Thoroughbred Owner Breeder by The Owner Breeder

Â£4.95 FEBRUARY 2019 ISSUE 174

Chasing legend Altior targets 18th straight success at Cheltenham

PLUS

Grech & Parkin

Owners driven to excel

Amy Murphy

Young trainer aims high

Batsford Stud New sires boost

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Galileo sire sons going strong Given his own potency, sire sons of the great Galileo always seemed likely to make their mark at stud. But even so, it is hard not to be impressed by the rate at which his progeny continue to supply Group 1-winning sons and daughters of their own...the influence Galileo has on the breed could be about to reach monumental levels. James Thomas, Racing Post

AUSTRALIA World Champion 3YO - 3 Gr.1 colts in his first crop 2YOs CHURCHILL European Champion 2YO & dual Guineas winner GLENEAGLES A Champion 2YO & Champion 3YO Miler GUSTAV KLIMT (New) Top-Class 2YO from the family of Invincible Spirit & Kodiac HIGHLAND REEL Record-breaking 7-time Gr.1 winner RULER OF THE WORLD Epsom Derby winner & proven Gr.1 sire in his first crop! THE GURKHA French Guineas & Sussex Stakes winner

• AUSTRALIA • CAMELOT • CARAVAGGIO • CHURCHILL • EXCELEBRATION • FASTNET ROCK • FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND • GALILEO • GLENEAGLES • GUSTAV KLIMT • • HIGHLAND REEL • HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR • IVAWOOD • KINGSTON HILL • MASTERCRAFTSMAN • NO NAY NEVER • REQUINTO • ROCK OF GIBRALTAR • RULER OF THE WORLD • • SAXON WARRIOR • SIOUX NATION • STARSPANGLEDBANNER • THE GURKHA • U S NAVY FLAG • WAR COMMAND • ZOFFANY •

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His Gr.1 winning sons Australia, Frankel, Intello, Nathaniel, New Approach, Ruler Of The World and Teofilo all sired Gr.1 or Gr.2 winners in 2018

Contact: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Tel: 353-52-6131298. Fax: 353-52-6131382. Christy Grassick, David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars, Jason Walsh, Tom Miller or Neil Magee. Tom Gaffney, David Magnier, Joe Hernon, John Kennedy or Cathal Murphy: 353-25-31966/31689. Kevin Buckley (UK Rep.) 44-7827-795156. E-mail: sales@coolmore.ie Website: www.coolmore.com All stallions nominated to EBF.

CANNOCK CHASE Lemon Drop Kid (USA) / Lynnwood Chase hase e (USA) (USA)

• Winner of the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Gr. 1) • Tercentenary Stakes, Royal Ascot (Gr. 3) • Huxley Stakes (for the Tradesman’s Cup) (Gr. 3) "He’s a very progressive horse that we have always liked... he’s got a turn of foot and a bit of class." • Won over 10-12f Sir Michael Stoute, Racing Post

PEACE ENVOY Power (GB) ex Hoh My Darling (GB)

“He was a very smart juvenile.”

“He reminds me very much of Rock of Gibraltar.”

Ryan Moore

Aidan O’Brien

DYLAN MOUTH

• Winner of Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Anglesey Stakes (Gr.3) • Winner of Coolmore War Command Rochestown (C & G) Stakes (LR) • Placed 3rd in the Darley Prix Morny (Gr.1) (2yo Colts & Fillies) (Turf) to Lady Aurelia • 2nd in the GAIN Railway Stakes (Gr.2)

New for 2019

Dylan Thomas (IRE) / Cottonmouth (IRE)

• Winner of Premio Roma GBI Racing (Gr. 1) • Gran Premio Del Jockey Club (Gr. 1) • Gran Premio di Milano (Gr. 2) • Premio Federico Tesio (Gr. 2) • John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes (Gr. 3) • Won over 1m1/4f - 1m6f “Dylan Mouth has proved to be very tough horse throughout his career, he has always been sound and has had a great temperament throughout. He is versatile, handles any ground and has been an extremely professional horse to deal with.” Marco Botti

WORSALL GRANGE FARM

Low Worsall, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom Tel: 01642 789800 www.worsallgrange.com NOMINATIONS LUCY HORNER Email: Lucy@worsallgrange.com

Worsall Grange OB Feb 2019 f-p.indd 1 Grange|2018|Roster_X3_|OB|A4|210mm(w) x 297mm.indd 2

14/01/2019 09:15 15:11 14/09/2018

Welcome

Machine Altior set to extend winning run at the Festival

Editor: Edward Rosenthal Bloodstock Editor: Emma Berry Luxury Editor: Sarah Rodrigues Fashion Editor: Christopher Modoo Design/production: Thoroughbred Group Editorial: First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0209 Fax: 020 7152 0213 editor@ownerbreeder.co.uk www.ownerbreeder.co.uk Twitter: @OwnerBreeder Equine Advertising: Giles Anderson/ Oscar Yeadon UK: 01380 816777 IRE: 041 971 2000 USA: 1 888 218 4430 advertise@anderson-co.com Luxury/Fashion Advertising: Nick Edgley Tel: 07774703491 nedgley@nemediaworld.com

Subscriptions: Keely Brewer Tel: 020 7152 0212 Fax: 020 7152 0213 subscriptions@ownerbreeder.co.uk Thoroughbred Owner Breeder incorporating Pacemaker can be purchased by non-members at the following rates: 1 Year 2 Year UK £55 £90 Europe £75 £120 RoW £99 £154 Thoroughbred Owner Breeder incorporating Pacemaker is published by a Mutual Trading Company owned jointly by the Racehorse Owners Association and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association is a registered charity No. 1134293 Editorial views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the ROA or TBA Our monthly average readership is 20,000 Racehorse Owners Association Ltd First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0200 • Fax: 020 7152 0213 info@roa.co.uk • www.roa.co.uk Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stanstead House, The Avenue, Newmarket CB8 9AA Tel: 01638 661 321 • Fax: 01638 665621 info@thetba.co.uk • www.thetba.co.uk

£4.95 FEBRUARY 2019 ISSUE 174

Chasing legend Altior targets 18th straight success at Cheltenham

PLUS

Grech & Parkin

Owners driven to excel

Amy Murphy

Young trainer aims high

Batsford Stud New sires boost

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

Feb_174_CoverV1.indd 1

Cover: Altior and Nico de Boinville prepare for action in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 19, which they went on to win in decisive fashion Photo: George Selwyn

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Edward Rosenthal Editor

21/01/2019 15:07

aving been graced with the magnificent Sprinter Sacre in his Seven Barrows yard, it appears that Nicky Henderson now has a chaser every bit as good as his former stable star. Altior may not have acquired a rating as lofty as that of his predecessor but his winning run now stretches to 17 races, over hurdles and fences, with the potential to extend that remarkable record at the upcoming big spring festivals. Of course, nothing is certain in horseracing, especially when jumping around the amphitheatre that is Cheltenham during the Festival, yet there does not appear to be a two-miler in training that can lay a glove on owner Patricia Pugh’s pride and joy. Having scared away most of the opposition in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January, Altior galloped his two rivals into the ground, despite a tendency to jump to his left. It made little difference and the nine-year-old sauntered to an easy seven-length success. We’ve all heard the saying that “horses aren’t machines” – yet Altior appears as though he could be one, turning up time after time to deliver his trademark performance, one that always leaves his rivals trailing in his wake. Once that huge engine kicks into overdrive, there doesn’t seem anything that can stop Altior from crossing the finish line in first place. He is a remarkable racehorse and next season could get even more exciting, as connections may look to step the son of High Chaparral up in trip. Mike Grech and Stuart Parkin will be trying to unearth the next Altior as the big-spending duo increase their ownership interests over the coming months and years. It was fate – or, rather, a charity auction in a pub – that brought the two men together and into having horses with the aforementioned Henderson. The duo’s black and pink silks having quickly established a regular presence on Britain’s jumps tracks and will likely be seen at the approaching Cheltenham Festival as they dream of glory on the biggest stage of all. Despite the level of competition, they believe their significant investment in National Hunt horses will bear fruit. “You want to put yourself in a position where

you can compete, and I think Stuart and I have done that,” says Mike Grech (The Big Interview, pages 44-48). “I’d love to win the Champion Hurdle, love to win the Gold Cup, love to win the Grand National. You’ve got to have those dreams. The amount we’re spending, I do believe those dreams can become reality, you just need a little bit of luck. “Now you’ve invested that amount of money, you need to know what’s out there and what the competition are doing, and therefore you need to be one step ahead. “We’re very hands-on, probably if I’m being honest too hands-on, but that’s what we’re like in business – very much in the process and wanting to know what’s going on, so that’s your natural trait and it follows into horseracing.”

“There isn’t a two-mile chaser in training that can lay a glove on him” Breeding may be a small part of Grech and Parkin’s current plan but if they want to increase their involvement they should look no further than Batsford Stud in the Cotswolds, which has welcomed St Leger hero and Gold Cup third Harbour Law onto its expanding roster of sires. While the Batsford stallion line-up – also comprising Swiss Spirit, Haafhd, Cockney Rebel, Native Ruler and Passing Glance – may not command the headline-grabbing fees of their Newmarket contemporaries, they offer value at their level in the market, as Carl Evans find out when he meets the Varey family (pages 50-54). Following up on the value theme, in this issue John Boyce analyses the 2018 foal trade (pages 68-72) to find out which sires’ progeny are proving popular with buyers at every level of the market.

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Contents

February 2019

News & Views

International Scene

ROA Leader

View From Ireland

Members Committee and big decisions

7 9 11

Changes News in a nutshell

Tony Morris Tudor Minstrel's stunning triumph

24 26

Features The Big Picture At Kempton and Ascot

Neblin's 1987 Tote Gold Trophy triumph

Owners Mike Grech and Stuart Parkin

Travel, fashion and property

Tyler Gaffalione comes of age

18 22

The Big Interview

Racing Life Fill your boots far and wide

From The Archives

Howard Wright Racecourses have a business to run

The Maclennans flying in France

Around The Globe

News Anger after ARC cuts prize-money

Continental Tales

TBA Leader Working together on employment

Rashaan back on track

Batsford Stud 36

Swiss Spirit and Harbour Law recruited

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112

104

Features Talking To... Young trainer Amy Murphy

Mill Ridge Farm Back in big time with Oscar Performance

Foal Market Overview The sires to follow in a tricky sector

Sales Circuit Where the US and Australian dollars went

Dr Statz Showcasing shows the way

The Finish Line With top jockey Rachael Blackmore

Forum 56 60 68 74 104 112

Forum The Thoroughbred Club Getting to know Charlie Dee

ROA Forum BHA business plan explained

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83 84

TBA Forum 2018 Statistical Award winners

Vet Forum Focus on wind issues

100

Data Book Graded Races Winners and analysis

106

Stallion Statistics Getaway one to watch

111

Did you know? Our monthly average readership is

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The Racehorse Owners Association promotes and represents the interests of owners in Great Britain. Win or lose, you’ll love being a member – whatever your share. Over 8,000 members reap the benefits, making their ownership experience more cost-effective and enjoyable.

Benefits include: ● Free racecourse admission – schemes for sole, partnership, syndicate owners and those in racing clubs ● Automatic third-party liability insurance ● Access to 50+ exclusive events in 2019 ● Owner-sponsorship ● Owners’ car parking label ● Thoroughbred Owner Breeder magazine ● 20% discount on most BHA fees ● Member discounts ● Owners Jackpot races All for less than 70p a day.

Call the ROA office on 020 7152 0200 or visit roa.co.uk/join to join now

ROA Leader

Nicholas Cooper President

United voice essential in challenging environment T

he unfolding saga of Brexit, the prospect of mass betting shop closures and the increasing emphasis being put on welfare issues are just three subjects that will place an enormous strain on the leaders of British horseracing over the coming months and years. These challenges will certainly test the mettle of the British Horseracing Authority, but it is important to remember the BHA does not have sole responsibility for all those matters that might significantly impact on horsemen and racecourses. The overall future strategy of racing ultimately stems from the Members Committee, whose membership and terms of reference are based on a tripartite agreement between the BHA, the RCA and members of the Horsemen’s Group, of which the ROA is one. How well the committee carries out its intended function largely depends on whether the representatives of the individual bodies can adopt a holistic approach to the decisions they make. Here we should perhaps be reminded that the history of racing administration, in its various manifestations, is littered with instances of disunity and racing suffering as a result. At its worst, we have seen how arguments have spilled over into the public arena and conflicting messages sent to exasperated government officials. In recent years, however, we have learnt from those lessons and seen how much more can be achieved when racing acts together, especially when getting politicians and government on-side. It is important the Members Committee never loses sights of this and, if the committee is not working as well as it should, then it must find a structure that allows it to do the job for which it was intended. Certainly, there has to be argument and conjecture, but let’s make sure it takes place behind closed doors; only when a united view emerges must the debate enter the wider world of racing and beyond. The consequences of the widespread closure of betting shops will demand swift, decisive action, as will the fallout from Brexit, especially if there is a no-deal on March 29. In both instances we will need plenty of support from government. In this political environment, where things are changing daily, it is impossible to have any certainty about what challenges Brexit will eventually pose for racing. We do know, however, in the eventuality of a no-deal, the free movement of horses and their carers across EU countries would be greatly frustrated, with racing and bloodstock facing a very difficult future. The same might be said of British racing generally when the effect of the FOBTs decision begins to bite and racing is caught in the chill wind of mass betting shop closures, causing income

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and prize-money to fall. By way of illustration, ARC has already responded to this fear by announcing a £3 million cut to its prize-money contribution in 2019. It is reason enough to remind ourselves that, when the FOBTs decision was made by government, serious conversations took place about the possible extension of the levy to include bets placed in Britain on overseas racing and, even more radically, the changing of the basis of the levy to a hybrid system that includes turnover as well as gross profits.

“When racing acts together we can achieve more and get politicians and government on-side” Changing times and personnel combined with increasing pressure on parliamentary time and legislative programmes, will make it too easy for these ideas and proposals to be brushed under the carpet. However racing must strive to keep these doors open and show the government that it is willing to adapt in response to increasing animal welfare concerns. Welfare is a subject that will become more demanding as time goes on and it is clearly better that racing makes its own changes to stay in tune with public opinion rather than have changes imposed upon it. It is crucial to British racing’s future, therefore, that our Members Committee reflects the tripartite agreement in showing leadership qualities by balancing the arguments and forming policy that is for the long-term good of the sport rather than in the interests of their own constituents.

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The TBA, with you for the journey We are committed to delivering education and training opportunities for the benefit of our members and the wider bloodstock industry.

Your support means that we can continue our work to provide people with the knowledge and skills required for a future in the thoroughbred breeding industry. In 2017, we allocated over ÂŁ400,000 towards initiatives such as our headline Entry to Stud Employment programme, Annual Seminar, Stud Farming Course, and regional training events. Why wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you support us?

thetba.co.uk

TBA Leader

Julian Richmond-Watson Chairman

Attracting a more diverse workforce is industry goal E

ver since the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s formation a century ago, one of its main strategic objectives has been built around supporting breeders in their care of both horses and employees, particularly in advancing the development of those employed in the British breeding industry. This objective has never been more important than it is today, when the welfare of horses and people is firmly at the forefront of public perception. In response the association’s employment and education activity, including the courses, advice and guidance we provide, is seen as essential to our support of the breeding industry, and form a major part of our focus. Unlike racing stables, stud farms do not need employees who can ride out. Working on a stud involves much less travelling and fewer anti-social hours, and often provides accommodation in pleasant rural surroundings. These benefits allow the industry to appeal to a wider range of potential employees among those who love working with horses and can see the advantages of working on studs. This is the rationale behind the TBA’s Entry To Stud Employment course (E2SE) to help those people wishing to change career and enable them to learn about and be trained in stud work. The course, delivered in partnership with the National Stud, is open to anyone aged 18 years or over, and no horse-handling experience is required. The 2018 intake included a teacher, a business analyst, a policeman and a waste management worker, as well as those with a peripheral association with horses and racing or breeding. It is exciting that all these trainees have been found work placements, and we hope they will complete the course and become valued employees or participants in the breeding industry of the future. We plan to expand the course to 20 trainees this year, and although the programme does not start until October, several applications have already been made. E2SE is only part of the TBA’s training focus. With a view to raising awareness of the wide variety of jobs available in the breeding industry, The Thoroughbred Club Careers Course (see TBA Forum) was held last November and attracted more than 80 delegates. Judging from the feedback, delegates thoroughly appreciated this unique course, which provided the chance to speak directly with prospective employers. Each year we hold a seminar focusing on topical business, industry and management subjects. This year’s event, which takes place on Wednesday, July 17 has been timed to be held immediately after the TBA’s Annual General Meeting. Last but not least, the annual three-day Stud Farming Course in December

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gives breeders and stud staff the opportunity to refresh and expand their knowledge on stud management topics. We value suggestions from TBA members about course topics, particularly for our day courses and lectures. Working with the National Stud, this year’s funding from the Racing Foundation will enable us to deliver two regional courses in July, focussing on growth and development in the young horse, with topics including nutrition and grassland management. The racing industry is planning to spend a significant sum this year on recruitment and training, and it is vitally important that the support the TBA receives from the Levy Board and Racing Foundation, as well as from our own resources, is used wisely. These are important areas, but retention is also vital, and every employer must work with their staff to make sure there is a clear understanding of the work and hours involved and be flexible

“A career working with thoroughbred horses is exciting and challenging but also hugely satisfying” where possible in this modern age of employee expectations. Working with thoroughbred horses is exciting and challenging but also hugely satisfying. These horses are bred to race and win, and that generally rewards those who look after them. The bond between man and horse goes back thousands of years, and while the thoroughbred may be a relatively new breed, we look to raise an animal that is responsive to human kindness. Good temperament and will to win should be important in our breeding decisions, and they can also ensure that the sport is able to attract employees from outside the narrow equine sector and with less traditional backgrounds to enjoy a richly rewarding career in the sport.

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News

Stories from the racing world

Horsemen angered as ARC slashes prize-money by £3m

A scheme that pays money down to eighth place in the majority of races at grassroots level will no longer operate at ARC tracks

acehorse owners in Britain should reconsider supporting Arena Racing Company tracks according to Racehorse Owners Association Chief Executive Charlie Liverton, who was responding to news that the group is slashing its contribution to prize-money by £3 million this year. The decision by ARC, which runs 16 racecourses including Doncaster and Chepstow, means it will not receive extra cash from the Levy Board under the Appearance Money Scheme that would have supported races at the lower levels of the sport. Liverton said: “This is disappointing news and the impact to owners and horsemen will be significant, given that over 40% of races at Class 4 to 6 level are staged by ARC. This is an area of the race programme that is already underfunded, and ARC’s decision will clearly have an impact on the retention of owners in the sport, something that will affect the whole industry. “It is important therefore that our members take this decision by ARC into account when discussing racing plans with their trainers.” Under the sport’s Appearance Money Scheme, it is the responsibility of the racecourse to ‘unlock’ and pay appearance money in all Class 3, 4 and 5 jumps races (excluding bumpers, hunter chases and weight-for-age maiden or novice hurdle) along with all Class 4, 5 and 6 Flat races (bar weight-for-age

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novice, novice auction or median auction novice races, and weight-for-age maiden, maiden auction or median auction maiden races). The scheme ensures that no horse finishing in the first eight in the majority of Flat races at Classes 4-6 will win less than £300 and in most races at Classes 3-5 over jumps £350. The scheme saw payments to horsemen in excess of £5.5m during 2018. ARC’s move, which will affect 3,406 races in 2019, follows the government’s decision to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) to £2 from £100, which is set to see a significant number of betting shops close and therefore impact on the amount of money ARC receives in media rights payments. Its action was labelled as “disgusting” in a press release issued by the National Trainers’ Federation. It added: “Where possible, owners and trainers have a chance to vote with their race entries. “Racecourses should not need to have it pointed out to them how vital it is for the health of the industry to underpin the flow of revenues to horsemen in the form of prize-money. “Most licence holders receive meagre reward as it is for producing horses every day so racecourses have a product to sell to the betting industry.” A statement from the Horsemen’s Group, which represents owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys and stable staff, said:

“Focusing cuts on payments required to ‘unlock’ Levy Board contribution to the Appearance Money Scheme and Race Incentive Fund will impact most on grassroots racing and those horsemen on whom racecourses depend to deliver it.” A statement from ARC Chief Executive Martin Cruddace made it clear the racecourse owner believed the reduction had been unfairly criticised given the organisation’s improving record on prize-money over the last few years. “Our contribution to prize-money in 2019 will still be comfortably in excess of £15 million, up close to 40% on 2015,” said Cruddace. “Put simply, if we hadn’t led the Authorised Betting Partners scheme and the government had not extended the levy online, there would, in effect, be no reduction of prize-money contribution in 2019.” Cruddace said Arc would work with colleagues in the industry to submit to the Levy Board that racecourses should not have to pay a levy to access the ‘locked’ money that had already been budgeted to support grassroots racing. Jockey Club Racecourses, meanwhile, revealed it is to maintain its contribution to prize-money, despite bracing itself for what was described as a “multi-millionpound reduction” in income from media rights. It will, however, be the first time in a decade JCR has not increased its contribution from the previous year.

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21/01/2019 14:59

News

Lady Rothschild 1934-2019 Lady Rothschild, who enjoyed major success as an owner and breeder, has died aged 84. Born Serena Dunn, she was the sister of playwright Nell Dunn and the daughter of Sir Philip Dunn, owner of 1960 Stewards’ Cup winner Monet. Racing was always a big influence in her life, with her Canadian grandfather Sir James Dunn marrying Marcia Christoforides, who later became Lady Beaverbrook. This meant Rothschild was the step-granddaughter of the owner of Bustino and Boldboy. The best horse she was to breed and own was Nathaniel, winner of the 2011 King George at Ascot and the following year’s Coral-Eclipse. Nathaniel has subsequently become a successful stallion at Newsells Park Stud - who owned him with Lady Rothschild for his four-year-old campaign on the track - siring dual Arc heroine Enable in his first crop. John Gosden trained Nathaniel, and also saddled his younger sister Great Heavens to win the 2012 Irish Oaks for Lady Rothschild. Gosden told the Racing Post: “Lady

Rothschild was passionate and very knowledgeable about her horses. It was a great pleasure to train Nathaniel and his younger sister to win a King George and a Classic, and to see them at stud continuing her legacy.” Lady Rothschild also enjoyed a Breeders’ Cup winner in 2009 with Juvenile Turf scorer Pounced, while her Thistle Bird was a prolific and top-level winner for Roger Charlton. The trainer said: “Lady Rothschild was a very special person who will be hugely missed by everyone at Beckhampton. She was a regular visitor to the yard to see the horses working on the downs, and spent time looking around the horses at evening stables. “She was without doubt every trainer’s dream owner; understanding, enthusiastic, patient and always encouraging when the situation was needed. Her Waddesdon Stud bred a lot of very decent horses which provided her with moments of anguish, together with her share of successes and fun. “She especially enjoyed Baron Ferdinand winning the Scottish Classic at Ayr in 1995, Mince being crowned

Lady Rothschild: enjoyed a lot of success

champion three-year-old sprinter in 2012 having broken two course records, and Thistle Bird, who was the winner of eight races including the Pretty Polly in 2014 on her final start.” What proved to be her final winner came for Charlton at Wolverhampton in November, when Great Bear made a winning debut in a 1m1⁄2f novice event. Off the track, as well as owning and running Waddesdon Stud in Aylesbury, she paid a then world-record 4.6 million guineas for the broodmare Magical Romance at Tattersalls in 2006.

Cheltenham Festival dominates turnover table Figures produced by the combined mega betting shop estates of Ladbrokes and Coral underline just how popular the four days of the Cheltenham Festival are with punters. An incredible 25 of the Festival’s 28 races feature in the top 40 turnover races for 2018, with the Gold Cup number one and the Triumph Hurdle up to number two at jump racing’s Olympics, despite the presence of a hot favourite last March in Apple’s Shakira. Of the top 40, only ten were Flat races, with the Oaks a notable dipper, down to number 36 in the list having been 11th in

The 2018 Triumph Hurdle proved popular with punters, as did Cheltenham as a whole

2017. With connections of Sea Of Class choosing to miss a Classic that the filly would surely have taken, Wild Illusion was the ‘big name’ in this year’s Epsom race, won by Forever Together. The Flat, and Royal Ascot especially, should fare better this year, however, as there is no major football tournament this summer to turn punters’ heads. Ladbrokes Coral PR Director Simon Clare remarked: “The popularity and importance of the Cheltenham Festival continues to grow relentlessly, with only three of the 28 races not featuring in the top 40. “The two big underperforming Cheltenham races in 2017 in betting terms were the Arkle and Champion Chase because of the prohibitively short prices of Altior (1-4) and Douvan (2-9), but both races bounced back into the table in style last year, into ninth and 19th. “The 2018 list also emphasised the mass market betting popularity of topclass jump racing overall, with 16 of the top 20 betting races of the jumping variety.”

TOP BETTING RACES IN BRITAIN IN 2018

Figures supplied by Ladbrokes and Coral based on betting shop turnover 2018 (2017 position) Race

1 (1) Grand National 2 (2) Cheltenham Gold Cup 3 (3) Derby 4 (4) Scottish Grand National 5 (5) King George VI Chase 6 (12) Triumph Hurdle 7 (7) Stayers’ Hurdle 8 (10) Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 9 (-) Champion Chase 10 (9) Champion Hurdle 11 (-) Arc 12 (8) 2,000 Guineas 13 (27) Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 14 (39) Ryanair Chase 15 (17) Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle 16 (22) County Hurdle 17 (13) Foxhunter Chase 18 (14) St Leger 19 (-) Arkle Chase 20 (-) Welsh Grand National

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Changes

Racing’s news in a nutshell

People and business Racing to School

Michael Andrews is appointed new Chairman of the educational charity, the partner of the All-Party Parliamentary Racing Group’s annual dinner in 2019.

Matthew Taylor

Lately racecourse services executive at the Racecourse Association head office, he becomes racing manager and trainee clerk of the course at Perth.

Richard Osgood

John Oxx and Patrick Prendergast

Newbury’s long-serving clerk of the course retires after 39 years with the track. He pioneered the covering of courses against frost.

Trainers join forces with Oxx (pictured) to hold the licence and Classic contender Skitter Skatter running for the duo.

Richard Johnson

Champion jockey is appointed an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

Andrew Tinkler

Fall in late December leaves the jockey with a fractured jaw, cheekbone and eye socket.

British Racing School

Christophe Lemaire

IHRB

Jason Watson

Newmarket operation is awarded the ‘outstanding’ grade by Ofsted in what amounts to quite a coup for the BRS.

Breaks Yutake Take’s record for most wins in a year in Japan when guiding Maillot Blanc to victory number 213 at Nakayama.

Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board is to impose a minimum five-year ban on any jockey testing positive for cocaine.

Alizeti

China Racing Club revealed as major investor in documents lodged with Companies House; leading racehorse owner Johnny de la Hey is another.

Kentucky Derby

Prize-money for America’s greatest race is increased to $3 million, a rise of $1m on 2018.

Fearghal Davis

Former jump jockey receives 34-month jail sentence and four-year driving ban for causing a crash while texting.

Mustafa Khan

Late racehorse owner’s widow calls for lessons to be learned over his death, which came soon after his release from The Priory.

Julian Taylor

Racehorse owner who has ridden in pointto-points and hunter chases replaces Paul Taiano as Chairman at Huntingdon.

Christophe Soumillon Crowned champion jockey in France for the tenth time, seeing off the challenge of Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Champion apprentice, the new stable jockey to Roger Charlton, fractures his neck in a fall at Kempton but could return to race-riding in March.

Steve Harman

Former BHA Chairman’s new role working with the government on the levy ends after only a month.

People obituaries Bill Elsey 97

Dual Classic-winning trainer and arguably the most successful Yorkshire trainer of his generation.

Herb Stanley 81

Owner of the popular chaser Merry Gale, he also had Derrymoyle, Deep Idol and Captain Joy.

John Marshall 60

Won Sydney jockeys’ title in 1987/88, and rode some of Australia’s best horses, like Beau Zam and Shaftesbury Avenue.

Gerry Cooper 88

Long-time owner with the Watts family who had winners in the Ebor, Goodwood Cup and Brigadier Gerard Stakes.

Lady Rothschild 84

Owner-breeder whose best horses were Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens and King George winner Nathaniel.

Keith Taylor 70

Known as AK Taylor, he rode over jumps in the late 1960s and 1970s and enjoyed 38 winners over 14 years.

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NAF_UK Gastro Form A4 18.qxp_Layout 1 04/09/2018 13:48 Page 1

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Changes

Racehorse and stallion

Movements and retirements

Captain Joy

Ten-time winner on all-weather tracks for the Tracey Collins stable is retired aged ten. The popular grey gelding earned £240,000.

Koropick

Seeyouatmidnight

Stable star for Sandy Thomson, the winner of seven races including two Grade 2s, is retired aged 11 due to a leg injury.

Persian King

Godolphin buy a half-share in the Andre Fabre-trained Group 3-winning colt, who until now has raced in the Wildenstein silks.

Kuroshio

Son of Exceed And Excel will resume shuttling from Australia to Europe in 2019 and will stand at Clongiffen Stud in County Meath.

Group 3-winning son of Kodiac, who has first foals this year, moves to Hedgeholme Stud in Durham.

The Druids Nephew

Cheltenham Festival-winning 12-year-old trained by Neil Mulholland is retired after tweaking a tendon on New Year’s Day.

Camelot Kitten

Son of Kitten’s Joy, a dual Grade 2 winner on turf and brother to Lanwades Stud sire Bobby’s Kitten, retires to stud in New York.

Alvarado

Chaser placed twice in the Grand National for owners William and Angela Rucker and trainer Fergal O’Brien is retired aged 14

Horse obituaries Victory Gunner 20

Evergreen chaser who was still racing competitively aged 17, having won as a 15-year-old for the Richard Lee stable.

Disko 7

Dual Grade 1 winner owned by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Noel Meade sustains a fatal injury in a fall.

Willoughby Court 8

Winner of the 2017 Neptune Management Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, he had to be put down following surgery.

Zonderland 6

Group 3 winner when trained in Britain by Clive Cox and owned by Cheveley Park Stud who was latterly with Luke Comer.

Carlingford Lough 12

Five-time Grade 1-winning chaser suffers suspected heart attack soon after crossing the finish line at Leopardstown.

Champs Elysees 15

Top-class racehorse for Khalid Abdullah, later a successful stallion whose progeny includes Gold Cup hero Trip To Paris.

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The Big Picture

Obeaux hits the right note Clan Des Obeaux (right) and Harry Cobden provided trainer Paul Nicholls (second right, inset) with a tenth success in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The young chaser, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, posted easily the best performance of his career in seeing off Thistlecrack, whom he took it up from at the last and went on to defeat by a length and a half. A tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup now beckons. Photos George Selwyn

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King George VI Chase

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The Big Picture

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Clarence House Chase

Awesome Altior He may have exhibited a tendency to jump to his left in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot, but Altior proved in a different league to his two rivals to score easily and make it 17 victories on the bounce over hurdles and fences. The nine-year-old, owned by Patricia Pugh (pictured left with trainer Nicky Henderson), will bid to match Big Buckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; record of 18 consecutive wins when he lines up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on March 13. Photos Bill Selwyn and George Selwyn

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22/01/2019 08:11

From The Archives

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bo. cus noqui or nati matiae

Neblin nails a gamble

lli volor olut

Neblin and Stan Moore did not take the last flight of the 1987 Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury – now run as the Betfair Hurdle – fluently, as this picture illustrates. Yet the Toby Balding-trained 10-1 chance knuckled down on the flat and close home forged clear of 5-1 favourite Mrs Muck, ridden by Peter Scudamore, and 14-1 shot Saffron Lord, the mount of Brendan Powell. No prisoners were taken as the 21-runner Listed handicap hurdle was run at a good clip despite taxing ground, and there were several in with a chance three out, with Sprowston Boy and Richard Rowe just in front. But it was Neblin who proved strongest, landing a Balding coup, having been backed down from 66-1. It was a Valentine’s Day massacre for the bookmakers.

it, llori

Photo George Selwyn

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Neblin at Newbury on February 14, 1987

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Tony Morris

Tudor tutorials made me wish I’d seen him in flesh I

who had been far behind both before breaking his maiden in the Dewhurst Stakes. Geoffrey Freer, the Jockey Club handicapper, caused no surprise when ranking Tudor Minstrel as leader of his crop, nor by making Petition second-best. But many felt that he had flattered Petition by expressing the margin between them at only 2lb. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the leader of the opposition to Freer’s view was Phil Bull. He was – make no mistake – an admirer of Petition, giving him a positive write-up in his Best Horses of 1946 to the extent of a prediction that he would finish second in the 2,000 Guineas. Bull’s praise for Tudor Minstrel was on an altogether different scale. He had been impressed by the manner of all that colt’s performances, he felt that he had been head and shoulders above the rest of his generation, a better two-year-old than Dante had been, and would not have been flattered if his Free Handicap weight had been 10st rather than Freer’s 9st 7lb. On Bull’s ‘time figures’ Tudor Minstrel had displayed Classic quality in his first season, and he declared him to be “one of the fastest two-year-olds ever seen.” Of course, the colt had been tested for speed and speed alone, all his races having been over five furlongs, so there was a question mark over his stamina. Bull had no doubt that he would get a mile, and he was optimistic about the Derby distance. His final comments in the lengthy essay read: “I must not allow my enthusiasm for Tudor Minstrel to run away with me, so all I can say is that I hope he will prove to have the necessary stamina to

was a thorough ignoramus when I became a racing journalist in the spring of 1963, but at least I was desperately eager to learn. I read avidly, and in my quest for knowledge of recent racing history I quizzed my seniors for their views on horses, trainers and jockeys they had known. As I recall, I was not a bit surprised that many named Ribot as the best racehorse they had seen. I had read enough about him to be aware of his sky-high reputation, and he was a horse from the recent past, so pretty much fresh in the memory. But one chap, while believing that Ribot was probably the best he had seen, volunteered the name of a slightly earlier horse as responsible for the single most impressive performance he had witnessed. I needed to learn what was so special about that race and its winner, who, coincidentally, shared my year of birth and initials. In the 1960s learning about a horse from the past was not as easy as in the age of Wikipedia and Youtube. I had to find and invest in out-of-print books to discover and confirm the greatness of Tudor Minstrel and his 2,000 Guineas triumph. I have them by my side now, as I celebrate his achievements in the month that marks the 75th anniversary of his birth. Bred by John Arthur Dewar, the handsome brown Tudor Minstrel came from the first crop of his sire, Owen Tudor, a son of Hyperion who had raced in wartime, winning six of his 13 starts, including the New Derby and the Gold Cup, the latter race contested on Newmarket’s July course over two and a quarter miles. His dam, regally-bred Sansonnet, had also been a distinguished runner as a two-year-old – ranked best of her sex – before losing her form completely at three. She clearly did not stay a mile and afterwards proved ineffective in sprints, but before Tudor Minstrel she had produced two speedy Nearco fillies in Neolight (winner of the Coronation Stakes) and Neola. The omens for Tudor Minstrel were good from the start. Fred Darling took two Dewar-owned debutants for minor events at Bath in April, and after the first, Combat, had won easily, the Beckhampton trainer made no secret of the fact that his second runner was better. Tudor Minstrel, at 2-5, duly thrashed the previous Salisbury winner Wild Revel by five lengths. At the end of May the colt started at 1-10 for the Salisbury Foal Stakes and duly trotted up by eight lengths. He had still beaten nothing of any consequence, but his star quality was apparent to all, and connections of other presumed smart colts declined to take him on in the Coventry Stakes. Starting at 2-13, he romped away with the Ascot feature by four lengths. Tudor Minstrel’s only other race at two came in the season’s richest race for juveniles, the National Breeders’ Produce Stakes, again at Ascot in July. He had to concede 9lb to three colts and 12lb to three fillies, and once more it was no contest, the 4-9 favourite cruising home by four lengths. The colt quit the scene early, leaving his contemporaries to share out the spoils for the rest of the season, and the one who emerged with most credit was Petition, who notched victories in the Gimcrack Stakes at York and the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. There was no real basis for a comparison between the form shown by Petition and that by Tudor Minstrel. They had only one common victim, and that was Migoli, a slow developer

Tudor Minstrel is led back in after winning the 1947 2,000 Guineas

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The man you can’t ignore enable him to emulate Bahram and annex the Triple Crown.” The dream lasted through the spring of 1947 – and how! Tudor Minstrel started out again in another minor event at Bath, this time in a seven-furlong event in which he had two opponents, one of them a stable companion. He looked as though he might need the race, but the opposition was negligible; starting at 6-100, he sluiced in by four lengths. The Guineas came next, and for the first time the public had their doubts about Tudor Minstrel. He started at 11-8 – favourite again, but not overwhelmingly so – because Petition had begun his second campaign with a ten-length triumph over a proper horse, Sayajirao, in the Henry VIII Stakes at Hurst Park. He was a 5-2 shot at Newmarket, and it was 100-7 bar the two. Petition reared up before the start, dashed into the tapes and dislodged his rider, but the pair were soon reunited and set off well enough. But Gordon Richards had Tudor Minstrel very quickly away and after three furlongs that colt was well clear. Was he going too strongly, making himself a target for worthy pursuers? It hardly seemed so, as nothing – most particularly, perhaps, Petition – was gaining any ground. Into the Dip the favourite was six lengths clear, still cantering, while everything behind laboured. Richards was patting him on the neck, assured of victory, long before the finish, where Tudor Minstrel was still extending his advantage. The final verdict was eight lengths, and when I fully comprehended the extraordinary nature of that performance, I realised why it was that my senior colleague had recognised it

“Phil Bull had no doubt he would get a mile and was optimistic about the Derby distance” as an unparalleled display of authority in his experience. That was not how Classics, especially mile Classics, were normally decided, and as my career developed and I got to attend hundreds of Classic races, I always felt that what I had missed in 1947 would never produce a parallel in my lifetime. But, ever lucky and grateful, I was present for the 2,000 Guineas of 2011. Tudor Minstrel was obviously a superstar – although that word had still to be coined – by the time of the Derby, and he went off at 4-7 at Epsom. But did he win it? Well, no, but a lot of people thought so for a while, as the colours of his owner, predominantly white, were like those of Pearl Diver’s owner Baron Geoffroy de Waldner and racecourse commentaries remained something for the future. Epsom proved that Tudor Minstrel did not stay 12 furlongs. Sandown, in the Eclipse, indicated that ten furlongs were beyond his limit. But he was the undisputed master of the mile in Ascot’s St James’s Palace and Knights Royal Stakes. Tudor Minstrel was granted a Timeform rating of 144 for his 1947 Guineas victory, though when John Randall and I reconsidered ratings for our book A Century of Champions we felt we couldn’t rank him above Ribot and reduced his mark to 142. At and around that level we might hope, but I don’t expect to see another in the 140s in my lifetime.

