.

Not for the first time, Kirk was in wry mood when reflecting that Mullins has made Robin Des Champs a star in Ireland by training such big winners as Vautour and Quevega, but he is paying for it now.

In a market where sires are so important, Milan came out on top by dint of 20 lots who sold for a total of €928,000 (average €46,400).

Robin Des Champs’s average was €69,333, but the one to note was Yeats, whose first crop are now four and whose eight lots sold for an average of €74,750.

Aiden Murphy was leading buyer, taking 15 lots for €1,212,000, while Ballincurrig House Stud, which is managed by Michael Moore, headed vendors with 22 sold for €1,087,000. It was a busy time for Moore, who has recently switched from being Brightwells’ representative in Ireland and has been snapped up by DBS. He should prove a real asset to its team.

Kodiac mare Riskit Fora Biskit sold for 230,000gns in foal to Dark Angel

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SALES CIRCUIT >>

Stakes-winning five-year-old daughter of Kodiac carrying to Dark Angel. Anthony Stroud of Stroud Coleman signed for this one on behalf of the Cheshire-based Ed Stud.

Qataris Gassim Ghazali and Hamad AlAttiya are familiar faces at the July Sale, and they finished second and fifth on the leading buyers’ list behind BBA Ireland, which bought 18 horses for 700,000gns. Yet Ghazali, whose haul involved 12 horses for 501,000gns, expressed disappointment at the number of catalogue withdrawals, especially those with recent form.

Of the 804 horses in the book, 261 were withdrawn, a source of frustration to the sales company as much as the overseas buyers who take time to journey to Britain.

JHRA Select Sale The Japan Horse Racing Association’s Select Sale reached new highs, with record figures for turnover, average and median at Hokkaido’s traditional July auction of yearlings and foals.

An aggregate of ¥13,173,500,000 (approximately £68 million) for 394 of the 470 lots offered was boosted by some notable international buyers, which included WinStar CEO Elliott Walden and Australian trainer Gai Waterhouse, who was on the lookout for future Cup prospects among Japan’s young stock, where the breeding emphasis is firmly on middle-distance runners. Among her purchases was a yearling colt by Arc winner Bago out of the Desert King mare Our Oasis, who was secured with the help of local agent Satomi Oka for ¥10,000,000 (£52,000).

The sales-topping price of ¥235,000,000 (£1.2m) could not quite match the headliners of the last four years and was given by Hajime Satomi for Northern Farm’s Deep Impact half-brother to Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl.

The respective Yoshida-owned Northern Farm and Shadai Farm dominated the vendors’ list, consigning five each of the top ten lots, with another Northern-bred Deep Impact colt featuring as joint-second top lot

of the dual American Grade 1 winner Champagne d’Oro, the grey colt was the only yearling to break Deep Impact’s stranglehold at the top of the leaderboard. With a dominance in Japan which is increasingly emulating his sire, Sunday Silence, Deep Impact was represented by 41 of his offspring at the sale, with 37 selling for the leading average of ¥83,189,189 (£428,000).

at ¥230,000,000 when sold to Kaneko Makoto Holdings. His pedigree will also be familiar to European breeders as he is the third foal of Jim Bolger’s tough campaigner and Group 1 winner Lush Lashes, who was led out of the ring unsold at Tattersalls in 2009 for 1.8m gns.

The same buyer gave an identical amount for a son of America’s leading sire, Tapit. Out

Tattersalls July Sale Top lots Name/Breeding

Vendor

Riskit Fora Biskit (Kodiac — Miss Brief)

Stratford Place Stud

Price (gns) 230,000

Buyer Stroud Coleman B/s

American Hope (Lemon Drop Kid — Cedrat)

Mike Murphy Racing

210,000

BBA Ireland

Go Dan Go (Dandy Man — Without Words)

Richard & Katherine Gilbert 180,000

Barbarous Relic (Scat Daddy — Electric Gold)

Spigot Lodge Stables

170,000

Gassim Ghazali Hamad Al-Attiya

Scarlet Empire (Red Ransom — Shawanni)

Brook Stud

105,000

Houghton B/s

Tautou Montjeu (Montjeu — Flashing Green)

Castlebridge Consignment

100,000

David Redvers B/s

Pernica (Sir Percy — Nicola Bella)

Castlebridge Consignment

100,000

Epona B/s

Lady Brigid (Holy Roman Emperor — Brigids Cross)

Lavington Stud

95,000

Vilman (Mastercraftsman — Velandia)

Aga Khan Studs

95,000

Simon West

Precious Dream Mr Greeley — Lady Carla

Stanley Lodge

90,000

BBA Ireland

Stroud Coleman B/s

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (gns)

Avg (gns)

Mdn (gns)

2015

486

8,949,800

18,415

11,000

Top Price (gns) 230,000

2014

500

8,342,700

16,685

10,000

185,000

2013

436

6,970,300

15,987

8,000

260,000

2012

402

4,745,400

11,804

6,500

220,000

2011

457

5,910,800

12,934

7,000

175,000

JHRA Select Sale Top lots – Yearlings Sex/Breeding

Vendor

C Deep Impact – Jioconda

Northern Farm

235,000,000

Price (¥)

Buyer Hajime Satomi

C Deep Impact – Lush Lashes

Northern Farm

230,000,000

Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd

C Tapit – Champagne d’Oro

Shadai Farm

230,000,000

Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd

C Deep Impact – King’s Rose

Northern Farm

195,000,000

Hajime Satomi

C Deep Impact – Sarafina

Shadai Farm

160,000,000

Kieffers Co. Ltd

C Deep Impact – Coquerelle

Northern Farm

135,000,000

Kieffers Co. Ltd

C Deep Impact – Contested

Shadai Farm

110,000,000

Hajime Satomi

Top lots – Foals Sex/Breeding

Vendor

F Deep Impact – Weemissfrankie

Northern Farm

180,000,000

Price (¥)

Buyer Danox Co Ltd

C King Kamehameha – Guino

Northern Farm

155,000,000

Takaya Shimakawa

C Deep Impact – Belle Watling

Northern Farm

125,000,000

Takaya Shimakawa

C Harbinger – Careless Whisper

Northern Farm

125,000,000

Japan Health Summit Inc

C Deep Impact – Silverskaya

Northern Farm

120,000,000

Hirotsugu Inokuma

C Deep Impact – So Many Ways

Northern Farm

115,000,000

Hajime Satomi

C Kurofune – Daoine Sith

Northern Farm

100,000,000

Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd

JHRA

Five-year tale

Lightening Pearl’s half-brother by Deep Impact was the top pick in Hokkaido

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Year

Sold

Agg (¥)

Avg (¥)

Mdn (¥)

2015

394

13,173,500,000

235,000,000

33,435,279

Top Price (¥) 25,000,000

2014

404

12,575,050,000

260,000,000

31,126,361

22,000,000

2013

392

11,764,700,000

240,000,000

30,011,990

20,750,000

2012

360

10,296,300,000

250,000,000

28,600,833

21,000,000

2011

358

9,173,200,000

360,000,000

25,623,464

19,000,000

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_OnTheSalesBeat_Sales 23/07/2015 13:19 Page 74

ON THE SALES BEAT

Q&A

Cathy Grassick Following her father’s footsteps on the road to a successful career as a bloodstock agent Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into racing and bloodstock…

I was lucky to be born into a family that is heavily involved with racing and bloodstock going back generations and horses have been my passion from a very early age. Although early on I was convinced I was going to be a jockey, once I started shadowing my father at the sales that very quickly changed to wanting to be a bloodstock agent. I am very lucky to be working side by side with my mother Sheila, both in Brian Grassick Bloodstock and Newtown Stud.

For value for money my best buys have to be either Appealing (multiple winner and second in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon), who was purchased for just €7,500 as a yearling at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale for Yvonne Jacques, or Majestic Queen (multiple Group 3 winner and Group 2-placed), who was purchased for €18,000 as a yearling at Goffs’ Sportsman Sale and who was recently sold by Tommy and Terry Rogers to John Ferguson for £825,000 at the Goffs London Sale.

One that got away?

I was under-bidder on Tarfasha as a foal and that was really tough as she was just gorgeous and turned out to be a cracking racehorse. I was also under-bidder on Harbour Watch as a yearling and I am excited to see how his stock turn out.

Name a recent purchase you’re most looking forward to seeing at the races…

I purchased a really lovely Fast Company filly on behalf of my good client Yvonne Jacques at Goffs’ Orby Sale last year and she has turned out to be a full-sister to Irish 1,000 Guineas third Devonshire. She is in training with Jeremy Noseda and I am really looking forward to seeing how she goes on the track.

Most underrated stallion?

Footstepsinthesand is a very underrated stallion. He is good looking, upgrades his mares, gets two-year-olds and produces

74

PETER MOONEY

Your best buy?

Cathy Grassick, right, with her mother Sheila who runs Newtown Stud in County Kildare

equally good colts and fillies at a very reasonable fee.

sell in more than one language – which is very impressive!

And a young stallion to watch?

Who is the biggest diplomat in the bloodstock world?

I was really impressed by Born To Sea's foals and I think he has proper stallion credentials on both sides of his pedigree, being by exciting sireof-sires Invincible Spirit and out of the incredible broodmare Urban Sea, whose family has produced successful stallions Sea The Stars, Galileo, King’s Best and Tamayuz, to name just a few. It will be very interesting to see how his progeny have developed as yearlings.

Your racing/bloodstock hero?

My grandfather Christy Grassick and my father Brian were so influential in my career and instilled in me a lifelong love of all things equine – they will always be my heroes. Family aside, I am a huge admirer of Sir Mark Prescott, who is a wonderful trainer and an equally impressive raconteur.

My uncle Christy Grassick, who manages Coolmore Stud – and that has nothing to do with being related to him. In fact, I would say I probably test his patience more than most! He is always charming and polite, has time for everybody and is universally liked.

Best sales food?

On the sales ground Barn End Q in Goffs is well known as a source of wonderful cakes and hospitality courtesy of the culinary genius of my mother, Sheila. Off the sales ground I am a big fan of Le Spinnaker in Deauville, the Brown Bear in Twomilehouse near Goffs, and the Pantry in Newmarket.

Best auctioneer?

How do you like to unwind after a long hard day pounding the sales grounds?

I am a big fan of two auctioneers in particular – it would be a tie between John O’Kelly of Tattersalls and Nick Nugent of Goffs. They are both charming, amusing and excellent auctioneers, and on top of that they can both

During the sales I am usually too busy looking after clients and working on my lists to do much more than fall into bed, but when I have the time I find swimming or riding my horses a really great way to unwind.

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Aug_132_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:35 Page 76

CAULFIELD FILES ANDREW CAULFIELD REPORTS ON THE BLOODSTOCK WORLD

It’s in the power of the cross Rise of Teofilo – bred on the successful Galileo/Danehill match – bodes well for Frankel

T

he breeding industry certainly hasn’t been immune to the enormous change in attitudes and practices which have affected society in general over the last 50 years. Look through the statistics covering the 1965 breeding season and you will find that no Flat stallion covered more than 48 mares and even the books of the most popular National Hunt sires were comparatively modest, with Arctic Slave covering 60 mares and Vulgan 54.

Compare that to last year’s Return of Mares.

Kodiac is credited with covering 234 mares, to become the busiest Flat stallion of 2014, while Getaway topped the jumping sector with an eye-watering 296. And of course it isn’t just the size of stallions’ books which has changed so dramatically. The birth of the shuttle concept was just around the corner.

One successful stallion of the 1960s was the Queen’s Derby second Aureole, whose progeny won a Derby, three St Legers and an Arc. Aureole was 24 when his last foals were conceived but his legacy still amounted to no more than 525 foals. His 233 broodmare daughters in turn went on to produce 1,450 foals.

This chain of thought was prompted when I noticed that Danehill, the most successful of the shuttle stallions, is already

credited, worldwide, with being the broodmare sire of 7,060 foals of racing age – a figure which will rise considerably, as his youngest daughters are still only 11 in 2015. As a sire Danehill was directly responsible for 2,499 foals, even though he died at the age of 17.

Fortunately it is very well established that Danehill – with his 14% black-type winners – was a considerable force for good in the worldwide bloodstock industry (though this isn’t necessarily the case with all shuttle sires, as young stallions destined to disappoint can rack up large numbers of foals before their first progeny have even faced the racecourse test).

A statistic linked to Danehill’s broodmare daughters is that they have produced 4% blacktype winners, which is good without being exceptional. Of course the perspective changes considerably when we concentrate on their extraordinary record with Galileo.

GEORGE SELWYN

Pleascach became Teofilo’s first Classic winner at a mile

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When Frankel – the most exceptional representative of this cross – began to display his extraordinary talents as a two-year-old in 2010, Galileo’s total of racing-age representatives out of Danehill mares stood at 79 (with many of these being from Galileo’s five Australian crops). Inevitably, Frankel’s exploits, together with those of such as Teofilo, Roderic O’Connor, Golden Lilac and Maybe, have led to Galileo becoming the most popular choice for Danehill’s daughters. The latest figure stands at 215 foals, conceived up to and including 2012, and since then we’ve seen the likes of Intello, Romantica, Noble Mission and Tapestry add to this nick’s fame.

Despite this considerable rise in numbers, there has been no dilution of the cross’s success, with its proportion of black-type winners currently standing at an impressive 13% – and that is before most of its 2015 twoyear-olds have even had a chance to prove themselves.

This year has seen the 2013 Oaks runnerup Secret Gesture become Group winner number 19 with her victory in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes and then Bondi Beach rounded the total up to 20 when he took the Group 3 Curragh Cup. This progressive colt has now won two of his three starts and has shown that he stays well enough to become a St Leger candidate. The cross also added another stakes winner when The Corsican graduated from handicaps to take the Festival Stakes, before achieving a career-best when fourth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Yet another representative, Highland Reel, was second in the Prix du Jockey-Club. Several of the cross’s other three-year-olds also have the potential to become stakes winners, a prime candidate being Sir Isaac Newton.

It will be a major surprise if there aren’t several more good winners waiting in the wings among the cross’s two-year-olds, which have a potential leader in Proconsul, a brother to Frankel and Noble Mission trained by Andre Fabre. We have already seen Deauville, a brother to The Corsican, make a winning debut for Aidan O’Brien, while others to look out for include The Major General, a €1,500,000 brother to those fine fillies Cuis Ghaire, Gile Na Greine and Scintillula, and Idaho, a 750,000gns brother to Highland Reel.

Among the other full-siblings to first-rate winners are San Francisco, a brother to

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Aug_132_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 11:35 Page 77

“In four crops, Teofilo has sired winners of the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Irish Derby and Irish St Leger”

Teofilo’s latest Classic winner, Pleascach, comes from his fourth crop, sired when his fee had fallen to €15,000 from his initial price of €40,000. Teofilo’s quick start in 2011 with the likes of Parish Hall, Remember Alexander and Teolane ensured that his fee in his fifth season rallied to €25,000, and it has continued to rise.

His 2015 yearlings were sired at €35,000 and his current foals at €50,000, so there is good reason for thinking that there should be more Classic performers to come.

Needless to say, Teofilo’s achievements should reflect well on Frankel, whose first yearlings will soon be coming under the microscope. Both Teofilo and Frankel were unbeaten champions at two, when both won the Dewhurst.

In Timeform’s view, however, Frankel was the better of the two by a margin of 7lb, at 133p compared to Teofilo’s 126. As Frankel’s rating subsequently soared to 143 and then 147, there is surely every reason to expect something special from this unique performer – even if it would be unrealistic to expect him to sire anything quite as extraordinary as himself.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Are Machiavellian forces at work in Dark Angel’s success at stud?

GEORGE SELWYN

Tapestry and John F Kennedy; Finn McCool, a brother to Roderic O’Connor; and Celtic Chieftain, a brother to that fine filly Maybe.

There are also sisters to Intello, Maybe and Golden Lilac to look forward to among the cross’s 2014 foals.

The power of the cross has also been demonstrated in 2015 by two of its young stallions. Roderic O’Connor wasted little time in siring his first stakes winner, thanks to the Coolmore Sprint Stakes success of his firstcrop daughter Great Page.

But it has been Teofilo who has added to his fine record in the Classics. He has only four crops aged three or over, but Teofilo has succeeded in siring winners of the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Irish Derby and Irish St Leger, plus a second in the Oaks, a third in the Irish Derby and a fourth in the Derby. He has also had his moments with his Australian progeny, with Kermadec winning the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in 2015 and Sonntag the Group 1 Queensland Derby last year.

Middle Park Stakes hero Dark Angel has made his mark at Morristown Lattin Stud

A stallion’s fee is often a true gauge of his potential but breeders operating on a limited budget have had plenty of chances in recent decades to access inexpensive stallions destined to soar out of their price bracket.

Ahonoora, Alzao, Fairy King, Night Shift and Indian Ridge all did so well at modest fees that they were ultimately snapped up by major stallion farms. Since then we have witnessed rags-to-riches stories by the likes of Danehill Dancer (original fee IR4,000gns), Pivotal (£6,000), Invincible Spirit (€10,000) and Cape Cross (IR£8,000).

The O’Callaghan family is fortunate to be standing two others well on their way to fame and fortune. Kodiac, at Tally-Ho, has already done so well that his fee has risen from €5,000 to €25,000, while Dark Angel, at Morristown Lattin, now commands a fee of €27,500, having stood for as low as €7,000. His current two-year-olds, from his fifth crop, were sired when his fee had risen to €12,500.

Although Dark Angel failed to land any of Royal Ascot’s juvenile stakes events, it wasn’t for want of trying. Easton Angel was unlucky to run into American filly Acapulco in the Queen Mary Stakes. Log Out Island made a valiant bid to make all in the Norfolk Stakes, before being caught close home by Waterloo Bridge, and Steady Pace was beaten only a length when third of 27 behind Washington DC in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

Dark Angel was also unfortunate that fast ground forced the withdrawal of his speedy daughter Mecca’s Angel from the King’s Stand Stakes. She has already won the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges this year and her yearyounger brother Markaz guaranteed that Dark

Angel had at least one Group winner in June by taking the Group 3 Criterion Stakes, on the same day that another son, Sovereign Debt, won a Listed race. Birchwood followed up with victory in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes in July, the same day Promised Money won a Listed race at Tipperary.

Dark Angel has so far come up with nine Group winners from his first three crops, headed by the top sprinter Lethal Force.

That’s nearly 3% – a very creditable figure for a stallion in the commercial sector – and as many as 38 of the 310 animals in these three crops (over 12%) have achieved a Racing Post Rating of 100+.

It is tempting to think of Dark Angel as a typical son of Acclamation, but I am beginning to wonder how significant it is that he is out of a mare by the champion two-yearold Machiavellian. Zoffany, who created such a stir with his stakes treble at Royal Ascot, is another with a dam by Machiavellian, as is Shamardal, who added another Group winner to his impressive collection when Balios won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes.

Then there’s Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega, the leading first-crop sire of 2014. While Lope de Vega isn’t out of a Machiavellian mare, he is inbred 3 x 3 to the former Darley stallion, who was himself out of a mare inbred 3 x 3 to Almahmoud. This inbreeding to Almahmoud came via her daughters Cosmah and Natalma, dams respectively of Halo, the dual champion American sire, and Northern Dancer, the four-time champion Anglo-Irish sire. Northern Dancer literally shaped the modern breed in Europe, while Halo’s son Sunday Silence played a similar role in Japan.

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Aug_132_ROA_AGM_Owner 23/07/2015 14:25 Page 78

ROA FORUM: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The special section for ROA members

ROA President: new deal is the right way Rachel Hood tells AGM audience that UK tracks must sign up to tripartite agreement to let racing speak with one voice

I

n her President’s address at the ROA AGM in central London on June 30, Rachel Hood called for the Racecourse Association (RCA) to sign up to the Members’ Agreement, which would guarantee a new tripartite stakeholder structure for British racing.

The BHA and Horsemen’s Group (representing owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and stable staff) have already committed to the agreement and Hood said it was vital that Britain’s racecourses followed suit.

She stated: “One of the key factors underpinning the recent progress with government has been that racing has spoken with one voice. I would urge the Racecourse Association to get on and sign up to support the new, enlightened, collaborative approach to the industry’s governance.

“I believe that Ian Barlow would have liked to have the agreement signed and, hopefully, his successor Maggie Carver will ensure it is within a very short order.”

Rachel Hood: reflected on last 12 months, notably the pledge to replace the levy

Hood commended the work of the Horsemen’s Group, under Philip Freedman’s chairmanship, in agreeing contractual prizemoney agreements with the UK’s racecourses, helping to boost prize-money to around £130 million in 2015.

Looking back over the previous 12 months, Hood said that the most significant

development had been Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget pledge that the government would support a new horserace betting right to replace the outdated levy mechanism, described as “unsustainable” due to its inability to capture online bets placed on British racing.

