Thoroughbred Owner Breeder

£4.95 AUGUST 2019 ISSUE 180

Vichai’s legacy

King Power Racing’s exciting plans

PLUS

Lisa Hancock

Driving force at the IJF

Yearling sales

08

Goffs UK and Arqana in focus

Kerrin McEvoy

Streaky Bay’s favourite son

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Welcome

Men who made their mark on the sport of kings

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£4.95 AUGUST 2019 ISSUE 180

Vichai’s legacy

King Power Racing’s exciting plans

PLUS

Lisa Hancock

Driving force at the IJF

Yearling sales

08

Goffs UK and Arqana in focus

Kerrin McEvoy

Streaky Bay’s favourite son

9 771745 435006

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

Aug_180_Cover.indd 1

Cover: King Power Racing’s Mystery Power and Oisin Murphy win the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket in July Photo: George Selwyn

Aug_180_Editors.indd 1

Edward Rosenthal Editor

19/07/2019 18:39

he tragic death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash in October impacted not only the world of football, in which he was Chairman of Leicester City FC, but also horseracing.

The Thai billionaire had made a big impression in a short space of time in our world under the King Power Racing banner, spending heavily at the sales, while his blue and white silks have become a familiar sight at racecourses up and down the country, carried by a number of high-class runners.

His family appear to want to continue his legacy in both of the sports he came to love, which is excellent news for racing and also Alastair Donald, the agent who has helped King Power Racing establish a presence so rapidly.

In a fascinating interview with Carl Evans, Donald explains how the days after Vichai’s death played out and what the future holds for the burgeoning operation, which was working towards a five-year strategy to build up to 100 horses in training.

“His son spoke of keeping his father’s legacy going with Leicester City, which I felt was encouraging,” Donald says (The Big Interview, pages 36-40).

“I had other business and clients, but it would have been devastating to lose the opportunity of buying that calibre of horse, and to think that a good one would come along and they wouldn’t be around to see it.

“Every indication is that they want to keep his legacy going and they are enjoying it, so I would be pretty confident we will stick to his plan.”

The passing of another horseracing devotee, John McCririck, has hit the sport hard in recent weeks.

Where do you start with a man like McCririck? Part betting guru, part celebrity, with an apparent fondness for fancy dress, he became synonymous with our sport through his television appearances over more than 30 years. His death in July, aged 79, prompted a

flood of tributes from those that worked with him during his career.

It seems that for much of the time he was on our screens, McCririck was unable to edit himself – perhaps that also goes for his producers on Channel 4 Racing, who eventually called time on his racecourse theatrics.

However, it was this freedom to express himself that allowed him to create the character or alter ego of ‘Big Mac’ – some will tell you that away from the cameras, he was actually a somewhat shy man.

My own memories of Mac include getting his autograph at the races as a boy – we didn’t know what a selfie was in those days – and watching him trawl through newspapers in the press room alone.

“Vichai’s family appear to want to continue his legacy in racing” He was not universally loved, but, as Michael Harris, former Editor of the Racing Post, told me: “From racing’s perspective, apart from Frankie Dettori, nobody has connected with the general public as much as John McCririck in the last 30 years.”

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprising, there is no mention of McCririck on the Harrow School alumni website. In a list of the most recognisable ‘Old Harrovians’ headed by Winston Churchill and Benedict Cumberbatch, Big Mac comes home in 14th, just behind Stanley Baldwin but ahead of John Profumo.

He would have liked that.

Whatever your view on the man and his performances over the years, racing has lost a true advocate.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:40

Contents

August 2019

36 26

42

News & Views

International Scene

ROA Leader

View From Ireland

The promise of pool betting

5

TBA Leader Chance to review income and spending

7 8 12 20 22

Features Enable powers to Coral-Eclipse success

Polish Precedent makes off with the Marois

Alastair Donald talks all things King Power

Travel and lifestyle

2

28

16 18

The Big Interview

Racing Life Baden-Baden has plenty to offer

Shug McGaughey looking to future

From The Archives

Howard Wright Whip woe should stop with jockeys

26

The Big Picture

Tony Morris Benson and Hedges Gold Cup shock

Dave Crosse excels at Clairefontaine

Around The Globe

Changes News in a nutshell

24

Continental Tales

News Farewell to John McCririck

Mikey O'Connor's big ban

36

Talking To...

30

Injured Jockeys' Fund boss Lisa Hancock

42

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:48

96

8

47

Features Goffs UK Yearling Sale

Kirtlington Stud to make consignor debut

Arqana Yearling Sale

Haras de Gouffern and Taylor Made team up

Breeders’ Digest

Staff recruitment and retention

Sales Circuit

Strong figures in Europe and Japan

Caulfield Files

Unbridled sire line among top juveniles

Dr Statz

Farhh flying despite limited fertility

The Finish Line

With Aussie ace Kerrin McEvoy

Forum 47 51 57 58 68 88 96

Forum The Thoroughbred Club

Summer courses and offers for members

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70

ROA Forum

News and images from the AGM

TBA Forum

Black-type glut for British breeders

Vet Forum

Variations in scope findings

72 80 86

Data Book European Pattern Results and analysis

90

Did you know?

Our monthly average readership is

20,000 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:48

ROA Leader

Nicholas Cooper President

Pool betting can flourish under new regime F

or all the brilliance of the sport at Ascot, I believe it is the events that surrounded the pool betting operation at this year’s Royal meeting that could have the most lasting effect on British horseracing.

Ascot’s so-called World Pool was a collaboration between the racecourse’s own Bet With Ascot, Totepool and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Punters from no fewer than 13 countries were involved in betting into this pool so that, over the week, 24 of Ascot’s 30 races had comingled pools. The remaining six races had to rely on domestic pools because they had over 24 runners.

The World Pool was a resounding success. The total gross pool betting turnover for the week increased by 415% from £17.9m in 2018 to £92.23m in 2019, Britain’s first ever £1m-plus win pool was created by the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and even the UK pool turnover increased by 90%.

Even more exciting was what this delivered to punters.

Good enough that Tote dividends on the win market at the meeting beat SP 16 times, but the really impressive statistic is that a £1 bet on the 30 winners on the Tote would have returned £102.53 more than a £1 bet at SP. We know the more money that is bet on British horseracing, the more racing benefits. However, what is less obvious is why it would be of greater benefit to racing if a significant proportion of betting money is diverted to the Tote and, indeed, if total betting turnover grew as a result of a vibrant pool betting operation in this country.

Very soon, we hope the off-course Tote betting operation in the UK will be entirely owned by Alizeti, a company largely made up of racing-friendly shareholders. Alizeti are clear in their objectives to help British horseracing and, while in the short term, this may not go much beyond their obligation to pay into the levy and to Britbet’s 55 racecourses, Tote race sponsorship will surely become a priority as soon as funds permit.

Alizeti’s prime short-term objective, however, must be to capture the hearts and minds of punters. Reducing the takeout from the pool is clearly the most expedient way of doing this, but it is also the most financially challenging.

There is a long-held belief in British racing that we are a nation of fixed-odds bettors. Not for us the so-called exotic bets that pool betting can offer, or even simple win and place when it is unclear what the returns are until after the event.

But this, surely, is a fallacy. It is a fallacy because if punters find they are consistently getting bigger payouts for betting on horses at, say, 10-1 or more with the Tote than at SP, they

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will surely bet on the Tote. If punters find the Tote’s Exacta outperforms the bookmakers’ Computer Straight Forecast over and over again, as it did at Royal Ascot, then most will surely choose the Tote.

It will not happen overnight and it will take a lot of astute marketing to get this message out there, but it will happen as long as Alizeti provides punters with easy access to pool betting. Of course, they are already doing this in betting shops through Tote Direct, but the real test will begin when their new app is launched next March in time for the Cheltenham Festival.

“If punters find they are getting bigger payouts with the Tote they will surely bet on the Tote” We know the betting market is mimicking the high street as more of the business moves from shops to online and we know the inexorable rise of digital technology can only be good for the Tote business. We have also learnt from the Royal Ascot experience that pool betting on British racecourses should be embracing international markets at major festival meetings.

And we, as owners, must play our own small part in choosing to bet with the Tote. Not just for altruistic reasons, for the events at Royal Ascot showed we’ll probably be better off by doing so.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 14:57

The TBA, with you for the journey We invest significantly in equine health, veterinary research and development projects, in fact over ÂŁ2.1m in the last decade alone.

We are currently contributing to important parasitic worms research, early pregnancy loss studies, EHV vaccine development and the Equine Infectious Disease Service. We are also instrumental in the delivery of the HBLB Codes of Practice, key to maintaining the health and welfare of British bloodstock.

Why wouldn’t you support us?

thetba.co.uk

TBA Leader

Julian Richmond-Watson Chairman

Income and expenditure review is essential W

ith the racing calendar for 2020 due to be published this month, it is not surprising there has been considerable debate about the size and shape of the fixture list. Breeders may not be overly concerned, or directly affected, by the day-to-day number of meetings, but as part of the Horsemen’s Group we understand the pressures that the current level of activity imposes on our fellow members.

For many years the programme relied on the Levy Board’s funding model as the sport’s main source of income and was determined to a significant extent by its fixture criteria, whereby racecourses were encouraged to fill each racing day with the number of meetings regarded as necessary to optimise bettingshop turnover and levy generation.

There is still a fixture incentive fund, on which racecourses can draw to stage meetings in less commercially attractive slots such as, say, a Tuesday in February, but none to race on a Saturday.

This funding formula has been largely based on betting shop opening hours, with the aim of meeting the Levy Board criteria and maximising the levy yield. Through the raceday services grant, racecourses are further recompensed by the Levy Board for almost the full amount of integrity and related operational costs supplied by the BHA. However, the mechanics of British racing have changed significantly in recent years, following the advent of substantial media rights payments made directly to racecourses and their consequent appetite to run more and more fixtures to maximise this income. The arrival of all-weather surfaces has meant there is no longer a limit to the number of fixtures some racetracks can stage, and consequently the fixture list has grown substantially from the old criteria system that was in operation.

The proposed cutback of 20 fixtures in 2020, agreed last month by the BHA, can be only a stop-gap measure, while a full independent economic analysis on fixtures is made to inform decision-making in the future.

To start with, racecourse media rights’ payments were mostly based around licensed betting shops, but opportunities to grow income from online betting sites are being pursued vigorously, especially as more people use mobile devices for their wagering, and the amount bet through these sources will continue to grow. Whatever happens to betting shops – and there are mixed messages about closures coming from the industry – there will be some migration of punters from betting terminals to racing, and customers of a shop that closes will transfer to one nearby that remains open. Racecourses will also continue to have a substantial source of media-derived funds under their control.

I have recently joined the Levy Board as a director. Coming in

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with a fresh pair of eyes I wonder why, with this transformational change in income generation, there should not be a complete review of how money derived from the levy is distributed for the benefit of all participants within the sport.

The more comprehensive turnover information being provided to the Levy Board by the bookmakers is going to be very useful in rethinking the fixture criteria, and with the horsemen involved we could see some substantive changes. If this then drives extra revenue in levy, and possibly media rights, everyone should benefit.

A prize-money agreement between racecourses and horsemen can go only so far, and if racecourses’ media payments exceed the total levy income, it is reasonable to ask why the levy pays for fixture incentives and raceday services

“It is reasonable to ask why the levy pays for fixture incentives and raceday services grants” grants. Racecourses that are clamouring for, and are the main beneficiaries from, an increasing volume of fixtures should treat this as a raceday expense and pay for the provision of integrity needed to run their fixture from these alternative funds.

There may be an argument that if raceday services grants were not paid to racecourses centrally, they could reduce costs by cutting integrity provision, or there would be greater variability in provision. Every racecourse must have a BHA licence to operate and that stipulates exactly what is required to run a day’s racing.

The financial model for British racing has fundamentally changed and now that we know that the Levy Board is to remain, a golden opportunity exists to review all the sport’s income and expenditure.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 14:57

News

John McCririck, 1940-2019 J John McCririck was an unmistakable presence on racecourses for more than three decades

8

ohn McCririck, the larger-than-life broadcaster, award-winning journalist and racing pundit, lost his battle with cancer last month at the age of 79.

‘Big Mac’, as he was widely known, was one of the very few racing figures whose name transcended the sport. Indeed, as far as the sport of kings is concerned, it could be argued that only Frankie Dettori enjoyed as high a profile with the wider British public.

McCririck was instantly recognisable due to his flamboyant attire, which included a deerstalker hat, plenty of jewellery and Newcastle United’s black and white colours. A fat cigar was never far from his lips, and boisterous punters never far from annoying him, though his banter with betting ring patrons – including his familiar cry of ‘Behave yourself’ to the throng that would crowd around him whilst on air – became a key component of his pantomime act.

Starting his on-screen career with ITV in the early 1980s, McCririck’s fame grew during his time with Channel 4, his presence in the ‘betting jungle’ bringing to life the afternoon’s racing, his arms whirring with tic-tac signs learned during his bookmaking days. Channel 4 Racing’s afternoon shows were invariably preceded by some amusing verbal sparring on The Morning Line between Big Mac and regular colleagues John Francome, Jim McGrath and Lesley Graham.

Born in Surbiton, McCririck, an only child, attended the elite Harrow School, having joined in the springtime of 1954. As a pupil he ran betting books on cross-country races, played football for his house Head Masters and gained three O-Levels. His classmates included Julian Wilson, the future BBC racing commentator and presenter, who passed away in 2014.

Prior to his TV appearances, he cut out a living in a variety of ways. At one time he was a waiter, while he often used to refer to himself as a failed bookmaker. He was most definitely not a failed journalist; before his turns in front of the camera, McCririck had excelled as a writer at The Sporting Life, named campaigning journalist of the year and specialist writer of the year at the British Press Awards.

He appeared far more comfortable surrounded by his Channel 4 colleagues than strangers in Celebrity Big Brother, the reality television show that was hugely popular at the time of McCririck’s appearance in 2005. It cemented his fame beyond horseracing – as did his performances on other programmes such as Celebrity Wife Swap and The Weakest Link – but also ensured a degree of notoriety that might have influenced Channel 4’s decision to dispense with his services in 2012.

McCririck fought a high-profile age discrimination case against the broadcaster and production company IMG Media but lost, though

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:25

Stories from the racing world he continued to appear on racing channel At The Races, now Sky Sports Racing.

Outside of racing he enjoyed good food and wine – one of his favourite restaurants was The Ivy – and holidaying in Las Vegas and Japan, while he was a regular attendee at Old Harrovian Racing Club dinners.

McCririck was a big supporter of the Greatwood charity, which rehomes exracehorses, helping to raise thousands of pounds for the Wiltshire-based organisation.

A number of racing personalities were keen to pay tribute to McCririck, including colleagues from the Channel 4 era.

McGrath said: “If you went anywhere in racing in the 1980s and spoke to people with no interest in racing, they would always ask if you knew him.

“A lot outside racing knew him but nothing about racing, he was larger than life. We had very differing opinions, but he cared about the ordinary punter and he did stand up for them.”

Francome added: “He reached outside the sport – the two names that were mentioned by people outside racing were Frankie Dettori and Big Mac. “He had a persona for TV, he was nothing like what you saw on screen – he was a lovely man.”

McCririck is survived by his wife of 48 years, Jenny, who he called ‘the Booby’. She confirmed that her husband requested his ashes be scattered at the site of the former Alexandra Park racecourse in north London.

McCririck with Khalid Abdullah at Newmarket after Zafonic’s 2,000 Guineas win in 1993

BHA reduces size of fixture list in 2020 The BHA has responded to concerns around racing’s falling income streams and the wellbeing of its participants by reducing the number of meetings next year.

By cutting 20 BHA-allocated fixtures, the overall number will stand at 1,491 fixtures in 2020, compared to 1,511 this year.

The announcement came after the sport’s governing body carried out an annual review throughout the first half of 2019 to identify recommendations ahead of the publication of the full fixture list in August.

Racing’s current financial outlook is somewhat gloomy. As well as a declining levy yield, which has dropped by £17 million year-on-year, the value of media rights is also falling following the government’s decision to impose a £2 maximum stake on FOBTs, impacting on

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betting shop numbers. William Hill has stated that it will close 700 outlets.

In a boost to racing’s workforce, the BHA revealed that no races will start later than 9pm at evening fixtures during next summer, and the Christmas break will be extended by an extra day to include Sunday, December 22.

Jump jockeys and National Hunt yards will now benefit from an extended break in August, increased from nine to 12 days.

Work will also continue to create an initiative based around International Women’s Day on March 8, following new BHA Chair Annamarie Phelps’ comments that the sport should make much more of the participation of its female employees.

Afternoon meetings in 2020 will start by 2pm at the latest, while floodlit cards will be limited to seven races so that

races can be divided easily if necessary.

Charlie Liverton, ROA Chief Executive, said: “The annual fixture list discussions saw the horsemen and racecourses not being able to agree on the shape of the 2020 fixture list and so it fell to the BHA board to determine the final outcome.

“By agreeing to a reduction in the fixture list, the BHA board took into consideration both the views of the horsemen and those of the racecourses at a time when industry income is under pressure, and those putting on the show continue to cope with the demands being placed on them.

“It is essential now that the industry works on an economic plan in order that the industry can fully understand, and buy into, an industry-wide plan to further grow and ensure the long-term prosperity of British racing.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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News

Celebrating British-bred success Leading bloodstock and racing figures gathered at the TBA Flat Awards evening at Chippenham Park, near Newmarket, on July 16 to celebrate a year of success for British breeders.

David Brown of Furnace Mill Stud received the prestigious Andrew Devonshire Bronze in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the industry.

Born in Walsall, Brown played 26 Test matches for England between 1965 and 1969 before establishing Furnace Mill Stud in 1976. Since then, the stud has been the source of a number of accomplished performers, among them King’s Stand Stakes winner Bolshoi.

Brown also served as Chairman of the British European Breeders Fund from 2004 to 2008, during which time a significant increase in BEBF funds was announced through a new deal with European partners.

Nick Wingfield Digby, one of the most respected figures within the veterinary field, received the Dominion Award.

Through his association with Rossdale and Partners, he has devoted nearly half a century to the pursuit of veterinary excellence that resulted in the publication of several important scientific papers, and led to him becoming a senior partner at the practice, where he remains a consultant.

Veterinary service to the Royal Studs, as well as other luminaries such as Highclere, led to his being made a Lieutenant, Royal Victorian Order in December 2014.

Dar Re Mi, dam of Too Darn Hot, had her turn in the limelight as Broodmare of the Year, for which her owners Watership Down Stud received the H.J. Joel Silver

The winners at the TBA Flat Awards evening, held at Chippenham Park

Salver. A multiple Group 1 winner herself, Dar Re Mi enjoyed an exceptional 2018, not just as the dam of European champion two-year-old Too Darn Hot but also St Leger runner-up Lah Ti Dar. Darley’s Dubawi also made his presence felt as winner of the BBA Silver Cigar Box and Barleythorpe Cup (sponsored by the British EBF), the latter for the sixth year in a row. His success was influential to the memorable season enjoyed by Godolphin, who was awarded the Queen’s Silver Cup for Leading Flat Breeder by earnings.

Kingman was awarded the Tattersalls Silver Salver as the Leading First Season Sire.

The newly restructured TBA Stud Staff Award, sponsored by Peter Stanley’s New England Stud, was presented to Christopher Wilby of Juddmonte Farms, who took home a magnificent Charlie Langton bronze perpetual trophy and a £2,000 cash prize.

Wilby joined Juddmonte as a stud hand in 2004 before spells at Bloomsbury Stud and Lanwades Stud. He rejoined Juddmonte in September 2013, when he was appointed second man at Banstead Manor Stud.

Jeanette McCreery, representing Stowell Hill Partners, collected the TBA Silver Rose Bowl for TBA Flat Breeder of the Year in recognition of their outstanding success with Coplow. The daughter of Manduro, who was bred by

Stowell Hill Stud when McCreery’s late husband Bob was at the helm, produced last year’s 1,000 Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook.

The Langham Cup went to Gaie Johnson Houghton, owner and breeder of Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent. The son of Delegator is the latest high-flying member of a family that has been in the Johnson Houghton ownership for five generations.

Elizabeth Grundy was awarded the TBA Silver Salver (Special Merit Award) as the breeder of last year’s Sprint Cup victor The Tin Man, produced out of her mare Persario.

The awards evening was following by an insightful day at Tattersalls for the TBA AGM and Seminar.

In his AGM address, TBA Chairman Julian Richmond-Watson reported that a scheme aimed at assisting British breeders is on the cusp of being finalised.

Currently known as the British Breeders’ Premium Scheme, it is due to replace both Plus 10 and NHMOPS. Richmond-Watson said: “It’s centred on those who race fillies and mares and will cover both Flat and jumps racing. It’s an exciting scheme for British breeders but will still encourage the use of the gene pool in other countries to ensure the diversity of the breed. We hope to be able to launch it in the autumn.”

A full report on the TBA Flat Awards will follow in the September magazine.

Levy Board reveals funding plans Despite applying a reduction in expenditure from £99 million to £94m, the Levy Board expects to contribute more to prize-money this year than in 2018.

Having released its funding allocation for 2019, HBLB has stated it will support a plan to have live sectional timing and tracking data at every British fixture by 2021 and will contribute

10

£900,000 over the next three years.

The budget for industry recruitment, training and education will increase by £1m to £3.1m, £650,000 will be put towards equine welfare, and Great British Racing will receive £1.4m.

The Levy Board will continue to support the Racehorse Owners Association’s Ownership Strategy Project with a contribution of

£790,000, taking total funding for the scheme to £1.66m A premium scheme for British-bred horses, focused on fillies and mares, is also set to receive funding.

The Levy Board has announced a new data-sharing agreement with a number of leading bookmakers in the hope of growing betting activity in the long-term interests of racing.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:25

Changes

Racing’s news in a nutshell

People and business Colm Murphy

Champion Hurdle-winning trainer returns with his first runner for nearly three years, having quit to join the Turf Club.

Sandy Dudgeon

Former amateur jockey succeeds Roger Weatherby as Senior Steward of the Jockey Club.

Fixture list

Britain’s racing calendar is cut for first time since 2012, with 1,491 fixtures set to be programmed for 2020.

John Moore

Hong Kong’s winningmost trainer will retire at the end of next season as rules do not permit anyone to train beyond the age of 70.

Nanako Fujita

Harry Fry

Successful trainer opts to leave yard in Dorset owned by Richard Barber at the end of this jumps season.

Wildly popular Japanese rider wins Women Jockeys’ World Cup at Bro Park in Sweden as she makes debut in Europe.

Stobart Group

Will end association with the Professional Jockeys Association – its contribution helped fund the Career Ending Insurance scheme.

Cheltenham Festival-winning rider, 27, quits the ranks due to a lack of opportunities and growing disillusionment with the sport.

New General Manager of Great British Racing International, taking over from James Oldring.

Bookmaker announces it will close around 700 shops following the government’s change to the maximum stake on FOBTs.

Salcey Forest Stud

Rising star nursery transfers to new premises near Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, having been based in Northamptonshire.

People obituaries Lucy Horner 42

Women’s champion amateur jump jockey in 2008/09 when she rode 28 winners under rules.

Barry Johnson

John McCririck 79

Derek McGrath

Steve Conway 64

Leaves role as Clerk of the Course at Exeter and Wincanton, citing the toll taken by long hours, but aims to freelance.

Curragh Chief Executive to leave his post at the end of the season.

Callum Rodriguez

Jockey receives six-month ban, along with colleague Kevin Lundie, after testing positive for cocaine at Southwell in February.

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Middle East nation launches new £200,000 race, run on turf over 1m2f on November 22, and hopes it can provide the springboard for a future big international meeting.

Jack Sherwood

Amanda Prior

William Hill

Bahrain International Trophy

The best-known face of racing on TV for many years, he was a betting expert and larger-than-life character.

See page 8 for obituary.

Regular and popular member of the northern betting ring for more than 40 years.

John Corcoran 90

Paddy Power co-founder who was a hugely successful businessman and racehorse owner.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 16:53

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17/07/2019 09:40

Changes

Racehorse and stallion

Movements and retirements

Masar

Godolphin’s Derby winner of 2018 is retired to stud after two below-par runs this year.

Mustajeeb

Gabrial

Blue Point

Interconnected

Son of Nayef, successful at Group 2 level, relocates from France to Ravdansens Stuteri in Sweden. His oldest crop is two this year.

Retired Darley stallion will stand alongside his sire Shamardal at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

Popular and consistent horse owned by Dr Marwan Koukash is retired aged ten after 93 runs, nine wins and earnings of £838,501.

Owner Darren Yates moves £620,000 purchase to Dan Skelton from Phil Kirby in a bid for better luck.

Thanks Be

Royal Ascot winner for Charlie Fellowes and Hayley Turner is sold to continue her racing career in the USA.

Coronet

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine will join the broodmare band at owner Faisal Salman’s Denford Stud at the end of this season.

Horse obituaries Needle Gun 29

Globetrotter trained by Clive Brittain; he stood as a stallion most recently at Fiona Wilson’s Lodge Farm, Peterborough.

Sea Hero 29

Was the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner; he ranks 13th on the list of all-time leading Turkish stallions by winners.

Dreaming Eyes 2 Network 22

Son of Monsun best known as the sire of outstanding two-mile chaser Sprinter Sacre and triple Grade 1 winner Rubi Ball.

Beat The Bank 5

High-class miler for King Power Racing, winner of five Group 2s, suffers a fatal injury winning his second Summer Mile.

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Frankel filly by Danedream who was in training with Peter Schiergen but sadly suffered a fatal injury in a gallops accident.

Isio 23

2004 Victor Chandler Chase winner, beating Azertyuiop in a thriller at Ascot, who landed eight of his 14 starts in Britain for his owners Sir Peter and Lady Gibbings.

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19/07/2019 16:53

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The Big Picture

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Coral-Eclipse

Perfect ten for Enable as she eclipses Magical Enable was only 85-90% fit for her reappearance in the Coral-Eclipse, according to trainer John Gosden, though that had also been the case in last year’s Arc, and it seems a less than fully-fit Enable is still good enough to deal with anything thrown at her. She faced seven rivals at Sandown, led by Magical, who came into the contest having already had four runs this season, three of which she had won. Hard as Magical tried under Ryan Moore, she never looked like being able to reel in Enable and Frankie Dettori (left), the great mare winning her tenth race in succession.

Photo George Selwyn

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From The Archives

Precedent’s polished display in mint Marois Thirty years ago the runners in the Prix Jacques le Marois had the unenviable task of following on from dual race winner Miesque. There was a strong turnout for the Deauville highlight, however, including British raiders Magic Gleam, Musical Bliss and Most Welcome. And the famous mile event saw a worthy winner in Polish Precedent, his jockey Cash Asmussen sporting Sheikh Mohammed’s maroon and white silks, leading home a 1-2 for Andre Fabre. Runner-up French Stress was chased home by Magic Gleam.

Photos George Selwyn

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Polish Precedent on August 13, 1989

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19/07/2019 17:31

Tony Morris

Brigadier Gerard’s perfect record goes up in smoke The inaugural running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup, now known as the Juddmonte International, saw a huge upset on the Knavesmire that remains with our writer 47 years later

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was recently asked by a fellow of tender years to name the most significant innovation in racing during my innings as a chronicler of the Turf.

I might have said all-weather tracks. I might have nominated Sunday racing. I might have chosen trainers’ licences for women, or female jockeys. The coming of the Pattern could have been another option. I’ve been at this game for so long, I might even have opted for starting stalls, which were nowhere to be seen in my days as a cub reporter.

But when I turned my focus on individual races that weren’t around when I started out one came immediately to mind – an event that was the subject of fevered speculation for weeks before it arrived in the calendar, that caused a seismic shock when staged for the first time, and is now approaching its half-century as the contest that routinely rates as the brightest highlight of the sport in August.

The race is in its second incarnation now, long celebrated as the Juddmonte International, but it began life as the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup in an age when cigarette manufacturers were not regarded as purveyors of deadly diseases and those of us who smoked were not treated as pariahs.

Racing was grateful for any new sponsor in 1972, the more so for the liberal injection of prize-money that promised to provide York with a stirring contest featuring the very best of intergeneration rivalry.

Whether the innovation sold more cigarettes, who knows? But rarely has a sponsored event generated more publicity in the anticipation, in the enactment, and in the aftermath. It had all the hallmarks of a marketing man’s dream.

The backstory had its origin in the 2,000 Guineas of 1971, which was supposed to play out as a match between Mill Reef and My Swallow, but saw both upstaged in a sparkling display by Brigadier Gerard. There was no doubting the Brigadier’s superiority on that occasion over the Rowley Mile, but as he and Mill Reef both enjoyed extended successful runs thereafter, the public craved a re-match, perhaps over a different distance.

After the Guineas, Brigadier Gerard won the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Sussex Stakes, the Goodwood Mile, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and the Champion Stakes. Mill Reef’s equally triumphant route brought him victories in the Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Most of the 37 turf writers entrusted with choosing the Racehorse of the Year for 1971 elected to ignore the Guineas form. There were only two nominees and Mill Reef was proclaimed champion, 30 votes to seven. The feeling must have been that he had won more glamorous races; there was no logic to the verdict.

What needs stressing is that Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard were not just good horses. They were exceptional horses, each awarded a Timeform mark of 141 at the end of their three-yearold season. Search for a precedent was futile.

Roberto inflicts the first and only defeat of Brigadier Gerard’s career in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup in 1972

There had never been a crop of three-year-olds that featured two runners of such exalted class. And there has never been one since. As for a crop of four-year-olds that included two runners with Timeform ratings in the 140s, there is only one example – Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef in 1972.

I had witnessed Nijinsky’s Triple Crown triumphs in 1970, the first such feat for 35 years, little imagining that two colts from the very next crop would rank above him. What a privilege it was to be a racegoer in those seasons!

There seemed to be reason to believe that a second clash between Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard would materialise in their four-year-old campaign. They had targets in common, according to their connections, and the names of both duly appeared among entries for several Group 1 events. It was surely just a case of when their paths would cross.

Mill Reef opened his campaign with an outstanding display in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp at the end of April. His ten-length rout of Amadou on that occasion suggested that he was every bit as good as on his previous visit to that course, and towards the end of May Brigadier Gerard collected victories in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and the Westbury Stakes at Sandown Park. While less than spectacular in those races, he preserved his unbeaten record comfortably enough and gave the impression that there was better to come. And so there was.

However, Mill Reef’s next venture, in the Coronation Cup, did not result in the romp expected of him. He had only three to beat, including his own pacemaker, Bright Beam, starting at the prohibitive odds of 2-15, and when he drew alongside Homeric a furlong and a half from home, everyone expected him to burst clear for an authoritative triumph.

It was not to be. The blinding acceleration he had displayed in the Ganay was missing, and Geoff Lewis had his work cut out to preserve a neck advantage at the line. This was not the real Mill Reef. He had to be sickening for something.

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The man you can’t ignore Sure enough, Mill Reef was soon laid low by a virus that affected many of his stable companions at Kingsclere. The eagerly anticipated clash with Brigadier Gerard, set for the Eclipse Stakes, was now in jeopardy.

The Brigadier tuned up for Sandown with a five-length score in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and when news came that Mill Reef would not be ready for the engagement, the outcome of the Eclipse was a foregone conclusion.

The King George also went by without Mill Reef, and Brigadier Gerard, in his first attempt at a mile and a half, won it with less than his usual authority. The latest postponement of the rematch meant a further rescheduling, this time to take place in York’s new headline event.

Again there was disappointment, as after Mill Reef had finally returned to a full training regime, he developed a swollen hock.

No sooner had the media labelled the coming Benson and Hedges Gold Cup ‘the race of the century’, it was off again.

Still, it wasn’t as though the York contest had suddenly lost all meaning. Brigadier Gerard had won his first 15 races, and was bidding to match Ormonde and Ribot, who had each registered 16 wins in an unbeaten career. It did not seem to matter that he would be opposed by Roberto and Rheingold, the one-two from the latest Derby. The Brigadier was a 1-3 shot, while Rheingold, recent winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, found limited support at 7-2. Roberto, who had finished down the field in the Irish Derby, was neglected at 12-1.

Lester Piggott, who had won the Derby on Roberto, preferred Rheingold this time, while Panamanian-born Braulio Baeza, who had never ridden in England, was the surprise choice as Roberto’s new partner. An upset did not look likely.

How wrong we were in making that assumption. Baeza drove

“I find it hard to name another race that had such a stunning impact on all who witnessed it” Roberto into a clear lead six furlongs from home and his mount kept galloping strongly. The Brigadier mounted a challenge under Joe Mercer’s urging, but fully a quarter mile from home it was evident that the runaway Roberto was not for catching. The upstart villain was three lengths clear at the finish, having shaved nearly two full seconds off the course record.

It was not too much to suggest that the result left a nation in shock. Nearly half a century later I find it hard to name another race that had such a stunning impact on all who witnessed it.

Brigadier Gerard won two more races to wind up with a career record of 17 wins from 18 starts. Mill Reef was never seen in public after the Coronation Cup, his career ending as the result of a fractured near-foreleg that required pioneering surgery to save him for what turned out to be an illustrious innings at stud.

Timeform favoured Brigadier Gerard at the end, awarding him a rating of 144 – second-best only to Sea-Bird (145) at the time – with Mill Reef on 141.

The race that made such a sensational debut in 1972 has proved an outstanding fixture in the calendar ever since, with memorable performances by such as Sea The Stars and Frankel among the highlights. Chances are that the 2019 version will give us something worth remembering this month.

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The Howard Wright Column

Only jockeys should take hit for whip-rule breaches

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argument which should be resisted to the end.

Yes, times have changed. A century ago the rules of racing had 183 sections and not one referred to the whip; 50 years ago there were 216 rules and the same absolute lack of a mention of the whip.

Today’s rule book goes into great detail about the whip and its use, but until someone can prove beyond scientific doubt that a whip makes the majority of horses go faster for longer, offences come into the welfare category, not to be confused with those associated directly with performance.

“Extending the scope of whip offences to include owner, trainer, stable and punter would be an unjustifiable response” Where breaches of the rules result from serious interference or drug abuse, for example, disqualification should follow, so that all connections are punished. Extending the scope of whip offences to include owner, trainer, stable and punter would be a hugely disproportionate and unjustifiable response.

Nevertheless, welfare is important, and if the clamour from outside becomes so great, the BHA may not be able to hold back the tide of public opinion.

The solution is, quite literally, in the jockeys’ hands.

GEORGE SELWYN

alking points outside the winner of the next race at Bangor or Brighton come and go. Some rise up for a few days and sink back into oblivion, to be resurrected the next time a controversy, or contrived controversy, emerges.

Others seem to go on forever. Use of the whip comes into the latter category.

Royal Ascot is not such a distant memory that its roll call of 11 suspensions for whip offences, involving nine individual jockeys, can be forgotten. Nor should it be overlooked that this catalogue threatened to cast a cloud over the five-day parade of glorious stories, their significance heightened by the unprecedented media and broadcasting attention drawn to the meeting.

While Ascot was being played out before an audience of millions, 23 other fixtures took place in Britain, in front of crowds measured largely in single-figure thousands, and they, too, produced 11 suspensions for whip misuse. No headlines or vehement comments there, but it’s an interesting comparison, whose very narrow statistical base could suggest a correlation between transgressions and size of the occasion.