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The Howard Wright Column

Racecourses, like trainers, are year-round concerns

fter this magazine, the most eagerly anticipated monthly publication that reaches this particular outpost is the Kingsley Klarion, which for many years has been the principal vehicle for Mark Johnston to purvey his homespun wisdom. With the internet and social media becoming an increasingly important and powerful promotional tool for businesses large and small, many trainers have moved wholly into the sphere of new media to inform and entertain, as well as occasionally to let off steam. Kim Bailey’s website, for one, is a treasure trove of observation, combining updates on his horses with musings of a more personal nature. However, apart from an occasional blog, Johnston has stood by the printed medium to get across his mix of comment and unabashed promotion. His observations, from a compelling defence of the whip to ruminations on race planning, which most recently prompted Ascot to change its entry conditions for the Queen Alexandra Stakes, are always worth reading. Just occasionally, though, like all regular columnists, he gets it wrong. His Straight Talking column in the January issue was such an occasion. In the midst of questioning – not for the first time – the betting industry’s intentions and integrity, he had a pop at racecourses for building hotels, adding: “I’m yet to see [a trainer] build a hotel by the gallops and can’t think of one who has managed to… diversify into anything else.” Johnston is clearly unaware that 50 miles south east his Middleham quarters, one training yard has been offering holiday lets on its premises for two decades, in an example that maybe more trainers should examine as a means of sourcing extra income. There are probably other enterprises, notably among those whose wives, husbands or partners help to supplement the family budget, with which I am not familiar, but the general impression is that the modern message from many small businesses, including farming, about ‘diversify or die’ has

Mark Johnston: had a pop at racecourses for building hotels

apparently not reached this part of the racing world. That aside, Johnston notes: “Through many of the years I have been training, the big bookmakers were investing their profits into other activities. Hotels seemed to be a favourite. Now it is the racecourses that are building hotels. How has that come about?” Actually, the only time bookmakers were remotely close to hotel development was when Ladbrokes was owned by Hilton. As for the current situation, it has come about because most racecourses, whether part of large groups or independent, have realised they cannot live by racing alone. Tracks from Ayr, which was one of the first to bring public accommodation on site, to Newton Abbot, which is in its seventh year teaming up with Premier Inn, with such as Chester, Epsom and Huntingdon franchising with Holiday Inn in between, have grown into businesses that operate the whole year round. Just like the majority of racehorse trainers.

“Building hotels has come about because most racecourses have realised they cannot live by racing alone” Blessed with ample car parking, the commodity that many visitors will put alongside free wi-fi as a modern essential, racecourses such as Cheltenham, Newbury, Perth and Sandown have developed their outside business on accommodation built for and principally used by stable staff. Others, such as Lingfield and Wolverhampton have purpose-built hotels that are an integral part of the site, providing opportunities for owners, trainers, jockeys and the general public to stay before or after racing. There is a commercial necessity to all these ventures, which ultimately benefits the sport around which they were constructed. This fact was demonstrated by the latest to open, at Doncaster, where an economic study found that the town needed a decent new hotel to meet demand from the course’s own conference business as well as other local venues. Next to open will be at Hamilton Park, where foundation work on a 118-bed hotel under the Hilton Hampton brand was started last June and will be completed this summer. Visitors are assured a warm welcome from the management. Incidentally, records lodged at Companies House show that among the directors of The Hamilton Park Racecourse Company Ltd is one Mark Steven Johnston, address Kingsley House, Middleham, who was appointed in February 2004 and whose occupation is listed as Racehorse Trainer. Will he be there to greet the first hotel guests? Perhaps the Kingsley Klarion will tell us.

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Muhaarar Oasis Dream - Tahrir £30,000 (Jan 1st, SLF)

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LANWADES BK_Owner_FP_Feb19.indd 1

The independent option TM

21/01/2019 13:32

View Fr m Ireland

By Jessica Lamb

Nothing rash about this buy G

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Rashaan has earned 22 times what it cost trainer Colin Kidd (inset) to purchase him as a three-year-old

CAROLINE NORRIS

rade 3-winning chaser Rashaan has been laying low since Christmas but is set to return to action soon, with a view to renewing his Grade 1 challenge. The seven-year-old, who cost just €8,500 as a once-raced Flat horse, won his 12th race when breaking his maiden over fences in style at Galway last August. The win came in a Grade 3 novice chase, sending him quickly into more challenging company, where he got a spark of stage fright. “He lined up, but refused to race at Fairyhouse in the Drinmore,” explained trainer Colin Kidd, throwing his hands up. “I don’t know why, I’m putting it down to first-time cheekpieces. I’m hoping that’s what it was because he never showed any signs of that before.” Asked why he had fitted cheekpieces, a first try of any headgear since he came to Kidd’s yard, the trainer added: “I thought it might sharpen up his jumping over fences – one or two days he wasn’t as slick as he could be – but obviously that backfired.” Rashaan had been less than fluent at Galway in October, and again when dropped in to open Grade 2 company in the Clonmel Oil Chase, won by subsequent Grade 1 Savills Chase winner Kemboy, no less. The chestnut had been racing since early May by then though, and Kidd feels he can return to his best this spring. “We’ve always given him a break during the winter because of the ground, but the way the ground turned out, he actually didn’t need a break this time,” he said. “He was always going to have a break at some point though, and the Drinmore was the signal we needed. “He had a full month off in December and is back in training now with a view to racing again in February or March.” Will he bid to prove himself in another Grade 1 chase? Maybe. But a start in something more low-key is more likely. With a handicap rating in the low 140s, a novice handicap chase is also a possibility. Back in October, Rashaan earned plaudits at the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners’ annual awards, being crowned the top value buy from Goffs. Remarkably, he has won around 22 times what he cost Kidd as a

three-year-old at the 2015 Goffs February Mixed Sale, which takes place this year on February 5-6. Kidd explained: “The day we bought him, if anyone had told me he’d go on to win two Grade 3s, a Grade 2 and be competitive in Grade 1s, you wouldn’t have believed them. “To me he looked like a hurdler – I thought anything after a maiden hurdle

“You have to trust your own judgement and hope that it works out” win would be a bonus. To win 13 races and almost €200,000 in prize-money is unbelievable. It’ll probably never happen again – but you never know.” The Carlow trainer targets ex-Flat horses due to their value and readiness. It does work, but in a climate where all sales in Ireland are hitting records month after month, even that has become tricky. “They have become more expensive, everything has filtered down because you can’t go to the store sales and compete with Willie Mullins and

Gigginstown House Stud,” he said. “You have to keep your ear to the ground and see what’s out there and try to pick up a bit of value somewhere.” How does he do that? There are several factors to consider, but they all boil down to personal judgement. “I’d never be in a position to go to the sales and spend €40,000 or €50,000 on a horse coming off the Flat,” he explained. “You just have to trust your own judgement and hope that it works out. “I prefer to buy off the Flat – a lot of my owners do, too. If you go to the store sales and buy a three-year-old, you’re waiting a year and a half or two years to run them. “If you’re buying something that has been running on the Flat, and shown a fair level of form – without winning, of course, because you wouldn’t be able to afford anything that had won a couple – you just need to think you might improve them a bit to go for them.” Whilst not bullish about any of his newest purchases, Kidd is keen to test two reasonably-priced four-year-olds next month, though their identity is a secret, for now. “I have a couple of four-year-olds off the Flat that will be going hurdling in late February or March,” he said. “They were bought privately and my owner would kill me if he saw me saying anything about them yet!”

››

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View Fr m Ireland

Colin Kidd and Shark Hanlon provided insight into what impact stricter working hours and regulations for stable staff has on small- and medium-sized trainers. EU regulations surfaced early last year and by December the powers that be had successfully negotiated a return of horseracing into the agriculture exemption bracket. However, that still means that trainers must allow for each staff member to go from having one full Sunday and half a Saturday off in every two weekends, to having a full weekend off in every two. It provides different pressures for different trainers, smaller operators like Kidd picking up all the spare hours themselves. “It falls back on me to do a lot of the Sunday work myself,” he said. “I have one full-time staff member and one part-time, plus me, and I have a brother knocking around who would come in to oversee the place if I can find a week in the year to go away.” He added: “It’s very hard to get someone in to work with one or two others, they all want to work for the big yards where there are lots of people.” Hanlon is based one county over from Kidd in Kilkenny and has twice the horses in training, the majority heading for the point-to-point field. He has three

In Brief Marlborough joy

As shrewd a salesman as they come, Shark Hanlon has found his perfect sales ring in Marlborough. For the third year in succession, the County Carlow trainer crossed the Irish Sea with a lorry-full of youngsters bound for the Barbury International point-to-point – and most definitely for sale. Be One opened proceedings for him, winning the four-, five- and six-year-olds bumper over two miles, then Woodbrook Boy landed the open maiden, beating stablemate Name And Shame into fourth. “Would you believe the only one we sold was the horse who didn’t win,” said Hanlon. “I did it last year. We went over with seven runners and had five sold before we came home, even though we didn’t have a winner. “The year before I had winners as

CAROLINE NORRIS

Shortage of staff making life difficult

Shark Hanlon: “it’s hard to get staff now”

part-time staff, himself, his partner Rachel O’Neill, and the jockeys Rachael Blackmore and Brian Hayes. He said: “It’s hard to get staff now. You have to count yourself lucky if you have staff and we do, thank God. I don’t need any more but I’d hate to have 200 horses trying to find people to ride them every day.” Tipperary trainer Denis Hogan has

well and sold everything. A lot of the horses you’d be going over with mightn’t be good enough to win in Ireland so this is ideal. They’d buy a cheaper horse over there, the people who would be at a point-to-point like that, they just want something to play around with.” Hanlon is not the only Irish trainer to have cottoned on to the meeting’s potential, with Cork handler Eugene O’Sullivan training Bailarico to win Woodbrook Boy’s maiden at the last renewal, back in January. Though not sold at the meeting, the son of Dubawi made a cool £20,000 at Goffs UK’s sale three days later, and won five Flat handicaps in a row for new trainer Warren Greatrex before taking a novices’ hurdle at Kempton on January 12. Moved from January to December for its third ever running, the Barbury International point-to-point meeting is the richest point-to-point day on the British calendar.

similar numbers to Hanlon and also finds himself well-staffed, but has noticed a marked change in the type of person he has hired. “The experienced staff that grew up in the game are not there any more,” he said. “In the last couple of years I’ve found we’ve had to take on staff that we’ve had to train ourselves. They aren’t from racing backgrounds.” As part of its 2019 budget, Horse Racing Ireland said that it was going to fund an industry-wide graduate programme to assist those seeking to work in the industry and those seeking employees. Hogan added: “The other change is that we’ve had to get weekend staff, and the only problem with that is the weekend staff don’t know the day-today running as much, and they are generally young people from college/ school. They just don’t have the experience. It’s cost me more in the long run because I’ve had to employ more staff to constantly have someone off.” Of his own hours, he added: “They could be 24/7 if you want it to be, but now and again we do make time for a day off, and it’s easier for me to get time off on a Monday than it is on a Saturday or Sunday. But it has been this way for a long time. You just get on with it.”

Court Maid

Although not yet award-winning, Court Maid is another bargain-buy shaking up the Irish jumps game, largely due to the new auction hurdle series. The Irish EBF and supplement company Foran Equine has backed a new line of auction hurdles, designed to create opportunities for the less expensive individual – and their connections. Court Maid is an ideal candidate, having cost just €1,800 at Tattersalls unraced. Finishing second on her hurdles debut in an auction race, she went on to win a mares’ auction maiden hurdle, and then a handicap hurdle at Punchestown. She’s bounced into 2019 with a third win on the bounce in a novice hurdle at Cork, showing incredible versatility to win over two miles, two and a half and three miles on soft and good ground. She’s even earned quotes for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

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Continental Tales

Maclennans enjoying magical run

APRH

Highway To Hell: could be the best yet of the horses to run in the silks of Lynne and Angus Maclennan

FRANCE

he upcoming French jump racing season is set to be an exciting one for Scottish owners Lynne and Angus Maclennan. Their orange and black quartered colours are sported by two of the nation’s top horses, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris prospect Bon Augure and the rising star hurdler Highway To Hell, unbeaten in four career starts thus far. The Maclennans hail from Bonnyrigg, on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, just half a dozen miles from Musselburgh racecourse, where Angus is an accountant and the couple have extensive investments in the local property market. They have been involved in racehorse ownership for only six years, but to say that they have been lucky is something of an understatement. The first horse that they had a leg in, the Lucinda Russell-trained Stormion, won a race at Newcastle in early 2013, just weeks after their association began. The first that they owned outright was Mysteree, who went on to win the 2017 renewal of the Eider Chase for them and Michael Scudamore before getting caught close home in the Midlands National. Their initial horse in France, bought as a two-year-old store, turned into Bon

Augure, successful on ten occasions to date, including eight times upon the hallowed turf of France’s jumping HQ, Auteuil. Highway To Hell threatens to be better than all of them. Intermittent lameness meant that his first appearance on a racecourse was delayed until March 2018, when he was already four – a very late start by French standards. The inaugural runner as a trainer for former Guillaume Macaire employee Richard Chatel, he was successful by just under two lengths at Fontainebleau on his debut. He has since prevailed three times, all at Compiegne, most recently on November 23 in the Grade 3 Prix Leopold d’Orsetti when, despite a bad blunder at the sixth last just as the tempo was hotting up, he scored by a cosy four lengths. Little more than 90 minutes later the Maclennans completed a surely unique Franco-Welsh double when Scudamore’s Thor de Cerisy got off the mark at the first time of asking in a Ffos Las bumper. The Maclennan ownership empire has grown rapidly. It now encompasses some 30 horses, spread between the unfamiliar trio of Chatel, Adrien Lacombe and Gabriel Leenders in France; Scudamore, Neil Mulholland and Nick Alexander in Britain;

and, on the Flat, Andrew Slattery in Ireland. Quizzed about how she was seduced by ownership, Lynne Maclennan reveals: “Both Angus and I enjoy going to the races and I went from a very young age with my grandmother. But it was only when our kids [they have three boys] started finishing school and we had a little more disposable income that we got involved. It has rapidly become quite an addiction. “We soon began to realise that prize-money in France was second to none and when Lucinda Russell happened to be at a sale in France and sent us a photo of a two-year-old which was for sale to stay in training with Adrien Lacombe, we were able to do the deal with the help of [bloodstock agents] Richard Hobson and Joffret Huet. “We didn’t know anything about Adrien [who had been training since 2002 without managing a graded win], it was all quite incidental and accidental and we were very fortunate that Bon Augure turned out to be quite a superstar. “He gave us quite a start and we built up a rapport with Adrien quite quickly – Joffret has also been a great help and all our trainers are very helpful and open and we really trust them when it comes to helping us source new horses.

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By James Crispe, IRB “We’re not the kind of people who will ever splash out a six-figure sum on a horse, but we are always trying to find the value so may be prepared to take a chance on something with a funny leg which we know has ability.” Highway To Hell was just that kind of horse. “How we acquired Highway is a bit of a strange story,” Lynne explains. “We went to see a horse that we already owned working on Richard Chatel’s gallops but he couldn’t keep up with his lead horse, which was Highway. “We were told that he had a mystery crack in his pedal bone and had already failed the vet three times and that they were looking for someone to take a risk with him, in the full knowledge that the first time he ran he could break down. “We like small stables because we feel that horses get more one-to-one attention there and when things go wrong they are picked up quicker. Michael [Scudamore] is hungry, he really wants to progress, while Richard is right at the start of his training

“We like small stables as we feel horses get more one-toone attention” career and is just the same.” The harsh realities of owning jumpers are not lost on Lynne, who insists that victories need celebrating, as “there are more bad days than good days.” That was certainly the case at Auteuil in September 2015 when, on the back of four straight wins, Bon Augure crossed swords with the other crack four-year-old of the time, Blue Dragon, in the Grade 3 Prix de Maisons-Laffitte. The anticipated duel did not last long. Blue Dragon jumped into the back of his rival at the very first hurdle, severing the tendon on one of Bon Augure’s hind legs and damaging the other one. “Horses with that kind of injury are often put down but we wanted to give him a chance,” she remembers. “All they could do at the veterinary clinic was wash the wound out and bandage it up and since then his leg has in effect been held together with scar tissue. “He had 18 months off but came back to win a Grade 2 chase, which was unbelievable. He’s on another break now

[since September 2017] because of tendonitis but he looks fantastic again and is ready to go.” The Maclennans love affair with French racing has contributed to their recent purchase of a property in Pontorson, on the Normandy/Brittany

border, not far from Mont Saint-Michel, 20 miles from Chatel’s yard in Dragey and 75 miles from Lacombe’s SennonesPouance base. They look sure to be getting plenty of use out of it in the coming months as their horses contest some of France’s top jump races.

Unbreakable is a must-read CZECH REPUBLIC By now many of you will have finished reading the books that made up your Christmas list and have been forced to return to the depressing television news and never-ending political speculation about Europe as part of your evening ‘entertainment’. Brexhaustion is setting in afresh. If so, fear not, relief is at hand, as there is just a month to go prior to the publication of one of the most remarkable racing stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Unbreakable, by the award-winning British writer Richard Askwith, uncovers the astonishing story of how, more than eight decades ago, 42-year-old Countess Lata Brandisova defied the might of Nazi Germany and turned herself into a Czech national heroine by becoming the first and only woman to ride the winner of the world’s most dangerous steeplechase, the Velka Pardubicka. Since I am not a runner (my preferred form of keep-fit torture involves two wheels as well as two legs), Askwith’s critically-acclaimed first two books, Feet In The Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession and Running Free: A Runner’s Journey Back To Nature, passed me by. But I stumbled across Today We Die A Little, his biography of multiple Olympic Gold Medal-winning Czech athlete Emil Zatopek, and was gripped. He writes beautifully and Zatopek is a sportsman of genuine global renown. While still immersed in the culture of Zatopek’s country, he hit upon a much less well-known tale. “I found Lata Brandisova’s story by accident, from a snippet on a Czech radio programme,” Askwith recounts. “I tried to find out more. It wasn’t easy: for reasons of politics and history, Lata’s story was supressed for 30 years and is still mostly forgotten. “Yet, bit by bit, I discovered a story

that was as moving as it was fascinating. I hadn’t planned to write a book about her. Eventually, however, I realised that a book was crying out to be written.” Split into 33 easy-to-manage chapters, the book is meticulously researched and covers a myriad different themes. It is a vivid evocation of rural life in the early 20th century and the role of the horse during that period; a depiction of a key stage in the women’s rights movement; an account of the early history of steeplechasing and the key part that Britain played within it; and a chronicle of the birth of the Czech nation and how it survived both fascism and communism. Contrary to the norm, it is a riches-to-rags tale, while descriptions of early renewals of the Pardubicka are not for the faint-hearted: Askwith apologetically admits that many necks were broken in the making of his tale. Unbreakable goes on sale on March 7 published by Yellow Jersey Press and priced at £16.99

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Around The Globe

Tremendous Tyler burning bright NORTH AMERICA By Steve Andersen

he first major milestone of jockey Tyler Gaffalione’s career occurred on December 30, when he rode the two-year-old filly Miss Marcela to victory in a maiden seller at Gulfstream Park for his 1,000th career success. For Gaffalione, Miss Marcela was his 252nd of 253 wins in 2018. The champion apprentice jockey of 2015, Gaffalione’s mounts earned a personal-best $12.6 million in 2018, good enough to rank 11th on the national list. For the 24-year-old Gaffalione, that figure is considered a placeholder. There are high expectations for 2019, mostly at venues away from his hometown track of Gulfstream Park. “The year has truly been a blessing,” he said in early January, reflecting on 2018. “I got to travel to a couple of new places.” Gaffalione won 191 races at Gulfstream Park in 2018, but is planning a more challenging itinerary for 2019. He plans to ride at Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky, as he did in the autumn of 2018, but also add the prestigious Saratoga meeting in upstate New York during the summer. Those tracks offer some of the most competitive racing each year in the US.

Gaffalione was the leading rider at the Keeneland October meeting and Churchill Downs November meeting in 2018. With continued success at those tracks, and at Saratoga, Gaffalione could crack the top ten in national earnings for the first time in 2019. “Hopefully we can build on that momentum and take it month by month,” he said. Gaffalione nearly won a Breeders’ Cup race for the first time at Churchill Downs in November, finishing second on Chelsea Cloisters in the Juvenile Turf. He rode a

personal-best ten Graded stakes winners in 2018, with nine of those wins away from Gulfstream Park at venues as diverse as Santa Anita in California, Turfway Park in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York. Gaffalione won his first Grade 1 race aboard Salty in the La Troienne Stakes for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs in May, and his second on Next Shares in the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland in October. A jockey who has made his mark riding rank-and-file races year-round at Gulfstream Park is now in demand from trainers such as Richard Baltas and Peter Miller in California, Mike Maker and Wesley Ward in Kentucky and Chad Brown and Mark Casse on the east coast. “Those are people you dream about riding for,” Gaffalione said. “It’s a good feeling.” A native of south Florida, Gaffalione is comfortable at Gulfstream Park, which races on a year-round basis. The track’s high season is a four-month span from early December to late March that attracts leading stables from Kentucky and New York, notably trainers such as Brown, Christophe Clement and Todd Pletcher. With them are jockeys such as Javier Castellano, Julien Leparoux, Jose Ortiz, Irad Ortiz jnr, Luis Saez and John Velazquez who raise the profile, and competition level, of racing on a daily basis. Up to January 6, Gaffalione was third in the standings at the winter meeting behind Saez and Irad Ortiz jnr. “It’s a lot of fun to go to work every day,” Gaffalione said. “They’re the best riders in the country. “I’ve been able to develop a relationship with a couple of these guys. They’re good people and they want you to be better.” Gaffalione did not stay on 1,000 winners for long. Within a week he had accumulated four more victories. “It was amazing,” Gaffalione said. “When you get close to the milestone, you want it to happen. To have it happen at Gulfstream Park, it’s my home track. It was great.” In all likelihood, Gaffalione will be back at Gulfstream Park at this time next year. By then, a new set of milestones may be on the horizon.

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The Worldwide Racing Scene

Game of thrones as city rivals square off AUSTRALIA

Redzel wins the world’s richest turf race The Everest for a second time

ustralia’s turf war between long-time rival cities Sydney and Melbourne has come to a boiling point following recent summer announcements of massive prize-money for two new races. Sydney’s The Everest – the world’s richest turf race – stirred Melbourne’s pot by not only encroaching on Melbourne’s ‘time’ during the famed spring carnival in October when it launched in 2017, but also Racing NSW and the Sydney-based Australian Turf Club (ATC) dared to tackle Melbourne head on by running the $13 million six-furlong sprint against the first day of the Melbourne Racing Club’s (MRC) three-day Caulfield Cup meeting, featuring four Group 1s. However, the clash was a help more than a hindrance because the betting turnover was up at both Caulfield and Randwick. In early December, Racing NSW’s flamboyant and uncompromising boss Peter V’Landys decided that Victoria’s spring Melbourne Cup carnival dates were no longer off limits, when he announced the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (a sevenfurlong race for four-year-olds) to be run in Sydney on the same day as Melbourne’s prized Derby Day on the first day of the Victoria Racing Club’s (VRC) four-day Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington, three days before the iconic Cup. The Golden Eagle, at Rosehill, will be a leg of the three-year ‘triple crown’, offering a $5 million bonus for any horse than can also win the Golden Slipper (six furlongs, two-year-olds) and Golden Rose (seven furlongs, three-year-olds). No sooner had V’Landys finished poking fun at Melbourne’s racing establishment when Racing Victoria (RV) countered with a new race that will take on Sydney’s autumn carnival in mid-March with the announcement, in December, of

By Danny Power the $5m All-Star Mile, a weight-for-age race based on Japan’s successful Arima Kinen, in which a majority of the field of 16 is selected by public vote and which results in a massive fan-frenzy when it is run at Nakayama in mid-December. The 2019 All-Star Mile will be run under the guidance of the VRC at Flemington on March 16, but future events will be shared with the other two Melbourne race clubs, the MRC (at Caulfield) and the Moonee Valley Racing Club (at Moonee Valley). This isn’t the first time there has been a battle of supremacy between Melbourne and Sydney’s racing chiefs and, of course, the two-state (NSW and Victoria) and two-city rivalry away from the racetrack is etched in Australia’s psyche. The namecalling and one-upmanship across the meandering Murray River border between the two states goes back to the days before Federation in 1901, so much so that when it came to decide which city should be Australia’s capital, those in charge took the easy way out and opted for a virgin outpost of land between the two and built Canberra. It’s been nearly 40 years since the now defunct Sydney Turf Club (STC) decided to take on VRC in a prize-money battle when it challenged the VRC’s Melbourne Cup’s position as Australia’s richest race with its juvenile scamper, the Golden Slipper, which was first run in 1957. The prize-money push from Sydney saw the VRC forced to raise Melbourne Cup prize-money to $1m in 1985, which was matched six months later by the STC – bumped up from $300,000 in 1983 and $600,000 in 1985 – when Bounding Away won the first $1m Golden Slipper. By 1991 the Slipper was worth $2m, but the Melbourne Cup also kept going up. Eventually, it was the STC who put up the white flag because the cashed-up VRC simply wouldn’t let it win. The Slipper now

sits comfortably on $3.5m as the world’s richest race for juveniles, and the Cup, bolstered by international appeal over the past 25 years, is now $7.2m. This new battle is about more than just money. It’s for a diminishing share of the media space that is now allotted to racing. According to V’Landys, Sydney shouldn’t sit back and just gift Melbourne the best dates of the spring, which also happen to be when there is little or no competition from Australian Rules football and cricket. V’Landys is the master marketer. He has done a wonderful job developing The Everest from nothing to Sydney’s premier horse race in only two years. As he did with harness racing’s biggest event, the Miracle Mile, before he switched codes, he has made the build-up to The Everest far bigger than the race itself, as slot holders who have outlaid $1.8m over three years vie for the cream of the sprinting talent. Racing Victoria is trying to emulate that build up with the All-Star Mile, although we won’t know how much interest the race will generate until the public voting kicks off at the end of January. Nominations are flowing in, and all the big names are there, except the one the Victorians really want – Winx. The great mare is having her last preparation before retirement and her trainer Chris Waller said a trip to Melbourne is not on the agenda, even for $5m. Part-owner Peter Tighe said Winx will have a two- or three-run lead in to her swansong in the Group 1 $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 13. It will be interesting following that news if anyone from Europe will take a dip at the All-Star Mile. Admittedly, the Dubai World Cup meeting holds preference for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, but the $5m prize pool – and not having to face Winx – is a lure some others might find hard to resist.

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Racing Life

Sugar And Spice With its colonial heritage and trading past, Barbados offers fascination far beyond the beach

hink Barbados, and many a traveller might think primarily of pink-tinged beaches, swaying palms and silky blue waters. There’s all of that, of course, but the island’s long colonial history adds layers far beyond mere ‘tropical paradise’ to Barbados. Settled by the British in 1627 and granted independence in 1966, Barbados has maintained ties to Britain as a member of the Commonwealth, and its political and religious system is still based on the British one. Today, travellers can visit plantation houses, villas and warehouses, which bear witness to a sugar cane and slavery past - or, one can delve further into the island’s history at the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, which details the realities of the island’s African heritage, with thousands of slaves taken from their homes in Angola and the Congo and into the cane fields - many of which have now, in turn, been eliminated by golf courses. The imperial past manifests itself, too, in Barbados’ polo season, which runs from the beginning of January until the end of May in (the aptly named) St James. There’s also a vibrant culture around horseracing, which has taken place at the Garrison Savannah for more than 150 years. Under the auspices of the Barbados Turf Club, there are three racing seasons over the course of the year; the most prestigious race of the calendar, the Sandy Lane Gold Cup, is now in its 39th year and scheduled this year for March 2. Run over a turf course at a distance of 1,800 metres (8.95 furlongs), the race is

Blissful beaches are just part of the story in Barbados

The prestigious Sandy Lane Gold Cup is held each March

A colourful parade precedes the race

open to horses aged three and over, and attracts some of the world’s top jockeys and owners. Since 1997, the race has been sponsored by the Sandy Lane Hotel, one of the most iconic and luxurious resorts in the world. With its vast spa, outstanding sports facilities and no fewer than three championship golf courses, the hotel was first opened in 1961 on the site of what had once been a sugar plantation; a Bajan sugar cane scrub still features on the spa menu. The hotel has, in recent years, been rebuilt and reopened, maximising its enviable position on the edge of a west-facing coral beach, which guarantees jaw dropping sunsets. Of all the plantation houses on the island, one of the oldest - and most likely to feature on a visitor’s list of must-sees - is St Nicholas Abbey, a Jacobean style mansion which includes a traditional rum distillery, making single-cask rum with sugarcane from the estate’s plantations. Rum is, of course, closely associated with Barbados; indeed, the island is generally credited with being the birthplace of rum. Although commercial planting of sugar cane didn’t start until the mid-17th century, settlers are known to have been harvesting small crops to produce a spirit known locally as ‘KillDevil,’ - a beverage that is thought, thanks to the very basic distillation methods employed, to have been a grimaceinducing firewater; nothing like the smooth, rounded drink we enjoy today.

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Travel

The Sandy Lane Hotel is one of the most luxurious on the island Harrison’s Cave - one of the island’s most spectacular natural attractions As distillation practices were refined and improved, so too was the product and Barbadian rum was exported to and traded with America and Europe, where it was used for both enjoyment and medicine. Other distilleries open to visitors, offering insights into distillation, ageing and blending techniques, include the West Indies Rum Distillery, the modernised Foursquare Rum Factory and, of course, Mount Gay Distilleries, home to the world’s oldest rum. Here, you can choose from a number of experiences, ranging from an interactive cocktail tasting or rum and food pairing experience, to a lunch featuring a bottomless rum punch station. Since sailing is so much a part of rum’s history, it’s no surprise that Mount Gay has been sponsoring competitive regattas for over 30 years. Barbados Sailing Week, including the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race, takes place in January, but even if your trip to the Caribbean doesn’t happen to coincide with one of these events, you can take to those dreamily blue waters on a cruise of your own. A number of companies offer the opportunity to sail at sunset, swim with turtles and snorkel in those incredible waters, all from the cosseted

decks of a state-of-the-art catamaran. For those whose tastes run more to landside, Bridgetown and its Garrison have been a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site since 2011. Exploring its winding and narrow streets, it’s easy to believe that you’re walking the atmospheric lanes of Europe - were it not for the glorious heat. True, the retail offerings available to visitors may now be more in the vein of duty free and souvenirs than artisans and craftspeople but, for a taste of old-school authenticity, there are street hawkers plying their wares and a clutch of downhome diners where visitors can get a taste of oldschool Barbados. Although the island’s colonial heritage may be easily recognisable in its sugar plantation past, the role of a Jewish community is less widely known. Fleeing Portuguese persecution in Brazil, a settlement of about 300 Jews arrived in Barbados in the 1600s, quickly bringing their skills in the cultivation and production of sugarcane to land owners on the island; without their know-how, Barbados may not have become such a remarkable sugar superpower. Testament to the role of these Jews, a synagogue stands in

Many of the old sugar plantations have now made way for golf courses

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Bridgetown; destroyed by hurricane in 1831, it was rebuilt and restored to the Jewish community in 1983. Also within this UNESCO-protected area stands the public library, the culturally significant Frank Collymore Hall and George Washington House, which represents the only property outside of the US in which the president ever spent time. Assuming one is of a more adventurous bent than Washington, Harrison’s Cave, a subterranean maze of stalactites and stalagmites, interspersed with rushing waterfalls and inscrutable pools, is well worth exploring. Most visitors will opt for the electric tram tour, which ventures through the riddle of caves and allows you to walk alongside a breathtaking waterfall, disappearing into a deep pool below, at one point, but guided walking tours are also available for the intrepid and sure-footed. British Airways flies from London Gatwick direct to Bridgetown’s Grantley Adams International Airport 12 times a week. visitbarbados.org Sarah Rodrigues

Historic Bridgetown is UNESCO protected and has several remnants of a colonial past

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Racing Life

Property

LEGAL HIGHS Invest in a ski property and bid winters of discontent farewell

Chalet Lothier has jaw-dropping views in every direction

he build up to Christmas and new year is so prolonged and intense that, once it is over, it is often easy to be lulled into a feeling that winter should be on its way out as well. It comes as something of a shock to realise that the dark days and colder temperatures didn’t get the memo, and are planning to stick around for quite some time. There’s a bright side to this, however - a very bright one, so adjust your goggles accordingly - and that’s the fact that opportunities for skiing still abound and that the mountains do winter rather wonderfully. If you want to avoid yet another dismal post-festive realisation about the interminability of winter, now’s the time to stake your claim on the pistes - well in advance of next season. Chamonix Mont Blanc is renowned for its year-round appeal, but winters are nothing short of dazzling here, with some of the most thrilling slopes and vivacious

Chalet Le Lustre’s central Chamonix position cannot be beaten

Ease those skiing aches in the outdoor hot tub of Chalet Nants

après that Europe has to offer. Offering sensational 360-degree views of the mountains, Chalet Le Lustre is a centrally located duplex right in the heart of Chamonix’s pedestrian area. It features five ensuite bedrooms spread out over a large area, which also includes a huge living space with full width sliding doors opening out to a large roof terrace. There’s also internal parking and a cellar. Originally built in 1928, the €6,850,000 property is thought to have first been occupied by the daughter of the Cartier family; the initials are forged into the original entrance door and have been revived as part of the four-year project under which Le Lustre has been painstakingly restored. More rustic in its appeal, Chalet Nants is located about ten minutes’ walk from the centre of Chamonix. Built over three floors, it has four bedrooms and has been beautifully renovated, with traditional stone and wood interiors,

Chalet Le Lustre’s restoration has been a four-year labour of love

plus exposed beams and an open-step staircase, maximising the sense of light and space. An open fire makes for a cosy post-piste experience, while a large south facing terrace, with views towards Mont Blanc and a hot tub, guarantees to ease those skiing aches and pains in blissfully luxurious style. Offered at €1.8 million, Chalet Nants would be ideal as a lock-up-and-leave or year-round rental investment; it’s very easy to imagine the owner of this property intoning the immortal words of John Muir - ‘the mountains are calling, and I must go,’ - followed by a swift departure, during any season. Chalet Lothier, built in 2012, also echoes the design elements of a traditional chalet; again, wood and stone abound, while large windows flood the interiors with light, as well as providing breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Distributed over three floors, the chalet has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a spacious open plan kitchen and a living room area with an open fireplace, while entertainment for all ages is taken care of on the lower ground floor, which features a cinema room and pool room. Located within a short distance of Les Houches, which offers skiers over 55 kilometres of forest-studded trails, including four black runs, the chalet is on the market at €1.245m. All properties are available through FrenchEntrée - frenchentree.com Sarah Rodrigues

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Apparel

FILL YOUR BOOTS With technical know-how ensuring optimum performance and comfort, Ariat’s equestrian footwear and apparel also rate highly in the looks department; a fact that makes them an increasingly popular lifestyle brand for riders and non-riders alike

orn and raised on a working thoroughbred farm in Pennsylvania, Beth Cross was working in product development for various athletic footwear brands when she spotted a gap in the equestrian market; with no-one applying the same principles of high performance footwear to riding boots, she formed Ariat International in 1992 with former university classmate Pam Parker. In 1993 the first Ariat riding boot made its debut. Since then, Ariat has expanded to over 30 countries worldwide. In its first few years the brand enhanced the riding boot category by being the first to bring athletic shoe technology to their products and testing them with professional riders across the United States; the introduction of nextgeneration ATS (Advanced Torque Stability) Technology soon established Ariat as a leader in performance and comfort in equestrian footwear. More recently, Ariat has developed Cobalt XR and Cobalt Quantum, marking significant breakthroughs in equestrian footwear technology by combining optimal stability and cushioning to support the foot’s natural motion. Extending into other clothing and accessories, including belts, breeches and technical shirts, Ariat has since become the official footwear and apparel partner of the US Equestrian Federation (USEF). The brand also sponsors prestigious equestrian athletes from a range of international disciplines, including Olympians Beezie Madden, Gina Miles, Phillip Dutton and Will Simpson. It’s not only where professionals in the equestrian field are concerned that Ariat has made its mark: the brand has also become a firm favourite on the country music scene in the past ten years, with its denim and footwear both

popular choices with singers such as Blake Shelton and Josh Turner. Perhaps inspired by this proof of its broader appeal, Ariat launched a new lifestyle collection of equestrian-inspired boots, as well as a new outdoor category, for those who enjoy the country look and being out and about in the great outdoors. Although traditionally a technical brand for riders, whose rigorous routines demand gear as capable and well-engineered as that worn by athletes, Ariat are by no means the first performance brand to segue into ‘lifestyle’ - but for them, there’s little difference between the two. “We believe in balance,” says their mission statement. “We play as hard as we work. It just so happens that for us, playing includes riding and living outdoors.” In the meantime, equestrian style continues to inspire the catwalks, with Hermès using brushed wool, corduroy and leather details to evoke the look, while Christian Dior took a more fanciful approach to the

horseback theme, with models parading in outfits inspired by the escaramuza, Mexican female rodeo riders: think huge skirts and jackets and nipped-in waists, with sturdy cottons embellished with lace and frills. Western style also made an appearance at several shows, with denim, fringing and cowboy boots all featuring, while Burberry’s tweed blazers and jodhpurs did the look in a very British way. Fitting perfectly with these trends, Ariat have just launched The Spencer, a tall boot crafted from full grain leather and hand finished with suede and nubuck. Available in brown and black, it’s not just good looks that The Spencer brings to the table: the same technical know-how that has informed Ariat’s brand history sees these boots fitted with a leather outsole and TPU for shock absorption, plus an inside Poron® foam insole providing supreme comfort. The Spencer retails at £280, available exclusively from ariat.com

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Sarah Rodrigues

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Racing Life

Wellness

THREE THINGS It’s hardly new news that getting fit and staying healthy are right up there when people set out their intentions for a new year. If the January blues derailed your efforts before you’d even really managed to get started, then give yourself a fighting chance to make 2019 a year of wellbeing by equipping yourself with some no-fuss helping hands MANDUKA YOGA MAT

Balance, elongation of the spine, core engagement - yoga and horse riding have much in common and, as such, are mutually beneficial practices. The eKO SuperLite travel mat weighs less than a kilo and folds into any bag, so it’s ideal for someone who’s away a lot or is constantly on the go. If sessions take place more frequently at home, then the more complex Pro mat is the one for you: it features a high density cushion for joint protection and topnotch support. Both are made from biodegradable, non-Amazon harvested, natural tree rubber with non-toxic foaming agents and non-AZO dyes, as well as no PVC or harmful plasticisers - so the sense of wellbeing that accompanies a workout can extend into the larger environment too. eKO SuperLite £38 & Pro £100, available from Yogamatter.com or Manduka.com

B12 PATCHES

KNEIPP BATH SALTS

£49.99 for a month’s supply, available from vitamininjections.co.uk

£8.95, available from kneipp.com, plus Amazon, Holland & Barrett, Lloyds Pharmacy and independent pharmacies nationwide

Sales of supplements in the UK have topped £400 million in recent years, but sadly, a lot of that money is going, quite literally, straight down the toilet. The efficacy of oral supplements, it is thought, is compromised by digestion, so they end up delivering only about 15% of the vitamins they contain whereas 90% of the dose held in these discreet stick-on patches is absorbed straight into the bloodstream. Also available in B Complex and D3, B12 is the go-to for anyone looking to up the ante on their wellness regime, since a lack of it can lead to muscle weakness. B12 also boosts immune function and helps the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose, which is vital for energising an active lifestyle; with too little of it, you’re far more likely to get fatigued.