Until the sport’s funding situation was addressed properly, Hood explained that the

Parker tops poll Charlie Parker, who took over the running of Crimbourne Stud following the death of his father and past ROA President Sir Eric Parker last year, has topped the poll in this year’s ROA Council election, revealed at the ROA AGM. He becomes a new member of the 13-strong Council, along with Lynn Douglas, also elected for the first time, and Paul Duffy, who joined the Council in 2011. Seven other candidates stood for election: Kate Austin, Will Duff Gordon, Jonny Allison, Chris Humber, Colin Stirling, Stuart Matheson and John McGuire.

Charlie Parker with his late father Eric; the name has returned to the Council table

ROA Council election Charlie Parker 555 votes Lynn Douglas 415 Paul Duffy

411

Kate Austin

402

78

Charlie Parker, an owner, breeder and syndicate manager for over 20 years, said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected by the members of the ROA to serve on their Council.

“It is with a real sense of pride that I follow in the footsteps of my late father, who served the

ROA with such distinction for so long.”

The Council said goodbye to Steven Astaire, who stood down after 25 years’ service, along with Jeremy Gompertz QC, Will Duff Gordon, Sheila Bailey and Alan Guthrie. Sheila and Alan will continue to work on behalf of the ROA. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_ROA_AGM_Owner 23/07/2015 14:25 Page 79

www.racehorseowners.net levy would continue to decline, leaving it facing “the almost immediate prospect of lurching into a downward spiral of lower prize-money, fewer owners and horses, less attractive racing and a decline in industryrelated employment.”

Addressing the matter of small fields, Hood said there was an urgent need to adopt a “sophisticated approach to race planning” to meet the needs of the horse population.

Protect the turf The President reiterated the ROA’s opposition to the decision to replace Newcastle’s turf course with an all-weather surface.

Acknowledging that an all-weather track was needed in the north, Hood, who said the Allweather Championships and Good Friday meeting had been a positive development, warned that losing further turf fixtures was a serious concern.

She said: “Already around 35% of all Flat fixtures are run on an artificial surface and any moves to increase the share of all-weather fixtures at the expense of turf racing must be resisted for the sake of the future of our sport.

“The owners of Newcastle, ARC, have said this is not their intention and we expect them to honour that commitment to British racing. This seems an appropriate point to welcome Martin Cruddace to his new role and to enforce the importance to the industry of ARC honouring its commitment.”

BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust, who Hood said has made a “hugely positive impact” during his short time in the role, was more positive when asked about his view on Newcastle.

“Of course it’s never going to win a popularity contest,” he said. “But I do believe when you look at the outcome over time it will have been a decision in the interests of the sport. I think the track will be a success.”

Rust: we need ‘wider and more ambitious view’ on fixture list In his AGM speech, which outlined four main priorities for the coming months, BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust echoed ROA President Rachel Hood’s comments about the importance of Britain’s racecourses signing up to the “historic” Members’ Agreement.

Rust said the tripartite arrangement would “provide a clear platform for coming together to agree, co-ordinate and drive forward the sport’s strategy and growth agenda.”

He continued: “Given the lack of alignment our sport has had at times over the years, some are sceptical as to whether the agreement will be reached, but I’m pleased to say that I expect a final document to be agreed soon.”

The former bookmaker said racing needed to deliver an “appropriate framework” regarding the racing right, one that took into account the views of the betting industry.

On the subject of fixtures and race planning, Rust said achieving the previously stated target of 1,000 extra horses in training, a 5% increase in betting participation on UK racing and the number of racegoers increasing from 5.8 million to 7m annually by 2020, would require a “much wider and more ambitious view” on the fixture list.

He added that an update on the BHA’s ‘Strategy for Growth’ would follow later this year.

BHA Chief Executive: sport must listen to the views of the betting industry on the racing right

Scott receives Chris Deuters Award to join exclusive club Brought Scott, the writer and broadcaster who co-founded the Racing Post newspaper in 1986, has become the latest recipient of the Chris Deuters Award, presented at the ROA AGM. The award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the horseracing industry and is named after the ROA’s former President, who passed away in 2008.

Scott (pictured right) received his award from Michael Harris, former ROA Chief Executive.

He follows in the footsteps of past Chris Deuters Award winners Sir Eric Parker, Jack Berry, Sir Peter O’Sullevan, Rod Fabricius, Michael Harris, David and Patricia Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud and JP McManus.

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Aug_132_ROA_PicSpread_Layout 1 23/07/2015 14:38 Page 80

A social occasion With the formal AGM business over, ROA members, their guests and leading industry figures enjoyed the hospitality of the champagne reception, kindly sponsored by SIS Photos Dan Abraham

Robert Waley-Cohen and Dena Arstall

Charlie Parker and Steven Astaire

Simon Clare, Simon Bazalgette and Eamonn Wilmott

Alan and Glenys Guthrie, Sally Bethell and Paul Duffy

Lord Grimthorpe and Ed Gretton

Stephen Wallis and Chris Richardson

Mike Dillon and Steve Harman

Aug_132_ROA_PicSpread_Layout 1 23/07/2015 14:38 Page 81

Sponsored by

Harry Herbert and Nick Rust

Jim Boyle, Hannah Walker and Scott Bowers

Peter Deal, Michael Harris and John Gosden

Jim Scott, Brough Scott, Cherry Forbes and Gill Heaney

Claire Sheppard, Susannah Gill and Julie Harrington

Bruce Millington and Joe Scanlon

Howard Wright, Rachel Hood and Julian Richmond-Watson

Alan Byrne and George Irvine

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ROA FORUM

SIS renews key owner sponsorship benefit The ROA was delighted to announce at its AGM that Satellite Information Services Ltd is to continue its backing of the owner sponsorship scheme for a further three years.

The scheme is one of the principal benefits offered to members.

In addition to providing annual sponsorship payments, joining the scheme makes it possible for racehorse owners to register as a business for VAT purposes. This means that owners can reclaim VAT on their racing activities as well as on the purchase price of their horse, if applicable. The scheme enables ROA members to reclaim an estimated £6 million of VAT each year.

SIS became the scheme’s sponsor three years ago and the new agreement will last until August 2018. Since 2012, almost 5,000 different horses have carried the company’s distinctive red and white logo.

Richard Wayman, Chief Executive of the ROA, said: “The extension of this agreement is fantastic news for racehorse owners and we extend our gratitude to SIS, who are a wonderful sponsor to work with. With the number of horses in training remaining under pressure, this is a very important agreement and the

fact that SIS has committed to support the scheme for a further three years secures its future for a significant period of time.”

Gary Smith, Chief Executive of SIS, said: “As a business with a long-term involvement in British horseracing, we are delighted to have the opportunity to continue our work with the ROA to provide support to owners. It is essential to our customers that racing continues to offer a competitive betting product and we are very pleased to be able to contribute to that by supporting the sport through this agreement for a further three years.

“SIS is particularly pleased to renew this scheme because it is also aligned with the BHA’s recently announced target of getting 1,000 more horses in training by 2020.”

Full details about the owner sponsorship scheme can be found online at racehorseowners.net or by contacting the ROA office.

Thanks to the backing of SIS, whose logo has been carried with distinction in 2015 by Golden Horn, owners can reclaim VAT on their racing activities

Join us to see Champions Day in style QIPCO British Champions Day is the richest raceday in the British calendar and offers the chance to see some of the world’s finest racehorses in action. This year’s meeting, on Saturday, October 17 will also mark the end of the new Flat jockeys’ and owners’ championships, so why not join us on the day that makes racing headlines?

The ROA and Ascot racecourse are once again pleased to offer members a sumptuous dining facility in a beautifully-appointed private box, which offers outstanding views of the racing from its own balcony.

The bespoke ROA package includes: • Access to a private box on the third floor of Ascot’s Grandstand for dining and viewing • Premier admission badge and racecard • One car-park label per two places booked • Morning coffee and biscuits • Three course sit-down lunch • Full afternoon tea • Complimentary house wines, beer and soft drinks, which will be served during the afternoon The special price of this package for ROA members is £295 per person. Places will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and members are advised to book places early for this day, as they are sure to sell out. Places can be booked through racehorseowners.net

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Last year’s thrilling finish to the QIPCO Champion Stakes

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For the first time, ROA members can enjoy the delights of the Jardin des Proprietaires throughout this festival month

Experience the hospitality of chic Deauville For the first time this year, through a collaboration with the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) and France Galop, ROA members planning to go racing in Ireland and France can enjoy a number of reciprocal benefits.

At Deauville’s four-week summer festival ROA members can book places in the Jardin des Proprietaires – the Owners’ Garden Lounge. The area has permanent catering and is situated between the weighing room and parade ring.

There are a limited number of places per day available for ROA members for the following dates for the Deauville meeting:

Saturday, August 1 Sunday, August 2 (including the Prix Rothschild) Tuesday, August 4 Thursday, August 6 Friday, August 7 Sunday, August 9 (including the Prix Maurice de Gheest) Tuesday, August 11 Thursday, August 20 Saturday, August 22 Sunday, August 23 (including the Prix Morny and Prix Jean Romanet) Wednesday, August 26 Saturday, August 29

Places in the Jardin des Proprietaires cost €30 per person, which includes a buffet lunch. A child’s menu is available at €10.

Drinks are not included in this offer. This exclusive deal also includes racecourse admission.

If you wish to book places in the Jardin des Proprietaires, we will take your details and how many guests you are intending to bring. These will then be passed onto France Galop, who will book you in and issue tickets by email.

To book, please call Sadie Evans at the ROA on 020 7152 0200 or email sevans@roa.co.uk

Owners Jackpot at Windsor rewards four owners Four ROA member-owned horses earned their connections an additional £2,500 on top of their win prize-money when scooping a share of the £10,000 Owners Jackpot at Windsor on Sunday, June 28.

The next Owners Jackpot prizefund will be up for grabs at Thirsk on Friday, August 28, when the ROA will hold its next regional meeting.

Qatar Racing Argus

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Potensis Bloodstock Whatdoiwantthatfor

Melody Racing Mrs Elizabeth Roberts Hard To Handel Rosslare 83

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TRACK TALK

The latest news from the UK’s racecourses

Other news...

ROA link to the RCA Owners’ Experience Award The Raceday Feedback form on the ROA website has been extended. Now, not only will members’ invaluable feedback help the ROA Raceday Committee select its 2015 recipients of the Gold Standard Award, but it will also aid the RCA in selecting its shortlist for the Owners’ Experience Award.

This annual award, presented at the RCA Showcase at Ascot on November 12, seeks to highlight the best owners’ experience – last year’s winner was Kempton Park, which upgraded the owners’ and trainers’ facility.

Members’ opinions will therefore now have double the influence! The Racecourse Feedback form can be found on the ROA website in the Raceday section.

The upgraded owners’ and trainers’ facility at Kempton has been a winner

We will continue to select a monthly prize-draw winner from feedback forms received as a thank you. June’s winner was Michelle Folley, who will receive a £50 John Lewis giftcard.

York boost Ebor meeting money York has announced further boosts to prizemoney above those reported earlier this season, with an extra £370,000 being added to races at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival in August. A total of £3,840,000 prize-money is on offer, a 10% increase on last year.

Every race at the four-day fixture will now be worth at least £50,000, with prize-money down to at least sixth place. Notable beneficiaries of this latest cash injection are the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes, up £20,000 to £220,000, cementing its position as the richest race of its

Tiggy Wiggy winning the 2014 Lowther

type for juvenile colts in Britain. The Group 2 Pinsent Masons Lowther Stakes has risen by £50,000 in value to £200,000, making it the richest Group 2 juvenile fillies’ event.

Diary dates and reminders JULY 30-AUGUST 30

AUGUST 28

Deauville festival

Owners Jackpot and regional meeting at Thirsk

Members have the opportunity to book places in the owners’ garden outdoor lounge during Deauville’s festival meeting.

Invitations to the next regional gathering have been sent to members who live in North Yorkshire.

AUGUST 19 Facility at York on Juddmonte International day – SOLD OUT

SEPTEMBER 16

The ROA has two private boxes and a bespoke hospitality package for members at the opening day of York’s Ebor meeting.

Members’ visit to the breeding headquarters of owner/breeder Khalid Abdullah, in Cheveley, Suffolk. Places for this visit have been filled.

Visit to Banstead Manor Stud

Details of events are listed online at racehorseowners.net in the Events section.

Bookings can be made online or by calling the ROA on 020 7152 0200

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Musselburgh has started a £140,000 track improvement project on its winning post bend. The cambering work is necessary to improve the quality and safety of Flat racing at the East Lothian track.

Funded partly by a Racing Foundation grant and a loan from the Levy Board, the work is expected to be completed by July 21. However racing on the Flat track around the winning post bend will not recommence until the 2016 Flat season.

Bill Farnsworth, Musselburgh’s General Manager, explained: “As a temporary measure we will use the jump track for Flat racing from the three-furlong marker, making use of the fibresand bend, before rejoining the Flat track at the nine-furlong marker.

“The work will greatly improve the safety of the winning bend on the Flat course and we are grateful for the support of both the Racing Foundation and the Levy Board which has enabled us to make these necessary improvements to the track.”

Work has begun to enhance the safety of a bend at Musselburgh

Four of the principle races at the Ayr Gold Cup meeting have received a prize-money boost this year totalling £40,000. The showpiece contest, due to be run on September 19, has been the main beneficiary and now carries a £180,000 purse – a £20,000 increase on last year.

The ROA is pleased to reveal that for the remainder of this year Windsor will be offering two free admittance badges to ROA members who qualify for the Racecourse Badge Scheme for Owners, as opposed to the normal one. They now join Newbury, Epsom Downs and Sandown Park in a much-appreciated club!

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Study on exercise-associated arrhythmias in racehorses While thoroughbreds are uniquely adapted for speed and their hearts are tremendously efficient, they are also prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias (irregularities of heart rhythm) during and immediately after exercise.

In many horses, these subtle variations in cardiac rhythm are of no consequence, but in a small number of horses the cardiac rhythm becomes unstable, with significant clinical consequences.

A research project to record ECGs in horses shortly after racing is being conducted to collate information on exercise-associated arrhythmias.

The research has the support of the BHA. Obtaining an ECG from a horse used to be a fairly complex procedure, and there is therefore a lack of detailed scientific knowledge about arrhythmias.

It is now possible to record an ECG simply by holding a mobile phone on the horse’s chest for one minute. Such a test can detect transient cardiac problems, which may account for poor performance and were undetectable before.

To enable the interpretation of results, a substantial database of ECGs needs to be collected from horses who have performed well, so that it can be worked out which arrhythmias are important and which are not.

Recording ECGs is now much easier, though a substantial database needs building

The study will involve ECG testing on racedays and will benefit racehorse health by providing essential information on cardiac rhythm irregularities. Tests will be performed in the 15-minute period after racing and ECGS will be performed on over 1,000 horses.

A random sample of horses will be selected for testing once declarations have been confirmed. Trainers of all horses will be informed via email the day before the race and

asked to consent to their horse’s inclusion in the study. Trainers and owners can decline to participate if they wish. ECGs will be assessed by a vet, and the results will be sent to the trainer.

The study leaders are Celia Marr and Imogen Comyn from Rossdales LLP, and Mark Bowen and Gayle Hallowell from the University of Nottingham. Further information can be found at www.rossdales.com

R O A O F F I C I A L C H A R I T Y PA R T N E R

Clock Tower Cup provides dream material The inaugural running of the Clock Tower Cup, a charity race run in aid of Racing Welfare in which the participants were all stable staff, was run at Doncaster on June 26.

The concept was born as a way to celebrate the hard work that racing staff undertake, 365 days a year, riding and caring for horses throughout their racing careers.

Of the 12 riders involved, eight were having their first ever race-riding experience, despite having years of experience of riding out, workriding and, in several cases, schooling over fences.

The race proved to be a very competitive affair. Kevin Locking, riding for Scott Dixon, was the eventual winner, with Cadeaux Pearl holding on gamely having made a smart break. The chasing pack comprised Quadriga, ridden by Julie Heneghan, who is Philip Kirby’s Travelling Head Lass, fast-finishing Scrutiny, ridden by Kirsty Parker for David O’Meara, and Thatcherite ridden by Jack

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Riders of the first ever race restricted to stable staff – it was a big success

Jordan for Tony Coyle. Ryan Moore was on hand to present the prizes to the first three.

The riders were on horses in training from the yard at which they were employed and none of the riders had ever ridden as professional or apprentice jockeys. The winner, Locking, was the most experienced in the field having previously ridden a winner aboard Pisceno, for Dixon, as an amateur. Jordan’s experience from the

point-to-point field also told in his harddriving finish aboard Thatcherite. However, it was the elation of those riding in public for the first time that gave the event such a fantastic atmosphere.

Heneghan, who has worked in racing for 15 years, summed up the experience by saying: “For the first time, going to the weighing room, not to hand the colour bag in but to put them on, to walk out in those colours, to see my horse walking round the parade waiting for me to get that leg up and the anticipation of what’s going to unfold in the next few minutes – this was my time to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done!”

The riders raised an excellent sponsorship total of over £6,000. Steph Blackett from Eve Johnson Houghton’s yard was a deserving winner of the prize from White Rose Saddlery for the largest amount of sponsorship raised (£1,600 – an incredible total).

Congratulations to all the riders who took part, both for their fundraising efforts and for their excellent display of horsemanship. A large thank you must also go to owners and trainers for their support of the race, as well as Socialites, the event sponsor.

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MAGICAL MOMENTS

T

here was not one but two notable onetwos on Derby Day, but while trainer Paul Midgley did not receive much fanfare for his smashing effort in saddling the first two in the Dash – being overshadowed by John Gosden’s Derby demolition – the owner received even less.

That tends to be the nature of our business, but for ROA member Andy Taylor it was a tremendous achievement, he being the formbook judge behind the horses he buys with Midgley.

The Dash duo, Desert Law and Monsieur Joe, are 50% of Team Taylor, the others being Group 1 entrant Line Of Reason, and the least exposed, Naggers.

Taylor’s roots in horseracing trace to his becoming interested in gambling when a youngster, although in his case his passion became a profession.

He explains: “Between 13 and 18 I was the school bookmaker and spent five years fitting studying around gambling. At 18 I left college, didn’t want to go university, and went into the gambling industry.

“I would retire

gracefully if I won the Al Quoz Sprint and Nunthorpe in the same year!”

“I now own BD Stadia, which is the largest in-stadium betting provider; we do Wembley, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge etc.”

So while that, along with a sideline in house building, explains the finance, what about the racehorse ownership back-story?

Well that was connected to gambling too, as Midgley used to be a customer in a ‘Betfair room’ (remember them?) operated by Taylor, and persuaded him to buy a half-share in a horse who, in Taylor’s words, after finishing mid-division in the Brocklesby, turned out to be a “right yak with no heart to race”.

However, in a way, Burtondale Boy’s deterioration contributed to how well Taylor is doing now, as he vowed from then on to “do things differently, spend more money and get better quality”.

Burtondale Boy was the first of 14 horses to date Taylor has been involved in, 12 of which

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he has owned outright. Taylor’s Bloodstock, in whose name they run, involves his dad, Andy Taylor snr, and wife Janet. “They live the dream, I do the hard work!” is how Taylor jnr laughingly describes the division of labour, though all three have their roles.

Line Of Reason has been with Taylor since his purchase for 80,000gns at Tattersalls in the spring of 2013, when there were several who believed he had paid over the top to acquire him.

“I had to have him and time has proven he was worth the money,” says Taylor, who does admit, however, that the £32,000 he paid for Godolphin cast-off Desert Law last November was “probably too much”.

Given he had been underbidder to Anthony Stroud, however, two years earlier, when he was sold for 150,000gns, you understand how Taylor viewed him as a “must-get purchase”.

Someone especially pleased Taylor saw things that way is Midgley’s wife Wendy, who the owner relays “loves Desert Law; they spend all day nuzzling each other”.

Taylor adds: “Godolphin wasn’t for him.

Paul’s isn’t Butlin’s, but with fewer horses comes more TLC and less galloping, which suits him.”

Monsieur Joe was somewhere in between, at 48,000gns, but is another who has more than justified his price tag, with two wins at York – as a proud Yorkshireman, Taylor places particular importance on the Knavesmire – and creditable efforts in Dubai.

Last but not least is Naggers, a €34,000 purchase from Goffs, about whom his owner claims “there’s not a better handicapped horse in the country”.

The problem is that the lightly-raced fouryear-old is “gormless”, in the words of his trainer, and “always getting into scrapes”.

Taylor’s admiration of Midgley’s training talents is considerable, while you get the impression that being a “genuine bloke” and someone to socialise with is something he considers just as important.

“I never understand why he puts a dash of lemonade into his pint of lager – I can’t see that would make much difference after 12 pints – but I let him off that as he’s a genius when it comes to training,” quips Taylor.