Whether the incidence of whip misuse rises in direct proportion to the level of prize-money, which generally confers greater status, is something the BHA may wish to examine in its usual end-of-year rules review, unless it already has the answer to hand. For the moment, though, Royal Ascot deserves to be treated in isolation simply for its importance as a shop window for British racing.

Whether the whip offences made any impression on the majority of those observing at the course or on television is, at this juncture, of secondary importance to the fact that the rules were broken – largely for exceeding the permitted level – and every time by a senior jockey.

Overseas visitors John Velazquez and James McDonald deserve a degree of leeway for lack of regularity in riding to the seven-strikes rule, but not much, since they are seasoned travellers. No such concession applies to the rest: Silvestre de Sousa, Paul Mulrennan, Jim Crowley, Robert Winston, Harry Bentley, Hayley Turner and James Doyle.

Mulrennan and Doyle fell foul of the stewards on consecutive days, and as if to prove that some people cannot help themselves, Mulrennan completed a treble of two-day bans when diverted to Haydock on the final day of Ascot.

The most serious consequences fell to Turner, whose achievement in bridging the gap since the only other femaleridden Royal Ascot winner was tempered with a nine-day ban and £1,600 fine, and de Sousa, who copped for seven days and a £1,050 fine after finishing second on Beat The Bank.

As well as contributing massively to the totting-up process, the punishments were not inconsiderable. By my rough calculations, based on averages from rides and winners over the next 11 days after Ascot, de Sousa’s lay-off could have cost him more than £5,500 in fees and prize-money percentages, while Turner would have been around £3,000 out of pocket for her break.

Should their mounts have been disqualified? Some of those who did comment urged retribution against everyone connected with the rule breaking, but that is an illogical

Royal Ascot: biggest shop window there is for British Flat racing

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View Fr m Ireland

Did O’Connor’s punishment outweigh verbal abuse crime?

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as the unprecedented two-year suspension handed to a jockey for abusive language justified?

Or did the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board abuse its power under Rule 272(i)?

Witnesses claim amateur Mikey O’Connor was verbally abusive to stewards’ secretaries, acting stewards, and possibly medical officers at two point-to-point meetings earlier this year, one in March and another in May. Though no physical force is alleged to have been used, the language is reported to have been “threatening”, one witness saying the 38-year-old had been “very aggressive” towards the officials.

Stewards’ secretaries Christine Kelly and Bernard Smullen were involved in both incidents and referred the cases to the IHRB Referrals Committee. That hearing resulted in a two-year riding ban for O’Connor, with a condition that the licence suspension would be reviewed at the end of the first 12 months.

O’Connor, who has ridden almost 400 point-to-point winners in a career spanning two decades, appealed the severity of the punishment, admitting in his evidence during the hearing that he had acted in an “unruly manner”, but that

CAROLINE NORRIS

Mikey O’Connor, pictured here aboard Rebel Fitz, was initially banned for two years by the Referrals Committee

“this was the first time in 20 years that he had done so”.

In recent history, there appeared to be only one case of the IHRB issuing a ban as substantial as two years for a reason other than prohibited substance abuse or race-fixing.

Bloodstock agent Joey Logan and trainer Sharon Dunphy were disqualified from racing for two years in 2017 over an incident at Ballinrobe that had happened in 2013.

Substantial bans

That July, Like A Diamond, owned by the Fair Play Partnership, which included Logan’s father Joseph, was declared to make his racecourse debut in a Flat maiden at Ballinrobe, and had been backed from 50-1 into 3-1 that morning.

He was registered as being trained by Dunphy in Fethard, but Turf Club security officer Chris Gordon received information that this was not the case. He reported this to the stewards, who withdrew the horse from the race, referring the matter on.

The Turf Club’s case was that in fact work-rider Fabian Burke, who at the time worked for Michael Halford, trained the

horse from Logan’s stables near the Curragh, and that Like A Diamond had never been to Dunphy’s premises.

Burke was also disqualified for two years, but his sentence was suspended provided he did not breach Rule 272(i) again during the intended period. He was also prohibited from being granted a licence for four years – up to 2021.

To issue sanctions under the rules aimed at preserving the good reputation of horseracing, the Referrals Committee must be able to say they think it is more probable than not that something happened. After three sittings, they ruled that it was most likely that Like A Diamond had never been trained by Sharon Dunphy and that she, Burke and Logan had sought to deceive authorities in order to land a gamble on the horse.

Though not the registered owner or trainer, Logan was found in breach of six rules that added up to his two-year disqualification, which he unsuccessfully appealed.

O’Connor was found in breach of only one rule. Though there are two breaches of that rule, should he really have been given the same penalty as someone deemed to have breached six?

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By Jessica Lamb The appeals body didn’t think so, revising the penalty to an 18-month disqualification, with 12 months suspended.

The Referrals Committee will always stress that it is cognisant of the implications of the sanctions it imposes on racing professionals, hence the suspension of Burke’s sentence, for example. Logan’s business was buying and selling horses, which was not overly affected by his disqualification, but he was personally affected.

“It was quite frustrating,” he said. “I was never the owner, my late father was, so when he passed away, they came after me. I do regret that I couldn’t take it to the High Court, but we already had €30,000 in legal costs, and it would have taken a year and a half to get there, by which time the ban would have been nearly over.”

He added: “But it affected everything.

You’d be embarrassed all the time, getting invited by sales companies and good clients to boxes at the races, for example, and having to turn them down because you’re banned from going to racecourses.

“We buy three-year-olds and pre-train them to 50-60% fitness. At one time we used to train them to run in point-topoints ourselves, but because of this we had to stop, so now we use Denis Murphy.

“During those two years I couldn’t use the Curragh gallops, or enter horses in schooling races, things you don’t think of.

Two years is a long time when you’re making a living out of it.”

Getting on with it

Logan’s ban ended this year, though he says he has not got the “confidence” to have horses trained for point-to-points at his yard again. He stuck with horseracing despite his disqualification because he says he loves horses and “getting up at 6.30am every day to see them”.

He added: “I had to bite my lip and get on with it.”

Logan is best known for sourcing Tolworth Hurdle winner Finian’s Oscar, as well as fellow jumps talents Champers On Ice and Champagne West, but he also buys horses for Arion Racing Club, who have horses with Gordon Elliott.

His career is back on track, with €364,000 invested at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale alone this summer, and excitement surrounding some of last year’s crop, particularly €75,000 buy Fanamix, who is expected to make headlines in point-to-points this autumn.

Sanctioned verbal abuse in other

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“Two years is a long time when you’re making a living out of it” sports, like football and rugby, is mainly racist, homophobic, or hate speech.

Those found guilty are handed match bans, the Football Association of England, for example, ordering a minimum five-game ban for an offence.

In rugby, even in the recurring abusive language cases of Toulon’s Delon Armitage, the ban lasted only 12 weeks, the panel concluding he was a “habitual offender against the laws of the game, and one for whom there needs to be a deterrent to combat a clear pattern of offending, both on and off the field”. It was later reduced to eight weeks.

In that instance, Armitage was directing his abuse to fans. When roles were reversed and a fan issued racial abuse to Simon Zebo during a Heineken Champions Cup game, Ulster Rugby, owners of the stadium where the game was being played, issued a lifetime ban.

For verbally abusing Worcester Warriors outhalf Jamie Shillock with “homphobic slurs” on more than one occasion, England rugby player Denny Solomona was given a four-week ban.

But all these cases are when verbal abuse has been directed at players or fans. In O’Connor’s case, it was officials, and when you add that in to the equation in other sports, the severity of sanctions escalate.

Officials abused

In Ireland, the GAA, governing body for Gaelic Games, hurling and gaelic football, have recently announced a notolerance policy, following a series of high-profile cases where team bosses and coaches received lengthy bans for verbally abusing referees.

The Carlow manager Turlough O’Brien was hit with a 20-week suspension, while coach Steven Poacher and Barrowsiders midfielder Brendan Murphy were both slapped with 12-week bans.

In the grassroots of Irish soccer, last season there were in excess of 20 recorded attacks of referees and incessant verbal abuse, the physical attack that hospitalised referee Daniel

Sweeney causing a sea change.

Those responsible for that violence were awarded 40-year bans from football, and as the new season of Irish soccer begins, governing body the FAI has bolstered its powers by ordering a minimum 12-match ban for any player deliberately placing a hand on, or brushing against, any match official.

If that is the definition of physically threatening an official, and Mikey O’Connor was a footballer, he would not be facing a 12-match ban, so it is hard to understand what standards O’Connor was being held to by the IHRB.

Family man

Hailing from County Cork, O’Connor is a popular character, best known for his partnership with Cork trainer Mick Winters and his stable stars For Bill and Rebel Fitz.

He recently celebrated his seven-year wedding anniversary with wife Mags, and his social media is dominated by pictures of 11-year-old son Dylan winning pony races this summer, as he, Mags and five-year-old Sophie cheer him on.

As well as riding, he now trains a limited string from his yard in Charleville, getting into hot water last year over what was his latest winner, Awbeg Prince. His post-race sample was found to contain prohibited substance cobalt, so was disqualified. O’Connor was cleared of being responsible for administering the substance, but fined €1,000.

The altercation at the first point-topoints this year arose from a request for O’Connor to see IHRB medical officer Dr Anne Sheehan as there had been reports he looked unwell. He said he had already seen another medical officer at the meeting that day and refused, which led to the ensuing row.

At the second incident, he appears to have snapped at a stewards’ secretary for trying to break up a heated discussion he was having with a fellow rider in the weight tent. Both incidences are unprofessional, but they are not reported to have been violent, and were out of character.

Should the person involved have been disqualified for two years from his main occupation for saying angry words to officials twice? In any other sport, it is more probable than not that he would not be. But it appears in Irish racing the official is disproportionately important.

If the IHRB had concern for other stakeholders, the balance here could have been swayed towards finding the root cause of O’Connor’s new aggression, as opposed to hitting his riding career.

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Continental Tales

Crosse happy with hectic schedule

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FRANCE

GEORGE SELWYN

n the understandable hullabaloo surrounding the start of Royal Ascot the following day, all but the most eagle-eyed racing enthusiast will have missed the most lucrative success of jump jockey Dave Crosse’s 17-year professional career at Clairefontaine on Monday, June 17.

For Crosse – a man who is singlehandedly stretching the boundaries of how much you can cram into your life while holding a full jockey’s licence – the victory of Solar Impulse in the Prix Trembleur provided a bizarre but valuable

interlude in an extremely hectic week.

French prize-money is such that this seemingly ordinary two and a quarter mile hurdle was worth a whopping £19,459 to the winner. With such riches on offer, and race conditions restricting it to horses that had not won a prize of more than £10,811 over hurdles, it was no surprise that its six-runner field included a number of chasers dropping back to smaller obstacles.

One of these was the Ian Williamstrained Solar Impulse, winner of the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival when with Paul Nicholls, who was reverting to hurdles for the first time in over five years.

That the local jockeys had little respect for the visitor’s ability, or the tactical acumen of his pilot, soon became embarrassingly clear.

Allowed to pinch a sizeable lead at the start, they still didn’t follow when Crosse pressed the accelerator early on the final circuit and, with the British raider 30 lengths clear and still going strongly jumping the third last, the race was as good as over.

In hindsight, making the running on Solar Impulse was a masterstoke on a horse that is invariably held up, and for this Crosse is quick to deflect praise.

“I don’t speak French,” Crosse reveals, “but I was given a heads up that there was unlikely to be much pace by both Felix de Giles [formerly with the Nicky Henderson stable and currently sitting in second place in the French jockeys’ championship] and Fabrice Smeulders [Williams’s travelling head lad, who is French].

“I had made the running on Solar Impulse once before and he’d not enjoyed it. But he travels like a really good horse and then only maintains his Dave Crosse: tactical masterclass at Clairefontaine

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speed when coming off the bridle, so we really didn’t want the race to turn into a sprint.

“When the tapes went up, I was doing only a hack canter yet they didn’t follow me whatsoever and absolutely gifted me the race. I reckon when they saw this grey-haired, 36-year-old Irishman putting down my towel in the weighing room to do my usual pre-race routine of 60 leg raises and 60 squats, they must have thought, ‘Who is this clown?’”

Raiding the well-endowed French jumps races away from the white heat of competition that Auteuil represents has become something of a theme for Channel hoppers over recent weeks.

Since February, Sophie Leech, Rebecca Menzies and Tom Lacey have visited places like Nantes, Dieppe and Compiegne to snaffle almost £150,000 in prize-money, with just four of the 16 British runners returning home emptyhanded.

“I was really impressed by Clairefontaine, it’s a lovely track with beautiful ground and obstacles,” Crosse reports. “Their hurdles are that bit bigger than ours, so you really need to have run or schooled over fences before going over.

“It was wonderful to seal my new partnership with owners Andy Bell and Fergus Lyons by giving them a nice winner – beforehand we were hoping for third and thinking anything better would be a bonus.”

Crosse had been in action in the Swedish Grand National at Stromsholm, 80 miles from Stockholm, just 48 hours earlier, finishing last aboard Charming Zen. “He nearly fell at the practice fence prior to the start and I did well to get him round, the fences are ginormous!” was his reaction.

He then spent the rest of the week at Royal Ascot concentrating on his other career, heading up David Crosse Corporate Services Limited, hosting racegoers and raising money for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

“I do 300 days of racecourse hospitality per year and Royal Ascot is the busiest and most gruelling meeting in the calendar – this year we raised almost £15,000 for the IJF over the five days,” he says.

“I’ve been riding for 20 years now but it’s only in the last three that I’ve actually been making money.”

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By James Crispe, IRB

Madrid trip likely to be repeated Many parts of Europe have recently recorded their hottest ever temperatures, at times making a day at the races a distinctly sweaty experience for horses and humans alike.

So not an ideal scenario for Andrew Balding to decide to send his fiveyear-old gelding Genetics on an eight-day, 2,000 mile round-trip from Hampshire to Madrid, where the mercury peaked at an astonishing 42 degrees celsius (108 fahrenheit), to contest the £45,045 Grand Premio de Madrid at La Zarzuela racecourse.

It is to the great credit of all involved, in particular Balding’s staff and the officials at La Zarzuela, that Genetics seems to have taken the whole experience in his stride, running a doughty race from the front and missing out on third place by only a head.

Genetics is owned by the threewoman DJT partnership, which includes Debbie Jevans and Terry Miller, two key personnel in the organisation and delivery of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, events designed to discover the limits of athletic ability and endurance.

Some might say that Genetics has underlined the incredible range of

GEORGE SELWYN

SPAIN

Andrew Balding: would take the “right horse” back to La Zarzuela equine endurance by being able to travel so far and yet run so well in extreme conditions.

Debbie and Terry provide the ‘D’ and the ‘T’ of the partnership name, while the ‘J’ is down to Julia Budd, Chairman of Epsom Downs racecourse.

“Debbie, Julia and Terry have a particularly sporting attitude towards racehorse ownership,” Balding explains. “So after Genetics won at last year’s Shergar Cup and we were looking for fast-ground opportunities for him, they were very enthused at the idea of going to Madrid – we just didn’t factor in that it was going to be the hottest weekend of the last decade!”

Lindy Rees, Balding’s racing secretary, outlines the logistics. “They crossed the Channel, Portsmouth to Caen, then had overnight stops at Le Mans and Dax,” she says. “As usual, we used a Duphalyte drip to help keep the horse hydrated and it seemed to do the trick – Steve Woolley, his lad, told me that he was the only horse in the paddock not sweating.”

Balding continues: “He was my first runner in Spain and I don’t think my father had one there either, but my uncle Willie [Hastings-Bass, Lord Huntingdon] won a big race for the Queen in San Sebastian [with Enharmonic in 1993].

“It’s a fabulous racecourse with a lovely, fair, galloping track. We were very well looked after, Terry and Julia went over for a couple of nights with their husbands and we were all given tickets to the VIP area.

“Fortunately, the temperature seemed to drop quite a lot at about half past eight, 40 minutes before our race, and special measures were in place, such as vets on hand for rehydration and water sprays in the paddock and unsaddling enclosure.

Given the heat, the track was in fantastic condition with a lovely cover of grass.

“We wanted to get a lead but Genetics needs a decent gallop, so he had to make the running, which left him vulnerable. It was a bit of a gamble, as he needed to be in the first three to pay for the trip, so he just missed out, but at least he won €5,000.

“I would definitely go back with the right horse.”

Golden Sea and Lili showing the boys how it’s done HUNGARY It’s very much been a case of ‘girls on top’ in the Hungarian Classics at Kincsem Park in Budapest this season. Golden Sea, an Irish-bred daughter of Born To Sea, took the 97th running of the Magyar Derby by a comfortable length and threequarters ahead of another filly, Lili, with the best of the colts, For You, a neck back in third.

Golden Sea had already trounced the colts by eight lengths in the Hungarian 2,000 Guineas, while Lili,

who is by the top Hungarian stallion Pigeon Catcher, had captured the 1,000 Guineas. The result provided the Bulgarian-born six-time Hungarian champion jockey Stansislav Georgiev with an initial Derby triumph both as a rider and as a trainer – he took out a training licence for the first time at the beginning of the year.

Golden Sea went through the ring twice in Ireland – fetching €1,500 as a foal and then €3,000 as a yearling.

She is out of the Halling mare Matula, who was not discredited in three starts in Listed company when

trained by Ralph Beckett, and is a half-sister to Ed Vaughan’s useful handicapper Desert Wind, from the same family as one of this year’s leading three-year-old milers, Skardu.

Golden Sea has already ventured outside Hungary on two occasions, winning in Bratislava in early June and finishing second in Warsaw last October. The reputation of the Magyar Derby has also been enhanced by the deeds of its 2018 winner Esti Feny, who was beaten by just half a length when second in a Listed race at Cologne in May.

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Around The Globe

Shug after share of Saratoga spoils BENOIT PHOTO/PA

NORTH AMERICA

By Steve Andersen

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idway through 2019, the racing season began in earnest for New York-based trainer Claude ‘Shug’ McGaughey.

On July 6, Code Of Honor, who was promoted to second via disqualification in the Kentucky Derby on May 4, won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park with a performance that left observers wondering how much the colt can accomplish in the summer and autumn.

“Hopefully, we can go through the summer and make our mark,” McGaughey said the day after the race.

“I think he showed a little bit of maturity and where he’s going.”

Code Of Honor and many of his stablemates were on vans the day after the Dwyer for the 190-mile transfer from outside of New York city to the tranquil atmosphere of Saratoga racecourse in upstate New York.

McGaughey, who was inducted into American racing’s Hall of Fame in 2004, was the leading trainer at Saratoga in 1994 with 15 wins. It will take twice as many to claim the title this summer, which McGaughey’s boutique stable will not be able to do against the massive operations of trainers such as Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher. Brown won a record 46 races at Saratoga last summer.

This will be the longest Saratoga meeting in track history on the calendar.

The season began on July 11 and will continue through September 2. For decades, Saratoga ran for 24 racing days – four six-day racing weeks in August and early September.

The calendar was expanded earlier this decade to 40 racing days with a late July start. This year, the season covers 40 racing days with racing five days a week, and began one week earlier than in past years.

Every programme has at least one stakes contest worth $100,000. There

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Code Of Honor is the stable star for trainer Shug McGaughey (inset)

are 16 Grade 1 Flat races and two Grade 1 steeplechases on a stakes calendar with 76 races, including three seven-figure races. There is a new $1 million race, the Saratoga Derby, at an extended nine furlongs on turf for three-year-olds on August 4.

The richest Grade 1 of the season – the $1.25 million Travers Stakes over ten furlongs on dirt on August 24 – is a goal for Code Of Honor, and other leading three-year-olds in the nation.

This is a year without a clear leader in the American three-year-old division.

“It’s fun to train and watch the two-year-olds.

That’s the future of the stable” Three different horses won Triple Crown races. Maximum Security finished first in the Kentucky Derby, but was disqualified and placed 16th for causing interference, leading to the controversial promotion of Country House. Code Of Honor was third in the Kentucky Derby and promoted to second.

In mid-June, Country House was taken out of training for the year to be rested, trainer Bill Mott said. Days later, Sir Winston, the winner of the Belmont Stakes on June 9, was sidelined with an ankle injury that will keep him out until the

autumn, according to trainer Mark Casse.

War Of Will, who won the Preakness Stakes on May 18, Maximum Security, and Game Winner, the champion two-yearold male of 2018, are other contenders for the Travers Stakes.

“I don’t think there is a huge standout,” McGaughey said of the division. “I think there are a bunch of nice horses.”

McGaughey, who is backed by such clients as the Phipps Family, Will Farish and Stuart Janney, has consistently had 30 to 45 runners per summer at Saratoga in recent years and won seven races last year, including the Lure Stakes with Inspector Lynley.

Prior to this year, McGaughey’s last Grade 1 win at Saratoga was the 2015 Whitney Stakes with Honor Code. He has won the Travers Stakes three times, first with the famous Easy Goer in 1989 and most recently with Coronado’s Quest in 1998.

The stable was not as active as McGaughey would have liked in June and early July, a circumstance down to a few races not drawing sufficient entries and some two-year-olds not being ready.

Conditions should improve through the summer, particularly with the younger horses, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of unknowns around here,” he said. “We’ve got a nice group of two-year-olds and a couple of threeyear-old maidens that have made one or two starts. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

McGaughey nominated the Tapit filly Mrs Danvers as a juvenile to follow.

“It’s fun to watch them,” he said. “It’s fun to have the two-year-olds. That’s the future of the stable.”

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19/07/2019 14:41

The Worldwide Racing Scene

Stallions and results made of stouter stuff

By Danny Power

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ustralian racing’s desire for speed hasn’t diminished because of the fact that European-breds are dominating our middle-distance and staying races.

Our commentators spend a lot of energy gnashing their teeth each spring as the spoils of Australia’s iconic race, the two-mile Melbourne Cup, often heads overseas and, if not, it is won by Australians who have the wherewithal to source a stayer for big money from Europe.

At the coalface, in the boardrooms of the major studs and at the yearling sales, the polar opposite is the case. Decisions are made with an emphasis on speed, in particular precocious speed as the early return for owners and for those investors searching for the next stallion prospect that can turn an outlay of $1 million into $30m in less than 70 seconds. That’s the time it takes colts to complete the world’s richest juvenile scamper, the Golden Slipper at Rosehill, or six months later as a three-year-old in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.

However, for those lamenting the lack of depth in Australia’s middle-distance stayers, there is hope for the future if the past six months are any guide.

Three young stallions with stoutness of pedigree and brilliance of performance have started their stud careers with a style that is creating a stir and attracting the attention of broodmare owners and yearling buyers.

Heading the select pack is High Chaparral’s champion son Dundeel, who will cover a high-class book of mares at a fee of A$66,000 (inc. GST) this coming breeding season that kicks off on September 1. The Arrowfield Stud stallion will serve around 180 mares.

South of the Murray River, in Victoria, is the 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente. By Monsun, he stands at Sun Stud in Kerrie, about 40 minutes north of Melbourne, and he’s had a fee boost from A$17,600 to A$27,500. He’ll serve a full book of mares thanks to the performances of his offspring on the track in the past 12 months.

The third of the triumvirate is the sole shuttler, Coolmore Stud’s Adelaide, who is shaping as the best son of super sire Galileo to stand in Australia.

The success of Dundeel is no surprise

to his former trainer Murray Baker, who prepared the small, lightly framed colt from his Cambridge stables in New Zealand. Baker always said the colt had so much talent and speed that he often likened him to his ancestor, Northern Dancer, in looks and ability.

Dundeel was a super racehorse. He won seven Group 1s between a mile and a mile and a half, including the three-year-old Triple Crown in Sydney in 2013 when he trounced all comers and ran sectional times that only the sprint queen Black Caviar was able to match.

The astute eye of John Messara resulted in his Arrowfield Stud buying into Dundeel later in the year and the horse was retired to stud after winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April 2014.

“For those lamenting the lack of depth in stayers, there is future hope” Dundeel was well supported in his first two seasons, covering 132 and 123 mares, and from those two crops he has sired eight stakes winners at an impressive 9.2%, including three Group 1 winners, headed by the exciting Castelvecchio (Champagne Stakes), Yourdeel (NZ Manawatu Sires’ Produce and Sistema Stakes) and South African Cape Derby winner Atyaab.

The in-form Anthony Freedman stable has a big opinion of their threeyear-old Super Seth, a son of Dundeel from a Redoute’s Choice mare. The colt, who like his sire possesses an impressive turn of foot, is being aimed at the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in October, when he is

likely to clash with Castelvecchio, whose Champagne Stakes win in April topped the speed figures run by any juvenile for the season.

Last spring, the focus was on Fiorente when his son Stars Of Carrum won the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase on Cox Plate day and backed up a week later to finish a luckless second behind Extra Brut in the Group 1 Victoria Derby. There has been a steady stream of winners for Fiorente in 2019.

Unfortunately, Fiorente ‘lost’ his headliner when the brilliant Hawkshot was sold for a seven-figure sum to Hong Kong after he finished second behind star filly Mystic Journey in the Australian Guineas. However, Hawkshot’s two-yearold brother, Power Scheme, kept the hype going when he won the Listed Fernhill Handicap at Randwick a few weeks later and the Fiorente filly Moor Gait won the SA Fillies Classic in Adelaide.

Fiorente is set to be a rare beast – a Melbourne Cup winner that is successful at stud, and it’s a healthy recognition of how the quality of the Cup has lifted in the global era.

Adelaide, the 2014 Cox Plate winner, has received a massive late-season boost thanks to his two-year-old first-crop daughter Funstar, who burst on to the scene in June with two impressive wins in Sydney.

Trainer Chris Waller says Funstar gives him the same “tingle” that Winx gave him early in her career.

BRONWEN HEALY

AUSTRALIA

Dundeel: superb on the track and causing a stir as a stallion

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Racing Life

edited by Sarah Rodrigues

BATHED IN HISTORY Famous for its curative thermal waters enjoyed by discerning travellers, Baden-Baden offers much in the way of dry delights, too

The lushly planted Lichtentaler Allee is a pleasant place to stroll

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t was one of Europe’s premier spa resorts in the 19th century, so taking to Baden-Baden’s curative waters is, of course, a must – after all, the wealthy and fashionable used to flock here to do just that. Establishments vary as to what’s expected from you in terms of your state of undress: at the modern Caracalla baths, named after the Roman emperor who founded the town, swimming costumes are acceptable, but at the Friedrichsbad you’re required to shed your inhibitions along with your clothes, moving nakedly between the bath circuit’s 17 stations, each of which varies as to temperature. Averting your eyes, in case of awkwardness, should present no problem, with a profusion of gorgeous 19th century mosaics to stare fixedly at, or a soaring cupola above, should you wish to keep your gaze safely above human level.

Although perhaps that will depend upon the humans in question: in 2006, Baden-Baden once again became a playground for the socially mobile and affluent when the English football team and their WAGs restored its faded grandeur and put it firmly back on a British radar. One wonders what Queen Victoria who, along with Dostoyevsky and Tchaikovsky, was a regular visitor to the town, would have made of their tabloid-documented posturing. Her disapproval may have been, perhaps, somewhat akin to that which Mark Twain

expressed for the town in its entirety, even while acknowledging the healing efficacy of its waters: “I fully believe I left my rheumatism in Baden-Baden …

Baden-Baden is welcome to it,” he sniffed. “It was little, but it was all I had to give. I would have preferred to leave something that was catching, but it was not in my power.”

Naturally, whether enamoured of the place or not, such high-profile individuals as the town historically attracted needed a suitably glamorous space in which to play after dark and Baden-Baden’s casino, set within the neo-classical Kurhaus, amply answered

that need. Known as the most beautiful casino in the world, it was inspired by the Palace of Versailles and, as such, is almost outrageous in its opulence, with ceilings that drip chandeliers and gold accents gleaming against dramatic red walls and floors.

While the 12 thermal springs, which produce Germany’s hottest and most mineral-rich waters and run deep beneath Baden-Baden, were what drew the glitterati, it was sometimes the casino that kept them there; indeed, Leo Tolstoy was so addicted to the roulette table that he had to borrow money from his peers to feed his passion and again eventually, it is rumoured, to pay for his passage out of town - while Dostoyevsky was simultaneously so ruined and so inspired by his time here that he wrote ‘The Gambler’.

Nevertheless, it’s strolling that comes to mind on a preliminary exploration of the town. It’s easy to imagine the fashionable set of yesteryear combining fresh air with being seen and pausing to pass the time of day with acquaintances: Baden-Baden is a town that seems to have been designed with elegant meandering in mind, something that’s still evident today in its beautifully unhurried pace.

Unlike other German destinations, Baden-Baden was largely untouched by the devastation of the World War, a fact that contributes largely to its old-world charm. The Lichtenaler Allee, which runs

Nudity is the norm at the gloriously decorated Friedrichsbad

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Baden-Baden

The opulent casino remains as luxuriously decadent today as in the 19th century

well worth a visit, even were it not for the absence of an entry fee. Occupied between the 11th and 15th centuries, it offers secret dungeons, maze-like passageways and a castle keep, which can be accessed for incredible views by way of steep staircases.

The region is home to no fewer than six championship golf courses, including the Baden-Baden Golf Club which, founded as it was in 1901, is Germany’s third-oldest. With its claim to be one of Germany’s finest natural golf courses, what it lacks in ostensible difficulty (its 4,260m, par 64 length, falls short of many other championship courses) it makes up for in subtlety, with even experienced golfers often struggling to achieve scores in line with their usual levels.

And, of course, there’s the racing, which has taken place at the BadenBaden Iffezheim racecourse since 1858, when enterprising Frenchmen Edouard Bénazet, who had already capitalised on the 1838 closure of Parisian casinos by launching Baden-Baden’s, saw an

opportunity to create another glamorous draw for his clients.

Three meetings take place over the course of the year: The Spring Meeting at the end of May, the Sales & Racing Festival in mid-October and, perhaps most thrillingly, late August’s Big Week.

Running this year from August 24 to September 1, this event has long been the pinnacle of German racing, with a generous helping of glamour thrown in, of course.

The involvement of Longines, as official timekeeper and sponsor, since 2011, has raised the profile of the event, attracting racegoers from all over the world. As relaxed as Baden-Baden usually is, it springs into a blaze of life for the occasion, and public spaces buzz with live music and pop up events, while the city’s remarkably upmarket retail spaces (one cannot see that the 2006 WAGs would have found anything to complain about here) are awash with stylish individuals completing their raceday look. www.baden-racing.com

››

BADEN RACING

beside the River Oos, is filled with roses and exotic trees; elsewhere, gracious gardens and Victorian edifices provide the backdrop to relaxed exploration, with sherbet-coloured buildings and cosy cafés, plus a handful of churches, both gold-bulb-topped Russian and charmingly traditional English. Head to the cobbled square between the town’s two thermal baths; here lies the Fettquelle fountain: the misty plumes you see rising from the grates are not those of a city-wide steam system, as they are in New York, but of the thermal waters themselves. For those wishing to stretch their legs and horizons even further, Baden-Baden is, of course, nestled in the foothills of the Black Forest, which offers hikers a multitude of trails. If it is views without exertion you crave, then the funicular railway – the longest and steepest in Germany – soars to the summit of the 2,191-foot Merkur Mountain and offers a panorama of surrounding mountains, far distant cities and of the ruins of the Hohenbaden Castle. The latter, too, is

The ruins of the Hohenbaden castle are well worth exploring – and the views are superb

There are three main racing events throughout the year

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Big Week, the grand festival, runs from late August to early September and is the pinnacle of the German racing season

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Racing Life

Size Matters Michel Herbelin’s new Equinoxe watches for women offer unparalleled elegance and a choice of sizes

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versized handbag or dainty clutch? Skyscraper shoes or elegant kitten heels? Chandelier earrings or diamond studs? Choice has always been central to style and the new women’s watches in the Equinoxe collection from French watchmaker Michel Herbelin acknowledges this, coming in a mini or midi case size.

With an elegance that moves seamlessly from day to night, the new watches, in their 28 or 34mm incarnations, boast a supple leather strap that snakes sinuously around the wrist and is illuminated with subtle gold tones that complement the silvered dial, at the centre of which is a sunray guilloché.

Both have a stainless-steel case and circular brushed finish; the midi version also features a discreet date aperture at 3 o’clock, plus a small seconds hand at 6 o’clock.

For men, the ever-popular Newport collection, first launched by Michel Herbelin in 1988, was reimagined with a modernist vision last year to mark the

tsider® ce

30th anniversary of the range. In celebration, a limited series of a new release, the Newport Skeleton, was launched in May. Paying homage to a seafaring past and inspired by the sleek architecture of stealth ships, the Newport Skeleton features a 42mm stainless steel case coated with anthracite grey PVD and is polished and brushed to accentuate its three-faceted cut, while hexagonal screws, modelled on the keys of sailboat winches, punctuate the bezel.

Water resistant to 100 metres, the Newport Skeleton puts a contemporary spin on the signature codes synonymous with the Newport; the strap’s central lugs, the porthole-inspired bezel and the imprint of a ship’s wheel on the crown.

The ‘skeleton’ from which the timepiece takes its name refers to the movement laid bare under the clear dial, displaying the complexity and detail of the watch’s inner workings. This watch, like every other Michel Herbelin timepiece, was completely created, from design right through to final inspection,

at the studio in the Jura mountains of the Franche-Comté region, where the brand was first established in 1947.

It was at this time that new watchmaking techniques were being introduced, threatening to overshadow the time-honoured traditions of horology.

A passionate believer in the craft, Michel Herbelin set up the company with the vision of keeping tradition alive while crafting watches of exceptional quality.

By 1965, when the company’s logo appeared, the Herbelin name was well known and respected.

In 1972, Michel’s son, Jean-Claude Herbelin, joined the company, which he still runs with his brother Pierre-Michel; a third generation of Herbelin family members are now also involved. As one of the only esteemed independent watchmakers in the world, Michel Herbelin is an international brand, producing over 150,000 watches each year, which make their way to over 50 countries across the globe.

Although designed and made in France, the watches all have Swiss movements – hence the company’s tag line ‘Swiss Heart, French Soul.’ Accessible to a broad spectrum of clients, the watches are largely priced in the £250 - £1,000 range with the Newport Skeleton available at £2,195. www.michel-herbelin.com

32 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Lifestyle

PITCH PERFECT The younger Royals enjoyed a day at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day, at which wine merchants Justerini & Brooks was a proud sponsor

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uly 10 saw their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex take to the polo field to play in the 2019 King Power Royal Charity Polo Day. The fundraising event took place at Billingbear Polo Club in Berkshire and was held in honour of Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash at Leicester’s stadium last year and was an avid polo fan.

Aimed at raising awareness and funds for 15 of the charities supported by their Royal Highnesses, both of whom are well known philanthropists, the event was attended by distinguished international guests showing their support for these causes. The Duke of Cambridge played as part of the King Power Air Asia team alongside Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who stepped up to the chairman role after his father’s death. Joining them was Amr Zedan and Polito Pieres, while the opposing Tarmac Team saw the Duke of Sussex play alongside Talapichet Srivaddhanaprabha, Henry Porter and Marcos Di Paola.

The Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were there to provide support, as was the Duchess of Sussex with her two-month old son Archie, just days after his Windsor Castle christening.

Away from the action on the pitch, the young royals captured the attention of many spectators with their heartwarming antics, with young Louis making a toddling sprint down the sideline before being scooped up by his

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mother. Five-year-old Prince George was seen brandishing a polo mallet while Charlotte, four, showed her skills in a game of football against her brother.

Fine Wine and Spirits Merchants Justerini & Brooks were proud sponsors of the day, providing a selection of fine champagne and wines. The company has a long history of association with the Royal Family, having been awarded its first Royal Warrant by King George III in 1761 and every successive monarch since.

With its portfolio of over 3,000 wines, it is the UK’s largest importer of fine wines from Burgundy, Barolo and Germany.

Justerini & Brooks also has long standing relationships with the most celebrated properties in Bordeaux, the Rhône, the Loire and Champagne, and are themselves active philanthropists across a number of charities and causes.

Other sponsors and supporters

included Air Asia, Tarmac, U.S. Polo Assn, Enhel Wellness, Bubble, Mr Foggs, BMG and the Cox Family of Oklahoma.

In the event, the King Power team was victorious over the Tarmac team with a win of seven goals to six but, more importantly, the event raised over £1 million for its chosen charities, which included African Parks, the English Schools Swimming Association, Fields in Trust, Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund, the Invictus Games Foundation, Irish Guards Appeal, Map Action, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, Rhino Conservation Botswana, the Royal Marsden, RFU Injured Players Foundation, The Passage and the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust. justerinis.com

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Racing Life

Lifestyle

PERPETUAL MOTION T

his September, Phillips - the leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century art and design – partners with Bacs and Russo to launch Phillips Perpetual, an innovative platform geared towards offering a unique experience to clients for both the selling and buying of watches.

Located at 30 Berkeley Square, the finest collectors’ timepieces will be presented in custom-built surroundings.

The premises will also serve as the UK base for award-winning Swiss watchmaker Singer Reimagined, from whom a collection of chronographs will be on permanent display in the gallery. This follows their Track 1 collection winning the Chronograph category at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève awards in November 2018.

The Phillips Perpetual concept will be extended to New York and Hong Kong, as well as other locations, with partnerships, curated programming and private selling exhibitions and sales, forming a key part of its offering.

The opening of Phillips Perpetual comes in the wake of two hugely successful selling exhibitions in London, which achieved exceptionally high private sales. One of these, Well Suited, brought together some of the world’s finest independent watchmakers with a showcase of quality tailoring from British luxury menswear brand Thom Sweeney; it is precisely this type of collaboration that will continue

under the Phillips Perpetual brand.

Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting, with offices in key locations worldwide; in addition, its online auction platform is available anywhere in the world. As well as providing selling and buying opportunities through auction, Phillips brokers private sales and offers assistance with appraisals, valuations and other financial services. www.phillips.com

Agents & Dealers in Fine Jewellery

HUMPHREY BUTLER LTD 40/41 PALL MALL, LONDON SW1Y 5JG TEL +44 (0)20 7839 3193 WWW.HUMPHREYBUTLER.COM

34 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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J3029 ITM - Yearling Sales 2019 - 3. Weatherbys (297x210mm) PRINT.indd 1

11/07/2019 14:13

The Big Interview

The Power

SURGE

King Power Racing has quickly become a powerful force in racing but for those involved like Alastair Donald it has at times been a difficult journey Words: Carl Evans Photos: George Selwyn and Carl Evans

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mid the sub-plots and background stories running obliquely through this year’s Royal Ascot was one that reached a perfect ending in the final race.

Frankie Dettori had run off with the show long before the Royal procession on that Saturday afternoon, Ryan Moore was relentlessly stalking him in trademark, steely-faced determination, and Blue Point was about to land a Group 1 sprint double. Yet for every front-of-house highlight there were dozens of mighthave-beens for owners, trainers, grooms, racing managers and bloodstock agents.

In that category, until the fifth day’s closing race, you could find King Power Racing, trainer Andrew Balding and agent Alastair Donald, a triumvirate suffering with near-miss syndrome, until, finally, Cleonte came good and pulled clear to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

Donald says the victory was “as good as a Group 1 win”, which, given that the contest is a conditions race of extreme length and popular with jump trainers, is an insight to agent pressure. Never more so, given the turmoil experienced within the King Power Racing camp following the death in October of its founder and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

“Royal Ascot started off great when Beat The Bank was second in the Queen Anne, because the horse was very close to the family’s hearts,” says Donald. “He was the first flagship horse owned by King Power Racing and the chairman loved him.

“However, after that good opening we kept hitting the bar – the horses

were running well, but we lacked a bit of luck. We had seconds and fourths, and then it rained and we had soft ground when we wanted fast ground. Then it dried up when our soft-ground horses were about to run. It was becoming very frustrating, and I remember thinking, ‘Please, can we have a winner – they [the Srivaddhanaprabha family] so deserve it’.

“When Cleonte won the final race it was a huge relief. It felt way better than a Group 1 winner, and we’ve had plenty of those. I was so pleased for the family, and it was hugely important for King Power Racing.”

Sitting in his Hungerford office, Donald comes across as a content and happy man again, far removed from the wounded figure who attended last year’s Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale just a few days after Vichai’s death.

“I had made lists of horses to buy, but I couldn’t bother the family with that,” he says. “Everyone [at the sale] was very sympathetic, but I did try to avoid the press, because it was one of those occasions when you really didn’t know what to say.”

Reflecting on the moment when he first heard that Vichai’s private helicopter had crashed after taking off from Leicester City’s football ground, Donald says: “I was at home with the kids when Andrew rang and said, ‘Something awful has happened – you had better turn on the television’. I switched on Sky News and thought, ‘Oh my God,’ because he was bound to be on that chopper, and then I wondered who else would have been on the flight with him. Every time

“When Cleonte won it was a huge relief. It felt way better than a Group 1” he came racing there were always pilots, assistants, family and friends.

“It was a one in a million accident – there was a fault with the foot cable to the rear propeller, and if the helicopter

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King Power Racing

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (second left) and his brother Apichet (right) celebrate Cleonte’s win at Royal Ascot

had been flying forward it would have auto-rotated down, but they didn’t have forward momentum and weren’t high enough.

“It was obvious we couldn’t contact the family to discuss what they wanted for the horses, and we had to wait for them to call us – a few days later we were asked not to run anything for a week, and from there on we just managed things without bothering them.

“I thought a dispersal was unlikely, and when his son [Aiyawatt, also known as ‘Top’ and now King Power’s CEO and Chairman] spoke of keeping his father’s legacy going with Leicester City I felt that was encouraging, although we didn’t know for sure.”

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Donald says the financial impact of a dispersal never entered his head. He says: “I had other business and clients, but it would have been devastating to lose the opportunity of buying that calibre of horse, and to think that a good one would come along and they wouldn’t be around to see it. It would have been awful if it was all very short-lived.”

The evolution of an agency

Donald is one half of SackvilleDonald, an agency created in 2011 with Ed Sackville. The two men met while working for Luke Lillingston’s Kern Lillingston agency, and complement each other through sharing ideas but focusing on different areas of the

market. It is Donald’s remit to work on horses in training, while Sackville handles the buying of breeding stock – they come together to buy yearlings, yet work for their own clients.

Asked how the agency has developed, Donald says: “It has grown in terms of number of clients and through our own realisation of the areas and clients on which we wish to concentrate. I don’t waste as much time chasing a horse only to find we can’t get the job done, but that has come with experience. You learn to see opportunities which can come to fruition, while avoiding those that are unlikely to succeed.

“The other key change has been the availability of race replays through the

››

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The Big Interview

Mystery Power (centre) emerged as a Classic candidate with victory in the Superlative Stakes

›› internet, which means you have to react

much faster. As a result the proven-horse market is now far more competitive. In the past you would have a few days to consider a race before offering a horse to Hong Kong, but now you have to be on the phone within hours and have an offer ready to go the next day. We used to Fedex DVDs and it would take a week for an offer to come in.

“The markets in Hong Kong and Australia are strong, but the American market is not so busy. They tend to want fillies, which are hard to find. Twenty years ago we would be buying 25 horses each year for America, and now it would be five, but we are buying triple the number we used to for Hong Kong and Australia.”

Given his agency’s involvement with Hong Kong he would appear to be nicely positioned should racing in China become more commercial and accepting of betting.

He says: “There is a lot of talk about China, and Chinese people are buying horses to race in Europe, but they are not buying horses to race in China. We are still a long way off seeing betting in China – it will probably happen one day, but it could be another 25 years or more.”

If breaking into China resembles a closed door it is no more difficult than dealing with a European trainer who loathes agent approaches to buy horses in their yard.

Donald says: “Trainers who have emerged in the last 15 years are much more commercially minded and willing to sell horses. They realise the importance of turning horses over, while in the past many trainers hated selling horses. Today,

if a horse has done well and can be sold for a good price it could pay for an owner’s racing for several years. A lot of trainers now plan a horse’s career around their value.”

Power in the sport of Kings

King Power had an affinity with sport through interests in football – including ownership of Leicester City FC – and high-goal polo before making its entrée to British racing in 2017.

In that year eight wins and ten places from 48 runs was a satisfactory start on the racecourse, but the organisation’s buying impact, both privately and at public auction, was more significant.

“The indication is that they want to keep his legacy going” Seeking horses that could provide instant action, Donald picked up some breezers in the spring of 2017 and bought proven horses privately, acquiring such good performers as the ill-fated Beat The Bank, Cleonte and Donjuan Triumphant.

At Goffs’ London Sale he and Sackville purchased six lots for £2 million, and they combined their yearling buying experience to gain further purchases that

King Power Racing autumn. Chief among a swathe of King Power acquisitions at Tattersalls’ Book 1 was a Dubawi filly later named Tuk Power, and a Frankel three-parts sister to Oaks winner Talent who was given the name King Power. She was subsequently third in this year’s Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial.

Factoring in purchases for other clients, SackvilleDonald bought 32 lots for just over 13 million guineas at that auction, while at the Goffs Orby Sale the agency gained 21 yearlings for more than €3 million. This buying spree continued at the horses-in-training sales, where purchases included Morando, who was to win this year’s Ormonde Stakes.

Further acquisitions came at the 2018 breeze-up sales, at the London Sale where another six lots cost slightly more than £2m, and there were further big-money buys at the yearling sales, a few weeks before tragedy struck.

Reflecting on his introduction to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Donald says: “King Power had done the rounds of various trainers and chose Andrew Balding [as its first trainer]. Andrew felt it was an organisation that would need some help with managing its plans, and put my name forward. In year one we worked with Andrew, but he and I soon realised it was growing pretty quickly and he [Vichai] could not have all his eggs in one basket, so recommended some other trainers.

Andrew was part of that process.

“Before then we would go to Book 1 and the Orby, and, after looking at every horse, would knock a load off the list because we knew we couldn’t afford them.”

One of the first big names to carry the blue and white silks was popular campaigner Beat The Bank. Widely credited as a horse pivotal to King Power’s growth, Beat The Bank won the bet365 Mile upon his return to action this year and then the Summer Mile at Ascot, only to sadly suffer a serious and ultimately fatal leg injury in the race’s closing stages. It struck a tragic note on a tumultous afternoon for King Power who only minutes before had celebrated the victories of Pivoine in York’s John Smith’s Cup and the unbeaten Mystery Power in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

Since the Chairman’s death there has been a breeze-up purchase and a few private purchases, but Donald stresses the reduction in spending is because King Power is happy with the number of horses currently in its ownership. He says: “In the past we were working towards a fiveyear strategy to build up to 100 horses in training, and to keep it there with an approximate 25 in and 25 out each year.

››

38 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 19:03

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The Big Interview ›› We haven’t had to buy many horses [since the Chairman’s death] because we have a good team in place, and enjoyed a good start to the season.

“Every indication is that they [Vichai’s family] want to keep his legacy going and they are enjoying it, so I would be pretty confident that we will stick to his plan.”

Oohs and ouchs around the world

If Cleonte’s Royal Ascot win will remain a personal favourite of Donald’s, it has not been the only success for his agency.

Stormy Antarctic, who he bought as a breezer, won Group races in Germany and Italy in the spring, and Donald says: “He’s been a bit of a legend. Horses like

him who stay around for a long time are wonderful – he’s won Group races in Germany, Italy, France, England, and been placed in Ireland and the US. It would be great for [trainer] Ed Walker if the horse won a Group 1, and I’m sure he’ll find one abroad.”

Amade, who is trained by Alessandro Botti in France, won the Belmont Gold Cup after SackvilleDonald bought 50% of him for OTI Racing. Donald says: “He might run next in the Prix Kergorlay and he could be a runner in the Melbourne Cup.” Harlem won the Australian Cup for the second year running, and Glorious Forever won the Hong Kong Cup, matching his brother, Time Warp, the winner in 2018.

The agency bought Time Warp as a horse

King Power Racing in training and Glorious Forever as a yearling.

Less high-profile, but memorably quirky and rewarding, was a Group 3 race in Hong Kong in which Donald purchases filled the first five places, headed by Simply Brilliant, who was known as Senator when he raced in Europe.

Near misses include three runner-up spots at Royal Ascot with Beat The Bank (Queen Anne Stakes), Fox Chairman (Hampton Court Stakes) and Bangkok (King Edward VII Stakes), and second place in the Hong Kong Derby with Waikuku. Donald says: “We’ve won three Hong Kong Derbys, but it would have been particularly rewarding to do so for Mr Siu, who owns Waikuku and Stormy Antarctic.”

‘We’ve never had an argument’ Ed Sackville offers his insight as the other half of SackvilleDonald

‘That’s why it works, because there’s no competition’

“Alastair and I have never had an argument. I am the youngest of four boys and I look up to Alastair as I do my older brothers.

“I’m based most of the time in London, where I live with my wife and two children, but I go to the Hungerford office every week, and when I’m driving there I’m working on the phone – handsfree of course.

“It works, and since Alastair and I are always out and about at studs and stables or at sales we are never going to spend the working year in one place.

“I work with breeding stock, foals and stallions, Alastair focusses on horses-in-training and we both buy yearlings.

“If one of my clients wants a horsein-training then Alastair would handle the sale, but when his [Hong Kongbased] Cotai Glory clients wanted some mares to support that horse as a stallion I stepped in. That’s why it works, because there’s no competition.

“When we are at yearling sales we look at half the horses each, compare notes and make lists. When King Power Racing emerged it was very exciting to look at a Galileo, a Frankel and a Dubawi, and be in the market for them.”

‘There were 20-something missed calls’ “On the day Vichai died, I was at

Ed Sackville (left) and Alastair Donald established SackvilleDonald in 2011

my parents’ house, having supper, and when I checked my phone there were 20-something missed calls and messages. The first thing I did was ring Alastair.

“I didn’t know Vichai that well because he was Alastair’s client, but whenever I met him he came across as unbelievably nice, kind and friendly. He genuinely seemed pleased to meet you.

“The two mares King Power bought at the London Sale (Baldovina in 2017 and Belle Josephine in 2018) are doing well, but there are no plans to extend the numbers, in part because Alastair has done such a good job of buying fillies who could easily become broodmares for the family one day.

“My side of the business is very busy.

I have some very good clients and business is going well.”

‘I was a terrible scholar which is why I work in racing’

Five years ago, in an interview with Nancy Sexton for Thoroughbred Owner Breeder, Sackville revealed he was attending night school for lessons in Chinese. He is not, however, fluent, for he reveals: “I gave up – it was so difficult. It was quite a fun thing to do and I can say hello and a few other basics, but until China opens up its markets and allows betting on races there seemed little point in continuing.

“And I was a terrible scholar – which is why I work in racing.”

40 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Talking To...

Safe as

HOUSES

Lisa Hancock, Chief Executive of the Injured Jockeys Fund, oversees the charity’s rehab centres in Lambourn and Malton, and is preparing for the opening of Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket Interview: Tim Richards Photos: George Selwyn

W

hat are your earliest recollections of racing? And what was the attraction of starting in racecourse management which took you to Warwick, Aintree, Haydock and Chester before ten years in charge at Newmarket?

Point-to-pointing meant literally every Saturday from January through to May was dedicated to the sport in East Anglia. Dad was chairman of East Anglia point-to-point racing and the commentator as well, while mum ran the local point-to-point at Horseheath. We also had a couple of point-to-pointers.

Beyond that I used to be glued to racing on TV and Cheltenham was sacrosanct.

The door was locked while mum and Dad watched the Festival and when you came home from school you were told to keep very quiet.

I loved visiting Newmarket and when driving in past Swynford Paddocks I used to get tingles down my spine.

Mum and Dad knew Nick Lees, who was in charge of the two Newmarket courses, and he used to let me shadow him during the school holidays. I also spent time with David Minton in his Newmarket bloodstock office. The raceday event always gave me a buzz, being involved with such a diverse range of people who were all so enthusiastic and passionate about their work.

From the age of 16 you spent 12 years point-to-pointing and rode over 50 winners, in the process breaking two collarbones, a wrist and suffering three

concussions. What has that experience taught you in relation to your present job as Chief Executive of the Injured Jockeys Fund?

My injuries were minor and I was lucky to be riding good horses. But at the time East Anglian racing had desperately bad injuries. William Sporborg and Paul Taiano suffered spinal injuries and even more devastating for me in 1989 was the death at 19 of Sarah Shepherd, my best friend at the time, at Marks Tey pointto-point. Also, my godfather’s son Bob Wales was killed at Fakenham in 1982.

“Jockeys or ex-jockeys can feel at home when they use the centres” Not once did it cross my mind to stop riding or even think about the risks involved. I know that sounds bizarre because it was a desperate, torrid period for the whole region. Looking back it resonates even more because when you’re riding you just think it’ll never happen to you. I am much more aware now what a dangerous game it is and the impact it has on family and friends.

What exactly does your role involve, heading up the IJF with its rehab centres at Oaksey House in Lambourn, Jack Berry House in Malton and the £6m Peter O’Sullevan House, which is opening in Newmarket this month?

The role has changed enormously since I took over in 2010. When Jeremy Richardson, my predecessor, retired there were 17 people employed by the IJF. Now there are 45. My principal job is to oversee the management of the three centres, the delivery of our welfare service and to provide strategic vision and direction for the team. We have grown and hopefully matured so now it is all about consolidation and it’s very important that we are delivering for our beneficiaries.

I used to visit Jack Berry House every week when it was being built in 2015.

Now it is run by such a well-established team, it requires only a monthly visit.

I have been going to Oaksey House every three weeks because of personnel changes. My office is in Newmarket so Peter O’Sullevan House doesn’t involve the travelling. I try to do beneficiary visits as well as racecourse visits. The centres have changed the way the charity delivers and are fantastic for the reach and profile of the IJF. What do these three ultra-modern facilities provide for professional and amateur riders?

We call them rehab centres. But they are so much more than that; they are individual centres for the charity as

››

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Lisa Hancock Lisa Hancock outside the new Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket, set to open this month

Aug_180_TalkingToV2.indd 43

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Talking To...

Peter O’Sullevan House will feature a swimming pool and gym and will be open to jockeys and those who have retired from riding

›› a whole. Jockeys, or former jockeys,

needing any support of any kind, can feel at home and very welcome when they visit. It is their charity and very unique, not like coming into a Nuffield Hospital or community centre. They have a fantastic identity and wonderful teams working in them with very good resources at hand. Both Oaksey House and Jack Berry House have respite stay available. But Peter O’Sullevan House doesn’t because in theory the racing population of Newmarket is much more condensed and the British Racing School, in whose grounds we are based, can provide accommodation. Our aim is to boost jockeys both physically and mentally so they are more robust as athletes and leave us in a better and happier place.

With the three IJF ‘Houses’ situated in racing centres, how do you cover the rest of the country and its 60 far flung racecourses?

We have eight almoners, who in turn have a fantastic support network of visitors who are their eyes and ears. We also have a wonderful group of trustees and vice-patrons, from Hazel Peplinski at Perth to Lucy Charnock, an almoner in the south-east, so we have the whole nation covered one way or another.

How have the Newmarket jockeys and racing fraternity coped up to now without Peter O’Sullevan House?

When we opened Jack Berry House people kept asking if we thought there would be any demand in the north.

We are full and constantly juggling resources to accommodate everyone.

There is a latent demand with jockeys carrying injuries and former jockeys still struggling through with chronic problems, as well as their dependants.

Injured Jockeys Fund in numbers

55 £18m+ 1,000+ 3 45

Years since it started

Raised so far

Jockeys helped

is so demanding with the early starts, riding out, then all the travelling from meeting to meeting. And always under the pressures of dieting and feeling hungry. It is a desperately demanding lifestyle. That’s why we try to package up all our support so jockeys can come in for a breather. A little bit of respite and at the same time get themselves mentally stronger and their bodies in better shape. It is the whole package, but in a soft way. Not magic, but we do have the time and resources to help.

I hope once we provide them with the resources of Peter O’Sullevan House they will welcome us with open arms.

Of course, a number of the jockeys in the area are using private physios and strength and conditioning coaches and I am not expecting them all to leave those relationships, but I hope over time they will use us as appropriate.

Peter O’Sullevan House could not be better placed to serve the town and its surrounding districts, heavily populated with the racing fraternity. The local community can use the facilities, but only after jockeys and amateur riders.

Does the IJF, compared with other sports, lead the way in the UK looking after its sportsmen and women?

When the Princess Royal, our Patron, has spoken at various events she has been kind enough to suggest that in many ways we do lead the way. Obviously, other sports have fantastic resources as well, but I think racing can be very proud of the Injured Jockeys Fund. Certainly, I am. I hope jockeys consider themselves very lucky to have us as their charity.

I don’t believe any other country has as comprehensive support for their jockeys as we do. We have spoken recently with the Australian injured jockeys charity and we have very good relations with the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. We are probably more established than any of them, having been set up in 1964, so there is a lot of history and we have learnt a huge amount.

You concentrate on nutrition and sports psychology. Is this a big help in dealing with depression and mental health, which seems increasingly prevalent among professional sportsmen and women?

It is much more acceptable nowadays to share your concerns when you are feeling under pressure. The racing circus

How important are Christmas card sales to the IJF and what other important fundraising activities do you carry out?

The whole pre-Christmas trading operation is really important. Profits are squeezed as we are not able to make the sums of money we used to make ten or 15 years ago. But In terms of the opportunity to reach out to our support

Rehab centres

Full-time staff

44 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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19/07/2019 18:59

Lisa Hancock base, whether on the racecourses or online, it is very, very important because we have such loyal supporters who want to contribute and help us. It raises our profile and increases our visibility and in that respect is absolutely vital.

There are a huge number of fundraising events throughout the year, mostly instigated by our supporters and we in turn support them. We have key events like Jim Old’s golf day, which is one of our most successful. As is the Leger Legends day at Doncaster.

Would you like to see any changes to the riding rules in the UK? I enjoy listening to my two Vice-Patrons, John Francome and AP, who disagree on this subject! They are much better placed to argue about the rules on riding than I am. I know there is a break now for jumps and a new six-day break from the Flat at the end of the turf season in November. But I firmly believe providing the whole racing workforce with more opportunities for a breather should be given serious consideration.

That’s not being workshy; it’s trying to manage the whole sport and giving everyone some longevity.

We have never had more talented female jockeys. Turning back the clock, would you like to have taken up the challenge?

I was never good enough and knew it from the word go. It’s fantastic what the ladies are doing now. In fact, I don’t think you need to differentiate between the ladies and the men, just let them get on with it on the track. That’s what Hayley did at Ascot and so many of them are doing now.

Which trainers have you ridden out for in Newmarket and how much riding do you do in these days?

I did a number of summers with Michael Stoute; he and Coral are good sounding boards for me. Coral has been round Peter O’Sullevan House with her hard hat on and is a good advisor to have. I went from riding a couple of pointers at home to Michael Stoute’s in the summer and David and Dinah Nicholson’s while I was working at Warwick. A big change from point-to-pointing but I really enjoyed it. The only riding I do now is on my daughter Sally’s eventer.

You have been a director at Cheltenham racecourse and having competed in point-to-points, are you a jumping fan at heart?

Yes. My key interest came from point-

Aug_180_TalkingToV2.indd 45

Lisa Hancock with Ted Durcan and Sir Anthony McCoy at Peter O’Sullevan House

to-pointing, hence the jump racing.

But now my passion would probably be fairly even because I follow the Flat jockeys just as much as the National Hunt. I have a particular interest in jockeys who switch codes like Dougie Costello, Graham Lee, Jim Crowley, PJ McDonald and Trevor Whelan. I would be pretty aware of who’s riding when and where and if they’ve had an injury and how they’re doing – obviously with the help of the Oaksey House and Jack Berry House teams.

What do you consider your most memorable achievement during your time at the IJF? Building and opening Jack Berry House.

You don’t get many opportunities to build such a facility and it was a privilege to drive the project forward.

To see its success under Jo Russell’s leadership is fantastic. I feel very proud when I travel to Malton and I hope I will be when Peter O’Sullevan House is up and running.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Managing my time because we are covering such a large area and the team has grown so rapidly. Also having to make sure we have the correct management team and structure in place to offer everyone the appropriate support. That, combined with the travelling, can be tough.

Who is your role model, and racing hero?

Charles Barnett, who ran Aintree and Ascot. I was at Aintree for three

years with Charles and he had a significant influence on me with his wonderful charisma, style and amazing management of pressure. My racing hero is John Francome, the ultimate National Hunt jockey who set a horse up to a fence like no other.

CLOSE UP AND… PERSONAL

Most challenging thing I have done… leading a major redevelopment of the July course in 2007 Four dinner party guests… I’d be happy with just two, Ant & Dec! Tell us something about yourself only you know… I suffer from chronic Raynaud’s disease and spend the winter with frozen white fingers Who would you most like to meet outside racing… John McEnroe Favourite music… listening to Robbie Williams

CLOSE UP AND… PROFESSIONAL

Best jockey I have seen…

John Francome Favourite horse… Russian Rhythm, the 1,000 Guineas winner of 2003 Best advice received… the harder I try, the luckier I get I would take a first-time racegoer to… the July Course or the Tuesday of Royal Ascot Alternative career… hill farmer

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Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale

Breeding on a

BUDGETT

Charlie Budgett is steeped in the breeding industry and his background and experience will come to the fore at Doncaster this month, when his Kirtlington Park Stud makes its debut as a consignor Words: Nancy Sexton

A

long held plan that began five years ago with a single mare from Greece will come to fruition at this month’s Goffs UK Premier Sale in Doncaster when Kirtlington Park Stud makes its first foray as consignor into the yearling market.

You could say that Charlie Budgett is bred for the industry. After all, the Budgett name will always be synonymous with Blakeney and Morston, Arthur Budgett’s Derby winners of 1969 and 1973 who were produced out of his wonderful mare Windmill Girl. Both were bred at the Oxfordshire property, then known as Park Farm, while more recently that mantle of raising successful runners has been

Aug_180_GoffsUKKirtlingtonParkv2.indd 47

Charlie Budgett of Kirtlington Park Stud, set to offer youngstock for the first time

very ably assumed by Arthur’s youngest son Chris, under whose management the nearby Kirtlington Stud continues to thrive.

Now in the establishment of Kirtlington Park Stud as a boarding operation and

consignor, Charlie Budgett is treading that same familiar path as his grandfather and uncle before him.

Kirtlington Park has hosted a polo club since the days of Charlie Budgett’s greatgrandfather Hugh Budgett in 1926 and today remains one of the most significant of its kind in Britain with over 150 ponies on its books.

However, it needs only a trip through the 700-acre estate to reveal the sheer scope that the land also continues to possess for the thoroughbred world. For instance, there is the onsite vet clinic headed up by Helen Van Tuyll. And lying just across the road is Kirtlington Stud, whose same variation of limestone brash

››

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Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale ››

land served various recent Budgett alumni, such as Harbinger, Aussie Rules and Sir Percy, so well during some of their formative months.

A measured, detailed approach has been adopted in developing the chosen tranche of Kirtlington Park land into a commercial stud. All the while, more and more boarders have been added as well as a stallion in Sea’s Legacy, the Green Desert half-brother to Galileo and Sea The Stars owned by the Alattiyah family who arrived from Qatar earlier this year.

And now as the 2019 sales season comes upon us, Kirtlington Park is at the point of preparing to launch its first yearling consignment.

“I was always interested in racing, right from a very young age,” says Charlie Budgett. “My grandfather, Arthur Budgett, was a huge inspiration. He was the whole reason for doing it, everything here is Blakeney and Morston - the whole place revolves around it. So the plan was always to come back here and Christo, my uncle, helped facilitate it.”

Budgett is a familiar face at the sales from his years assisting Johnny McKeever.

In between, there were also stints in America, Australia and Argentina.

“I was in property but wanted to go into the bloodstock industry and wasn’t quite sure how,” he says. “Jamie Trotter, a great friend of mine, said he thought I should do some agency work first. Chris agreed but to get there I had to do the stud side first - I had always wanted to

“We’ve been investing in mares when we can and done foal shares” come back to that anyway, especially with the stud here.

“So I went to Kentucky to work a breeding season for Shack Parrish at Indian Creek Farm, which I loved. I came back and did a sales season with Johnny and then went to Arrowfield Stud in Australia. I loved every minute of that they have a huge numbers of yearlings and they’ve very professional and very friendly.

“I also went out to Argentina for six months to work for Antonio Bullrich. They breed a really tough horse out there. It was really interesting to see the different methods and what works - for instance Orpen works very well out there for some reason while other stallions didn’t.

“When I came back, I did another sales season with Johnny. He was fantastic to work for and someone who is very loyal to his owners.”

Budgett returned to Kirtlington Park and embarked on a careful yet

ambitious plan of development. One of the first points of attention was a fencing programme, initially funded by a collection of mares sourced from Greece.

“Five years ago we had one mare who had come from Greece,” he says. “She had a Cheveley Park pedigree that had come alive a bit more. So she came over, we got her in foal to Foxwedge and managed to sell her for a bit of profit. That paid for the first fence.

“We later got two more from Greece and that paid for a bit more fencing.

“Then we got a bit of support, mainly from my uncle and Johnny McKeever. And essentially I bit the bullet four years ago and took a loan out from the bank, and that’s when it all got quite serious.”

A series of significant enhancements to the stud followed, notably a new barn and installation of a lunge pit. Plans are also in place for a horsewalker.

Hazel Baker joined earlier this year as stud manager after nearly 15 seasons at Kirtlington Stud and was shortly followed

by Maria Roberts. Meanwhile, investment continues to be directed at the fledgling broodmare band.

“Christo said to me, ‘I think you need a good manager’,” Budgett recalls, “and I think Hazel was looking for a new challenge. He told me to speak to her and she moved over this year. She’s fantastic and having her, as well as Maria, allows us to do a bit more.”

He adds: “Every time since we sold something, we’ve reinvested. We’ve been

Three of the best out of the Goffs UK Premier Sale so far in 2019 ADVERTISE

A’ALI

Dermot Farrington went to £60,000 to secure this son of Showcasing out of Jamie Railton’s draft in 2017. Sold to Phoenix Thoroughbreds following his debut win at Newbury for trainer Martyn Meade, Advertise swiftly justified that decision by landing last season’s Phoenix Stakes in addition to the Commonwealth Cup Advertise: at Royal Ascot. ‘hard to “He was hard to miss. Myself, miss’ Martyn and Freddie [Meade] spotted him in the back ring at Doncaster - he was just one of those horses you would look at immediately and go, ‘What’s that?’

Physically, you probably couldn’t find a better looking horse.”

Farrington, agent Dermot Farrington

Breeze-up operation Star Bloodstock purchased A’Ali for £35,000 at last year’s sale from his breeder Tally-Ho Stud and turned an excellent profit when reselling him this spring for £135,000 to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale. That money, however, looked particularly well spent when he captured the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot for Simon Crisford just two months later.

“He was a smooth horse, had good strength, good neck and a well set shoulder with a good girth. He had a really good hind leg with plenty of strength and walked particularly well for a horse shaped like a sprinter.

“I was one of the first to look at the Tally-Ho horses when they arrived and he took everything in on his first show and did it easy, and he was exactly the same on the day he sold, which tells me he was handling things and had a good mind.

“I liked Society Rock as a stallion, I think he will be well missed, and being out of a Motivator mare I thought that there would be a bit of depth to him and he wouldn’t be just a ‘flash in the pan’ as they say. We measure their cardio at the sale

b c Showcasing - Furbelow (Pivotal)

48

b c Society Rock - Motion Lass (Motivator)

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The Kirtlington Park Stud team of Charlie Budgett, Hazel Baker (centre) and Maria Roberts

investing in mares when and where we can. And we’ve done more foal shares along the way - that’s helped us gain access to better stallions and David Redvers, Julian Dollar, Ed Harper have all been very helpful in that respect. The plan is very much to continue upgrading the mares and then using the best stallions we can. There’s definitely money to be made below the top of the market but if you want the leading owners and agents to take your horse seriously at the sales, you need to be using good stallions. And if you’re limited to 20 mares, then you need

a lot of luck on your side - a lot of it in this business comes down to luck.”

Budgett is also quick to credit Sea’s Legacy as a key element in the learning curve. The unraced 14-year-old has small numbers of foals from his stints at stud in France and Qatar but they include Al Hareth, a 19-time winner in Qatar, and Muzhelah, winner of the 2017 Qatar Oaks.

He is not the most fertile but did get his single mare in foal this season.

“He’s owned by the Alattiyah family,” says Budgett. “They’re really fun, nice guys - very enthusiastic. And he’s a

gentleman of a horse, a pleasure to deal with and he’s basically teaching us about that side of it.”

Kirtlington Park’s debut yearling sales season is set to kick off at the Goffs UK Premier Sale this month when they offer a Starspangledbanner colt on behalf of Deodata Blyth-Currie. One of only 33 registered yearling colts by his sire, he is the first foal of a winning relation to 2,000 Guineas winner Cockney Rebel.

“I’m really excited about him,” says Budgett. “He’s a really nice, straightforward horse who is strong. He’s for a really nice owner too - we’re lucky in that we have good clients.”

From there on, the stud looks set to be well represented at the Tattersalls October Sale, where their draft will include fillies

by Charm Spirit and Intello. Meanwhile, a colt from the first crop of Juddmonte’s champion Flintshire, now at stud in Kentucky, is slated for the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale; he is particularly well-connected as a member of the Eljazzi family responsible for Invincible Spirit, Kodiac and James Garfield et al.

“A lot of good horses have come off this area,” says Budgett. “Blakeney and Morston, and then Christo had a Derby winner, Sir Percy, and a world champion, Harbinger. We’ve done all the soil and water samples here as well and it’s great land.

“Christo has been brilliant with helping us, as has Ed Player and Jamie Trotter.

Now it’s up to us to get the detail right.”

and he had exactly what we were looking for and everything seemed to fit together with him in a very uncomplicated way.