Since recovery is just as vital to fitness and physical health as activity, these Kneipp Joint & Muscle Arnica Bath Crystals are an ideal addition to the bathroom cabinet, whether intended for post-training and competition use, or simply to melt away the aches and cares of a busy lifestyle. Arnica, which is derived from the Arnica Montana, a perennial flower found in the mountains of Europe, has been used for centuries as a natural healer. Add these salts to a post-event bath, and they’ll provide additional warming and invigorating qualities, which will soothe and revitalise aching joints and muscles, as well as instilling a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. You’ll be ready to take on the world again before you know it.

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Home

(Re)Born in Sweden A commitment to sustainable living and a strong design aesthetic see some of the most covetable interior objects coming from Sweden

orget ditching alcohol, mastering calligraphy, finally reading War and Peace or any of those other unachievable or difficult to sustain resolutions: in 2019, many more of us are choosing to set our intentions towards smaller actions for the greater good, namely, living in a more eco-conscious and, indeed, sustainable way. While the introduction of the carrier bag charge has slashed our consumption of single-use plastic in the supermarket, it’s also made us more aware of other opportunities to reduce our environmental impact, choosing well crafted products that are made to last, rather than mass produced conveniences. As one of the cleanest and most sustainable countries in the world, Sweden has much to teach to the rest of us - but even if we aren’t yet able to lay claim to a 90.43 EPI (Environmental Performance Industry) score, the country’s design DNA means that we can all have a little bit of Sweden in our homes. Banish thoughts of IKEA; this year, Forma House introduce Born in Sweden to the UK market. Established ten years ago, the brand is dedicated to developing distinctive design items for the home; items which are not only functional but also designed with quirky twists to bring pleasure to the owner. Recycled raw materials are used wherever possible, and hardwearing materials are carefully

selected for purposes of longevity; the products are not seasonal, but designed with forever in mind. Believing in a duty to recycle as much as possible, both as individuals and as companies, Born In Sweden’s Stumpastaken candle holder, for example, is made from 100% recycled aluminium. It also helps to prevent candle wastage, allowing stumps of any size to be burned right down and providing multiple flames without the need for multiple candlesticks. Recycled cork, sourced in Portugal from the used wine stoppers and the offcuts of the country’s flourishing cork industry, is also used in some products. As Sweden is a country where people claim to find communion with nature vital to wellbeing, it’s unsurprising that

Born In Sweden won a design award in 2008 for its beautifully simple Birdfeeder, which attaches to the window, allowing bird lovers to watch the creatures at close range. The company has since expanded its bird range with a Fatballhanger and sleek birdbath. Bringing the outside in, in thoughtful and beautiful ways, also informs the design of the Sphere Vase, which comes in three different sizes and contains a stainless steel ball which holds flowers upright and the stems in place, regardless of arrangement size. Even coat hooks are given a playful overhaul, combining a hanging solution with a design flair that makes a wonderful wall statement, whether in use or not. Made of ashwood in a range of three finishes natural, black or white - the hooks’ surfaces are slightly concave, allowing light to play over them. And, if you needed any further reason to make 2019 the year to NOT give up drinking, the Hex wine rack, designed by Matz Borgstróm, is a modular storage solution crafted from recycled aluminium, which can be wall mounted, hung or left freestanding. Sculptural and contemporary in appearance, more three-bottle units can be added to house a growing wine collection, simply sliding into each other one by one. Born in Sweden is available exclusively in the UK and Ireland from Forma House - formahouse.co.uk Sarah Rodrigues

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Racing Life

Alan Paine

- English Explorer Collection By Christopher Modoo Christopher Modoo is a men’s style expert and has conducted suit fittings in both Buckingham and Beckingham Palace. He is often quoted in the press on matters of etiquette and correct dress, and writes a regular feature for The Rake magazine. Follow him on Instagram at @chrismodoo

lan Paine is a brand that should definitely be on your radar, both for country clothing and quality knitwear. Every season they create a vast selection of styles for both men and women in the best natural yarns, sourcing the finest cashmeres, mohair, alpaca, merino and Geelong wools from around the globe. The colour palette is comprehensive and always includes the traditional shades of navy, bottle-green and camel to complement the seasonal fashion shades. The styles vary from classic cardigans to crew collars and smart v-necks, which are all assembled by hand under strict quality control. Despite this huge choice, my absolute favourite piece is always their Geelong polo shirt: it is simply the most versatile and useful piece of clothing. It can be layered over a shirt and tie with tailoring for extra warmth, or can be worn with jeans as a smarter alternative to a sweatshirt - while adding a silk cravat at the neck makes it perfect to pair with a tweed jacket or blazer (of which they also carry a smart selection) for those tricky ‘smart casual’ occasions. Unlike some luxury knitwear, their qualities do not require specialist washing and they even produce an easy-care merino wool that requires minimal pressing, as well as offering a choice of fits that are all wellproportioned and comfortable. The brand has a fascinating heritage that can be traced back to 1907, when it was founded by William Paine in Godalming, Surrey. Originally specialising in cable-knits, it was one of the first companies to produce the style commercially. Among their first customers were the local cricket clubs, but by the 1920s they were supplying speciality stores across the country. Their ability to add a club coloured

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Fashion

band to a plain sweater appealed to rowing clubs and tennis players, as well as schools, colleges and regiments. Images of a young Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) sporting an Alan Paine cable knit in his own bespoke colours also helped them to gain a fashionable reputation. By the Second World War, Alan Paine was employing over 600 staff across two factories in England and Wales and efforts were concentrated in providing much-needed knitwear for the armed forces - particularly the Royal Navy. The period after the war saw Alan Paine return to their sporting roots and even supplying the 1955 Oxford University Rowing Team. One famous patron of the brand was George Mallory, the adventurer and mountaineer who famously met the question “Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?” with “Because it’s there.” His words are often misattributed to Sir Edmund Hillary, who successfully achieved the summit three decades later; Mallory, however, went missing on an expedition in June 1924 and, whilst it is fiercely debated if he ever reached the summit, it is absolutely certain he was a Paine customer. His frozen body was recovered 75 years later in the Himalayas and the label on his knitwear read ‘WF Paine, 72 High Street, Godalming’. Mallory’s passion and spirit of adventure are the inspiration for Alan Paine’s new 2019 collection in their contemporary English Explorer Collection. This capsule collection comprises knits, shirts and outerwear, and is on-trend but also practical and hard-wearing. Key pieces include boiled

lambswool bomber jackets and alpaca half-zip knitwear. They have also included a military M65 red camo field coat and a six-pocket hooded climbing jacket, inspired by the clothing of the period. But the stand-out pieces are the overshirts, available in both wool knits and cotton drill. An overshirt is such a useful thing to have in the wardrobe and can be layered over chunky knits, polos or t-shirts depending on the season. They have the advantage of extra pockets so are perfect for travelling as they can be folded and stored away when not worn. The Indigo blue version, realised in a traditional

cotton canvas, is classic and wearable, but the knitted version is my personal favourite and plays to the brand’s strengths. What is even more appealing about both pieces is the value, as they are both priced under £200. Similar style and quality pieces often sell for two to three times that price from other brands, but value and quality are key to the success of Alan Paine. Even their cashmere sweaters (and everyone should have at least one cashmere sweater in their wardrobe) are priced in the same region as what some brands charge for lambswool! alanpaine.co.uk

Zimmerli of Switzerland For almost 150 years, Zimmerli of Switzerland have been producing underwear and loungewear of the absolute highest quality. The construction is excellent and, as you might expect from a Swiss manufacturer, the cottons are superb. They even source genuine Sea Island cotton, which has the longest staple for comfort and strength. Their ‘cruise wear’ collection combines this noble cloth with a dashing paisley design for both men and women. Ideal for elegant lounging, whether at home or on a cruise. zimmerli.com

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The Big Interview

Double act

DREAMS

Mike Grech and Stuart Parkin rather fell into owning horses together but their silks have quickly become a familiar sight on the track as they bid to make their mark on the NH scene

hen Nicky Henderson donated a visit to his stable for a charity auction, he would not have anticipated that his philanthropic gesture would be repaid in such exponential kind. The trainer headed to a Cheltenham preview night at the Hatton Arms in Cheshire and found himself sat next to Stuart Parkin, a local entrepreneur from the financial services industry. Just across the room was Parkin’s friend and former colleague Mike Grech, another man the trainer would soon be seeing considerably more frequently. “The landlord at the time, a guy called Mark Bell, asked me and Mike to get the bidding going on a charity prize for the Injured Jockeys’ Fund,” Parkin recalls. “He said, ‘Stuart, there’s nothing worse than when no-one puts their hand-up, can you help us out?’ “Mark starts off, ‘Right, morning on the gallops at Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows, champagne lunch, see Bobs Worth, Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig and all the superstars. Who’s opening the bidding? I’ll have £5,000’. “I look around the room, the next thing Mark looked at me, I put up my hand and he goes, ‘Sold!’ and drops the hammer straight away. It was more a case of a contribution, I think!” Grech adds: “What was ironic, and how fate brought us together, was that neither of us was expecting each other there!” The pair validated their ticket to

Lambourn a little while later and, sure enough, were presented with a couple of horses that happened to be for sale. They bought both but one, who was not an insubstantial first thoroughbred purchase, never made the racecourse. “Stuart and I looked at each other and thought, ‘Wow, that’s a big investment that lasted only three months,’” says Grech, before Parkin adds: “So what do you do when you have that sort of luck? You reload and go again. “We connected because Nicky’s passion for the horses is obviously first-class, but what got me more than anything was his care for them. He’s never going to run a horse if it’s 99% right, it’s got to be 100%. He’s very patient with young horses and Mike and I bought very young ones from the Irish point circuit. Sometimes they need time to settle, they can be a bit green and agricultural. Everyone loves him to pieces.” This is only the fourth season in which the Grech and Parkin silks have been visible on the track, but their pink and black colours have already become a frequent sight in higher-end races around the country. Henderson is their principal trainer and he has provided Graded success at novice hurdle level with the likes of Claimantakinforgan and River Wylde. The net has been widened to include Warren Greatrex, Alan King, Dan Skelton and Ian Williams, while more than a dozen

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ALAN WRIGHT

Words: Tom Peacock

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Grech & Parkin

Mike Grech (left) and Stuart Parkin enjoy another winner, in this case Lough Derg Spirit at Wetherby earlier this season

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The Big Interview

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horses have appeared already this term, with others to come. Curiously, neither Grech or Parkin had taken any formal interest in National Hunt racing prior to their meeting with Henderson, aside from the social and occasional gambling aspect. Grech, the elder of the two, had been part of a handful of minor syndicates in sprinters with Dandy Nicholls, whilst Parkin found his way in when he bought a house next to the estate of Lord Peter Daresbury, former Chairman of Aintree. “I got into riding seven or eight years

ago, it was more a case of getting the hunters out and having a little pop around on the farm – my passion came from there,” he says. “I got involved in some pointers with Peter and his son Ollie Greenall. I quickly realised that it costs the same amount to feed and shoe a pointto-pointer as it does a National Hunt racehorse!” Although clearly both busy men, one or other will usually manage to see each horse running live and they have employed an efficient racing manager in Ryan Tongue. On a subdued midweek

afternoon at Bangor, even with one of the lesser lights in action, Parkin has arrived fizzing with excitement. Before the horse departs the paddock and after the post-race debrief, Grech checks in by phone. A self-confessed workaholic and the chief executive of a company he built from scratch, Grech is a man who clearly sets high standards throughout his family. His son, Rocco, made the Great Britain elite performance gymnastic squad at the age of ten, whilst his daughters are junior international showjumpers. He takes

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Grech & Parkin ››

FRANCESCA ALTOFT

Lust For Glory is Stuart Parkin’s favourite horse and hopes are high that she will make the Cheltenham Festival

such ambition into this hobby too. “Now you’ve invested that amount of money, you need to know what’s out there and what the competition are doing, and therefore you need to be one step ahead,” he says. “It’s every day. We’re very handson, probably if I’m being honest too hands-on, but that’s what we’re like in business – very much in the process and wanting to know what’s going on, so that’s your natural trait and it follows into horseracing.” Parkin, at just 37, is another remarkable success story from the Manchester area. The Money Advice Group, which he established with his wife Shelly, is among a portfolio which allows the freedom to buy a horse such as Gallahers Cross for £260,000 at a boutique Cheltenham sale. Despite some trappings of wealth, the pair both have considerable charity interests and are close to their roots. They are attempting to cultivate a wholesome approach to ownership too, by sharing information via an official Grech & Parkin Twitter account. “Mike and I enjoy talking about our horses and we came from very humble beginnings,” says Parkin. “We like to involve people in what’s going on and keep them as close to the racing as we are, with the highs and lows. The racing public have been fantastic on our social media, it

gives me goosebumps actually, and touch wood I don’t think we’ve had any negativity. It’s been well received that we try to be as honest and straightforward as we can with people.” There are doubtless, too, some similarities between this partnership and another from the world of investment in Simon Munir and Isaac

“In honesty we’re probably too hands-on, but that’s what we’re like in business” Souede, whose dual green livery has been carried to glory by the likes of Footpad and Peace And Co. They not only share Henderson as a trainer, but Anthony Bromley as a bloodstock agent. “They’re light years ahead of us in terms of being in the game, the strength and depth of their horse squad,” admits Parkin. “They’re fantastic for racing as individuals. Crikey, if we could have one

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Expansion into France, Ireland and breeding shows ceiling far from reached Although Grech and Parkin have spread their expanding string around half a dozen of the country’s top stables, they are already planning farther and wider. “We’ve got one in France with David Cottin called Fanion Libre, a [son of] Blek who might hopefully have his first race at the end of February,” reveals Parkin. “We’ve got five more that will be going to France to David and [partner] Amanda and he might get some more a few weeks after that. They’ll do some pre-training, they’ll have a look, see which they think need to be turned away, which might spend time in the point-to-point sphere, and who they’d like to kick on with. “They’re all sorts of breeding, including Presenting and Kayf Tara, all well-known sires, and hopefully there’s something that’s quite nice in there. But it’s like liquorice allsorts

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– you never know which one you’re going to pull out the bag. “We thought, why not have a little look in France? They do a great job over there and the prize-money is fantastic. Amanda and David have been brilliant with the communication and keeping us informed.” Ireland, too, awaits, with the pair making a winter scouting mission. Parkin continues: “We’ll hopefully see Willie [Mullins] and Gordon [Elliott] at some point, and no doubt after we’ve said a few hellos it’ll be the start of something! It would be very, very interesting. We’ve established a reasonable portfolio of horses within the UK, with the principal trainers, but it’ll be steady as she goes.” Parkin’s home base has also allowed a tentative foray into breeding, principally through the Listed-winning mare Pumped Up Kicks, who has already produced

foals by Blue Bresil and Pethers Moon. “She’s going to come back to ours and will be covered by Authorized again in the spring,” he says. “We’ve got facilities available at the yard – fields, turnout, grooms, farriers, menage – and my grass is as green as anyone else’s. We’ll do a bit of the holidaying at mine, and a bit of gentle hacking, and a lot enjoy that change of scenery. “We’ll buy some yearlings, foals and young stock, and hopefully there will continue to be young horses coming through the ranks.” He continues: “I’ve made all sorts of philosophies. It’s fun at one horse, it’s nice at three. I’ve heard people saying it’s loss-making at 15 but then it’s really good at 40 horses! If you have hundreds like JP [McManus] it’s gone crazy again. We enjoy it, so we’ll look to continue to invest and breed the odd horse.”

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The Big Interview ›› or two of their horses in our stock, we’d

the baby out with the bathwater, but that’s part and parcel of it. There are only so many days you can go racing in a year and if you want to go to some of the bigger meeting, you’ve got to have some of the bigger firepower. We’re always looking to keep the quality high,

“The amount that we are spending, I do believe dreams can become reality” with plenty to have fun days with.” Transparently, these bigger meetings include the most famous events of all, and making an impact should be only a matter of time. Grech offers up Some

Man, a slow-burning novice hurdler with Paul Nicholls, as a dark horse for the season, whilst Parkin is very keen on Henderson’s Lust For Glory. He says: “She would be my personal favourite, I think she’s a fantastic mare and hopefully she might get to the mares’ novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham. I’d be thankful for that. Hopefully Mr Whipped will get to the RSA, and River Wylde would maybe get to something like the Grand Annual or the Ryanair.” Thinking even further ahead, Grech concludes: “You want to put yourself in a position where you can compete and I think Stuart and I have done that. I’d love to win the Champion Hurdle, love to win the Gold Cup, love to win the Grand National. You’ve got to have those dreams. The amount we’re spending, I do believe those dreams can become reality, you just need a little bit of luck.” The luck was Henderson’s when he chanced upon two newcomers who have quickly ranked among the most significant owners in a title-winning operation. Perhaps he’ll pass it on.

be even happier.” Grech and Parkin, and their families, have been brought far closer by this new venture. Whilst they have not yet reached the point of finishing each other’s sentences (in this interview at least), they refer to each other with regularity and their ethos is identical. Grech says: “What is good is that we’re very similar in terms of outcome, and competition and driving to excel. We don’t suffer fools, we’re very much on the front foot as owners. I don’t think we’re bad losers – but we don’t like losing! It’s one of those kind of relationships; it keeps us intense and we expect the best because we’re spending a lot of money.” Parkin adds: “It’s a fine line. You can’t associate business and horses. However, in business if something’s not right you’ve got to change it. So we have changed yards, made decisions on horses, and we will dispose of horses that we don’t think will be potential Grech and Parkin runners. “Obviously sometimes you do throw

Grech & Parkin

River Wylde is a five-time winner who earned prize-money for his owners at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals last spring

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Batsford Stud

Family

MATTERS Batsford Stud in the heart of the Cotswolds welcomes three new stallions this season, including the St Leger winner Harbour Law, taking its roster to six Words and photos: Carl Evans

un sparkling on the Cotswolds, dry paddocks in January, and three new stallions with which to tempt breeders – no wonder the Varey family of Batsford Stud are feeling chipper. Alan, Anna, their son Tim and his partner Linzi, are blessed to live and work in this picturesque corner of Gloucestershire, and while the busy season is about to swamp them with foalings and coverings, and all the extra work that entails, you sense they would not swap it for an easier life in a lesser setting. Alan says: “I get up in the morning and think, ‘How lucky am I to live here?’, and that sense is even more acute when I visit different parts of Britain. I’m from the north of England, but I have no wish to go back and leave this special place. “I loved my time at Hillwood Stud,

which was run then by John and Joy Hobby who were very good to us and really set us going, and we have been very lucky here with Lord and Lady Dulverton [owners of the Batsford Estate], who have also been very supportive.” Studs’ fortunes wax and wane, but Batsford has not been in a better position to draw in clients. During a flourishing of fresh arrivals, the Vareys achieved quite a coup in convincing Nick and Jackie Cornwell that Batsford Stud was the place to send their St Leger winner and Gold Cup third Harbour Law for his first covering season. In recent months they have also received the former Whitsbury Stud sire Swiss Spirit plus the dual Guineas winner Cockney Rebel, who has returned to Britain after five years in France. Add in their established trio of Haafhd, Native Ruler and Passing Glance, and the

Harbour Law wins the 2016 St Leger for Laura Mongan under George Baker

Vareys have a roster of variety, one that has certainly raised the stud’s profile. Tim says: “There has been a terrific uptake in social media interest in Batsford Stud as the announcements of the new stallions were made.” Was it a grand plan to stand six stallions, including three new recruits in one go? Anna says: “It wasn’t planned – we were approached. Whenever we have a business decision we sit down as a family and discuss it.” Tim says: “We always ask ourselves, can we do this stallion justice? We might be offered a stallion that deserves 40 or 50 mares straight off, before any outside mares come in, but we are a family business and have to be realistic – we don’t have 40 or 50 mares of our own.” They do have land, and more of it since acquiring a lease on part of the Cotswold Stud that was owned by the late Mary Hambro. With paddocks, stables and barns at that farm, just a short drive from Batsford, and now with some 155 acres on which to graze mares and young stock, they are ready for the additional business that will come with their burgeoning stallion roster. Their stud is worth a visit, as is any venue in the Cotswolds, one of England’s bucolic crown jewels. Lemon-coloured dry-stone walls and cottages looking like just-baked loaves ooze rural charm, while the stud’s own historic buildings add another element. Which other stud can boast of stables with glazed bricks and Victorian heating, a legacy of the time when the Batsford Estate was home to Bertram Freeman-Mitford, grandfather of the famous Mitford sisters. Carriages were

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Tim, Edith, Linzi, Anna and Alan Varey at Batsford Stud

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Batsford Stud ›› the mode of transport, and the horses

that pulled them were treated like raremodel Ferraris. Walk through those stables and you sense the ghosts of grooms in flat caps and brown boots, busily strapping or polishing harness. They must take quiet pride in their enduring legacy.

An unlikely beginning

Turn the clock back and Alan and Anna Varey stood as much chance of working at NASA as Batsford. He says: “There were no horses in my

“We are in the lucky position of having enough mares boarding to support what we do” background – a donkey ride on Blackpool beach was as close as I got to them until, inspired by watching racing on the television, I left school and gained a job in racing. I went on to ride professionally, but couldn’t make it pay, so I took a job with a printing company – by working shifts I was able to run a livery yard on the side, and it grew from there.” Anna was working as a consultant for an American firm, advising bluechip businesses on relocating key staff –definitely closer to NASA than

Harbour Law out on morning exercise with Alan Varey

Batsford – but when Alan had a bad fall while schooling a point-to-pointer, just before they were due to sell two stores at Doncaster, Anna had to roll her sleeves up and learn how to lunge. She says: “We decided to make the horse business our full-time occupation, and Tim was keen to get into it, so we packed him off to Hartpury College to study Equine Business Management.” From there Tim entered racing, working for several trainers, until his parents moved to Batsford in 2001 and he returned home. Anna says: “Just after we moved here we were approached by Robin Dickin, who had trained Kadastrof. He had been standing in Ireland, but the owners wanted him back in Britain, and he became our first stallion. Umistim arrived

Linzi and Tim Varey bringing in the mares at Batsford Stud

next, then Pasternak, and he was followed by Erhaab, the Derby winner, who is now 28 and still living here.” One year ago the Vareys had four sires, the roster including the Deep Impact stallion Danon Ballade, but an offer from Japan was too good to refuse and he returned to the land of his birth. Into the breach steps Classic winner Harbour Law. Anna says: “Nick Cornwell visited the stud and later sent us Harbour Law. He will be marketed as a dual-purpose sire, but we see that as a mark of versatility.” Tim says: “He has the size and conformation to cover Flat and iump mares and, while most St Leger winners go on to be National Hunt stallions, if he is given the right mares he will get Flat winners too. We are going to push him and make sure he works – all the horses here have to work. “Nick and Jackie have a band of Flat broodmares, and many of those will be coming here to visit Harbour Law, and by having Flat mares he will get success earlier in his career. We will be sending him some jump mares, and we have permanent boarding mares who will visit him.” The Vareys do not own any of the stallions who stand under their banner, so they must have impressed the sextet’s owners. They include the Harris family of Lordship Stud, who sent them Native Ruler in 2015, and have followed up with the former Whitsbury Stud stallion Swiss Spirit. A son of Invincible Spirit, his first crop are now four-year-olds, and, while he has yet to sire a black-type winner, he is still young and has plenty of stock on the ground – if a stakes performer or two emerges, Batsford will be in a lovely

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Batsford Stud ››

position. Alan says: “He had two winners in the first week of January and there are plenty more young horses to come through. We’ve always loved sprinters and an opportunity to stand him here was one we couldn’t turn down – all he needs is that black-type winner.” Cockney Rebel opened his stallion career at the National Stud, spent six years there and then five in France. Alan says: “We met Tim Lane [manager at the National Stud] at a function and said we would like another stallion, and later he rang and said Phil [Cunningham] wanted the horse to come back to Britain and he had advised him to send him to us. He’s had black-type winners on the Flat and over jumps and will stand as a dual-purpose sire. There should be some winners emerging in France soon.” The Vareys may not have the financial muscle enjoyed by some stud owners, but their business has a niche which offers stallions for the middle market while looking after clients, many long-standing, who board mares at Batsford, breed to race, and take advice on matings from Alan and Tim. Have they come up with a figure for the number of mares they need to attract to make six stallions viable? Tim says: “We aren’t thinking of a specific number of mares, because we are in the lucky position of having enough mares that are permanently boarding to support what we do. We’ve not been unrealistic with our plans, therefore it’s not a make or break. “We would love to be in a position where we could buy a horse while he is still racing with a view to standing here, but we are quite happy with our current position, especially when the political situation means so many things are up in the air.”

Six of the best In the words of Alan and Tim Varey...

Native Ruler

Cape Cross – Love Divine (Diesis) Fee £1,500 (Oct 1, LF) “He is a fantastically well-bred horse, by Cape Cross out of an Oaks winner. Conformationally you can’t fault him, and when we first saw him walk out it was a no-brainer. He’s had winners over jumps and on the Flat and we’re just waiting for more to come through. He’s a gentleman, a little bit cheeky at times, but there is no malice – and he’s a gent with his mares too.”

Haafhd

Alhaarth – Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom) Fee £2,000 (Oct 1, LF) “He’s an absolute pleasure to work with, and so kind. The only time you see him acting like a typical stallion is when he covers mares – once that is done he’s back to being very placid. He’s a stocky, compact horse, but the foal you will get depends on the mare he covers. He’s a Classicwinning miler who gets jumping winners.”

Passing Glance

Polar Falcon – Spurned (Robellino) Fee £3,000 (Oct 1, LF) “We have a good relationship with David and Kathleen Holmes because we used to walk mares in to Passing Glance and Midnight Legend. When they gave up stallions Passing

Glance came here, and he’s a really lovely horse who improves his mares. He’s a dual-purpose horse, with very good statistics and well supported by the Balding family [he won races for both Ian and Andrew Balding].”

Cockney Rebel

Val Royal – Factice (Known Fact) Fee £2,500 (Oct 1, LF) “He’s a cheeky lad, but there’s nothing aggressive in him. That’s true of all our stallions, but I think the way we keep them, in the main yard where there is always lots going on, and mares come and go, helps in that regard. We are looking forward to seeing what winners come out of France, and he’ll be in Newmarket on show during the February Sale when we hope lots of people will come and see him.”

Harbour Law

Lawman – Abunai (Pivotal) Fee £4,000 (Oct 1, LF) “We are very excited about him and there has been lots of interest, and a number of bookings. I’m sure he will be popular at the parades. He had been in a livery yard after leaving racing, and we thought he might be a bit buzzy once he came into a bigger yard with other stallions, but he’s been fine and has passed all the early tests. It’s great to have another Classic winner on the stud, and he’s by an outstanding sire.”

Swiss Spirit

Tim Varey and another new face at Batsford Stud, the Harris family’s Swiss Spirit

Invincible Spirit – Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge) Fee £3,000 (Oct 1, SLF) “We’ve long wanted to stand a sprinter, and he’s a particularly lovely, big horse. He has plenty of stock to come out and run from his time at Whitsbury. He’s as cool as a cucumber and we’ve been told he’s very good when it comes to covering. He has made a very promising start with his first twoand three-year-olds, and I’m sure his initial black-type winner will come this year. Trevor Harris is as passionate about the horse as we are, and he is sure that winner is going to come too.”

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21/01/2019 14:13

Al Kazeem TOB-February 2019:Oakgrove Stud

9/1/19

11:17

Page 1

Al Kazeem 50% winners to runners No other British or Irish second crop stallion of 2018 can beat that

bay 2008, 16.1hh by Dubawi - Kazeem (Darshaan) Ë Four-time Gr.1 winner by DUBAWI

Ë Joint Champion Older Horse in Europe in 2013 (9.5f-10.5f) Ë Timeform rated 128 in three consecutive seasons

Ë 9 individual winners and 2 black-type performers from just 18 runners, including Listed winner ASPETAR and black-type sprinter GOLDEN SPELL

Ë His second crop will be 2yos in 2019

Ë 80% mares in foal at close of the 2018 season

STANDING AT OAKGROVE STUD

Fee: £12,000 Oct 1st SLF (Limited Book)

Oakgrove Estate, St Arvans, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 6EH Tel: 01291 622876 G Fax: 01291 622070 G Email: oakgrovestud@btinternet.com G www.oakgrovestud.com For Nominations Contact: David Hilton: 07595 951248 G Email: david@oakgrovestud.com G Vannessa Swift: 01291 622876

Talking To...

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Amy Murphy

Aiming

Amy Murphy “lives, breathes and dreams racing” and has made an excellent start to her training career

HIGH

Newmarket dual-purpose trainer Amy Murphy is just 26 but thanks to Kalashnikov is already well known – the mission now is to progress again to compete regularly on big days and at festivals Interview: Tim Richards Photos: George Selwyn

hen you started training in 2016 you were Britain’s youngest trainer at 24. Before you set up in Newmarket you had learnt your trade in some of the best establishments in the world. Give us a brief resume of your varied life as a racing student… I was brought up around racehorses as a child on my dad’s stud, Wychnor Park in Staffordshire. I started riding out in my spare time at John Mackie’s or Eddie McMahon’s stables, then from 15 onwards I branched out and ventured to Nicky Henderson’s, where I spent all my weekends and school holidays. Then I went to Hartpury College, where I studied Equine Science and continued to ride out for Henderson whenever I could. After my time at Hartpury, Tom Dascombe gave me a big opportunity to be a barn leader and pupil assistant at his Cheshire yard. I’ll be eternally grateful to Tom for giving me such a big opportunity at such a young age. It was a great grounding and taught me an awful lot in the three years I was there. I then wanted to spread my wings, go abroad and see how things

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were done differently, and I went to Gai Waterhouse in Sydney. Coming towards the end of my time in Australia I applied for a job, sending my CV to 40 trainers. I heard back from seven. I got a call from Mr Cumani and before I knew it I’d accepted a job in England with nowhere to live, no flights booked, and I was meant to be starting in two weeks. I went to see Gai the next morning terribly worried about what she was going to say because I knew she had various plans for me. As I approached her I was shocked to hear her say, ‘I know’. She told me Mr Cumani had been on the phone to her and said I must get on the next plane home because opportunities like that don’t come around very often. You must have learnt a lot in such elite surroundings. How did the experiences shape your outlook and ambitions? I’d like to think I’ve taken the best from each of Tom, Gai and Luca because different parts of my daily routine are the result of my time spent with all three. I have taken a lot from the spelling of horses in Australia, where they give horses regular intervals in their training

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Talking To... “I ride Kalashnikov every morning and he always tries to bonk me off” ›› – I copy that even if it’s just a week in a

paddock post-race. I like my horses to be fresh. Tom taught me a great deal about getting two-year-olds ready to win first time out, whereas Luca instilled in me patience in everything to do with horses. All three are very, very good at what they do. The one message that runs through the Dascombe, Waterhouse and Cumani operations is: run a horse only when it’s 100%. Gai Waterhouse has a reputation for telling it to your face. How did you get on during your six months with her in Sydney? I was lucky to travel some top horses to the Australian carnivals, including the Magic Millions, in the six months I was there. Gai’s an amazing woman and, in the best way, gives you a bollocking when you have done something wrong. There were occasions when I certainly knew about it. She’s very good at correcting people who are not pulling their weight; very much an appearance

person and if you’re not looking smart and tidy she’ll let you know. She is in the Sir Mark Prescott mould as far as working discipline is concerned and you’re always expected to do a good job. You learn a lot about training on the clock, studying times and sectional times because they work on the track in Australia. Is there anything Britain can learn from racing in Australia? Owners’ syndicates are huge in Australia. The greater prize-money means that someone with a relatively small share in a horse has a good chance of paying their way – the same as in France. Syndicates are more accessible and affordable and that’s something I’ve brought back to the UK. A lot of my horses are owned by syndicates I have put together; I am trying to make racehorse ownership more affordable. Communication techniques is something else I learned in Australia; they are very good at keeping in touch with owners, managers, studs or whatever. In the last five years syndicates have really started to take off here and are a big benefit to the sport. I have owners who started with a small part of a horse that now have full horses. Your father Paul owned the successful Wychnor Park Stud in Staffordshire before moving to Newmarket. How much has dad’s support and encouragement driven you? Hugely. Without him it would have been very hard to get up and running.

I have been extremely fortunate to have him to help me to start with some nice horses which got me going. The likes of Kalane and Mercian Prince in our first season when I trained eight horses – seven owned by dad and one by me. Dad used to drive the horsebox to pony club and then drove me to ride out before I got my licence. The whole family have been a fantastic support as I followed my equestrian dream. Now dad, who was a successful businessman in the healthcare business, does the water buckets – he’s the watering man in the yard! He put in a full shift over Christmas and the new year! Seriously though, he bred the Festival winner Burntoakboy and his wonderful mare Carole’s Crusader produced numerous winners for him, including Carole’s Legacy and Mad Max. His breeding operation is now based at Ballincurrig House Stud with Michael Moore in County Cork. All his mares and young stock are there. Dad has been a wonderful inspiration to me. And, of course, he owns Kalashnikov, who gave us our biggest moment in the Betfair Hurdle. You ride Kalashnikov, your exciting novice chaser and recent ROA Award winner, most mornings. What are his

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Amy Murphy movement of horses between England, Ireland and France after Brexit. You train Mercian King for The Thoroughbred Club. Why is TTC so important and what else can the sport do to attract a younger audience? We need to be attracting young people into our industry and through TTC there is a good chance of encouraging them into the many different careers that racing offers – employment in studs, racing itself, racecourses or governance. I have just created my own Racing App which covers our declarations, news and what’s going on in the yard. We must use new technology to make racing interesting and easy to follow.