That Taylor focuses on sprinters – he ranks Midgley a “sprint king” alongside Robert Cowell and Bryan Smart – is not just about the trainer, as he explains: “I do it to avoid the big boys. From a mile up, and possibly seven furlongs up, you run into Coolmore, Godolphin and Sheikh Hamdan. Even if you do well, they offer ridiculous money and buy

your horse. But over five and six furlongs they leave you alone.”

Over the quickest five furlongs in the world on Derby day at Epsom, it was Taylor’s two leaving everything else alone. That was certainly one of “quite a few magical moments”, though the owner himself wasn’t there.

He explains: “I was at a wedding the day before and didn’t get to bed until the early hours after a gallon of beer, and thought I’d better not drive to Epsom. I watched on TV and it was still a fantastic day.”

Winning the Scurry on Irish Derby day last summer with Line Of Reason was another memorable occasion, as was a win at York for the horse Line Of Reason was bought to replace, Internationaldebut.

“He was such a lovely mover and travelled well, but we had 18 months of frustration with

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with ROA member Andy Taylor

Desert Law leads home stablemate Monsieur Joe in the Epsom Dash, and inset Andy Taylor (left) with Line Of Reason at York

him; he finished second quite a few times, buckling in the last 50 yards,” recalls Taylor.

“We gave him a wind op and then one Sunday at York in a decent handicap, with Freddie Tylicki riding for the first time, it just went unbelievably well, picture-postcard stuff, and even though that was four years ago it still stands out as perhaps the most satisfying ‘job done’. If I’d had a big cigar, I’d have been smoking it that day.”

There could be other Hamlet moments though, and possibly sooner rather than later, with Line Of Reason entered for the King George at Goodwood and Nunthorpe at York, with the Meydan World Cup Carnival in the owner’s sights, where he would hope his horse will be rated high enough to run on Super Saturday and the big night itself without having to race in Dubai in January or February first.

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“The Nunthorpe is a race I’d love to win,” admits Taylor, “and the other one is the Al Quoz Sprint. I would retire gracefully if winning both in the same year!”

Sadly for Taylor, giving his horses a pat is more trouble than it’s worth. “Absurdly, I’m allergic to horses,” he says, “so if I’m not seen patting them it’s not because I’m miserable, it’s just I’d have hayfever for three or four days.

“But I like everything about owning horses.

I like naming them, seeing them develop.

Someone once said owning horses is 95% frustration, 5% elation. I reckon it’s at 50-50 at the moment for me, so that’s not bad.”

It’s certainly a ratio that’s swung in his favour since spring 2012, when he suffered an awful double blow, losing Internationaldebut and a whole lot else besides.

He explains: “I insured him for six figures

and got the reminder from Weatherbys on April 27, except it went into my junk email and on May 7 the horse dropped dead on the gallops. I lost £100,000 and the insurance issue made a bad situation even worse. I’ve had to be patient to come back from that.”

Taylor is not into jumps racing, dismissing it as “like rugby union to me” (he’s a rugby league man), but not everything about Flat racing is sweetness and light as he feels that the hundreds of thousands a lot of owners spend should entitle them to a bit better ‘after-sales service’, such as not being asked to pay £5 to remain in a restaurant seat after a meal, which he experienced at a certain track recently.

For the most part, though, he is “living the dream with my horses”, an experience that bonds all owners, big, small and, like Taylor, somewhere in between.

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Flat Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Ascot York Epsom Downs Goodwood Newmarket Chester Newbury Doncaster Sandown Park Haydock Park Musselburgh Chelmsford City Ripon Ayr Wetherby Pontefract Lingfield Park Salisbury Thirsk Carlisle Newcastle Ffos Las Hamilton Park Beverley Leicester Kempton Park Nottingham Windsor Bath Redcar Yarmouth Catterick Bridge Wolverhampton Chepstow Warwick Brighton Southwell Total

Figures for period July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2013-14 (£)

I I JCR I I I I ARC JCR JCR I I I I I I ARC I I JCR ARC I I I I JCR JCR ARC ARC I ARC I ARC ARC JCR ARC ARC

369,431 173,582 136,018 94,264 90,683 85,748 69,316 64,880 55,849 48,642 41,410 38,101 33,065 32,476 31,970 31,339 30,044 29,845 28,724 24,526 24,152 23,951 23,908 23,174 22,132 22,006 21,040 20,232 19,592 18,190 17,345 17,281 15,945 14,200 14,181 13,513 10,129 43,389

141,392 102,036 80,448 76,541 82,426 44,885 74,009 58,448 55,201 48,016 24,950 13,671 26,869 32,782 17,050 33,044 25,639 31,118 18,935 16,349 22,660 11,174 19,429 19,738 22,832 19,921 20,993 21,302 15,221 20,184 23,620 19,365 19,878 15,054 17,860 15,911 22,099 33,871

232,541 94,915 92,617 26,722 89,297 9,744 35,442 43,319 22,598 18,333 5,930 3,360 4,516 10,058 4,980 3,660 4,270 5,093 5,546 4,080 6,735 3,490 3,557 2,933 4,996 4,004 5,515 4,905 2,978 14,609 3,965 2,660 3,006 3,016 4,335 2,376 2,058 18,655

743,364 370,650 309,083 197,527 262,580 140,711 179,094 167,033 134,023 115,780 72,290 55,222 64,450 75,611 54,000 68,042 60,067 66,770 53,204 45,038 54,172 38,615 46,894 46,108 50,495 46,057 47,777 46,587 38,391 52,983 44,929 39,850 38,933 33,039 36,375 31,800 34,286 96,109

18 17 11 19 40 15 16 24 16 23 16 28 16 17 2 16 88 14 16 12 18 6 19 19 21 73 24 27 20 18 13 17 102 13 2 23 38 877

13,380,553 6,301,050 3,399,909 3,753,005 10,503,204 2,110,661 2,865,506 4,008,784 2,144,360 2,712,571 1,156,643 1,546,210 1,031,208 1,285,383 108,000 1,088,668 5,285,883 934,774 851,266 540,459 975,100 212,384 890,984 876,050 1,060,402 3,362,173 1,146,660 1,257,856 767,813 953,700 584,080 677,450 3,971,132 429,510 72,750 731,399 1,302,860 84,280,395

333,613 171,630 79,083 98,395 91,419 74,973 50,799 65,652 54,732 45,118 31,561 0 31,704 28,519 0 30,065 27,906 28,621 22,058 20,136 17,005 23,930 19,679 18,803 18,881 20,453 17,702 18,218 14,302 16,275 14,080 16,170 15,223 12,247 14,198 10,489 11,255 38,434

Up/ down

▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲

Jumps Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

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Aintree Cheltenham Ascot Haydock Park Sandown Park Kempton Park Newbury Ayr Kelso Doncaster Wincanton Musselburgh Ludlow Perth Cartmel Chepstow Fakenham Wetherby Stratford-on-Avon Market Rasen Warwick Newcastle Newton Abbot Carlisle Exeter Huntingdon Bangor-on-Dee Uttoxeter Ffos Las Hexham Taunton Fontwell Park Catterick Bridge Worcester Plumpton Sedgefield Lingfield Park Leicester Southwell Towcester Total

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2013-14 (£)

JCR JCR I JCR JCR JCR I I I ARC JCR I I I I ARC I I I JCR JCR ARC I JCR JCR JCR I ARC I I I ARC I ARC I ARC ARC I ARC I

244,870 223,142 135,525 98,706 96,862 50,823 45,631 31,902 29,390 27,022 26,585 26,507 26,487 25,836 25,787 25,177 25,040 24,479 22,620 22,568 21,988 21,606 20,843 20,352 20,007 19,749 18,958 17,712 17,707 17,684 15,750 15,719 15,602 14,217 14,044 13,773 13,076 12,844 12,257 11,532 34,196

126,549 112,871 82,339 82,115 79,094 57,732 66,742 39,424 32,772 40,868 32,015 30,256 30,828 22,881 19,834 29,209 18,208 27,301 18,626 25,268 31,976 31,801 28,271 26,347 28,796 20,817 19,913 20,959 21,152 17,658 21,963 21,848 26,527 20,159 25,556 19,125 25,769 25,923 20,300 16,775 32,840

67,182 55,943 16,197 16,202 18,287 10,010 16,400 10,235 3,048 6,317 4,960 4,450 4,618 2,114 4,383 6,414 0 4,752 3,795 4,333 5,106 5,124 0 4,375 4,769 3,754 4,044 4,723 3,469 2,845 3,704 3,137 2,758 3,265 3,347 2,799 3,077 3,486 3,040 2,873 7,185

439,476 391,956 237,812 198,344 197,576 118,703 130,439 82,712 65,793 75,407 63,579 61,213 61,933 50,943 50,004 60,801 43,247 56,707 45,040 52,759 60,498 58,531 49,115 51,657 54,048 44,320 42,915 43,511 42,329 38,687 41,417 40,704 45,087 37,641 42,946 36,047 41,922 42,253 35,744 31,334 74,587

8 16 8 8 9 13 12 12 12 10 16 10 15 16 8 16 13 16 18 20 14 11 19 12 17 17 15 24 17 14 17 21 9 21 16 20 6 9 19 13 566

3,515,810 6,271,291 1,902,495 1,501,747 1,778,186 1,543,139 1,565,268 992,540 789,515 754,066 1,017,258 612,129 929,000 815,084 400,030 972,815 562,214 907,308 810,723 1,055,171 846,977 643,836 933,181 619,882 918,824 753,437 643,732 1,044,267 698,423 541,619 704,093 854,786 405,779 790,459 687,140 720,935 251,532 380,276 679,145 407,337 42,221,447

211,204 201,036 101,655 88,098 103,163 53,982 47,222 34,902 22,789 23,093 27,188 21,859 23,509 25,917 28,345 28,958 16,868 24,528 19,743 23,915 17,959 25,605 22,233 15,304 20,104 21,641 14,541 12,648 16,268 13,651 11,317 14,793 15,554 12,219 15,041 9,946 13,805 11,747 13,069 9,990 31,676

Up/ down

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲

EXPLANATION The tables set out the average prize-money at each fixture staged by a racecourse over the last 12 months. They show how this is made up of the three sources of prizemoney: 1. Racecourses’ contribution 2. Levy Board (HBLB) 3. Owners The tables also confirm the number of fixtures staged and the total amount of prize-money paid out by each racecourse throughout this period.

The racecourses are ordered by the average amount of their own contribution to prizemoney at each fixture. This contribution originates from various sources including media rights, admission revenues and racecourse sponsors.

If a racecourse has increased its average contribution at each fixture compared with the previous 12 months, it receives a green ‘up’ arrow. If its average contribution has fallen, however, it receives a red ‘down’ arrow.

As these tables are based on the prize-money paid out by each racecourse, the abandonment of a major fixture could distort a racecourse’s performance.

OWNERSHIP KEY JCR Jockey Club Racecourses

ARC Arena Racing Company

I Independently owned racecourse

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Aug_132_TBA_Forum_Owner 23/07/2015 15:31 Page 90

TBA FORUM The special section for TBA members

Tweenhills Farm opens its gates for the TBA western regional day

Tweenhills mares and foals were shown to members from the ha-ha, the stunning parkland setting offering a wonderful backdrop

A thoroughbred stud is never static – it is either on an upward curve or a downward one – but thanks to the investment by the Al Thani family, and the drive of owner David Redvers, there is no doubt in which direction Tweenhills Farm and Stud is going.

Those TBA visitors to Hartpury in the Ledbury country who were fortunate enough to attend this regional meeting presided over

by David on a glorious sunny morning in June, were greeted with coffee and biscuits

by David’s mother, Mary. She was brought up here when the main part of the stud was the home farm.

The rise of Tweenhills has been breathtaking, as David explained in his own inimitable, laidback way. David started in 1995 in a modest way with the National Hunt stallion Afzal. Today it comprises 485 acres of prime stock land, incorporates three

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additional properties, employs a staff of over 30 at the busiest time of year and now stands three top quality Flat stallions.

The first really high-class horse to stand at Tweenhills was Makfi (sire of Classic winner Make Believe with his first crop this season) and what a treat it was to see his successors, the former Richard Hannon-trained pair Harbour Watch and Havana Gold, now with their first yearlings and foals respectively, and Charm Spirit. “He has covered 140 mares in his first season and his fertility is incredible,” said David of the newcomer.

A very select handful of mares (some in foal to Frankel or with foals at foot by Frankel, or both) were presented for inspection from a wonderful vantage point on top of a ha-ha, from where the backdrop was one of glorious pasture stretching into the distance, mature hedges and many fine

trees. It is very much a parkland setting rather than a conventional stud dominated by post and rails.

That David likes to retain the word farm in the Tweenhills title says a good deal as he believes in strict rotation of his paddocks, which are also grazed by a resident Aberdeen Angus suckler herd followed by sheep. He also grows his own hay and oats, and, controversially, houses his weanlings indoors over the winter in free-range barns.

The meeting concluded with a convivial lunch at the Corse Lawn House Hotel where regional representative Har Houghton’s parting words were: “Could you mention our thanks to David for paying for all the lovely wine.”

Many thanks also to everyone else, including stud groom Ben Hyde, for making this such an informative and enjoyable day.

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Aug_132_TBA_Forum_Owner 23/07/2015 15:32 Page 91

www.thetba.co.uk

New TBA board members welcomed at AGM

Ted Voute: looking forward to challenge

Anthea Gibson Fleming: ‘an honour’

The start of this month saw not only our new Chairman Julian Richmond-Watson take up his role to lead the TBA but we also welcomed two successful election candidates, Anthea Gibson Fleming and Ted Voute, to the board.

In an election which saw a record number of votes cast from TBA members, the results proved it to be one of the best supported elections in recent TBA history. The close-run contest between all four candidates reflected the interest

and support from TBA members and the bloodstock industry. The result sees the addition of a dual-purpose breeder highly experienced in both Flat and National Hunt sales, as well as a sales consignor and racing and stud owner/manager, to its 11-strong board.

Anthea Gibson Fleming commented: “It is a great honour to serve on the TBA board, and I am grateful to all those who have supported me in the election. I hope that my experience and

knowledge will be of benefit to the board and TBA members. My particular focus will be representing small breeders whose breeding and racing future is determined by sales returns.”

The introduction of a sales consignor will be of great benefit to the board.

Reacting to the news of his successful election, Ted Voute said: “I am delighted that the members voted for me to join the TBA board. I join a strong and changing board with vast experience which has been both innovative and a guardian to thoroughbred breeders. I look forward to the challenges in the coming years and hope that my contribution will be a worthy addition to the board.”

Outgoing TBA Chairman Richard Lancaster welcomed the new members, saying: “I would like to send my thanks to all four candidates who stood for election and devoted their time recently to the TBA. I welcome and congratulate Anthea and Ted for their success in another closely contested election.

“In my final few weeks of being Chairman it is fantastic to see a TBA board so well represented and one which I am confident will help to strengthen the importance of the TBA in the racing and breeding industry.”

Bell rings up 30 years’ service at Shadwell The TBA’s July Stud Staff Award goes to Arthur Bell, who joined Shadwell Estates Company during its early days in 1985 and who has seen the organisation develop and grow over the years.

As Second Man, he was closely involved with the establishment of Melton Paddocks as the company’s first stallion yard which included Green Desert’s first season in 1987. He was subsequently promoted to Stud Groom there, and then to Assistant Manager (private studs) in 1999. As such, he oversaw the establishment of a new stud farm at Kettlebaston and brought together the three private studs at Beech House, Elmswell Park and Salsabil.

According to Stud Director Richard Lancaster, during his 30 years of service, Arthur has demonstrated a deep commitment to Shadwell and to his profession. He has set an exceptional example and as a result has always led a committed and very professional team who, without exception, hold him in very high regard, which is mirrored by his personal and professional standing within the company.

Arthur’s contribution to Shadwell’s success has been unparalleled through the foaling and early care of young stock, with Taghrooda being the most recent, but just one example of the many Group 1 winners that have passed through his hands.

Arthur retired on July 24 and the TBA Award is presented in recognition of his deep personal and professional commitment to both the company and the industry throughout his employment.

Arthur Bell receives his award from the TBA’s Caroline Turnbull and Shadwell’s Stud Director Richard Lancaster

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TBA FORUM

Members enjoy wonderful trip to Jeff Smith’s Littleton Stud Littleton Stud is a rare jewel in the crown of British breeding. Established in 1913 on 200 acres of mainly limestone-based pasture, it was formerly a public stud and home to three stallions. Not surprisingly, the stud has changed hands on relatively few subsequent occasions and was most recently bought by owner/breeder Jeff Smith in 1983, funded by the sale of his good horse Chief Singer.

Nowadays, it provides a home to in excess of 30 broodmares and acts as a nursery for their young stock, and clearly serves to demonstrate the continuing importance of traditional owner/breeders to underpinning the British racing industry.

Smith’s passion for racing runs deep (see The Big Interview, pages 38-42) and all his homebred stock are retained to race, with more than 50 horses in training this year shared between seven trainers. This certainly takes some organisation and our host, Manager David Bowe, is a busy man, overseeing not only the stud but also the racing operation.

David welcomed a strong turnout of TBA members for the south-east regional day and, despite less-than-perfect summer weather, a walk round the stud offered a fascinating glimpse into the wonderful families that have been nurtured by Littleton over the decades.

Highlights included the partially sighted tough racemare Barshiba (Barathea ex Dashiba), dam of recent winner Arabian Queen with her filly foal by Dubawi, Dark Missile with her Mastercraftsman filly foal, and Siren’s Gift with her Acclamation colt foal.

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David Bowe introduces some of Jeff Smith’s mares and foals at Hampshire’s Littleton Stud

The yearling colts, presented to us by Stud Groom Rachel Read and her team, included smart individuals by Dubawi, Foxwedge, Mastercraftsman, Teofilo and So You Think.

Wisely, David picked the Foxwedge colt out of King’s Siren as a favourite, which went down well with Chris and Nicky Harper of Whitsbury Stud, who were among the visiting TBA party.

The informality of the morning prompted questions on a wide range of subjects and the answers came thick and fast from our host, so much so that there wasn’t time to complete the tour as well as take in lunch and racing at Salisbury for those possessing the staying power of Smith’s late, great Persian Punch.

Our thanks to David for arranging the day and allowing us all to enjoy Littleton Stud.

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Aug_132_TBA_Forum_Owner 23/07/2015 15:32 Page 93

w w w. t h e t b a . c o . u k

TBA diary dates SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 TBA Handicap Stakes, Hamilton Park.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 TBA EBF Handicap Stakes, Newmarket.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 TBA Group 3 Atalanta Stakes, Sandown Park.

Free admission to all TBA members.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 TO THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 TBA Stud Farming Course at the British Racing School, Newmarket.

Michele Egloff receives her award in Oxford from the TBA’s Caroline Turnbull

TBA NEW MEMBERS Mr Arthur Bell, Norfolk; Mr Nicholas Cooper CBE, London; Miss Josephine Hardy, Oxfordshire; Miss Sophie Ignarksi, Suffolk; Mr Benjamin Newton, Berkshire; Mr Paul Smith, West Sussex; Mrs C. A. Wyatt, Norfolk;

Thoroughbred Management degree prize for Michele Egloff Oxford Brookes University offers the only BSc in Thoroughbred Management, and each year at graduation the TBA offers a prize for the student on the course who has demonstrated dedication to and a keen enthusiasm for the thoroughbred breeding industry. This year the prize winner is

Supporting graduate fillies’ races 2015 As part of an overall mandate to ensure that fillies and mares have race opportunities that act as influential stepping stones in their careers, we are delighted once more to be investing in a series of fillies-only handicaps across a range of distances, providing more occasions to identify racemares with ability.

In addition to the Class 3 races, we will be sponsoring the TBA Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown on Saturday, August 22.

As the flagship of our Flat sponsorship portfolio, this race has seen several impressive fillies that have gone on to record some remarkable wins in their careers and really delivers what the TBA sets out to achieve through its support of the race.

Please note that all members can benefit from free admission to Sandown on August 22 on the production of a TBA membership card.

The first race was run at Newbury on July 17 and the remaining races are...

01/08/2015 07/08/2015 14/08/2015 10/09/2015 19/09/2015 21/10/2015

HAMILTON PARK NEWMARKET NOTTINGHAM DONCASTER NEWMARKET NEWMARKET

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TBA HANDICAP STAKES TBA EBF HANDICAP STAKES TBA EBF HANDICAP STAKES TBA HANDICAP STAKES TBA EBF HANDICAP STAKES TBA HANDICAP STAKES

Michele Egloff, from Switzerland. During her time at Oxford Brookes, Michele worked at Voute Sales and Castlemartin Stud, and she intends to stay in the UK to pursue a career in the breeding industry.

Michele’s parents own Gestüt Sohrenhof and are the breeders of Purple Moon.