Roger O’Callaghan said he was a ‘no drama’ horse and that is exactly what he is, just knows what to do and does it without fuss.” Byron Rogers, Performance Genetics and a member of the Star Bloodstock buying team

Albany Stakes winner Daahyeh took the eye of Oliver St Lawrence

DAAHYEH

ch f Bated Breath - Affluent (Oasis Dream)

A’Ali (right) captures the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot

Aug_180_GoffsUKKirtlingtonParkv2.indd 49

Albany Stakes winner Daahyeh was sold last year by her breeder Oakgrove Stud for £75,000 to Oliver St Lawrence. She races for H H Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

“She’s very attractive, with a particularly attractive head, a good step and great quarters to her. I thought she looked fantastic at the sale and a credit to Oakgrove Stud. She also has a nice bit of pedigree – her dam was rated 90 and goes back to a good Juddmonte family.” Oliver St Lawrence, agent

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e s t f i e l d Far W r m Fa

RACEHORSE AND BLOODSTOCK MANAGEMENT • Owner representation on racedays.

• Checking and approving invoices.

The team at the farm have started yearling prep for all major European sales. There is still space available, please get in touch to discuss your needs.

Far Westfield Farm is the perfect spot for summer layups.

• Liaising with trainers and reporting on horses in training.

Recent spelling horses include: Group II Winner - RAVEN’S LADY Group II Winner - PRINCE OF ARRAN 2019 Royal Ascot Winner - THANKS BE

• Liaising with BHA, Weatherbys and Insurance firms.

For information on rates or packages please contact: Roz Lloyd +44 (0)7748 541296 or email: office@farwestfield.com www.farwestfield.com

• Liaising with stud managers and reporting on breeding stock.

• Advising on racing targets.

• Organising raceday hospitality.

• Advising on horses in training and breeding stock sales.

• Mating plans and nomination booking.

• Purchase of racing and breeding stock.

RICHARD KNIGHT BLOODSTOCK AGENT tel: +44 7769 349240 email: richard@richardknightbloodstockagent.com web: www.richardknightbloodstockagent.com

50 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Arqana August Yearling Sale

The French

CONNECTION In an innovative new partnership, Haras de Gouffern and Taylor Made Sales Agency have joined forces to offer a consignment of five yearlings at the upcoming Arqana August Yearling Sale in Deauville

HARAS DE GOUFFERN

Words: Amy Lynam

Haras de Gouffern: the picturesque Normandy farm will offer five yearlings at Arqana this August in a joint venture with Taylor Made Sales

I

t was announced last September that Haras de Gouffern and leading American consignor Taylor Made Sales would join forces to consign together at the 2019 Arqana August Yearling Sale, with the catalogue recently revealing an offering of five.

It came off the back of an arrangement between Taylor Made and International Thoroughbred Consultants (ITC), whose President Jean-Pierre de Gaste is also President of Haras de

Gouffern et de la Genevraye.

“A few years ago, ITC and Taylor Made established an agreement where ITC would represent Taylor Made in France and the Middle East, while they would do the same for us in the US,” explains de Gaste. “We always look for opportunities to expand our business and when Alexandra Saint-Martin joined our team two years ago from Arqana, she concentrated on creating this joint consignment.”

Even this, though, was a long time coming. “I’m great friends with Duncan Taylor [President and Chief Executive Officer of Taylor Made Sales] and we’ve done a lot of business together over the years. For my Middle-Eastern clients, I have bought a large number of horses in training, broodmares and stallion prospects in the USA, often from Taylor Made.”

Innovation is very much at the heart of the new partnership, and is a very

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Arqana August Yearling Sale

›› important element of any project, de

Gaste believes. “We, as an industry, very much need to innovate,” he says. “We are far too attached to tradition and are afraid of change. This fear of losing stability is stunting our progress.”

Indeed, de Gaste has never been afraid of change and a perfect example of this was his brokering of the Qatar sponsorship of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. “At the time, many criticised France-Galop for accepting the deal, because they saw it as sacrilege to

HARAS DE GOUFFERN

“The industry must innovate; we are far too attached to tradition” Jean-Pierre de Gaste: has a long standing association with Duncan Taylor

have an Arab race on Arc day,” he explains. “But, now, you can see the benefits. The Al Thani family attended the Arc meeting and were completely enamoured by the atmosphere; it was at that stage that they decided to become involved in thoroughbred racing, having raced only Arabian horses until that point. Their involvement and success has

created a ripple effect, where many in the Arab racing world have now become involved in thoroughbred racing.”

An open mind also applies to Gouffern’s methods in consigning with Taylor Made Sales. When questioned on whether the shared yearlings were prepped by the French farm’s methods or adapted to suit Taylor Made, de Gaste says: “Of course, we believe it’s very important for any business to innovate.

We have to learn from the US sales and take some of their methods to improve our own, to perfect our formula.”

De Gouffern received the Americanbred yearlings in January, allowing the young horses time to settle in and adapt to their new environment.

Lot 92, a son of Giant’s Causeway, has a pedigree familiar to both American and European buyers as a grandson of the high-class French filly Mysterious Lina. “He’s a lovely, big colt and is very well-balanced,” says de Gaste. “What is interesting about him is that he has a lot of European blood - his granddam was very good in France, while he

Arizona putting Briere firmly on the map

W

three starts for Aidan O’Brien, who was effusive in his praise for the dark bay No Nay Never colt after his victory over the highly regarded pair of Threat and Guildsman, calling him “a fine big horse for next year”. Purchased for 65,000gns from the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, he was resold

by Brière’s Fairway Consignment to Coolmore for €260,000 at last year’s Arqana August Yearling Sale.

“The Fairway Consignment started five years ago now; before then, I had travelled in Ireland, working at

MARTIN STEVENS

hat every young agent, vendor or pinhooker trying to make their way in the bloodstock industry needs is winners on the biggest stages in racing with their name attached to them, writes Martin Stevens.

Charles Brière, one of the more recent additions to the ranks of consignors in France, got just such a headline horse when Arizona struck in a strong renewal of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Arizona has now won two of his

Charles Briere: his Fairway Consignment has 13 yearlings slated for Arqana’s August Sale

Coolmore for four and a half years and spending six months with Bill Dwan, before going to America for three years,” says Brière, 32, explaining the genesis of the operation.

“When I came home to France, I didn’t actually want to start my own business straight away but I didn’t get any other opportunities. So I just decided to get the ball rolling, and bought a few foals with a couple of friends and reoffered them in 2015.”

The very first lot to be sold under the Fairway Consignment banner that year was the chestnut Kendargent colt Test The Rainbow, bought as a foal for €55,000 and resold for €105,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Mission accomplished.

“The idea was to give a kickstart to the business by showing that we could present attractive horses at auction,” says Brière. “Since then we’ve been growing nice and steadily.”

Indeed, in the past four years, Fairway Consignment has been responsible for a further 18 six-figure lots at various auctions in France and in July it achieved its best result in financial terms when selling Floret, an unraced Galileo half-sister to Moonlight Cloud, to Tony Nerses for €380,000 at

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TAYLOR MADE SALES

the Arqana Summer Sale.

In addition to Arizona – who, according to Brière, “wasn’t the best walker as a foal, but kept improving over the winter and blossomed into a lovely individual” – the Fairway Consignment has also sold this season’s Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Olendon for €65,000 at the Arqana V2 Yearling Sale and last year’s Denford Stakes winner Boitron for €45,000 at Osarus.

Those good results have allowed Brière to reinvest in growing the business, and last year he bought a new base for the Fairway Consignment to operate from. “I was renting before but found a nice cattle farm of 20 hectares near Ecurie des Monceaux and the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval in June 2018,” he says. “We had to renovate the whole property and it has taken a lot of time and hard work, but we’re getting there now.”

The Fairway Consignment’s next Arqana August Yearling Sale draft comprises 13 lots including, conspicuously, another colt by No Nay Never – this one out of the well-bred Montjeu mare Je T’Adore bought for 120,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

“We’ll try again!” says Brière. “This son of No Nay Never is a bit bigger and a stronger horse at this stage than

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››

GEORGE SELWYN

Taylor Made Sales: Kentucky agency is a perennial leader among consignors in America

has a lot of [damsire] Empire Maker about him, too. It is very difficult to sell purely American horses in Europe and the Giant’s Causeway colt is our idea of the perfect blend of American and European influences.”

There are not many chances left to obtain progeny of the ‘Iron Horse’, the great racehorse and top sire having passed away in 2018. The colt’s dam, Grey Lina, proved herself at stud from an early stage, with her second foal, a colt by Myboycharlie named Royal By Nature, scoring at stakes level in the US for Brad Cox. Lot 315, meanwhile, has a pedigree that is American through-and-through as a son of Lane’s End Farm’s Union Rags, although thanks to the influence of his damsire Rahy, there is more to this horse than meets the eye, as de Gaste explains. “The Union Rags colt is very much European in conformation,” he says. “You can see Rahy’s influence in him physically and Rahy was, of course,

by Blushing Groom, so he is very typical of a turf horse.”

Arizona: Coventry Stakes winner was sold by the Fairway Consignment at last year’s sale

Arizona, and not dark bay like him. He’s a very good mover.”

The vendor will also present a Showcasing colt out of a Pour Moi halfsister to Qatar Derby winner Tannaaf, the only representative of his popular young sire in the catalogue, along with a Siyouni filly out of the Listed-winning Smart Strike mare Apple Charlotte.

Others in the Fairway Consignment delegation to Deauville with noteworthy pedigrees include an Intello half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter The Right Man, a Camelot halfsister to Listed winner Many Colours and a Shalaa colt out of Poule d’Essai des Pouliches runner-up Maiden Tower.

The farm has four more yearlings

entered in the V2 sale, which immediately follows the premier August yearling session, in the shape of fillies by Holy Roman Emperor and Pride Of Dubai and colts by Bated Breath and Myboycharlie.

Then, later in the year, the Fairway Consignment will break new ground by selling its first draft outside France, with a small number of yearlings set to go under the hammer at Tattersalls October Book 2.

With that tentative international expansion, as well as Arizona looking sure to collect more Pattern race laurels, Charles Brière is a name we are likely to hear a lot more of in the coming years.

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››

Lot 159 is a son of Yeomanstown Stud sire Gutaifan, whose first two-year-olds have made a bright start this season.

A grandson of the outstanding mare Saganeca, the bay’s pedigree is one rich in black-type.

“This colt has a marvellous pedigree,” says de Gaste. “As everyone knows, Saganeca has been a fantastic mare and it’s a very current family. Japan [another grandson of Saganeca] has done very well recently, winning the Grand Prix de Paris in addition to the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.”

Saganeca, of course, produced Group 1 winners Sagamix, Sagawara and Sagacity, as well as the dams of toplevel scorer Sageburg, Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture and the aforementioned Japan.

Completing the draft are a pair pinhooked by ITC as foals; a first crop son of The Gurkha (Lot 184) and a colt

by Iffraaj (Lot 281).

The Gurkha colt, like his Gutaifan compatriot, comes from a top French family which remains very active. “The Gurkha colt comes from the family of the top French mare Chicquita, as well as the talented Magic Wand and recent

HARAS DE GOUFFERN

Arqana August Yearling Sale

Proven stallions such as Giant’s Causeway and Iffraaj are represented in Gouffern’s draft

French Oaks winner Channel,” says de Gaste. “This colt is bred to be a miler and looks built for speed.”

There are also sure to be updates aplenty for the Iffraaj colt out of stakes performer Imperialistic Diva. “The Iffraaj colt is very handsome and has a very active pedigree - Imperialistic Diva’s two-year-old by Exceed And Excel

won her second start on July 1 and connections apparently like her very much,” he says. “This colt has a lot of class, so we have high expectations.”

The juvenile sibling in question, named Mia Diva, is trained by John Quinn for Phoenix Thoroughbreds and is a full-sister to last year’s Firth of Clyde Stakes winner Queen Of Bermuda.

Quality in abundance as Arqana opens yearling sales season Set against the stunning backdrop of Deauville, the Arqana August Yearling Sale represents a fusion of the cream of the French yearling crop and those from further afield. It is the curtainraiser to the European yearling sales season and with focus on quality the overriding theme, annually attracts an array of leading international buyers.

It was at this sale in 2014 that the Hong Kong Jockey Club came away with Pakistan Star while A Raving Beauty, Mubtaahij and Uni are just some of the big-name graduates to have struck in the US in the past three years. Naturally, such international performers also complement a consistently strong showing in Europe - think champion Almanzor, who sold in 2016, and Derby hero Wings Of Eagles for starters.

Once again, the adverts have been free flowing this season, notably through the exploits of Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass and Coronation Stakes winner Watch Me. Arqana have compiled a catalogue of 338 yearlings for this year’s renewal, which begins its three-day run on August 17. Another 150 yearlings have

been catalogued to the following V2 session, itself the source in its time of French Guineas winners Olmedo and Teppal.

Of those to be offered within the main catalogue, 58% are out of black-type performers or black-type producers. And, as ever, there is representation from an array of the world’s leading sires, among them Galileo, whose seven entries includes the first foal out of the Group 1-placed

Step Amaich.

Dubawi’s duo, meanwhile, comprise a half-sister to Magic Wand and Chicquita from leading vendor Ecurie des Monceaux and a colt out of Falmouth Stakes winner Giofra.

Monceaux’s powerful draft also includes the latest yearling out of Starlet’s Sister. By Fastnet Rock, he is a half-brother to current Group/Grade 1 winners Sottsass and Sistercharlie, and promises to be a major highlight.

Group 1-winning graduates of the Arqana August Sale since 2017 Name

Year sold

Consignor

Purchaser

Price (€)

A RAVING BEAUTY

2014

Mezeray

Not sold

HAVANA GREY

2016

Coulonces

BBA Ireland

INTELLOGENT

2016

Monceaux

Amanda Skiffington

320,000

MEKHTAAL

2014

Mezeray

Mandore International

300,000

MUBTAAHIJ

2013

Hotellerie

Form Bloodstock

450,000

70,000

PAKISTAN STAR

2014

Ombreville

Hong Kong Jockey Club

180,000

SOTTSASS

2017

Monceaux

Oceanic Bloodstock

340,000

UNI

2015

Etreham

Not sold

-

WATCH ME

2017

Petit Tellier

Not sold

-

WINGS OF EAGLES

2015

Reboursiere et de Montaigu

M V Magnier

220,000

54 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Breeders’ Digest

Nancy Sexton Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes Sales Circuit: International buying power key to strong July trade – pages 58-65 Caulfield Files: American blood rising to the fore within juvenile crop – pages 68-69 Dr Statz: Impressive numbers for Farhh despite limited opportunity – page 88

Racing Foundation partnership a very welcome development

Aug_180_BreedersDigest.indd 57

ALISTAIR GRANT/BOKEH PHOTOGRAPHIC

O

ne of the several concerning points that emerged out of last year’s Economic Impact Study, conducted by Pricewaterhousecoopers on behalf of the TBA, was the issue of staff recruitment and retention.

The study outlined that it had ‘become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain skilled people’, before adding that it ‘is estimated that over one-quarter of stud farms have skills gaps, compared to 14% of businesses nationally’.

Happily, one year on and progress seemingly continues to be made in that area, with a number of new projects set to be rolled out as part of the TBA’s strategic partnership with The Racing Foundation in an alliance that will unlock £570,000 in funds over the next five years.

One of the key projects on the agenda is the recruitment of more people to work in the breeding industry and the subsequent support of those wishing to develop their careers.

We saw how successful the Entry to Stud Employment (E2SE) scheme was last autumn. Based at the National Stud and open at to adults of all ages, experience with horses is not a prerequisite as long as the candidates possess ‘a commitment to working hard in the industry and learning on the job, a positive attitude and the ability to work in a team’. Last year’s inaugural scheme took 11 students under its umbrella, the oldest of whom was 56-year-old Mick Littlefair.

And now with that successful course in the books and further funding on the way, it has been increased this year to cater for 20 students – an excellent development for all involved.

The move is part of a new training and qualification pathway devised by the TBA and National Stud. E2SE will be incorporated as part of Stage 1, and will be supplemented by two further stages to include monitoring and assessment in the workplace.

The National Stud has long played a key role in the education and training of

This year’s National Stud students celebrate their graduation at a recent ceremony

staff within the bloodstock sector, notably through its Diploma in Stud Practice and Management that runs annually throughout the spring (the Irish National Stud also offers a similarly successful sixmonth course).

Last month, the stud celebrated the graduation of its 33rd intake of students, all of whom now find themselves with a foothold within the industry. A number of influential figures have completed the course over the years, and those present at the graduation ceremony were again reminded of its value in guest speaker Donna Vowles, a former graduate and today the stud manager of Kiltinan Castle Stud. Vowles spoke eloquently of how the course had opened up a myriad opportunities in her career, both domestic and international, just as it will likely continue to do for many others in years to come.

BRACE YOURSELF FOR SALES SEASON

Christmas will be looming before we know it. It sounds bizarre to suggest in August that we are hurtling towards year’s end but, as any sales aficionado is aware, that is the season for you; once Arqana opens the European yearling circuit with its elite August sale, a rapid succession of yearling auctions takes us through to November, by which time the breeding stock sales have joined the carousel.

The curtain to the British yearling sales season will be raised in Doncaster later this month at the Goffs UK Premier Sale. Rarely has a week gone by this summer when a reminder of the talent on offer at the auction hasn’t been forthcoming. For instance, as outlined in the preceding pages, three of the sale’s graduates, Advertise, A’Ali and Daahyeh, struck at Royal Ascot, while at the time of writing another 15 have struck in stakes company.

This year’s sale comprises approximately 500 yearlings, similar to 2018, and it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to envisage another Advertise, Limato or A’Ali lurking within that selection.

However, the polarisation of the market continues to be a recurring and worrying theme, not helped by the vast number of yearlings set to go under the hammer. As we headed into those lesser sales during the later stages of last season, there was a real sense that a lack of buyer demand was again taking its toll. Hopefully, by the time we are deep into this year’s yearling season there will be some form of incentive in operation in the British Breeders’ Premium Scheme (as currently known). An initiative that has taken a sizeable amount of effort and thought from the bodies involved, it has the hallmarks of evolving into a valuable aid for the British breeding industry.

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Sales Circuit • By Carl Evans

International buying power key to strong July trade Some big-money transactions, a recordpriced filly and a superb clearance rate of 93% gave the July Sale several coats of gloss.

No fewer than four lots joined the list of the ten most valuable horses ever sold at the three-day auction, and competitive bidding at all levels of the market meant that few horses failed to find a buyer.

A greater selection for buyers of classy middle-distance horses would never go amiss, and would be particularly welcomed by those seeking stock for the jump and Australian markets, but the horses on offer were popular.

The top four lots were all bought for export, including the filly At Last, whose 420,000gns valuation was a record for her sex at the July Sale. Agent Mick Flanagan, working for Australian interests, headed Badgers Bloodstock to buy At Last, a Galileo half-sister to stallion

TATTERSALLS

Tattersalls July Sale

New King: promising three-year-old is heading to Australia after selling for 450,000gns

Tattersalls July Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (gns)

Buyer

New King c (Frankel - Marine Bleue)

Jamie Railton (agent)

450,000

James Harron Bloodstock

At Last f (Galileo – Zouzou)

The Castlebridge Consignment

420,000

Mick Flanagan, agent

Inverleigh c (Excelebration – Sommorell)

Michael Downey

350,000

Rabbah Bloodstock

Admiral Rous c (Henrythenavigator – Bulrushes)

Eoghan O'Neill

325,000

Jassim Mohammad Ghazali

Patrick Sarsfield c (Australia - Ultra Appeal)

The Castlebridge Consignment

230,000

Joseph O'Brien

Wamathaat f (Speightstown - Special Me)

Shadwell Stud

220,000

BBA Ireland

Make A Wish f (No Nay Never - Saturn Girl)

Gainsborough Stables (S. Crisford)

160,000

Jassim Mohammad Ghazali

Silent Morning f (Pivotal - Veil Of Silence)

Godolphin

155,000

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock

Scintilating f (Siyouni - Photo Flash)

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

130,000

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock

On The Line c (Dark Angel - Crimson Cheer)

Kremlin Cottage/The Castlebridge Consignment

130,000

Jassim Mohammad Ghazali

New Show g (New Approach - Music Show)

Fitzroy House (M Bell)

130,000

Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (gns)

Avg (gns)

Mdn (gns)

Top Price (£gns)

2019

535

12,748,800

23,830

12,000

450,000

2018

561

12,068,300

21,512

10,000

350,000

2017

574

14,691,700

25,595

12,000

330,000

2016

572

12,311,329

21,523

10,000

280,000

2015

486

8,949,800

18,415

11,000

230,000

58 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Overview and analysis of the latest events in the ring

TATTERSALLS

TALKING POINTS

Jassim Ghazali: leading trainer bought over 1.3 million guineas worth of stock for Qatar

Zoustar. Bred by Coolmore interests, she had failed to shine in four racecourse attempts – even for Aidan O’Brien – but her pedigree sparkled.

At Last finished second on the auction’s top-ten board, which was headed by the three-year-old colt New King. A Sandown winner over nine furlongs just ahead of his ring appearance, his 450,000gns valuation was just 10,000gns below the record sum given for the colt Business As Usual in 2010.

New King was consigned by Jamie Railton on behalf of the horse’s owner/ breeders, Qatar Racing Ltd, and sold to James Harron, a Northern Irishman who lives in Australia. Syndicate ownership has become king in Australia, and, backed by “a group of clients”, Harron was able to fend off Qatar trainer Jassim Ghazali and Rabbah Bloodstock’s Jono Mills to buy New King, who joins the growing list of UK and Irish exports down under. The buyer said training plans were undecided.

Rabbah subsequently got onto the buyers’ sheet when paying 350,000gns for Inverleigh, a three-year-old who had

• The July Sale attracts buyers from around the globe and a myriad of minor racing nations.

Seeking inexpensive horses these visitors have plenty of choice, but competition between them means a horse who might fetch nothing more than the minimum bid at another sale invariably leaves the ring having changed hands for three or four times that amount.

• A 93% clearance rate was a fantastic result, and six points ahead of the figure achieved in 2018. This improvement was given a great start on the first day, traditionally dedicated to broodmares, maiden mares and fillies, and at which the clearance rate rose from 77% to 89%.

Why such a leap? One explanation was a fall in the number of catalogued broodmares, from 151 in 2018 to 95. The reduction was simply due to the horses who were entered for the sale, claimed Tattersalls. Meanwhile, the number of racing fillies on offer during the first day rose from 135 to 156, and the colts and geldings went up from 69 to 97. Few among the swarms of overseas buyers are seeking pregnant mares – they want racehorses, and given the additional choice they tucked in, driving up the clearance rate.

• Stefano Idido is a name that sounds Italian, and it belongs to an Italian, but Senor Idido trains far from Milan. He is based in Doha, Qatar, and was shopping at the July Sale in company with Jamie Lloyd of Meah Lloyd Bloodstock. Their purchases were headed by the 80,000gns three-year-old colt Frontman, but they were also a factor in driving up prices on lots who fell to rivals. Not unsurprisingly that often meant being thwarted by fellow Qatar trainer Jassim Ghazali, who was seeking the same type of horse, and who became the sale’s leading buyer with 18 lots for 1,316,000gns. been bought by Michael Downey and Peter Kavanagh as a foal for €30,000.

They planned to pinhook their acquisition as a yearling, but he missed that date, breezed too poorly to sell the following spring, and so went into training. A win at two and a Listed success this year for Ger Lyons’ stable resulted in a belated jackpot for the vendors.

Ghazali missed out on New King, but was a significant force during all three days of the sale, either as buyer or underbidder. He became the leading purchaser, gaining 18 lots for 1,316,000gns, and headed by his 325,000gns purchase of Admiral Rous,

a winner and Group-placed in France for Eoghan O’Neill’s stable. Ghazali’s buying power was boosted by his client Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari, who bid in person on a number of lots, including Admiral Rous.

The 2018 sale had been given added interest by a mini-dispersal of horses in which South African businessman Markus Jooste had an interest, a draft that included a trio of Galileo yearling fillies, yet even without such baubles the latest edition achieved gains in all the key figures, reversing the falls of 12 months earlier.

Turnover went up six per cent, the average by 11% and the median by 20%.

Europe’s highest-grossing sale of jumping stores could not quite match its 2018 spectacular, but it did enough to confirm the passion for top-level jump racing shows little signs of wavering.

Turnover took a four per cent dip, yet remained above €17 million for the third year running, and while the average was down two per cent it kept above the €50,000 mark. The median was static, while the clearance rate lost two points to finish at 83%.

Geldings conceived in France took the first three places on the top-ten board, headed by a son of Martaline who made €220,000 to a bid from trainer and pinhooker Ronnie O’Leary. His purchase,

››

TATTERSALLS IRELAND

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale

Donnchadh Doyle (right) pictured with Colin Bowe, Rob James and Dermot Considine

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››

who came from the family of Grand National runner-up and Cheltenham Festival winner Royal Auclair, was consigned by Mark Dwyer’s Yorkshirebased Oaks Farm Stables, having been bought in partnership with Mocklershill’s Willie Browne for €145,000 at Arqana’s Summer Sale last year. That was a bold pinhook, but it paid off.

A gelded son of Blue Bresil, conceived when his sire was standing his final season at Haras de la Croix Sonnet before moving to Yorton Farm Stud, made £200,000 to a bid from agent Tom Malone, who was acting for Paul Nicholls.

Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables consigned this one, having bought him privately as a foal, while Walter Connors of Sluggara Farm gained €190,000 for an Al Namix gelding who was sold to Northern Ireland-based agent Kevin Ross.

At last year’s sale 29 horses made €100,000-plus, and six made €200,000 or more, headed by a €365,000 Milan half-brother to brilliant Altior. That gem was bought by Aiden Murphy and MV Magnier, but remains unraced. At the sale’s latest staging 44 horses made sixfigures, but only two passed €200,000.

Among these six-figure beauties was a filly who in 2016 was bought at public auction for €1,800. Clever Pat Kinsella, her buyer, then enjoyed generous helpings of luck, for the filly’s sire, Getaway, has become one of the hottest jump stallions, her half-brother Kildisart won a Grade 3 chase at Aintree for Ben Pauling’s stable, and her full brother, The Big Breakaway, hacked up in an Irish point-to-point and was sold in May for €360,000, a record for Goffs’ Punchestown Festival Sale.

Mags O’Toole bought the latest family member for €125,000, a colossal

?TATTERSALLS IRELAND

Sales Circuit

This son of Martaline turned a fine profit for connections when sold for €220,000

return on Kinsella’s paltry outlay.

Ballincurrig House Stud lost its position as leading vendor to Peter Nolan Bloodstock, which gained €805,000 for 21 horses. Ballincurrig, which in 2018 had turned over 22 stores for €1,520,000, had to settle for second place after trading 17 for €797,000.

The Doyle family of Monbeg Stables led purchasers once again, upping its spend by just over €400,000 to €1,687,000 – that investment gained them 33 horses (four more than last year), all bought with a mission to win a point-to-point and be returned to the ring.

TALKING POINTS • On a sires’ table dominated by elderly or deceased stallions the top spot by aggregate went to Fame And Glory, who died too young at the age of 11 in early 2017. His penultimate crop included 40 horses who sold at this auction for an average of €61,125 and turnover of €2,445,000. Twenty-year-old Martaline’s nine lots, headed by the sale topper, averaged €105,333, while Getaway, a relatively youthful 16-year-old, and his Grange Stud roster-mate Leading Light, who is just a nine-year-old, both made the top-ten.

Leading Light, a son of Montjeu, was responsible for 14 Derby Sale lots who averaged €35,786, a tidy return on his 2015 fee of €4,500 – and he was down to €3,000 for the latest covering season.

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

G Martaline - Ile De See

Oaks Farm Stables

220,000

Ronnie O'Leary

G Blue Bresil – Maralypha

Brown Island Stables

200,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

G Al Namix - Unique Chance

Sluggara Farm

190,000

Kevin Ross Bloodstock

G Milan – Toledana

Roxborough Stud

180,000

Mags O'Toole

G Kayf Tara - Whoops A Daisy

Oak Tree Farm

170,000

A Murphy/O Murphy Racing

G Fame And Glory – Bolly

Lakefield Farm

165,000

A Murphy/O Murphy Racing

G Martaline – Daprika

Oak Tree Farm

160,000

Ronnie O'Leary

G Flemensfirth - The Crown Jewel

Peel Hall Stables

150,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

G Yeats - Gaye Preskina

Springhill Stud

150,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

G Kayf Tara – Fernello

Glenvale Stud

145,000

G C Bloodstock

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Tattersalls ireland Derby Sale five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2019

338

17,093,500

50,572

42,000

220,000

2018

347

17,890,500

51,558

42,000

365,000

2017

341

17,755,500

51,765

43,000

220,000

2016

297

14,216,000

47,865

36,000

255,000

2015

289

12,416,500

42,964

36,000

320,000

A well-bred daughter of Galileo headed trade at this two-day mixed sale, where a much-improved set of figures for the breeze-up section gave the event a positive opening.

Of the 33 horses who breezed on Deauville’s all-weather track just 21 found a buyer (64%), yet turnover of €465,000 was up 34% and the average more than doubled to €22,145. Trade was headed by a €110,000 Siyouni filly, bred by Al Shaqab out of the mare Al Thakirah, and knocked down to agent Paul Nataf, who said Jean-Claude Rouget will be in charge of training.

Heading trade for the whole sale was the Galileo filly Floret, an unraced three-year-old half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Moonlight Cloud. Sold for €380,000 to Tony Nerses, who was acting for Blue Diamond Stud’s Imad Al Sagar, she became the highest-priced horse sold by Charles Briere’s Fairway Consignment.

Floret, a daughter of the Listedplaced mare Ventura, could look extremely well bought if her Kingman yearling half-sister, or Frankel foal halfbrother, add significance to the family’s black-type achievements.

Other mares who made a statement in the ring included Torentosa, an 11-year-old daughter of Oasis Dream who was sold to Henri Bozo on behalf of Qatar Bloodstock’s David Redvers of Tweenhills Stud. Torentosa, a halfsister to Derby winner Wings Of Eagles, was not unknown by Redvers, for she had been successfully covered at his premises by Zoustar in the spring, while her half-sister, Sparkle Roll, was third in the Ribblesdale Stakes for the Redversmanaged Qatar Racing Ltd. Of 94 broodmares and maiden mares on offer 65 found buyers (69%), adding €1,335,000 to turnover, a rise of 35%.

The average price of €24,600 was up 63%.

Recent Chateaubriant winner

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ARQANA/ZUZANNA LUPA

Arqana Summer Sale

Floret: half-sister to Moonlight Cloud will join the broodmare band at Blue Diamond Stud

Belsanndi, a three-year-colt by Sinndar, headed the horses-in-training section when knocked down to Toby Jones for €210,000, while Alex Elliott’s €150,000 bid reeled in Crealion, a winning threeyear-old gelding set to race on from Tom George’s Gloucestershire yard.

The opening day’s store session also contained some six-figure horses, headed by a two-year-old Ballingarry half-brother to smart Diego Du Charmil, who won the 2018 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree for Paul Nicholls.

Bertrand Le Metayer gave €130,000 for the latest member of the family, who will go into training with Arnaud Chaille-Chaille – if he proves as precocious as ‘Diego’ he could be running in leading juvenile races at Auteuil next summer.

In Britain and Ireland horses of such calibre are given a later introduction to the fray, hence a €115,000 son of Martaline who was sold to Yorkshire’s Roger Marley will experience a very different preparation over the next 12 months. “He’s likely to be offered at the Derby Sale next year,” said Marley.

Turnover across all sections of the sale rose five per cent, the average was down two per cent but the median gained 29%.

Alban Chevalier du Fau’s Channel Consignment was the leading consignor, trading 15 horses for €547,000, while agent Gerard Larrieu, who in 2018 bought the sale’s top two horses – Esteve and Masterpiece – for €445,000 and €345,000 on behalf of Qatar’s Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari, headed purchasers. Larrieu bought seven lots for the Qatari, and, while his spend of €656,000 was some €300,000 down on his investments 12 months earlier, that did leave Al Kuwari with money to spend at Tattersalls’ July Sale.

TALKING POINTS • Ace point-to-point trainers and traders the Doyle brothers of County Wexford, aka Monbeg Stables, have been significant buyers of stores at Kill, Fairyhouse and Doncaster in recent years, and they headed purchasers at this year’s Derby Sale. They took a cautious look at Arqana’s Summer Sale store section in 2018, and left with one two-year-old filly who they bought privately for €12,000.

At the latest edition they turned up the gas, buying five horses for €212,000, headed by gelded sons of No Risk At All and Masked Marvel who cost €60,000 apiece. Being two-year-olds the quintet will not be able to run in Irish point-to-points until 2021, but by then St Leger winner Masked Marvel might well be the latest hot, young sire. A resident at Haras de la Tuillerie, the son of Montjeu was represented by his first winner, Arbarok, at Clairefontaine on the eve of the Summer Sale.

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Sales Circuit ››

Arqana Summer Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

Floret f (Galileo – Ventura)

Fairway Consignment

380,000

Tony Nerses

Belsanndi c (Sinndar - Starboard Beam)

Aga Khan Studs

210,000

T J Bloodstock

Crealion g (Creachadoir - Lady La Lionne)

Dubois

150,000

Alex Elliott

For Langy g (Day Flight - Jubilee II)

Pacault

150,000

Guy Petit

Torentosa m (Oasis Dream – Ysoldina)

Channel Consignment

140,000

Tweenhills

Three-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2019

297

7,742,000

25,786

15,000

380,000

2018

283

7,449,700

26,701

13,000

445,000

2017

258

7,249,000

28,097

16,000

280,000

With a Japanese racing programme fuelled by prize-money levels envied the world over, the JRHA Select Sale is a routinely strong affair but this year’s event pushed the bar higher than ever, writes Emma Berry.

Record figures for turnover and average, a new record price for a yearling colt, and a clearance rate of 91.4% across two days of yearling and foal trade saw ¥20.5 billion (£151 million) change hands in Hokkaido at an average of ¥49.3 million (£363,182) for a total of 416 horses. That represented a rise in aggregate of 14.5% and broke down to ¥10.73 billion (almost £80m) for 222 yearlings sold and another ¥9.78 billion (£72m) for 194 foals.

Unsurprisingly, Shadai’s multiple champion sire Deep Impact featured prominently in both sectors, providing the most expensive yearling and foal of the sale – both colts consigned by the dominant Northern Farm and sold to businessman Riichi Kondo. The pair will eventually be trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, who will visit England this summer with Cheval Grand, his intended runner in the King George and Juddmonte International.

The top-priced yearling at ¥360 million (£2.7m) is a brother to Mikki Queen, whose victories in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and Shuka Sho (1,000 Guineas) made her champion filly in her racing days. The JRHA Sale catalogue is liberally sprinkled with the offspring of top-class racemares from around the world, and the dam of the leading yearling is no exception, being the Prix Dollar winner Musical Way, who was bought by Katsumi Yoshida from the 2008 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale for 300,000gns.

EMMA BERRY

JRHA Select Sale

Mares and foals are paraded in the Northern Horse Park ahead of the JRHA Select Sale

In the foal division – traditionally the stronger sector in Japan – trade was headed by the Deep Impact colt out of the Tiznow mare Titan Queen, already the dam of three graded stakes winners.