Kalashnikov’s victory in the Betfair Hurdle put trainer Amy Murphy and jockey Jack Quinlan (below left) on the map

characteristics and what sets him apart? I ride him every morning and he always tries to bonk me off. He’s quite a character, a lovely horse but who can be quite fresh and exuberant. He lets me know when he’s feeling well, that’s for sure, and can be quite a handful, but there’s no malice in him whatsoever. He possesses a lot of raw talent and finds things easy when other horses struggle a bit. He’s very tough with a great constitution and would run through a brick wall for you. All being well he’ll go for the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick in February and then the Arkle. What is the most demanding aspect for someone of your age, 26, running a 50-horse yard in Newmarket? Obviously a job like this is 24/7. Very often there’s stuff that needs doing at 10.30 at night. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I ride out three lots every morning and try to be in the office by about 11am. Of course, we’re always busy but I enjoy every minute and want to repay all those people who have supported me. As a dual-purpose trainer, do you have plans to expand or increase one side

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of your operation? We have 15 jumpers and the rest are Flat horses. I would like to expand both sides of the business. People have got the wrong impression thinking we have more jumpers; maybe that’s because of Kalashnikov and what he’s done over hurdles and fences. At heart I am more of a jumping person having been brought up in that world, but the Flat is much more commercial. There is a lot of talk about the lack of stable staff in the UK. Is finding the necessary staff a big issue and how can the industry address this problem? There are probably more horses in training than ever before and so we need more people to look after them. We have to consider different options, like more time off, modernise and look at different ways to attract young people into racing. When people can work a five-day week in a normal job, why would they come and work a 13day fortnight in racing? We don’t have as many foreign staff as we used to. My fiancée, Lemos de Souza, is Brazilian and he could bring 30 Brazilians over tomorrow to work in racing but it’s not possible any more because they can’t get visas. I also fear for the free

What is your ultimate ambition and where do you see yourself in five years’ time? To be a successful dual-purpose trainer, produce Group 1 winners and compete at the very top. In five years’ I’d like a string of horses that can compete on Saturdays and take me to the big festivals. I know I won’t achieve any of this without the team at home. All right, I am the driver, but those working behind the scenes are second to none.

CLOSE UP AND… PERSONAL

Favourite song/artist… Adele Four dinner party guests… Jamie Oliver (for cooking), Sir Mark Prescott (storytelling), Adele (entertainment) and my fiancée Lemos de Souza (for Brazilian cocktail, Caipirinha) Guiltiest pleasure… anything sweet Relaxation away from horses… good bottle of champagne with friends Best advice I’ve been given… work hard and always listen and learn

CLOSE UP AND… PROFESSIONAL

Person I most admire… Henrietta Knight Racing has taught me… always enjoy the good days Race I’d love to win… Cheltenham Gold Cup My racing hero… AP McCoy Alternative career… never considered one because I live, breathe and dream racing

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Mill Ridge Farm

Kentucky’s

LEADING MAN Oscar Performance retires to Mill Ridge Farm this season to continue the historic stud’s penchant for the influence of green grass in the Bluegrass Words: Nancy Sexton Photos: Lucas Marquardt & George Selwyn

he stature of Mill Ridge Farm as an esteemed part of the Kentucky fabric remains undimmed as it enters its 57th year of operation. Founder Alice Chandler, 93, worked her way into racing history on a series of occasions, whether as the first American woman to breed an Epsom Derby winner, courtesy of Sir Ivor no less, or as the first to own, breed and train a stakes winner in North America. Few would argue that her success, and that of the Mill Ridge brand since then, has been the product of hard work alongside an innate appreciation of the sport, assets undoubtedly inherited from her father Hal Price Headley, one of the founding fathers of Keeneland. And today the operation remains in very safe hands via her son Headley Bell, managing partner of the farm since 2008 who is assisted within his bloodstock agency, Nicoma Bloodstock, by his own son Price. Another of Chandler’s sons, Reynolds, is also a highly successful bloodstock agent. From Sir Ivor to Kentucky Derby winners Barbaro and Giacomo, and more recently American Horse of the Year Havre De Grace, the list of top-notchers to have come off the land at Mill Ridge is vast. Yet, for all their success, the beating heart of the operation for many years was the stallion row, home at its peak to Gone West and Diesis. Over the course of the late 1980s through to the 2000s, those international heavyweights underpinned a busy stallion roster at Mill Ridge. But they say all good things come to an end and when Gone West died at 25 in 2009, it marked the end of an important era for the farm; by that stage, only Gone West’s son Johar, then a $10,000 stallion, held court at Mill

Ridge, and when he died in 2014 they officially left the stallion business. For a farm whose roster once wielded such influence on the international stage – Diesis left behind Epsom Oaks winners Diminuendo, Ramruma and Love Divine, while Gone West’s legacy runs strong through the deeds of Speightstown, Zafonic and Elusive Quality – it was a sad development, although one that was recently negated to a degree by the retirement of their homebred Grade 3 winner Keep Up. However, last autumn brought the very welcome news that Mill Ridge is really back in the game with the addition of the brilliant turf runner Oscar Performance, a true American rarity in that he recorded Grade 1 victories at two, three and four without the assistance of the raceday medication Lasix. Not only that, the five-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy was also foaled and raised at Mill Ridge on behalf of long-time clients John and Jerry

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Oscar Performance surveying his new surroundings at Mill Ridge Farm and, below, being led in after winning the Breedersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita

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Mill Ridge Farm

Headley Bell, right, and son Price are delighted to be reunited with Oscar Performance, who was raised at Mill Ridge for the Amermans

›› Amerman from a mating devised by

Headley Bell. “We were in the stallion business,” says Price Bell, “and in that pattern of retiring a new horse every year. We ran that race in the 1990s, and we just got to the point that if those didn’t hit, we couldn’t keep going in every year. “Now there’s no ‘have to’ about it. We can focus on what we really believe in.” And in Oscar Performance, the farm understandably feels that it has that exact package. Here is a horse who capped his juvenile season for trainer Brian Lynch with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, before returning at three to land the Belmont Derby and Secretariat Stakes. He continued in a similar vein at four when winning the Woodbine Mile and Poker Handicap, in which he lowered Elusive Quality’s record mark for the Belmont Park mile. In all, he won eight races for $2,345,960 in earnings. “He’s the first American colt to win Grade 1 races at two, three and four since Graded stakes races began,” says Headley Bell. “I think his greatest asset was his ability to lie close in his races. He’s a speed horse but one that didn’t have to be on the lead. He didn’t need a race to be set up for him. He had this great pace and then a turn of foot.” He adds: “We’re excited about the timing of it all. Turf racing is continuing to evolve and be appreciated. And the timing of this horse, especially as a good son of Kitten’s Joy, could mean that one day he fills a void – who knows who the next champion turf sire is going to be.” Mill Ridge has installed Oscar Performance at a fee of $20,000. One of only two Kentucky-based sons of Kitten’s

Joy, the Ramsey phenomenon who reached new heights in 2018 as the sire of Roaring Lion while reigning as North America’s champion stallion, he will be supported by a powerful syndicate of shareholders, among them Coolmore’s Orpendale, George Strawbridge, Justify’s breeders John and Tanya Gunther, Dixiana Farm, LNJ Foxwoods, Everett Dobson of Cheyenne Stables and Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm. “That’s really important,” says Headley

“I suppose we do have an affinity for turf horses - that would go back to Diesis” Bell. “It’s all about building foundations. “We consider standing a turf stallion an opportunity and certainly it is becoming more favourable to do so here. I think that’s something we saw in the yearling market last year.” He adds: “I suppose we do have an affinity for turf horses – that would probably go back to Diesis. But first and foremost we try to breed a racehorse and really what I look for is a quality stallion who is value. “With this horse, it really was the perfect setting. We had raised him and he

was owned by the Amermans, friends we have known for so long. So often in these situations you can get trumped by the dollar. And the Amermans turned down a lot for him from Japan.” With the deal in place for Oscar Performance to retire to his birthplace, the Bells embarked on gathering interest in the horse. A group of 15 shares priced at $75,000 were sold over a period of ten days in the summer, and when Oscar Performance subsequently scored in the Woodbine Mile, another batch of $100,000 shares priced swiftly changed hands. “It was about trying to make a square deal for the shareholders and the Amermans,” says Price Bell. “As Craig Bernick recently said to us, syndicates need those breeders who own those well-related mares that they are happy to send in these horses’ third and fourth seasons. And I think we found that – people with quality programmes.” Oscar Performance will be limited to 140 mares, with ten owned by the Amermans. He is also unlikely to shuttle. “We’re doing everything we can that we really think is the best for the shareholders and the horse,” says Headley Bell. “That’s our approach. We’re in the long-term business ourselves, always have been. For instance, Price is the sixth generation horseman in our family.” The team really comes alight, however, when discussing the horse’s pedigree. After all, the decision to send his dam Devine Actress, a stakes-winning daughter of Theatrical, to Kitten’s Joy was the brainchild of Headley Bell – it’s probably no coincidence that the first Graded stakes winner by Kitten’s Joy bred by

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$75,000 LFSN

The NexT ImporTaNT US-BaSed INTerNaTIoNal SIre IN 2018, KITTeN’S Joy waS The leadINg TUrf SIre IN eUrope aNd NorTh amerIca.

4-time Group 1 Winner Roaring Lion ($3,575,197) winning the Queen Elizabeth II on Champions Day.

LGB, LLC 2019 / Photos: ©Cranhamphoto.com

+1 (859) 255-8290 • www.hillndalefarms.com

Hill 'n' Dale OB Feb 2019 f-pindd.indd 2

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Mill Ridge Farm ››

someone other than the stallion’s owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey was Kitten’s Point, a 2010-foaled filly bred by Bell’s client, George Strawbridge. “For me, the Lear Fan presence as the damsire of Kitten’s Joy was huge,” he says. “Lear Fan was a tremendous racehorse and I thought he became a tremendous source. I’ve always tried to pull back in as much Roberto as I can to a pedigree. The same goes for Ribot.” In the case of Oscar Performance, the cross of Kitten’s Joy over Devine Actress also produces multiple lines of breedshaping sires Bold Reason, Tom Fool, Nashua, Buckpasser, Nantallah and TurnTo, in addition to the matriarchs Rough Shod and Special. “It’s a great pattern,” says Headley Bell. “At the time, we felt that Kitten’s Joy was a value stallion and he blended well with the mare’s pedigree. [Grade 3 winner] Oscar Nominated was the first foal and he was so attractive that we went back, with the result being Oscar Performance. “Devine Actress is a gorgeous mare and really Oscar Performance is her. But what we really love is this blend – I think when you’re doing your mating plans, you’re really just trying to get as many good ingredients into the pot as you can. And when you’re throwing things like all those double crosses in there, it just gives you every chance.” Price is understandably similarly enthused. Having followed the horse closely since he joined Lynch’s barn, he is in awe of some of the horse’s performances, ranging from his juvenile season, when a ten-length maiden win at Saratoga first showcased his ability, to his subsequent Grade 1 victories. “Right now, 39% of Graded stakes in America are turf races,” he says. “But you look at the turf sires in America and there are very few sires that are still active. War Front and Kitten’s Joy are great if you can get in. But against that, the likes of City Zip, Arch, Giant’s Causeway and Scat Daddy are all dead.” He adds: “I also think the timing couldn’t be better given what Roaring Lion achieved last year. War Front has his own kind of following and Scat Daddy is the same. But for Roaring Lion to be a son of Kitten’s Joy, it just all fell into place. He danced every dance and was so tough. He was awesome to watch. “Who knows what makes a good stallion? With Oscar Performance, you have the no Lasix and the ability of a record-holding miler. And he’s beautifully bred and a beautiful horse. You try to put as many things in the pot and then let luck play its part.”

Diesis gallops to an easy victory in the Dewhurst Stakes for Lord Howard de Walden

Sharp eye for success Mill Ridge Farm was in the game of standing stallions from the days of Loom, a 1962-foaled son of Swoon’s Son. But it was the addition of Diesis which really propelled the farm on to the international stage. Trained by Sir Henry Cecil to become the first horse to land the Middle Park-Dewhurst Stakes double since Lemberg in 1909, Diesis arrived in Kentucky in 1984 just as the first runners by his celebrated older brother Kris were taking to the track. In a portent of things to come, the group included Fillies’ Triple Crown heroine Oh So Sharp, whose achievements helped Kris secure the British and Irish sires’ championship of 1985. With Kris holding court in Britain for Lord Howard de Walden, it made sense for Diesis to try his hand in Kentucky, especially as the state was also home by then to his successful sire Sharpen Up. The move was swiftly vindicated. In keeping with Kris’s example, Diesis sired his own first-crop Oaks winner in Diminuendo and would later be represented by an array of other European stars, including Halling, Elmaamul and Ramruma. “We had those European relationships, stemming primarily from the days of Sir Ivor,” says Headley Bell of the deal to stand Diesis. “When we bought the horse, we syndicated half of him, although in all honesty he wasn’t the easiest sell even though you had the Sharpen Up angle working for you. “But then people saw the foals, they

sold well and we sold more shares.” And when Diminuendo, bred by Nancy Dillman, emerged as one of the top European fillies of 1988, Diesis was off and running. “Obviously his first crop was so significant and after that he went as high as $150,000 at one point,” says Bell. “Diminuendo was out of Cacti, by Tom Rolfe, and she was our introduction to Nancy Dillman.” Dillman would go on to enjoy further success as the breeder of Havre De Grace and remains a client of Mill Ridge to this day. “Gone West was a similar kind of situation,” says Bell of the Dwyer Stakes winner, a son of Mr Prospector who joined the farm in 1988. “We syndicated half the horse. Then he got very good-looking stock, they sold very well and it went from there. “Juddmonte was one of the breeders who bought a share in the horse and they got Zafonic in the second crop. We’ve been very lucky over the years to be involved with those champion breeders that give those horses a chance.”

The stallion’s plaque at Mill Ridge

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BALLYLINCH STUD WORLD CLASS Fascinating Rock

€7,500

Dual Gr.1 winner and TFR 127 By top international sire Fastnet Rock. Won the Gr.1 Champion Stakes in a time faster than Frankel & Cracksman. Impressive first foals in 2018 made up to €185,000.

Lope De Vega

BOOK

Already sire of 7 Gr.1 winners

FULL

€80,000

40 Black Type horses in 2018 and 8 individual Stakes winning 2yos including unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord. Yearlings in 2018 made up to €900,000.

Make Believe

€12,000

Won the Gr.1 Prix de la Forêt in record time and Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains. Yearlings in 2018 made up to 210,000gns and were bought by Shadwell Estates, Mark Johnston, SackvilleDonald, Stephen Hillen, Meridian International, etc. FIRST CROP OF 2YO’S TO RUN IN 2019

New Bay

€15,000

A Classic winning son of Dubawi and TFR 128 Winner of the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club in a time faster than Shamardal, Le Havre & Lope De Vega. From the family of outstanding stallions Kingman and Oasis Dream. 2018 first foals topped 2 individual foal sales.

Beat Hollow

€5,000

Sire of Gr.1 Punchestown Champion Hurdle winner Wicklow Brave and Gr.1 Cheltenham Festival winner Cinders And Ashes. By Sadler’s Wells from the immediate family of Martaline.

BALLYLINCH STUD

Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny.

Tel: (056) 7724217 • Emails: info@ballylinchstud.ie joc@ballylinchstud.ie • www.ballylinchstud.com

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Breeders’ Digest

Emma Berry Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes: Stallion Profitability: Which sires were in demand at the foal sales? – pages 68-72 Sales Circuit: $5 million for Abel Tasman as Keeneland sees in 2019 in style – pages 74-78 Dr Statz: “For the record, Showcasing does quite clearly improve his mares” – page 104

Why we should all remember the Sixties

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GEORGE SELWYN

he start of the year allows those breeders who are not sitting up waiting for mares to foal to get out and about on stallion visits. The recent officially organised Irish Stallion Trail and La Route des Etalons in Normandy have become annual fixtures for some, and in Ireland in particular the trail offers racing fans a reconnection with their former heroes. While the object of any stallion farm opening its doors is primarily to encourage breeders to book nominations, there’s no harm in allowing, for one weekend a year, access to the wider public. All too often we hear complaints of Flat racehorses being retired too soon. Why not continue to allow people to see these horses who, let’s face it, have generally been granted a place at stud only because they were among the best of their generation? It’s a great way to keep fans engaged, and who knows how many of them may be encouraged to become owners or breeders after being given a behind-the-scenes view of where the lives of racehorses begin? Despite the existence of the stallion parades at Goffs UK’s January Sale and the Tattersalls February Sale, it remains preferable, in my view, for Britain to follow the examples set first by France and then by Ireland, to formalise a weekend of ‘open house’ viewing at stallion farms across the land. I understand the geographical arguments that have been put forward but there are enough studs clustered in relatively close proximity to allow this to be a viable opportunity, both for existing breeders and perhaps for attracting new ones. On a recent visit to Coolmore Stud I was fortunate, like the record numbers who attended the Irish Stallion Trail, to see the great Galileo at home and looking terrific at the age of 21. Under the Coolmore umbrella at various studs there are seven of his sons on the Flat roster and another three among the National Hunt stallions, while scattered around different studs in the country

Sixties Icon: a reliable but overlooked gem

you have the likes of Teofilo, Decorated Knight, and Frankel’s full-brother Proconsul, who has relocated from Mickley Stud to Annshoon Stud. In Britain we have Frankel himself, along with Intello, New Approach, Ulysses and Mondialiste, while Telescope was a popular addition to the jumping ranks a few seasons ago.

The best to the best

With Australia we were given the perfect example of how breeding the best to the best really should come up trumps when this son of Derby winner Galileo and Oaks winner Ouija Board won the Derby himself before also snagging the Irish version of his Classic, just like his mother and father before him. Long before the attempts to sharpen up Galileo’s stamina influence with some faster mares, we’d already seen just how well the Classic blend works. In the nine-time champion’s first year at stud he was visited by Lordship Stud’s Oaks winner Love Divine, and this daughter of Diesis duly provided Galileo with his first British Classic winner, Sixties Icon, who led home a trifecta for his sire when The Last Drop and Red Rocks filled the minor places. Now 16, Sixties Icon can lay claim to being one of the most underrated stallions in the British Isles. He’s standing this year for £6,000, the fee at which he started ten years ago,

with a dip to £4,500 for his third and fourth years at stud followed by a rise to £8,500 when his first-crop runners surprised many who had marked him the ‘jump sire in the making’ label assigned to most St Leger winners. By the 2012 Flat season those same folk were reassessing their opinion of Sixties Icon when he recorded his first two-year-old winner as early as April 8, then Chilworth Icon became his first black-type winner in the Woodcote Stakes on Derby day. The stallion owes plenty of his success to Mick Channon, whose close involvement with Norman Court Stud, where Sixties Icon has stood throughout this career, means he has bred and trained many of his better runners. But as Channon commented all those years ago after Chilworth Icon’s success at Epsom: “People say I’ve been getting on with his two-year-olds but I can’t make the horses win. If they didn’t have the ability they wouldn’t be doing this.” The trainer remains Sixties Icon’s greatest cheerleader and advertisement. Last year, when the stallion recorded a near-50% winning strike-rate, a number of the multiple scorers from West Ilsley were sons and daughters of Sixties Icon, ranging from the dual five-furlong-winning juvenile Kinks to the redoubtable old stayer Fitzwilly, whose tally runs to eight wins and 24 places from 68 starts. Like their sire, who remained in training at four and five, adding the Jockey Club Stakes and three more Group 3 contests over 12 and 13 furlongs to his CV, his offspring tend to be hardy and progressive. In the last five seasons Sixties Icon’s books have numbered 52, 39, 39, 64 and 56. With a constant influx of new stallions who offer a glimmer of commercialism before the market likely takes against them, it’s easy for such a horse to be overlooked. But that’s a shame, because not many horses will achieve what Sixties Icon did on the racecourse, or what he has at stud from limited resources, while boasting a pedigree from the very top drawer.

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Foal market overview

The ups and downs of the

FOAL TRADE While the top half of the market improved again last year, the combined clearance rate for the European foal sales was just 58%, with the number offered for sale having increased by 43% since 2012 Words: John Boyce

LAURA GREEN/TATTERSALLS

nlike the yearling market – the destination for most commercial breeders – the market for foals is often harder to break down. There is a core group of vendors that always sell at this time, but for many others it presents an early opportunity to terminate or liquidate investments before too much money is put into a foal that will not make the grade commercially. From the buying point of view, particularly at the upper end of the foal market, we have the battle between the traders and the end users. The latter usually walk away with the choicest lots, while the traders are always looking for value. In the last eight crops bred in Britain and Ireland, covering 2010 to 2016, 23% of horses were offered for sale as foals, while 47% were offered as yearlings and 8% at the breeze-up sales. Remarkably, 60% offered as foals

The most expensive foal of 2018 brought 1.7 million guineas but many sold at a loss

are re-offered as yearlings. Predictably, given that foals are that much further

EUROPEAN FOAL MARKET 2010-2018 BY AVERAGE PRICE PER DECILE (Averages in £ thousands) Year

D10

2018

202.3

70.8

46.4

34.5

24.6

17.5

12.1

7.2

4.0

1.4

2017

175.5

66.6

44.4

32.3

24.1

18.3

12.7

8.6

5.1

2.0

2016

147.5

61.7

40.8

28.8

20.9

14.7

10.3

6.9

4.1

1.6

2015

145.3

57.2

38.1

27.7

20.1

14.5

10.5

7.1

4.1

1.4

2014

148.1

62.2

42.5

30.7

23.7

18.2

13.3

9.4

6.2

2.6

2013

139.4

56.7

39.2

29.0

21.9

16.0

11.1

7.4

4.5

2.1

2012

112.8

51.3

34.4

25.6

18.8

14.2

9.9

6.7

4.1

1.7

2011

133.0

50.9

36.7

27.7

20.7

15.3

11.5

8.4

4.7

1.8

2010

113.4

48.0

32.8

24.0

18.8

14.1

9.6

6.5

3.5

1.4

away from the finished article, coupled with the fact that most of the bestbred stock will be going straight to the yearling sales or indeed straight to the racecourse, it’s not surprising that the ratio of black-type horses among foal sale graduates is lower. A total of 9.7% of sale weanlings earn black type, compared to 13.2% of yearling graduates and 11.2% from among those at the breeze-up sales. Still, we can’t grumble as only 4.7% of the 47% that never go to any sale become black-type horses. So, with such clouded supply and demand imperatives in play at the foal sales, it’s no wonder there is more volatility in the weanling market and as such it is less useful as a barometer for commercial breeding than the yearling market. Nevertheless, it does offer

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EUROPEAN SIRE PROFITABILITY FOR FOALS OF 2018 (Leading sires by average with five or more sold arranged by fee price range) Sire

Off

Sold

High £

Avg £

Med £

Fee16 £

Profit

Avg Profit

Xfee

Fee £50,000-plus Frankel

735,000

446,313

472,500

125,000

85.7

321,313

3.6

Kingman

388,500

177,334

107,625

55,000

100.0

122,334

3.2

Sea The Stars

630,000

155,707

136,500

106,567

57.6

49,140

1.5

210,000

121,724

131,250

102,305

66.7

19,419

1.2

Dark Angel

266,706

102,786

78,750

51,152

60.0

51,634

2.0

Golden Horn

210,000

76,825

56,175

60,000

33.3

16,825

1.3

210,000

66,028

44,704

51,152

42.9

14,876

1.3

91,350

54,165

45,528

50,000

41.7

4,165

1.1

Fee16 £

Profit

Avg Profit

Xfee

Invincible Spirit

Le Havre Oasis Dream

EUROPEAN SIRE PROFITABILITY FOR FOALS OF 2018 (Leading sires by average with five or more sold arranged by fee price range) Sire

Off

Sold

High £

Avg £

Med £

525,000

162,091

100,014

42,627

83.3

119,464

3.8

284,487

111,554

76,125

30,000

87.5

81,554

3.7 2.8

Fee £20,000-£49,999 Lope De Vega Muhaarar Siyouni

169,874

106,824

102,375

38,364

87.5

68,460

Kodiac

315,000

87,822

59,059

38,364

65.8

49,458

2.3

*Shalaa

252,000

80,666

52,500

23,444

75.0

57,222

3.4

Showcasing

199,500

80,513

65,417

35,000

68.8

45,513

2.3

New Approach

105,000

69,693

69,300

30,000

87.5

39,693

2.3

Australia

157,500

60,534

46,229

29,839

61.5

30,695

2.0

Gleneagles

210,000

53,742

42,000

34,101

38.5

19,641

1.6

Camelot

131,250

53,287

37,783

29,839

46.2

23,448

1.8

Iffraaj

126,000

52,589

49,875

27,500

61.1

25,089

1.9

Exceed And Excel

110,250

51,584

44,451

42,627

27.3

8,957

1.2

Pivotal

84,000

45,627

42,000

40,000

36.4

5,627

1.1

Zoffany

126,000

45,345

44,100

29,839

57.9

15,506

1.5

Teofilo

160,024

39,917

29,504

34,101

36.4

5,816

1.2

Acclamation

136,500

39,555

29,974

29,839

31.8

9,716

1.3

*The Gurkha

57,786

29,149

24,893

21,313

41.2

7,836

1.4

Intello

63,000

28,200

25,034

25,000

37.5

3,200

1.1

Mastercraftsman

68,250

27,527

24,448

21,313

35.7

6,214

1.3

Charm Spirit

54,600

25,533

24,893

20,000

41.2

5,533

1.3

vital clues to changes in investment strategies by both sellers and buyers. Could 2018 be one of those times? What is clear from the foal sales data over the past six or seven years is that there is only an appetite for about 1,5001,700 foals at the three main sales, Tatts December, Goffs November and Arqana December. But what we have seen since 2012 is an increase in the number offered for sale, which has gone from 1,802 in 2012 to 2,584 in 2018. That’s a staggering increase in supply of 43%. The net result was the lowest clearance rate of 58% in the past ten years. Of course, this low clearance rate is not just

Feb_174_FoalMarket.indd 69

down to oversupply. There is clearly a lack of confidence at play as well. When confidence evaporates – especially at times of oversupply – the results can be devastating. But it doesn’t affect all areas of the market in the same way. As we can glean from our decile tables, the top end of the market is growing well. The top five deciles have produced their highest-ever averages in 2018. The top 10% of the foal market is up 78% on the figure posted in 2010. And deciles two to five have risen by 48%, 41%, 44% and 31% respectively over the same period. The real attrition has taken place in

››

ZUZANNA LUPA

*First-season sire

Shalaa made a bright start at the foal sales

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Foal market overview EUROPEAN SIRE PROFITABILITY FOR FOALS OF 2018 (Leading sires by average with five or more sold arranged by fee price range) Sire

Off

Sold

High £

Avg £

Med £

Fee16 £

Profit

Avg Profit

Xfee

Fee £10,000-£19,999 No Nay Never

157,500

67,781

57,786

14,919

81.8

52,862

4.5

*Awtaad

178,500

58,643

51,563

12,788

82.8

45,855

4.6

Wootton Bassett

107,289

45,498

43,363

17,050

83.3

28,448

2.7

Starspangledbanner

157,500

40,086

31,500

12,788

70.6

27,298

3.1 1.9

Nathaniel

69,344

33,162

28,399

17,500

62.5

15,662

*New Bay

84,000

31,844

27,560

17,050

50.0

14,794

1.9

Holy Roman Emperor

71,122

30,377

25,200

14,919

53.3

15,458

2.0

*Twilight Son

84,457

30,272

29,338

10,000

69.7

20,272

3.0

*Territories

73,500

30,271

26,250

12,000

51.9

18,271

2.5

*Belardo

2.2

68,455

27,598

14,224

12,788

41.2

14,810

Sea The Moon

75,600

25,725

21,000

15,000

25.0

10,725

1.7

Kendargent

133,353

24,746

16,002

18,755

15.4

5,991

1.3

*Pride Of Dubai

86,100

22,825

19,558

12,788

42.1

10,037

1.8

*Mehmas

89,250

21,298

14,305

10,656

39.4

10,642

2.0

*The Last Lion

63,000

20,458

17,780

10,230

47.4

10,228

2.0

*Harzand

53,341

19,831

21,613

12,788

42.9

7,043

1.6

War Command

33,975

15,772

16,891

10,656

40.0

5,116

1.5

Brazen Beau Olympic Glory Make Believe

44,100

14,962

8,400

10,000

37.5

4,962

1.5

40,233

13,072

12,034

12,788

10.0

284

1.0

35,561

12,298

8,078

14,919

25.0

-2,621

0.8

*First-season sire

five bottom decile averages in 2018 were all below the levels achieved in 2017 and the bottom two posted the lowest averages since 2010. Moreover, this lower-end crash is not confined to the lesser sales. The lower 30% of the market at Tattersalls was abysmal for sellers in 2018, with the bottom three deciles averaging £8,012, £3,993 and £1,140 – the poorest returns since 2011. So, when Europe’s flagship foal sale sneezes, we need to be mindful that next year’s yearling sales could easily catch a cold. It is also a lesson in how advances at the elite end of the market can obscure real problems for commercial breeders further down. Another metric that perfectly illustrates the tough market conditions facing foal sellers in 2018 is stallion profitability. Of the 1,495 foals sold at the three principal European sales by sires with advertised fees, only 617 (41%) made enough money to cover their conception fee plus £10,000 in upkeep costs. In the same three sales in 2017, 46% of the foals sold posted a profit. Foals by all the major sires sold well, often being snapped up as potential racehorses rather than for resale in 2019. In the sub-£10,000 sire category, the

›› Awtaad was the pick of many foal pinhookers and his first crop averaged 4.6 times his fee

GEORGE SELWYN

›› the bottom half of the foal market. The

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Foal market overview EUROPEAN SIRE PROFITABILITY FOR FOALS OF 2018 (Leading sires by average with five or more sold arranged by fee price range) Sire

Off

Sold

High £

Avg £

Med £

Fee16 £

Profit

Avg Profit

Xfee

Fee up to £9,999 *Fascinating Rock

164,469

40,154

16,002

8,525

45.5

31,629

4.7

*Adaay

189,000

32,467

22,050

7,000

61.5

25,467

4.6

Havana Gold

120,750

31,631

11,550

7,000

33.3

24,631

4.5

Dandy Man

84,000

29,906

22,670

8,525

65.8

21,381

3.5

Camacho

73,500

23,049

18,900

6,394

60.0

16,655

3.6

Tamayuz

41,784

21,873

19,114

6,820

50.0

15,053

3.2

Fast Company

78,750

20,321

13,817

5,967

45.0

14,354

3.4

Footstepsinthesand

55,119

20,242

13,779

8,525

38.9

11,717

2.4

Garswood

33,600

19,320

26,250

4,000

60.0

15,320

4.8

*Pearl Secret

44,100

18,236

14,542

4,000

50.0

14,236

4.6

Equiano

35,700

18,217

17,325

8,000

30.0

10,217

2.3

*Kodi Bear

58,675

17,534

10,668

8,525

33.3

9,009

2.1

Sir Percy

33,600

17,250

11,550

7,000

42.9

10,250

2.5

Gutaifan

42,673

17,172

12,890

8,525

42.9

8,647

2.0

*Estidhkaar

88,902

16,473

6,001

4,262

22.7

12,211

3.9

Dabirsim

62,585

16,188

8,941

7,672

33.3

8,516

2.1

*Markaz

63,000

16,090

9,779

5,115

29.2

10,975

3.1

Sir Prancealot *Vadamos

32,005

15,905

12,600

5,115

50.0

10,790

3.1

54,600

15,014

9,975

8,525

30.4

6,489

1.8

*Dariyan

29,504

14,944

15,105

6,820

33.3

8,124

2.2

*Buratino

31,116

14,242

12,224

4,262

41.7

9,980

3.3

Scissor Kick

25,034

13,299

11,623

8,525

25.0

4,774

1.6

39,900

12,836

8,445

6,820

22.2

6,016

1.9

31,500

12,306

5,250

6,000

40.0

6,306

2.1

Myboycharlie

22,352

11,846

11,623

3,836

33.3

8,010

3.1

*Prince Of Lir

33,783

11,072

6,445

4,262

16.7

6,810

2.6

Mayson

25,200

10,762

10,500

6,000

16.7

4,762

1.8

Dragon Pulse Hot Streak

Anodin

14,305

10,639

13,411

6,394

4,245

1.7

Mukhadram

42,000

10,587

2,730

7,000

16.7

3,587

1.5

*First-season sire

sire Adaay (by Kodiac) caught the imagination, with 26 foals selling for an average of £32,467, which was a good return on his £7,000 fee. Given the tough trading conditions, over 60% making a profit was the best in this price range. Fellow freshman Fascinating Rock recorded the best average and had a fee multiple second only to Garswood among this group but less than half of his foals were profitable. Others to do well were Pearl Secret, Havana Gold, Estidhkaar, Camacho, Fast Company and Buratino, all of whom posted healthy fee multiples. Dandy Man was also very popular with 66% of his foals profitable. The £10,000-£19,999 cohort featured the last of the cheaply produced No Nay Nevers, with 82% turning a profit.

EMMA BERRY

›› Whitsbury Manor-based first-season

Ballylinch Stud’s Fascinating Rock

His 33 foals sold posted an average gross profit (average price minus fee) of well over £50,000. Another to do well was freshman sire Awtaad, who recorded an excellent 4.6 times his fee with an average price of over £45,000

more than his fee. Starspangledbanner, meanwhile, was behind only No Nay Never and Awtaad with 71% profitable foals. The runaway winner in the £20,000£50,000 price range was Lope De Vega, whose average was £119,000 clear of his fee. Muhaarar, Siyouni, Kodiac, Showcasing and New Approach also did well in this regard. Shalaa was the star first-season sire in this price band, his first foals making an average gross profit of over £57,000. At the elite end of the market (£50,000-plus) among the sires with five or more sold, the Frankels and Kingmans sold extremely well, whilst there may be some shrewd pinhooks among the large number of Sea The Stars foals sold.

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Sales Circuit • By Carl Evans Keeneland January Sale

Rarely does one horse dominate a sale of this size, but top-class racemare Abel Tasman was in a league of her own before and after the event. A winner of six Grade 1 races, the five-year-old daughter of stallion Quality Road was knocked down to Coolmore Stud for $5 million, equalling the auction’s record set 18 years earlier for the mare Mackie, who carried to champion Mr Prospector. Abel Tasman has yet to be covered, but is destined for a date with a top stallion, be it at Ashford Stud or Coolmore HQ in Ireland. Trained for most of her career – and all her notable victories – by Bob Baffert, Abel Tasman began racing from the stable of expatriate Englishman Simon Callaghan, but she was removed from his care after she failed to carry the colours of part-owners The China Horse Club following a mishap on her third start in a race at Santa Anita. Callaghan was dejected, and would have felt no better when, not long after leaving his care, she won the Kentucky Oaks. She was consigned at this auction by Taylor Made Sales on behalf of the China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms. Her sale accounted for much, but not all, of a 59% gain in turnover at session one of this four-day auction. Rip Van Winkle’s full-sister A Star Is Born, the

TALKING POINTS

Top lot Abel Tasman made $5,000,000

dam of Middle Park Stakes runner-up Fleet Review, sold for $750,000, while the Del Mark Oaks winner Fatale Bere made $700,000 to a bid from Shadai Farm to gild Abel Tasman’s sale and give the first day a big rise in turnover to $21m. Strong trade continued over the following three days, completing a 34% overall gain in aggregate despite the addition of just seven horses on the 2018 sale. The average gained 33% and the median 67%, as international buyers seized on the available goods.

• A government shutdown in the USA, stock market fears and a Brexit position which bore little resemblance to the simple exit most had expected two years earlier, would not have been ideal conditions for trading commodities. Yet works of art retain their value in far bigger crises, and so it seems do outstanding fillies and mares. Abel Tasman’s sale for $5m was proof. • Yearlings sold in January – known as short yearlings in the US – have often been dismissed in the past as culls not good enough for conventional foal sales. Yet this sale saw several transactions of $300,000-plus, headed by a Union Rags colt who made $390,000, suggesting breeders may be seeing plusses in going to market after the turn of the year. Their foals have a better chance of standing out, they have more time to develop, and they are offered in a smaller market. It does help, of course, if some high-class mares are also in the catalogue to attract buyers.