Save the date: The TBA Stud Farming Course This year’s TBA Stud Farming Course starts on Tuesday, December 8 and continues to December 10 at the British Racing School in Newmarket.

The residential course consists of lectures from veterinary and industry experts as well as external visits. Lectures cover topics from conception through to management of the foal and yearling, with a comprehensive manual of course notes included.

Further information is available from Christine Standley at Stanstead House on 01638 661321 or via email Christine.standley@thetba.co.uk.

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BREEDER OF THE MONTH

www.thetba.co.uk

Words Alan Yuill Walker Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

BREEDER OF THE MONTH – June 2015

Footstepsinthesand (2005 2,000 Guineas) – she is also the third dam of recent Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Curvy.

It was at Goodwood that Anthony’s then father-in-law, John Walker of Sullington Stud in West Sussex, bred the 1977 Goodwood Cup winner Grey Baron. Subsequently his daughter Penny married Fred Barker, the former owner of King Edward’s Place Stud and Master of the Quorn.

Anthony used to live at Burghclere, where the Lloyd-Webbers founded Watership Down Stud, and a Hascombe cull features as the grandam of The Fugue. Of course the latest star mare to be sold from Hascombe is Golden Horn’s own dam Fleche d’Or, who realised 62,000gns in 2012.

Following the death of his father in 1995, Anthony, a former Chairman of the TBA, switched the emphasis from breeding to race to a commercial yearling operation, but it was his good fortune to retain Golden Horn when the Cape Cross colt was unsold at 190,000gns.

Anthony Oppenheimer is never one to overlook the contribution made by his staff. For many years his manager was Walter Cowe from Berwickshire. Remarkably, two of Walter’s brothers were also managers associated with Derby winners; the eldest Jim at Juddmonte Farms (Quest For Fame, Commander-In-Chief and Workforce) and Bill at Deerfield Farm (Motivator).

Hascombe & Valiant Studs Although Golden Horn’s fourth dam Lora was purchased by the Oppenheimers’ Hascombe & Valiant Studs as a yearling from Marston Stud for 28,000gns at Tattersalls in 1973, his direct distaff relations at Hascombe predate that acquisition.

Back in November 1965, Anthony’s father, Sir Philip, bought Hascombe Stud on the outskirts of Newmarket from the late Sir Adrian Jarvis. His foundation mare Sun Princess (the seventh dam of Golden Horn) was acquired privately as a yearling from the Aga Khan in 1938.

The Jarvis family and Anthony Oppenheimer’s parents used to live in Surrey, the former at Hascombe Court, near Godalming (hence the name of their stud: Valiant is an amalgam of Anthony and his sister Valerie), and the latter at Park Place, Englefield Green.

In July 1982, Philip Oppenheimer recorded a memorable homebred double at Goodwood, that season’s 1,000 Guineas heroine On The House winning the Sussex Stakes and Dancing Rocks defeating the Oaks heroine Time Charter in the Nassau Stakes.

Ironically, Golden Horn descends from an undistinguished half-sister to On The House, while Dancing Rocks is the grandam of

SPECIAL MERIT – June 2015

Minster Stud

EMMA BERRY

In the summer of 2013 there was a West Regional meeting in the Cotswolds hosted by neighbouring friends Willie Carson of Minster Stud and Chris Wright of Stratford Place Stud.

That very season their Chriselliam was rated the leading British-trained juvenile filly following victory at the Breeders’ Cup, but sadly this 40,000gns yearling purchase had to be put down the following February due to an infected off-hind foot.

However, unbeknown to Willie and his wife Elaine, their 2012 batch of foals included a saviour in the shape of a colt by Halling out of an American-bred mare Swain’s Gold, who realised 60,000gns at Tattersalls’ October Sale, one of three yearlings they consigned to Book 2.

Triumphant in the Irish Derby as Jack Hobbs, the Curragh Classic was a highly satisfactory result as the first three home finished in exactly the same order as when placed behind Jack Hobbs’s stable companion Golden Horn at Epsom.

Memorably, Scotsman Willie Carson is the only man to ride an English Classic winner who he bred himself – Minster Son in the 1988 St Leger.

It may not have escaped his notice that Walter Buick (father of Jack Hobbs’s jockey William) is a native of Arbroath, on Scotland’s east coast.

English and Irish Derby winners Golden Horn and Jack Hobbs

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Aug_132_NGC_Owner 23/07/2015 11:34 Page 95

N E X T G E N E R AT I O N C L U B

www.nextgenerationclub.com

By Lydia Symonds

Get ready for a more dynamic club The NGC is set for a radical makeover as its new Chairman looks to the next generation

T

hey say change is a good thing. By the time you read this there will be significant changes to the Next Generation Club, most notably a new Chairman, who will be taking over from Sam Hoskins as the club goes through a revamp which will include a forthcoming name change.

Harry Williams steps into Hoskins’s shoes and is just the right person to steer the club on its new course. He has been a committee member for nearly two years and gives much of his time to the club he believes can “offer the younger generation in every area of the industry valuable guidance and help”.

A former BHA graduate, Williams, 23, joined the ROA in 2013 after a stint in its London headquarters on the BHA scheme.

He is now employed as Industry Executive working closely with owners in all areas of the industry.

Williams says: “I concentrate more on the political side of things and work to improve the ownership experience by campaigning for improvements in areas such as prize-money and racecourse facilities.”

The job as Chairman of the NGC will seem like old hat for Williams, who is no stranger to running clubs, having set up the racing society at UCL, where he studied geography for three years. That experience will no doubt be a big help as he settles in to his new role.

“The racing society was good as it helped me to appreciate how different people enjoy racing in different ways,” he says. “Some wanted to join more for the racing side, and some wanted to focus more on the social side, both of which I enjoy.”

With a full-time job that keeps him busy and travelling all over the country, what made Williams want to take on this huge new role and responsibility? “It’s something I truly believe in,” he says.

“It’s the only initiative at the moment in racing that is really focused on that particular demographic of 16- to 35-year-olds. I don’t think there is enough being done for that group.

“There are racing societies, and Great British Racing certainly helped us out when we were starting the club at university, but at the same time there is definitely scope to improve and build on that.

“When the opportunity arose I couldn’t turn it down. The TBA has shown its support and now I have the chance to do the best I can in the role.”

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ROA executive Harry Williams is excited about the NGC’s future plans

The faith Williams has in the club is obvious, but he believes there is always room for improvement, and one important difference will be how the new-look club will interact with the TBA. He explains: “It is important that the club will be more closely aligned with the TBA board. With the TBA showing its backing of the club – and to take it under its wing with combined resources and effort – really does give us more gravitas.

“It means we are more robust and we can try new things; we can now effect change, and we are really thankful for that.

“I’m incredibly excited about the new ideas we are working on. There are a number of projects that are being developed before we relaunch and I think the NGC in its revamped guise will become a force to be reckoned with.”

He adds: “It is a really exciting time, but I do think we will be going in a slightly different direction. It will no longer be a series of one-off events, and along with more for members to enjoy and a comprehensive package of benefits, they will be receiving more regular communication from us.”

Williams believes that with the help of the other committee members the new club can become an organisation that will not only educate people on British breeding and racing, but instil in them a deep passion like the one he holds for the sport.

“We need to make sure that all 16- to 35year-olds who are interested in racing know about the club,” he says. “I strongly believe that if they do, they will want to be part of it.

I hope that this is something we will look back on in two years’ time and think, ‘That was a job well done’.”

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Smith & Williamson OB Aug 2015_Smith & Williamson OB Aug 2015 16/07/2015 15:17 Page 2

ownerbreeder ad pages 08-2015_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 06.2015 22/07/2015 12:40 Page 98

Coombelands Racing Stables Coombelands is located 60 minutes from London, 45 minutes from Gatwick Airport, 90 minutes from the Channel Tunnel with racecourses Goodwood, Sandown, Epsom and Ascot close by.

To see all our facilities and ownership opportunities go to:

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Sprint to success …

Incorporating

BOTTISHAM HEATH STUD Multiple Group 1 Winning Race Horse Trainer Robert Cowell is based at Bottisham Heath Stud, situated just five miles outside of Newmarket.

A family owned establishment, Bottisham Heath Stud is set within 180 acres of paddocks, with its own private poly track gallop and currently stabling for 60 horses.

It is a beautiful, peaceful and safe environment for horses to be trained in, with the added bonus of ‘time out’ in the paddocks to unwind and relax when needed.

As well as this unique and tranquil setting, we have easy access to the vast array of gallops in Newmarket, the headquarters of horseracing.

We truly believe we have the best of both worlds here at Robert Cowell Racing having trained a string of Group class winning horses such as Jwala, Kingsgate Native, Prohibit, Spirit Quartz and Goldream.

We also offer full paddock boarding for mares, foals, yearlings, out of training horses, resting or retired.

Please contact us for further details on our competitive training rates.

Bottisham Heath Stud, Six Mile Bottom, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 0TT Tel: 01638 570330 • Mobile: 07785512463 • email: Robert@robertcowellracing.co.uk Website: www.robertcowellracing.co.uk • Twitter: @cowellracing

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Aug_132_AdFeatureSalesPrep_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 16:55 Page 99

FOCUS ON...

Training Fees: Avoiding Hidden Surprises

There are many considerations to take into account when choosing a trainer and good communication is vital. It is important to get on well with your trainer and to have a relationship based firmly on trust. A solid starting point is the written Training Agreement, writes Lissa Oliver

Rupert Arnold, Chief Executive of the National Trainers Federation (NTF), explains: “The NTF and Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) have a joint standard Training Agreement. Both organisations strongly encourage parties to use them and in fact it is mandatory under the Rules of Racing in Britain.”

Sadie Evans, ROA Membership Manager, agrees, saying: “Trainers are running a business and have different fee structures and models; the Training Agreement provides the terms and conditions relating to the service they provide and what an owner is expected to pay.

“If an owner doesn’t receive a Training Agreement within a week of their horse arriving in the yard, they should ask the trainer about this.”

Having a written agreement outlining exactly what training fees cover is clearly important to both parties. Not every trainer structures his or her fees in the same way and there are pros and cons attached to both all-inclusive fee agreements and those that provide for the standard basics, with extras added on.

Extras can include a variety of different types of horseshoe, both for daily training and racing purposes, which vary from £5 per pair to £10 a pair. Foot problems or leg injuries may also require additional corrective shoeing, so the costs per individual horse can vary greatly, even within the same stable.

Supplements are another issue not always fully understood by owners, who may not necessarily be equine enthusiasts with a knowledge of horses or their care.

Once again, individual horses have different requirements and two horses in the same ownership with the same trainer could have very contrasting supplementary needs, ranging from none at all, to 50p per day to over £5 per day.

Horses in training are far removed from their natural environment and are conditioned athletes, relying on high concentrate feeds. As a result 90% of horses in training suffer from stomach disorders, and products to ease gastric ulcers are a common necessity. Again, these can vary in price according to brand and start at £3 per day per horse. Add electrolytes to this growing list of necessities for performance and a table at Maxim’s could seem cheap.

Not forgetting, too, that horses are as prone to winter coughs, summer sneezes and knocks and bruises as the rest of us and veterinary bills are unpredictable. Even those trainers who include standard veterinary care within their fees will exclude non-routine treatment.

Newmarket trainer Ilka Gansera-Lévêque for this very reason prefers not to base her fees on an all-inclusive rate, feeling it is unfair on some

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Costs of having a racehorse can be fixed or varied, depending on preference

owners who may end up paying for something they don’t need and are not using, while subsidising others.

Mark Johnston, in contrast, spares his owners from unexpected costs by advertising an inclusive daily rate with “no hidden charges”. It’s a personal matter of choice as to whether you prefer to work to a set weekly budget or are happy to cope with bills that vary from week to week.

Sadie Evans: a Training Agreement is very important for owners

Whether included in a set fee or added as an extra, some of the regular items that might appear on bills are gallop fees, vaccinations, worming, exercise shoes, routine endoscopy, and dental care, all of which are common to many horses in training and could conceivably be included within a set monthly fee.

Those that may vary from horse to horse include ultrasound scanning, X-rays, veterinary referrals, non-routine endoscopy, medication, vitamins, minerals and gelding, for example.

Disappointingly for some, not every horse in training makes it to a racecourse, but when they do there are variations in entry fees, travel costs, overnight costs for stable staff, additional costs for racing shoes and, in some cases, an attendance charge from the trainer. In 2013 the ROA estimated that the average cost per run is £4,174 (Flat) and £4,776 (jumps).

Cost and agreed budget will therefore be a major consideration and the ROA provides guidance on ownership costs in an online handbook.

Based on 2013 figures compiled for the ROA Guide to Racehorse Ownership, standard training fees for the year averaged £14,877 (Flat) and £11,403 (jumps), including annual gallops costs. Vets’ fees, medical and farrier costs averaged £2,124 (Flat) and £1,819 (jumps).

Transport and racing expenses were £1,905 (Flat) and £1,420 (jumps). Average registration fees were approximately £600 with jockey fees coming in at £650, while the cost of race entries was £1,031 (Flat) and £760 (jumps).

A Training Agreement is not only a BHA requirement, but also a boon to both parties. If

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Mark Johnston advertises an inclusive daily rate, with ‘no hidden charges’

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an Agreement has not been signed and returned by an owner, the trainer is still entitled to rely on the terms of the Agreement, so it really is in an owner’s best interests to look through the Agreement and query any points where necessary. The Agreement applies to every horse belonging to the owner in that trainer’s care.

The NTF and ROA, as well as BHA, provide downloadable Training Agreement templates on their respective websites (usually to be found under Resources or Downloads) or Agreements can be drawn up individually, usually by the trainer.

Agreements must include: • The basic training fee per week/month; • All other regular expenses (gallop fees, farrier, routine health care, etc); • The extent of the trainer’s authority to incur additional expenses for the account of the owner (i.e. veterinary fees); • Time and method of payment by the owner; • Any provision for a trainer’s lien; • Any matter required by a Code of Conduct issued under Rule 87 It is wise to list the cost of transport in relation to hire of a box or use of the trainer’s own box and to stipulate a mileage rate; to include the rate of trainer’s expenses per day or per night; staff expenses; foreign travel rates; prize-money percentages; farrier charges; routine veterinary requisites; gallop fees; schooling fees; any retainers; trainer’s commission in relation to

100

sales; and any other costs and expenses the trainer expects to arise. A period of notice in regard to any changes in fees, costs and expenses should also be stipulated.

While not everything can be foreseen, the Agreement will save many arguments in the long-term and help to prevent acrimonious departures. Clarity and transparency is the key and when issuing weekly or monthly invoices, it is important to be clear about what exactly is being charged for and to avoid generalisation or jargon. Grouping too many routine items under a general heading of ‘daily care’ will invariably fluctuate per bill and lead to unnecessary queries and possible mistrust. Similarly, a simple explanation could easily be provided alongside a treatment or product, for those owners with no practical equine knowledge. An owner should clearly see what he or she is being billed for and why.

Arnold warns: “There is scope for disagreement over any costs additional to the basic training fee and that is why the Training Agreement provides for these to be decided as part of the written contract. When owners withhold payment of training fees, it tends to be the whole value of the invoice, even if the owner’s objection is only to one or two items on it. By arrangement with the ROA and NTF, undisputed fees can be paid into an escrow account controlled by the NTF and ROA pending negotiation over disputed amounts.”

Therefore, he concludes: “We would like owners to welcome Training Agreements as a normal part of a business relationship and as an aid to both reducing the potential for disputes

and resolving them should they occur.”

Evans adds: “The ROA/NTF Training Agreement sets out a comprehensive framework for a trainer’s contract with their owner. The Agreement is designed to include all of the regular expenses that an owner can expect to have to pay and refers to any items that may be charged at cost, e.g. veterinary/physio. It has an accompanying set of notes, which highlights the requirements under the Rules of Racing, and those clauses which we feel owners should be particularly aware of, including out of training and box rest rates, the trainer’s lien and power of sale and trainer’s commission, if any, for example on sale or purchase.

“We recommend that these notes are read before the agreement is signed to ensure an owner fully understands the charges they are expected to pay. For example, the notes recommend that where a trainer charges commission on sale or purchase, that this clause is initialled by both parties, to avoid any later dispute.”

Evans continues: “If an owner is unsure about any aspect of the Agreement, they should talk it through with their trainer as early as possible.

Mutual agreement is much easier to reach at this point of the relationship, rather than six months

“While not everything can be foreseen, the Agreement will save many arguments in the long-term”

later when a friendship may have developed, or when one or other is frustrated about something and things have become strained. We don’t get many calls about issues arising where an owner has a Training Agreement. We tend to find that issues arise when an owner either hasn’t signed, or hasn’t been issued with, a Training Agreement.

“Any arrangements that fall outside of the Agreement, for example offers to train or pretrain a horse at a reduced cost or without charge, should be avoided. This ensures the owner is not presented with a nasty surprise that they have to resolve if they decide to move their horse or horses at a later point.

“Over and above the usual costs of ownership, veterinary fees would be most likely to pose an unbudgeted cost should a horse require treatment or surgical intervention. Some insurers offer policies with provision for vets’ fees for certain conditions or scenarios.”

Evans concludes with the sound advice: “If an owner has any questions, they are very welcome to contact the ROA (racehorseowners.net) for some confidential, impartial advice.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 08-2015_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 06.2015 22/07/2015 12:40 Page 101

‘Simply a great place to own a racehorse’ Be an owner with Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National winning trainer Kim Bailey.

• Exciting prospects available • Sole, share, lease and corporate ownership • Stunning Cotswolds location • Family and friends always welcome To find out more call Peter Kerr on 07901 763643 and arrange a no obligation tour of the stables.

Alternatively, you can join us for our ‘Open Day’ on Sunday 13th September email peter@kimbaileyracing.com to reserve your place.

kimbaileyracing.com THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Aug_132_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 16:08 Page 102

VET FORUM: A DAY AT THE RACES

By EMMA BERRY

Nothing left to chance The veterinary cover provided at each of Britain’s race meetings means that the day’s runners are under constant scrutiny by a team of experts

A

nyone who watches racing regularly cannot have failed to notice the vehicles following the horses from the inside of the track during each race.

No corners are cut when it comes to safety for both horses and jockeys, meaning that, while ambulances and doctors are on duty at every meeting, one of the cars in the convoy will be occupied by a vet, who heads to the start of each race and then keeps a watching eye on the field throughout.

At jumps meetings there are three veterinary surgeons on duty, while Flat meetings have two, usually supplied by local veterinary practices. Each meeting is also attended by a BHA veterinary officer and team of assistants to help with regulatory aspects, such as micro-chip scanning for identification of each runner and post-race drug testing.

For Newmarket’s two racecourses, veterinary cover is provided by the team at Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH) – a stateof the-art facility situated conveniently close by, adjacent to the July Course.

On racecourse duty on the day that Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder tags along for the ride are Charlie Smith and Jan Pynn, who are relieved halfway through the meeting by David Dugdale and Denis Coman. With Newmarket’s extensive programme in 2015, covering the meetings is a big commitment from the duty vets.

NEH partner David Dugdale, who is also the ROA’s veterinary representative, says: “We work closely with the veterinary officer on duty, who is a BHA representative. He or she will ensure that each horse’s passport is in order and that the microchip matches the horse on arrival. They also deal with any regulatory aspects, such as checking that the

102

vaccinations are up to date and signs of any infectious diseases, such as ringworm.

“There’s a lot of discussion regarding whether all horses should be examined prior to racing, as happens in Hong Kong, but at the moment that doesn’t happen except with a few notable exceptions, such as the Grand National, where all horses are examined prior

to running.”

Despite no official examinations on a routine raceday, the vets are situated alongside the parade ring prior to each race.

Happily, incidents requiring their services at this stage are few and far between, but they will run their eye over each runner to ensure that there are no physical issues which would

On-track equine welfare in action...

The Horse Comes First campaign has been at the forefront of efforts to promote the high level of care provided to racehorses in the UK. Indeed, more than £27 million in veterinary research and education has been invested by British racing, via the Levy Board, since 2000, with the aim of benefiting all breeds of horse.

Talking about the current procedures for treating a horse with a potentially serious injury, Simon Knapp, the Racecourse Association’s veterinary consultant, and the senior vet at Sandown and Kempton, said: “Over the years the quality of racecourse cover, medical and veterinary, has improved dramatically. We will be at the scene within 60 seconds of the incident occurring.

“As soon as we arrive we get intravenous access by placing a catheter before blood pressure drops and shock takes over, so whatever happens to the horse we’re prepared for the next stage.

“We will set up 360-degree screening, not because we have got anything to hide but so we have no distractions and the

horse has no distractions. They act as a pacifier.”

He continues: “Our aim is to take the horse off the track and move it to the oncourse veterinary unit, where there is a quiet environment, with diagnostic equipment such as ultrasound and x-ray.