His price of ¥470 million (£3.45m) may have come as a surprise but he had been widely expected to top the sale some days in advance. Selling foals in July naturally means that all bar a few have yet to be weaned. Common practice is for potential buyers to visit the farms on the weeks leading up to the sale. The foals and their dams are then brought to the sales ground at Northern Horse Park early in the morning of the sale day, allowing for a final two-hour inspection session in the shade of a vast wooded area ahead of the start of the sale.

Other foals of note included the first offspring of Australia’s dual Group 1 winner Yankee Rose, herself bought for just A$10,000 as a yearling and later sold privately to Northern Farm. Her first mating with Deep Impact produced a filly bought by Makoto Kaneko, in whose

colours the champion sire raced, for ¥210 million (£1.5m). The former Cheveley Park Stakes winner Donna Blini has proved a great success at stud in Japan, producing Horse of the Year Gentildonna, and the 16-year-old mare, who was bred in Scotland by Gordon Thom, made an appearance at the sale alongside her foal from the first crop of seven-time Group 1 winner Kitasan Black. The colt sold for ¥160 million (£1.2m) to newly-licensed owner Hiroki Company.

Giving his verdict at the completion of some fierce trade, JRHA vicechairman Teruya Yoshida, whose Shadai Farm was second only to his brother Katsumi’s Northern Farm on the leading consignors’ list, said: “A number of foreign buyers have told me that this is the best sale in the world. Turnover was higher than last year even though the number offered for the foal session was lower, but I think that the quality of foals offered was really high. There are many owners dreaming of owning good horses and wanting to enjoy racing, which

››

62 THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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THE CLASSIC POOL

.... buyers always return to the source of top class winners and already in 2019, The Castlebridge Consignment sale graduates have produced the winners of championship races around the world.

MAGNA GRECIA

2019 - 2000 GUINEAS WINNER. His dam CABARET was purchased from The Castlebridge Consignment at Tattersalls December Mare Sale by BBA Ireland.

Tattersalls

Tattersalls

Tattersalls

CHANNEL

2019 - Prix de Diane winner (French Oaks). Her dam LOVE MAGIC was purchased from The Castlebridge Consignment at Tattersalls December Mare Sale by Kilcarn Stud.

ROGER BAROWS

2019 - Japanese Derby winner. His dam LITTLE BOOK was purchased from The Castlebridge Consignment at Tattersalls December Mare Sale by JS Company.

Please contact Bill Dwan (+353 87 648 5587) or Andrew Mead (+44 7940 597573) to discuss entering your filly or mare into the classic pool by selling with The Castlebridge Consignment at the 2019 autumn breeding stock sales.

www.castlebridge.eu

Sales Circuit The strength in depth of the domestic buying bench in Japan makes this an incredibly competitive sale for visitors. Among those who made the trip were MV Magnier, who went home empty-handed for the second time, American-based agent John McCormack and leading Australian trainers Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller.

Waterhouse has been a regular attendee and bought a colt foal by Rulership, a sire with whom she has had some success via a previous JRHA purchase, Hush Writer.

The Listed winner, who was also Group 2-placed in France, is being aimed at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

EMMA BERRY

›› makes the sport even more attractive.”

Newly-licensed owner Hiroki Company celebrate its new purchase, a Kitasan Black colt out of Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Donna Blini, also the dam of champion Gentildonna

JRHA Select Sale Top five yearlings Sex/Breeding

Vendor

C Deep Impact - Musical Way

Northern Farm

360,000,000

Price (¥)

Buyer

C King Kamehameha - Ginger Punch

Northern Farm

290,000,000

Thoroughbred Club Lion

C Heart’s Cry - Sinhadipa

Northern Farm

270,000,000

Sugino Masahiko

C Deep Impact - Jioconda

Northern Farm

260,000,000

Kaneko Makoto Holdings

C King Kamehameha - Belle Watling

Northern Farm

250,000,000

Satomi Horse Company

Riichi Kondo

Top five foals C Deep Impact - Titan Queen

Northern Farm

470,000,000

Riichi Kondo

C Deep Impact – Venenciado

Northern Farm

290,000,000

Danox Co Ltd

C Lord Kanaloa - Admire Temba

Northern Farm

270,000,000

Yoshihisa Ozasa

C Drefong - Admire Sceptre

Northern Farm

250,000,000

Toyomokuzai

C Harbinger - Life For Sale

Northern Farm

220,000,000

Ryouichi Ootuka

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (¥)

Avg (¥)

Mdn (¥)

Top Price (¥)

2019

416

20,516,000,000

49,320,000

30,500,000

470,000,000

2018

415

17,932,000,000

43,105,769

29,500,000

290,000,000

2017

406

17,327,000,000

42,677,340

30,000,000

580,000,000

2016

390

14,942,100,000

38,313,077

26,000,000

280,000,000

2015

394

13,173,500,000

33,435,279

25,000,000

235,000,000

Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale

America’s yearling sales season broke from the traps at Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky headquarters, where traders will have been pleased with an auction of consolidation.

Turnover took a six per cent dip, the average one of nine per cent, while the median was unchanged. Of the 300 horses who walked the ring during the single session, 18 more than in 2018, 202 (67%) found a buyer, which compares to 196 (70%) last year.

The appraisal of Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning was: “All in all it felt very similar to last year. It was a

stable, consistent market.”

A colt by Flatter, who entered the ring as Lot 22, left it with a valuation of $440,000 that was not bettered by the next 278 yearlings. He was knocked down to China Horse Club and Maverick Racing, a division of WinStar Farm, whose president, Elliott Walden, said: “He will look good in our stallion barn if he can win a Grade 1.” Shack Parrish’s Indian Creek consigned the yearling, whose sire is a 20-year-old son of A P Indy standing at Claiborne Farm for $40,000.

The profit between that stud fee and the colt’s sale price was enjoyed by his breeder, Susan King, who owned the

Listed-placed dam Ruth And Neva.

Flatter had also sired the 2018 top lot, a $520,000 colt bought by Al Rashid Racing.

A colt from the first crop of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist made $330,000 to finish joint-second on the list and give his young sire a boost. Bought by agent Ben McElroy it is possible this colt will be seen at Royal Ascot next year, for he is thought likely to go into training with that habitual visitor to British shores, Wesley Ward.

The pick on price of the fillies was also by a first-crop sire in Frosted, who stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s Jonabell Farm in

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FASIG-TIPTON

Kentucky. His daughter was another to make $330,000, her buyers being Let’s Go Stables, which utilises the services of trainer Todd Pletcher.

The preceding horses-in-training auction is a relatively new addition to the sales calendar but it has swiftly become a respected shopping destination for those looking to enhance their barns ahead of the upcoming summer meets, such as Saratoga and Del Mar. In all, 95 horses turned over $6,548,500 led by the gelded four-yearold Jalen Journey, who commanded $510,000 from agent Raymie Lightner, acting on behalf of Rockingham Ranch, off the back of a good second in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

He was one of five horses to surpass the $200,000 mark ahead of the Grade 3-placed Orbolution, who returned to her breeder Hinkle Farms on a bid of $325,000.

The China Horse Club and Maverick Racing went to $440,000 for this colt by Flatter

Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age and Yearling Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price ($)

Buyer

Jalen Journey 4 g (With Distinction - Petunia Face)

Four Star Sales

510,000

J Raymie Lightner

C Flatter - Ruth And Neva

Indian Creek

440,000

China Horse Club/Maverick Racing

C Frosted - Humble Street

Wynnstay Sales

330,000

Let's Go Stables

C Nyquist - Murky Waters

Stuart Morris, agent

330,000

Corinthian Medical/Wilson Sisk

Orbolution 4 f (Orb - My Rachel)

Taylor Made Sales Agency

325,000

Hinkle Farms

Three-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2019

202

18,621,000

92,183

75,000

440,000

2018

196

19,762,500

100,829

75,000

520,000

2017

172

16,107,000

93,645

70,000

1,000,000

Please contact Andrew Mead (+44 7940 597573 mead@castlebridge.eu) or Bill Dwan (+353 87 648 5587 dwan@castlebridge.eu) to discuss all your 2019 sale requirements

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Caulfield Files

A happy marriage of influences as American blood rises to the fore Railway Stakes first and second Siskin and Monarch Of Egypt both represent the Unbridled sire line within this year’s group of leading two-year-olds

GEORGE SELWYN

T

hanks largely to concerns about whether top-class ability on dirt is transferable to turf and whether raceday medication has weakened the breed, the American thoroughbred is no longer nearly as popular in Europe as it used to be. It mustn’t be forgotten, though, that American horses have long been prized for their speed and precocity. Consequently, it is interesting that several of this year’s leading early two-year-olds represent a marriage between European and American bloodlines.

According to the Racing Post’s figures, the best of them is Juddmonte’s unbeaten Siskin, who has had two and a half lengths to spare at the end of each of his three races, most notably the Railway Stakes. That effort boosted his rating to 115.

Although the product of two Juddmonte homebreds, Siskin is by the American dirt horse First Defence out of Bird Flown, an Oasis Dream filly who won over seven furlongs on turf in France.

The fact that First Defence is now in Saudi Arabia tells us that he wasn’t a runaway success as a stallion, but he has certainly had his moments, both on the track and as a stallion. With a son of Unbridled as his sire and a top-class daughter of the blue hen Toussaud as his dam, First Defence was bred along similar lines to the highly successful Empire Maker.

This Belmont Stakes winner was sired by Unbridled from Toussaud. I describe First Defence as a dirt horse because he made 12 of his 14 starts on dirt and another on all-weather. It was on dirt that he became a Grade 1 winner, in the Forego Handicap over seven furlongs, but he was also successful on his only appearance on turf, in the Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes over six furlongs.

Siskin is the third of his five Group winners to have won on European turf, following Dundonnell, winner of the Acomb Stakes, and Antonoe, a smart juvenile in France who later became a Grade 1 winner on turf in the US.

Siskin is a Juddmonte homebred through and through but has dirt horses in his pedigree

Siskin is also closely related to First Defence’s best winner, the champion American filly Close Hatches, whose dam Rising Tornado is a half-sister to Bird Flown. A five-time Grade 1 winner at up to nine furlongs, Close Hatches has made a fine start as a broodmare, her first foal being this year’s Kentucky Derby third and Belmont Stakes second Tacitus. You will also find plenty of class in Siskin’s bottom line, as his second dam Silver Star was a sister to Xaar, a champion two-year-old who enjoyed Group 1 success in the Prix de la Salamandre and the Dewhurst Stakes.

This is also the family of Cityscape and Bated Breath, so it is hardly surprising Siskin is very much at home on turf. Should he prove good enough to become a stallion in Europe, Siskin will have the considerable attraction of having no Sadler’s Wells, Galileo or Danehill blood in his pedigree.

Next in the ratings are Arizona, on 110, and Threat, on 109. These two were separated by just half a length in the Coventry Stakes and if they progress they both have prospects of a stallion

career, as Arizona is owned by the Coolmore partners and Threat carries the colours of Cheveley Park Stud.

Although both of Arizona’s parents carry the USA suffix after their name, his sire No Nay Never qualifies as an honarary European turf horse in view of his successes in the Norfolk Stakes and the Prix Morny, even though his sire Scat Daddy was a dirt horse. Arizona’s dam Lady Ederle was bred in the US, where she was placed. Bought for $27,000 as an in-foal three-year-old in 2012, Lady Ederle seemed at first glance an unlikely sort to attract the attention of a European buyer.

However, she does in fact have the pedigree of a smart middle-distance turf horse. Her sire English Channel was a triple Grade 1 winner at up to 11 furlongs on turf as a four-year-old and her dam Bright Generation was an Oaks d’Italia winner by Rainbow Quest.

Bright Generation is also the second dam of Dabirsim, who won the Prix Morny and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere to become France’s champion juvenile of 2011. Lady Eberle was carrying to

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Dabirsim’s sire Hat Trick when she was sold in 2012.

Threat, the Coventry Stakes runnerup, is another whose dam combines a high-class American-raced sire with a first-rate European family. The mare, Flare Of Firelight, was bred in Kentucky by the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Holdings and comes from such a good female line that it now seems astonishing that she made only 9,000gns as a three-year-old, even allowing for the fact that she never finished better than fourth in eight starts in Ireland and France. Buyers were no doubt unsure about her sire Birdstone, even though this grandson of Unbridled had won the Belmont Stakes and sired the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and the Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird in his first crop.

Whereas Birdstone had raced only on dirt, Threat’s second dam, Shiva, had been a champion older filly in Europe.

She won the Tattersalls Gold Cup and put up several other first-rate efforts against the males, including seconds in the Eclipse and the Champion Stakes.

Shiva was also a half-sister to the Oaks winner Light Shift (now the dam of Ulysses) and to Light Shift’s sister Strawberry Fledge (now the dam of Prix Ganay winner Cloth Of Stars).

Flare Of Firelight’s first four mates for the La Lumiere Partnership were Garswood, Footstepsinthesand, Slade Power and Galileo Gold, but the promise shown by her Footstepsinthesand colt Threat will surely see her going up market before long. Threat is inbred 4 x 4 to Storm Bird, the dominant two-yearold of 1980.

The list of leading two-year-olds also features two colts from the first crop by American Pharoah, who ended the long wait for another Triple Crown winner in 2015. Monarch Of Egypt, runner-up to Siskin in the Railway Stakes, is rated 107, while the American-trained Maven, winner of the Prix du Bois, is rated 106.

Although American Pharoah was never asked to tackle turf during his 11-race career and has little in his pedigree to suggest that his progeny will thrive in Europe, his early results demand a rethink. He was given a helping hand in producing Monarch Of Egypt, as the colt is out of Galileo’s daughter Up, who won at up to Group 2 level on turf.

Maven, despite appearing to have a dirt pedigree, is also out of a mare – Richies Party Girl – who showed very useful form on turf, including when travelling from the US to France to finish fourth in the Prix du Calvados.

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GEORGE SELWYN

Bloodstock world views

Olympic Glory: one of those rare breeds to win a Group 1 at two, three and four

Galileo’s Danehill Dancer alliance continues to flourish In the Group 1 analyses in this month’s Data Book, you will find details of Galileo’s flourishing partnership with Danehill Dancer mares in the notes on his St James’s Palace Stakes winner Circus Maximus and his surprise Irish Derby winner Sovereign. But these two weren’t the only Group 1 winners with a pedigree combining Danehill Dancer and Galileo. Watch Me, an impressive winner of the Coronation Stakes, has Danehill Dancer’s grandson Olympic Glory as her sire and a Galileo mare, Watchful, as her dam.

It is going to be interesting to see whether this type of partnership can extend its influence in the coming years. Some of Galileo’s best sons, such as Frankel, Teofilo and Intello, have dams by Danehill, so there is limited scope for them with Danehill Dancer mares, but Frankel has a couple of minor Group 3 winners from them.

Sixties Icon and New Approach also have black-type winners, but it could be that this partnership’s best prospects will come from Galileo mares visiting Danehill Dancer line stallions, such as Olympic Glory.

As Danehill Dancer was born five years before Galileo, he didn’t sire a lot of foals from Galileo’s daughters, but he did quite well, with the Gallinule Stakes winner Alexander Pope and the dual Australian Listed winner Dreamtime Dancer among his 21 foals.

Danehill Dancer’s son Choisir has an eye-catching record with Galileo’s daughters, perhaps as he supplies speed and muscle to mares which frequently possess plenty of quality. He

has had seven winners from eight starters and among them are Group winners Psychedelic Funk and Zihba.

Another (very different) son of Danehill Dancer, the Coolmore-based Mastercraftsman, has inevitably been extensively tried with Galileo’s broodmare daughters. At present there are 46 foals of racing age bred this way but only two black-type winners – the New Zealand-bred Luvaluva, a multiple Group winner at up to ten furlongs in Australia, and the filly Blue Gardenia, a Listed winner over a mile in Britain. I expect these figures to improve, as a sizeable number of the 46 foals are still only two or three years of age.

As Choisir last shuttled to Ireland for the 2014 season, it is now the turn of his stallion sons to try to match his good results. Starspangledbanner, who strikes me as the type to shine with Galileo’s daughters, has only one foal of racing age, but a handful of yearlings and foals. Olympic Glory already has 11 foals of racing age, with dams by Galileo from his first two French crops and his first Australian crop. He also has several yearlings and foals bred this way and will no doubt be receiving more Galileo mares after Watch Me’s emergence as a top-rater.

Olympic Glory will be remembered for becoming one of those rare horses who enjoyed Group 1 success at two, three and four. There are encouraging signs that he is capable of passing on a good measure of his ability, as his first crop contains six black-type earners, including Grand Glory, Phoceene and Pythion.

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National Stud courses for members

Find out more about a career working with thoroughbreds through the National Stud courses

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he National Stud will be running a number of short courses throughout the summer which TTC members can attend to increase their knowledge and further their career development in the thoroughbred industry.

On Tuesday, August 6, a short course on Emergency First Aid at Work (Equine Specific) will be held at the National Stud.

The course will be aimed at those working within the equine industry and will be taught by healthcare professionals that deal with equestrian-related injuries on a daily basis.

A Stud Secretaries and Stud Admin Course will also be run at the National Stud on Monday, September 2 to Friday, September 6. The week will consist of a number of lectures from industry experts including, among others, the bloodstock team at Weatherbys, veterinary professionals from Newmarket Equine Hospital, the bloodstock sales team at Tattersalls and the National Stud’s Accounts Manager and Marketing and Nominations Executive. The course will provide those with an interest in working within a stud secretary or stud administration role with an understanding of key elements, roles and responsibilities.

For further information on the courses, including prices, or to book a place contact the National Stud on 01638 675930 or email students@nationalstud.co.uk.

Funding for these courses can be sought through TTC’s bursary. See the website or email info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR MEMBERS The Thoroughbred Club is delighted to announce that members will have the chance to attend some of the TBA’s upcoming regional days in September.

For further information and to book a place, please contact info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk or visit the club’s website.

Wednesday, September 11 Mark Johnston’s Kingsley Park Stables Members will have the chance to visit Mark Johnston’s Kingsley Park Stables as part of the North Regional Day visit. Set in 300 acres, Kingsley Park can be found in the beautiful Yorkshire village of Middleham. Mark Johnston needs little introduction other than to say he made history in 2018 when he saddled his 4,194th winner to make him the winningmost trainer in British racing. Following a tour of the

yards, members will have a chance to watch the horses work before lunch, there is a Q&A on the morning’s visit, and a specular insight into racing on the snow in St Moritz.

Wednesday, September 25 Nick Alexander’s Kinneston Stables Nick Alexander has kindly opened his stables to members as part of the Scotland Regional Day visit. The facilities at Kinneston have recently benefited from a major upgrade, allowing the team to focus on the fitness, health and wellbeing of their horses. Following a tour of the yards and a chance to watch the horses work, members are invited to the Scotland Regional Forum at Perth racecourse, followed by lunch and racing in a private facility.

Please note that timings maybe subject to change

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www.thethoroughbredclub.co.uk •

@TTC_GB

Members can win two tickets to fixtures at Goodwood, York and Ascot this month

Upcoming badge offers for members The Thoroughbred Club is pleased to announce a number of exciting ticket offers for its members in August.

Qatar Goodwood Festival, Goodwood racecourse, Thursday, August 1 Members will have the chance to win two Grandstand and Paddock badges to watch the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes in the club’s QIPCO Champions Series ticket draw. To enter the draw simply email info@ thethoroughbredclub.co.uk with your name and contact details.

The Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, York racecourse August 21-23 Members will have the chance to win two Grandstand and Paddock badges to the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of the ‘Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival’ which will feature the Juddmonte International (Wednesday), Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Thursday), Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (Friday) and the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes (Friday). To enter the draw simply email info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk with your name and contact details.

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and Concert, Ascot racecourse Saturday, August 10 Members of The Thoroughbred Club will receive half-price admission to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and concert at Ascot. The unique fixture will incorporate the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition with four competing teams: Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, the Rest of The World and 2018 winners, The Girls Team. Half-price tickets can be purchased on the day from Ticket Office East following presentation of a valid TTC membership card.

Diary Dates and Reminders

New Members

Tuesday, August 6 Emergency First Aid at Work (Equine Specific) – The National Stud

TTC would like to welcome the following members and look forward to meeting them at our events throughout the year:

Monday, September 2 - Friday, September 6 Stud Secretaries & Stud Admin Course – The National Stud

Rebecca Southwell, Cheshire

Wednesday, September 11 Visit to Mark Johnston Racing, Middleham

Thomas Needler, Yorkshire

Alexander Wrightson Joseph Whittle, Devon

Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 ITBA Young Breeders’ Event Wednesday, September 25 Visit to Kinneston Stables and Perth racecourse Further information on all TBA events can be found on the TBA website

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ROA Forum

AGM Report

Nicholas Cooper: the levy system is not fit for purpose ROA President tells AGM audience that a levy based on bookmakers’ gross profits is outdated as turnover would better reflect racing’s true worth to the betting industry

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OA President Nicholas Cooper used his address at the organisation’s AGM on July 2 to argue for a return to a levy system based on betting turnover rather than gross profits.

Citing Frankie Dettori’s magnificent four-timer on Gold Cup day at the Royal meeting, he noted the “irony” that when bookmakers lose, racing’s coffers also suffer.

Cooper said: “It has always struck me as odd that racing’s fortunes are aligned with bookmakers, not punters.

Before I came into the racing industry, I naturally thought that racing’s central funding from betting was based on a percentage of money bet on the sport – simple and logical.

ROA President Nicholas Cooper says the levy will continue to suffer unless change is implemented

“Annual betting on racing is £12b; as little as 1% of turnover would produce a levy of £120m” “I can see why in 2001 it was attractive for racing to agree with government and the betting industry to switch the levy to 10% of gross profits. It had the enormous attraction of no-tax betting for the punter, but in those days the betting world was a very different place.

“The betting exchanges were barely on the horizon and few could have predicted the extent to which this brilliant concept would become so central to the whole betting system in this country, or how in the intervening years they would drive down the profit margins to which bookmakers bet.

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“Even less could anybody have then predicted the way major bookmakers would often use horseracing as a loss leader on Saturdays and at big festival meetings to draw in new credit customers with a range of money-back offers, thereby squeezing their margins on which racing income is based.

“By continuing with this system, the levy is likely to suffer. Betting is steadily moving from shops to online.

Betting shop margins are better for bookmakers, whereas online punters as a group are shrewder and are more inclined to shop around for the best price.

“Annual horserace betting is currently around £12 billion. Even as little as 1% of turnover would produce a levy of £120m, which would be the highest-ever figure, and over £40m more than the most recent levy yield.

“When the time is right, serious discussion needs to be had on a return to a levy based on betting turnover rather than gross profits – or on some form of hybrid system – to provide a much truer reflection of racing’s continuing worth to the betting industry.”

Cooper also discussed the importance of media rights payments to racecourses. He said the income was a “wonderful thing for racecourses and racing in general” but pointed to the lack of transparency when it came to actual numbers.

“We really don’t know how much money it is and have little or no control over how it is spent,” Cooper explained.

“Owners and horsemen believe it would be fair and just if 50% of this money went into prize-money and appearance money because it is our horses, our trainers, our jockeys and our stable staff which allow racecourses to earn these impressive sums of money.”

The untapped potential of pool betting was also referenced by Cooper.

He said the Tote, now run by Alizeti, had an exciting future and pointed to the World Pool in operation at Royal Ascot, where win dividends exceeded starting price returns, thanks to comingling from other countries.

Replicating the Ascot model at other meetings could see the Tote’s pool betting operation become a major contributor to racing in Britain, Cooper said.

He added: “The Tote has often been referred to as British racing’s ‘sleeping giant’. Now, with digital technology knowing no bounds, we can see this giant is waking up.”

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Annamarie Phelps: racing must broaden its horizons New BHA Chair Annamarie Phelps was the guest industry speaker at the ROA AGM, discussing her background in sport and hopes for the future of horseracing.

Phelps, who was previously Chair of British Rowing having competed at Olympic level, told the audience that “sports need to flex and adapt to commercial and external pressures and changes, to make the most of the opportunities and to attract greater investment”.

Referencing her own experience at Henley Royal Regatta, she said: “We need to respect our tradition but stretch the boundaries of innovation to ensure our offering is fit for purpose for the next five, ten years or more.”

Addressing the owners in the room, Phelps said she wanted to ensure they received the best possible return on their investment, through prize-money and positive experiences, and that the BHA shares responsibility for increasing the appeal of ownership.

Phelps said that racing faces a “profound ethical challenge” in terms of people’s views on animal welfare and discussed the rise of the “social consumer” who is concerned about harming the planet.

She explained: “Customers’ needs and wants are changing. The demographics of Britain is changing, too. There’s greater diversity, with more than 40% of people in London coming from minority groups.

“Media channels that people have used to follow sport are changing dramatically. The mobile phone and the internet have changed everything, including the way people consume live sport. That includes betting, too, with over 60% of betting on racing taking place online.

“All of these factors, digital technology and demographic change, are changing social attitudes. We need to live in the real world and understand that young adults now have different views to their parents.”

On the matter of male and female jockeys competing on an equal footing in racing, Phelps asked whether more could be done to “capitalise on the public’s enthusiasm”. She said: “It’s a great selling point for the sport. My question is whether we are making the most of this distinctiveness to attract interest to racing, with the coverage and revenues that could bring in and beginning to appeal to people outside of our demographic.”

Annamarie Phelps says sports must “flex and adapt” to external pressures

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ROA Forum

Champagne moments After the official AGM business had been concluded, ROA members, their guests and industry colleagues enjoyed the champagne reception before lunch was served

Kevin Buckley and Harry Redknapp

Charlie Parker and Celia Djivanovic

Bill Farnsworth and Bill Barber

Aga Toczydlowska and Kay McMenamin

Tom Goff and Philip Freedman

Di Arbuthnot and Stephen Smith

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Photography: Dan Abraham

Tallulah Lewis, Catherine Beloff and Dena Merson

Aiden Burns and Brian Polly

Alison Enticknap and Paul Struthers

Ann and Tony Gale with Janet Davies

Alex Eade, Susannah Gill, Sam Cone and Jon Pullin

Andy Clifton and Paul Duffy

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ROA Forum

The special section for ROA members

Tom Goff joins ROA board

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DAN ABRAHAM

wner, bloodstock agent and syndicate manager Tom Goff will join the Racehorse Owners Association board after the results of this year’s election were revealed at the association’s Annual General Meeting.

Yvette Dixon retains her place on the board, with another incumbent, Steven Astaire, filling the third available place on the 12-strong committee.

Tom Goff said: “I am honoured to be elected to the ROA board at this crucial time. My manifesto was based on the need for a collaborative approach to a range of issues and the pressing need to repair the obvious disconnect between owners and practitioners in racing and the sport’s regulatory body over a number of issues.”

Yvette Dixon said: “I am delighted to have been re-elected by the ROA membership and I am looking forward to continuing to serve on the board. We work tirelessly to help all owners and combined with my role as a trustee on the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) board, I will continue to highlight the importance of welfare within the industry, as well as supporting grassroots racing.”

Steven Astaire commented: “I am thrilled and grateful that the ROA members have re-elected me to the board. I have now served them for over 28 years and will continue to work hard on their behalf, especially on developing and improving the raceday experience for all owners alike.”

Tom Goff, Yvette Dixon and Steven Astaire came out on top in the ROA board election

ROA President Nicholas Cooper said: “I would like to offer my congratulations to the three successful candidates. I warmly welcome Tom, who is joining the board for the first time, while Yvette and Steven will be continuing to make their valuable contributions after being re-elected.

“I would like to thank the other 13 candidates who stood in this keenly contested election but were unsuccessful on this occasion. I hope that they will consider putting themselves forward again next year.

“I would also like to pay tribute and thank both Alan Pickering and Patricia

Pugh who are standing down from the board this year. Their contributions to the cause of racehorse owners and passionate approach to the range of subjects the board covers has been outstanding. We are indebted to them for their efforts.”

The election results were announced at the ROA’s Annual General Meeting held in London on Tuesday, July 2.

The finishing order in the election, overseen by Electoral Reform Services, was: • Yvette Dixon (526 votes) • Tom Goff (438) • Steven Astaire (427)

JOHN GROSSICK

Industry Ownership Day at Musselburgh in July

ROA members on presentation duty

The presenters of the third race at Musselburgh on July 3 were described by our raceday host Gordon Brown as “friends who hadn’t met before today”. That summed up the spirit of the ROA’s fourth Industry Ownership Day, held on a warm summery afternoon at the Scottish track.

Around 40 members joined a regional meeting before racing in the Inveresk Suite, on the first floor of the Queen’s Stand.

ROA Chief Executive Charlie Liverton updated members on industry issues. Topics covered included the race programme, participant and equine welfare, and

work of the Ownership Strategy project around service providers, trainers and syndicates.

Issues raised by members on the day included lack of access to digital services for some sole owners, varying raceday experiences, regional representation, dwindling prize-money in Class 5 and 6 races, balancing opportunities relevant to the horse population and frustration at being balloted out Statistics show that between May 2018 and May 2019, the number of horses balloted out increased from 1,278 to 2,607 (+104%) on the Flat.

The jumps figure rose from 510 to 630 (+23.5%) over the same period.

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The AGM marked a farewell to Alan Pickering and Patricia Pugh, two of the most pro-active members on the ROA board.

Alan Pickering decided to step down from the board after serving a four-year term as Vice-President. A popular owner for over 25 years, and pensions expert, Alan had been voted onto the board in 2011.

He had chaired the ROA Raceday Committee during a period which has seen marked improvements in the racing experience for owners. Alan had also represented owners on the BHA Rules Committee, where his attention to detail and balanced approach were immensely appreciated.

Patricia Pugh had completed a threeyear term after being co-opted on to the ROA board. Formerly a lawyer and curator to high-profile museums and galleries, she represented members’ views on the Raceday Committee, Membership Committee, Remuneration and HR Committee. An owner for 19 years, she is most recognisable as the owner of the outstanding chaser Altior, winner of his last 19 races.

Both had served as active committee members and their input, expertise and enthusiasm will be greatly missed.

We wish them well, on and off the racecourse.

The AGM marked the confirmation of Nicholas Cooper to serve a further 12-month term as President. Chris Wright, an owner for 35 years who joined the board three years ago, was ratified as Vice-President.

It will be no surprise that the number of divided races has dropped year on year. The number of Flat races dividing has decreased 35%, and 11% for jump races.

The ROA Owners Jackpot of £2,000 was left behind at Musselburgh as the winner wasn’t owned by an ROA member. As for all Jackpot races, travel expenses of £250 are made to owners of each of the qualified runners in the race who were ROA-owned.

Members got involved with choosing best turned out awards, making presentations and interviews.

This month’s Industry Ownership Day is being held at Ripon’s evening fixture on August 6. Next month the team will head to Perth on September 9.

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Deauville’s August Festival Visiting Deauville’s Festival this month? Some places remain for members wishing to book a place in the Jardin des Propriétaires, the outdoor owners’ lounge at La Touques racecourse.

This is part of a reciprocal deal between the ROA and the Owners Department of France Galop and the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners. Guests can enjoy exclusive access to the garden lounge and enjoy a buffet lunch for €45 per person (drinks are not included).

We have had excellent feedback from members who have booked this exclusive owners’ area over the past five years that we have had this arrangement and many repeat bookings.

There are ten dates left during August for which members can request a reservation: • Friday, August 2 • Sunday, August 4 (Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest) • Tuesday, August 6 • Thursday, August 8 • Sunday, August 11 (Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois) • Thursday, August 15 (Group 2 Guillaume d’Ornano) • Saturday, August 24

Members can be close to the action

• Sunday, August 25 (Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville) • Tuesday, August 27 • Wednesday, August 28 To reserve a place on one of the dates above email info@roa.co.uk.

Please note that access is not available during the Arqana Sales, August 17 to 20 as the area is fully booked on those dates. Requests during the sales can be made direct to Le restaurant Panoramique at La Toque, or Le Jardin du Paddock outdoor restaurant, at reservationhippodrome@ lucienbarriere.com.

GEORGE SELWYN

Farewells

The relaxed atmosphere in the Jardin des Proprietaires

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ROA Forum

MY DAY AT THE RACES with Carl Hodgson at Nottingham on June 2

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Did you receive any information as an owner in advance of the raceday?

I received email correspondence that confirmed our runner and basic information for the day at the racecourse.

MICK ATKINS

arl Hodgson has followed horseracing for a number of years but entered into ownership only when his favourite jockey, the late Walter Swinburn, started training.

He started in syndicates before moving onto taking shares in horses and then sole ownership around ten years ago. Throughout the majority of that period he has maintained full ownership of between four and six horses at any one time.

He currently owns four horses – the Flat racers are with Ivan Furtado, while Dan Skelton trains the jumpers.

Carl’s favourite horse to run in his silks is Shelford, a winner on the Flat on turf and the all-weather and also successful over hurdles (including the Grade 3 Silver Trophy) and over fences.

Carl Hodgson (centre) with Silvestre de Sousa and Ivan Furtado at Nottingham

What were your thoughts on the location, comfort and provision in the owners’ facility?

The location was good, the comfort and provision is better than all the other midland courses I have been to this year. It was definitely a good experience that I think deserves a mention.

How was the experience of arrival at the racecourse, and collecting your owners’ badges?

The owners’ and trainers’ car park was easy to find, but is small and it was full 30 minutes before the first race when we arrived. The ticket collection process was smooth and efficient.

How was the pre-parade ring/ paddock experience?

As good as it could be with the rain that was coming down!

How did you find the facilities for owners’ viewing?

It was a clear view and there was enough space for everyone to see clearly.

MICK ATKINS

Were you able to review a replay of your race easily on course?

The race was shown again on the big screen.

Coz Bazar on the way to the start

How were you treated as a winning owner on the day?

Sadly, our horse scoped dirty after the race and never ran to his full ability.

What was your overall lasting feeling of the day, based on your racecourse experience?

I was very impressed with how we were treated as owners. The staff in all areas were well briefed, very helpful and that was also based on it being a very busy family day with bad weather.

Although our horse did not perform to the best of his abilities, I enjoyed my day at Nottingham and fully intend to have runners at the course again. The staff in every area deserve particular praise; they were well informed and genuinely looking to help visitors at every chance.

HOW IT RATED Entry Viewing Atmosphere Owners’ facilities Food Overall score

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 21

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News in brief membership team in November, gave birth to a baby girl, Georgia, in June.

Mother and baby are doing well, and we trust will be making their racecourse debut together this summer. We are similarly pleased to welcome Arabella Stanley to the membership team.

Arabella will be providing support and assisting with membership processes and queries.

Lingfield’s lovely new postcard for owners

York Ebor travel

Congratulations Lingfield

The ROA encourages all racecourses to look at ways to make owners’ raceday experience better, and often these changes don’t have to come with a big budget.

We therefore applaud Lingfield Park’s latest initiative, in which winning owners are written to after the event on a postcard that features a black and white photo of their horse. A lovely touch that we are sure is appreciated.

Weatherbys text messaging trial

The ROA is delighted to announce the continuation of a free trial for members who are new subscribers to the Weatherbys messaging service.

The service allows owners to keep fully up to date with any race entries and declarations for their horse or related news by text or email.

Owners can opt to receive a message when an entry is made, or their horse’s rating changes. Content can be tailored according to personal preferences, e.g. race time changes, advising of forfeit stages.