Keeneland January Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Abel Tasman (Quality Road - Vargas Girl)

Taylor Made Sales

Price ($) 5,000,000

Buyer M V Magnier

A Star Is Born (Galileo - Looking Back)

Hill 'n' Dale Sales

750,000

Summer Wind Equine

House Rules (Distorted Humor – Teamgeist)

Blackwood Stables

750,000

WinStar Farm

Fatale Bere (Pedro The Great - Mofa Bere)

ELiTE

700,000

Shadai Farm

Best Performance (Broken Vow - Give My Regards)

Lane's End

560,000

Three Chimneys Farm

Media Mischief (Into Mischief - Media Nox)

Eaton Sales

450,000

Springhouse Farm

Sweet Dreams (Candy Ride - Cat Charmer)

Hidden Brook

420,000

Eaton Sales

Lavender Chrissie (Scat Daddy - Lavender Baby)

Lane's End

400,000

Montia Holdings

C Union Rags - Zondaq (Bernardini)

Indian Creek

390,000

Albert Racing

C Into Mischief - Mary Rita (Distorted Humor)

Taylor Made Sales Agency

375,000

Ardfield B/s

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg ($)

Avg ($)

Mdn ($)

Top Price ($)

2019

915

46,724,600

51,065

20,000

5,000,000

2018

909

34,996,000

38,499

12,000

1,600,000

2017

960

28,730,500

29,928

10,250

1,025,000

2016

1039

35,461,500

34,130

11,000

700,000

2015

948

35,305,500

37,242

16,000

2,200,000

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Overview and analysis of the latest events in the ring Magic Millions Yearling Sale Book 1

Record trade, theatrically peaking during a hectic final evening session after an afternoon of racing, sent vendors home happy from Book 1 of this sale. Eleven horses made a seven-figure sum, headed by a A$1.7 million colt sired by I Am Invincible, a son of the Irish National Stud’s Invincible Spirit. Trainer Lloyd Kennewell, who is about to base his operation in Melbourne, brought the hammer down on behalf of a group of buyers that included racehorse owner Ozzie Kheir. He part-owns the Hughie Morrison-trained Marmelo, runner-up in last year’s Melbourne Cup. Teamwork can make dreams work, and partnerships or syndicates are normal practice in Australian racing. The Hong Kong-based Fung family of Aquis Farm took a share in the top lot, and also in a Redoute’s Choice colt whose A$1.6m valuation placed him second on the leaderboard – the other share in this colt was bought by the ubiquitous Phoenix Thoroughbreds. Established sires tend to dominate the big prices at premier yearling sales, and in that respect this one was no different. Redoute’s Choice may be a 23-year-old, and his spells in Europe failed to yield a champion, but he remains as popular as ever in Australia, while US champion Medaglio D’Oro, who has shuttled to Australia for a number of years, was

Lloyd Kennewell secured the top lot, a son of I Am Invincible, for A$1,700,000

another proven name to make a mark. He was responsible for a colt and filly who made A$1m, the colt selling to Asian Bloodstock, and the filly to Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin. At this sale 12 months’ earlier the last-named operation returned as buyers for the first time in eight years. A filly Godolphin bought for A$600,000 on that occasion, Exhilarates, won the A$2m Gold Coast

Magic Millions 2yo Classic just a few hours before the Medaglio D’Oro yearling was purchased. She was consigned by Coolmore Stud on behalf of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables. Coolmore Stud sire Fastnet Rock, who made his name down under as a champion sprinter, registered several high-value sales, headed by a colt who

››

Magic Millions Yearling Sale Book 1 Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (A$)

Buyer

C I Am Invincible - Oakleigh Girl

Yarraman Park Stud

1,700,000

Kennewell Rcg/Group One BS/Aquis/Ozzie Kheir

C Redoute’s Choice - Purely Spectacular

Bhima Thoroughbreds

1,600,000

Phoenix T’breds/Aquis Farms

C Redoute’s Choice - Breakfast in Bed

Segenhoe Stud

1,400,000

James Harron B/s

C I Am Invincible - Tai Tai Tess

Yarraman Park Stud

1,300,000

C Fastnet Rock - Ballet Suite

Coolmore Stud

Waller Racing/Mulcaster B/s

1,100,000

Jon Kelly/Reg Inglis/Jamie McCalmont

C I Am Invincible - Champagne Cath

Newgate Farm

1,100,000

Waller Racing/Mulcaster B/s

C Zoustar – Acouplamas

KBL Thoroughbreds

1,075,000

Yu Long Investments/RIFA Mustang

C Redoute’s Choice – Aware

Newhaven Park

1,075,000

James Moore/Summit Racing

F I Am Invincible - Rose of Choice

Yarraman Park Stu

1,000,000

Yu Long Investments

C Medaglia D’Oro - Peggy Jean

Widden Stud

1,000,000

Asian Bloodstock Services

F Medaglia D’Oro - Miracles of Life

Coolmore Stud

1,000,000

Godolphin

Three-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (A$)

Avg (A$)

Mdn (A$)

Top Price (A$)

2019

718

170,697,500

237,740

170,000

1,700,000

2018

695

156,985,000

225,878

160,000

2,000,000

2017

659

135,188,500

205,142

150,000

1,300,000

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Sales Circuit ›› went to American racehorse owner Jon

Kelly in partnership with Reg Inglis and agent Jamie McCalmont, while Zoustar was another stallion with a European link who registered a seven-figure sale. Now standing at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire, Zoustar was responsible for a colt who made A$1,075,000 to a bid from China-based speculators Yu Long Investments and Rifa Mustang, two buyers who were active in Europe during 2018. Of the 806 horses offered at the four-day Book 1 element of the sale, 718 found a buyer (89%), and turnover rose 9%. Also up was the average by 5% and the median by 6%. Yarraman Park Stud, which consigned the top lot, headed vendors by selling 26 yearlings for A$11.5m, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott were leading buyers, exiting with 25 recruits for just under A$7m.

Goffs December NH Sale

Some outstanding returns for horses who would have sold well in any market resulted in gains in most of the key indicators. Heading trade with a record price for this sale was the choicely-bred mare Whistle Dixie, whose €230,000 valuation helped turnover rise 8%, the average by 19% and the median by 13%, as buyers showed faith in the market amid the Brexit turmoil. At the time of writing that might mean Northern Ireland-based Patrick McCann has to wait a little longer at the border when transporting his €90,000 Walk In The Park foal back to the sales, but it should prove worthwhile. The weanling, a half-brother to

Zara and Mike Tindall at Magic Millions

Grade 2 winners Minella Foru and Penny Jane, became the highestpriced jumping foal sold at Goffs, and a feather in the cap of breeder Louis Vambeck and consignor Michael Moore of Ballincurrig House Stud. McCann said he would reoffer his purchase as an unbroken three-year-old, and he has some form in that regard, having converted a €110,000 Flemensfirth foal into a €325,000 Goffs Land Rover record-breaker at that auction last year. Ballincurrig also sold a Mount Nelson colt foal for €82,000 to Park Farm’s Adrian Costello, whose purchase was produced by top-class hurdler Glens Melody. He was her third foal, the second having headed foal trade at this auction last year when making €72,000.

Glens Melody, a daughter of Kings Theatre, won two Grade 1 races and earned prize-money of more than £276,000, a sum she is on course to match and pass via the covering sheds for her owner-breeder Fiona McStay. Sale-topper Whistle Dixie, a then eight-year-old daughter of champion sire Kayf Tara, had every right to be the queen of the ball. A bumper and hurdles winner who was placed at Grade 3 level for Gordon Elliott’s stable, she was offered by Gigginstown House Stud with a desirable Mount Nelson cover. Her price was not only a Goffs high, but also the best for a jump mare at any sale for ten years. Her dam, Fairy Blaze, was unraced, which was just as well because the

Goffs December NH Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

Whistle Dixie (Kayf Tara - Fairy Blaze)

Gigginstown House Stud

230,000

The Beeches Stud

C Walk In The Park - Shannon Rose (Topanoora)

Ballincurrig House Stud

90,000

Patrick McCann

C Mount Nelson - Glens Melody (King's Theatre)

Ballincurrig House Stud

82,000

Park Farm

Monastery (Presenting - Princess Gaia)

Gigginstown House Stud

72,000

Nelius O'Keeffe

C Walk In The Park - Tempest Belle (Glacial Storm)

Ballincurrig House Stud

68,000

Richard Frisby

Masterofthehorse (Sadler's Wells – Shouk)

Annshoon Stud

65,000

Anshoon B/s

C Flemensfirth - Shees A Dante (Westerner)

Galbertstown Stud

62,000

Park Farm

C Flemensfirth - Ute Antique (Robin Des Pres)

Conna Stud

56,000

Aiden Murphy

C Soldier Of Fortune - Montys Miss (Presenting)

Conna Stud

55,000

Carrigeen B/s

C Shantou - Glorious Twelfth (Old Vic)

Carrolls Grove Stables

52,000

Kieran Shields

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Three-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2018

318

4,631,650

14,565

9,000

230,000

2017

349

4,266,300

12,224

8,200

100,000

2016

311

3,638,150

11,698

8,200

130,000

achievements of her offspring were so prolific there was no room to list them all in the catalogue. Among her nine winners was Kicking King, hero of a Cheltenham Gold Cup, while her unraced daughter Fairy Lane has produced Amy Murphy’s exciting novice chaser Kalashnikov. Robert McCarthy of Coolmore’s Beeches Stud signed for Whistle Dixie, and said she could prove a good match for young sire Order Of St George.

TALKING POINTS • Goffs CEO Henry Beeby was delighted to conclude the sales year on the right note at his company’s December Sale, following which he reflected on highs in all categories of Flat and jumping stock. However, clearance-rate issues and the market’s utter rejection of horses in the lower tier remain a concern, he said, adding: “The warning signs should not be taken lightly and it behoves all of us in this industry to work together on the elements over which we have influence as there are so many factors outside our control, not least the absolute chaos that is Brexit and what that might mean.”

Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale

Young Irish point-to-pointers ensured another very good set of Cheltenham results, highlighted by strength through the middle market. The sale-topper Chantry House, who was knocked down for £295,000, would have been just fourth on the top-ten board at the 2017 sale, and the lack of stellar-money acts did result in a fall of 5% in the aggregate figure. However, buyers showed appetite for horses in the six-figure category – 15 sold for that sum, three more than in 2017 – with the result that the average gained four points and the median price leapt 30%. A decline in the clearance rate to 68% can be parked at the door marked ‘Breezers’, for while buyers were happy to invest in stock which had shown some ability, they were decidedly choosy about those who had yet to race. Lack of rain and a scarcity of soft ground had not helped trainers of big, young pointers find racing opportunities, but some precipitation ahead of a meeting at Tattersalls Farm enabled Cian Hughes to run Chantry House and he duly scored. A few days later, at Tattersalls Cheltenham, he headed trade when knocked down to Michael Hyde, representing leading racehorse owner JP McManus. The result was a windfall for Yorkshirebased pinhooker Eric Elliott, who had secured his horse for €26,000 through Willie Codd at Tattersalls Ireland’s August store sale in 2017. Codd’s death after taking his own life six months later was a tragedy, and meant Elliott – the father of well-known bloodstock agent Alex Elliott – had to find a new trainer to

Feb_174_SaleCircuit.indd 77

Sale-topper Chantry House was pinhooked by Eric Elliott, turning €26,000 into £295,000

prep his horse for a point-to-point. He opted for Hughes, and while the horse had unseated when running a big race on debut in the spring, patience paid off seven months later when he scored under Codd’s brother Jamie. Faces on the buying bench were familiar, but the ambitions of young trainer Olly Murphy – an acolyte of Gordon Elliott – could be seen in a glance

at the top-ten board. In partnership with his father, leading bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy, the Warwickshire-based trainer secured winning four-year-old pointers Dundrum Wood for £270,000 and Overthetop for £150,000. Murphy has shown he can mix it with the best in midweek, but horses of that value and calibre give him a greater chance of making headlines on Saturdays.

››

TALKING POINTS • Was this the final time jumping breezers were offered for sale by Tattersalls at Cheltenham? The company has made no announcement to that effect, but of the 27 three-year-old breezers offered just seven found a buyer, and one of those involved a deal outside the ring. A £75,000 son of Milan who was bought by Ryan Mahon and Anthony Honeyball headed trade in this sector, but other breezers were led out unsold at £95,000 twice, £90,000 and £70,000. They were all by fashionable sires, but buyers can obtain very nice horses with form in the book for those sort of sums. • Where have all the French horses gone? There were three horses from yards based in France in the Tattersalls’ November and December sales of 2017, but none in the same two catalogues of 2018.

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Sales Circuit ››

Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale Top lots Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

Chantry House (Yeats - The Last Bank) Dundrum Wood (Flemensfirth - Ruby Isabel)

C H T’breds (Agent)

295,000

Michael Hyde

Camas Park Stud

270,000

Aiden Murphy/Olly Murphy Racing

Truckers Pass (Kalanisi - Lady Knightess)

Glenard Stables (Batt O'Connell)

175,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

Shishkin (Sholokhov – Labarynth)

Virginia Considine

170,000

Highflyer B/s

Carry On The Magic (Jeremy – Bisoguet)

Jonathan Fogarty Racing

160,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

Overthetop (Flemensfirth - Dawn Bid)

Ballyboy Stables (Denis Murphy)

150,000

Aiden Murphy/Olly Murphy Racing

Minella Beat (Beat Hollow - Tear Drops)

John Nallen

140,000

Tom Malone/Jamie Snowden

Killer Clown (Getaway - Our Soiree)

Milestone Stables (Colin Bowe)

135,000

Gerry Hogan B/s

Walk Away (Black Sam Bellamy - Pegus Love)

Sleadycastle Stables (Pat Crowley)

130,000

Knockeen Racing

Fearless (Arakan - La Spezia)

Rhonehurst Stables (Oliver Sherwood)

120,000

Rebecca Menzies

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2018

3,587,500

83,430

65,000

295,000

2017

3,777,500

80,372

50,000

400,000

2016

3,178,300

69,093

50,000

305,000

2015

1,636,000

43,053

31,500

120,000

2014

1,799,500

45,500

35,000

150,000

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scan to watch video

“This colt has been backed and ridden away, he moves beautifully on the gallops with a very athletic action and has a great temperament. He is a colt I would highly recommend and is looking like he will shape into an early 2yo.” Charlie hills

2 YEAR OLD FOR SALE Bay Colt – ZEBEDEE out of BISHOP’S LAKE

7 (10%) shares available at £8,000 each Price includes purchase price and costs to the end of October 2019 All fees included (registration costs, training, veterinary, entries, jockeys). Stable visits welcome anytime by prior arrangement. Insurance not included • Prices subject to VAT

For more information, please call: +44 (0)1488 71548 or email: info@charleshills.co.uk

Fractional ad pages February 2019.indd 79

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21/01/2019 09:12

Caulfield Files

Cadoudal line jumps to success

EMMA BERRY

French racing’s tendency to test entires over obstacles has led to a thriving clutch of stallion sons of the late sire who gave us Big Buck’s and Long Run

Saint Des Saints is on the National Hunt roster at Normandy’s Haras d’Etreham

hanks to the more relaxed attitude of the French to gelding (or not gelding) colts bred for the jumping sector, the influence of France’s many-times champion sire

Cadoudal is still very much in evidence 40 years after his birth. Although Cadoudal is best known here as the sire of those outstanding geldings Long Run and Big Buck’s,

several of his entire sons have also made significant contributions to racing in Britain and Ireland. The latest to do so is the winning hurdler Buck’s Boum, who is responsible for Dynamite Dollars, a winner of the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase who went on to defeat the odds-on Kalashnikov in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase. Dynamite Dollars is the second Anglo-Irish Grade 1 winner by the 14-year-old Buck’s Boum, following the Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase winner Al Boum Photo, who started 2019 with a dominant display in the Listed Savills Chase at Tramore. Needless to say, Buck’s Boum isn’t an isolated case. Indian River and Saint Des Saints, two other sons of Cadoudal which raced exclusively over obstacles, are well known on this side of the English Channel. Indian River won six races over hurdles and fences, including the Grade 3 Prix du President de la Republique, a handicap chase over nearly three miles. He passed on plenty of stamina to Native River, winner of the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Madison Du Berlais, another high-class chaser who landed the Hennessy Gold Cup. The consistent Saint Des Saints has achieved a top-four position among France’s jumping sires in each of the last seven years and topped the table in 2014. Saint Des Saints built a record of seven victories, four seconds and a third from 13 completed starts, starting as a three-year-old, and developed into a four-time Graded winner over hurdles. Saint Des Saints, who is priced at €15,000 in 2019, has given British and Irish racing the likes of Quito De La

A merry Monsun Christmas It could be argued that the National Hunt action in December, with its multiple black-type races at such courses as Fairyhouse, Sandown, Aintree, Cheltenham, Ascot, Kempton and Leopardstown, represents an informative microcosm of the entire season. If so, the Monsun male line is set to play an important role. During December we saw Monsun represented by Aramon, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler from his final crop. Sadly, there won’t be many more good jumpers to come from the great German stallion, especially when there is strong demand for his sons to race in

Australia, where three of them have won the Melbourne Cup. The good news, though, is that Monsun has several stallion sons primed to fill the vacuum, as was underlined by December’s top prizes. We saw Arcadio’s son Hardline emerge as a leading novice chaser, with his Grade 3 success at Navan being followed by a Grade 1 victory over Getabird at Limerick. Hardline follows Flying Angel as the second Grade 1-winning novice chaser for Arcadio. Getabird’s sire Getaway was another in-form son of Monsun, with his first-crop daughter Verdana Blue

narrowly ending Buveur D’Air’s long winning sequence in taking the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle. Although not geared to the National Hunt sector, Manduro got into the act thanks to his son Man Of Plenty, winner of a valuable handicap hurdle. Network, a member of Monsun’s eye-opening first crop, is now a veteran but he showed why his services had been priced at €12,000 in 2018. Two of his sons – Delta Work and Le Richebourg – jointly landed three Grade 1 novice chases in Ireland, a country which has previously witnessed top-flight successes for Network through Sprinter

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Bloodstock world views

Sharpen Up’s NH legacy As one of the elder statesmen of the French breeding industry, it is easy to think of the 24-year-old Muhtathir as a light of other days. After all, he is available to breeders at a fee of €5,500, roughly the same level at which he began his career in 2001. There was a time though, around 2009 and 2010, when this grandson of Diesis ranked among France’s highest-priced stallions. His rise to prominence was fuelled by his achievement of siring two high-class performers – Doctor Dino and Satwa Queen - from a first crop of 45 foals and a third Group/Grade 1 winner – Mauralakana - from a second crop numbering only 37. All three of them proved to be as tough as they were talented and both Doctor Dino and Satwa Queen became Group 1 winners at the age of five in 2007, with Doctor Dino taking the Man o’War Stakes and the Hong Kong Vase, while Satwa Queen won the Prix de l’Opera before being sold for 3,400,000gns. Doctor Dino landed a second Hong Kong Vase in 2008, to boost his earnings to the equivalent of over €2,750,000, and Mauralakana was

Roque, Quel Esprit, Djakadam, Me Voici, Le Rocher, Saint Calvados, Lyreen Legend, Irish Saint, Aux Ptits Soins and Days Of Heaven. Another of Cadoudal’s well-known sons was Kadalko. Although he did race

Sacre, Rubi Light and Adriana Des Mottes. Not to be left out, the admirable Shirocco was responsible for Rockpoint, who produced a careerbest effort to take the Grade 2 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Also sire of such as Annie Power and Lac Fontana, Shirocco had winning point-to-pointers sold for £115,000 and £100,000 in December. As Shirocco didn’t arrive at Glenview Stud from Dalham Hall until the 2014 covering season, his first Irish-crop of purposebred jumpers is only just coming on line, and it should be worth the wait.

Feb_174_CaulfieldFiles.indd 81

winning for the 11th time when she took the Beverly D Stakes. Their successes demanded a rethink from breeders who had initially baulked at the idea of using a son of Elmaamul – even one who was good enough to win the Prix Jacques le Marois as a five-year-old. However, bigger books and a higher stud fee didn’t result in proportionately better results, although Muhtathir was to add two further Group 1 winners in Mille Et Mille (Prix du Cadran) and Indonesienne (Prix Marcel Boussac). I tend to think that horses from the Sharpen Up male line are sometimes too finely made to make ideal sires of jumpers, but events have proved me wrong. Muhtathir had a fine December thanks to Quel Destin, who enjoyed Grade 1 and Grade 2 success, and to the former point-to-pointer Envoi Allen, who began to justify his purchase price of £400,000 by running out a decisive winner of two bumpers, including a Listed contest. Doctor Dino was also in fine form towards the end of 2018, with Sharjah and La Bague Au Roi both winning Grade 1 races over Christmas. Diesis’s best representative over

on the Flat, he managed only one win from 15 starts. Fortunately, it was a very different story over jumps, as Kadalko retired the winner of 11 of his 15 races over hurdles, including the Prix Leon Orly-Roederer over three miles. Kadalko

Despite the scale of this success by Monsun’s stallion sons, we are probably just witnessing the tip of the iceberg. Getaway covered 247 mares in 2017, Shirocco covered 145 and Ocovango covered 154. These three have been joined in Ireland by former Frenchbased Axxos, who – like Network – won the Group 2 Union-Rennen. There are numerous other sons of Monsun, such as the Group 1 Deutsches Derby winner Schiaparelli in England. France also has a strong team of Group-winning sons of Monsun, including Bathyron, Manatee, Masterstroke and Triple Threat.

jumps was Straw Bear (Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle), whereas his brother Kris gave us Oh So Risky (Triumph Hurdle and second in the Champion Hurdle) and Crystal Spirit (Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle). Selkirk, another of Sharpen Up’s best sons, gave us the Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity, while Sharpen Up’s Arc-winning son Trempolino spent a lengthy period as a regular top-ten sire with his jumpers in France. Trempolino’s son Germany wasn’t always strongly supported but that didn’t stop him shining with the exceptional Faugheen, as well as Captain Cee Bee and Samcro. Diesis’s son Halling also had his moments, notably with Deep Purple (a multiple Grade 2 winner over hurdles and fences), and Halling’s son Norse Dancer has given us Grade 1 hurdle winner Yanworth. Sabrehill, another son of Diesis, was responsible for the smart chaser Mister McGoldrick, while Kris’s son Shining Steel sired that big-earning chaser Monkerhostin. This sire line isn’t finished with yet, as Halling’s Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs covered 168 mares in his first season at Overbury Stud in 2018.

is best known as the sire of Notre Pere, a winner of the Welsh National and the Grade 1 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup, but Kadalko also sired Pride Of Dulcote, a smart staying hurdler, and Ladalko, who failed by a short head to take the Scottish National. Of Cadoudal’s other entire sons, Maresca Sorrento won two of his three starts over hurdles before siring the Grand National winner Pineau De Re, and Robin Des Pres gave us that smart two-mile chaser Petit Robin. Am I the only one left wondering whether so many French imports would be necessary had some of our National Hunt breeders and trainers risked not gelding some promising sons of King’s Theatre, Presenting, Supreme Leader, Be My Native, Strong Gale or Deep Run? Instead these multiple champion sires have had to rely on their broodmare daughters to extend their influence, which reminds me that the King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux is by Kapgarde. A Grade 3 winner over hurdles at Auteuil, Kapgarde is out of a Cadoudal mare.

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Meet the Committee – Charlie Dee

ow did you first get involved in racing? My passion for racing is thanks to my Mum, who has been a member at Cheltenham for as long as I can remember and would always take me racing. Following my A-Levels I worked for Martin Keighley as pupil assistant for ten months, which I loved, but I wanted to further my education so I went to Oxford Brookes to read Equine Science and Thoroughbred Management. What is your current role in the industry? I currently work for Luke Lillingston, in his bloodstock agency, Lillingston Bloodstock. My main responsibility is to source horses in training for our domestic and international clients.

What do you enjoy most about your current role? I love following the sport I am passionate about on a daily basis. What has been your favourite racing moment? Best Mate winning his third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup, closely followed by riding my first point-to-point winner. What made you want to join the TTC committee? As a horseracing fan, I want to help to grow the sport and promote it to a younger audience. Who do you admire most in the industry and why? John Magnier. To have built the Coolmore/ Ballydoyle empire is phenomenal.

Charlie Dee – keen to help promote racing

What is your favourite racehorse/sire? My favourite racehorse is Creepy, my expoint-to-pointer. I am very excited to see the return of Calyx next season. Camacho would be my favourite stallion, I owned a share in two foals by the sire last year and he was very lucky for us!

Members will have access to TBA visits, which include trainers’ yards and Weatherbys

Exciting regional days for members We are pleased to announce that once again TTC members will have the opportunity to attend the TBA’s regional days. The popular events provide a great opportunity to meet with fellow TTC and TBA members as well as getting exclusive access to leading racing and breeding operations from around the country. Previous visits include Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Colin Tizzard, The Royal Studs, Roger Charlton’s Beckhampton Stables and Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud, home to 13 stallions including Dubawi and New Approach. TTC members will receive an exclusive discount to the events, which usually include lunch at a nearby pub or restaurant.

Feb_174_TTC.indd 83

The first confirmed regional event will be a visit to Weatherbys in Northamptonshire. For those wishing to pursue a career in the industry, the trip will be a great way to learn more about racing’s key administrator by exploring the role that Weatherbys plays within the industry, highlighting different areas of service and giving an opportunity to meet some of the Weatherbys team. A limited number of tickets will be available to members. If you are interested in attending this popular event, please monitor the TTC website, where an online booking form will become available in the upcoming months, or email info@ thethoroughbredclub.co.uk for more information.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the industry? Go to university and study for a degree you are passionate about. Then make the most of your time off whilst a student to get as much work experience, in different sectors of the industry, as possible. If you didn’t work in racing, what other job would want to do? If I could choose any career I would be a professional golfer. More realistically, something combining agriculture or economics.

Diary Dates and Reminders Tuesday, May 14 Tour of Weatherbys (TBA Regional Day) in Wellingborough Further information on all upcoming events can be found at www.thethoroughbredclub.co.uk

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ROA Forum

The special section for ROA members

BHA business plan published

he British Horseracing Authority has published its business plan and budget for 2019. This is an updated version of the three-year plan covering 2017-19, originally published in 2016. Approved by the BHA board and agreed with the BHA’s shareholders, the document provides clarity about the organisation’s key areas of focus for the next 12 months as well as details of the organisation’s financial situation. Key points from the 2019 business plan and budget include: • Six key areas of focus identified for 2019; • Additional activity has been undertaken in a number of areas since the original business plan was published including safeguarding, diversity, the buying and selling of bloodstock, and various areas relating to equine welfare and regulation, including the implementation of a new officiating model; • The BHA remains on track to meet its original objective of breaking even in cash terms over the three-year period, primarily due to savings in activity costs delivered across the organisation; • Fees will rise by 3% in 2019, which means that for the second year in succession increases are slightly less than included in the original budget Nick Rust, BHA Chief Executive, said: “In addition to our annual report, this business plan and budget guide is designed to provide a concise summary of what we plan to focus on over the coming year, what it will cost and how it will be funded. “The BHA strives to be open,

Nick Rust is keen for the BHA to be as open and transparent as possible

transparent and in touch with the needs of the sport. This year, we have been very mindful of the funding challenges we face in the light of the impact of the recent gambling review. We need to set ourselves up to manage risks and capitalise on opportunities, whilst supporting racecourses and participants to maintain income. “We appreciate any rises in fees are unwelcome for our participants, but the increase in fees we have announced is essential if the BHA is to deliver on its various responsibilities to British racing. It is always my priority to ensure that those paying our fees receive value for money for their contribution to the BHA. “The last year has seen the BHA take on additional activity in some key areas for our sport. Working on safeguarding, diversity as well as important changes to stewarding and our integrity function has

Last call for Festival marquee badges As we go to press the ROA marquee is almost sold out for the four days of the Cheltenham Festival next month (March 12-15). The facility offers a comfortable haven at this busiest of festivals which last year attracted over 262,000 racegoers across the four days. The marquee is situated in the Club Enclosure in the tented village, handy for shopping and close to the owners’ & trainers’ bar. It offers unreserved seating, TV viewing, a cash bar and Tote betting. Complimentary tea and coffee will

be served. Hot and cold food can be purchased. Prices for marquee badges are: Daily (£) Weekly (£) Members 40 125 Guests 50 160 To book, visit www.roa.co.uk/events or call the ROA office on 020 7152 0200. The ROA website also holds a list of the Cheltenham Festival preview nights for those wanting to gain an insight into jump racing’s four-day spectacular.

inevitably had an impact on our workload. “However, a combination of other cost savings and technological advances have meant we are able to reduce the impact this has on fee payers next year, and also achieve our aim of breaking even in cash terms for the period 2017-19.” The BHA is expecting to generate a cash surplus of £53,000 between 2017 and 2019, including a small cash deficit of £48,000 for 2019. The business plan sets out the BHA’s key areas of focus for next year which are: • Equine welfare – providing equine welfare leadership, continuing to improve outcomes and addressing public perceptions; • Industry people – co-ordinating properly funded and aligned staff recruitment, training and retention, whilst promoting diversity across the industry; • Regulation and integrity – inspiring confidence that British racing is fair and clean, through robust regulation and integrity procedures; • Racing – provide a world-leading programme of competitive and compelling racing; • Leadership – leading British racing, enabling it to grow and flourish into the future; • Development – investing in research and encouraging innovation, to enhance our business performance and unlock longterm cost-effectiveness for the sport A new area of focus concerns improving the technology by which the sport is run, in order to improve processes and deliver efficiencies as well as improving the level of service provided to the sport and its participants. The report in full can be downloaded at britishhorseracing.com.

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Exclusive hospitality available at Aintree Places are on sale for an exclusive ROA facility on the opening day of the Randox Health Grand National meeting. This follows a successful hospitality offer at Aintree on the opening day of the 2018 Festival. We will have the exclusive use of the Cloister facility, located above the weighing room on Thursday, April 4. Cloister offers a private rooftop balcony with excellent views overlooking the parade ring and winners’ enclosure. The discounted package for members on the day will include: • Premier racecourse admission • Reserved seating in the Lord Sefton grandstand • Two-course carvery buffet on shared tables of ten • Traditional afternoon tea • Private cash bar serving premium wines and liqueurs • Complimentary racecard • Tote betting • Complimentary car parking (one space per booking of four people) Places for ROA members will be £120 and for guests £150. Guests have the option to join a hosted course walk before racing. This will involve the entire distance of the track, covering a full two miles. Places on the course walk will be limited. To book, see roa.

The Grade 1 Betway Bowl on the opening day of the 2018 Grand National meeting was won by Might Bite

co.uk/events or call the ROA on 020 7152 0200.

Free admission days

Aintree is generously repeating its offer to allow ROA members free admission to the Festival Zone on the first and second days of the threeday Randox Health Grand National Festival, April 4 and 5. Members can enjoy admission

on production of their Horseracing Privilege Card or PASScard. Members will be able to buy a ticket at face value for accompanying guests on the day, subject to availability. Note, this offer is only redeemable with access through the O&T Entrance Reception. Members can also reserve a car parking label for the owners’ and trainers’ car park. Please email info@roa.co.uk to do so.

Superb Ascot offers for Flat and jump racing fans in 2019 We are delighted to repeat our collaboration with Ascot racecourse this year, which will see members enjoy a number of exclusive discounts on many racedays at Ascot throughout this year, including Betfair Ascot Chase Day on February 16. The offer provides a saving of 10% on a fine dining package and Queen Anne Enclosure tickets. Details can be found in the members’ area of the ROA website at roa.co.uk in the offers and discount codes section. Bookings are open for our special discounted hospitality rates for members during Royal Ascot (June 1822). The packages on offer include the Balmoral, Carriages and The Furlong restaurants, and can be purchased with, or without, admission.

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Carriages and The Furlong are located within the Queen Anne Enclosure. Balmoral can be accessed via the Queen Anne Enclosure. Bookers for this option will be able to purchase Royal Enclosure badges if they are not already a Royal Enclosure member. Full details can be found at roa.co.uk/ events. ROA members are also offered discounted entry to Royal Ascot on the first two days of the iconic five-day meeting. On Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19 a 30% discount is available to members booking Queen Anne admission (only), which makes the special price £51.10 (full price £73). Bookings can be made online or by phone quoting a special member

Carriages restaurant: perfect setting

discount code. To claim your discount code, simply log into the members area at roa.co.uk and check the offers and discount codes page.

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ROA Forum

MAGICAL MOMENTS with ROA member Ann Ellis

his month marks the 26th anniversary of Ann Ellis first becoming involved in owning racehorses. That was initially on the Flat, but her heart has always been in jump racing, and she has experienced all the highs and lows that come with it. The latest thrill came over the Christmas period when Cracking Find – a horse who first caught her attention whilst doing the ironing – landed the Castleford Chase at Wetherby. Horses have always been part of her and her family’s life, and explaining her background interest, she says: “I’ve always loved horses and in childhood and teenage years we always attended local point-to-points. “I learned to ride in Boston Spa and at school in North Yorkshire, always in a yellow polo neck jersey. Perhaps that’s why my colours are yellow with maroon braces, yellow sleeves and cap. “I did have a pony later, but remember it was rather lonely going off on your own. “Times changed with my daughters; the eldest had one half of Henry – I’m not sure which half – and then she decided she was allergic to horses. “My youngest had ponies that increased in size: William, who gave her some wonderful days hunting with the Rockwood; to Candy, pony club enthusiast; then Foxy, a chestnut mare ex-racehorse who was fearless over obstacles, and that gave her confidence; finally Sam, who she really enjoyed eventing.” But when the children progressed to work and university, Ann became restless. She continues: “I then had withdrawal symptoms, no horse around, and was given the opportunity to join a syndicate run by William Haggas named The Flying Fillies in February 1993; we had success with Mazilla and Balmaha, and there the seeds were sown. I’ve never looked back.” Haggas, of course, is one of the leading trainers in Flat racing’s headquarters, Newmarket, but ultimately it was jump racing that would come to dominate Ann’s

Ann Ellis with Reece Jarosiewicz and Cracking Find at Sue Smith’s Yorkshire stable

ownership interests. “I have experienced Flat racing, but my heart is in the jumping world,” she admits. “Things like being told you haven’t a hope when drawn badly at Bath took the fun out of it for me. I won’t go back to the Flat. “With jumpers you’ve time over the years to really get to know the horse, their foibles and characteristics. I find Flat racing too short term, and not having any flat fields, living in the Pennines, it’s not suitable land for retiring such horses.” Following that toe in the water in February 1993 came the next steps, and Ann recalls: “I became a registered owner in July 1994. The syndicate closed in April 1995, and my next venture was a partnership with Sue Waite. “We bought Ballyline at Doncaster, and he was put in training with Tom Kemp in Berwickshire on the recommendation of a friend. He was ridden by Brendan Powell snr in many

of his races and we had lots of fun and success, including a second place to Cyfor Malta in the John Hughes at Aintree in April 1998, when he led all the way round to the last fence. We had four wins and 17 places in his career. That was a huge thrill.” She continues: “I set up a small syndicate with some Yorkshire friends and we enjoyed success with a few horses, including Filey Brigg, who won the Hilary Needler at Beverley and ran in the Queen Mary at Ascot. I don’t spend a lot on horses, and one headline around the time of Royal Ascot described her as ‘The filly that cost less than a fancy frock’. “Ballyline sustained an injury and as Tom was moving back down to Kent, I was very pleased that Brendan Powell snr, who had just set up training in Lambourn, agreed to take him. However, he never quite regained the zest for racing. “I continued to have horses, in sole ownership, with Brendan, experiencing

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some excellent days out with Tora Bora, who notched seven wins, including at Ascot in 2008, Mandingo Chief, who gained three wins and 13 places and then went point-to-pointing, War Footing – stable name was ‘Warfarin’ in sympathy with his owner’s problem – Ballyaahbut, Well Actually and Xamborough. “I continued with Bennys Well in 2011. He won seven times and was placed on 11 occasions. My sister joined me in a partnership with Naughty Naughty, who gave us two wins and six places before unfortunately sustaining a fatal injury at Punchestown. “We followed on with Glen Countess, a lovely mare who was very consistent, having seven wins and 12 places in her career. She is now in Ireland at The Beeches Stud, having had a colt foal by Kayf Tara in 2017 and a filly by Flemensfirth in 2018.”

The name game

Because she doesn’t breed horses and doesn’t tend to buy youngsters, most of her horses are already named by the time she acquires them. Ballyaahbut was an exception, along with Naughty Naughty, Pardon What and Park Lodge. “Ballyaahbut came after Ballyline and one of my children always answered back with ‘ah, but’, while I was always telling my son to say ‘pardon’, not ‘what’, which explains those two,” she says. “Park Lodge was named after the house I grew up in, while my sister thought I’d been naughty to tempt her into a partnership, so we chose Naughty Naughty – commentators liked her!” Ann prefers her horses to be part of a smaller yard, where, she feels, individual attention is more likely. She explains: “My priority in choosing a trainer for my horses is very simple – I have never wanted to be part of a large yard. “I want to be secure in the knowledge that those in charge really do know the individual horses in their care. Also, we have to enjoy ourselves; smile when things don’t quite work out as planned, and really appreciate the good times. “Most importantly, being 100% certain in your mind the horses are in excellent care. I have only two rules with a trainer - never to plait the mane and tail, and never to put fancy patterns on their hindquarters.”

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She continues: “In May 2013 I approached Sue Smith shortly before her wonderful win with Auroras Encore in the Grand National, and subsequently moved Bennys Well up north, followed by Glen Countess. “Living in Yorkshire, I found the travelling down to Lambourn becoming very difficult with the increase in traffic, etc. Sue took them on and, making the most of the excellent facilities and huge open spaces for varied work, we’ve had more success. “In my opinion Harvey Smith is very good at finding nice horses at sensible prices, and I’ve continued to have great fun with some excellent horses. “Emral Silk won his first race for me by 13 lengths, following up with another win and two places, before breaking a foreleg at Southwell in May 2015.