X-rays can be emailed, giving access to top orthopaedic specialists who can tell us what’s possible.

“The vast majority of horses can be moved humanely from the track, but it’s a fact of life that a small minority can’t, in which case we do what’s right by them on the track.”

Within the last 20 years the equine fatality rate in British racing has fallen from 0.28% of all runners to 0.22%.

British racing equine fatalities Year Runners Fatalities Percentage 1994 71,475 202 0.28 2010 92,066 223 0.24 2011 94,776 181 0.19 2013 91,146 196 0.22 2014 86,456 189 0.22

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Aug_132_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 16:08 Page 103

prevent them going out to race. Once the jockeys are mounted the vets split, with Smith taking to his car to follow the runners to post while Pynn takes up her position in the head-on viewing box occupied by the stewards. They keep in radio contact with each other and the raceday officials through the day.

Smith says: “We assist the starter and we’ll be there to assess any kicks or knocks if a horse has become unsettled in the stalls or bursts out. If a horse takes a very strong hold on the way to the start we’ll be asked to assess whether it’s fit to run or not.

“If a jockey is unhappy with a horse’s action on the way to post he’ll notify the starter and then we will be asked to assess the horse by trotting him up. If there’s any doubt, we’d always err on the side of caution.”

BHA veterinary officials keep a register of horses who are noted bad movers. Any horse whose trainer has reported that he or she moves with a ‘scratchy’ action will be assessed on course before being allowed to run.

Dealing with on-course injuries Tragically, there can be accidents on occasion at the stalls, the most notable incident at Newmarket in recent years being the fatal spinal cord injury sustained by Gray Pearl ahead of the start of the 1,000 Guineas of 2012. In the worst-case scenarios, euthanasia is now carried out by lethal injection, rather than with a gun.

“We all carry injections so that on the very rare occasion that a horse needs to be humanely destroyed we can do that, but generally we’ll take a horse to the hospital for further assessment if we think there’s a chance he can be saved,” says Dugdale.

“Every now and then you get an injury which is serious enough that euthanasia is the only option, but dealing with injured horses now is much more professional and efficient.”

In the case of Newmarket, injured horses can be transferred to NEH within ten minutes.

He adds: “If a horse is injured the screens go up – that doesn’t necessarily mean that a THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

From top left: identifying a horse by microchip scanner; vets Charlie Smith and Jan Pynn chat with trainer Charlie Appleby; David Dugdale oversees runners at the start as the horses are loaded; a vet’s eye view of the racing action; Newmarket wash bays

horse is fatally injured but it allows the vet to assess the injury calmly. If a horse is walking we would aim to get him to the veterinary box for further assessment. If it’s a serious injury we’ll splint the horse or make him comfortable and take him to the hospital.”

The racecourse vets, who are required to undergo refresher courses every five years to be able to comply with BHA rules, can also be called upon for less serious incidents, such as post-race scoping if a horse has run unexpectedly badly.

“The veterinary surgeon following in the car will assess any horse who is pulled up during a race, while the vet near the finish will check that all horses have pulled up

sound after the race and are not in any distress,” explains Dugdale.

“In the summer, the heat can sometimes be an issue but all courses now have water in a number of places like the winners’ enclosure and unsaddling enclosure. Newmarket also has showers which you can stand a horse under if you’re worried about heatstroke.”

Days of extreme heat are rare in the UK but the fact that even jump racing went ahead at Worcester on the recent hottest day of the year – with temperatures reaching 35 degrees – is testament to the forethought which goes into the welfare of horses on racedays, as well as the expert veterinary care provided as a matter of routine on Britain’s racecourses.

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ownerbreeder ad pages 08-2015_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 06.2015 22/07/2015 12:40 Page 104

BUNDLE PICKARD RACING Competitive Rates with Competitive Results WORLDCLASS FACILITIES - BREEDING RESULTS Luke's facilities are ideally located in the beautiful West Sussex countryside and are within easy reach of ten of the best racecourses in the country, including Ascot, Sandown, Kempton, Epsom and Goodwood.

We have thrived since training from Coombelands with 18 winners last year with a string of 12 horses. This year now 20 in training including 6 two year olds, we are on a upward curve and the facilities are the best start any young horse can get.

I am a small, boutique, dual purpose racing yard set in the heart of the stunning Herefordshire countryside.

The horses are trained in a natural environment, so as they encounter something different each day, which keeps their mind, body and soul happy, sweet and fresh.

They get fit without getting bored, with access to a wide variety of all weather and moss turf gallops.

Each horse is given 100% individual care and attention.

Each horses’ diet and nutrition requirements are individually looked at and treated.

I am happy to take on any horse, take on any challenge.

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FOXY FOREVER winning the €100,000 Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh 28/06/15.

Fun and affordable racehorse ownership to suit your budget.

Queen Alexandra Stables is a small, friendly and sociable yard situated in the lovely village of Exning, Newmarket.

Owners are always encouraged to get involved with the training of their horses, visit the yard, watch morning exercise and enjoy the whole ownership experience.

Ownership with Gay also provides the unique opportunity to run horses in both the UK and France where she has a small satellite yard in Chantilly.

To discuss ownership options or to arrange a visit please contact Gay on 07974 948 768 or gaykellewayracing@hotmail.co.uk www.gaykellewayracing.com

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MICHAEL WIGHAM RACING Michael ensures that ownership is a fun and enjoyable experience for all of his owners and allows them to visit his yard whenever they wish to see their horses in exercise.

BIOGRAPHY: Former jockey Michael Wigham served his apprenticeship under Reg Hollinshead and went on to ride over 600 winners enjoying a riding career lasting 25 years.

Michael has a good eye for a horse and has enjoyed plenty of success to date including some big race success most notably Foxy Forever winning the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh in June 2015. Michael recorded the highest strike rate of any trainer of 27% in the 2013/14 trainers championship.

FACILITIES: Brick built stables plus indoor American style barn, horsewalker, lunge pit, turn out paddocks, equine swimming pool, schooling grounds, starting stalls plus full use of all turf and synthetic gallops including a watered gallop and peat moss gallop.

BIG RACE WINNERS: Credit Swap; cost 7,000gns; won the Totesport Cambridgeshire Handicap.

Fanunalter; cost 60,000gns; won Group 2 Summer Stakes at Ascot.

Foxy Forever; cost €11,000; won Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh.

DAILY TRAINING FEE: Basic training fee £45 per day plus vat, please contact us for information regarding additional fees i.e. veterinary, transport, gallops.

SYNDICATION OPTIONS: Michael is always available to discuss your ownership options whether its a sole ownership, joint ownership/partnerships or some smaller shares available.

MICHAEL WIGHAM RACING / www.michaelwighamracing.co.uk Hamilton Stables, Hamilton Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7JQ Tel: 07831 456426 • e-mail: michaelwigham@hotmail.co.uk

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Aug_132_DrStatz_Owner Breeder 23/07/2015 13:09 Page 105

DR STAT JOHN BOYCE CRACKS THE CODE

Dark and Dream are among those standing out from rest Dark Angel and Oasis Dream have well-earned reputations for siring speedy precocious types

GEORGE SELWYN

T

he diversity of European racing is one of its enduring charms. The ambition to set out and maintain a full array of tests for the thoroughbred, be they sprinters, milers, middle-distance performers or stayers, is to be applauded. Recognising and rewarding class regardless of aptitude has to be what the future of the thoroughbred is all about. The beauty of the European system is that it creates opportunities for stallions with different attributes, ensuring the portfolio of sires available to breeders is more diverse than in any other region.

Cultivating diverse racing necessarily means looking at the speed end of the spectrum just as much as the staying end. The recent addition of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for threeyear-old sprinters is a good example of this.

There has always been a requirement, primarily market-driven, for stallions that can get an earlyseason winning two-year-old. And though these stallions may well be capable of siring other types as well, many tend to specialise to the point where we can readily recognise them for their ability to strike early.

It is well worth looking at the achievements of sires’ two-year-olds to June 30, to see which of the current stallions are particularly adept at getting out of the blocks early. Our tables are restricted to stallions that have had 50 or more juvenile runners in their careers during the first six months of the season. We have ranked them

Muhaarar: the Group 1 winner is one of several fast horses sired by Oasis Dream

by number of stakes horses but have also included a stakes horses to runners percentage and a winners to runners percentage to shine a light on quality.

In terms of stakes horses, four stallions stand out from the crowd. Rathbarry’s Acclamation and Darley’s Exceed And Excel have had 14 stakes horses apiece. Locked on 11 each are Juddmonte’s Oasis Dream and Morristown Lattin’s Dark Angel, a son of the aforementioned Acclamation. There is no doubt who the rising star in this quartet is: Dark Angel has reached his 11 with four fewer crops than his more established rivals. And there is every chance that

Stallions ranked by lifetime number of black-type two-year-olds (sired to June 30 each year) Stallion

Born

Sire

2015 Fee

Stud

Exceed And Excel

2000

Danehill

€40,000

2004

205

64

31.2

3,606

14

6.8

Acclamation

1999

Royal Applause

€35,000

2004

253

83

32.8

3,626

14

5.5

Oasis Dream

2000

Green Desert

£75,000

2004

125

38

30.4

5,161

11

8.8

Dark Angel

2005

Acclamation

€27,500

2008

132

39

29.5

4,113

11

8.3

Footstepsinthesand

2002

Giant’s Causeway

€10,000

2005

96

27

28.1

4,481

8

8.3

Holy Roman Emperor 2004

Danehill

€20,000

2007

147

35

23.8

3,230

8

5.4

Invincible Spirit

1997

Green Desert

€100,000

2003

221

70

31.7

3,025

8

3.6

Bahamian Bounty

1994

Cadeaux Genereux £8,500

1998

230

57

24.8

2,202

8

3.5

Pivotal

1993

Polar Falcon

£45,000

1997

95

30

31.6

4,305

7

7.4

Kheleyf

2001

Green Desert

£3,000

2005

190

47

24.7

2,118

7

3.7

Kodiac

2001

Danehill

€25,000

2007

191

55

28.8

3,010

7

3.7

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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this Group 1 Middle Park winner is going to get a lot better very soon as his better-bred crops come on stream. Based on my calculations he gets an extremely high ratio of stakes winners from his good mares so we can expect him to head this list sooner rather than later.

Oasis Dream was always set up to do well in this category. After all, he’s a champion sprinter that covered some of the finest mares in the Stud Book. He’s displayed a real talent for getting fast horses, his two Group 1 winners Goldream and Muhaarar at the recent Royal Ascot meeting being fine examples of his ability as a stallion.

In fact, in terms of ratio of stakes horses, no stallion can match his 8.8% on the enclosed list and he is also top by percentage of stakes winners to runners.

Oasis Dream’s closest rivals by ratio of stakes horses are Dark Angel (8.3%), Footstepsinthesand (8.3%), Pivotal (7.4%) and Exceed And Excel (6.8%). The great Danehill, a stallion with that elusive blend of precocity and class, scored 14.5% stakes horses in his heyday.

Danehill’s son, Exceed And Excel, has a great reputation for getting fast early youngsters and what is noteworthy from his point of view is the fact that he’s built his reputation from the ground up. There is no doubt that his early mare quality would be way below that of the likes of Oasis Dream. Like Oasis Dream, he’s a champion sprinter so was well placed to do well with his early runners, the pick of which may well be his latest Royal Ascot winner Buratino, who went to the head of the juvenile crop with his victory in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes.

Royal Applause’s son Acclamation is another accomplished sprinter and the sire that took over Royal Applause’s mantle as a premier source of speed and precocity. He looks well on the way to establishing his own dynasty through Dark Angel and Equiano plus several others yet to have their first runners. With well-bred crops on the way, he himself should also continue to show up well.

Two-year-old class and precocity are two of the most sought after attributes in thoroughbred racing in Britain and Ireland, and are likely to remain so. Recognising sires that can deliver runners with these attributes is important even if they are only a small part of a stallion’s armoury.

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Aug_132_DataBook_Layout 1 23/07/2015 14:11 Page 106

DATA BOOK ANALYSIS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD

European Group 1s 118 PRIX DE DIANE LONGINES G1 CHANTILLY. Jun 14. 3yof. 2100m.

1. STAR OF SEVILLE (GB) 9-0 £442,946 b f by Duke of Marmalade - Stage Presence (Selkirk) O-Lady Bamford B-Lady Bamford TR-John Gosden 2. Physiocrate (FR) 9-0 £177,209 b f by Doctor Dino - Affaire de Moeurs (Kaldounevees) O-Mme Henri Devin B-Henri Devin TR-H-F Devin 3. Little Nightingale (FR) 9-0 £88,605 ch f by Muhtathir - L’Etoile de Moscou (Peintre Celebre) O-Wildenstein Stables Limited B-Dayton Investments Limited TR-M. Delzangles Margins 1, 0.75. Time 2:05.69. Going Good.

Age 2-3

Starts 6

Wins 4

Places 1

Earned £514,267

Sire: DUKE OF MARMALADE. Sire of 21 Stakes winners. In 2015 - NUTAN Peintre Celebre G1, STAR OF SEVILLE Selkirk G1, MOOFEED Encosta de Lago G3, SOUND OF FREEDOM Invincible Spirit G3.

1st Dam: STAGE PRESENCE by Selkirk. 2 wins at 3.

Dam of 5 winners: 2003: SPECTACULAR SHOW (f Spectrum) Winner at 2. Dam of VALBCHEK (g Acclamation: 4 wins at 3, 4 and 6, Best odds Bookmakers Golden Rose S LR) 2004: ENGLISH BALLET (f Danehill Dancer) 2 wins at 2, Swynford Paddocks Sweet Solera S G3, 2nd May Hill S G2, 3rd Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile S G1. Broodmare.

2005: Irish Ballet (f High Chaparral) unraced.

2006: Stage Performance (f Danehill Dancer) ran twice. Broodmare.

2007: CALYPSO DREAM (f Danehill Dancer) Winner at 4 in Australia. Broodmare.

2011: SACRED ACT (c Oasis Dream) Winner at 3.

2012: STAR OF SEVILLE (f Duke of Marmalade) 4 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, Prix de Diane Longines G1, Tattersalls Musidora S G3.

2013: Stage Queen (f Oasis Dream) unraced to date.

2015: (c Oasis Dream) 2nd Dam: Park Charger by Tirol. 2 wins at 3, 2nd Ali Retza/Mamadi Soudavar Garnet S LR. Dam of RUM CHARGER (f Spectrum: Ballycorus S G3), Pakhoes (c College Chapel: 2nd Coventry S G3, Anheuser Busch Railway S G3), Park Romance (f Dr Fong: 3rd Swynford Paddocks Sweet Solera S G3). Grandam of WINCHESTER, Middleburg.

Broodmare Sire: SELKIRK. Sire of the dams of 52 Stakes winners. In 2015 - STAR OF SEVILLE Duke of Marmalade G1, LADY LARA Excellent Art G2, DORMELLO Dansili G3, ABSOLUTELY SO Acclamation LR, MOOHAARIB Oasis Dream LR, RIFLESCOPE Raven’s Pass LR.

including the King George and Juddmonte International.

Unfortunately Duke Of Marmalade has generally proved less effective as a stallion, to the extent that he covered only 30 mares in 2013, before being sold in 2014 to stand at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa.

However, his results have improved since his first crop turned three in 2013 and this half-brother to Derby winner Ruler Of The World now has eight Group winners and a further nine stakes winners in his first three northern hemisphere crops. The remarkable aspect of his record is that 12 of his 17 stakes winners are fillies, including seven of the eight Group winners. Venus De Milo, who went close to winning the 2013 Irish Oaks, is another of the fillies.

Star Of Seville’s trainer reportedly believes that a mile and a half is too far for his filly, following her defeat in the Oaks. She probably owes this preference for shorter distances to the bottom half of her pedigree. Her three-parts-sister English Ballet, who was sired by a speedier son of Danehill in Danehill Dancer, won the Gr3 Sweet Solera Stakes over seven furlongs at two, when she was also placed in the Gr1 Fillies’ Mile.

Their dam Stage Presence is a daughter of the top miler Selkirk and she also did her winning at up to a mile. Selkirk’s broodmare daughters have enjoyed plenty of success with the Danehill male line, notably producing other Gr1 winners to Danehill and Rock Of Gibraltar. Stage Presence’s distinguished half-sister Rum Charger was a Gr3 winner over seven furlongs before becoming the dam of Winchester, a Theatrical colt who achieved four major turf successes over middle distances in the USA, including the Turf Classic.

Star Of Seville’s fourth dam Hamada was a smart sprinter-miler in France and her fifth dam, the Klairon mare Helvetie, was the second dam of the 1994 Derby winner Erhaab.

STAR OF SEVILLE b f 2012 Danzig Danehill Razyana DUKE OF MARMALADE b 04 Kingmambo Love Me True Lassie’s Lady Sharpen Up Selkirk Annie Edge STAGE PRESENCE ch 98 Tirol Park Charger Haitienne

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom His Majesty Spring Adieu Mr Prospector Miesque Alydar Lassie Dear Atan Rocchetta Nebbiolo Friendly Court Thatching Alpine Niece Green Dancer Hamada

John Gosden’s three-year-olds have achieved the remarkable feat of winning Classics in England, Ireland and France in 2015, the French success coming via Star Of Seville in the Prix de Diane. Already winner of the Musidora Stakes, Star Of Seville is demonstrating some of the class and toughness which made her sire Duke Of Marmalade so hard to beat as a four-year-old in 2008, when he reeled off five consecutive Gr1 victories,

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119 KING’S STAND STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 16. 3yo+. 5f.

1. GOLDREAM (GB) 6 9-4 £212,663 br g by Oasis Dream - Clizia (Machiavellian) O-Mr J Sargeant & Mrs J Morley B-Tsega Breeding Ltd TR-Robert Cowell 2. Medicean Man (GB) 9 9-4 £80,625 ch g by Medicean - Kalindi (Efisio) O-Mr Stuart Dobb & Miss Kate Dobb B-Mr B. J. Taylor TR-Jeremy Gask 3. Muthmir (IRE) 5 9-4 £40,350 b g by Invincible Spirit - Fairy of The Night (Danehill) O-Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum B-Sunderland Holdings Ltd TR-William Haggas Margins Short Head, Neck. Time 0:59.10.

Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-6

Starts 31

Wins 6

Places 14

Earned £347,071

Sire: OASIS DREAM. Sire of 96 Stakes winners. In 2015 - GOLDREAM Machiavellian G1, MUHAARAR Linamix G1, CLADOCERA Pivotal G2, ERTIJAAL Seeking The Gold LR, MOOHAARIB Selkirk LR, MUARRAB Wolfhound LR, NAADIRR High Chaparral LR, PEARLY STEPH Pivotal LR. 1st Dam: Clizia by Machiavellian. unraced. Dam of 1 winner:

2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2012: 2014:

Lizio (c Tiger Hill) unraced.

Galicuix (f Galileo) ran twice. Broodmare.

GOLDREAM (g Oasis Dream) 6 wins at 3, 5 and 6, King’s Stand S G1, Pearl Bloodstock Palace House S G3.

Spiritual Girl (f Invincible Spirit) Pazzo (g Paco Boy) unraced to date. (f Nathaniel)

2nd Dam: Cuixmala by Highest Honor. unraced. Dam of MONT ROCHER (g Caerleon: Foundation S LR, Prix Max Sicard LR (twice), G.P.du Sud Ouest-Trophee Vignerons Buzet LR (twice), 2nd La Coupe de MaisonsLaffitte G3, Prix Andre Baboin (G.P.des Provinces) G3, 3rd Grand Prix de Deauville G2, Grand Prix de Chantilly G2), Yayo (g Petit Loup: 2nd Grand Prix du Sud-Ouest LR) Broodmare Sire: MACHIAVELLIAN. Sire of the dams of 106 Stakes winners. In 2015 - GOLDREAM Oasis Dream G1, SAKHEE’S SOLDIER Sakhee’s Secret G1, SHAMAL WIND Dubawi G1, INCANTATION Sinister Minister G3, TERRITORIES Invincible Spirit G3.

The Oasis Dream/Machiavellian cross has produced: GOLDREAM G1, NAAQOOS G1, SANDREAMER G3.

GOLDREAM br g 2009 Danzig Green Desert Foreign Courier OASIS DREAM b 00 Dancing Brave Hope Bahamian Mr Prospector Machiavellian Coup de Folie CLIZIA gr/ro 02 Highest Honor Cuixmala Floripedes

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom Sir Ivor Courtly Dee Lyphard Navajo Princess Mill Reef Sorbus Raise A Native Gold Digger Halo Raise The Standard Kenmare High River Top Ville Toute Cy

In 2011 the King’s Stand Stakes provided a first Gr1 success for trainer Robert Cowell’s Prohibit, a six-year-old Oasis Dream gelding who had graduated from handicap company. History repeated itself four years later, when another six-year-old son of Oasis Dream trained by Cowell – the former handicapper Goldream – gained his first Gr1 success in the same race, at odds of 20-1.