ROA members who have not previously had a subscription for the Weatherbys text messaging service will be able to take advantage of this free offer of a bundle of 25 free texts.

Users who take up this offer will also be offered a follow up of a 10% discount on any subscriptions taken out after the free trial period ends. This offer will extend to new members who join the ROA. To sign up for this offer, please

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contact Keith Mason at Weatherbys at messaging@weatherbys.co.uk or call 01933 440077.

Newmarket studs visit

An ebulletin last month announcing an upcoming member visit to Cheveley Park and Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket received an unprecedented response. All places for the visit on September 3 were filled within an hour!

If you are not already receiving ROA ebulletins with news of special offers for members, please drop a line with your email address to info@roa.co.uk

ROA team news

We are pleased to report that Holly Braggins, who joined the ROA

Network Rail has announced that the East Coast mainline is set to be closed between London Kings Cross and Peterborough on Saturday, August 24, the day of the first £1 million Sky Bet Ebor meeting.

Racegoers heading to York from London by public transport face the prospect of having to take a train from Euston or St Pancras and then travel cross-country on a local service. The alternative is to travel by coach.

Feedback

Thank you to everyone that completed a racecourse feedback form following their trip to the races with a runner last month. The lucky prize-draw winner of a £50 Marks & Spencer giftcard was Jennifer Litton, who contributed feedback following her horse Yccs Portocervo’s first ever win at Fakenham.

Please complete our online raceday feedback form when you go racing with a runner. It takes only a few minutes to provide a valuable summary of your experience at roa.co.uk/feedback.

Diary dates and reminders AUGUST 6 (EVE) Industry Ownership Day and regional meeting at Ripon

SEPTEMBER 10 Member visit to Weatherbys, Wellingborough

AUGUST 21 Private box and exclusive hospitality package for the opening day of the Ebor meeting

OCTOBER 2 Industry Ownership Day and regional meeting at Nottingham

SEPTEMBER 3 Member visit to Cheveley Park and Banstead Manor Studs. ALL PLACES FILLED. SEPTEMBER 9 Industry Ownership Day and regional meeting at Perth

OCTOBER 17 Member visit to day of Book 3 of Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Newmarket OCTOBER 19 Private box with hospitality for QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot For more details or to book see roa.co.uk/events

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TBA Forum

The special section for TBA members

British breeders enjoy a wonderful month on track

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une proved to be a particularly fruitful month for British breeders with a total of 34 black-type winners bred in GB. The Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs produced four black-type winners for British breeders, including Classic success in the Investec Oaks for Meon Valley Stud with homebred filly Anapurna. A daughter of Dash To The Top, she is the result of five generations of breeding by the stud. The success was also the first European Classic strike for her sire Frankel.

Other British-bred successes at the festival included Anna Nerium, who was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes for owner-breeder Stowell Hill Stud. Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud, and the late stallion Leroidesanimaux, recorded two wins at the festival, with Le Don De Vie and Zaaki. Le Don De Vie, an impressive four-length winner of the Investec Private Banking Handicap, went on to sell at the Goffs London Sale for £460,000, while Zaaki captured the Group 3 Diomed Stakes for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and owner Ahmad Alotaibi.

Away from Epsom, Sun Maiden enjoyed a black-type double when she followed up a win in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Nottinghamshire Oaks Stakes with victory in the Group 3 Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Juddmonte Farms, she is a half-sister to

Meon Valley Stud captured the Oaks with Anapurna

six-time Group 1 winner Midday.

Australian shuttle stallion Kuroshio was provided with his first stakes winner when Kurious won the Listed Randox Health Scurry Stakes at Sandown on June 15. The filly, who is trained by Henry Candy for Hot To Trot Racing, is leased from her breeder Marie Matthews.

15 British-bred winners at Ascot Royal Ascot saw another outstanding

year for British breeders with Britishbred horses making up 36% of runners but accounting for 50% of winners at the five-day meeting.

The William Haggas-trained Addeybb was a comfortable winner of the Listed Wolferton Stakes on the first day of the Royal Meeting. The son of Pivotal was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock before being sold at the Tattersalls Book 2 Yearling Sale for 200,000gns and is now

Annette Bell leaves the TBA

Annette Bell: great organiser

80

The TBA was sad to say farewell to Membership Executive Annette Bell, who has worked at Stanstead House for the past three years.

Annette worked tirelessly to ensure members received the best and most up-to-date information as well as organising the very successful regional days and forums.

She was influential in growing the racecourse badge scheme along with other racecourse opportunities from which TBA members have benefited throughout the year.

Annette seamlessly organised the office and staff, allowing them to maximise their working days, and was a hugely influential member of the team.

Although not from a ‘horsey’ background, she could be guaranteed to win most of the office sweepstakes and was, without a doubt, a leader in the fashion stakes!

Annette has decided to take a career change and everyone at the TBA wishes her all the best in her new venture.

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owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum.

The second day saw four winners bred in Britain. Dashing Willoughby started the sequence with success in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase. Bred by Meon Valley Stud, the three-year-old son of Nathaniel was sold at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale to Andrew Balding for 70,000gns. His win was followed by Crystal Ocean’s victory in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, his first strike at the top level. Owned and bred

by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s Southcourt Stud, the son of Sea The Stars is out of the Listed winner Crystal Star, making him a half-brother to black-type winners Crystal Capella, Hillstar and Crystal Zvezda.

There was further success for Britishbred horses on the second day of the Royal Meeting with Move Swiftly winning the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes for trainer William Haggas and owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum.

The four-year-old daughter of Farhh was bred by Mrs K E Collie and was bought

by Cooneen Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. They resold the filly as a yearling to Rabbah Bloodstock.

Day three saw a further four successes for horses born in GB, including Khalid Abdullah’s Sangarius, who was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes.

Sangarius is a son of exciting sire Kingman, who stands at his ownerbreeder’s Banstead Manor Stud under the Juddmonte banner.

The Group 2 Ribbesdale Stakes was won by the British-bred filly Star Catcher. The daughter of Sea The Stars, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Cannock Chase, is a homebred for Anthony Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Studs.

Day four saw a further three Britishbred winners. Daahyeh, a daughter of Bated Breath bred by John Deer, was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Albany Stakes.

Japan powered home to win the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes by an impressive four and a half lengths. The son of Galileo was bred by Newsells Park Stud and was bought by Coolmore at the 2017 Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale for 1,300,000gns.

The next race on the cards, the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, was won by another British-bred horse, Advertise.

The son of Showcasing, who was bred

by Cheveley Park Stud, enjoyed the drop back to six furlongs to score in decisive fashion for Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Martyn Meade.

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Members attending the South West Region trip to Estcourt Stud

Visiting Enable’s birthplace at Juddmonte’s Estcourt Stud On June 11, 56 TBA members from the South West Region had the rare opportunity to visit Juddmonte Farms’ Estcourt Stud. Based in Tetbury, the 1,600 acres of rolling parkland is the birthplace of many future champions.

The 1779-established estate has many stories to tell, including foaling Enable, the outstanding racemare whose recent victory in the Eclipse Stakes took her winning run to ten races, a sequence that includes back-to-back renewals of the Arc. Jamie Trotter, Stud Manager, explained how the old stable barns were restored by Juddmonte when they bought the farm. Jamie showed members the three yards on the farm, the main yard, the winter yard and the working yard. During the summer months the stud is home to a large number of Juddmonte’s blueblooded mares and foals, who reside at Estcourt for summer and winter grazing before returning to Banstead Manor in the spring to foal.

Estcourt Stud has around 150

mares during August and September each year, 50-60 mares and foals a season and 20 retired mares (over the age of 20) enjoying life on the estate. Estcourt Stud is also home to 12 foster mares, ranging in breeds, sizes and colours.

The thoughtfully planned out day was enjoyed by the members, with cake and tea served halfway around the bus tour of the stud, as well as a delightful lunch afterwards at the Hare and Hounds in Tetbury.

Members were lucky enough to view eight of Juddmonte’s broodmares and foals. Throughout the parade, Jamie gave an insightful talk into each mare’s pedigree, progeny success and race history.

With Juddmonte being known as one of the leading breeders in the world, having to date bred 108 individual Group/Grade 1 winners of 210 Group/Grade 1 races, including 25 Classic winners, we hope that some of the foals seen on this day will go on to succeed at the highest level.

Enjoying the youngsters on show

Time for some refreshment!

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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TBA Forum

Youngstock and development course at York proves popular

Diary Dates & Reminders Monday, August 5 TBA North Regional Forum Ripon racecourse Tuesday, August 6 Emergency First Aid at Work (Equine Specific) The National Stud Monday, September - Friday, September 6 Stud Secretaries & Stud Admin Course The National Stud Wednesday, September 11 North Regional Day Mark Johnston Racing, Leyburn

Attendees updated their knowledge on stud and management topics Held at the picturesque York racecourse, with views extending over the Knavesmire, the location provided the perfect setting for the first of two National Stud regional courses.

The course on July 4 enabled members to update or refresh their knowledge on stud management topics, and also provided the opportunity for members to discuss and share ideas with new and existing contacts within the industry.

Charles Cooke, from Equine Reproductive Services, kicked off a busy programme discussing the growth and development problems that can affect the foal. His presentation featured examples of how important veterinary intervention can be to correct abnormalities and the extent to which they can be improved to enhance a future racing prognosis.

Sam Beeley, master farrier, was the second speaker of the morning session, providing the farrier’s perspective on how foals develop, looking at how various abnormalities or common ailments can be detrimental to the foal’s overall development. His talk covered such issues as contracted or flaccid tendons, angular limb deformities and the corrective farriery which can be used to generate improvement.

The afternoon session began with Louise Jones from Connolly’s Red Mills, providing a talk on the nutrition of youngstock and how nutrition can be tailored to ensure optimum growth of the foal, as well as ensuring the health of both mare and foal. Consultant Joe Grimwade was the penultimate speaker of the day, giving members an overview of correct paddock management in

order to make the best of the land used for grazing horses, discussing the range of equipment available and their purposes in the management of pasture.

To finish, Tabbi Smith, Training Director at the National Stud, gave the audience a brief overview of the training courses offered at the National Stud, discussing the initial successes of the TBA Entry to Stud Employment course, which was currently recruiting its third intake, as well as providing an update on its flagship diploma course.

The TBA would like to thank the National Stud for organising and facilitating the course, the Racing Foundation for financially supporting the programme, and to all the speakers who generously gave their time to speak on the day.

For more information on short courses offered by the National Stud, please contact the training department at students@nationalstud.co.uk or call 01638 663464.

Wednesday, September 25 Scotland Regional Day and Forum Kinneston Stables and Perth racecourse Thursday, September 26 TBA East Regional Forum Newmarket racecourse Thursday, October 3 TBA West Regional Forum Salisbury racecourse Thursday, October 31 TBA South West Regional Forum Newton Abbot racecourse Further information on all TBA events can be found on the TBA website.

New Members

Sarah Dawson, Shropshire Karlheinz Wurtenberger, Germany D Mathias, Bridgend Peter Ingram, Cheshire Andrew Sansome, Gloucestershire

Upcoming regional forums Regional forums provide an informal meet and greet with the regional representative, a member of the TBA board and a member of the TBA team.

Hosted at racecourses across the UK in association with Weatherbys, these meetings are free to attend, however members are required to book in advance.

The forums will be followed by a light lunch and an afternoon’s racing.

Monday, August 5 Wednesday, September 25

Thursday, September 26 Thursday, October 3 Thursday, October 31

Ripon racecourse Perth racecourse (this will be combined with the Scotland Regional Day to Nick Alexander’s stables at Kinneston, so an additional cost may apply) Newmarket racecourse Salisbury racecourse Newton Abbot racecourse

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TBA-sponsored race badge offers Country Fair Raceday, Newmarket racecourse, August 17 Newmarket racecourse has kindly invited TBA members to join the TBA for its sponsored race on Saturday, August 17 at the Country Fair Raceday. The Country Fair Raceday promises to be an action-packed day with an afternoon of racing, live music, plus a welly-throwing competition and farriery demonstrations.

Goodwood racecourse, September 25 Goodwood racecourse has kindly

invited TBA members to join the TBA for its sponsored race on Wednesday, September 25. There will be food, drink, a jazz band and an afternoon of dancing and racing to make for a great Goodwood day out.

There are 25 pairs of badges available, upon request. The TBA hopes that members will be able to attend. Members can apply for badges for Newmarket and Goodwood by contacting Olivia.May@ thetba.co.uk or phoning the TBA office on 01638 661321.

Breeders’ badge offers for members

NHMOPS WINNERS

12/06/19 Fontwell Park THE SKY SPORTS RACING SKY 415 MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE RACE (CLASS 4) Winner: JAUNTY SORIA Owner: Miss Jane Goddard Bonus value: £10,000

York Ebor Festival, August 21-24 York racecourse has kindly invited TBA members to apply for breeders’ badges for the York Ebor Festival.

Members can apply for up to two badges per horse entered, and badges will only be issued subject to the horse(s) being declared to run.

Applications must be made by midday on the day prior to the race and must be submitted by email to info@thetba. co.uk.

Doncaster St Leger Festival, September 11-14 Doncaster racecourse has kindly invited TBA members to apply for breeders’

badges for the St Leger Festival.

Members can apply for up to two badges per horse entered and badges will only be issued subject to the horse(s) being declared to run.

Applications must be made by midday on the day prior to the race and must be submitted by email to info@thetba. co.uk with the breeder’s name, details of the horse, race entered and name of the person collecting the badges if not the breeder.

These offers are for TBA members only. If you would like more information on becoming a member to take advantage of these and other great benefits, please contact the office.

Members enjoy visit to George Scott’s stable and Cheveley Park Stud On June 26, members from the East Region were treated to a behind-thescenes look at George Scott’s Saffron House Stables and Cheveley Park Stud.

The day commenced at Saffron House Stables, where members enjoyed a welcome drink and met some of the team. Members were then given a view of some of George’s most exciting two-year-olds, which included a Golden Horn half-brother to Group 2 winner James Garfield. Throughout the parade George gave members a fascinating insight into each of the horses and their plans for the future.

Following the parade, members had the chance to see the horses warm up before heading to the Hamilton

Aug_180_TBAForum.indd 83

Road gallops to watch them canter.

George was on hand throughout and spoke about each of the horses before answering an array of questions from his audience.

After the tour, members headed to the Granary Barns in Wooditton where they enjoyed a delicious lunch and met with fellow breeders. After lunch the group then made their way to Cheveley Park Stud, where they were greeted by the team and given a brief history of the stud and some of the prolific horses that have been bred there.

Members were then given a tour of the stud, including a look at the graveyard, which featured some familiar names such as Grand National victor

Party Politics. The group then gathered for a parade of the stud’s stallions, including Pivotal, who is the sire of over 150 individual stakes winners. Members were treated to a photo opportunity with the 26-year-old veteran – a real highlight for everyone in attendance!

After the parade, the group were given a look at some of the stud’s blueblooded mares and foals, and got the chance to ask members of the team an array of questions on the youngstock and the stud.

The TBA would like to thank George Scott and his team at Saffron Stables, and the team at Cheveley Park Stud for providing such an enjoyable and interesting day for members.

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A first Group 1 success for Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s Crystal Ocean in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot is the latest chapter in the storied history of the Rothschild family and the Turf.

The five-year-old son of Sea The Stars and Crystal Star was bred at his owner’s Southcourt Stud, near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, founded by his grandfather Leopold in the 19th century.

In 1879, Leopold took over the running of his father’s stud at Gunnersbury before moving it to his own estate at Ascott and naming it Southcourt Stud.

Twenty-five years later, he achieved a lifelong ambition by winning the Derby in his own name with his homebred colt, the 2,000 Guineas winner St Amant.

There was to be no Triple Crown, however, as the dual Classic winner was swept aside in the St Leger by one of the greatest fillies in racing history, Pretty Polly.

In 1917, the stud, including a yearling colt by the 1911 Derby winner Sunstar, passed to his son, Anthony. Because of Leopold’s death, the rules of racing at the time prevented the colt, named Galloper Light, from running in the English Classics. Instead, he won the Grand Prix de Paris for his new owner.

Anthony had to wait until 1926 to see his own name on the Classic roll of honour when Pillion won the 1,000 Guineas.

In recent times, much of the credit for the success of Southcourt belongs to the late Renee Robeson, Sir Evelyn’s

84

DENFORD STUD

GEORGE SELWYN

SOUTHCOURT STUD

Crystal Ocean: bred at Southcourt Stud

sister. She was his partner in the stud, which they inherited from their father in 1961, and played a key role in planning the matings, including triple Group 1 winner Notnowcato.

A successful trainer of National Hunt horses in her own right, she achieved the rare distinction of training Grade 1 winners over jumps and breeding Group 1 winners on the Flat.

Undoubtedly, the star of a broodmare band that numbers around 20 mares is the Mark Of Esteem mare Crystal Star with four stakes winners from seven runners. Crystal Ocean is her second top-flight winner following Canadian International Stakes hero Hillstar.

The family has been at Southcourt since 1995 when their grandam Crystal Cavern was acquired for 14,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sales.

With successful breeding operations at Southcourt and Waddesdon, as well as Haras de Meautry, the oldest stud in France continuously owned by a single family, there are still many chapters to be written in the Turf history of the Rothschilds.

Patience and perseverance rewarded has been a notable feature of the European season so far, with six horses achieving their Group 1 breakthrough aged five or six.

Perhaps the most deserving is the Denford Stud-homebred Coronet who was making her 11th attempt at top-flight success, including seven places, when winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

The Dubawi mare is a granddaughter of Denford Stud’s foundation mare Last Second. Stud owner Faisal Salman paid IR£120,000 at the 1994 Goffs Orby Sale for the daughter of Alzao and Alruccaba from Airlie Stud.

Last Second’s joint-breeder, Kirsten Rausing, has enjoyed outstanding success over the years with this family, highlighted by champion filly Alborada.

Last Second herself was trained by Sir Mark Prescott to win the Group 2 Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes and came within a neck of Group 1 success when second in the Coronation Stakes.

At stud, she bred the French Guineas winner Aussie Rules and Coronet’s dam Approach (by Darshaan) who is also dam of Midas Touch. Like his half-sister, the Galileo colt had a frustrating time in Group 1 races in which he was placed five times.

Now 19, Approach has a yearling filly

by Frankel, to be retained by her owner, and is in foal to Saxon Warrior.

Coronet’s victory capped a wonderful weekend for the stud, located at Kintbury near Hungerford, which is also the breeder of Buckhurst, who won the Group 3 International Stakes at the Curragh the previous day.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Vet Forum: The Expert View

Variations in resting scope findings

E

ndoscopic examination of the upper airway is common practice in the thoroughbred athlete, and is an ideal starting point for the investigation of respiratory noise or reduced performance.

It also forms an important part of the pre-purchase examination of horses intended for racing, and it is this role when the findings potentially become most contentious.

With a trained eye and the horse at rest, obvious anatomical abnormalities (e.g. cleft palate, figure 1; entrapped epiglottis, figure 2; inflamed laryngeal cartilages, figure 3) are readily identified using endoscopy. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is frequently identified at rest, but this is rarely permanent and is often corrected as the horse swallows or coughs. A number of studies, using both resting and exercising endoscopy, have shown that predicting the incidence of DDSP at exercise from resting endoscopy alone to be unreliable.

Exercising endoscopy (EE), using either high speed treadmill endoscopy or overground endoscopy, is essential in the accurate diagnosis of DDSP and palatal instability. Equally, a number of other nasopharyngeal abnormalities can be diagnosed only using EE, including aryepiglottic fold collapse – also known as medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds, or MDAF (figure 4) – nasopharyngeal collapse, crichotracheal ligament collapse and epiglottic retroversion. However, for the purpose of this article we will concentrate on the variability of resting endoscopic examination, and primarily the variability associated with the function of the laryngeal cartilages.

Assessment of laryngeal function is often the principal goal for veterinary surgeons undertaking resting endoscopy, and especially for those involved in pre-purchase examinations. In many large breeds of horses, and especially thoroughbreds, the left side of the larynx

does not move as readily and completely as the right. This is due to the nerve supply to the laryngeal muscles on the left becoming dysfunctional as the horse matures.

The exact cause of the disease is not clear, but it is thought that the disproportionate length of the nerve plays a role. The nerve is called the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the disease is known as recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN).

RLN is also referred to as laryngeal hemiplegia, laryngeal paralysis and colloquially as terms such as ‘roaring’.

As with any muscle that loses its nerve supply, the muscles that keep the larynx open reduce in size (atrophy), become weaker and eventually stop working all together. This atrophy can be palpated, and is an important part of the assessment of these horses. As the horse breathes in, the pressure in the upper airway becomes increasingly negative and the unsupported left side of the larynx gets sucked into the airway (figure 5).

Mild or early stages of RLN can be identified with the horse at rest, but many horses showing some signs of left laryngeal dysfunction at rest may actually be fully functional at exercise.

On the other hand, RLN is often progressive in nature and the clinical

Fig 1 A congenital soft palate defect known as a ‘cleft palate’

Fig 2 An epiglottis entrapped by its own sub-epiglottic tissues

Conducting an endoscopic examination to investigate respiratory noise signs may worsen in the months to years following the initial examination.

The standard resting endoscopic examination Over the years, convention has dictated that thoroughbred racehorses have their upper airway examined using a flexible endoscope that is passed via the right nostril, giving a view that is angled slightly from the right. The horse should not be sedated, except in exceptional circumstances when individuals become refractory to regular methods of restraint. All sedatives cause a degree of muscle relaxation that will similarly affect the laryngeal muscles, potentially giving a misleading assessment of their functional ability. Good horse holders and conventional ‘twitches’ are useful in achieving restraint in most individuals.

The laryngeal nerves and muscles spend most of their time inactive when the horse is resting. However, the muscles will contract when the horse coughs or swallows. Spraying of water into the upper airway, or nudging the sides of the nasopharynx with the scope can induce a swallow, and thus allow intermittent assessment of the laryngeal movement.

Occluding the horse’s nostrils for a few seconds will induce a large breath upon

Fig 3 An inflamed laryngeal cartilage, known as a arytenoid chondritis

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By Deidre Carson MRCVS

By Timothy P Barnett MRCVS release that will allow maximal laryngeal movement to be visualised. Laryngeal muscles will often continue to contract maximally as the horse recovers from exercise, so endoscopic examination at this point can also be helpful. The exercise test will also allow assessment of any respiratory noise that the horse may produce, with a characteristic inspiratory whistle and harsh noises being synonymous with laryngeal dysfunction.

How do we assess laryngeal function?

There are a number of grading systems for the assessment of laryngeal function including the Lane scale (grades 1-5), which has been superseded by the Havermeyer scale and provides a wider variation in position and degrees of function; with subgroups of grades 2 and 3 and grade 4 representing complete collapse. A grade 1 larynx is a fully functional, symmetrical larynx with no obvious signs of dysfunction, and with both scales grades 1 and 2 are considered the most appropriate for the equine athlete.

Most thoroughbred racehorses will have a grade 2 (or 2.1 and 2.2 on the Havermeyer scale) of laryngeal function at rest, and research has shown that most of these will have a fully functioning larynx when the horse exercises. It is the grade 3s, on either scale, that cause most concern. A much higher proportion of these horses will have a larynx that will be dysfunctional at exercise. This may be more apparent towards the end of exercise when the laryngeal muscles begin to fatigue, as with any other exercising skeletal muscle beyond a certain point.

The turbulent airflow, caused by the restriction, creates noise that is most often heard as the horse breathes in.

Most importantly the constriction reduces airflow to the lungs and, in turn, reduces the horse’s performance. So, if a larynx begins to collapse toward the end of a race, it is unlikely the horse will be able to pick up the pace in the last few furlongs in order to improve, or even maintain, its finishing position. Grade 4s (and 5s on the Lane scale) are those with complete loss of muscular function and are unlikely to function well under racing conditions, and possibly struggle in training.

How do we work out which of the grade 3s will function at exercise? The gold standard would be to work the horse over its desired distance under racing conditions and examine it with one of the previously described methods of EE. Such examinations are not always practical, and at present are not routinely used as part of

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Fig 4 Medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds (MDAF) seen using exercising endoscopy

Fig 5 Complete left laryngeal collapse with the horse at exercise

the pre-purchase examination protocols at thoroughbred sales, when most of these grade 3s will come under closest scrutiny.

Using EE equipment with unbroken yearlings will always have potential safety risks, and many horses will not be fit enough when passing through the sales ring to allow adequate examination.

In addition, maintaining consistency of examinations submitted to a repository would always be a concern. For example, a larynx may be fully functional until passing the six-furlong point when it will then start to collapse. Therefore, if assessed over shorter distances, then some clinically affected horses could be missed. We also know that RLN can be a progressive condition and assessment weeks prior may give a false impression of the function of the horse’s larynx at the time of the sale.

It has also been shown that the scope findings vary between repeated examinations, with some horses able to improve their laryngeal grade at a later examination, which adds a further layer of confusion. Muscle fatigue from exercise, muscle stimulation with circulating adrenaline, anxiety and time of day may all have a role to play in this. A recent study has also shown that laryngeal function is not only variable at rest, but also when exercising, with improvements and deterioration of laryngeal function seen at differing examination times.

It is clear that different observers will also grade the larynges slightly differently, with one study showing agreement between experienced clinicians to be just less than 65%, especially with the more severe grade 2s and grade 3s.

How reliable is the resting endoscopy?

Conclusion

Most clinicians would be confident in diagnosing disease in horses with complete laryngeal collapse at rest, and research has shown that the vast majority of these horses will have dysfunctional larynges at exercise.

Accurately predicting the function of all other grades is a challenge. However, most grade 2s on both scales, that do not make a noise at exercise, can be safely deduced and deemed suitable for racing at the time of examination.

However, RLN is often progressive and those grade 2s at the October yearling sales could become grade 3s by the time they begin their two-year-old season.

It appears that most progression of the disease occurs early in a horse’s life, so that older horses (over four years of age) are less likely to suddenly become afflicted with a more severe form of the condition.

Diagnosis of a limited number of conditions can be made with some degree of certainty using resting endoscopy.

Definitive assessment of laryngeal function with the horse at rest is impossible in all but the most severe cases of RLN. Ensuring the horse swallows and takes a large breath during resting endoscopic examination is essential in assessing the ability of the muscles to fully open the larynx. Listening to the horse exercising and palpating the laryngeal muscles are useful adjunctive steps to help determine the suitability of a horse for racing.

Repeated endoscopic examination of the airway, by a number of clinicians, may also increase the robustness of any conclusions made.

In all cases it has to be remembered that the disease is often progressive, and most of the variability may come in the weeks to months following the initial examination.

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Dr Statz

John Boyce cracks the code

Farhh fetching very impressive numbers despite fertility issues T

GEORGE SELWYN

he victory of Far Above in Deauville’s Listed Prix Kistena brought his sire’s tally of Group and stakes winners to seven. Nothing particularly exceptional about that I hear you say. But when you factor in the knowledge that Darley’s Farhh has had to contend with limited fertility, seven stakes winners takes on a greater significance. They have been produced from a pool of only 56 runners, which gives the son of Pivotal a strike-rate of 12.5% stakes winners to runners.

Not many stallions can achieve 10% stakes winners to runners given the large books covered these days. It is reserved for the very best, the handful that are the most sought after anywhere in the world. So, when a young stallion surpasses this benchmark, it’s time to sit up and take notice. Farhh’s first runners have just turned four and the significance of his achievements so far is the fact that only Galileo, Frankel, Dubawi and Starspangledbanner – among active sires – are ahead of him in the pecking order by this score.

Farhh didn’t run often, but when he did he was very consistent. He was never out of the first three in ten starts between the ages of two and five, winning five times. In fact, he was still unbeaten, albeit from just two starts, by the time he turned four, after a sixlength maiden win as a juvenile and an impressive victory in a mile handicap at Newmarket at three.

Farhh (blue) ends his career on a high by beating Cirrus Des Aigles at Ascot

FARHH’S BLACK-TYPE HORSES

Form

Name

YOB

Sex

Dam

Broodmare Sire

G2w

MOVE SWIFTLY

2015

F

HURRICANE HARRIET

BERTOLINI

G2w

NOCTURNAL FOX

2015

C

NABATI

RAHY

G3wG1p

DEE EX BEE

2015

C

DUBAI SUNRISE

SEEKING THE GOLD

G3w

WELLS FARHH GO

2015

C

MOWAZANA

GALILEO

LRw

ELEGIAC

2015

C

LAMENTATION

SINGSPIEL

LRw

FAR ABOVE

2016

C

DORRAAR

SHAMARDAL

LRw

FA UL SCIUR

2015

C

ROSA DEL DUBAI

DUBAI DESTINATION

WG1p

KING OF CHANGE

2016

C

SALACIA

ECHO OF LIGHT

WLRp

ICONIC SUNSET

2015

G

MANILA BAY

HALLING

During his four-year-old season he came up against some of the best racehorses in recent times, namely Frankel, Nathaniel, So You Think and Moonlight Cloud, but he always gave a good account of himself, running second in four Group 1s and third in another. It was as a five-year-old that he stamped his authority, winning the Group 1 Lockinge and the Group 1 Champion Stakes.

A full book for Farhh in his first season at Dalham Hall, where he stood for £17,500, was about 70 mares. It’s impossible to quantify how much breeders are put off by compromised fertility, but it’s probably safe to assume that it played a significant part in curtailing the quality of mare breeders have been prepared to send him in subsequent years.

Oddly enough, one of the last of Farhh’s progeny to become a stakes winner was his very best racehorse, the Timeform 124-rated Dee Ex Bee, who spent his Classic season competing very well in all the best races, including his second in the Derby. It wasn’t until this spring, with his victory in the Sagaro Stakes, that he became a stakes winner and he’s since added the Henry II Stakes and run second to champion stayer Stradivarius in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Farhh’s second most accomplished son in terms of Timeform ratings is his second-crop daughter, the 118-rated Move Swiftly, who took the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. Two others worthy of note are King Of Change, who chased home Magna

Grecia in the 2,000 Guineas and earned a Timeform mark of 117, while Wells Farhh Go, his sire’s first juvenile stakes winner when taking the Acomb Stakes, returned after a long layoff with a Listed success at Newmarket – the scene of his win in the Bahrain Trophy as a three-year-old – a week before Far Above’s Deauville success. French Group 2 winner Nocturnal Fox is another first-crop success story.

One of the most impressive aspects of Farhh’s career has been his ability to get the most from his mares. His 12.5% stakes winners to runners was achieved from mares that score 7.1% with other sires. We can’t really criticise the quality of his stakes winners either: those with a Timeform rating have an average of 113.5, which compares favourably with some of the best sires around. His stud companion Dubawi’s 147 stakes winners, for instance, have an average rating of 114.7, much the same as Sea The Stars’ stakes winners.

Farhh has 31% Timeform 100-plus rated horses, far greater than the 16% among his siblings. Moreover, when he covers an elite mare, 43% of his offspring have surpassed the Timeform 100-plus barrier.

These are very impressive numbers – some of which cannot even be matched by his sire’s red-hot Siyouni.

For sure they are likely to settle down over time, but they still mark Farhh down as a sire with something about him. Given his momentum in the first half of the season, he’s bound to be on breeders’ shortlists in 2020 despite his fertility shortcomings.

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Data Book • Analysis by Andrew Caulfield European Pattern 114 PRIX DE DIANE LONGINES G1 CHANTILLY. Jun 16. 3yof. 2100m.

1. CHANNEL (IRE) 9-0 £514,775 b f by Nathaniel - Love Magic (Dansili) O-Samuel De Barros B-Kilcarn Stud TR-Francis-Henri Graffard 2. Commes (FR) 9-0 £205,946 b f by Le Havre - Leaupartie (Stormy River) O-Mr Gerard Louis Roger Augustin-Normand B-Franklin Finance SA TR-Jean Claude Rouget 3. Grand Glory (GB) 9-0 £102,973 b f by Olympic Glory - Madonna Lily (Daylami) O-Albert Frassetto, John D’Amato & Mike Pietrangelo B-Sarl Elevage du Haras de Bourgeauville TR-Gianluca Bietolini Margins Head, 0.5. Time 2:08.70. Going Good to Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3 4 3 1 £544,956 Sire: NATHANIEL. Sire of 15 Stakes winners. In 2019 CHANNEL Dansili G1, DASHING WILLOUGHBY Dylan Thomas G2, AMORELLA Dubawi LR, STEEL PRINCE Danehill LR. 1st Dam: LOVE MAGIC by Dansili. Winner at 2. Dam of 2 winners:

2015: 2016: 2017: 2019:

PAINT (f Dutch Art) Winner at 2.

CHANNEL (f Nathaniel) Sold 14,651gns yearling at GOOY1. 3 wins at 3 in France, Prix de Diane Longines G1.

Jam And Mam (f Invincible Spirit) unraced to date. (f Sea The Stars)

2nd Dam: MAGICAL ROMANCE by Barathea. 3 wins at 2 Sky Bet Cheveley Park S G1. Own sister to Saree. Dam of TALL SHIP (g Sea The Stars: TAB Werribee Cup LR, Sungold Milk Warrnambool Cup LR, 2nd Quayclean Zipping Sandown Classic G2) Broodmare Sire: DANSILI. Sire of the dams of 50 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CHANNEL Nathaniel G1, ASPETAR Al Kazeem G2, MIKKI CHARM Deep Impact G2, FLOP SHOT New Approach G3, DREAM OF DREAMS Dream Ahead LR, UNI More Than Ready LR. The Nathaniel/Dansili cross has produced: CHANNEL G1, Crystal Hope LR.

CHANNEL b f 2016 Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Silver Hawk

Roberto Gris Vitesse

Mia Karina

Icecapade Basin

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Hasili

Kahyasi Kerali

Barathea

Sadler’s Wells Brocade

Shouk

Shirley Heights Souk

Galileo NATHANIEL b 08 Magnificient Style

Dansili LOVE MAGIC b 10 Magical Romance

Just 16 days after Frankel supplied the winner of the Oaks, we saw the French equivalent – the Prix de Diane – fall to Channel, a daughter of Frankel’s old rival Nathaniel. Each of these Classic winners is a member of her sire’s third crop and both sons of Galileo are clearly considerable assets to the British breeding industry.

Nathaniel had previously enjoyed Classic success with his first-crop daughter Enable, the brilliant Oaks and dual Arc winner who has become a superstar.

Channel has now won the last three of her four starts and was making her stakes debut in the Diane. Channel was sold for only €18,000 as a yearling but made more appeal when she reappeared at Arqana’s 2018 Breeze- Up Sale, where she was bought for €70,000.

An interesting aspect of Nathaniel’s Classic successes is that Enable is

inbred 3 x 2 to Sadler’s Wells and Channel is inbred 3 x 4 to the same great stallion.

More good winners inbred to the 14-time champion sire can be expected to emerge from Nathaniel’s 2019 crop. At present Nathaniel owes much of his success to his daughters, who account for six of his first seven Group winners, including all three of his Gr1 winners, the other being the tough God Given.

Altogether fillies accounted for 11 of Nathaniel’s first 14 black-type winners (but Dashing Willoughby struck for the colts in the Gr2 Queen’s Vase two days after the Diane).