“My priority in choosing a trainer is very simple – I never want to be part of a large yard” “Vendor had one win and six places in my ownership. He now runs in Sue’s name and has returned to the racecourse after two years off with an injury. “The Smiths’ knowledge and understanding of horses is incredible, and this is reflected in their wellbeing shown every time on the racecourse. “The horse comes first and little things matter to them. They immediately pick up any problem a horse may have, be it in body or mind.” Bringing us up to speed with her current star, who is unusual for Ann in being more a two-mile than threemile chaser, she says: “Harvey bought Cracking Find in 2016 and I first saw him win at Uttoxeter whilst doing the ironing at home. I enquired of Sue if he was for sale. Fortunately he was, I went to see him, and he’s given us such thrills. “He’s remarkably consistent – last season from eight runs he won three times, was third three times and came

fifth and sixth. He was never out of the prize-money, all but on one occasion ridden by Danny Cook. “As we speak this season has been along the same lines, four runs so far, with two seconds and a third, ridden by Danny, plus the success at Wetherby in the Castleford Chase in the hands of Sean Quinlan, Danny being unavailable. “We really couldn’t ask for more in a horse. I appreciate how lucky I am to have him in the care of Sue, Harvey and Ryan [Clavin], the assistant trainer. “I have experienced many of the good times over the years, but also the ghastly moments, such as knowing that Xamborough, Emral Silk and Naughty Naughty weren’t returning home. “To see an empty bridle being carried towards you is horrific. It really affects you deep down for a long time, you never forget and are so thankful when the horses return safe and sound. “The highlights come every time you have the opportunity to see them on the racecourse, be it attending Royal Ascot with a runner, winning a hurdle race at Ascot, winning at Haydock Park, or Catterick, etc. It’s always a thrill.” Ann sees the bigger picture too, knowing the few minutes of a horse racing are just a very small part of being an owner. She says: “For some time I’ve supported the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre at Whinney Hill in Lancashire, but I have not needed to avail myself of their excellent facilities yet. My horses have gone on to do a variety of things after racing – polo, hunting, general hacks and point-topointing. “I send a circular to over 40 friends who are avid followers of my horses. This missive gives details before and after the race, to all parts of Britain, Australia, USA and worldwide. “It’s lovely sharing the experience; I give them a true picture of all the ups and downs of this wonderful sport. “Every time I have a runner, or visit the yard, I provide sustenance for everyone. Reece [Jarosiewicz], the travelling head lad, tells me lemon drizzle cake is the favourite choice. It’s a small example of the benefits, and what one can do in being part of a smaller yard.” Whether Cracking Find is partial to lemon drizzle cake, his owner didn’t let on, but whatever his diet, it’s certainly doing him no harm, and hopefully 2019 will be another cracking year.

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ROA Forum

Industry Ownership Days 2019 As announced last month, the ROA is hosting 12 Industry Ownership Days across Britain this year. Industry Ownership Days are intended to both recognise existing members and to promote the thrill and accessibility of ownership to potential racehorse owners. The days will feature an Owners Jackpot race, with £2,000 to be won if the winning horse is owned by an ROA member. There will be a £250 appearance money payment per qualified runner and £500 to the yard if the winner is qualified and the trainer is an ROA member. The ROA will partner with each course for the entire racecard and the days will feature our popular regional meetings which include lunch, an update from the ROA executive and use of an exclusive racecourse facility for the day. Regional meetings are always oversubscribed as hospitality is normally limited to around 40 members. To allow more members to enjoy the Industry Ownership Days, racecourses will also offer complimentary admission to all ROA members on the day. The ROA will sponsor throughout

Each Industry Ownership Day will feature an Owners Jackpot race

the card and members will be invited to take part in activities and presentations on the day, including the ROA Owners Jackpot race. Invitations for the regional meeting and lunch will be posted to owners who

live locally. Places will be on a firstcome, first served basis. Free racecourse entry for ROA members on the Industry Ownership Days will be bookable in advance. See roa.co.uk to view the schedule and book places.

Registration fees increase for 2019 BHA registration fees increased by 3% from January 1. The original BHA business plan and budget guide for 2017-19, published in late 2016, indicated that fees in 2019 would increase by the higher of 2.75%, or the rate of inflation (CPI) plus 0.75%. With CPI in October at 2.4%, this meant that fees could have been increased by 3.15%, however the BHA board decided to limit the increases to 3%, while still meeting their aim to break even over the three-year budget period. In addition, over the last 18 months the BHA has sought to simplify the fee structure for owners through changes to partnership and syndicate registration requirements, removal of certain administrationt fees and free online access to race information.

As a separate exercise the BHA has also changed the distribution of information through the Racing Calendar and Programme Book, which means annual subscriptions

to both have reduced by 13% and 6% respectively. The following table shows the actual increases for the most frequent registrations.

Owner registration fees

(excluding VAT and qualifying member discount of 20%)

2018 (£)

2019 (£)

Ready to race package (ownership registration, colours and authority to act, or

228.60

235.46

Complete racing package (includes ownership registration, colours, authority to act and VAT registration)

309.10

318.37

Registering as an owner

82.33

84.83

Syndicate / racing club

311.33

320.67

200.00

206.00

Partnership Colours

68.17

70.25

Authority to act

53.25

54.83

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News in brief

Musselburgh will be able to race on until at least October 15 after its licence was extended by the BHA

Musselburgh’s licence

Musselburgh racecourse’s temporary licence to race was extended by the BHA in December from January 1 to October 15. The racecourse is owned by East Lothian Council and run by the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee, on which the council-held majority had clashed with racecourse management. These disputes led to the BHA withdrawing Musselburgh’s licence until a review of its operation was commissioned. The BHA decision to extend the license is partly due to the transition to a new racecourse operator, separate from East Lothian Council. Musselburgh will stage what was to be a Towcester fixture on February 13. The afternoon fixture will be a six-race card, with race programme details and further fixture information available via the Racing Admin website www2.racingadmin.co.uk in due course.

Members whose cards are activated for either the Racecourse Badge Scheme for Owners or Scottish Racing Admission Scheme will be able to enjoy free admission on the day.

Riding fees increase

The Racehorse Owners Association and Professional Jockeys Association reached agreement at the end of last year that the jockeys’ riding fee would increase by 2.2% from January 1. The Flat riding fee increased from £124.40 to £127.14 and the jump riding fee from £169.85 to £173.59 The fees payable to a rider where a horse is declared a non-runner is set at 40% of the riding fee, and this also increased to £50.86 (Flat) and £69.44 (jump).

Blindfold trials

The BHA is conducting a trial of blindfold alterations to establish whether they can be made easier

to remove (while ensuring they stay in position pre-start) following an increase in the number of late blindfold removals at the start. A design went on trial in December with a silky lining on the areas that tuck under a horse’s bridle and also an alteration to the ear hole. Adaptations are being made during the trial in response to feedback before a decision is taken on whether to roll out a modified version more widely.

Raceday feedback winner

Members are encouraged to provide feedback on their racecourse experience on days have a runner. An online feedback from can be found at www.roa.co.uk/raceday. Each month we draw one of the responses to receive a £50 Marks & Spencer gift card. Our latest prize winner is Paul Walker of Worcester. He is involved in a number of racing syndicates including with trainer Mark Johnston.

Diary dates and reminders MARCH 12-15 ROA marquee at the Cheltenham Festival APRIL 4-5 Free admission to ROA members to Aintree APRIL 4 Hospitality package at the opening day of the Randox Health Grand National Festival APRIL 9 Industry Ownership Day and regional meeting at Pontefract

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MAY 15 Industry Ownership Day and regional meeting at Newton Abbot JULY 2 ROA AGM and lunch DECEMBER 12 ROA Horseracing Awards For more details or to book see roa.co.uk/events

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ROA Forum

MY DAY AT THE RACES with Jimmy Kay at Newcastle on January 8

immy Kay owns four horses in training and two broodmares. One mare has an Equiano foal on the ground and the other is in foal to Mondialiste, all with Lynn Siddall. He became involved in racing after disbanding a motocross racing team that he used to own, sponsor and run, and needed a new hobby. Jimmy describes himself as a very lucky owner who has always loved horses and racing and loves every minute of ownership. He bought his first horse with Ann Duffield, which won on its handicap debut – from then on he has been hooked. Did you receive any welcome information as an owner in advance of the raceday? It was nice to receive an email from the racecourse as soon as we declared. The email was full of useful information regarding badge allocation, the going report and directions as how to get there. The racecourse was very well signposted off the main A roads. How was the experience of arrival at the racecourse, and collecting your owners’ badges? On arrival we were greeted with two car park attendants who on production of my PASScard, directed us to a suitable parking spot in the owners’ and trainers’ car park. They then directed us to the owners’ and trainers’ desk, where on production of my PASScard again we were asked how many badges and meal vouchers were required [up to six per runner are allocated to a sole owner]. Did you use the owners’ and trainers’ facility on the day? Yes, there was also a separate owners’ and trainers’ restaurant, where food was served. What were your thoughts on the location, comfort and provision in the facility? We had a coffee in the bar then proceeded to the restaurant, where we had some soup with bread rolls. Dinner comprised meat and three vegetables. It was comforting on a cold night.

Servo and Callum Rodriguez scored at Newcastle in January for Jimmy Kay (inset)

How was the pre-parade ring/paddock experience? The parade ring is large and spacious with plenty of room for friends, guests and sponsors. It’s also very close to the racetrack and you get a great view of your horse going to the start and is easily the best and most exciting place to watch the race finishes. There is a large screen exactly opposite the parade ring and is really good for watching the horses load, start and race. How did you find the facilities for owners’ viewing? I didn’t use the owners’ and trainers’ viewing space in the stand, as I thought it was a little too far away from the race action.

of our race. Champagne, cheese, biscuits and other tasty nibbles were served. What was your overall lasting feeling of the day, based on your racecourse experience? I’ve had runners and winners before at Newcastle and will definitely be returning again. The racecourse staff are all very helpful and friendly. It’s an old racecourse and can look a bit dated and maybe a bit tired, but is full of character and charm. It was nice to get a winner with Servo and one on the podium with Encoded. So as you can imagine we had a great evening. Just remember to take a warm coat as it can be a cold place in the winter!

Were you able to review a replay of your race easily on course? The re-runs of the races were shown several times on the big screen and on numerous screens in all the stands, and in the O&T facility.

HOW IT RATED

How were you treated as a winning owner on the day? As I was fortunate enough to have a winner, after the presentation we were invited to a private room to view a re-run

Owners’ facilities

Entry Viewing Atmosphere Food Overall score

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 20

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Figures for period January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

Flat Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Ascot York Goodwood Epsom Downs Newmarket Sandown Park Newbury Chester Doncaster Haydock Park Chelmsford City Ayr Musselburgh Salisbury Pontefract Redcar Wetherby Hamilton Park Ripon Kempton Park Lingfield Park Carlisle Newcastle Nottingham Leicester Thirsk Windsor Catterick Bridge Beverley Yarmouth Ffos Las Bath Wolverhampton Brighton Chepstow Southwell Total

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2017 (£)

I I I JCR JCR JCR I I ARC JCR I I I I I I I I I JCR ARC JCR ARC JCR I I ARC I I ARC ARC ARC ARC ARC ARC ARC

471,381 247,392 214,225 203,471 134,401 91,391 86,605 83,457 81,269 74,349 52,420 50,308 47,207 46,724 46,673 46,175 44,862 42,709 42,386 39,244 38,391 38,367 38,082 37,004 36,334 35,130 35,129 34,790 34,248 29,700 28,140 27,147 24,563 24,053 23,675 22,611 63,910

125,496 94,341 83,996 74,923 72,023 51,440 55,637 46,831 46,399 41,548 20,526 31,928 21,884 28,166 30,494 24,198 13,600 22,335 21,521 22,452 25,403 19,225 22,341 21,419 20,621 22,364 20,478 20,156 22,942 19,002 13,511 20,137 20,603 16,243 12,480 19,845 32,000

282,771 114,751 77,551 94,921 77,257 41,041 37,183 14,067 38,409 19,453 6,249 12,203 5,834 5,954 3,824 6,512 7,438 4,454 4,832 6,044 4,892 6,291 5,770 7,215 5,476 6,818 5,892 2,942 4,215 4,934 4,411 4,228 3,883 3,297 3,521 2,912 21,035

883,814 460,373 380,772 373,315 286,117 186,006 184,425 145,655 167,598 140,132 80,550 94,439 74,925 81,778 82,758 76,884 65,900 69,498 68,739 68,171 68,686 63,883 66,492 66,093 62,905 64,968 61,499 57,888 61,405 54,398 46,063 51,679 49,065 43,593 39,676 45,367 117,880

18 18 19 10 39 15 18 15 24 24 69 19 15 15 15 16 4 18 17 65 74 12 50 22 19 16 26 17 18 23 8 18 86 22 15 35 914

15,908,659 8,286,706 7,234,660 3,733,153 11,158,581 2,790,090 3,319,656 2,184,832 4,022,340 3,293,106 5,557,964 1,794,339 1,123,872 1,226,671 1,241,363 1,230,150 263,600 1,250,968 1,168,570 4,431,106 5,082,784 766,600 3,324,602 1,454,045 1,195,194 1,039,487 1,598,967 984,100 1,105,291 1,251,149 368,500 930,228 4,219,626 959,036 595,146 1,587,850 107,682,990

439,135 229,497 191,742 155,972 117,576 67,769 81,645 85,085 75,817 66,025 46,163 34,085 53,609 40,004 38,082 26,370 32,248 39,024 38,886 28,679 32,785 30,373 36,993 30,086 32,722 31,417 27,072 23,738 31,160 25,440 28,053 30,958 20,427 19,596 22,492 14,328 56,414

s s s s s s s t s s s s t s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s t s s s s s

Up/ down

Jumps Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Aintree Cheltenham Ascot Sandown Park Haydock Park Newbury Kempton Park Kelso Ayr Chepstow Doncaster Wincanton Newton Abbot Perth Newcastle Exeter Stratford-On-Avon Cartmel Wetherby Fakenham Ludlow Carlisle Hereford Market Rasen Warwick Musselburgh Huntingdon Taunton Ffos Las Uttoxeter Leicester Hexham Catterick Bridge Towcester Lingfield Park Fontwell Park Bangor-On-Dee Plumpton Worcester Sedgefield Southwell Total

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Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2017 (£)

Up/ down

JCR JCR I JCR JCR I JCR I I ARC ARC JCR I I ARC JCR I I I I I JCR ARC JCR JCR I JCR I ARC ARC I I I I ARC ARC I I ARC ARC ARC

288,649 272,497 156,982 110,570 103,602 89,156 59,691 47,501 44,917 41,858 38,929 37,396 37,206 36,102 35,810 35,528 34,434 34,420 33,986 33,582 32,776 32,579 32,285 31,952 31,375 29,821 29,493 28,732 28,023 27,623 27,138 26,753 26,686 25,953 23,579 23,196 22,968 22,610 22,025 20,800 19,309 47,271

145,488 122,203 92,706 93,061 87,098 62,653 60,014 23,769 38,088 42,452 43,063 35,449 27,385 33,747 34,073 35,866 21,155 29,111 33,601 22,830 29,790 35,066 25,488 30,314 33,170 30,549 26,484 26,193 26,600 27,866 28,147 20,540 25,286 17,247 23,954 19,887 19,477 24,855 23,815 20,502 20,255 36,516

80,823 70,502 20,124 18,993 17,689 22,038 10,228 5,574 12,009 11,473 7,542 5,981 0 4,340 5,803 7,228 4,756 5,802 6,267 0 5,366 6,801 6,152 5,778 6,873 4,309 6,047 6,006 5,868 6,749 4,577 3,341 2,759 3,774 4,460 3,652 4,038 4,394 4,478 3,443 3,980 9,249

514,959 465,827 273,562 228,735 219,566 175,208 130,290 79,151 98,584 95,783 92,509 78,825 64,590 74,455 76,186 78,623 60,345 69,333 74,211 56,413 68,265 82,342 63,924 68,269 71,543 65,133 63,495 60,931 60,490 62,238 59,862 50,633 54,732 46,975 51,993 46,735 46,633 51,859 50,318 45,109 43,543 93,890

8 16 8 9 9 9 14 13 14 15 10 16 18 15 10 13 16 9 14 12 15 12 11 21 18 11 17 12 11 25 9 15 9 9 6 23 15 14 20 17 20 558

4,119,675 7,453,226 2,188,496 2,058,618 1,866,310 1,576,874 1,824,065 1,028,969 1,380,178 1,436,742 925,086 1,261,206 1,162,621 1,116,830 761,861 1,022,094 965,519 624,000 1,038,959 676,954 1,023,973 988,101 703,166 1,433,655 1,287,775 716,467 1,079,419 731,170 665,394 1,555,942 538,760 759,495 492,584 422,775 311,957 1,074,903 699,498 726,027 1,006,361 766,861 870,868 52,343,434

275,542 247,933 145,888 103,458 102,819 29,695 57,205 31,700 41,014 26,564 36,133 31,249 26,472 63,452 27,999 25,850 30,826 30,773 28,001 27,899 57,205 27,139 29,145 19,874 26,286 20,863 23,913 27,622 24,153 23,668 23,913 21,693 17,682 16,961 31,700 18,996 21,510 18,184 22,394 16,965 17,533 40,706

s s s s s s s s s s s s s t s s s s s s t s s s s s s s s s s s s s t s s s t s s s

EXPLANATION The tables set out the average prize-money at each fixture staged by a racecourse over the last 12 months. They show how this is made up of the three sources of prize-money: 1. Racecourses’ contribution 2. Levy Board (HBLB) 3. Owners The tables also confirm the number of fixtures staged and the total amount of prize-money paid out by each racecourse throughout this period. The racecourses are ordered by the average amount of their own contribution to prizemoney at each fixture. This contribution originates from various sources including media rights, admission revenues and racecourse sponsors. If a racecourse has increased its average contribution at each fixture compared with the previous 12 months, it receives a green ‘up’ arrow. If its average contribution has fallen, however, it receives a red ‘down’ arrow. As these tables are based on the prizemoney paid out by each racecourse, the abandonment of a major fixture could distort a racecourse’s performance.

OWNERSHIP KEY JCR Jockey Club Racecourses ARC Arena Racing Company I

Independently owned racecourse

Gold Standard Award

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TBA Forum

The special section for TBA members

TBA STATISTICAL AWARDS FOR 2018 The Queen’s Silver Cup

The name has changed but in all other respects it was business as usual for Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding operation, which secured the leading British-based Flat breeder award for a sixth consecutive year. The sheikh’s horses have been registered under the Godolphin name since 2015 and, with the numbers now in their favour, they have replaced Darley at the top of the list. Irrespective of the name, it was a spectacularly successful year for Godolphin runners around the world. In Britain, the undoubted highlight was Masar’s Derby win, a first success in the Epsom Classic for a horse in the royal blue silks. That success might just herald a new era of Derby dominance for Godolphin as it has a leading candidate for the 2019 renewal in the shape of undefeated National Stakes winner Quorto. Farther afield, there were several major successes, most notably in Australia. The three-year-old Cross Counter ended his owner’s wait for a first victory in the Melbourne Cup and several older horses – Hartnell, Benbatl and Jungle Cat – also clinched Group 1 victories. With another Dubai World Cup triumph in March, courtesy of Thunder Snow, it was indeed a year to celebrate for Godolphin. BBA Silver Cigar Box and Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup

Dubawi

For the second successive year, Dubawi headed the list of British stallions by both prize-money and individual winners. Once again, Frankel was his closest pursuer by prize-money, but he could not prevent the Dalham Hall-based stallion from winning his sixth title in as many years. Few will bet against him making it seven in a row next season with the firepower at his disposal. Spearheading his campaign will be a pair of unbeaten Group 1-winning colts in Too Darn Hot and Quorto, who have a chance of giving their sire a one-two in the 2,000 Guineas. Both colts also possess pedigrees that give rise to the hope they could stay the

Masar wins the Derby for Godolphin

GEORGE SELWYN

Godolphin

Derby distance, one of the few major gaps on Dubawi’s roll of honour. His highest earner in Britain and Ireland in 2018 was the Nassau Stakes winner and Oaks runner-up Wild Illusion. However, Dubawi’s international record is what marks him as one of the best stallions ever to stand in Britain as well as the only one to sire 100 Group winners. With an increasing number of sons at stud and a growing influence as a broodmare sire – he was responsible for 2018 Jebel Hatta winner Blair House – Dubawi’s legacy is assured. Tattersalls’ Silver Salver

Kingman

The award for the leading Britishbased first-season sire is decided by prize-money in Britain and Ireland and produced a very close finish between Kingman and Charm Spirit, with less than £20,000 separating the pair at the end of the year. Kingman, who stands at Banstead Manor Stud, was a brilliant miler, winning seven of his eight races including four

Group 1s. He is by Invincible Spirit and his dam is a Classic-winning half-sister to Oasis Dream, so the odds were stacked in his favour for a successful second career. The early portents are certainly encouraging. The Juddmonte-bred Calyx produced an impressive performance in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and although a setback kept him off the racecourse for the remainder of the season, several other high-class runners emerged to fill the void. Persian King was one of five runners to be rated 100+ by Timeform following his victory in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket, and there were Listed wins for Poetry and Sangarius. Hardly surprisingly, there was very strong demand for his second crop of yearlings and only Galileo, Dubawi and Frankel achieved a higher average at the sales. With his reputation soaring to new heights, Kingman will stand for £75,000 in 2019. He stood his first four seasons at £55,000. The awards cover the calendar year 2018 and relate to racing in GB and Ireland only.

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21/01/2019 12:18

Black-type triumph for Magic Of Light at Newbury

FRANCESCA ALTOFT

The Listed Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares’ Chase held at Newbury on Wednesday, December 19 was won by the Jessica Harrington-trained Magic Of Light. The seven-year-old daughter of Flemensfirth, who runs in the colours of the late Ann and Alan Potts, finished third in this season’s Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November before making the trip over to Newbury. Ridden by Robbie Power, she tracked the leaders before hitting the front four fences out and winning by an impressive 14 lengths. Assistant trainer Kate Harrington said: “That was a brilliant win. Magic Of Light ran a great race in the Troytown, but made a bad mistake and lost her position – she ran on really well. “The plan is to give her a break and, if the handicapper isn’t too mean, go for the Thyestes at Gowran Park. We might come back to Britain as well; she’s a good filly and good stayer. Any of those big staying handicaps is where she’s going to be, maybe an Irish National.” The race forms part of the TBA’s remit for supporting National Hunt racing and providing opportunities for mares to showcase their ability on the racecourse. Previous winners include Ms Parfois, who after winning the race went on to finish second in both the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree and Grade 2 National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. Magic Of Light and Robbie Power record an impressive victory at Newbury

Rounding up the best of recent British-bred success On December 8, Man Of Plenty was an impressive winner of the Listed Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts December Handicap Hurdle at Sandown. The tenyear-old, who was bred by Hesmonds Stud, was trained on the Flat by Ed Dunlop before being bought by trainer Sophie Leech at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2014. He has subsequently won over £90,000 in prize-money. Five days later at Warwick, Atlanta Ablaze was the easy winner of the Listed eventmasters.co.uk Lady Godiva Mares’ Novices’ Chase by 19 lengths. The daughter of multiple British champion National Hunt sire Kayf Tara was bred in Britain by ER Hanbury and is trained by Henry Daly for owners The Last Man Standing. The Grade 3 CF Roberts 25 Years of Sponsorship Handicap Chase was won by the Nigel Twiston-Daviestrained Cogry. Bred at Robert and Jackie Chugg’s Little Lodge Farm, he was originally bought by Highflyer Bloodstock for £25,000 at the Goffs UK January Sale. Now owned by Graham

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and Alison Jelley, he has earned over £215,000 in prize-money, including finishing second in the Scottish Grand National and Classic Chase at Warwick. Mohaayed, a seven-year-old son of Intikhab, was victorious in the Grade 3 Betfair Exchange Trophy – formerly The Ladbroke – at Ascot on Saturday, December 22. Bred by Shadwell Estate Company, he was a winner on the Flat for trainer Kevin Prendergast before being sold to Tom Malone for 32,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. Now trained by Dan Skelton, he was victorious at last year’s Cheltenham Festival under Bridget Andrews in the County Hurdle. Following his win at Ascot, he will now be entered for the Champion Hurdle in March. Lady Buttons made it three from three this season for owner-breeders Keith and Jayne Sivills with a win in the Listed Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase at Doncaster on Saturday, December 29. She was held up for most of the race under a patient ride

from Adam Nicol before hitting the front three fences out. Following the race trainer Phillip Kirby commented: “Everybody knows Lady Buttons is good, it’s just nice when it keeps working out. Her jumping is good and I always thought she’d stay. Now she’s shown she’s effective at two and a half miles we’ll possibly find better prizemoney races for her.” Midnight Shadow got 2019 off to a winning start for connections with success in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham. There was a small but classy field for the Grade 2 contest, with all runners having previously won or been placed in Graded races. However, it was Midnight Shadow who stayed on under Danny Cook to win by just over two lengths. The sixyear-old son of Midnight Legend, who was bred by Captain AL Smith-Maxwell, was the winner of the Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle last April and will now be aimed at either the Champion Hurdle or the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

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TBA Forum

ADAM SMYTH

Double success for broodmare Tinagoodnight

Robert Waley-Cohen with Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes at the 2018 TBA Annual Awards

Santini, a homebred son of Milan, picked up his third Graded victory in the Ladbrokes John Francome Novices’ Chase – a Grade 2 – at Newbury on Saturday, December 1. The six-year-old gelding, who is owned and bred by Richard and Lizzie KelvinHughes, was also the recipient of the

Distillery Stud Trophy for leading Novice Hurdler at last year’s TBA NH Celebration Dinner. Trained by Nicky Henderson, he will now be aimed at the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Santini is the third runner out of the winning mare Tinagoodnight, who has become something of a star since retiring

New for 2019: TBA Mares’ Showcase The TBA is delighted to announce that it will have a presence at Cheltenham’s mares-only raceday on Thursday, April 18. In addition to the TBA’s two sponsored races, a full day of activity is planned to engage with owners, trainers and TBA members to raise awareness of the work that is being undertaken to encourage the racing of jumping mares. This includes promotion of the TBA’s National Hunt initiatives such as the NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NHMOPS) and the Elite NH Mares’ Scheme. Further information on the event will be posted on the TBA website in the upcoming months.

to stud in 2009. She boards at Robert and Jackie Chugg’s Little Lodge Stud and was the recipient of the Dudgeon Cup for NH Broodmare of the Year at last year’s TBA Awards. From just three runners, she has produced the Grade 2-placed Dusky Legend, Grade 1 winner Santini and Grade 2 winner Rockpoint. Rockpoint won the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham’s December meeting in impressive style and will now be aimed at the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The five-year-old son of Shirocco was sold by his breeders in 2016 for €82,000 to John and Heather Snook, whose colours have more recently been associated with the five-time Grade 1 winner Thistlecrack. Tinagoodnight also has a three-yearold filly by High Chaparral, who made £62,000 when bought by Michael Hyde, and a yearling filly by Walk In The Park, who sold to Philip Kirby for £22,000. These two victories have earned the December Breeder of the Month award for Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes (see page 98).

EBF/TBA Mares’ Novices’ Chase Series On December 20, the 2m1f steeplechase at Exeter racecourse was run as part of the EBF/TBA Mares’ Novices’ Chase Series. The race was won by Dailia Du Seuil, who is owned by JP McManus and trained by Harry Fry. The race was the mare’s first run for the trainer and owner, who bought her following her three successes in her homeland of France. Another of the qualifying races took place at Wincanton on December 26 and was won by Castafiore. The daughter of Street Cry, who is more famously known for producing top-class mares on the Flat such as Winx and Zenyatta, was bred in America by Godolphin and trained by Andre Fabre on the Flat before being bought by trainer Charlie Longsdon. Ridden by Paul O’Brien for owners the Slater Stockwood Nicholson Partnership, she led from the fourth fence and stayed on well to win by seven lengths, with the Philip Hobbs-trained Little Miss Poet finishing behind her in second.

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Diary Dates & Reminders Thursday, April 18 Mares’ Showcase at Cheltenham The TBA will be hosting a Mares’ Showcase during the April meeting at Cheltenham. The event will feature a variety of talks and interviews on a number of initiatives to support and promote NH mares. Tuesday, May 14 Members’ trip to Weatherbys in Wellingborough Monday, May 20 TBA National Hunt Breeders’ Celebration Dinner at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster The evening will celebrate British achievements from the 2018-19 National Hunt season with an awards presentation and dinner. Tuesday, July 16 TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards Dinner at Newmarket The evening will commence with a drinks reception, followed by dinner and the presentation of the awards. Wednesday, July 17 TBA AGM and Annual Seminar at Tattersalls, Newmarket This year’s Annual General Meeting of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will take place the day after the Awards evening. Further information on all TBA events can be found on the TBA website.

New Members Mr R J Smith,Leicestershire; Mrs Camilla Scott, Somerset; Mr Baldeep Chatwal, Surrey; Mr Callum Whillans, Roxburghshire; Mr Nicholas J Brown, Bedfordshire; Mr Richard Bevis, Gloucestershire; Mr Christopher Ratcliffe, Yorkshire; Ulf Berglund, Sweden; Dominic Reilly, Hertfordshire; Mrs Meryl King, Gloucestershire.

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TBA Racecourse Badge Scheme for Breeders Last year saw a record number of TBA members using their RBSB cards to watch horses they have bred run at racecourses across the UK. Members who have not yet applied for a RBSB card, which lasts for the duration of TBA membership, are encouraged to do so by completing the application form which is available on the TBA website. Existing card holders are reminded that they are still required to update their breeding records with Weatherbys to ensure that the information on your RBSB card is correct. Failure to do so may result in refused entry if your records are not up to date. A list of fixtures eligible for complimentary entry on the RBSB card can be found on the TBA website. The Racecourse Badge Scheme for Breeders is administered by Weatherbys on the TBA’s behalf, so for any queries please call 01933 440077.

RBSB card holders swelled crowds in 2018

Winners Wednesday, December 19 LUDLOW RACECOURSE THE G C RICKARDS LTD EBF MARES’ ‘NATIONAL HUNT’ NOVICES’ HURDLE RACE (CLASS 4) Winner Liberty Bella Owner Mr Brian Eckley Bonus Value £10,000 Wednesday, December 5 LUDLOW RACECOURSE THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NATIONAL HUNT FLAT RACE (CLASS 4) Winner Misty Whisky Owner Distillery Stud Bonus Value £5,000

Sunday, December 16 CARLISLE RACECOURSE THE GETSBK.COM THE SUPER PRICE SPORTSBOOK MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NATIONAL HUNT FLAT RACE (CLASS 5) Winner Stainsby Girl Owner Mr Alistair Duncan Bonus Value £2,500

30-day foal notification TBA members are reminded that breeders are now required to notify the General Stud Book (GSB) of the birth of all foals within 30 days of their birthdate. Notifications can be managed through the Weatherbys GSB online system. The 30-day notification is now in its second year of operation and the regulatory authorities will start to implement penalties for those who do not notify within the designated time period.

Breeders are encouraged to complete the online notification as soon as possible within the 30-day period. For more information on the new system and help on submitting a notification, please visit www. weatherbys.co.uk/30day. There is also a new tool for checking a foal’s notification status. In order to check if your foal has been notified please visit selim.britishhorseracing.com/potro/

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TBA Forum

Save the date: NH Celebration Dinner This year’s TBA NH Celebration Dinner will take place on Monday, May 20 at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster. The event, which is kindly supported by Goffs UK and takes place on the eve of the company’s Spring Store Sale, celebrates Britishbred successes on the racecourse from the 20182019 National Hunt season. Owners, breeders, trainers and National Hunt enthusiasts are invited to attend the evening, which will commence with a champagne reception and dinner, followed by the presentation of the awards. Tickets for the evening can be purchased via the event page on the TBA website.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL HORSE OWNERS It is now a legal requirement that all horse owners register their ownership within 30 days of purchase with their passport-issuing organisation. Weatherbys issues all passports for thoroughbreds registered with the General Stud Book. This legislation applies to all equines and so TBA members are reminded to ensure that any other horses in their ownership are also up to date with the requirements. Please see below the guidelines that exist on the horse passport legislation requirements: It has been a requirement of the Horse Passport Regulations since 2009 for all equine owners in Britain to register their ownership with the government-designated passport issuing organisation (Weatherbys) within 30 days of purchase. From October 1, 2018, this became a legal requirement and is enforceable by Trading Standards. The legislation also requires that a horse’s passport is returned to

Weatherbys to be updated with the new ownership details. Racing ownerships have been granted an exemption, however, when a horse comes out of training this exemption no longer applies. The owner of a horse in training should have previously registered their ownership with Weatherbys before the horse goes into training unless they are the breeder, in which case the ownership is already correct. When a horse comes out of training and the racing ownership is terminated, the Weatherbys ownership

(i.e. the ownership registered with Weatherbys before the horse entered training and was registered in the BHA database for racing purposes) becomes the valid ownership recognised by DEFRA and the Central Equine Database. Even if a racing owner retains ownership of a horse after it finishes racing they will be required to register their continued ownership with Weatherbys – if they hadn’t already done so prior to the horse going into training (unless, of course, they bred the horse).

New members’ meetings Starting in 2019, the TBA is planning to hold a series of members’ meetings in each of the regions. The meetings will provide an informal meet and greet with the regional representatives, a member of the TBA Board and a member of the TBA team. Dates for each of the meetings will be announced to members by email. Those members who have not registered their email address with the TBA are encouraged to do so by contacting the office on info@thetba.co.uk.

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Careers Course attendees enjoy the stallions on show at Cheveley Park Stud

INVESTING IN BREEDING & RACING – TTC CAREERS COURSE Help and advice for TBA members comes in many guises, none more wide-ranging than The Thoroughbred Club Careers Course, which was held for the third time last November and attracted more than 80 attendees aged 18 and upwards from all corners of Britain. A two-day mix of talks, workshops, site visits and social events, the event highlights different career options in the breeding and racing industries and is aimed at informing not just people already in employment but those looking to join. TBA Education Executive Melissa Parris explains: “We opened with a more studfocused day, emphasising the practical side, while the second day concentrated on industry-supported services. “The course highlights different career options in the industry and enables people to have informal discussions with those involved to find out how they got into their roles. It can open people’s eyes to possible progression or other opportunities such as different training courses that are available. “We had people from colleges who didn’t necessarily know what they wanted to do in the industry, while others were looking for a career change.” TBA Communications Executive Alice Thurtle, who attended the 2014 course, has first-hand experience of the programme’s benefits. She recalls: “I was studying equine science at university and thought I knew the obvious options, but it was great to see the different pathways. It made me

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realise there were opportunities working abroad, and I was able to work for Darley in Australia for a year before I finished at university. “I’d say to anyone interested in working in the industry or looking for a career change, come along, whatever your background, because it’s an excellent way to explore options and meet like-minded people.” Among those who have followed that advice are James Cooke, now a stallion handler at Overbury Stud and nominated for the 2019 Godolphin Stud and Stable Awards, and Max McLoughlin, who was recently promoted to junior management assistant at Cheveley Park Stud. Relating Cooke’s experience, Overbury Manager Simon Sweeting says: “James started in 2017 on work experience following the TTC Careers Course. From there he joined the team as a full-time member of staff, rapidly progressing into working with the stallions, and he has shown exceptional horse-handling skills.” McLoughlin has doubly benefited from TBA initiatives, having been a graduate of the Entry To Stud Employment course (E2SE) pilot scheme in 2017, before attending last year’s Careers Course. He says: “The E2SE course came at just the right time for me. I studied history at university but racing, and pedigrees in particular, became my main pastime, so the course appealed as a good way of getting a foot in the door of racing and breeding. I’m not from a horsey background and didn’t have any contacts, so this was a first rung on the ladder.

“I did my E2SE placement at Cheveley Park Stud and was fortunate to be offered a job there as a stud hand. In the meantime, I’d become a member of The Thoroughbred Club and that’s how I heard about the Careers Course. “Several things attracted me to the course. Through attending TTC events I knew there were people with a shared passion whom you wouldn’t see day-today. “Networking was important, although that could be regarded as a fairly shallow term, as if you’re just there to enjoy other people’s company, but there were valuable workshops to advance skills and awareness, as well as talks by such as Tim Lane and Tabbi Smith of the National Stud, which were especially instructive, and various visits. “On a personal note, I was pleased to meet people who were in a similar position to the one I was in a couple of years ago, and I was able to pass on my experience.” Shortly after attending the Careers Course, McLoughlin was promoted from stud hand to junior management assistant at Cheveley Park, and last November’s experience is already paying dividends. He explains: “For instance, I’m now applying some of the lessons I learned on the Careers Course workshop on nominations and marketing in my day-to-day job, and meeting people on the course who I’ve seen several times since has been extremely useful. Making connections has been just as important as accumulating knowledge.”