Oasis Dream has had 15 starters out of mares by Machiavellian and Goldream is the third of them to become a stakes winner, another being Naaqoos (Gr1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere). He also sired that outstanding filly Midday from a mare

by Kingmambo, another son of Machiavellian’s sire Mr Prospector.

Goldream is now a veteran of 31 races but his dam Clizia and second dam Cuixmala were unraced.

Cuixmala had the considerable distinction of being a half-sister to the magnificent racehorse and sire Montjeu. Not that Goldream, who has never won beyond six furlongs, has ever shown any of the stamina associated with this family. His third dam Floripedes won the Gr3 Prix de Lutece over 15 furlongs and the next dam, Toute Cy, also passed on plenty of stamina to her son Dadarissime, a triple Group winner over distances just short of two miles. Dadarissime’s sire Highest Honor also sired second dam Cuixmala. This is also the family of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Again.

120 QUEEN ANNE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 16. 4yo+. 8f.

1. SOLOW (GB) 5 9-0 £212,663 gr g by Singspiel - High Maintenance (Highest Honor) O-Wertheimer et Frere B-Wertheimer et Frere TR-F. Head 2. Esoterique (IRE) 5 8-11 £80,625 b m by Danehill Dancer - Dievotchka (Dancing Brave) O-Baron Edouard de Rothschild B-Societe Civile de L’Ecurie de Meautry TR-A. Fabre 3. Cougar Mountain (IRE) 4 9-0 £40,350 b c by Fastnet Rock - Descant (Nureyev) O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs Magnier/Mrs O’Brien B-Whisperview Trading Ltd TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 1, Neck. Time 1:37.90. Going Good.

Age 2-5

Starts 15

Wins 10

Places Earned 4 £2,855,719

Sire: SINGSPIEL. Sire of 101 Stakes winners.

1st Dam: High Maintenance by Highest Honor. 3 wins at 2 to 4 in France, 2nd G. P. de Lyon Etape du Defi du Galop LR, Prix La Moskowa LR, 3rd Qatar Prix Gladiateur G3. Dam of 1 winner: 2010: SOLOW (g Singspiel) 10 wins at 3 to 5 at home, France, UAE, Queen Anne S G1, Prix d’Ispahan G1, DP World Dubai Turf G1, Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein G2, Prix Quincey Lucien Barriere G3.

2011: Too High (c High Chaparral) 2012: Prime Spot (c High Chaparral) unraced to date.

2013: High Quality (f Invincible Spirit) unraced to date.

2015: (f Shamardal) 2nd Dam: FABULOUS HOSTESS by Fabulous Dancer. 7 wins at 2 to 4 in France CIGA Prix de Royallieu G2. Dam of HOSTESSANTE (f Pleasant Colony: Prix de la Seine LR), High Maintenance (f Highest Honor, see above). Grandam of FACOLTOSO, COLONY BAND, Aspasia de Mileto. Third dam of COLIZEO. Broodmare Sire: HIGHEST HONOR. Sire of the dams of 62 Stakes winners. In 2015 - SOLOW Singspiel G1, REVE MISTRAL King Kamehameha G2, FLY WITH ME Beat Hollow LR. The Singspiel/Highest Honor cross has produced: SOLOW G1, AU REVOIR G2.

SOLOW gr g 2010 Sadler’s Wells In The Wings High Hawk SINGSPIEL b 92 Halo Glorious Song Ballade Kenmare Highest Honor High River HIGH MAINTENANCE gr 04 Fabulous Dancer Fabulous Hostess Young Hostess

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Shirley Heights Sunbittern Hail To Reason Cosmah Herbager Miss Swapsco Kalamoun Belle of Ireland Riverman Hairbrush Northern Dancer Last of The Line Arctic Tern Yeovil

See race 55 in the July issue 121 ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 16. 3yoc. 8f.

1. GLENEAGLES (IRE) 9-0 £229,854 b c by Galileo - You’resothrilling (Storm Cat) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-You’resothrilling Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Latharnach (USA) 9-0 £87,143 b c by Iffraaj - Firth of Lorne (Danehill) O-Godolphin B-Darley TR-Charlie Appleby 3. Consort (IRE) 9-0 £43,612 gr c by Lope de Vega - Mundus Novus (Unbridled’s Song) O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing(Hardwicke) B-Old Long Hill Ballinteskin Stud Ltd TR-Sir Michael Stoute Margins 2.5, 0.5. Time 1:38.80. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 9

Wins 7

Places 2

Earned £919,350

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Caulfield on Free Eagle: “His elevation to Group 1 winner comes only months after the death of his sire High Chaparral, sire also of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes third Western Hymn”

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 199 Stakes winners. In 2015 GLENEAGLES Storm Cat G1, AMPERE Sri Pekan G2, CURVY Inchinor G2, SECRET GESTURE Danehill G2, TANBY Danewin G2, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, KISSED BY ANGELS Danehill Dancer G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, SERTORIUS Encosta de Lago G3, SILVER GALAXY Pivotal G3.

2015 - CONTRIBUTER Exit To Nowhere G1, FENWAY Zabeel G1, FREE EAGLE Danehill G1, PONDAROSA MISS Danske G1, ALPINE EAGLE Zabeel G2, HI WORLD Danehill Dancer G3, KARAKTAR King’s Best G3, LAST BULLET Bite The Bullet G3, SADLER’S LAKE Encosta de Lago G3, WESTERN HYMN Cape Cross G3.

1st Dam: YOU’RESOTHRILLING by Storm Cat. 2 wins at 2, Irish Thoroughbred Cherry Hinton S G2. Own sister to GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, Tumblebrutus, Tiger Dance and Freud. Dam of 2 winners: 2011: MARVELLOUS (f Galileo). 2 wins at 2 and 3, Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas G1.

2012: GLENEAGLES (c Galileo) Champion 2yr old colt in Ireland in 2014. 7 wins at 2 and 3, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas G1, Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S G1, St James’s Palace S G1, Qipco 2000 Guineas G1, Galileo EBF Futurity S G2, Japanese Racing Authority Tyros S G3, 3rd Qatar PX Prix JeanLuc Lagardere Gd.Crit G1.

2013: Coolmore (f Galileo) unraced to date.

2014: (c Galileo)

1st Dam: POLISHED GEM by Danehill. Winner at 2.

Own sister to DRESS TO THRILL. Dam of 4 winners: 2008: SAPPHIRE (f Medicean) 6 wins at 3 and 4, Qipco Brit.Champions Fillies/Mare S G2, 2nd Barclays Bnk Ireland Pretty Polly S G1.

2009: CUSTOM CUT (g Notnowcato) 11 wins at 3 to 6, 2015, bet365 Mile G2, Shadwell Joel S G2.

2010: AMBER ROMANCE (f Bahamian Bounty) Winner at 4.

2011: FREE EAGLE (c High Chaparral). 3 wins at 2 to 4, Prince of Wales’s S G1, KPMG Enterprise S G3, 2nd ICON Breeders’ Cup Juv.Turf Trial S G3, 3rd Qipco Champion S G1.

2012: Valac (g Dark Angel) 2014: (c Dubawi)

2nd Dam: MARIAH’S STORM by Rahy. 10 wins at 2 to 4 in USA Arlington Washington Lassie S G2, Budweiser Turfway Park Breeders’ Cup H G2, 3rd Spinster S G1. Dam of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (c Storm Cat: Juddmonte International S G1, Coral Eclipse S G1, Esat Digifone Champion S G1, St James’s Palace S G1, Champagne Lanson Sussex S G1, Prix de la Salamandre G1, 2nd Entenmann’s Irish 2000 Guineas G1, Queen Elizabeth II S G1, Sagitta 2000 Guineas G1, Breeders’ Cup Classic G1), YOU’RESOTHRILLING (f Storm Cat, see above), Hanky Panky (f Galileo: 3rd Ballyogan S G3), Freud (c Storm Cat: 3rd Cork and Orrery S G2), Tumblebrutus (c Storm Cat: 2nd Galileo EBF Futurity G2), Tiger Dance (c Storm Cat: 3rd Emirates Airline Minstrel S G3), Roar of The Tiger (c Storm Cat: 3rd Governor’s H LR). Grandam of STORM THE STARS. Broodmare Sire: STORM CAT. Sire of the dams of 177 Stakes winners. In 2015 - GLENEAGLES Galileo G1, HONOR CODE A P Indy G1, SHARED BELIEF Candy Ride G1, DIVERSY HARBOR Curlin G2, LACHESIS Deep Impact G2.

The Galileo/Storm Cat cross has produced: ALOFT G1, GLENEAGLES G1, MARVELLOUS G1, MISTY FOR ME G1, GLOBAL VIEW G2, TWIRL G3, Ballydoyle LR.

2nd Dam: TRUSTED PARTNER by Affirmed. 3 wins at 2 and 3 Goffs Irish 1000 Guineas G1. Own sister to LOW KEY AFFAIR, EASY TO COPY, EPICURE’S GARDEN and Magical Cliche. Dam of DRESS TO THRILL (f Danehill: Matriarch S G1, 2nd Moyglare Stud S G1), Act of Defiance (g Caerleon: 3rd Tyros S LR), ARCHIVE FOOTAGE (g Sadler’s Wells: The Ladbroke Limited H. Hurdle G1). Grandam of Aahaykid, INDIAN PACE. Third dam of VERT DE GRECE, LOVE LOCKDOWN, TABLE ROCK, Glory.

Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL. Sire of the dams of 294 Stakes winners. In 2015 - COSMIC ENDEAVOUR Northern Meteor G1, FREE EAGLE High Chaparral G1, HALLOWED CROWN Street Sense G1, PRIDE OF DUBAI Street Cry G1, VANCOUVER Medaglia d’Oro G1.

The High Chaparral/Danehill cross has produced: FOREVER LOVED G1, FREE EAGLE G1, Charmont G1, ABOVE AVERAGE G2, Mr Singh G2, NOLL WALLOP G3.

FREE EAGLE b c 2011 Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Fairy Bridge Special HIGH CHAPARRAL b 99 Shirley Heights Darshaan Delsy Kasora Kris Kozana Koblenza Northern Dancer Danzig Pas de Nom Danehill His Majesty Razyana Spring Adieu POLISHED GEM b 03 Exclusive Native Affirmed Won’t Tell You Trusted Partner Speak John Talking Picture Poster Girl Sadler’s Wells

GLENEAGLES b c 2012 Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Sadler’s Wells Bold Reason Fairy Bridge Special GALILEO b 98 Mr Prospector Miswaki Hopespringseternal Urban Sea Lombard Allegretta Anatevka Northern Dancer Storm Bird South Ocean Storm Cat Secretariat Terlingua Crimson Saint YOU’RESOTHRILLING br 05 Blushing Groom Rahy Glorious Song Mariah’s Storm Roberto Immense Imsodear

See race 7 in the June issue 122 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 17. 4yo+. 10f.

1. FREE EAGLE (IRE) 4 9-0 £297,728 b c by High Chaparral - Polished Gem (Danehill) O-Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd TR-D. K. Weld 2. The Grey Gatsby (IRE) 4 9-0 £112,875 gr c by Mastercraftsman - Marie Vison (Entrepreneur) O-Mr F. Gillespie B-M. Parrish TR-Kevin Ryan 3. Western Hymn (GB) 4 9-0 £56,490 b g by High Chaparral - Blue Rhapsody (Cape Cross) O-RJH Geffen and Rachel Hood B-Newsells Park Stud Limited TR-John Gosden Margins Short Head, 2.75. Time 2:05.00.

Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-4

Starts 5

Wins 3

Places 2

Earned £515,780

Sire: HIGH CHAPARRAL. Sire of 77 Stakes winners. In

Racing and breeding can be contrary creatures. The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Trusted Partner had two winning daughters by Danehill. One, Dress To Thrill, won half of her 14 starts, enjoying Group/Graded success in Ireland, England and the USA (Gr1 Matriarch Stakes). Polished Gem, though, won only a sevenfurlong maiden.

It therefore looked a safe bet that it would be Dress To Thrill who was destined for stardom as a broodmare.

However, Dress To Thrill has just a couple of winners – and no blacktype earners – among her six foals.

Polished Gem, on the other hand, has five foals of racing age and among them are a Gr1 winner and a pair of Gr2 winners, each by a different stallion.

One of her Gr2 winners, the Medicean filly Sapphire, won the British Champions Fillies & Mares

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Stakes, which now carries Gr1 status.

The other, the Sandown Mile and Joel Stakes winner Custom Cut, is by a horse now plying his trade as a jumping stallion. Watch out for the mare’s 2014 colt by Dubawi.

Polished Gem’s Gr1 winner Free Eagle has long been held in very high regard but the four-year-old was having only his fifth career start when he just held off The Grey Gatsby to land the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Unfortunately his elevation to Gr1 winner comes only months after the death of his sire High Chaparral, sire also of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes third Western Hymn.

Free Eagle’s Classic-winning second dam, Trusted Partner, was bred to excel. By the American Triple Crown winner Affirmed out of dual Gr1 winner Talking Picture, Trusted Partner was the third of four stakeswinning sisters, the others being Easy To Copy, Epicure’s Garden and Low Key Affair.

This is the family of two 2014 French Gr1 winners – Gallante and Vert de Grece – and of the smart stayer Forgotten Rules.

123 ASCOT GOLD CUP G1 ASCOT. Jun 18. 4yo+. 20f.

1. TRIP TO PARIS (IRE) 4 9-0 £229,854 b g by Champs Elysees - La Grande Zoa (Fantastic Light) O-La Grange Partnership B-P. Monaghan & T. J. Monaghan TR-Ed Dunlop 2. Kingfisher (IRE) 4 9-0 £87,143 b c by Galileo - Mystical Lady (Halling) O-D Smith/Mrs Magnier/M Tabor/Mrs O’Brien B-Whisperview Trading Ltd TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Forgotten Rules (IRE) 5 9-2 £43,612 b g by Nayef - Utterly Heaven (Danehill) O-Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd TR-D. K. Weld Margins 1.25, Neck. Time 4:22.60. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-4

Starts 16

Wins 6

Places 4

Earned £371,819

Sire: CHAMPS ELYSEES. Sire of 8 Stakes winners.

1st Dam: La Grande Zoa by Fantastic Light. ran 3 times at 3. Dam of 1 winner: 2008: (f Alhaarth) 2009: Red Czar (c Red Clubs) ran once.

2011: TRIP TO PARIS (g Champs Elysees) Sold 35,000gns yearling at TAOC2. 6 wins at 2 to 4, Ascot Gold Cup G1, 2nd Cantor Fitzgerald Henry II S G3.

2012: (f Fast Company) 2013: Schoolboy Error (c Roderic O’Connor) unraced to date.

2014: (f Mastercraftsman) Broodmare Sire: FANTASTIC LIGHT. Sire of the dams of 19 Stakes winners. In 2015 - TRIP TO PARIS Champs Elysees G1, FLYER Scat Daddy G2, HAZARD Flying Spur G2, VESPA Elusive City G2, JAVA Medaglia d’Oro G3.

TRIP TO PARIS b g 2011 Danzig Danehill Razyana CHAMPS ELYSEES b 03 Kahyasi Hasili Kerali Rahy Fantastic Light Jood LA GRANDE ZOA b 03 Last Tycoon Majestic Sister Royal Sister II

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom His Majesty Spring Adieu Ile de Bourbon Kadissya High Line Sookera Blushing Groom Glorious Song Nijinsky Kamar Try My Best Mill Princess Claude Ribasha

When the highly progressive Trip To Paris landed the Gold Cup, he added another chapter to the remarkable Hasili story.

This daughter of Kahyasi was once named Broodmare of the Year in recognition of her extraordinary achievements, which included producing five high-class performers to Danehill.

Thanks to Trip To Paris, his sire Champs Elysees has now followed the example of his brothers Dansili and Cacique in siring a top-flight winner. Another of the siblings, Banks Hill, is dam of the Gr1 winner Romantica.

Perhaps thanks to Kahyasi, sire of the Gold Cup winner Enzeli, Champs Elysees demonstrated more stamina than some of his siblings, gaining each of his three North American Gr1 successes over a mile and a half. It is therefore hardly surprising that he has sired a thorough stayer in Trip To Paris.

That said, many of the other very useful winners from his first two crops have proved effective at under a mile and a half.

Trip To Paris’s dam, the Fantastic Light mare La Grande Zoa, raced at up to a mile and a half without showing much ability and the next dam, Majestic Sister, never raced, so gave no clues to her stamina.

Majestic Sister was by Last Tycoon, a top sprinter who stretched his stamina to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but there was stamina in her female line. For example her dam Royal Sister was a half-sister to Ribarbaro, runner-up in the Chester Cup (a race won by Trip To Paris in 2015).

Their dam Ribasha was a halfsister by Ribot to Natashka, who visited Ribot to produce the highclass stayer Blood Royal (Queen’s Vase and Jockey Club Cup).

Some of this stamina emerged in Majestic Sister’s brother Ezzoud, who shone in several of Britain’s top mileand-a-quarter events. However Ezzoud’s top-class half-brother Distant Relative was best at a mile.

124 COMMONWEALTH CUP G1 ASCOT. Jun 19. 3yo. 6f.

1. MUHAARAR (GB) 9-3 £229,854 b c by Oasis Dream - Tahrir (Linamix) O-Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum B-Shadwell Estate Co Ltd TR-Charles Hills 2. Limato (IRE) 9-3 £87,143 b g by Tagula - Come April (Singspiel) O-Mr Paul G. Jacobs B-S. Phelan TR-Henry Candy 3. Anthem Alexander (IRE) 9-0 £43,612 ch f by Starspangledbanner - Lady Alexander (Night Shift) O-Mr Noel O’Callaghan B-Mountarmstrong Stud TR-Edward Lynam Margins 3.75, 0.75. Time 1:12.00.

Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 8

Wins 4

Places 3

Earned £415,127

Sire: OASIS DREAM. Sire of 96 Stakes winners.

In 2015 - GOLDREAM Machiavellian G1, MUHAARAR Linamix G1, CLADOCERA Pivotal G2, ERTIJAAL Seeking The Gold LR, MOOHAARIB Selkirk LR, MUARRAB Wolfhound LR, NAADIRR High Chaparral LR, PEARLY STEPH Pivotal LR.

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DATA BOOK STAKES RESULTS

European Group 1s 1st Dam: Tahrir by Linamix. 2 wins at 3, 2nd Tote Ten to Follow Wentworth S LR. Own sister to MISTER CHARM. Dam of 5 winners: 2007: Tamaathul (g Tiger Hill) 3 wins, 2nd Dubal Firebreak S G3.

2008: Raasekha (f Pivotal) Winner at 3, 3rd Mobile Casino EBF Conqueror S LR. Broodmare.

2009: SAJWAH (f Exceed And Excel) 2 wins at 2, Irish Stall.Farm EBF Dick Poole S LR. 2010: RUFOOF (f Zamindar) 2 wins at 3.

Broodmare.

2012: MUHAARAR (c Oasis Dream) 4 wins at 2 and 3, Commonwealth Cup G1, Irish TB Marketing Gimcrack S G2, AON Greenham S G3, 3rd vision.ae Middle Park S G1, Portland Place Properties July S G2, Titanic Belfast Winkfield S LR. 2013: Kafoor (c Dubawi) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: MISS SACHA by Last Tycoon. 1 win at 3 Topaz Sprint S LR. Dam of MISTER SACHA (c Tiger Hill: Prix de Guiche G3, 3rd Prix Daniel Wildenstein Casino Barrierre G2), MISTER CHARM (g Linamix: Prix Djebel LR, Prix Jacques de Bremond LR (twice), 2nd Prix de la Jonchere G3, Prix des Chenes G3), Tahrir (f Linamix, see above) Broodmare Sire: LINAMIX. Sire of the dams of 86 Stakes winners. In 2015 - MUHAARAR Oasis Dream G1, SUMBAL Danehill Dancer G2, ASHLAN Dansili LR, EYE IN THE SKY Sinndar LR, WOMAN O WAR Kingda Ka LR. The Oasis Dream/Linamix cross has produced: MUHAARAR G1, THAI HAKU G2, ALBARAAH G3.