Both of Channel’s parents carried the colours of the late Lady Rothschild. Her dam Love Magic won a seven-furlong Polytrack maiden at two before adding a couple of seconds at up to a mile and a quarter the following year. However, Love Magic was sold for 170,000gns at the 2015 December Sales, when carrying Channel.

Channel’s grandam Magical Romance had been purchased for 4,600,000gns, in foal to Pivotal, on November 28, 2006 with her price reflecting the fact that she had won the 2004 Cheveley Park Stakes (as a 40-1 chance).

Magical Romance appeared not to stay when sixth in the Oaks.

Dam of the useful performers Chevalier, Tall Ship and Modern Tutor, Magical Romance is a daughter of Barathea, a stallion who enjoyed much of his success with mares from the Mill Reef line. Nine of his stakes winners had dams by Darshaan and he did even better with Shirley Heights mares. Magical Romance became the fifth of his six Group winners out of Shirley Heights mares when she won the Cheveley Park.

Channel’s third dam, the ten-and-ahalf-furlong winner Shouk, is best known as the dam of Alexandrova, winner of the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Shouk’s three-partssister Puce (by Darshaan) was a very useful middle-distance stayer who produced the 2004 Lancashire Oaks winner Pongee to Barathea. This is also the family of Melbourne Cup winner Rekindle.

115 KING’S STAND STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 18. 3yo+. 5f.

1. BLUE POINT (IRE) 5 9-4 £283,550 b h by Shamardal - Scarlett Rose (Royal Applause) O-Godolphin B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock TR-Charlie Appleby 2. Battaash (IRE) 5 9-4 £107,500 b g by Dark Angel - Anna Law (Lawman) O-Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum B-Ballyphilip Stud TR-Charles Hills 3. Soldier’s Call (GB) 3 8-12 £53,800 b/br c by Showcasing - Dijarvo (Iceman) O-Clipper Logistics B-Llety Farms TR-Archie Watson Margins 1.25, 1.5. Time 0:58.50. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 20 11 7 £2,629,693 Sire: SHAMARDAL. Sire of 136 Stakes winners. In 2019 - BLUE POINT Royal Applause G1, CASTLE LADY Elusive Quality G1, MORGAN LE FAYE Lomitas G2, HAZAPOUR Daylami G3, SHAMAN Green Desert G3, SKARDU Iffraaj G3, TARNAWA Cape Cross G3,

WALDPFAD Mark of Esteem G3, HARIPOUR Xaar LR, ICKWORTH Interprete LR, PINATUBO Dalakhani LR, QUEEN POWER Unbridled’s Song LR, SHAFRAN MNM Oasis Dream LR.

2012:

1st Dam: Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause. Dam of 3 winners:

2013:

2007:

2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2013: 2014:

2017: 2018:

ESYTOPOLISHADIMOND (g Starcraft) 3 wins at 5 and 6.

FORMOSINA (c Footstepsinthesand) 2 wins at 2, ladbrokes.com Railway S G2.

Leitrim Prince (g Strategic Prince) unraced.

Flywheel (f Teofilo). Broodmare. (f Virtual) Sunstatic (c Heliostatic) ran on the flat in France.

BLUE POINT (c Shamardal) Sold 200,000gns yearling at TAOC1. 11 wins at 2 to 5, 2019 at home, UAE, Diamond Jubilee S G1, King’s Stand S G1 (twice), Azizi Al Quoz Sprint G1, Irish TB Marketing Gimcrack S G2, Gulf News Meydan Sprint G2, John Guest Bengough S G3, Merriebelle Pavilion S G3, A. Adventures Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint G3, 2nd Juddmonte Middle Park S G1, Qatar Richmond S G2, District One Meydan Sprint G2, 3rd Dubai Dewhurst S G1, Coolmore Nunthorpe S G1, Commonwealth Cup G1.

Desert Destination (c Night of Thunder) unraced to date. (f Invincible Spirit)

2nd Dam: Billie Blue by Ballad Rock. Dam of TUMBLEWEED RIDGE (c Indian Ridge: Vodafone Horris Hill S G3, Ballycorus S G3 (3 times), Prix de la Porte Maillot G3, 2nd Scottish Equitable Gimcrack S G2).

Grandam of GILDED. Third dam of FORT DEL ORO. Broodmare Sire: ROYAL APPLAUSE. Sire of the dams of 19 Stakes winners.

SHAMARDAL b 02

Storm Cat

Storm Bird Terlingua

Mariah’s Storm

Rahy Immense

Machiavellian

Mr Prospector Coup de Folie

Helen Street

Troy Waterway

Waajib

Try My Best Coryana

Flying Melody

Auction Ring Whispering Star

Ballad Rock

Bold Lad True Rocket

Blue Nose

Windjammer Hill Slipper

Helsinki

Royal Applause SCARLETT ROSE b 01 Billie Blue

See race 122 116 QUEEN ANNE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 18. 4yo+. 8f.

1. LORD GLITTERS (FR) 6 9-0 £340,260 gr g by Whipper - Lady Glitters (Homme de Loi) O-Geoff & Sandra Turnbull B-S.C.A. Elevage de Tourgeville & H. Erculiani TR-David O’Meara 2. Beat The Bank (GB) 5 9-0 £129,000 b g by Paco Boy - Tiana (Diktat) O-King Power Racing Co Ltd B-A. S. Denniff TR-Andrew Balding 3. One Master (GB) 5 8-11 £64,560 b m by Fastnet Rock - Enticing (Pivotal) O-Lael Stable B-Lael Stables TR-William Haggas Margins Neck, 0.75. Time 1:37.40. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-6 22 7 11 £1,441,618 Sire: WHIPPER. Sire of 28 Stakes winners.

1st Dam: Lady Glitters by Homme de Loi. 3rd Prix de Bagatelle LR, Prix des Lilas LR. Dam of 8 winners:

2002: 2003:

2004: 2006:

2008: 2009:

2014: 2015: 2016: 2018:

at 3 in France. Broodmare.

LADY JOHN JOHN (f Shirocco) 2 wins at 4 in France.

Wolga (f Whipper) ran on the flat in France.

Broodmare.

LORD GLITTERS (g Whipper) Sold 19,841gns yearling at AROCT. 7 wins at 3 to 6, 2019 at home, France, Queen Anne S G1, Sky Bet and Symphony Strensall S G3, 2nd Queen Anne S G1, F.Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile S G2, Price Baliey Ben Marshall S LR, Grand Prix du Lion d’Angers LR, 3rd Qatar Sussex S G1, DP World Dubai Turf G1.

GOLDEN GLITTER (c American Post) 3 wins at 4 and 5 in France.

Glittering Crystal (f Wootton Bassett) Iron Skater (c Anodin) unraced to date. (f Style Vendome)

2nd Dam: Marie Glitters by Crystal Glitters. ran on the flat in France. Dam of GREY GLITTERS (g Grey Risk: G. P. de Clairefontaine-Etalon Enrique LR, 2nd Prix de Lutece G3), LOUPY GLITTERS (f Loup Solitaire: Prix La Camargo LR), Golden Glimmer (f Kendor: 2nd Prix La Sorellina LR), Lady Glitters (f Homme de Loi, see above), Glamour Glitters (g River Bay: 2nd Prix de MaisonsLaffitte Hurdle G3). Grandam of DREAM IN BLUE, Elenika. Third dam of VOLATILE. Broodmare Sire: HOMME DE LOI. Sire of the dams of 15 Stakes winners.

LORD GLITTERS gr g 2013 Mr Prospector

Raise A Native Gold Digger

Miesque

Nureyev Pasadoble

Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Millieme

Mill Reef Hardiemma

Law Society

Alleged Bold Bikini

Our Village

Ballymore Epona

Crystal Glitters

Blushing Groom Tales To Tell

Marie de Vez

Crystal Palace Ordenstreue

Miesque’s Son WHIPPER b 01 Myth To Reality

BLUE POINT b h 2014 Giant’s Causeway

2011:

EL CHURQUI (g Grand Lodge) 2 wins at 2 and 5 in France.

Pivoline (f Pivotal) unraced. Dam of PETIT CHEVALIER (g High Chaparral: 7 wins in France, Prix Gontaut-Biron-Hong Kong Jockey Club G3, 3rd Qatar Prix Dollar G2) MISSILLAC (c Anabaa) 6 wins at 5 and 6 in France.

GLITTERING STAR (f Lomitas) 4 wins at 2 and 3 in France. Dam of Cajun (c Stormy River: 3 wins at 3 in France, 3rd Prix Georges Trabaud LR) BLUE SAPHIRE (g Anabaa Blue) 4 wins at 3 to 5 in France.

MARINER’S LIGHT (f Gentlewave) Winner

Homme de Loi LADY GLITTERS gr 97 Marie Glitters

In a battle of the geldings, Lord Glitters narrowly got the better of Beat The Bank to land the Queen Anne Stakes and become a Gr1 winner at the age of six. Bearing in mind that the Gr1 Lockinge Stakes had also been won by a six-year-old gelding, stallion farms are probably going to have to concentrate on the three-year-old milers. Lord Glitters’ best previous win had come in the Gr3 Strensall Stakes but he had also picked up a very big prize at handicap level.

The ex-French Lord Glitters is a son of Whipper, who stood the 2019 season at only €3,300 in France.

Although this represents a substantial fall from the €12,000 at which Whipper began his career in Ireland, he has by no means been a failure, as Lord Glitters is his fourth Gr1 winner, following Wizz Kid (Prix de l’Abbaye), Waikika (Premio Vittoria di Capua) and Recoletos (Prix d’Ispahan and Prix du Moulin).

If you are prepared to forget that Whipper is by Miesque’s Son, he has a power-packed pedigree, his grandparents being Mr Prospector, Miesque, Sadler’s Wells and Millieme (a sister to Derby winner Shirley Heights). When Whipper was offered for sale as a weanling, the bidding stopped at €4,000 but that didn’t stop him becoming a Gr1 winner at the ages of two (Prix Morny), three (Prix Jacques le Marois) and four (Prix Maurice de Gheest).

Lord Glitters’ broodmare sire, the

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CAULFIELD ON LORD GLITTERS: “The Queen Anne winner’s sire Whipper has by no means been a failure, as Lord Glitters is his fourth Group 1 winner, following Wizz Kid, Waikika and Recoletos” Grand Prix de Paris winner Homme de Loi, had only one Group winner (and four Listed winners) among his 302 foals. Fortunately, Homme de Loi has fared much better in the role of broodmare sire, with Saonois (Prix du Jockey-Club), Mast Track (Hollywood Gold Cup) and now Lord Glitters among his daughters’ Gr1 winners.

Lord Glitters’ dam Lady Glitters was Listed-placed in France and is the second dam of the French Gr3 winner Petit Chevalier.

117 ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 18. 3yoc. 8f.

1. CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) 9-0 £305,525 b c by Galileo - Duntle (Danehill Dancer) O-Flaxman Stables/Mrs Magnier/Tabor/Smith B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. King of Comedy (IRE) 9-0 £115,831 b c by Kingman - Stage Presence (Selkirk) O-Lady Bamford B-Lady Bamford TR-John Gosden 3. Too Darn Hot (GB) 9-0 £57,970 b c by Dubawi - Dar Re Mi (Singspiel) O-Lord Lloyd Webber B-Watership Down Stud TR-John Gosden Margins Neck, 0.75. Time 1:39.90. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 7 3 2 £398,077 Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 309 Stakes winners. In 2019 ANTHONY VAN DYCK Exceed And Excel G1, CIRCUS MAXIMUS Danehill Dancer G1, HERMOSA Pivotal G1, MAGICAL Pivotal G1, SOVEREIGN Danehill Dancer G1, WALDGEIST Monsun G1, JAPAN Danehill G2, PLATINUM WARRIOR Clodovil G2, CONSTANTINOPLE Danehill G3, GREY LION Danehill G3, KLASSIQUE Footstepsinthesand G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3.

1st Dam: DUNTLE by Danehill Dancer. 5 wins at 3 and 4, Duke of Cambridge S G2, 2nd Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron S G1, Prix Rothschild G1, 3rd Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S G1. Dam of 1 winner:

2016:

CIRCUS MAXIMUS (c Galileo) 3 wins at 2 and 3, St James’s Palace S G1, Homeserve Dee S LR, 3rd Godolphin Autumn S G3.

2nd Dam: LADY ANGOLA by Lord At War. 1 win at 3.

Dam of DUNTLE (f Danehill Dancer, see above) Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of the dams of 103 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CIRCUS MAXIMUS Galileo G1, SOVEREIGN Galileo G1, HAMARIYNA Sea The Moon G3, HAWKSMOOR Azamour G3, LEARN BY HEART Frankel G3.

The Galileo/Danehill Dancer cross has produced: ALICE SPRINGS G1, BYE BYE BABY G1, CIRCUS MAXIMUS G1, MINDING G1, RAIN GODDESS G1, SOVEREIGN G1, THE GURKHA G1, WEDDING VOW G1, BEACON ROCK G2, CALL TO MIND G2, GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI G2, QUEST FOR PEACE G2, Criteria G2, Delano Roosevelt G2, Lahinch Classics G2, Nayef Road G2, BE MY GAL G3, KISSED BY ANGELS G3, RECORDER G3, Delphinia G3, Hence G3, Into The Mystic G3, Kingston Jamaica G3, Noble Galileo G3, Queen Nefertiti G3, BOUND LR, INDIAN MAHARAJA LR, KIND OF MAGIC LR, Amedeo Modigliani LR, Crocodile Rock LR, Facade LR, Felix Mendelssohn LR, Seussical LR.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS b c 2016 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Mira Adonde

Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour

Lord At War

General Luna de Miel

Benguela

Little Current Lady Winborne

Sadler’s Wells GALILEO b 98 Urban Sea

Danehill Dancer DUNTLE ch 09 Lady Angola

Anyone who regards Galileo as primarily a source of stamina should

Aug_180_DataBook.indd 91

look at his influence on the St James’s Palace Stakes, one of Europe’s most influential mile races.

In the nine years between 2011 and 2019, Galileo has been responsible for three winners in Frankel, Gleneagles and Circus Maximus, and his sons have supplied another two in New Approach’s colt Dawn Approach and Frankel’s son Without Parole. With Galileo’s broodmare daughters producing Galileo Gold and Barney Roy, that makes a total of seven winners in nine years.

The addition of Circus Maximus to this list came as a surprise to those who had pigeon-holed him as a middle-distance colt following his success in the Dee Stakes and his effort in the Derby.

However, the Coolmore team has had plenty of experience with Galileo’s progeny out of Danehill Dancer mares, winning a total of eight Gr1 races over a mile with Alice Springs, Minding and The Gurkha.

Admittedly Minding also enjoyed Gr1 success over ten and 12 furlongs, and The Gurkha was a good second in the Eclipse Stakes, but the fact that Circus Maximus’ dam Duntle did all her winning over a mile made it tempting to return him to a mile – a distance over which he had finished a close fourth behind Magna Grecia and Phoenix Of Spain in the Vertem Futurity.

Circus Maximus’ dam Duntle made two visits to Royal Ascot and was successful both times, landing the Listed Sandringham Handicap at three and the Gr2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at four. She was also first past the post in the Gr1 Matron Stakes but was demoted to second.

Duntle was comfortably the best of the six winners out of Lady Angola, a winning daughter of the influential Lord At War. This Argentine-bred won seven of his 14 starts in the US, including the Gr1 Santa Anita Handicap, but he left fewer than 400 foals during a lengthy career. He achieved 11% black-type winners and his broodmare daughters did very well, notably producing War Emblem (Kentucky Derby), Raven’s Pass (Breeders’ Cup Classic) and Pioneerof The Nile, sire of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Circus Maximus’ third dam Benguela was a half-sister to La Gueriere, another of Lord At War’s Gr1 winners. Fourth dam Lady Winborne was a half-sister to the brilliant Allez France.

118 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 19. 4yo+. 10f.

1. CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB) 5 9-0 £425,325 b h by Sea The Stars - Crystal Star (Mark of Esteem) O-Sir Evelyn De Rothschild B-Southcourt Stud TR-Sir Michael Stoute 2. Magical (IRE) 4 8-11 £161,250 b f by Galileo - Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Waldgeist (GB) 5 9-0 £80,700 ch h by Galileo - Waldlerche (Monsun) O-Gestut Ammerland/ Newsells Park B-The Waldlerche Partnership TR-A. Fabre Margins 1.25, 3.25. Time 2:10.20. Going Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 15 8 7 £1,565,212 Sire: SEA THE STARS. Sire of 53 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CRYSTAL OCEAN Mark of Esteem G1, SHRAAOH Monsun G1, STRADIVARIUS Bering G1, FIFTY STARS Sadler’s Wells G2, RAA ATOLL Sadler’s Wells G2, STAR CATCHER Horse Chestnut G2, RAKAN Teofilo LR. 1st Dam: CRYSTAL STAR by Mark of Esteem. 2 wins at 2, Reading Evening Post Radley S LR, 2nd Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling S G3. Dam of 6 winners:

2005:

2006: 2007: 2008: 2010:

2012: 2014:

2015:

CRYSTAL CAPELLA (f Cape Cross) 8 wins at 3 to 6, Princess of Wales’s Sportingbet S G2, Pride S G2 (twice). Broodmare.

SANDOR (g Fantastic Light) 10 wins.

Drop In The Ocean (f Tiger Hill) unraced.

Crystal Etoile (f Dansili). Dam of Crystal Hope (f Nathaniel: Winner at 3, 3rd Haras de Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial S LR) HILLSTAR (c Danehill Dancer) 4 wins at 2 to 4 at home, Canada, Pattison Canadian International S G1, 3rd King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S G1.

CRYSTAL ZVEZDA (f Dubawi) 2 wins at 2 and 3, Haras de Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial S LR. Broodmare.

CRYSTAL OCEAN (c Sea The Stars) 8 wins at 3 to 5, Prince of Wales’s S G1, Hardwicke S G2, Qatar Gordon S G3, bet365 Gordon Richards S G3 (twice), Al Rayyan Aston Park S G3 (twice), 2nd Qipco Champion S G1, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S G1, William Hill St Leger S G1, 188Bet September S G3, 3rd Betfred Dante S G2, King Edward VII S G2.

CRYSTAL KING (g Frankel) 2 wins at 3 and 4.

2nd Dam: CRYSTAL CAVERN by Be My Guest. 3 wins.

Dam of WAILA (f Notnowcato: Newsells Park Stud Aphrodite S LR, 3rd Sterling Insurance Lillie Langtry S G3), CRYSTAL STAR (f Mark of Esteem, see above) Broodmare Sire: MARK OF ESTEEM. Sire of the dams of 57 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CELTIC SEA Captain Al G1, CRYSTAL OCEAN Sea The Stars G1, IRISHCORRESPONDENT Teofilo G1, ICKYMASHO Multiplex G3, WALDPFAD Shamardal G3.

The Sea The Stars/Mark of Esteem cross has produced: CRYSTAL OCEAN G1, ACROSS THE STARS G2.

CRYSTAL OCEAN b h 2014 Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

Park Appeal

Ahonoora Balidaress

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Darshaan

Shirley Heights Delsy

Homage

Ajdal Home Love

Be My Guest

Northern Dancer What A Treat

Krisalya

Kris Sassalya

Cape Cross SEA THE STARS b 06 Urban Sea

Mark of Esteem CRYSTAL STAR ch 00 Crystal Cavern

Although the 2,000 Guineas winner Mark Of Esteem sired a Derby winner in Sir Percy and a 1,000 Guineas winner in Ameerat, it is probably fair to say that he has proved more effective in the role of broodmare sire. His daughters have produced around 30 Group winners, headed by eight Gr1 winners, with Galileo playing a prominent role.

Galileo’s 13 foals out of Mark Of Esteem mares include Treasure Beach, winner of the 2011 Irish Derby after a narrow defeat in the Epsom Derby, Kite Wood, the 2009 St Leger second who won the Gr2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier, and Mikhail Glinka, winner of the Gr3 Queen’s Vase and Gr2 Dubai City of Gold.

Galileo’s son Teofilo has also excelled, with his 14 foals featuring those very smart performers Permian, Ajman Princess and Irishcorrespondent (the Hong Kong star Exultant). It is therefore no

surprise that Galileo’s half-brother Sea The Stars has also done very well with Mark Of Esteem’s daughters.

From only five foals he has sired the Royal Ascot Group winners Across The Stars (Gr2 King Edward VII Stakes) and Crystal Ocean, who achieved a career high in landing the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Never out of the first three in 15 starts, Crystal Ocean has now won eight races, including seven at Group level.

Crystal Ocean’s dam Crystal Star has strong claims to being Mark Of Esteem’s most successful broodmare daughter. Crystal Ocean is her third Group winner (and fourth black-type winner) following Hillstar (Gr1 Canadian International and Gr2 King Edward VII Stakes) and Crystal Capella (a multiple Group-winning filly who defeated the males in the Gr2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes).

Crystal Star won both her starts at two, including the Listed Radley Stakes, and was also second in the Gr3 Fred Darling Stakes before becoming disappointing.

Crystal Ocean’s third dam Krisalya is best known as the dam of Rose Gypsy, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. Krisalya was herself a half-sister to numerous above-average performers headed by Sasuru (Gr1 Prix d’Ispahan) and Sally Rous (Gr2 Challenge Stakes and Gr3 Jersey Stakes).

The Faraway Tree, a half-sister to Krisalya, produced the American Gr1 winner Tuscan Evening. Fourth dam Sassalya was a half-sister to the extremely tough Lafontaine, winner of the Cumberland Lodge Stakes and sire of a Grand National winner in Papillon.

119 ASCOT GOLD CUP G1 ASCOT. Jun 20. 4yo+. 20f.

1. STRADIVARIUS (IRE) 5 9-2 £283,550 ch h by Sea The Stars - Private Life (Bering) O-Mr B. E. Nielsen B-B. E. Nielsen TR-John Gosden 2. Dee Ex Bee (GB) 4 9-1 £107,500 b c by Farhh - Dubai Sunrise (Seeking The Gold) O-Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum B-Godolphin Management Company Ltd TR-Mark Johnston 3. Master of Reality (IRE) 4 9-1 £53,800 b g by Frankel - L’Ancresse (Darshaan) O-Lloyd J Williams Syndicate B-March Thoroughbreds TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien Margins 1, Nose. Time 4:30.80. Going Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 16 11 4 £1,991,032 Sire: SEA THE STARS. Sire of 53 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CRYSTAL OCEAN Mark of Esteem G1, SHRAAOH Monsun G1, STRADIVARIUS Bering G1, FIFTY STARS Sadler’s Wells G2, RAA ATOLL Sadler’s Wells G2, STAR CATCHER Horse Chestnut G2, RAKAN Teofilo LR. 1st Dam: Private Life by Bering. 2 wins at 2 and 3 in France, 3rd Prix de Liancourt LR, Prix de Thiberville LR. Dam of 6 winners:

2003:

2004: 2005: 2007: 2008: 2010:

PERFECTIONIST (c Fantastic Light) 7 wins at 4 to 6 in Denmark.

PERSIAN STORM (g Monsun) 3 wins at 2 and 3 in Germany, Furstenberg-Rennen G3, German Tote Bavarian Classic G3. (f Pivotal). died as a foal.

Persona Non Grata (g Azamour) Magical Eve (f Oratorio) Winner at 4 in South Africa, 3rd Steel Doctor The Scarlet Lady LR. Broodmare.

PLUTOCRACY (g Dansili) 5 wins.

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Data Book European Pattern 2011: 2014:

Rembrandt Van Rijn (g Peintre Celebre) 4 wins at 4, 3rd Abu Dhabi Championship G3.

STRADIVARIUS (c Sea The Stars) Sold 330,000gns yearling at TAOC1. Champion older stayer in Europe in 2018. 11 wins at 2 to 5, 2019, Ascot Gold Cup G1 (twice), Qatar Goodwood Cup S G1 (twice), Qipco Brit.

Champions Long Distance Cup G2, Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup S G2, Queen’s Vase G2, Mansionbet Yorkshire Cup G2 (twice), 3rd William Hill St Leger S G1, Qipco Brit. Champions Long Distance Cup G2.

2nd Dam: POUGHKEEPSIE by Sadler’s Wells. 1 win at 3 in France. Dam of PRETTY TOUGH (c Desert King: Prix La Moskowa LR), PARISIENNE (f Distant Relative: Grand Criterium de Bordeaux LR), Poincon de France (c Peintre Celebre: 3rd G.P.Conseil General des Alpes Maritimes LR), Pirate Bay (c Hawk Wing: 3rd Prix de Saint Patrick LR, Japan Racing Association Plate LR), Private Life (f Bering, see above). Grandam of Soviet Courage. Third dam of PROTECTIONIST. Broodmare Sire: BERING. Sire of the dams of 84 Stakes winners.

STRADIVARIUS ch h 2014 Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

Park Appeal

Ahonoora Balidaress

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Cape Cross SEA THE STARS b 06 Urban Sea Arctic Tern Bering Beaune PRIVATE LIFE b 97

Sadler’s Wells

Poughkeepsie Pawneese

15-furlong races, the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix Royal-Oak. Although Pawneese proved a major disappointment as a broodmare for Daniel Wildenstein, her Sadler’s Wells filly Poughkeepsie made some amends. In addition to Stradivarius’s dam, she produced the Listed winner Parisienne, who ranks as the second dam of the Melbourne Cup and Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Protectionist. Pawneese’s Groupwinning half-sister Petroleuse also outshone her, producing three Group/Graded winners.

Stradivarius’ dam, the Bering mare Private Life, is another with several above-average performers to her credit, others being her Monsun gelding Persian Storm, who was a dual Gr3 winner over a mile and a quarter in Germany, and her Peintre Celebre gelding Rembrandt Van Rijn, who stayed at least a mile and three-quarters in the UAE. 120 COMMONWEALTH CUP G1

Sea Bird II Bubbling Beauty Lyphard Barbra Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Carvin II Plencia

Thanks to Crystal Ocean in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Star Catcher in the Ribblesdale Stakes, the outstanding Sea The Stars had already enjoyed a highly rewarding Royal Ascot meeting before Stradivarius lined up in a bid to repeat his 2018 triumph in the Gold Cup. The hugely popular five-year-old proved up to the task and he has now won nine of his 11 starts over a mile and three-quarters or more, including six of his seven starts over two miles and beyond.

With middle-distance performers as his parents, Stradivarius was bred to shine at around a mile and a half, not two and a half. Perhaps he can thank Sadler’s Wells, sire of his second dam Poughkeepsie, for his stamina, as this 14-time champion sire included the multiple Gold Cup winners Yeats and Kayf Tara among his best stayers, along with the Doncaster Cup winners Septimus and Saddler’s Rock.

Stradivarius has a very distinguished third dam in Pawneese, Europe’s champion three-year-old filly of 1976. Pawneese owed this title to her sequence of three major successes, starting with a five-length victory in the Oaks. She then inflicted the first defeat on the Classic-winning Riverqueen in the Prix de Diane and finally defeated the males in the King George, in which she made all.

Despite her brilliance, Pawneese had a comparatively undistinguished sire in Carvin. A winner of the Criterium de Saint-Cloud over a mile and a quarter as a two-year-old and third in the Prix du Jockey-Club, Carvin later reached the frame in a pair of important

ASCOT. Jun 21. 3yo. 6f.

1. ADVERTISE (GB) 9-3 £283,550 b c by Showcasing - Furbelow (Pivotal) O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited 1 B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited TR-Martyn Meade 2. Forever In Dreams (IRE) 9-0 £107,500 gr f by Dream Ahead - Dora de Green (Green Tune) O-Phoenix Ladies Syndicate B-C. Marnane TR-A. F. Fogarty 3. Hello Youmzain (FR) 9-3 £53,800 b c by Kodiac - Spasha (Shamardal) O-Mr Jaber Abdullah B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited TR-Kevin Ryan Margins 1.5, Head. Time 1:11.80. Going Good to Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 7 4 2 £601,243 Sire: SHOWCASING. Sire of 36 Stakes winners. In 2019 - ADVERTISE Pivotal G1, MOHAATHER Inchinor G3, ALL ABOUT MAGIC Montjeu LR, FLAUNTING Elusive City LR, FORSA ECLIPSE Johar LR, RAINBOW DASH Ustinov LR. 1st Dam: FURBELOW by Pivotal. Winner at 3. Own sister to RED DIADEM. Dam of 2 winners:

2014: 2015: 2016:

2017: 2018: 2019:

Go Guarantor (g Medicean) FLAVIUS TITUS (g Lethal Force) 4 wins at 2 to 4.

ADVERTISE (c Showcasing) Sold 57,142gns yearling at DNPRM. 4 wins at 2 and 3, Keeneland Phoenix S G1, Commonwealth Cup G1, Arqana July S G2, 2nd Darley Dewhurst S G1, Coventry S G2.

Publicise (f Dream Ahead) unraced to date. (c Lethal Force) (f Ulysses)

2nd Dam: Red Tiara by Mr Prospector. Dam of RED DIADEM (f Pivotal: Daisycutter H LR). Grandam of SAAYERR, Ornate.

Broodmare Sire: PIVOTAL. Sire of the dams of 92 Stakes winners. In 2019 - ADVERTISE Showcasing G1, DEFOE Dalakhani G1, HERMOSA Galileo G1, MAGICAL Galileo G1, RAFFLE PRIZE Slade Power G2.

ADVERTISE b c 2016 Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

Hope

Dancing Brave Bahamian

Zafonic

Gone West Zaizafon

Prophecy

Warning Andaleeb

Polar Falcon

Nureyev Marie d’Argonne

Fearless Revival

Cozzene Stufida

Mr Prospector

Raise A Native Gold Digger

Heart of Joy

Lypheor Mythographer

Oasis Dream SHOWCASING b 07 Arabesque

Pivotal FURBELOW b 09 Red Tiara

Showcasing’s fee now stands at £55,000, having been as low as £4,500 in his second, third and fourth seasons, but it is worth remembering that his 2019 three-year-olds were sired when his fee was still no higher than £15,000.

Two colts from this crop performed with considerable credit in Royal Ascot’s Gr1 sprints, with the Gr2 winner Soldier’s Call coming out best of his generation when third to Blue Point and Battaash in the King’s Stand Stakes, before Advertise returned to form in blinkers to take the Commonwealth Cup. This was the second Gr1 success for Advertise, following his win in the Phoenix Stakes, and the second Commonwealth Cup winner for Showcasing, following the 2016 winner Quiet Reflection.

Advertise’s dam Furbelow was a modest six-furlong all-weather winner in the Cheveley Park Stud colours.

Offered for sale a few months later, she was bought back for only 9,000gns.

She is one of the many mares which Cheveley Park sent to their new stallion, Ulysses, in 2018 and Furbelow produced a filly before being returned to Showcasing.

Although Furbelow was ordinary, this daughter of Pivotal is a sister to Red Diadem, who became a stakes winner over five furlongs in California after failing to win in Britain.

Furbelow is also a three-partssister to the Kyllachy mare Adorn, dam of the Gr2 Richmond Stakes winner Saayerr.

Advertise’s third dam, Heart Of Joy, was good enough to finish second to Salsabil in the 1,000 Guineas and to In The Groove in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

This daughter of Lypheor went on to add three Graded wins in the USA to her earlier Gr3 success in the Nell Gwyn Stakes. Heart Of Joy’s son Meiner Love did well in Japan, with this son of Seeking The Gold winning the Gr1 Sprinters Stakes in the days before its top-level status was recognised outside Japan.

121 CORONATION STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 21. 3yof. 8f.

1. WATCH ME (FR) 9-0 £283,550 b f by Olympic Glory - Watchful (Galileo) O-Alexander Tamagni B-Mme A Tamagni & Cocheese Bloodstock Anstalt TR-Francis-Henri Graffard 2. Hermosa (IRE) 9-0 £107,500 b f by Galileo - Beauty Is Truth (Pivotal) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Beauty Is Truth Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Jubiloso (GB) 9-0 £53,800 b f by Shamardal - Joyeuse (Oasis Dream) O-Mr K. Abdullah B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd TR-Sir Michael Stoute Margins 1.5, 1. Time 1:39.60. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 5 3 1 £349,719 Sire: OLYMPIC GLORY. Sire of 2 Stakes winners. In 2019 - WATCH ME Galileo G1, PHOCEENE Helissio LR. 1st Dam: WATCHFUL by Galileo. 2 wins at 3. Dam of 3 winners:

2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2015: 2016:

2017: 2018:

Proud To Be Me (f Proud Citizen) unraced.

Espadon (c Stormy Atlantic) ran on the flat in France.

VEDUCHI (c Henrythenavigator) 2 wins at 3 in Russia.

Bit of A Coup (c Henrythenavigator) unraced.

THE EMPEROR WITHIN (c Holy Roman Emperor) 2 wins at 3.

WATCH ME (f Olympic Glory) Sold 24,420gns yearling at ARAU1. 3 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, Coronation S G1, Prix Imprudence G3, Criterium du Languedoc - B Marmiesse LR. Watchmen (c Elvstroem) unraced to date. (c Elvstroem)

2nd Dam: Sharakawa by Darshaan. unraced.

Dam of Rabi (c Alzao: 2nd Tennent Cal. Breweries Scottish Classic G3, 2nd Poker H G3), Kawagino (g Perugino: 3rd Coventry S G3, 3rd Totepool H. Hurdle LR).

Grandam of KHAFOO SHEMEMI. Third dam of Durlindana.

Broodmare Sire: GALILEO. Sire of the dams of 148 Stakes winners. In 2019 - INVINCIBELLA I Am Invincible G1, MAGNA GRECIA Invincible Spirit G1, SOTTSASS Siyouni G1, THE AUTUMN SUN Redoute’s Choice G1, WATCH ME Olympic Glory G1, WINNING WAYS Declaration of War G1.

WATCH ME b f 2016 Danehill Dancer

Danehill Mira Adonde

Great Selection

Lunchtime Pensive Mood

Alzao

Lyphard Lady Rebecca

Amaranthus

Shirley Heights Amaranda

Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Darshaan

Shirley Heights Delsy

Sharaya

Youth Shanizadeh

Choisir OLYMPIC GLORY b 10 Acidanthera

Galileo WATCHFUL b 04 Sharakawa

When Galileo’s daughter Watchful won over 11 and 13 furlongs during a brief racing career, she fulfilled the stamina in her pedigree. With Galileo as her sire and a daughter of Darshaan as her dam, Watchful is bred to the same cross as the Group winners Alandi, Midas Touch, Telescope, Adored, Ernest Hemingway, Feel Like Dancing, Mizzou, Sense Of Purpose, Sevenna and Shantaram.

It is surely significant that the races won by this extensive collection include the Irish St Leger, Prix du Cadran, the Curragh Cup, the Bahrain Trophy, the Lillie Langtry Stakes and the Sagaro Stakes, all contested beyond a mile and a half.

In other words, Watchful could well have stayed two miles had she remained in training at four, and this hypothesis is supported by the fact that her second dam is Sharaya, winner of the Gr1 Prix Vermeille over a mile and a half for the Aga Khan.

Sharaya’s half-sister Sharaniya was also very smart and this is the Aga’s Emali family, which also produced the outstanding Blushing Groom.