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Breeder of the Month Words Hyperion Promotions Ltd

Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

NATIONAL HUNT BREEDER OF THE MONTH – DECEMBER

A mare that finished her own racing career by refusing to start is on the cusp of joining the select band of elite National Hunt broodmares after producing a pair of Grade 2 winners in December. Tinagoodnight, a daughter of Sleeping Car, was a winner on the Flat at Clairefontaine before her sale to Richard Kelvin-Hughes, who sent her to Nicky Henderson. She made a bright start to her hurdling career with a four-length success in a Kempton juvenile hurdle in October 2007, but it was a rather different story when reappearing at the same course the following February. She was reluctant to go to post and then refused to jump off with her rivals. Midnight Legend covered her soon afterwards and the following spring she produced a filly foal named Dusky Legend, who has twice been placed in the Grade 2 Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, a race sponsored by her breeder since its inception in 2016. Tinagoodnight’s second foal was another filly, this time by Kayf Tara and subsequently named Early Dawne. She did not race under rules but has already produced a yearling filly by Saint Des Saints and a colt foal by Shirocco. However, it is Tinagoodnight’s third foal, Santini, who carries the greatest weight of expectation. A winning point-to-pointer and one of last season’s best novice hurdlers, when his victories included the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, the imposing son of Milan has always looked every

GEORGE SELWYN

RICHARD KELVIN-HUGHES

Santini shows his rivals a clean set of heels

inch a top-class chaser in the making. On December 1 at Newbury, he confirmed that impression by putting four lengths between himself and the very useful Rocky’s Treasure in the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase on his chasing debut. “The nerves were terrible,” said KelvinHughes in the winners’ enclosure. “There have been nerves about it all week and when you breed a horse like that you expect so much, because you only get so many come along like that. He’s so special and hopefully has a bright future – that is what we breeders dream about.” Santini’s next appearance was on Boxing Day in a strong renewal of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton. He finished third, staying on strongly after the last fence at a course that probably does not play to his strengths.

It was an encouraging performance, and one that did little to diminish the belief that the Nicky Henderson-trained novice is a Gold Cup horse of the future. A fortnight after Santini’s Newbury success it was the turn of his year-younger half-brother Rockpoint. Thistlecrack’s owners John and Heather Snook paid €82,000 for the son of Shirocco at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 2016 and put him into training with Colin Tizzard. Something of a slow-burner compared with his older siblings, it took Rockpoint 11 races to get off the mark. That breakthrough success, however, was gained in some style in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, a race whose illustrious roll of honour includes Coneygree, Unowhatimeanharry and Blaklion. Tinagoodnight, who was awarded the Dudgeon Cup for the National Hunt Broodmare of the Year at the 2018 TBA Awards, was sold to Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £32,000 at the Trull House Stud dispersal at Goffs UK in January 2018. The rest of her family includes a fouryear-old Yeats gelding, a three-year-old High Chaparral filly who was sold to Michael Hyde for £62,000 in the same dispersal, a Walk In The Park yearling filly who went for £22,000 to Philip Kirby, and a Pour Moi filly foal. Although he has dispersed his breeding operation, Kelvin-Hughes still has much to look forward to on the racecourse. At Ludlow a few days before Christmas racegoers caught their first sight of the latest runner out of his Grade 2-winning mare Chomba Womba when Trull La La, a four-year-old daughter of Flemensfirth, finished third in a mares’ novices’ hurdle.

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Fractional ad pages February 2019.indd 99

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Vet Forum: The Expert View

Laryngeal hemiplegia – what’s new? Exploring the advances made in the treatment of horses with wind issues

aryngeal hemiplegia, or recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), is not uncommon in the thoroughbred, along with other large breeds of equines. Recent research has shown that all thoroughbreds have some pathological evidence of the disease, but it is only clinically important in a small percentage of horses. It is the primary reason for undertaking a ‘wind test’ evaluation as part of the pre-purchase examination, and is a frequent cause of respiratory noise and poor performance in racehorses. The exact cause of the condition is still elusive, but we do know it is a neurological disease affecting predominately the left nerves travelling to the larynx, hence the ‘neuropathy’ part of its name. The recurrent laryngeal nerve exits the central nervous system near the larynx in the upper neck region, but instead of travelling a few centimetres to its destination it descends all the way down the neck, turns around and re-ascends before returning to the larynx. The distance travelled by the two nerves on either side is not symmetrical, with the left one travelling much further. The cause of the condition is likely to be related to this unusual anatomy and may explain the reason why we see the condition more commonly on the left side. External trauma to the nerve is also implicated in the disease and its position near the jugular vein can mean it is at a higher risk of damage from trauma or drugs that are incorrectly injected into the adjacent vein. With the nerve failing, the muscles that it communicates with (innervates) also begin to undergo dysfunction and eventually become paralysed. One of these muscles, the Cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD), is the large muscle that sits on the top of either side of the larynx and acts to pull the arytenoid cartilages of the larynx up and out of the airway (abduction) when the horse breathes in (Figure 1). If this muscle fails and/or becomes fatigued during

Figure 1: The fully functioning airway of the horse, with both arytenoid cartilages held up and out of the airway

exercise (e.g. towards the end of a race) then the arytenoid cartilage and the associated vocal fold will fail to be abducted (Figure 2). In addition, the high negative pressures created in the airway as the horse breathes in results in these structures being pulled even further in to the airway and causing an obstruction. This in turn reduces the volume of air reaching the lungs and thus decreases the athletic capabilities of the horse. The resulting turbulent airflow causes respiratory noise, which in some cases can be heard as a musical whistle. The condition is often progressive and in the early stages the clinical signs may become apparent only when the muscles are exercised for prolonged and sustained periods (e.g. long-distance races). As the disease advances, in some cases only over a matter of months, the clinical signs may eventually be seen at much slower gaits and training of the horse may become difficult.

Diagnosis

Accurate diagnosis of the condition can be challenging in all but the most severe cases. In advanced cases of the disease the CAD muscle wastes away, in the same way our limbs muscles do if ever placed in a cast and not used for many weeks. This muscle wasting can be palpated through the skin, with the underlying skeleton of the larynx becoming more prominent as a result. Endoscopic examination of the upper airway allows the veterinary surgeon to initially evaluate the presence and extent of any laryngeal paralysis. As this is a neuromuscular condition the use of sedative drugs should be restricted, as they can cause muscular relaxation and may make the condition appear worse than it actually is. When observing the larynx at rest it is very rare to observe completely symmetrical and synchronous movements of the left and right arytenoid cartilages and their associated structures. Patience is

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By Tim Barnett MRCVS, Rossdale Equine Hospital and Justin Perkins MRCVS, RVC. required and time is spent observing a number of respiratory cycles to ascertain any dysfunction that may be present. Soon after a swallow the larynx will fully abduct, so squirting water down the biopsy channel of the endoscope can be useful to induce this activity. Equally, by making the horse inspire greater volumes of air the larynx will open more widely and occluding the airways for 30 seconds or more, or examining the horse immediately following exercise, can be beneficial. We know that the disease is progressive and at the time of examination the degree of muscle dysfunction may not be advanced enough to see at rest. However, when fatigued by exercise the muscle may begin to fail and the clinical signs noticed. Exercising endoscopic examination has, therefore, become invaluable in cases of RLN to assess the function of the larynx more accurately Some cases that have an asynchronous larynx at rest, that in the past may have undergone surgery, may be found to have a fully functioning airway when exercised. On the other hand, some cases that appear functional at rest may fatigue with extended exercise and as a result surgical intervention can be undertaken sooner. Those individuals with mild forms of muscular dysfunction may

Figure 2: The airway of an RLNafflicted horse with the left arytenoid cartilage (on right of picture) collapsed into the airway

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Figure 3: A horse undergoing overground endoscopy during routine training

actually be coping with the exercise required of them and require more conservative interventions to complete the current racing season. Repeat examination at the conclusion of the planned racing season can then be undertaken to evaluate any progression of the condition. This keeps the horse racing as long as possible and allows major surgical interventions to coincide more with a planned period of rest Exercising examination also allows a more complete assessment of other upper airway structures and it is not unusual for concomitant conditions to be diagnosed, allowing a much more accurate prognostication and more thorough treatment regime instigated. Equally, some other forms of airway obstruction may be confused with RLN from the clinical signs alone. For example, diagnosis of the whistlecausing medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds (MDAF) requires a very different treatment than RLN. In the past, high-speed treadmill endoscopy (HSTE) was used, but the advent of overground endoscopy (OGE) means exercising endoscopic examination can be performed much more readily in the racehorse (Figure 3). The examination can not only be included in the horse’s routine training schedule, with next-to-no-impact on the horse or the training schedule, but the horse can exercise in a way it is more accustomed to on routine surfaces and with a rider on its back.

Treatment

In mild cases of RLN removal of the vocal fold and the adjacent ventricle may be all that is required to alleviate the clinical signs of the disease, or at least allow the horse to complete a current racing season before repeat evaluation. This procedure is commonly known as a Hobday; named after one of the early pioneers of the procedure. Traditionally this was performed through an incision (laryngotomy) under the neck and left open to heal gradually over the following few weeks. Transendoscopic laser resection of the vocal fold and ventricle, with the laser passed in the biopsy channel of the endoscope, has largely replaced this practice (Figure 4). In experienced hands, with carefully applied local anaesthesia and sedation, the procedure can be performed precisely

››

Figure 4: Transendoscopic laser surgery of the left vocal fold

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Vet Forum: The Expert View ›› under constant visual guidance

with very few, if any, post-operative demands or complications. In more severe cases of RLN in which the muscular dysfunction results in severe, if not complete, airway obstruction then a tie-back (or laryngoplasty) procedure may be necessary. Although far from being an innocuous procedure, the principle of the surgery is simply to replace the function of the CAD muscle and permanently fix the arytenoid cartilage in a position of near full abduction. This surgery was traditionally performed with the horse under general anaesthesia, but recent advances in sedation and local anaesthesia techniques have meant this can safely and conveniently be performed in some carefully selected individuals. This negates the risk associated with a general anaesthesia and allows the arytenoid cartilage to be abducted with the upper airway in a natural position. Along with the use of newer suture materials, anchoring devices and suturing techniques; it it thought that the arytenoid cartilage may be more likely to maintain its position postoperatively and not ‘lose abduction’, which is a frequent occurrence following this surgery. As mentioned previously, although the principle of the tie-back procedure is straightforward, the fact that the arytenoid cartilage is permanently held open can cause a number of problems. A small number of horses will not cope with this and may develop difficulty swallowing. Food and water may also enter the airway, ‘going down the wrong way’, causing coughing and potentially leading to lower airway infections. In addition, the tie-back sutures are put under tremendous pressure with slippage and cut-through of the cartilage possibly occuring. As a result, most arytenoid cartilages will become less abducted over the first six weeks following surgery, and complete failure is not uncommon, which may have an impact on the prognosis for future racing potential. It is not a procedure to be undertaken lightly and an alternative has been sought for many years. Various methods of re-innervation of the CAD muscle have been attempted in the equine as well as other species, including humans, to varying degrees of success. Until recently, these techniques have been plagued by prolonged periods of time until muscle function is restored (up to 12 months) and eventual

Figure 5: An intraoperative view of the nerve graft procedure

failure has been experienced. The technique has undergone a number of revision and has been refined, alongside surgeons working on similar human conditions, to now give us a technique that works more quickly, more reliably and does not seem to fail in the long term (Figure 5). The method in use at the authors’ hospitals involves taking donor nerves from a muscle of the neck adjacent to the larynx, and using a carefully developed technique of directly implanting them in the CAD muscle. The technique requires specialist equipment to locate the tiny nerves, remove them and then implant them in the recipient muscle. The muscle that the nerves are obtained from is one of the muscles of the neck that is stimulated to work when the horse is exercising in order to stabilise the neck, head and upper airway. It is innervated by a number of other nerves and its function does not appear to be affected by losing several nerve branches. The fact that the implanted nerve will then function only to stimulate the muscle when the horse is exercising is paramount to its use as a stimulus of the CAD. It means the arytenoid cartilage will abduct only when the horse exercises – when it needs to. At periods of rest and walking the cartilage will not fully abduct, similar to the scenario in the clinically normal horse. This means the complications associated with swallowing and food “going down the wrong way” will be avoided. Although it appears to allow CAD

re-innervation much more quickly than previous techniques it can still take a number of months for full function of the muscle to return. A laser resection of the vocal fold and ventricle can help alleviate some of the clinical signs and airway obstruction in this period, but undertaking the procedure at the start or during a racing season would still be a risk. Early diagnosis of the condition is, therefore, important to try to identify the disease before it progresses too far and instigate the treatment before the clinical signs become too severe. Good, and rapid, success has been achieved in a number of thoroughbred yearlings that were identified around the time of sales preparation. In addition, those horses that have slightly reduced abduction observed during a racing season, that can cope with more conservative procedures to get them through the season, may also be ideal candidates to have a nerve graft at the end of the season if future racing is planned.

The laryngeal pacemaker

Although the nerve graft appears to be promising the horse a more physiological treatment for RLN, if identified after the onset of clinical disease it may still mean a longer convalescence than the tie-back, which in some cases may be preclusive. This convalescence may, however, be accelerated with the use of a laryngeal pacemaker. This is an implant that is placed under the skin, with an external magnetic battery unit, that directly stimulates the nerve used for reinnervation. It means that the CAD can be ‘trained’ independent of the rest of the horse. For example, when the horse is quietly resting in the box. The muscle, therefore, attains condition much more quickly and the horse may be able to return to work with a fully functioning larynx as quickly, or possibly quicker, than with a tie-back. The pacemaker has been proven in the horse but its use in competition horses is, at present, restricted. However, it is designed in a way that would make it easy to identify horses with them inserted and ensure all power supplies are removed from the horse prior to competition. Ongoing research has also found other uses for similar pacemakers in other muscles of the upper airway and their use in other species is potentially limitless, with the racehorse providing clinicians and developers with the almost perfect testing ground for this technology.

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Dr Statz

John Boyce cracks the code

Showcasing forging ahead among Oasis Dream’s sons T SHOWCASING’S STAKES WINNERS

Form G1w G1w G2wG1p G2wG1p G2wG1p G2w G2w G3wG1p G3wG1p G3w G3w G3w LRwG2p LRwG3p LRw LRw LRw LRw LRw

TFR 126 119 124 115 112 113 112 116 109 110 105 99 101 114 114 98 96 95 90

Horse QUIET REFLECTION ADVERTISE TASLEET SOLDIER'S CALL PRIZE EXHIBIT PROJECTED TOOCOOLFORSCHOOL DICE ROLL CAPPELLA SANSEVERO MOHAATHER CONSELICE DEVANT OUT OF THE FLAMES MAXIMUM AURELIUS ENCRYPTED SHOWOUT ACCIPITER MOONLIT SHOW DE BRUYNE HORSE

Born 2013 2016 2013 2016 2012 2012 2012 2015 2012 2016 2013 2016 2015 2013 2015 2016 2012 2014 2015

£4,500 for the next three years. The breeders who put their trust in Showcasing in the past few years will have been delighted with his 2018 season. He sired seven stakes winners but, more importantly, five of them were from his latest crop of two-year-olds and featured his second Group 1 winner, after the excellent Quiet Reflection, when Advertise took the Phoenix Stakes and subsequently chased home Too Darn Hot in the Dewhurst. Another top juvenile, Soldier’s Call, finished third in the all-aged Prix de l’Abbaye after notching up a Group race double in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg and Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes. Meanwhile, both Moohather and Devant made good late-season headway to score in the Group 3 Horris Hill and Group 3 Prix Miesque respectively. That’s four Groupwinning juveniles in a single crop for Showcasing. It’s a total bettered only by the great Galileo in 2018, who sired five. That is the magnitude of what Showcasing has achieved with his 2018 youngsters. So far in his career,

GEORGE SELWYN

he top-class sprinter Oasis Dream, rated 129 by Timeform, has had a pretty remarkable innings at stud. And he’s not done with yet. But at the age of 19, we instinctively look to his potential successors. Which of his sons is most likely to carry on his name in the northern hemisphere in the years ahead? With numerous well-bred offspring still in the pipeline and with the likes of Muhaarar and Charming Thought still to have runners, we cannot conclusively answer that question right now. But there is one stallion that is setting a pretty good standard: he is the Whitsbury Manorbased Showcasing, who is beginning to advertise his true ability now that he’s getting access to better mares. Showcasing aside, Oasis Dream’s record as a sire of sires is anything but stellar. This side of the equator, he’s had eight sons that have sired stakes winners, but it is only Showcasing that is making any sort of headway so far. Aqlaam, Arcano and Power have all been disappointing while Gale Force Ten could yet make his mark. Remarkably, Showcasing was the least accomplished of the lot, earning a career-best Timeform rating of 117, compared to the 125 of Group 1 winner Aqlaam and the 122 of Arcano, also a winner at the highest level. Showcasing’s best effort came at two in the Gimcrack Stakes at York and he also finished third in the Middle Park Stakes. At three, he was second in the Group 2 Duke of York before his form tailed off. But none of that matters now. His current fee of £55,000 and his latest progeny sales – his select yearlings averaged over £125,000 – tell us all we need to know about his rise from relative obscurity, when he started out at £5,000 and dipped to

Sex F C C C F G G G C C F F F G G G F F C

Dam My Delirium Furbelow Bird Key Dijarvo Roodeye Deliberate Spring Surprise Schlague Madam President Roodeye Dictatrix Davantage Primo Lady Feld Marechale Disclose Sell Out Mexican Hawk Shona Right Rave

Broodmare Sire Haafhd Pivotal Cadeaux Genereux Iceman Inchinor King's Best Hector Protector Pulpit Royal Applause Inchinor Diktat Galileo Lucky Story Deputy Minister Dansili Act One Silver Hawk Lyphard Soviet Star

MaxWD 6.0 6.0 7.0 5.0 8.0 8.5 6.1 8.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 7.0 6.5 9.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 7.0

Showcasing has sired 19 stakes winners at a rate of 6.1%, which to a large degree reflects the poorer quality of his earlier mares. For the record, the son of Oasis Dream does quite clearly improve his mares, as the 4% stakes winners from his mares’ other runners clearly demonstrates. Moreover, it’s probably wiser to judge Showcasing with his better mares. His 2016 foals have already notched up 13.5% stakes horses and 6.8% stakes winners, and they have most of their careers ahead of them, so we can expect these numbers to improve through 2019 and beyond. Like his sire, Showcasing is a speed influence as his stamina index of 7.0 furlongs and the 7.9 furlongs of his mares’ other runners suggest. Oasis Dream’s stamina index of 7.7 furlongs was generated from stouter mares that produced a stamina index of 9.0 furlongs. It will be interesting to see if Showcasing can get horses that stay beyond a mile, like his own sire did from time to time. There is no question that Showcasing is in the process of setting a very high bar for other sons of Oasis Dream to follow. Muhaarar, with the benefit of top-class mares from the outset of his career, would do extremely well to better Showcasing’s five juvenile stakes winners and four Group winners in 2018 when his first crop runs later this year. Advertise became Showcasing’s second Group 1 winner after Quiet Reflection

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Data Book • Analysis by Andrew Caulfield Grade 1 Winners 78 BETFAIR TINGLE CREEK CHASE G1 SANDOWN PARK. Dec 8. 4yo+. 15f 110yds.

1. ALTIOR (IRE) 8 11-7 £84,405 b g by High Chaparral - Monte Solaro (Key of Luck) O-Mrs Patricia Pugh B-P. Behan TR-Nicky Henderson 2. Un de Sceaux (FR) 10 11-7 £31,800 b g by Denham Red - Hotesse de Sceaux (April Night) O-E. O’Connell B-Haras de La Rousseliere & Mme Monique Choveau TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Saint Calvados (FR) 5 11-7 £15,915 b g by Saint des Saints - Lamorrese (Pistolet Bleu) O-Kate & Andrew Brooks B-Mr J. Buez TR-Harry Whittington Margins 4, 15. Time 4:03.20. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-8 19 17 1 £838,823 Sire: HIGH CHAPARRAL. Sire of 137 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: MONTE SOLARO by Key of Luck. 2 wins, Brandon Hotel H. Hurdle G3. Dam of 4 winners:

2007: 2008: 2009: 2010:

2011: 2013: 2015: 2017:

KEY TO THE WEST (g Westerner) 5 wins. Cestus (g High Chaparral) PRINCESS LEYA (f Old Vic) 3 wins, R E./B G.Golf Classic New Stand H.Hurdle G2. Broodmare. ALTIOR (g High Chaparral) 16 wins, 3rd Betfair Bumper Standard Open NH Race LR, Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle G1, Sky Bet Supreme Trial Sharp Nov.Hurdle G2, Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase G1, Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase G1, Betfair Tingle Creek Chase G1, Racing Post Henry VIII Novice Chase G1, Bet365 Celebration Chase G1 (twice), Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase G2 (twice), 32red.com Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase G2. SILVERHOW (g Yeats) 4 wins. Melior (f Milan) (g Milan) (f Walk In The Park)

Broodmare Sire: KEY OF LUCK. Sire of the dams of 16 Stakes winners.

ALTIOR b g 2010 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Darshaan

Shirley Heights Delsy

Kozana

Kris Koblenza

Chief’s Crown

Danzig Six Crowns

Balbonella

Gay Mecene Bamieres

Broken Hearted

Dara Monarch Smash

Remoosh

Glint of Gold Rivers Maid

Sadler’s Wells HIGH CHAPARRAL b 99 Kasora

Key of Luck MONTE SOLARO br 00 Footsteps

Jinx, Rekindling and Wigmore Hall. He was arguably even more successful during the years he shuttled to Australia and New Zealand, with the prolific winners So You Think, Dundeel and Shoot Out among his 13 Gr1 winners. There was a time, though, when High Chaparral’s fee fell substantially and he began to attract National Hunt breeders. His 2009 book included numerous mares with jumping backgrounds, one being Monte Solaro, a bumper winner who later won a Grade C handicap over hurdles. The resultant foal was Altior. Monte Solaro produced the useful hurdler Princess Leya to another son of Sadler’s Wells, and she visited Camelot in 2018. Monte Solaro is a daughter of the versatile Key Of Luck and therefore shares the same sire as Alamshar, winner of the Irish Derby and King George. Monte Solaro’s dam Footsteps (who admittedly shared the same sire, Broken Hearted, as the Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde) was a dual seven-furlong winner as a two-year-old. 79 RANDOXHEALTH.COM HENRY VIII NOV. CHASE G1 SANDOWN PARK. Dec 8. 4yo+. 15f 110yds.

1. DYNAMITE DOLLARS (FR) 5 11-2 £31,095 b/br g by Buck’s Boum - Macadoun (Cardoun) O-Mr Michael Geoghegan B-E. Clayeux & J. Rauch TR-Paul Nicholls 2. Ornua (IRE) 7 11-2 £11,806 ch g by Mahler - Merry Heart (Broken Hearted) O-John J Phelan/Syed Momin B-Mr B. Merry TR-Henry de Bromhead 3. Lalor (GER) 6 11-2 £5,982 b g by It’s Gino - Laviola (Waky Nao) O-Mr D. G. Staddon B-Stall 5-Stars TR-Kayley Woollacott Margins 1.75, 10. Time 3:59.30. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-5 13 5 5 £86,276 Sire: BUCK’S BOUM. Sire of 4 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - DYNAMITE DOLLARS Cardoun G1, AL BOUM PHOTO Dom Alco LR. 1st Dam: Macadoun by Cardoun. Dam of 1 winner:

Since Altior first raced over jumps in October 2015, this son of High Chaparral has built a perfect record of 15 wins from 15 starts, comprising five over hurdles and ten over fences. Seven of his victories have come at Gr1 level, with three coming at the Cheltenham Festival, the scene of his wins in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Arkle Novices’ Chase and Queen Mother Champion Chase. His record at Sandown is similarly impressive, and he has now added the Tingle Creek Chase to a victory in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and two in the Celebration Chase. Altior’s sire High Chaparral won the Derby, Irish Derby and two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf during an outstanding career which established him as one of Sadler’s Wells’s best sons. His legacy from his northern hemisphere crops featured nine Gr1 winners (all male), including Toronado, Free Eagle, High

2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2013:

Sacadoun (f Saddler Maker) Tete A Queue (g Robin des Champs) Autricourt (c Sacro Saint) unraced. La Pharmacienne (f Cachet Noir) unraced. DYNAMITE DOLLARS (g Buck’s Boum) 4 wins, 3rd EBF Stallion/Pony Club Open NH Flat Race LR, 3rd Betfair Newton Novices’ Hurdle LR, randoxhealth.com Henry VIII Nov. Chase G1, 2nd Arkle Trial November Novice Chase G2.

Broodmare Sire: CARDOUN. Sire of the dams of 6 Stakes winners.

DYNAMITE DOLLARS b/br g 2013 Green Dancer

Nijinsky Green Valley

Come To Sea

Sea Hawk II Camarilla

Le Glorieux

Cure The Blues La Mirande

Buckleby

Buckskin Thereby

Kaldoun

Caro Katana

Cable Car

Fabulous Dancer Bay Area

Rex Magna

Right Royal V Chambre d’Amour

La Romantique

Carmarthen Vamira

Cadoudal BUCK’S BOUM b 05 Buck’s

Cardoun MACADOUN b 99 Marowa

Dynamite Dollars had a useful record over hurdles, but three starts over

fences have quickly established that he is much more effective over the larger obstacles, with two wins from three starts. He produced a career-best effort to land the Gr1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, reinforcing the possibility that this French-bred gelding is better suited by two miles than two and a half. Dynamite Dollars is a grandson of Cadoudal, France’s many-times champion jumping sire. His sire Buck’s Boum managed only one victory from eight starts, over hurdles at Auteuil, but he also finished second to Long Run, another son of Cadoudal, in the Gr1 Grande Course de Haies des 3 Ans. Long Run, of course, went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and two editions of the King George VI Chase. Buck’s Boum’s first foals were born in 2012 and among them are Al Boum Photo, who gained his best victory in the 2018 Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase, and Coup de Pinceau, who has made a promising start to his chasing career. Buck’s Boum’s second crop includes Duc des Genievres, runner-up in a Gr1 Irish novice hurdle in February 2018 and now a promising chaser. Dynamite Dollars’ broodmare sire Cardoun won the Gr2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte as a two-year-old. The gelding is easily the best performer from the first five foals out of Macadoun, who was second on her only start over hurdles. Macadoun’s half-sister Maralta found fame as the dam of the excellent Al Ferof, a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner who also landed the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase. Their dam Marowa was a four-time winner from a mile to 11 furlongs in the French provinces by the Prix Royal-Oak winner Rex Magna, and Dynamite Dollars’ third dam, La Romantique, was by Carmarthen, a many-times champion sire of jumpers in France. 80 JOHN DURKAN MEM. PUNCHESTOWN CHASE G1 PUNCHESTOWN. Dec 9. 5yo+. 20f.

1. MIN (FR) 7 11-10 £44,381 b g by Walk In The Park - Phemyka (Saint Estephe) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Madame M. Mimouni TR-W. P. Mullins £14,292 2. Shattered Love (IRE) 7 11-3 b m by Yeats - Tracker (Bustino) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Limetree Stud Ltd TR-Gordon Elliott 3. Balko des Flos (FR) 7 11-10 £6,770 ch g by Balko - Royale Marie (Garde Royale) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-C. Bardin & F. Bardin TR-Henry de Bromhead Margins 1.5, 2.5. Time 5:17.90. Going Yielding. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-7 14 7 7 £380,448 Sire: WALK IN THE PARK. Sire of 7 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - MIN Saint Estephe G1, WALK IN THE MILL Lost World G3, ANDI’AMU Septieme Ciel LR. 1st Dam: PHEMYKA by Saint Estephe. Winner at 3 in France. Dam of 4 winners:

2003: 2004: 2005:

Sipiderman (c Spadoun) unraced. SATWA PRINCESS (f Daliapour) 4 wins at 3, 5 and 7 in France. BELAMAGE (c Daliapour) 6 wins at 3, 4 and 6 in France.

2009: 2011:

GAONE (g Sagacity) 3 wins. MIN (g Walk In The Park) 7 wins, Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle G2, 2nd Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle G1, Racing Post Christmas Novice Chase G1, John Durkan Mem. Punchestown Chase G1, Coral Dublin Chase G2, 2nd Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase G1, JLT Melling Chase G1, Paddy Power Rewards Club Chase G1.

Broodmare Sire: SAINT ESTEPHE. Sire of the dams of 9 Stakes winners.

MIN b g 2011 Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Floripedes

Top Ville Toute Cy

Robellino

Roberto Isobelline

Wanton

Kris Brazen Faced

Top Ville

High Top Sega Ville

Une Tornade

Traffic Rough Sea

Akarad

Labus Licata

Stormy Scene

Storm Bird Drama

Montjeu WALK IN THE PARK b 02 Classic Park

Saint Estephe PHEMYKA b 96 Stormyka

Montjeu’s son Walk In The Park was transferred from France to Ireland in January 2016 and has been extremely busy ever since, covering 189 thoroughbred mares in 2016, 204 in 2017 and more than 200 in 2018. The explanation for his transfer and his popularity is simple - his sons Min and Douvan both showed tremendous potential in winning Graded races around the new year in 2016 and then both enjoyed Gr1 success over fences at the post-Christmas Leopardstown meeting in 2016. Douvan went on to extend his magnificent winning sequence to 14. Although Min hasn’t proved nearly as invincible as Douvan, he too has proved top class and his record over fences now stands at five wins and three seconds from nine starts, with his latest success coming in the Gr1 Punchestown Chase. He was pretty good over hurdles, too, winning a Gr2 and finished second to Altior in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Walk In The Park wasn’t nearly as popular during his eight years as a stallion in France, where he sired little more than 200 foals, including 47 in 2016. Although Min has so far raced at up to two and a half miles, there is no reason why he should not stay further. Walk In The Park was second in the Derby and was tried at up to 15 furlongs, and Min’s dam Phemyka is by Saint Estephe, a Coronation Cup winner who also sired the dam of the dual French Champion Hurdle winner Thousand Stars, who stayed well. Min, who sold for only €6,000 as a two-year-old at Arqana, is the fourth runner and fourth winner out of Phemyka, a moderate middle-distance winner in the French provinces. Second dam Stormyka, a winner at up to 11 furlongs in the provinces, was a half-sister to Stormez, a very useful chaser who thrived over long distances.

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CAULFIELD ON MIN: “Although he has so far raced at up to two and a half miles, there is no reason why he should not stay further; his sire Walk In The Park was second in the Derby” 81 JLT LONG WALK HURDLE G1 ASCOT. Dec 22. 4yo+. 24f.

1. PAISLEY PARK (IRE) 6 11-7 £56,950 b g by Oscar - Presenting Shares (Presenting) O-Mr Andrew Gemmell B-M. Conaghan TR-Emma Lavelle 2. West Approach (GB) 8 11-7 £21,370 b g by Westerner - Ardstown (Ardross) O-John and Heather Snook B-Mr & Mrs R. F. Knipe TR-Colin Tizzard 3. Top Notch (FR) 7 11-7 £10,700 b g by Poliglote - Topira (Pistolet Bleu) O-Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede B-Haras Des Sablonnets & B. Gabeur TR-Nicky Henderson Margins 2, 3.75. Time 6:03.70. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 5-6 8 4 3 £144,926 Sire: OSCAR. Sire of 75 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 PAISLEY PARK Presenting G1, QUICK GRABIM Beneficial G1, BAGS GROOVE Roselier G2, GOD’S OWN Phardante G2, LAKE VIEW LAD Supreme Leader G3. 1st Dam: Presenting Shares by Presenting. unraced. Dam of 6 winners:

2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2010: 2011: 2012:

2014: 2018:

HENRY KING (g Great Palm) 3 wins. SOCIETY SHARES (g Moscow Society) Winner over hurdles. Salou Blues (f Moscow Society) unraced. Broodmare. VA’VITE (f Vinnie Roe) 5 wins. Broodmare. MR GREY (g Great Palm) Winner over hurdles. Grande Vitesse (f Dr Massini) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race and ran a few times over hurdles. The Flying Flynn (g Milan) unraced. PAISLEY PARK (g Oscar) 4 wins over hurdles at 5 and 6, JLT Long Walk Hurdle G1, Betfair Stayers H. Hurdle G3, 2nd Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle G2. PRESENT VALUE (g Gold Well) Winner over hurdles at 4. (f Soldier of Fortune)

Broodmare Sire: PRESENTING. Sire of the dams of 24 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - PAISLEY PARK Oscar G1, PEARL ROYALE Robin des Champs LR, ROBIN DE CARLOW Robin des Champs LR, TIMETOCHILL Scorpion LR. The Oscar/Presenting cross has produced: PAISLEY PARK G1, MINELLA AWARDS G2, Montys Meadow G2.

KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 24f.

1. LA BAGUE AU ROI (FR) 7 11-0 £56,950 b m by Doctor Dino - Alliance Royale (Turgeon) O-Mrs Julien Turner & Mr Andrew Merriam B-Comtesse Bertrand De Tarragon TR-Warren Greatrex 2. Topofthegame (IRE) 6 11-7 £21,370 ch g by Flemensfirth - Derry Vale (Mister Lord) O-Mr Chris Giles & Mr&Mrs P K Barber B-P. Kavanagh TR-Paul Nicholls 3. Santini (GB) 6 11-7 £10,700 b g by Milan - Tinagoodnight (Sleeping Car) O-Mr & Mrs R. Kelvin-Hughes B-Mr & Mrs R. G. Kelvin-Hughes TR-Nicky Henderson Margins 1.5, 2. Time 6:01.50. Going Good to Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-7 18 13 0 £186,292 Sire: DOCTOR DINO. Sire of 10 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - LA BAGUE AU ROI Turgeon G1, MASTER DINO Mizzen Mast G1, SHARJAH Royal Academy G1, SCEAU ROYAL Marchand de Sable G2, DOTTORE Turgeon LR.

Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

2007: 2008:

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

2009:

Reliance II

Tantieme Relance III

Vindaria

Roi Dagobert Heavenly Body

2010:

Mtoto

Busted Amazer

2011:

D’Azy

Persian Bold Belle Viking

Royal Fountain

Royalty Fountain

Four Shares

The Parson Bright Record

Sadler’s Wells

Snow Day

Presenting PRESENTING SHARES b 99

82 32RED KAUTO STAR NOVICES’ CHASE G1

1st Dam: Alliance Royale by Turgeon. unraced. Dam of 4 winners:

PAISLEY PARK b g 2012

OSCAR b 94

Paisley Park came along. The very useful Minella Awards is another potentially good representative of this cross. Presenting, of course, is a four-time champion sire and he is also making his mark as a sire of broodmares, with the likes of Presenting Percy, Might Bite, Rathvinden, Death Duty and Monbeg Notorious among his daughters’ good recent winners. Paisley Park’s dam Presenting Shares is an unraced half-sister to Preists Leap, a dual winner of the Thyestes Handicap Chase over three miles. She has produced six winners over jumps, including Present Value, a Gold Well gelding who won a maiden hurdle five days after Paisley Park’s victory in the Long Walk Hurdle.

Royal Shares

Although Oscar’s final crop was foaled in 2015, the son of Sadler’s Wells is sure to remain a prolific source of smart winners for several years to come. His latest potential star is Paisley Park, who has been transformed from a very useful novice hurdler into a leading staying hurdler. Unbeaten in his first three starts of the 2018-19 season, he progressed from winning a Gr3 handicap at Haydock to take the Gr1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. During his long career Oscar enjoyed successful partnerships with several broodmare sires, including Supreme Leader, Beneficial, Good Thyne and Phardante, but he hadn’t hit the headlines with his numerous foals out of Presenting mares until

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KAYSERSBERG (g Khalkevi) 7 wins. Reine Angevine (f Poliglote) 3 wins, 3rd Navan Novice Hurdle G1. Broodmare. Franche Alliance (f Poliglote) 5 wins over jumps in France, 2nd Prix Beugnot H. Hurdle LR. Reine Cenomane (f Saint des Saints) unraced. Broodmare. LA BAGUE AU ROI (f Doctor Dino) 13 wins, Betfred H. Knight Open NH Flat Race LR, olgb.com Warfield Mares’ Hurdle G2, OLBG Mares’ Hurdle LR, olbg.com Mares Hurdle LR, TBA Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle LR, 32Red Kauto Star Novices’ Chase G1, Ladbrokes Berkshire Novices’ Chase G2.

Broodmare Sire: TURGEON. Sire of the dams of 34 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - CHAMP DE BATAILLE Dream Well G1, ELIXIR DE NUTZ Al Namix G1, LA BAGUE AU ROI Doctor Dino G1, A MI MANERA Great Pretender G2, ANGELS BREATH Shantou G2, POLITOLOGUE Poliglote G2, SRELIGHONN Martaline G2. The Doctor Dino/Turgeon cross has produced: LA BAGUE AU ROI G1, DOTTORE LR.

LA BAGUE AU ROI b m 2011

KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 24f.

1. CLAN DES OBEAUX (FR) 6 11-10 £142,375 b g by Kapgarde - Nausicaa des Obeaux (April Night) O-Mr&Mrs P.K.Barber,G.Mason,Sir A Ferguson B-Mme M. Devilder TR-Paul Nicholls £53,425 2. Thistlecrack (GB) 10 11-10 b g by Kayf Tara - Ardstown (Ardross) O-John and Heather Snook B-Mr & Mrs R. F. Knipe TR-Colin Tizzard 3. Native River (IRE) 8 11-10 £26,750 ch g by Indian River - Native Mo (Be My Native) O-Brocade Racing B-F. Mackey TR-Colin Tizzard Margins 1.5, 12. Time 5:59.60. Going Good to Soft.