MUHAARAR b c 2012 Danzig Green Desert Foreign Courier OASIS DREAM b 00 Dancing Brave Hope Bahamian Mendez Linamix Lunadix TAHRIR gr 02 Last Tycoon Miss Sacha Heaven High

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom Sir Ivor Courtly Dee Lyphard Navajo Princess Mill Reef Sorbus Bellypha Miss Carina Breton Lutine Try My Best Mill Princess High Line Triumphant

The Greenham Stakes may be only a Gr3 event, but it has proved a reliable pointer to Gr1 three-year-old success in recent years. In winning the new Commonwealth Cup, Muhaarar followed in the Gr1 footsteps of Frankel, Olympic Glory and Kingman. Unlike his predecessors, Muhaarar appears to be a sprinter rather than a miler and the 2014 Gimcrack winner was dropping back to six furlongs after finishing only eighth when badly drawn in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Muhaarar illustrates the virtues of having a six-furlong Gr1 race confined to three-year-olds. His sire Oasis Dream had to take on his elders in the 2003 King’s Stand Stakes and finished only third, but then won the July Cup and the Nunthorpe.

Although Oasis Dream has sired winners over a wide range of distances, thanks to the stamina in the bottom half of his pedigree, he is arguably most effective as a sire of sprinters.

He has also sired winners of the King’s Stand Stakes (Prohibit and Goldream) and the Nunthorpe (Jwala), and his progeny’s highest winners-to-runners percentage

108

comes from the five- and six-furlong division.

Muhaarar is a Shadwell homebred, which makes him different from the previous three Oasis Dream Gr1 winners campaigned by Sheikh Hamdan (Aqlaam, Arcano and Naaqoos). Muhaarar’s broodmare sire, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Linamix, generally proved quite a strong influence for stamina but Muhaarar’s dam Tahrir was at her most effective over six or seven furlongs. Muhaarar is Tahrir’s second stakes winner, his predecessor being the ill-fated Exceed And Excel filly Sajwah, who broke her pelvis in the Cheveley Park.

Oasis Dream has a fine record with Linamix’s daughters, with Muhaarar, Thai Haku (a Gr2-placed Listed winner) and Albaraah (a Gr3-placed Listed winner) among this cross’s five foals aged three or over.

Tahrir cost 350,000gns as a yearling, her price reflecting her attractive pedigree. Her dam, the five-furlong winner Miss Sacha, was a sister to Mister Charm, a dual Listed winner at just under a mile in France, and their sire was Last Tycoon, a top sprinter who also took the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Muhaarar’s third dam Heaven High was a half-sister by High Line to the top-class ten-furlong filly Timarida.

The next dam, Triumphant, was a halfsister to the top-class Relkino, which made her a daughter of the very smart sprinter-miler Pugnacity.

125 CORONATION STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 19. 3yof. 8f.

1. ERVEDYA (FR) 9-0 £229,854 b f by Siyouni - Elva (King’s Best) O-H.H. Aga Khan B-The Aga Khan's Studs Sc TR-Jean Claude Rouget 2. Found (IRE) 9-0 £87,143 b f by Galileo - Red Evie (Intikhab) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Roncon, Wynatt & Chelston TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Lucida (IRE) 9-0 £43,612 b f by Shamardal - Lura (Street Cry) O-Godolphin B-Darley TR-J. S. Bolger Margins Neck, 0.5. Time 1:38.40.

Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 8

Wins 6

Places 2

Earned £602,342

Sire: SIYOUNI. Sire of 5 Stakes winners. In 2015 ERVEDYA King’s Best G1, LADY SYBIL Tirol LR. 1st Dam: Elva by King’s Best. 2 wins at 2 and 3 in France, 2nd Prix Vanteaux G3. Dam of 3 winners: 2009: ELMAL (c Dalakhani) 3 wins.

2010: Elayouna (f Dr Fong) 2011: ENNAYA (f Nayef) 2 wins at 3 in France.

2012: ERVEDYA (f Siyouni). 6 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, Coronation S G1, Prix Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1, Prix de Cabourg Jockey Club de Turquie G3, Prix Imprudence G3, 2nd Total Prix Marcel Boussac G1, 3rd Darley Prix Morny G1.

2013: (f Exceed And Excel) 2nd Dam: EVORA by Marju. 1 win at 2. Dam of Elva (f King’s Best, see above) Broodmare Sire: KING’S BEST. Sire of the dams of 22 Stakes winners. In 2015 - ERVEDYA Siyouni G1, KARAKTAR High Chaparral G3, BE SAFE Holy Roman Emperor LR, MOSTANEER Dutch Art LR, MULTITUDE Multidimensional LR.

ERVEDYA b f 2012 Nureyev Marie d’Argonne Fearless Revival Cozzene Stufida Danzig Danehill Razyana Conquistador Cielo Slipstream Queen Country Queen Mr Prospector Kingmambo Miesque Lombard Allegretta Anatevka Last Tycoon Marju Flame of Tara The Minstrel Eviyrna Euliya Polar Falcon

Pivotal SIYOUNI b 07 Sichilla

King’s Best ELVA b 04 Evora

See race 48 in the July issue 126 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 20. 4yo+. 6f.

1. UNDRAFTED (USA) 5 9-3 £297,728 ch g by Purim - French Jeannette (French Deputy) O-Wes Welker & Sol Kumin B-Catesby W. Clay Investment LLC TR-Wesley A. Ward 2. Brazen Beau (AUS) 4 9-3 £112,875 br c by I Am Invincible - Sansadee (Snaadee) O-On Track Racing (Mgr G. Morgan) B-B M Howlett TR-Chris Waller 3. Astaire (IRE) 4 9-3 £56,490 b c by Intense Focus - Runway Dancer (Dansili) O-Mrs Angie Bailey B-Mr J. O’Connor TR-Kevin Ryan Margins 0.5, 1.75. Time 1:12.60. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-5

Starts 20

Wins 5

Places 11

Earned £645,297

Sire: PURIM. Sire of 4 Stakes winners. In 2015 TWILIGHT ECLIPSE Twilight Agenda G1, UNDRAFTED French Deputy G1, CHANNEL MARKER Exbourne G3.

1st Dam: FRENCH JEANNETTE by French Deputy. 6 wins at 2 to 4 in USA. Dam of 2 winners: 2007: FINANCIAL CRISIS (f Broken Vow) 3 wins at 3 in USA. 2008: Penney N A Prayer (c Songandaprayer) unraced.

2010: UNDRAFTED (g Purim) 4 wins at 2, 3 and 5 at home, USA, Diamond Jubilee S G1, Jaipur Invitational S G3, 2nd Twin Spires Turf Sprint S G3 (twice), 3rd Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint G1, Hutcheson S G2, Shakertown S G3, Swale S G3, Gulfstream Park Derby LR, Willard L Proctor Memorial S LR, Kentucky Downs Turf Dash S. 2011: Play Hard To Get (c Purim) unraced.

2012: (c Rock Hard Ten) 2013: (c Big Brown) Broodmare Sire: FRENCH DEPUTY. Sire of the dams of 52 Stakes winners. In 2015 UNDRAFTED Purim G1, INTERNATIONAL STAR Fusaichi Pegasus G2, ULIULI Deep Impact G3, DOKOFUKUKAZE Wild Rush LR, JUST DOING Zenno Rob Roy LR, LANNER FALCON Trippi LR, YGRITTE Snitzel LR.

UNDRAFTED ch g 2010 Roberto Dynaformer Andover Way PURIM b/br 02 Lord At War Kirsteena Eternal Vow Deputy Minister French Deputy Mitterand FRENCH JEANNETTE b 00 Alysheba Fancy Sheba Native Fancy

Hail To Reason Bramalea His Majesty On The Trail General Luna de Miel Nasty And Bold Quit Me Not Vice Regent Mint Copy Hold Your Peace Laredo Lass Alydar Bel Sheba Our Native Mary Stevens

Thanks to such as Blue Bunting, Americain, Lucarno, Michita and Wiener Walzer, the name of their sire Dynaformer is primarily associated with stamina in Europe. Dynaformer

did, though, sire a couple of notable two-year-old fillies in Britain, in Rainbow View and White Moonstone, and several of his American progeny were Gr1 winners at around a mile.

One of them was Purim, whose finest moment came when he landed the Shadwell Turf Mile as a five-year-old.

Purim was versatile, as one of his earlier Graded successes had been gained on dirt.

Purim died early in 2012, at the age of ten, and his legacy was only 217 foals. However, he was represented by his first Gr1 winner when the tough gelding Twilight Eclipse landed the Man o’War Stakes in May 2015 and we didn’t have long to wait for another. This came when another gelding, Undrafted, finished strongly to take the Diamond Jubilee over six furlongs – the same distance as the Gr3 Jaipur Invitational Stakes, which was won by another of Purim’s turf performers, Channel Marker, earlier in June.

Undrafted, whose earlier visit to Britain had yielded a fine fourth in the 2014 July Cup, must owe some of his speed to his dam French Jeannette. She raced exclusively over sprint distances, winning six of her 17 starts on dirt (she was unplaced on her only appearance on turf).

French Jeannette’s sire, the fine miler French Deputy, raced solely on dirt during a career restricted to six starts by a variety of problems. He sired a fast and versatile performer in Left Bank before being exported to Japan, where his grandson Curren Chan won the Gr1 Sprinters Stakes.

Undrafted’s third dam, the Gr2 sixfurlong two-year-old winner Native Fancy, also ranks as the fourth dam of another notable sprinter in Reynaldothewizard (Gr1 Golden Shaheen).

127 DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH DERBY G1 CURRAGH. Jun 27. 3yoc&f. 12f.

1. JACK HOBBS (GB) 9-0 £562,016 br c by Halling - Swain’s Gold (Swain) O-Godolphin & Partners B-Minster Stud TR-John Gosden 2. Storm The Stars (USA) 9-0 £184,109 b c by Sea The Stars - Love Me Only (Sadler’s Wells) O-Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum B-Summer Wind Farm TR-William Haggas 3. Giovanni Canaletto (IRE) 9-0 £87,209 ch c by Galileo - Love Me True (Kingmambo) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Southern Bloodstock TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 5, 5.5. Time 2:34.93. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 5

Wins 3

Places 2

Earned £916,974

Sire: HALLING. Sire of 63 Stakes winners. In 2015 JACK HOBBS Swain G1, JUTLAND Darshaan LR, ROMSDAL Singspiel LR. 1st Dam: SWAIN’S GOLD by Swain. 3 wins at 3 in USA. Dam of 3 winners: 2006: Dropped Change (f Came Home) unraced.

Broodmare.

2007: Fleetwoodmaxi (g Afleet Alex) ran.

2008: MRS GREELEY (f Mr Greeley) 3 wins at 3 and 4. Broodmare.

2009: Niceofyoutotellme (g Hernando) 4 wins at 3 to 5, 3rd CantorFitzgerald Brigadier Gerard S G3.

2012: JACK HOBBS (c Halling) Sold 60,000gns

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Caulfield on Jack Hobbs: “He is something of a rarity in Europe – he has no inbreeding in his first five generations and has no Northern Dancer blood in his first four generations”

yearling at TAOC2. 2 wins at 2 and 3, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby G1, 2nd Investec Derby S G1, Betfred Dante S G2.

2013: Manson (c Equiano) unraced to date.

2014: (c Mayson) 2015: (f Sepoy) 2nd Dam: GOLDEN POND by Don’t Forget Me. 7 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, USA Orchid H G2. Dam of BRAZILIAN (f Stravinsky: Lemhi Go S). Grandam of LA MALAGUENA. Broodmare Sire: SWAIN. Sire of the dams of 7 Stakes winners. In 2015 - JACK HOBBS Halling G1, PERMIT Dansili G3.

JACK HOBBS br c 2012 Sharpen Up Diesis Doubly Sure HALLING ch 91 Green Dancer Dance Machine Never A Lady Nashwan Swain Love Smitten SWAIN’S GOLD b/br 01 Don’t Forget Me Golden Pond Golden Bloom

Atan Rocchetta Reliance II Soft Angels Nijinsky Green Valley Pontifex Camogie Blushing Groom Height of Fashion Key To The Mint Square Angel Ahonoora African Doll Main Reef Daffodil Day

When the broodmare Swain’s Gold was purchased in America, part of her appeal to her new British owner must surely have been the absence from her pedigree of the ubiquitous Northern Dancer. However, it was a mating with Halling, a horse with only one line to Northern Dancer, which has hit the jackpot by producing Jack Hobbs.

This very progressive colt, who followed up his Derby second with an impressive victory in the Irish Derby, is consequently something of a rarity in Europe – he has no inbreeding in his first five generations and has no Northern Dancer blood in his first four generations (and only one in his fifth).

This means that Jack Hobbs could eventually develop into a valuable outcross, but he probably needs to achieve superstar status to be given the chance. At present I would expect him to be kept in training for another year or two by Godolphin, as his pedigree isn’t particularly fashionable. He was foaled when his sire Halling was 21 and he is the fourth Gr1 winner for the former Darley stallion.

Two of his predecessors also raced for Godolphin, including the admirable Cavalryman, who was still performing with great credit at the age of eight.

Jack Hobbs’s broodmare sire, Swain, was another of Godolphin’s stars. This son of Nashwan numbered two victories in the King George among his Gr1 successes, and he also went very close to winning the Dubai World Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic, leaving absolutely no doubts about his quality and versatility.

Unfortunately he proved unable to transfer his brilliance to the stallion barn, perhaps partly because he was based in the US rather than Europe.

His only Gr1 winner from 349 foals was the filly Dimitrova.

Jack Hobbs’s dam Swain’s Gold

won three of her four starts, all over sprint distances, as a three-year-old, but she raced in Arizona, which explains why she earned less than $27,000. She cost James Delahooke $180,000 on behalf of Minster Stud at Keeneland in January 2007. She has since produced Mrs Greeley, who was a fairly useful winner at up to seven furlongs, Niceofyoutotellme, a very useful middle-distance performer

by Hernando, and now Jack Hobbs.

Swain’s Gold’s bloodlines are largely European, with six of her eight great-grandparents being bred either in France, Britain or Ireland. Her second dam, the unraced Golden Bloom, was bred by the late Jim Joel from two of his other homebreds, Main Reef and Daffodil Day. Daffodil Day also produced the Gr3 Irish winner Spring Daffodil, but her main claim to fame was that she was a half-sister to the top-class Connaught, winner of the Eclipse and, like Jack Hobbs, second in the Derby.

Golden Bloom also had the distinction of being inbred 3 x 4 to Joel’s outstanding broodmare Queen Of Light (dam of those top broodmares Picture Light, Chandelier, Crystal Palace and Lovely Light).

Jack Hobbs’s second dam Golden Pond was a tough performer at up to a mile in Europe, where she won a Listed race in France, and this daughter of Don’t Forget Me went on to do well in the US. As often happens, Golden Pond displayed more stamina after her move, notably winning the Gr2 Orchid Handicap over a mile and a half.

2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012:

2013:

You’ll Be Mine (f Kingmambo) Winner at 2, 3rd Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile S G1.

Broodmare.

October (c Kingmambo) unraced.

CONSISTORY (c Smart Strike) Winner at 3 in Italy.

Half Moon (f Duke of Marmalade) DANCE WITH ANOTHER (f Danehill Dancer) Winner at 2.

DIAMONDSANDRUBIES (f Fastnet Rock) 3 wins at 3, Sea the Stars Pretty Polly S G1, Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks LR, 3rd Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil S LR. How High The Moon (f Fastnet Rock) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: Jude by Darshaan. Own sister to ALOUETTE and ARRIKALA. Dam of YESTERDAY (f Sadler’s Wells: Entenmann’s Irish 1000 Guineas G1, 2nd Vodafone Oaks S G1, Prix de l’Opera Casino Barriere Enghien G1, Prix Vermeille-Fouquet’s Barriere G1, 3rd Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf G1), QUARTER MOON (f Sadler’s Wells, see above), All My Loving (f Sadler’s Wells: 2nd Goffs/Doncaster BS Park Hill S G2, Ribblesdale S G2, 3rd Darley Irish Oaks G1, Vodafone Oaks S G1), Betterbetterbetter (f Galileo: 2nd Kerry Group Noblesse S G3), Hold Me Love Me (f Sadler’s Wells: 2nd K & M Timber Ballycullen S LR, 3rd Goffs/Doncaster BS Park Hill S G2), Magicalmysterytour (g Sadler’s Wells: 3rd J.Smith’s Ext.Smooth Silver Cup H LR). Grandam of THOMAS CHIPPENDALE, RENEW. Broodmare Sire: SADLER’S WELLS. Sire of the dams of 363 Stakes winners. In 2015 - BLAZING SPEED Dylan Thomas G1, DIAMONDSANDRUBIES Fastnet Rock G1, GUST OF WIND Darci Brahma G1, BAWINA Dubawi G2, KARPINO Cape Cross G2, SECOND STEP Dalakhani G2.

The Fastnet Rock/Sadler’s Wells cross has produced: DIAMONDSANDRUBIES G1, SMUGGLER’S COVE G1, Rockfast G1, Cape Clear Island G2, FAST LOVE G3, ILITSHE LR, TABLE ROCK LR.

DIAMONDSANDRUBIES b f 2012

FASTNET ROCK b 01

128 SEA THE STARS PRETTY POLLY STAKES G1

Piccadilly Circus

CURRAGH. Jun 28. 3yo+f. 10f.

1. DIAMONDSANDRUBIES (IRE) 3 8-12 £116,473 b f by Fastnet Rock - Quarter Moon (Sadler’s Wells) O-Mrs R Henry/Mrs J Magnier B-Premier Bloodstock TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Legatissimo (IRE) 3 8-12 £37,016 b f by Danehill Dancer - Yummy Mummy (Montjeu) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Newsells Park Stud Limited TR-David Wachman 3. Ribbons (GB) 5 9-10 £17,636 ch m by Manduro - Sister Act (Marju) O-Elite Racing Club B-Elite Racing Club TR-James Fanshawe Margins Short Head, Neck. Time 2:07.38.

Going Good.

Age 2-3

Starts 6

Wins 3

Places 2

Earned £172,998

Sire: FASTNET ROCK. Sire of 78 Stakes winners. In 2015 - DIAMONDSANDRUBIES Sadler’s Wells G1, MAGICOOL Galileo G1, QUALIFY Galileo G1, FIRST SEAL Scenic G2, FASCINATING ROCK Polar Falcon G3, LA SALDANA Singspiel G3, BEWHATYOUWANNABE Beautiful Crown LR, HARLEM RIVER Xaar LR, LUMOSTY Bachelor Duke LR, NINTH LEGION Xaar LR, SATURN ROCK Ne Coupez Pas LR. 1st Dam: QUARTER MOON by Sadler’s Wells.

Champion 2yr old filly in Ireland in 2001. Winner at 2, Moyglare Stud S G1, 2nd Darley Irish Oaks G1, Entenmann’s Irish 1000 Guineas G1, Vodafone Oaks S G1, 3rd Vodafone Nassau S G1. Own sister to YESTERDAY, Hold Me Love Me, All My Loving and Magicalmysterytour. Dam of 7 winners: 2004: MOONLESS NIGHT (c Danehill) 6 wins.

2005: KING OF WESTPHALIA (c Kingmambo) 2 wins.

2006: Born To Be King (c Storm Cat) Winner at 2, 3rd Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial S G3.

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Northern Dancer Pas de Nom His Majesty Razyana Spring Adieu Nijinsky Royal Academy Crimson Saint Marauding Gatana Twigalae Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Fairy Bridge Special Shirley Heights Darshaan Delsy Crystal Palace Alruccaba Allara Danzig

Danehill

Sadler’s Wells QUARTER MOON b 99 Jude

The 1,000 Guineas winner Legatissimo could be forgiven for having a grudge against fillies by Danehill’s champion Australian son Fastnet Rock. One, Qualify, caught her close home to deprive her of victory in the Oaks and now another, Diamondsandrubies, has held off her late challenge to land the Pretty Polly Stakes.

However, few would begrudge the courageous Diamondsandrubies her first Gr1 success, as she had been badly hampered when fourth in the Oaks.

Diamondsandrubies has an appropriate name, as she must now be worth a king’s ransom. The bare facts of her pedigree are that her dam, the Moyglare Stud winner Quarter Moon, was good enough to finish second in three Classics, including the Oaks, and Quarter Moon is herself a sister to Yesterday, the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner who was also second in the Oaks.

Another sister, All My Loving, was

third in the Oaks and Irish Oaks before visiting a son of Danehill – Dansili – to produce the very smart Thomas Chippendale.

Yet another sister, Hold Me Love Me, has also produced a stakes winner to Dansili, so Diamondsandrubies represents a tried-and-tested cross.

Quarter Moon and her sisters represent the celebrated Sadler’s Wells-Darshaan cross which also yielded such high-class performers as High Chaparral, Milan, Islington, Septimus, Ebadiyla and Greek Dance.

This cross generally imparts plenty of stamina, which has been balanced in the case of Diamondsandrubies by the speed of Fastnet Rock.

The second dam of Diamondsandrubies, Jude, didn’t win but she was a sister to Alouette, dam of those excellent fillies Albanova and Alborada (1998 and 1999 Champion Stakes).

She was also a half-sister to Last Second, the Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes winner who became the dam of French 2,000 Guineas winner Aussie Rules and second dam of the Classic-placed colts Midas Touch and Michelangelo. The Prix Royal-Oak winner Allegretto is another member of this family.