All this stamina in Watchful’s pedigree makes it a fine achievement on Olympic Glory’s behalf that their daughter Watch Me was fast enough to run out a decisive winner of a strong edition of the Coronation Stakes. She defeated dual Guineas heroine Hermosa, with the well fancied Jubiloso chasing them home.

For more detail on Olympic Glory, see Caulfield Files in this issue.

92 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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CAULFIELD ON BLUE POINT: “His sire Shamardal’s career was ended by injury but his retirement appeared to be because his connections believed he had done enough. They may have a point” 122 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jun 22. 4yo+. 6f.

1. BLUE POINT (IRE) 5 9-3 £340,260 b h by Shamardal - Scarlett Rose (Royal Applause) O-Godolphin B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock TR-Charlie Appleby 2. Dream of Dreams (IRE) 5 9-3 £129,000 ch h by Dream Ahead - Vasilia (Dansili) O-Mr Saeed Suhail B-Prostock Ltd TR-Sir Michael Stoute 3. Kachy (GB) 6 9-3 £64,560 b h by Kyllachy - Dubai Bounty (Dubai Destination) O-David Lowe B-Denniff Farms Ltd TR-Tom Dascombe Margins Head, 2.5. Time 1:11.40. Going Good to Firm.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 20 11 7 £2,629,693 Sire: SHAMARDAL. Sire of 136 Stakes winners. In 2019 - BLUE POINT Royal Applause G1, CASTLE LADY Elusive Quality G1, MORGAN LE FAYE Lomitas G2, HAZAPOUR Daylami G3, SHAMAN Green Desert G3, SKARDU Iffraaj G3, TARNAWA Cape Cross G3, WALDPFAD Mark of Esteem G3, HARIPOUR Xaar LR, ICKWORTH Interprete LR, PINATUBO Dalakhani LR, QUEEN POWER Unbridled’s Song LR, SHAFRAN MNM Oasis Dream LR. 1st Dam: Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause. Dam of 3 winners:

2007:

2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2013: 2014:

2017: 2018:

ESYTOPOLISHADIMOND (g Starcraft) 3 wins at 5 and 6.

FORMOSINA (c Footstepsinthesand) 2 wins at 2, ladbrokes.com Railway S G2.

Leitrim Prince (g Strategic Prince) unraced.

Flywheel (f Teofilo). Broodmare. (f Virtual) Sunstatic (c Heliostatic) ran on the flat in France.

BLUE POINT (c Shamardal) Sold 200,000gns yearling at TAOC1. 11 wins at 2 to 5, 2019 at home, UAE, Diamond Jubilee S G1, King’s Stand S G1 (twice), Azizi Al Quoz Sprint G1, Irish TB Marketing Gimcrack S G2, Gulf News Meydan Sprint G2, John Guest Bengough S G3, Merriebelle Pavilion S G3, A. Adventures Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint G3, 2nd Juddmonte Middle Park S G1, Qatar Richmond S G2, District One Meydan Sprint G2, 3rd Dubai Dewhurst S G1, Coolmore Nunthorpe S G1, Commonwealth Cup G1.

Desert Destination (c Night of Thunder) unraced to date. (f Invincible Spirit)

2nd Dam: Billie Blue by Ballad Rock. Dam of TUMBLEWEED RIDGE (c Indian Ridge: Vodafone Horris Hill S G3, Ballycorus S G3 (3 times), Prix de la Porte Maillot G3, 2nd Scottish Equitable Gimcrack S G2).

Grandam of GILDED. Third dam of FORT DEL ORO. Broodmare Sire: ROYAL APPLAUSE. Sire of the dams of 19 Stakes winners.

BLUE POINT b h 2014 Storm Cat

Storm Bird Terlingua

Mariah’s Storm

Rahy Immense

Machiavellian

Mr Prospector Coup de Folie

Helen Street

Troy Waterway

Waajib

Try My Best Coryana

Flying Melody

Auction Ring Whispering Star

Ballad Rock

Bold Lad True Rocket

Blue Nose

Windjammer Hill Slipper

Giant’s Causeway SHAMARDAL b 02 Helsinki

Royal Applause SCARLETT ROSE b 01 Billie Blue

There were several notable parallels between the careers of Shamardal and his son Blue Point, even though they excelled over markedly different distances. Both careers featured a sequence of three Gr1 successes which demanded a degree of toughness: Shamardal took the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey-Club and St James’s Palace Stakes in the space of 31 days, while

Aug_180_DataBook.indd 93

Blue Point won the Al Quoz Sprint, the King’s Stand Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee, with the last two wins coming in the space of five days.

Unfortunately, another similarity between the two is that neither was to race again. Shamardal’s career was ended by injury but Blue Point’s retirement appeared to be because his connections believed he had done enough. They may have a point, as he raced 20 times over four seasons and twice defeated Battaash in landing consecutive wins in the King’s Stand.

Although precocious enough to win three of his first four starts as a juvenile, including the Gr2 Gimcrack Stakes, Blue Point was at his most successful as a five-year-old, winning all five of his starts. As Shamardal’s fastest son, Blue Point has obvious appeal as a stallion, especially following the stallion exploits of another of Shamardal’s sons, Lope de Vega.

Blue Point’s broodmare sire Royal Applause can certainly claim responsibility for Blue Point’s speed.

Like Blue Point, Royal Applause won the Gimcrack at two before becoming a Gr1 winner at four, when he also won at Royal Ascot, in the Cork and Orrery Stakes (now the Diamond Jubilee).

Blue Point’s dam Scarlett Rose has proved much more talented as a producer than as a racehorse. She failed to win in 13 starts but Blue Point is her second Group winner, following the Gr2 Railway Stakes winner Formosina. Blue Point and Formosina jointly cost 305,000gns as yearlings, which is good going when Scarlett Rose once failed to find a buyer at 11,000gns.

Blue Point and Formosina were both sired by sons of Giant’s Causeway, Formosina being a son of the 2,000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand.

Scarlett Rose is a half-sister to the smart and durable seven-furlong specialist Tumbleweed Ridge and to the dam of the Gr2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Gilded, who in turn produced the very useful Irish sprinter Fort Del Oro to Lope de Vega.

123 JUDDMONTE PRETTY POLLY STAKES G1 CURRAGH. Jun 28. 3yo+f. 10f.

1. IRIDESSA (IRE) 3 8-12 £159,459 b f by Ruler of The World - Senta’s Dream (Danehill) O-Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez B-Whisperview Trading Ltd TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien 2. Magic Wand (IRE) 4 9-10 £51,351 b f by Galileo - Prudenzia (Dansili) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Ecurie Des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Pink Dogwood (IRE) 3 8-12 £24,324 br f by Camelot - Question Times (Shamardal) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Sweetmans Bloodstock TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 2.25, 1.25. Time 2:06.46. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 8 3 3 £479,993 Sire: RULER OF THE WORLD. Sire of 1 Stakes winner.

1st Dam: Senta’s Dream by Danehill. unraced. Dam of 3 winners:

2009:

CATERINA (f Medicean) Winner at 3.

Broodmare.

2010: 2011: 2012: 2014: 2016:

2017: 2018:

Bannockburn Boy (g Motivator) ran 3 times.

DREAM AND HOPE (f Royal Applause) Winner at 3.

Mr Bissto (g High Chaparral) Tisa River (f Equiano) IRIDESSA (f Ruler of The World). 3 wins at 2 and 3, bet365 Fillies’ Mile S G1, Juddmonte Pretty Polly S G1, 3rd Ballylinch 1000 Guineas Trial S G3, Ballylinch Irish EBF Ingabelle S LR. Order of Australia (c Australia) unraced to date. (f Camelot)

2nd Dam: STARINE by Mendocino. 10 wins at 2, 4 and 5 in France, USA Matriarch S G1, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf G1, 2nd Gamely Breeders’ Cup H G1, 3rd Flower Bowl Invitational S G1.

Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL. Sire of the dams of 392 Stakes winners. In 2019 - IRIDESSA Ruler of The World G1, JAPAN Galileo G2, POETIC CHARM Dubawi G2, QUEEN OF DIAMONDS Savabeel G2, CONSTANTINOPLE Galileo G3, GREY LION Galileo G3, PRINCE JABEEL Savabeel G3, SLEEPING BEAUTY Rip Van Winkle G3, VALAC Dark Angel G3.

and her price dropped to 14,000gns the next time she appeared in the sales ring, in 2013.

Iridessa’s second dam Starine underwent a remarkable transformation. A French-bred daughter of the Listed winner Mendocino, Starine progressed from a pair of claiming race victories to win at Listed level in France. Transferred to North America, she then progressed to such an extent that she became a Gr1 winner at four and five years, notably defeating those top mares Banks Hill and Islington in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, before being sold for $1,000,000.

124 DUBAI IRISH DERBY G1

IRIDESSA b f 2016 Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Kingmambo

Mr Prospector Miesque

Lassie’s Lady

Alydar Lassie Dear

Danzig

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom

Razyana

His Majesty Spring Adieu

Mendocino

Theatrical Brorita

Grisonnante

Kaldoun Lady Cherie

Galileo RULER OF THE WORLD ch 10 Love Me True

Danehill SENTA’S DREAM b 04 Starine

During a weekend that once again advertised the superiority of the Galileo male line, Galileo’s son Ruler Of The World played his part, even though his daughter Iridessa was the outsider of five runners in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Although she had defeated Hermosa to land the Fillies’ Mile on her final appearance at two, Iridessa had failed to reach the first three behind her old rival in the British and Irish 1,000 Guineas. The theory that she now needs further than a mile proved correct in the Pretty Polly, in which she comfortably accounted for Magic Wand and Pink Dogwood.

Iridessa remains the only black-type winner so far by Ruler Of The World.

The 2013 Derby winner has only 44 foals in his first crop, after an injury led to his missing the last six weeks or so of the 2015 covering season. He will be short of ammunition for the next few years, as his second crop is only a little larger and his third and fourth are smaller. He probably wasn’t helped initially by the fact that his champion half-brother Duke Of Marmalade was struggling to establish himself as a stallion.

Fortunately, Duke Of Marmalade redeemed himself after he had been sold to South Africa, leaving behind the Classic winners Simple Verse, Star Of Seville and Nutan, as well as those fine stayers Big Orange and Marmelo.

It is significant that Iridessa is out of a daughter of the champion broodmare sire Danehill, who has enjoyed an outstanding partnership with Ruler Of The World’s sire Galileo.

It was also Danehill who sired Ruler Of The World’s excellent half-brother Duke Of Marmalade. Iridessa’s dam Senta’s Dream sold for €300,000 as a yearling in 2005 but never raced

CURRAGH. Jun 29. 3yoc&f. 12f.

1. SOVEREIGN (IRE) 9-0 £770,270 ch c by Galileo - Devoted To You (Danehill Dancer) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Barronstown Stud TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Anthony Van Dyck (IRE) 9-0 £256,757 b c by Galileo - Believe’n’succeed (Exceed And Excel) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Norway (IRE) 9-0 £121,622 ch c by Galileo - Love Me True (Kingmambo) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Southern Bloodstock TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 6, 2.5. Time 2:31.50. Going Good.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 9 2 4 £800,155 Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 309 Stakes winners. In 2019 ANTHONY VAN DYCK Exceed And Excel G1, CIRCUS MAXIMUS Danehill Dancer G1, HERMOSA Pivotal G1, MAGICAL Pivotal G1, SOVEREIGN Danehill Dancer G1, WALDGEIST Monsun G1, JAPAN Danehill G2, PLATINUM WARRIOR Clodovil G2, CONSTANTINOPLE Danehill G3, GREY LION Danehill G3, KLASSIQUE Footstepsinthesand G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3.

1st Dam: Devoted To You by Danehill Dancer. Winner at 2, 2nd Debutante S G2. Dam of 4 winners:

2012: 2013: 2014: 2015: 2016:

2017: 2018:

Dilbar (f Galileo). Broodmare.

Triplicate (g Galileo) 4 wins, 2nd Baronracing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle G1.

YOU ONLY YOU (f Galileo) Winner at 3 in France.

CLIFFS OF DOONEEN (g Galileo) 2 wins at 3.

SOVEREIGN (c Galileo) 2 wins at 2 and 3, Dubai Irish Derby G1, 2nd P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax S G3, 3rd Derrinstown Derby Trial S G3, thetote.com Eyrefield S G3.

Dawn Rising (c Galileo) unraced to date. (f Galileo)

2nd Dam: Alleged Devotion by Alleged. unraced. Dam of HUMBLE EIGHT (f Seattle Battle: Honeybee H G3, 3rd Fantasy S G2), THADY QUILL (c Nureyev: Weatherbys Superlative S LR, Wickerr H LR, 2nd Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile S G2), ROYAL DEVOTION (f Sadler’s Wells: Ardilaun House Hotel Oyster S LR), APRIL STARLIGHT (f Storm Bird: Silver Flash S LR, 3rd Jean Kennedy Smith Railway S G3), Altius (c Danehill: 2nd El Gran Senor S LR, 3rd Juddmonte Beresford S G2), Devoted To You (f Danehill Dancer, see above), Humble Fifteen (f Feather Ridge: 2nd Lady Razorback Futurity). Grandam of SHONAN MIGHTY, GO FOR THE SUMMIT, STAGE CALL, HUMILIS, April Frost, Blue Oasis. Third dam of PHOLA, Late Spring, Majestic Mozart, Starchitect.

Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of the dams of 103 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CIRCUS MAXIMUS Galileo G1, SOVEREIGN Galileo G1, HAMARIYNA Sea The Moon G3, HAWKSMOOR Azamour G3, LEARN BY HEART Frankel G3.

The Galileo/Danehill Dancer cross has produced: ALICE SPRINGS G1, BYE BYE BABY G1, CIRCUS MAXIMUS G1, MINDING G1, RAIN GODDESS G1, SOVEREIGN G1, THE GURKHA G1, WEDDING VOW G1, BEACON ROCK G2, CALL TO MIND G2, GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI G2, QUEST FOR PEACE G2, Criteria G2, Delano Roosevelt G2, Lahinch Classics G2, Nayef Road G2, BE MY GAL G3, KISSED BY ANGELS G3, RECORDER G3, Delphinia G3, Hence G3, Into The Mystic G3, Kingston Jamaica G3, Noble

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER 93

19/07/2019 16:10

Data Book European Pattern Galileo G3, Queen Nefertiti G3, BOUND LR, INDIAN MAHARAJA LR, KIND OF MAGIC LR, Amedeo Modigliani LR, Crocodile Rock LR, Facade LR, Felix Mendelssohn LR, Seussical LR.

SOVEREIGN ch c 2016 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Mira Adonde

Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour

Alleged

Hoist The Flag Princess Pout

Sadler’s Wells GALILEO b 98 Urban Sea

Danehill Dancer DEVOTED TO YOU b 07 Alleged Devotion

Morning Devotion Affirmed Morning Has Broken

With Galileo having been represented by five previous winners of the Irish Derby, including Australia, who led home a 1-2-3 for the champion sire, it came as no surprise when Galileo was again responsible for the first three in the 2019 Irish Derby. The surprise element was that victory didn’t go to the Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck but to the 33-1 chance Sovereign, who had won only one of his eight previous starts. The strong suspicion was that the riders of the leading fancies had given Sovereign and the third-placed Norway too much rope, but time may prove that Sovereign is high class.

His pedigree is certainly worthy of a Classic winner. Like the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Circus Maximus, he was sired by Galileo from a daughter of Danehill Dancer and this type of pairing had previously produced two Classic winners. The outstanding Minding numbered the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks among her seven Gr1 successes, while The Gurkha landed the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. This cross’s other Gr1 winner was Alice Springs, who landed the Falmouth, Matron and Sun Chariot Stakes.

Galileo’s partnership with Danehill Dancer mares is now rivalling – or even bettering – the success he had previously enjoyed with Danehill’s daughters. Some 49 of the 303 foals of racing age out of Danehill mares have become black-type winners, compared to 19 of Galileo’s 107

foals out of Danehill Dancer mares.

The 19 black-type winners represent 18%, compared to Danehill’s 16%.

The Danehill Dancer mares’ 14 Group winners equate to 13%, compared to the 11% Galileo has achieved with Danehill mares.

Most of the Danehill Dancer mares that have done well with Galileo were well above average on the racecourse and Sovereign’s dam Devoted To You is no exception. She was second to Lillie Langtry in the Gr2 Debutante Stakes at two and was beaten only a head in the Gr3 Park Express Stakes at three.

Coincidentally, Sovereign’s unraced second dam, Alleged Devotion, was a half-sister to Balanchine, the Oaks winner who defeated the colts in the 1994 Irish Derby. This excellent Morning Devotion family also produced the very smart Romanov, whose sister Red Slippers is the dam of the Prix de Diane winner West Wind. West Wind’s half-sister Eastern Joy is the dam of the high-class Thunder Snow.

125 GRAND PRIX DE SAINT-CLOUD G1 SAINT-CLOUD. Jun 30. 4yo+. 2400m.

1. CORONET (GB) 5 9-0 £205,910 gr m by Dubawi - Approach (Darshaan) O-Denford Stud B-Denford Stud Ltd TR-John Gosden 2. Ziyad (GB) 4 9-3 £82,378 b/br g by Rock of Gibraltar - Arme Ancienne (Sillery) O-Wertheimer & Frere B-Wertheimer et Frere TR-C Laffon-Parias 3. Lah Ti Dar (GB) 4 9-0 £41,189 b f by Dubawi - Dar Re Mi (Singspiel) O-Lord Lloyd Webber B-Watership Down Stud TR-John Gosden Margins Short Neck, Short Head. Time 2:28.66.

Going Good to Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 16 5 9 £1,070,432 Sire: DUBAWI. Sire of 172 Stakes winners. In 2019 CORONET Darshaan G1, OLD PERSIAN Singspiel G1, AL HILALEE Authorized G2, ALMANAAR Bahhare G2, BALL OF MUSCLE Gold Brose G2, D’BAI Green Desert G2, GHAIYYATH Galileo G2, LAH TI DAR Singspiel G2, NORTH AMERICA Yankee Victor G2, PLUMATIC Anabaa G2, POETIC CHARM Danehill G2, THE REVENANT Excellent Art G2.

1st Dam: APPROACH by Darshaan. 3 wins at 2 to 4 at home, USA, Lord Weinstock Mem.Ballymacoll S LR, 2nd Winstar Galaxy S G2. Own sister to Intrigued. Dam of 6 winners:

2006:

By Request (f Giant’s Causeway) ran 3 times. Broodmare.

2007:

2008: 2009:

2010: 2011: 2012: 2014:

2015: 2016: 2017: 2018:

MIDAS TOUCH (c Galileo). 2 wins at 2 and 3, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S G2, 2nd Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby G1, Ladbrokes St Leger S G1, 3rd Hyland Colours Underwood S G1. Sire.

ARABESCATTA (f Monsun) 4 wins at 3 in France. Broodmare.

Bristol Fashion (f Dansili) unraced. Dam of Cribbs Causeway (f Rip Van Winkle: 5 wins at 3, 3rd 188Bet September S G3, Al Basti Equiworld Bronte Cup S G3) Golden Touch (c Galileo) ran on the flat in France.

Streetcar To Stars (c Sea The Stars) Winner at 3, 2nd King George V Cup Nijinsky S LR, 3rd Ballyroan S G3.

MURGAN (g Galileo) Winner at 3.

CORONET (f Dubawi) 5 wins at 2 to 5, 2019 at home, France, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud G1, Ribblesdale S G2, Betfred Middleton S G2, Godolphin Zetland S LR, 2nd Qipco Brit.Champions Fillies/Mare S G1, Darley Yorkshire Oaks G1 (twice), Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud G1, 3rd King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S G1, Qipco Brit.Champions Fillies/Mare S G1, The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary G1.

PHOTOGRAPHER (g New Approach) Winner at 2.

Fly The Flag (f Australia) unraced to date.

Arbiter (c Kingman) unraced to date. (f Frankel)

2nd Dam: LAST SECOND by Alzao. 4 wins at 2 and 3 Vodafone Nassau S G2, Sun Chariot S G2, 2nd Coronation S G1. Dam of AUSSIE RULES (c Danehill: Gainsborough Poule d’Essai des Poulains G1, Shadwell Turf Mile S G1), APPROACH (f Darshaan, see above), Gooseberry Fool (f Danehill Dancer: 3rd Silver Flash S G3), Intrigued (f Darshaan: 3rd EBF Chalice S LR, EBF Joan Westbrook Pinnacle S LR). Grandam of PRIVATE SECRETARY, MICHELANGELO, Red Eldest, Amedeo Modigliani.

Broodmare Sire: DARSHAAN. Sire of the dams of 250 Stakes winners. In 2019 - CORONET Dubawi G1, BANGKOK Australia G3, MASTER OF REALITY Frankel G3, MATTERHORN Raven’s Pass LR, MC QUEEN Silver Frost LR, PRIVATE SECRETARY Kingman LR. The Dubawi/Darshaan cross has produced: AL KAZEEM G1, CORONET G1, SOBETSU G1.

CORONET gr m 2014 Dubai Millennium DUBAWI b 02

Seeking The Gold Mr Prospector Con Game Colorado Dancer Shareef Dancer Fall Aspen Deploy

Shirley Heights Slightly Dangerous

Jawaher

Dancing Brave High Tern

Zomaradah

Darshaan APPROACH gr 00

Shirley Heights Mill Reef Hardiemma Delsy

Abdos Kelty

Alzao

Lyphard Lady Rebecca

Alruccaba

Crystal Palace Allara

Last Second

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This sums up the career of

Dubawi’s daughter Coronet. Having finished second in the Yorkshire Oaks (twice), the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the two-time Gr2 winner finally scored at the highest level when she came out best in a tight three-horse finish for the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

She deserved her success, as she had been beaten only a nose by Waldgeist in the same race 12 months earlier.

Dubawi now has the magnificent worldwide total of 40 Gr1 winners, of which 15 are fillies.

Coronet is one of 11 foals by Dubawi out of mares by Darshaan and the 11 also include the top-class Al Kazeem and the Gr1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Sobetsu.

This cross has clearly been highly effective but the credit for Coronet’s talent must be shared with her outstanding female line. Her dam Approach, a Group-placed Listed winner, produced another high-class performer when mated to Galileo, namely the Irish Derby and Doncaster St Leger second Midas Touch.

Approach, who has a two-year-old colt by Kingman and a yearling filly by Frankel, is a half-sister to Aussie Rules, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Gr1 Shadwell Turf Mile.

Approach’s sister Intrigued has also done well as a broodmare, notably producing the St Leger third Michelangelo and the 2019 Listed winner Private Secretary.

Coronet’s second dam Last Second landed the Nassau Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes, two Gr2 contests subsequently elevated to Gr1, and this good mare was closely related to the Gr1-winning fillies Alborada and Albanova.

Whereas Last Second was by Alzao out of Alruccaba, Alborada and Albanova are by Alzao out of Alruccaba’s daughter Alouette.

Another of Alruccaba’s daughters, the Darshaan mare Jude, is the dam of the Group 1-winning sisters Yesterday (Irish 1,000 Guineas) and Quarter Moon (second in three Classics).

Sovereign and Padraig Beggy cause a huge upset in the Irish Derby

94 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Group 2 & 3 Results Age

Sex

Sire

Dam

Broodmare Sire

07/06

Date

Grade Race (course) G3

TRM Ballyogan Stakes (Curragh)

Dist 6f

Soffia (GB)

4

F

Kyllachy

Rime A Rien

Amadeus Wolf

08/06

G3

Betway John of Gaunt Stakes (Haydock Park)

7f

Safe Voyage (IRE)

6

G

Fast Company

Shishangaan

Mujadil

127

08/06

G3

Betway Pinnacle Stakes (Haydock Park)

12f

Klassique (GB)

4

F

Galileo

Chachamaidee

Footstepsinthesand

128

09/06

G2

Diana Trial (Berlin-Hoppegarten)

10f

Akribie (GER)

3

F

Reliable Man

Aussicht

Haafhd

129

09/06

G3

Premio Carlo Vittadini (Milan)

Anda Muchacho (IRE)

5

H

Helmet

Montefino

Shamardal

130

8f

Horse

Index 126

10/06

G2

Sparkasse KolnBonn Union-Rennen (Cologne)

11f

Laccario (GER)

3

C

Scalo

Laccata

Lomitas

131

10/06

G3

La Coupe (Parislongchamp)

10f

Danceteria (FR)

4

G

Redoute’s Choice

Bal de La Rose

Cadeaux Genereux

132

13/06

G3

Plusviatal Ballycorus Stakes (Leopardstown)

7f

Flight Risk (IRE)

8

G

Teofilo

Raghida

Nordico

133

14/06

G3

Munster Oaks Stakes (Cork)

12f

Who’s Steph (IRE)

4

F

Zoffany

Llew Law

Verglas

134

16/06

G2

Prix Hocquart Longines (Chantilly)

12f

Al Hilalee (GB)

3

C

Dubawi

Ambivalent

Authorized

135

16/06

G3

Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Chantilly)

8f

Vintager (GB)

4

G

Mastercraftsman

White And Red

Orpen

136

16/06

G3

Prix Paul de Moussac Longines (Chantilly)

8f

Azano (GB)

3

C

Oasis Dream

Azanara

Hurricane Run

137

16/06

G3

G. P. der Landeshauptstadt Dresden (Dresden)

7f

Brian Ryan (GB)

4

G

Finjaan

Touching

Kheleyf

138

18/06

G2

Coventry Stakes (Ascot)

6f

Arizona (IRE)

2

C

No Nay Never

Lady Ederle

English Channel

139

19/06

G2

Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Ascot)

8f

Move Swiftly (GB)

4

F

Farhh

Hurricane Harriet

Bertolini

140

19/06

G2

Queen Mary Stakes (Ascot)

5f

Raffle Prize (IRE)

2

F

Slade Power

Summer Fete

Pivotal

141

19/06

G2

Queen’s Vase (Ascot)

14f

Dashing Willoughby (GB)

3

C

Nathaniel

Miss Dashwood

Dylan Thomas

142

20/06

G2

Norfolk Stakes (Ascot)

5f

A’Ali (IRE)

2

C

Society Rock

Motion Lass

Motivator

143

20/06

G2

Ribblesdale Stakes (Ascot)

12f

Star Catcher (GB)

3

F

Sea The Stars

Lynnwood Chase

Horse Chestnut

144

20/06

G3

Hampton Court Stakes (Ascot)

10f

Sangarius (GB)

3

C

Kingman

Trojan Queen

Empire Maker

145

21/06

G2

King Edward VII Stakes (Ascot)

12f

Japan (GB)

3

C

Galileo

Shastye

Danehill

146

21/06

G3

Albany Stakes (Ascot)

Daahyeh (GB)

2

F

Bated Breath

Affluent

Oasis Dream

147

22/06

G2

Hardwicke Stakes (Ascot)

Defoe (IRE)

5

G

Dalakhani

Dulkashe

Pivotal

148

6f

22/06

G3

Jersey Stakes (Ascot)

23/06

G2

Gran Premio di Milano (Milan)

23/06

G2

23/06

G3

23/06

G3

Premio Primi Passi (Milan)

28/06

G2

Airlie Stud Stakes (Curragh)

28/06

G2

Comer International Curragh Cup (Curragh)

28/06

G3

Betfair Hoppings Stakes (Newcastle)

29/06

G2

GAIN Railway Stakes (Curragh)

29/06

G3

Arqana Prix Chloe (Chantilly)

12f

Space Traveller (GB)

3

C

Bated Breath

Sky Crystal

Galileo

149

12f

7f

Assiro (GB)

4

C

Declaration of War

T’As d’Beaux Yeux

Red Ransom

150

Oaks d’Italia (Milan)

11f

Lamaire (IRE)

3

F

Casamento

Lilanga

Kalanisi

151

Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft (Dortmund)

8.5f

Potemkin (GER)

8

H

New Approach

Praia

Big Shuffle

152

6f

Malotru (GB)

2

C

Casamento

Magika

Dubawi

153

6f

Albigna (IRE)

2

F

Zoffany

Freedonia

Selkirk

154

14f

Twilight Payment (IRE)

6

G

Teofilo

Dream On Buddy

Oasis Dream

155

10f

Sun Maiden (GB)

4

F

Frankel

Midsummer

Kingmambo

156

6f

Siskin (USA)

2

C

First Defence

Bird Flown

Oasis Dream

157

9f

Suphala (FR)

3

F

Frankel

Sefroua

Kingmambo

158

29/06

G3

Connolly’s Prix du Bois (Chantilly)

29/06

G3

Dubai International Stakes (Curragh)

10f

5f

Maven (USA)

2

C

American Pharoah

Richies Party Girl

Any Given Saturday

159

Buckhurst (IRE)

3

C

Australia

Artful

Green Desert

160

29/06

G3

Betfair Chipchase Stakes (Newcastle)

29/06

G3

Randox Criterion Stakes (Newmarket)

6f

Invincible Army (IRE)

4

C

Invincible Spirit

Rajeem

Diktat

161

7f

Limato (IRE)

7

G

Tagula

Come April

Singspiel

30/06

G2

pferdewetten.de Grosser Hansa Preis (Hamburg)

162

12f

French King (GB)

4

C

French Fifteen

Marina Piccola

Halling

30/06

G2

Prix de Malleret (Saint-Cloud)

163

12f

Mehdaayih (GB)

3

F

Frankel

Sayyedati Symphony

Gone West

164

30/06

G2

Prix.Eugene Adam (Saint-Cloud)

30/06

G3

Premio Del Giubileo (Milan)

10f

Headman (GB)

3

C

Kingman

Deliberate

King’s Best

165

Lapulced’acqua (IRE)

4

F

Epaulette

Rosa Del Ponte

Authorized

166

1800m

EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY

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Chartered Surveyor

RICS Valuations, Leases, Sales 124 High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8JP

Tel: 01638 667 118 Mob: 07802 501 548 Email: john@keylocks.com Web: www.keylocks.com

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The Finish Line with Kerrin McEvoy Three-time Melbourne Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy has been a rare visitor since he summered in Europe regularly for Godolphin between 2004 and 2008. Tempted back to partner Australian sprinter Houtzen at Royal Ascot, he stayed on for another month in order to help out his friend Charlie Appleby during William Buick’s enforced absence through injury. He thoroughly enjoyed it, too, but don’t expect him back on a regular basis. Life’s too good back home.

Interview: Graham Dench

I

tracks and facilities are quite high too, but it was disappointing to see prizemoney at such low levels. There are obviously some good pots along the way, but the day-to-day prize-money is very poor compared to at home, where we work by a completely different model.

It would be a big help in attracting new owners and keeping them in the game if the model could be changed; unfortunately, I’m not sure there’s any light on the horizon. The rivalry at home between New South Wales and Victoria might be good news in some ways, as the prize-money has gone up even further, but it’s not a friendly rivalry, and they should be working together.

It does mean though that in Sydney on a Saturday they might be running for A$125,000 a race, and on a Wednesday horses rated 60, 70 or 80 can be running for A$50,000.

t was good to come back to England and I really enjoyed my stay. It had been a while, but there hadn’t really been an opportunity to ride an Australian horse until this year. There were a lot of new faces in the weighing room, but there were also some I became friends with before and it was great catching up with them and riding against them again. l loved being part of the Royal meeting, and it was great to ride winners for Sheikh Mohammed again. I also had some nice rides for Sir Michael Stoute and a winner for the Queen. I rode two or three winners for the Queen before, but my children weren’t born then. They were excited when I told them that I was riding for her, and even more so when I rang them to say I’d won. They are aged ten, nine, six and two, so the older ones are at an age where they can take a keen interest.

When I was over the first time around, I was lucky to sit on some top horses and I’ve got some great memories.

The St Leger on Rule Of Law was my one and only Classic winner, but I was also second on him in the Derby, and second on Sundrop in the 1,000 Guineas the same year. I also won a Jacques Le Marois on Dubawi and a St James’s Palace on Shamardal, and it’s great to see them doing so well at stud.

I didn’t miss much at home while I was in England because it’s our winter, when I usually take a break, but the good racing will be starting again soon.

Two horses I’m particularly looking forward to are Redzel and Classique Legend, who are both heading for the Everest. I’ve been lucky enough to have been on board for Redzel’s two wins in the race, but Classique Legend is a young horse on the rise. If they both make it to the race in October I’ll have a tricky call to make. Charlie might well have something for the Melbourne Cup, maybe Cross Counter again.

BRONWEN HEALY

The quality of the racing in the UK is as high as ever and the standard of the

Kerrin McEvoy with Charlie Appleby and Cross Counter after Melbourne Cup glory

96

My dad was a jockey, my uncle Tony is a trainer and my mum’s father was a jockey then a trainer, so there were always horses in my life. Winning the Melbourne Cup in 2000 on Brew when I was only 20 was my first big break.

That got the ball rolling and not long after I started riding for Godolphin.

I went freelance in Australia back in 2013 or 2014 but I still ride regularly for Godolphin when Charlie comes to town

and also locally for James Cummings. It’s still great to pull on the blue colours.

It was a dream come true winning my first Melbourne Cup and the race has continued to grow, but it’s harder than ever to win, so it was very special to win it for a third time on Cross Counter.

Sheikh Mohammed had been trying for more than 20 years and I knew he would win it one day, and I just kept hoping to get on the right one. It was great to get it done for him, and I was delighted for Charlie, who was one of the head lads when I first came to England. It’s been fantastic to see his star rise; he hasn’t changed one bit.

I’m 38 now and I plan to stay riding so long as I stay fit and healthy and the passion and opportunities are still there.

I love the big races, so I focus on the city racing and don’t go chasing winners in the bush – I race a maximum of three or four times a week. I wouldn’t train when I finish riding, but I’d love to stay in the game so I would hopefully look for another avenue. I enjoy working with trainers in terms of getting horses fit and healthy, but I don’t think dealing with 60, 80 or 100 horses would suit me, as I like to do things outside of racing.

I was brought up in a little town called Streaky Bay, on the edge of a rugged coastline about seven hours west of Adelaide, where my mum and dad still live. They have a dirt racetrack of about seven and a half furlongs round, and that’s where I learned to gallop. The big race on their one meeting a year is the Streaky Bay Cup, and every other member of my family who has ridden has won it. Unfortunately, it’s normally the same day as the Golden Slipper, and whereas the Cup is worth A$15,000 total, the Golden Slipper is A$3.5 million. I’ve already won a Golden Slipper, though, and I’ve never won a Streaky Bay Cup, so that’s a box I have to tick one day.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER

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Your next chances to find a Derby winner

Weltstar winner of the German Derby 2018 - a BBAG graduate

Windstoss - winner of the German Derby 2017 - a BBAG graduate

Isfahan - winner of the German Derby 2016 - a BBAG graduate

Premier Yearling Sales 30th August 2019

October Mixed Sales 18th and 19th October 2019 www.bbag-sales.de

Entries close: Friday, 26th July 2019

DAR17337 Owner Breeder full page BLUE POINT16JUL19.qxp 15/07/2019 15:49 Page 1

ROYAL BLUE NEW TO KILDANGAN FOR 2020

BLUE POINT

The best by Shamardal and only the third horse in a century to win both top sprints at Royal Ascot in the same week.

Set a new track record for six furlongs at Ascot at three.

In fact, having won the King’s Stand in both 2018 and 2019, he’s the only horse ever to win three G1 sprints at Royal Ascot.

Darley