129 GRAND PRIX DE SAINT-CLOUD G1 SAINT-CLOUD. Jun 28. 4yo+. 2400m.

1. TREVE (FR) 5 8-13 £177,178 b m by Motivator - Trevise (Anabaa) O-Al Shaqab Racing B-Haras du Quesnay TR-Mme C. Head-Maarek 2. Flintshire (GB) 5 9-2 £70,884 b/br h by Dansili - Dance Routine (Sadler’s Wells) O-Mr K. Abdullah B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd TR-A. Fabre 3. Dolniya (FR) 4 8-13 £35,442 b f by Azamour - Daltama (Indian Ridge) O-H.H. Aga Khan B-The Aga Khan's Studs Sc TR-A. de Royer Dupre Margins 1.25, 2.5. Time 2:27.59. Going Good.

Age 2-5

Starts 11

Wins 8

Places Earned 3 £5,626,569

Sire: MOTIVATOR. Sire of 22 Stakes winners. In 2015 TREVE Anabaa G1, SKY HUNTER Silver Hawk G2.

1st Dam: TREVISE by Anabaa. Winner at 2 in France.

Own sister to TSIGANE. Dam of 3 winners: 2005: TROIS ROIS (c Hernando) 4 wins at 3 and 5 in France, UAE, G.P. de Marseille Etapi du Defi du Galop LR, 3rd Prix Greffulhe G2.

2006: Trevimix (c Linamix) 2008: Tocqueville (f Numerous) unraced.

Broodmare.

2010: TREVE (f Motivator) Sold 18,062gns yearling at AROCT. Champion 3yr old in Europe in 2013, Champion older mare in Europe in 2014. 8 wins at 2 to 5, 2015 in France, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud G1, Prix de Diane Longines G1, Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe G1 (twice), Qatar Prix Vermeille G1, Prix Corrida G2, 2nd Prix Ganay G1, 3rd Prince of Wales’s S G1.

2011: TROPHEE (f Mr Sidney) Winner at 4 in USA. 2012: Toride (f Fuisse) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: Trevillari by Riverman. Own sister to TREBLE. Dam of TSIGANE (c Anabaa: Wickerr H LR, 3rd Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile S G1) Broodmare Sire: ANABAA. Sire of the dams of 52 Stakes winners. In 2015 - DISSIDENT Sebring G1, HARTNELL Authorized G1, TREVE Motivator G1, ENGLISH Encosta de Lago G2, HARRY’S SON Haradasun G2, QUEENS RING Manhattan Cafe G2.

109

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DATA BOOK STAKES RESULTS & EXCLUSIVE STALLION STATISTICS – FULL SIRE LISTS AT OWNERBREEDER.CO.UK

European Group 1s TREVE b m 2010 Sadler’s Wells Montjeu Floripedes MOTIVATOR b 02 Gone West Out West Chellingoua Danzig Anabaa Balbonella TREVISE b 00 Riverman Trevillari Trevilla

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Top Ville Toute Cy Mr Prospector Secrettame Sharpen Up Uncommitted Northern Dancer Pas de Nom Gay Mecene Bamieres Never Bend River Lady Lyphard Trillion

The brilliant Treve has given her connections no reason to regret the rapid reversal of the decision to retire her to visit Dubawi, following her second success in the Arc. She has won both her starts as a

even better than herself in Triptych.

This Riverman mare’s major victories included the Prix Marcel Boussac, Irish 2,000 Guineas, Prix Ganay, Coronation Cup, Matchmaker International, Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes, and she was twice third in the Arc. Triptych had two notable sisters.

One, Barger, won the Gr3 Prix Vanteaux and is now second dam of Tawqeet (Caulfield Cup), while Triple Couronne is the second dam of Amorama (dual Gr1 winner in the US).

Consequently Riverman was a natural choice for Trillion’s unraced Lyphard filly Trevilla (who is also the second dam of the high-class sprinter Tamarisk). Trevilla’s first Riverman filly Trevillari failed to win in 13 attempts,

five-year-old, pouncing late to land the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud from Flintshire, who also chased her home in the 2014 Arc. Treve will now be handed the chance of an historic third Arc victory. She is following a path first trodden by her fourth dam, the wonderfully tough Trillion, but Treve has generally bettered her ancestress.

Whereas Treve easily won the Diane, Trillion was beaten a head. Trillion went on to win the Ganay, a race in which Treve suffered a narrow defeat.

Trillion also tackled the Arc as a four- and five-year-old, her better effort being her second to Alleged.

Trillion also found just one too good for her in the 1978 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Remarkably, Trillion produced a filly

but her second, Treble, won the Gr1 Saint-Alary. Trevillari made amends by producing nine winners and is now the second dam of Treve. Treve’s dam, the two-year-old sprint winner Trevise, is a sister to Trevillari’s best winner, the smart international miler Tsigane.

Treve is by no means the only daughter of Motivator to have advertised his talent as a sire. He has 12 Group winners to his credit and no fewer than nine of them are fillies (the male interlopers being the geldings Sky Hunter, Felician and Robin Hoods Bay).

Motivator has no four-year-olds in 2015 and has only 45 three-year-olds and 34 two-year-olds. Fortunately his 2014 crop – his first in France – is considerably bigger.

Group 2 and 3 Races Date 12/06 14/06 14/06 14/06 14/06 16/06 17/06 17/06 17/06 18/06 18/06 18/06 18/06 19/06 19/06 20/06 21/06 21/06 27/06 27/06 27/06 27/06 28/06 28/06 28/06 28/06 28/06 28/06 29/06 29/06 29/06

Grade G3 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G2 G2 G3 G2 G2 G3 G3 G2 G3 G2 G3 G3 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G3 G3 G3 G3

Race (course) La Coupe (Longchamp) Oppenheim Union-Rennen (Cologne) Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Chantilly) Prix du Lys Longines (Chantilly) Munster Oaks Stakes (Cork) Coventry Stakes (Ascot) Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Ascot) Queen Mary Stakes (Ascot) Jersey Stakes (Ascot) Norfolk Stakes (Ascot) Ribblesdale Stakes (Ascot) Tercentenary Stakes (Ascot) Ballycorus Stakes (Leopardstown) King Edward VII Stakes (Ascot) Albany Stakes (Ascot) Hardwicke Stakes (Ascot) Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft (Dortmund) Premio Del Giubileo (Milan) GAIN Railway Stakes (Curragh) F.G.G. Gedachtnisrennen Hamburger Meile (Hamburg) Betfred Chipchase Stakes (Newcastle) John Sunley Memorial Criterion Stakes (Newmarket) pferdewetten.de Hansa Preis (Hamburg) Prix de Malleret (Saint-Cloud) At The Races Curragh Cup (Curragh) Grangecon Stud Balanchine Stakes (Curragh) Hermitage Medical International Stakes (Curragh) Premio Primi Passi (Milan) Prix Chloe (Chantilly) Prix Daphnis (Chantilly) Prix du Bois (Chantilly)

Dist 10f 11f 8f 12f 12f 6f 8f 5f 7f 5f 12f 10f 7f 12f 6f 12f 8.5f 9f 6f 8f 6f 7f 12f 12f 14f 6f 10f 6f 9f 9f 5f

Horse Bello Matteo (FR) Shimrano (GER) Fintry (IRE) Erupt (IRE) Words (IRE) Buratino (IRE) Amazing Maria (IRE) Acapulco (USA) Dutch Connection (GB) Waterloo Bridge (IRE) Curvy (GB) Time Test (GB) Convergence (IRE) Balios (IRE) Illuminate (IRE) Snow Sky (GB) Nordico (GER) Circus Couture (IRE) Painted Cliffs (IRE) Odeliz (IRE) Aeolus (GB) Markaz (IRE) Lovelyn (GER) Sea Calisi (FR) Bondi Beach (IRE) Most Beautiful (GB) Air Pilot (GB) Ottone (GB) Wekeela (FR) Almanaar (GB) Fly On The Night (GB)

Age 4 3 4 3 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 3 2 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 6 2 3 3 2

Sex C C F C F C F F C C F C C C F C C C C M G C F F C F G C F G F

Sire Montmartre Monsun Shamardal Dubawi Dansili Exceed And Excel Mastercraftsman Scat Daddy Dutch Art Zoffany Galileo Dubawi Cape Cross Shamardal Zoffany Nayef Medicean Intikhab Canford Cliffs Falco Araafa Dark Angel Tiger Hill Youmzain Galileo Canford Cliffs Zamindar Dutch Art Hurricane Run Dubawi Equiano

Dam Lidawar Shimrana Campsie Fells Mare Nostrum Moonstone Bergamask Messias da Silva Global Finance Endless Love Miss Childrey Frappe Passage of Time Zahoo Elle Galante Queen of Stars Winter Silence Norwegian Pride Bois Joli Lulawin Acatama Bright Moll Folga Laurella Triclaria One Moment In Time Saphira’s Fire Countess Sybil Contemporary Moonrise Baqah Midnight M

Broodmare Sire Sendawar Daylami Indian Ridge Caerleon Dalakhani Kingmambo Tale of The Cat End Sweep Dubai Destination Dr Fong Inchinor Dansili Nayef Galileo Green Desert Dansili Diktat Orpen Kyllachy Efisio Mind Games Atraf Acatenango Surumu Danehill Cape Cross Dr Devious Alzao Grand Lodge Bahhare Green Desert

Index 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160

Leading sires 2015 by percentage of stakes winners to runners Name

Monsun Dubawi Galileo Sea The Stars Shamardal Lope de Vega Raven's Pass Fastnet Rock Scarface Mastercraftsman Invincible Spirit Dutch Art Dalakhani Hurricane Run Danehill Dancer Dark Angel Teofilo Paco Boy Nayef Authorized Dylan Thomas Le Havre Cape Cross Dansili Siyouni War Front Win River Win Muhtathir Oasis Dream Divine Light Sir Percy Kaneko Makfi Singspiel High Chaparral Mujahid

YOF

1990 2002 1998 2006 2002 2007 2005 2001 2003 2006 1997 2004 2000 2002 1993 2005 2004 2005 1998 2004 2003 2006 1994 1996 2007 2002 1999 1995 2000 1995 2003 2001 2007 1992 1999 1996

Sire

Rnrs

Wnrs

%WR

Konigsstuhl Dubai Millennium Sadler's Wells Cape Cross Giant's Causeway Shamardal Elusive Quality Danehill Montjeu Danehill Dancer Green Desert Medicean Darshaan Montjeu Danehill Acclamation Galileo Desert Style Gulch Montjeu Danehill Noverre Green Desert Danehill Pivotal Danzig Virginia Rapids Elmaamul Green Desert Sunday Silence Mark of Esteem Pivotal Dubawi In the Wings Sadler's Wells Danzig

49 155 207 79 193 69 56 82 21 130 197 135 90 71 121 174 152 78 108 108 149 91 153 124 64 32 65 70 180 72 110 74 75 39 157 79

23 66 67 35 76 32 22 27 8 36 74 42 25 27 46 62 54 20 33 36 52 28 55 39 19 12 19 26 57 25 38 44 27 18 48 44

46.94 42.58 32.37 44.30 39.38 46.38 39.29 32.93 38.10 27.69 37.56 31.11 27.78 38.03 38.02 35.63 35.53 25.64 30.56 33.33 34.90 30.77 35.95 31.45 29.69 37.50 29.23 37.14 31.67 34.72 34.55 59.46 36.00 46.15 30.57 55.70

Races

AWD

Earnings (£)

SH

28 88 81 41 111 41 28 37 12 51 93 54 31 39 67 82 74 27 41 42 75 38 74 53 26 16 34 40 73 39 46 86 35 27 60 64

11.3 9.6 10.5 10.1 8.3 8 9 9.2 8.7 10.6 7.2 7.5 11.1 11.6 8.8 7.1 9.8 6.8 9.6 11.2 9.3 8.7 9.6 10.4 8 7.2 8.6 9.5 8 8.3 10.2 7.5 8.6 9.5 10.3 8.5

537,638 2,685,023 2,875,192 829,377 1,803,804 628,158 500,988 1,026,901 443,503 956,616 1,563,627 578,009 520,894 480,189 1,392,188 1,228,449 1,291,624 326,721 706,092 578,743 843,420 553,456 2,177,527 798,345 837,290 412,856 586,757 542,818 1,475,901 1,185,410 448,991 1,174,997 602,203 489,147 1,291,170 363,946

10 23 36 11 23 8 5 8 1 9 15 7 7 5 12 20 13 3 5 5 8 6 13 10 7 4 3 4 11 3 6 3 5 4 10 2

%

20.41 14.84 17.39 13.92 11.92 11.59 8.93 9.76 4.76 6.92 7.61 5.19 7.78 7.04 9.92 11.49 8.55 3.85 4.63 4.63 5.37 6.59 8.50 8.06 10.94 12.50 4.62 5.71 6.11 4.17 5.45 4.05 6.67 10.26 6.37 2.53

SW

%

5 13 15 5 12 4 3 4 1 6 9 6 4 3 5 7 6 3 4 4 5 3 5 4 2 1 2 2 5 2 3 2 2 1 4 2

10.20 8.39 7.25 6.33 6.22 5.80 5.36 4.88 4.76 4.62 4.57 4.44 4.44 4.23 4.13 4.02 3.95 3.85 3.70 3.70 3.36 3.30 3.27 3.23 3.13 3.13 3.08 2.86 2.78 2.78 2.73 2.70 2.67 2.56 2.55 2.53

Dubawi closes gap Monsun’s lead has diminished thanks to a very successful month for Dubawi, who had 12 winners. His stakes horses now stand at 23, with 13 of them having won at that level.

Galileo has jumped into third place from seventh. By his own exceptional standards Galileo has been short of Gr1 successes this year, with Gleneagles the only contributor.

See The Stars and Shamardal have both fallen back slightly – the former had four additional runners, compared with 23 for Shamardal, 22 for Galileo, eight for Dubawi and just one for Monsun. Raven’s Pass has moved from 16th to seventh.

Standing at Kildangan for €20,000, he has had 56 runners, much fewer than other sires of a similar age.

Statistics to July 7

110

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 08-2015_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 06.2015 22/07/2015 12:41 Page 111

POLLY GUNDRY H

aving trained 100 P-to-P winners and since taking out a BHA license in 2011 thus trained 20 NH/Flat winners, I am looking for owners who want their horses well trained.

I am open, honest and a hard worker, wanting to do a great job and help you realise your horses' potential on the racecourse. My speciality is thoroughly educating young horses so that they realise their full potential on a racecourse, which is rarely achieved these days. Although, most of my winners have been achieved with handicappers, so I can rejuvenate horses too!

We have fantastic natural exercise routes, extensive jump schooling facilities. All weather and grass gallops. Riders with eventing backgrounds and professional jockeys to school.

We also take horses schooling at cross country courses and on other gallops so that they are used to working away from home.

References available.

Please contact Polly on 07932 780621 or pollygundrytraining@live.co.uk

Communications and Marketing Manager Position available - One year fixed term contract The TBA is seeking to appoint a dynamic, enthusiastic and ‘hands on’ individual responsible for the promotion and marketing of the TBA across the Racing and Breeding Industry.

The successful candidate will be required to work with a newly formed TBA committee and be responsible for the day to day management of all communication platforms and the marketing of the TBA. Objectives of the role are ensuring increased visibility and reputation of the brand, together with the recruitment and retention of TBA members. Additionally the role will include: the management of press and media relations, sponsorship portfolios, annual events, TBA partnerships and supporting on relevant projects for the newly developed young members club.

Candidates should display excellent communication, interpersonal and computer skills, together with creative and strategic thinking and a confident knowledge of the horseracing and/or breeding industry. Previous commercial achievement in the communications and/or marketing sector will be expected.

This role is offered on a one year fixed term contract, covering maternity leave, offering a salary and package of benefits dependent on experience and relevant qualifications. Please apply by sending a CV and covering letter to Lucinda.Miller@thetba.co.uk by Friday July 31ƗƘ

Protecting a heritage, representing a future.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Comms and Marketing Manager position available The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) represents and promotes the interests of British Breeders. It exists to support the breeding of quality bloodstock and represents breeders’ interests both within Great Britain and the European Commission. The TBA also assists members and the industry in all areas of Thoroughbred breeding.

For more info on this or additional roles at the TBA please visit our website

thetba.co.uk 111

Aug_132_24Hours_Owner 23/07/2015 13:46 Page 112

24 HOURS WITH… ALEX SALMOND

112

PA

I

tend to work late, quite often until two in the morning, so I’m rarely up before eight. I just find I get more work done late at night.

I set my mobile phone alarm, then press the snooze button which can give me an extra eight minutes in bed.

As soon as I switch off the alarm I check my iPhone, have a shower and a cup of tea.

Generally I am not a breakfast person but if Moira, my wife, has made some porridge I have no choice in the matter.

If I’m staying away in a hotel I might be tempted by the cooked breakfast.

On days when I have engagements in the constituency I’ll do my desk work at home but my schedules vary so much there is no specific routine. I wouldn’t try to describe my job as anything but MP for Gordon and MSP for Aberdeenshire East.

I am submitting myself to the Guinness Book of Records as just over two months ago I voted 20 times in Westminster for the chairmanship of the Select Committees and then, on the same day, 30 times at Holyrood in Edinburgh on the Community Empowerment Bill. I doubt if that’s ever been done before. I am motivated by objectives. I see myself as three-quarters of the way up the mountain and my biggest challenge is to make it to the top, where I hope to find independence for Scotland.

I am a joint-Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Racing and Bloodstock and want to revive the Scottish Racing Group, which I started in 2001. It was very helpful to the five Scottish courses, which have all been hugely improved. My intention is to go racing much more than I’ve been able to recently. I suppose my favourite track is Musselburgh as I have happy memories of going there as a boy.

Former Scottish National Party leader ALEX SALMOND has always been a big horseracing fan – though don’t expect to see him on the gallops; he’s more a night owl than an early riser Racing excites me because it attracts such a wide variety of people, characters from so many different backgrounds.

It puts us all on the same footing wherever we come from, a great leveller.

I had a memorable day at Perth in 2011 when we had a charity meeting for the Prince’s Trust and I was determined Prince Charles should make a speech. After Overturn had won the big race, I took the microphone at the presentation ceremony and, unbeknown to the Prince, announced that he would make a speech. And he did, a very good one, too!

I backed Gleneagles when he won at Royal Ascot and

had him in some short-priced doubles and trebles. I felt predisposed to back him given the time and effort we put into the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, as the Scottish government were lead partners in the event with the European Tour. I nearly always have a dabble in the Guineas and Derby. I’ve been on many horses in my time, but never actually sat on one.

I subscribe to the Racing Post online and always look at the speed ratings and mostly concentrate on novice hurdles. But my most recent big win at 8-1 was nothing to do with racing. It was Nicola Sturgeon to win the first leadership debate in the run-

up to the election. I didn’t tell her beforehand – Nicola doesn’t share my enthusiasm for betting!

I’ve been to Cheltenham only once – when Best Mate won his third Gold Cup in 2004 – because those soulless Labour and Tory Chancellors nearly always have the Budget during Festival week.

I once commentated on a race at the Boulta point-topoint in County Cork, near where Best Mate came from.

It was St Andrew’s Day and the committee asked me to call a race. I climbed the ladder into the commentary box but didn’t know any of the horses – the commentator whispered what was happening in my ear and I repeated his words into the microphone. I’m not sure the crowd knew any different.

Invariably there is a constituency event on Saturday mornings which means I can be home in time to watch the racing. My only exercise is golf, which I play off 18, but have been out only once so far this year because of the election.

The Isle of Colonsay is my favourite holiday spot and is as peaceful as you can get; no phone signal, no TV signal and a golf course that was founded shortly after the Garden of Eden. I once won our own Colonsay International Open.

I don’t eat much lunch – I usually make do with a fruit juice to keep the energy levels up. But I always have a good evening meal and I love sea trout, Scottish asparagus and new potatoes. Moira tells me eating late is my undoing weight-wise. She also keeps reminding me I am handless in the kitchen.

I might watch Star Trek before taking a glass of water to bed very late and straight to sleep.

Interview by Tim Richards

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Record £4.1 million prize money and five Group 1 races Following on from the success of the Winners Lounge we are delighted to announce its renewal for 2015 If you have had a winner on the flat between 2nd May – 3rd October you will receive an invitation to QIPCO British Champions Day for a champagne reception in this exclusive facility After party featuring a DJ set from Paloma Faith. Rugby World Cup on big screens

Tickets ON SALE now britishchampionsseries.com 0844 346 3000 17 October 2015, Ascot Racecourse

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Sepoy was an absolute superstar, rated the most outstanding two-year-old to race in Australia since the 1970s and the world Champion sprinter at three.

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