Diesis Modena

Majmu

Al Nasr Affirmative Fable

Priolo

Sovereign Dancer Primevere

Sire: KAPGARDE. Sire of 26 Stakes winners.

Salagangai

Sallust Malagangai Fortino II Chambord

1st Dam: Nausicaa des Obeaux by April Night. unraced. Dam of 3 winners:

Caro Reiko

Targowice Beronaire

2011:

Pampabird

Pampapaul Wood Grouse

2012:

Allee Du Roy

Rex Magna Alliance III

Logica

Turgeon ALLIANCE ROYALE gr 02

83 32RED KING GEORGE VI CHASE G1

Elmaamul Muhtathir DOCTOR DINO ch 02

Doctor Dino’s reputation as a sire of jumpers continued on its upwards trajectory when La Bague Au Roi defeated the males to land the Gr1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, in the process following Sceau Royal and Sharjah as his third British Graded winner of the 2018-19 season. Doctor Dino has also been very ably represented in his native France by Master Dino, winner of the Gr1 Prix Renaud du Vivier Hurdle. His fee has now been raised to €12,000. La Bague Au Roi has established an impressive record of 13 wins from 18 starts. Her wins include three in bumpers, seven over hurdles and now three wins from as many starts over fences. Her victories also include Gr2 successes over hurdles and fences, and this admirably versatile performer has won black-type races from two miles to three. Stamina is clearly no problem for this bold mare. Her sire Doctor Dino was at his most successful at around a mile and a half, winning the Gr1 Man o’War Stakes and two editions of the Gr1 Hong Kong Vase. La Bague Au Roi’s broodmare sire Turgeon stayed even better, winning both the Irish St Leger and Prix Royal-Oak, and he was also third in two editions of the Gold Cup. Turgeon, who was France’s champion sire of jumpers in 2011, passed on stamina to such good staying chasers as Exotic Dancer, Ma Filleule, Aerial, Shannon Rock, La Segnora and Formosa Joana Has. La Bague Au Roi’s dam Alliance Royale never raced but she has produced three fairly useful jumpers, in addition to her Gr1 winner, including the hurdler/chaser Kaysersberg and the Gr1-placed Reine Angevine. This is also the family of that grand stayer Clan Royal, a half-brother to La Bague Au Roi’s third dam Allee Sarthoise who finished second in the 2004 Grand National and third two years later.

Allee Sarthoise

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-6 16 6 8 £289,521

2009:

VARDA DES OBEAUX (f Saddler Maker) 3 wins. BAHIA DES OBEAUX (g Saddler Maker) 4 wins. CLAN DES OBEAUX (g Kapgarde) 6 wins, 2nd JCB Triumph Trial Finesse Juv. Hurdle G2, 32Red King George VI Chase

G1, Fullers London Pride Berkshire Nov Chase G2, 2nd BetBright Dipper Novices’ Chase G2, Caspian Caviar Gold Cup H. Chase G3, 3rd Betway Bowl Chase G1. Broodmare Sire: APRIL NIGHT. Sire of the dams of 8 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - BRISTOL DE MAI Saddler Maker G1, CLAN DES OBEAUX Kapgarde G1.

CLAN DES OBEAUX b g 2012 Mill Reef

Never Bend Milan Mill

Royal Way

Sicambre Right Away

Cadoudal

Green Dancer Come To Sea

Lady Corteira

Carvin II Nadrusa

Kaldoun

Caro Katana

Garde Royale KAPGARDE b 99 Kaprika

April Night My Destiny NAUSICAA DES OBEAUX gr 01 King’s Road Bellaman Man V

Chaparral Carmelite Cadmus II Trieste Pot d’Or Cythere

After three domestically-bred geldings - Cue Card, Thistlecrack and Might Bite - had interrupted a lengthy sequence of victories of French-bred geldings in the King George VI Chase, it was France’s turn again in 2018, thanks to Clan des Obeaux. In defeating Thistlecrack and Native River, Clan des Obeaux produced a career-best effort, while still a six-year-old. The past French-bred winners of the King George also provide a reminder that the best French-bred chasers are often a little more precocious than their locallybred counterparts. Long Run was still short of his actual sixth birthday when he gained the first of his two King George successes, while Kauto Star was six when he achieved the first of his five wins. Algan and The Fellow were other six-year-old winners. Clan des Obeaux is by Kapgarde, a stallion who raced exclusively over jumps at Auteuil. Kapgarde won over hurdles as a three-year-old, before becoming a Gr3 winner over the smaller obstacles at four. He progressed to fences later in his four-year-old season, winning on his steeplechasing debut before finishing a neck second in the Gr1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure over an extended two and a half miles. Kapgarde’s best effort prior to Clan des Obeaux was Milord Thomas, winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris over three and three-quarter miles. Clan des Obeaux’s dam Nausicaa des Obeaux was placed during a brief career which ended with a fourth in a cross-country event. Clan des Obeaux is her third winner from three foals. The only filly among them, Varda des Obeaux, produced a Kapgarde colt in 2018. Clan des Obeaux’s broodmare sire April Night was a versatile Flat performer who scored at up to 15 furlongs in winning 18 times. April Night has since thrived as a broodmare sire, with his daughters also being responsible for Bristol de Mai, Un de Sceaux, Trifolium and Ar Mad.

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Data Book Grade 1 Winners 84 UNIBET CHRISTMAS HURDLE G1 KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 16f.

1. VERDANA BLUE (IRE) 6 11-0 £74,035 b m by Getaway - Blue Gallery (Bluebird) O-Crimbourne Stud B-E. Kent TR-Nicky Henderson 2. Buveur d’Air (FR) 7 11-7 £27,781 b g by Crillon - History (Alesso) O-Mr John P. McManus B-Gerard Ferte TR-Nicky Henderson 3. If The Cap Fits (IRE) 6 11-7 £13,910 b g by Milan - Derravaragh Sayra (Sayarshan) O-Paul & Clare Rooney B-L. Gilsenan TR-Harry Fry Margins Short Head, 6. Time 3:46.90. Going Good to Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-6 21 8 7 £215,304 Sire: GETAWAY. Sire of 4 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - VERDANA BLUE Bluebird G1, JARVEYS PLATE Glacial Storm LR. 1st Dam: BLUE GALLERY by Bluebird. Winner at 2. Dam of 3 winners:

2005: 2006: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012:

Beat The Band (f Beat All) BLUES AND TWOS (g Presenting) 2 wins. Blue Eyed Lady (f Overbury) unraced. WILDE BLUE YONDER (g Oscar) 2 wins. Charlie’s Oscar (g Oscar) ran twice in N.H. Flat Races and ran once over hurdles. Whenskiesareblue (f Presenting) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race. Broodmare. VERDANA BLUE (f Getaway) 8 wins, 2nd 32Red Wild Flower S LR, Unibet Christmas Hurdle G1, Unibet Elite Hurdle G2, Matchbook Hurdle LR, 3rd Racing Welfare Ladbroke H. Hurdle G3, TBA Mares Novices’ Hurdle LR.

Broodmare Sire: BLUEBIRD. Sire of the dams of 77 Stakes winners.

VERDANA BLUE b m 2012 Konigsstuhl

Dschingis Khan Konigskronung

Mosella

Surumu Monasia

Unfuwain

Northern Dancer Height of Fashion

Greenvera

Riverman Greenway

Storm Bird

Northern Dancer South Ocean

Ivory Dawn

Sir Ivor Dusky Evening

Tate Gallery

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Monsun GETAWAY b 03 Guernica

Bluebird BLUE GALLERY b 01 Lovely Deise

Sun On The Spey Glint of Gold Strathspey

It hasn’t taken Getaway long to establish himself as a stallion with a bright future. Although his eldest progeny were born as recently as 2012, he went close to a top-class double on Boxing Day 2018, when his daughter Verdana Blue edged out the Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air in the Gr1 Christmas Hurdle and his Gr2-winning son Getabird was beaten only half a length in a Gr1 novice chase at Limerick. Verdana Blue has now won six of her 14 starts over hurdles. Other talented performers by this high-class son of Monsun include Getaway Katie Mai (a Gr2 bumper winner), Talkischeap, Getaway Trump and Getareason. Having started out cheaply in 2011, Getaway is now one of the more expensive members of Coolmore’s National Hunt team, with his fee for 2019 set at €7,500. It is to be expected that plenty of Getaway’s winners will stay well, as Getaway shone at distances just short of two miles as a three- and four-year-old, notably winning the Gr2 Prix Chaudenay and Gr2 Prix Kergorlay. He later became a dual Gr1 winner over a mile and a half in

Germany. However, Verdana Blue has plenty of speed in the bottom half of her pedigree and she is clearly regarded as a two-mile specialist by trainer Nicky Henderson, even though she has won over an extended 13 furlongs on the Flat as a six-year-old. Verdana Blue had already won a bumper at Killarney when she was bought for €65,000 as a four-yearold in 2016. Her dam Blue Gallery won a six-furlong seller as a two-yearold and is by Bluebird, winner of the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs. That hasn’t stopped her producing jumping winners to Presenting and Oscar. Verdana Blue’s fourth dam, Strathspey, was a useful performer for the Queen and was a sister to the 1,000 Guineas third Joking Apart. 85 RACING POST CHRISTMAS NOVICE CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 26. 4yo+. 17f.

1. LE RICHEBOURG (FR) 5 11-12 £52,212 br g by Network - Fee Magic (Phantom Breeze) O-Mr John P. McManus B-Mr J. M. Prost Alamartine TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien 2. Us And Them (IRE) 5 11-12 £16,814 b g by Stowaway - Manorville (Flemensfirth) O-Mr Justin Carthy B-Ms A. M. Ryan TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien 3. Voix du Reve (FR) 6 11-12 £7,965 br g by Voix du Nord - Pommbelle (Apple Tree) O-Andrea & Graham Wylie B-D. Lommele, G. Wagner & S.C.E.A. Lommele TR-W. P. Mullins Margins 4.5, Neck. Time 4:03.80. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-5 14 6 4 £138,676 Sire: NETWORK. Sire of 26 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - DELTA WORK Video Rock G1, LE RICHEBOURG Phantom Breeze G1, CELEBRE D’ALLEN Grand Seigneur LR, CRYSTAL BEACH Royal Charter LR, DIEU VIVANT Video Rock LR. 1st Dam: Fee Magic by Phantom Breeze. unraced. Dam of 4 winners:

2005:

2007: 2008: 2009: 2012: 2013:

2014:

GRANDS CRUS (g Dom Alco) 7 wins, Rewards4Racing Cleeve Hurdle G2, 2nd BGC Partners Liverpool Hurdle G1, Ladbrokes World Hurdle G1, williamhill.com Feltham Novices’ Chase G1, 3rd William Hill King George VI Chase G1. Pinot Noir (g Truth Or Dare) unraced. GEVREY CHAMBERTIN (g Dom Alco) 9 wins, Betfair Fixed Brush H. Hurdle G3. La Romanee (f Robin des Champs) unraced. Broodmare. NUITS PREMIER CRU (g Buck’s Boum) 5 wins over jumps at 3 to 6, 2018 in France. LE RICHEBOURG (g Network) 6 wins, 2nd Paddy Power Future Champions Nov. Hurdle G1, Racing Post Christmas Novice Chase G1, Like a Butterfly Novice Chase G3, 2nd baroneracing.com Drinmore Novice Chase G1. Le Musigny (g Anzillero) unraced.

Broodmare Sire: PHANTOM BREEZE. Sire of the dams of 11 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - LE RICHEBOURG Network G1, MARTINSTAR Martaline G1, ENJOY IT Jeremy LR.

LE RICHEBOURG br g 2013 Konigsstuhl

Dschingis Khan Konigskronung

Mosella

Surumu Monasia

Reliance II

Tantieme Relance III

Nicotiana

Naras Nina

Vision

Nijinsky Foreseer

Ask The Wind

Run The Gantlet Arburie

Tip Moss

Luthier Top Twig

Miss Jefferson

Jefferson Miss Cuyp

Monsun NETWORK br 97 Note

Phantom Breeze FEE MAGIC b 00 Carama

At the tender age of five, the French-bred Le Richebourg has made a terrific start as a steeplechaser, and he was winning for the third time in four starts when he landed the Racing Post Novice Chase. His one defeat was also creditable, as he was caught close home by Delta Work in another Gr1. Le Richebourg had previously won the first three of his eight starts over hurdles. Le Richebourg’s fine form adds to the already-impressive Irish achievements by his French-based sire Network, who has been represented by the Irish Gr1 winners Rubi Light, Adriana des Mottes and Delta Work and the multiple Irish Graded winners Acapella Bourgeois and Ball d’Arc, in addition to Sprinter Sacre and Saint Are in Britain. Le Richebourg is the third Graded winner produced by the unraced Fee Magic, following the Dom Alco geldings Grands Crus and Gevrey Chambertin. Grands Crus was high class at up to three miles over hurdles and fences, notably winning the Gr1 Feltham Novices’ Chase, and Gevrey Chambertin also stayed well, winning a Gr3 handicap hurdle over a furlong short of three miles. Fee Magic is herself a half-sister to a couple of good winners by Dom Alco in Al Tip and Al Co, the latter winner of the Gr3 Scottish Grand National over four miles. Le Richebourg’s third dam Miss Jefferson was a Listed winner at Auteuil. This is also the family of Al Boum Photo, winner of the Gr1 RSA Novices’ Chase and Gr1 Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase. Fee Magic’s sire Phantom Breeze was a very smart middle-distance performer in Ireland and the USA, but he was too stoutly-bred to become a fashionable stallion. He retired at a modest fee in France, where his best winners include Le Coudray, a top-class hurdler/chaser, and Bilboa, a mare who did very well over hurdles. 86 MATCHBOOK GREENMOUNT NOVICE CHASE G1 LIMERICK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 19f 110yds.

1. HARDLINE (IRE) 6 11-10 £52,212 b g by Arcadio - Hidden Reserve (Heron Island) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Ms N. Humphreys TR-Gordon Elliott 2. Getabird (IRE) 6 11-10 £16,814 b g by Getaway - Fern Bird (Revoque) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-P. Connell TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Riders Onthe Storm (IRE) 5 11-10 £7,965 br g by Scorpion - Endless Moments (Saddlers’ Hall) O-Mrs Paul Shanahan & Mrs John Magnier B-T. Taaffe TR-T J Taaffe Margins 0.5, 21. Time 5:00.50. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-6 21 9 8 £168,674 Sire: ARCADIO. Sire of 6 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - HARDLINE Heron Island G1, WALK TO FREEDOM Norwich G2. 1st Dam: HIDDEN RESERVE by Heron Island. Winner of a N.H. Flat Race. Dam of 4 winners:

2010: 2011: 2012:

Grand Diem (f Trans Island). Broodmare. WOLFSLAIR (g Yeats) Winner over hurdles. HARDLINE (g Arcadio) 8 wins, Paddy Power Johnston Novice Hurdle G2, I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle LR, 3rd Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle G1, Paddy Power Future Champions Nov. Hurdle G1, Rathbarry Hardy Eustace Novice Hurdle G2, Matchbook Greenmount Novice Chase G1,

2013: 2014: 2015: 2016: 2018:

ISF EBF Klairon Davis Nov.Chase G3, 2nd Betway Craddockstown Novice Chase G2. SANGHA RIVER (g Arcadio) Winner of a N.H. Flat Race. CHEZ HANS (g Aizavoski) Winner over hurdles at 4. Hidden Figure (f Aizavoski) unraced. (c Aizavoski) (c Arcadio)

Broodmare Sire: HERON ISLAND. Sire of the dams of 3 Stakes winners. The Arcadio/Heron Island cross has produced: HARDLINE G1, THE GAME CHANGER G1.

HARDLINE b g 2012 Konigsstuhl

Dschingis Khan Konigskronung

Mosella

Surumu Monasia

Royal Academy

Nijinsky Crimson Saint

Alys

Blakeney Bessie Wallis

Shirley Heights

Mill Reef Hardiemma

Dalawara

Top Ville Delsy

Executive Perk

Lord Gayle Areola

That’s The Spirit

Mandalus Flynn’s Field

Monsun ARCADIO b 02 Assia

Heron Island HIDDEN RESERVE b 03 That’s The Bonus

The Arctic Tack Stud can be proud of Hardline, as this winner of the Gr1 Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase has Arctic Tack stallions as his sire and broodmare sire. His sire, the German-bred Arcadio, has developed into another promising stallion son of Monsun and Hardline follows the Manifesto Novices’ Chase winner Flying Angel as his second Gr1 winner over fences. Hardline was also very effective over hurdles, with a Gr2 victory among his four successes. The Game Changer, Go Conquer and Crievehill are other talented chasers by Arcadio, who collected a couple of Gr2s at up to 11 furlongs as a four-year-old. Arcadio had also finished third when a hot favourite for the 2005 Deutsches Derby. Hardline’s broodmare sire Heron Island is probably best known as the sire of the Gr1-winning chaser Black Hercules. Closely related to Shirley Heights’ top son Darshaan, Heron Island showed that he stayed very well when fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup. Hardline’s dam Hidden Reserve won a bumper and is a sister to Crocodiles Rock, a Gr2 bumper winner who later scored over hurdles and fences. Hidden Reserve’s unraced sister Gilt Ridden produced the multiple Gr3 winner The Game Changer to Arcadio as well as the smart chaser Johns Spirit to Gold Well. Second dam That’s The Bonus was a half-sister to those smart hurdlers Spirit Leader and That’s My Man. 87 CORAL FINALE JUVENILE HURDLE G1 CHEPSTOW. Dec 27. 3yo. 16f.

1. QUEL DESTIN (FR) 11-0 £37,018 ch g by Muhtathir - High Destiny (High Yield) O-Martin Broughton & Friends B-S.C.E.A. Haras Des Sablonnets & L. Bermond TR-Paul Nicholls 2. Adjali (GER) 11-0 £13,891 b g by Kamsin - Anabasis (High Chaparral) O-Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede B-Gestut Karlshof TR-Nicky Henderson 3. Arverne (FR) 11-0 £6,955 b g by Doctor Dino - Argovie (Alberto Giacometti) O-Mr John P. McManus B-S.C.E.A. Ecurie Maulepaire TR-Adrien Lacombe Margins Neck, 22. Time 4:01.30. Going Soft.

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CAULFIELD ON SIMPLY NED: “He is now a veteran of 40 races and his toughness can be attributed to his sire Fruits Of Love, who packed 23 starts into four years of action with Mark Johnston” Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 12 5 3 £118,760 Sire: MUHTATHIR. Sire of 34 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - QUEL DESTIN High Yield G1, ENVOI ALLEN Saint des Saints LR, ROXINELA Antarctique LR. 1st Dam: HIGH DESTINY by High Yield. 2 wins over jumps in France. Dam of 1 winner:

2014: 2015:

2016:

Eyes Up (g Muhtathir) unraced. QUEL DESTIN (g Muhtathir) Sold 8,403gns yearling at ARAUT. 5 wins, Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle G1, bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle G2, JCB Triumph Trial Prestbury Juv. Hurdle G2. Straigt Destiny (f Barastraight) in training.

2nd Dam: SUCH IS LIFE by Akarad. 1 win at 2 in France. Own sister to AROKAR and LA TIRANA. Dam of LAST EMPRESS (f Dernier Empereur: Prix Delahante LR, La Coupe des Pouliches de Marseille LR), Bon Grain (c Muhtathir: 2nd Prix Delahante LR, La Coupe de Marseille LR, 3rd La Coupe G3), Refutation (c Muhtathir: 3rd Prix Jacques d’Indy Hurdle G3) Broodmare Sire: HIGH YIELD. Sire of the dams of 11 Stakes winners.

QUEL DESTIN ch g 2015 Diesis

Sharpen Up Doubly Sure

Modena

Roberto Mofida

Al Nasr

Lyphard Caretta

Affirmative Fable

Affirmed Fairway Fable

Storm Cat

Storm Bird Terlingua

Scoop The Gold

Forty Niner Leap Lively

Akarad

Labus Licata

Arosa

Silver Shark Andrea II

Elmaamul MUHTATHIR ch 95 Majmu

High Yield HIGH DESTINY ch 08 Such Is Life

The Finale Juvenile Hurdle is rapidly becoming the preserve of youngsters bred in France and Quel Destin became the sixth successive French-bred to win the race, following We Have A Dream, Defi du Seuil, Adrien du Pont, Bristol de Mai and Le Rocher. Several of these went on to further Gr1 success, and Quel Destin can be expected to follow suit. This son of Muhtathir has now won the last four of his five starts for Paul Nicholls, including three Graded races, often showing plenty of determination. The gelding’s dam High Destiny won twice over hurdles at Clairefontaine as a three-year-old. Her sire High Yield, a son of Storm Cat, was good enough to win the Gr1 Hopeful Stakes at two and two more Gr1 races at three, including the Blue Grass Stakes over nine furlongs. High Yield joined the stallion team at Ashford Stud but proved disappointing and was transferred to France for a couple of years. Quel Destin’s second dam Such Is Life was a sister to two notable Flat performers. One, Arokar, earned a tilt at the 1986 Derby with his victory in the Gr2 Prix Greffulhe and his second in the Gr1 Prix Lupin. The other, La Tirana, developed into a very useful performer at around a mile and a quarter as a four- and five-year-old. La Tirana demonstrated that this family can produce smart hurdlers. Mated to Take Risks, she produced Walkon, a four-time Flat winner in France whose second in the Triumph Hurdle was sandwiched between Gr1 successes in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle and the Gr1 Anniversary 4-y-o Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. La Tirana is also the

Feb_174_DataBook.indd 109

second dam of Court Canibal, winner of the Gr3 Prix Exbury, and of Cuidado Chaval, a Listed winner over hurdles as a four-year-old. This is also the family of the Gr1 Prix Vermeille winner Bateel. 88 PADDY POWER DIAL-A-BET CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 27. 5yo+. 17f.

1. SIMPLY NED (IRE) 11 11-12 £65,265 ch g by Fruits of Love - Bishops Lass (Marju) O-David & Nicky Robinson B-Miss I. Hatton TR-Nicky Richards 2. Footpad (FR) 6 11-12 £21,018 b g by Creachadoir - Willamina (Sadler’s Wells) O-Mr Simon Munir/Mr Isaac Souede B-L. Collet & C. Collet TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Ordinary World (IRE) 8 11-12 £9,956 br g by Milan - Saucy Present (Presenting) O-C.Jones B-Dillon Family TR-Henry de Bromhead Margins 0.5, 4.75. Time 4:02.50. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 4-11 40 10 21 £346,097 Sire: FRUITS OF LOVE. Sire of 7 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: Bishops Lass by Marju. unraced. Dam of 2 winners:

2005: 2007:

2008: 2009: 2012: 2013:

APT MANOR (f Craigsteel) 3 wins. Broodmare. SIMPLY NED (g Fruits of Love) 10 wins, Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase G1 (twice), 2nd Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Chase G1, Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase G1, Coral Dublin Chase G2, Shloer Cheltenham Chase G2, Shloer Chase LR (twice), 3rd Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase G1 (twice), Paddy Power Nationwide Newlands Chase G2. Back Home Again (g Darsi) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race. Ah No Mattie (g Millenary) unraced. Nadine’s Girl (f Kalanisi) unraced. Broodmare. (f Court Cave)

Broodmare Sire: MARJU. Sire of the dams of 51 Stakes winners.

SIMPLY NED ch g 2007 Woodman Hansel FRUITS OF LOVE b 95

Count On Bonnie Dancing Count Buena Notte Secretariat

Bold Ruler Somethingroyal

Midou

Saint Crespin III Midget II

Last Tycoon

Try My Best Mill Princess

Flame of Tara

Artaius Welsh Flame

Kenmare

Kalamoun Belle of Ireland

Vallee Secrete

Marju BISHOPS LASS b 99 Priorite

Mr Prospector Playmate

Princess Dixieland Dixieland Band Princess Ivor

Simply Ned first began to show smart form over fences as long ago as November 2013 but Gr1 success evaded him until December 2017, when the stewards at Leopardstown promoted him to first in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase. He again travelled from Cumbria to Leopardstown for the same race a year later and this time he didn’t need any assistance from the stewards to repeat his victory, as he wore down the favourite Footpad to score by half a length. His career earnings are now approaching £350,000. Simply Ned is now a veteran of 40 races and his toughness can be attributed to his sire Fruits Of Love, who packed 23 starts into four years of action for Mark Johnston. Fruits Of Love was good enough to win the Dubai Sheema Classic, as well as the Gr2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes and two editions of the Gr2 Hardwicke

Stakes. His prospects as a stallion weren’t helped by the fact that his sire, the 1991 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Hansel, had disappointed in that role. Simply Ned is comfortably his best representative, but his other talented sons include the Graded chase winners Financial Reward, Court In Motion and Double W’s. Simply Ned’s dam, the unraced Bishops Lass, was bred for the Flat, as a daughter of Marju and a Kenmare mare. 89 PADDY POWER FUTURE CHAMPIONS NOV. HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 27. 4yo+. 16f.

1. ARAMON (GER) 5 11-10 £52,212 b g by Monsun - Aramina (In The Wings) O-Supreme Horse Racing Club & Michael Songer B-Gestut Rottgen TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Sancta Simona (FR) 5 11-3 £16,814 b m by Saddex - Desimona (Monsun) O-Mr John P. McManus B-L. Kneip & S. Grevet TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Tintangle (IRE) 5 11-3 £7,965 b m by Yeats - Connaught Hall (Un Desperado) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-K. O’Brien TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 10, 3. Time 3:54.80. Going Good to Yielding. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 16 5 8 £97,151 Sire: MONSUN. Sire of 125 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: Aramina by In The Wings. Winner at 3 in Germany, 2nd P.Gestut Brummerhof Wettchance des Tages LR. Dam of 4 winners:

2009: 2011: 2012: 2013:

2014: 2015: 2016: 2017:

Patrizier (c Tertullian) AVENTURIER (c Samum) Winner at 3 in France. (c Monsun) ARAMON (g Monsun) 5 wins, Paddy Power Future Champions Nov. Hurdle G1, For Auction Novice Hurdle G3, 3rd Baronracing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle G1. AKROBAT (c Kallisto) 2 wins at 3 in Hungary. ARCADO (c Dalakhani) Winner at 3 in Germany. Aramax (c Maxios) unraced to date. Akteur (c Kallisto) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: AKASMA by Windwurf. 3 wins in Germany. Dam of AVISO (g Tertullian: Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (2000 Guineas) G2), ATTILIA (f Tiger Hill: Kronimus Rennen LR, IDEE Festa Rennen LR), AVOCETTE (f Kings Lake: IDEE Festa Rennen LR), Aramina (f In The Wings, see above). Grandam of AMARETTE, ANATOLA, AMBRIA, Arras, Anjella, Ameer, ANONIS, Asperata. Third dam of ALMANDIN, ATEMPO, AMAZONA, LA SIGNARE, Mango Tango, Ametrin, Stable Genius, Auctorita, KING’S SOCKS. Fourth dam of ANCIENT SPIRIT. Broodmare Sire: IN THE WINGS. Sire of the dams of 54 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - ARAMON Monsun G1, ROCK THE KASBAH Shirocco G3.

LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 28. 5yo+. 24f.

1. KEMBOY (FR) 6 11-10 £91,372 b g by Voix du Nord - Vitora (Victory Note) O-Supreme Racing/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp B-J. Morruzzi & P. Morruzzi TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Monalee (IRE) 7 11-10 £29,425 b g by Milan - Tempest Belle (Glacial Storm) O-Mr Barry Maloney B-A. Aherne TR-Henry de Bromhead £13,938 3. Road To Respect (IRE) 7 11-10 ch g by Gamut - Lora Lady (Lord Americo) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Miss I. Rothwell TR-Noel Meade Margins 7.5, Head. Time 6:06.50. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-6 13 6 4 £226,602 Sire: VOIX DU NORD. Sire of 21 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - KEMBOY Victory Note G1, DUCA DE THAIX Subotica G2, VOIX DU REVE Apple Tree G2, ESPOIR D’ALLEN Maille Pistol G3. 1st Dam: VITORA by Victory Note. Winner at 3 in France. Dam of 1 winner:

Astraye (f Astarabad) KEMBOY (g Voix du Nord) 6 wins, 2nd Lacy Solicitors Golden Cygnet Nov.Hurdle G2, Punchestown EMS Copiers Novice H. Chase G1, Savills Leopardstown Christmas Chase G1, Clonmel Oil Chase G2, Hugh McMahon Mem. Novice Chase G3.

Dschingis Khan

Tamerlane Donna Diana

Konigskronung

Tiepoletto Kronung

Surumu

Literat Surama

Monasia

Authi Monacensia

Broodmare Sire: VICTORY NOTE. Sire of the dams of 2 Stakes winners.

Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

KEMBOY b g 2012

High Hawk

Shirley Heights Sunbittern

Windwurf

Kaiseradler Wiesenweihe

Konigsstuhl

Mosella

In The Wings ARAMINA ch 03

90 SAVILLS LEOPARDSTOWN CHRISTMAS CHASE G1

2011: 2012:

ARAMON b g 2013

MONSUN br 90

into yet another major winner for Monsun on the Flat, picking up only two minor middle-distance races in Germany before being sold for €40,000 as a four-year-old at Baden-Baden. However, Aramon is proving a bargain at that price, as he has now won three of his five starts over hurdles, including one over two and a half miles. Monsun also enjoyed Gr1 success of a different kind with this family when his daughter Amarette won the 2004 Preis der Diana (German Oaks). Amarette’s dam Avocette was a half-sister to Aramon’s dam, the Listed-placed Aramina. Amarette’s brother Arras was also a Classic performer, third in the Prix du JockeyClub, and Monsun also sired the 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin from this family, his dam Anatola being a daughter of Avocette. This family also produced Aviso, a winner of the German 2,000 Guineas (Gr2 Mehl-Muhlens Rennen) who also went jumping, but with much less success than Aramon. The fifth dam in this distinguished female line is Agora, a Classic-placed half-sister to the 1970 German Derby winner Alpenkonig, who shared the same sire, Tamerlane, as Monsun’s grandsire Dschingis Khan.

Akasma Anona

Arratos Amitie

Lomond

Northern Dancer My Charmer

Vearia

Mill Reef Val Divine

Top Ville

High Top Sega Ville

Girl of France

Legend of France Water Girl

Fairy King

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Three Piece

Jaazeiro Trinity Term

Tip Moss

Luthier Top Twig

Chevestraye

Lou Piguet Changaria

Valanour VOIX DU NORD b 01 Dame Edith

The great German stallion Monsun died in August 2012, which means that Aramon, a ten-length winner of the Gr1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, is a member of his final crop. Unfortunately, Aramon didn’t develop

Victory Note VITORA b 04 Mosstraye

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Data Book Grade 1 Winners The last few years have highlighted how big a blow the French industry suffered when Voix du Nord died in March 2013, aged only 12. He has been represented by a string of smart performers, many of which have enjoyed Graded success in Ireland or Britain. Among them are Kemboy (an exciting winner of the Gr1 Leopardstown Christmas Chase), Voix du Reve (Gr2 Craddockstown Novice Chase), Espoir d’Allen (a multiple winner over hurdles at Gr2 and Gr3 levels) and Duca de Thaix (a Gr3 winner over hurdles). Their predecessors included Defi du Seuil (Gr1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle), Vaniteux (Gr2 Lightning Novices’ Chase), Voix d’Eau (Gr2 Silver Trophy Chase), Vibrato Valtat (Gr1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, etc), Bachasson (a Gr3 novice hurdle winner who is now shining over fences), Val de Ferbet (a Gr2 novice chase winner) and Taquin du Seuil (Gr3 BetVictor Gold Cup Chase, etc). Voix du Nord’s racing career was also cut short. He earned the position of favourite for the 2004 Prix du Jockey-Club with his victories in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud and Prix Lupin but was injured shortly before the Chantilly Classic. Off the course for nearly a year, he never won again. Kemboy has the potential to be the best of Voix du Nord’s sons. Markedly more effective over fences than hurdles, he was winning for the fifth time from eight steeplechase starts when he dominated a competitive field in the Christmas Chase. This was his second success over three miles and he clearly stays well, even though his broodmare sire is Victory Note, a Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner by Fairy King. Kemboy’s dam Vitora won over middle distances in France and is a half-sister to Karabak, a Gr2 winner over hurdles at Cheltenham. Second dam Mosstraye was a half-sister to Grand Match, a Gr2-placed Listed winner over hurdles. 91 SQUARED CHRISTMAS HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 28. 4yo+. 24f.

1. APPLE’S JADE (FR) 6 11-3 £52,212 b m by Saddler Maker - Apple’s For Ever (Nikos) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mr R. Coveliers TR-Gordon Elliott 2. Early Doors (FR) 5 11-10 £16,814 b g by Soldier of Fortune - Ymlaen (Desert Prince) O-Mr John P. McManus B-Mr D. Clee TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien 3. Bapaume (FR) 5 11-10 £7,965 b g by Turtle Bowl - Brouhaha (American Post) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Maurice Rohaut-Leger TR-W. P. Mullins Margins 26, 3.25. Time 6:01.10. Going Good to Yielding. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-6 19 13 6 £623,561 Sire: SADDLER MAKER. Sire of 11 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - APPLE’S JADE Nikos G1, BRISTOL DE MAI April Night G1, ELUDY Quart de Vin G3, ALPHA DES OBEAUX Saint Preuil LR, BURN OUT Linamix LR. 1st Dam: APPLE’S FOR EVER by Nikos. 5 wins over jumps in France. Dam of 4 winners:

2009: 2010:

APPLE’S MAELYS (f Saddler Maker) 7 wins over jumps in France. MADAME APPLE’S (f Saddler Maker) Winner over jumps in France.

2011: 2012:

2014:

2015: 2016:

Le Sete For Ever (f Saddler Maker) ran over jumps in France. APPLE’S JADE (f Saddler Maker) 13 wins, AES Champion 4yo Hurdle G1, Betfred Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle G1, Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle G1 (3 times), Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle G1 (twice), Irish Stall.Farms EBF Mares Chpn. Hurdle G1, OLBG David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle G1, Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle G2, Lismullen Hurdle G2 (twice), 2nd JCB Triumph Hurdle G1, stanjames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle G1, WKD Hurdle G2, Quevega Mares Hurdle LR, 3rd ISF. EBF Annie Power Mares Chpn. Hurdle G1, OLBG David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle G1. APPLE’S SHAKIRA (f Saddler Maker) 4 wins, JCB Triumph Trial Finesse Juv. Hurdle G2, JCB Triumph Trial Prestbury Juv. Hurdle G2, 3rd Doom Bar Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle G1. Grisy Apple’s (c Montmartre) Apple’s du Pont (c Saddler Maker) unraced to date.

Broodmare Sire: NIKOS. Sire of the dams of 26 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - APPLE’S JADE Saddler Maker G1, ROI MAGE Poliglote LR. The Saddler Maker/Nikos cross has produced: APPLE’S JADE G1, APPLE’S SHAKIRA G1.

APPLE’S JADE b m 2012 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Alleged

Hoist The Flag Princess Pout

Alexandrie

Val de L’Orne Apachee

Nonoalco

Nearctic Seximee

No No Nanette

Sovereign Path Nuclea

Le Pontet

Succes Arielle

Silver Girl

Son of Silver Our Best

Sadler’s Wells SADDLER MAKER b 98 Animatrice

Nikos APPLE’S FOR EVER b 00 Apple’s Girl

See race 43 in the January issue 92 NEVILLE HOTELS FORT LENEY NOVICE CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 29. 4yo+. 24f.

1. DELTA WORK (FR) 5 11-10 £52,212 br g by Network - Robbe (Video Rock) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-C. Magnien & J. Magnien TR-Gordon Elliott £16,814 2. Mortal (IRE) 6 11-10 b g by King’s Theatre - Pomme Tiepy (Apple Tree) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Corrib Racing TR-Joseph Patrick O’Brien 3. Blow By Blow (IRE) 7 11-10 £7,965 ch g by Robin des Champs - Shean Rose (Roselier) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mrs E. Hadden TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 8, 10. Time 6:02.30. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 3-5 14 6 8 £220,675 Sire: NETWORK. Sire of 26 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - DELTA WORK Video Rock G1, LE RICHEBOURG Phantom Breeze G1, CELEBRE D’ALLEN Grand Seigneur LR, CRYSTAL BEACH Royal Charter LR, DIEU VIVANT Video Rock LR. 1st Dam: Robbe by Video Rock. Dam of 3 winners:

2012: 2013:

2014: 2015: 2016:

CAP YORK (g Ballingarry) 2 wins. DELTA WORK (g Network) 6 wins, Pertemps Network Final H. Hurdle G3, 2nd Irish Mirror War of Attrition Nov.Hurdle G1, Guinness Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle G2, 3rd Monksfield Novice Hurdle G3, Fishery Lane Hurdle G3, baroneracing.com Drinmore Novice Chase G1, Neville Hotels Fort Leney Novice Chase G1. ELWOOD (g Martaline) Winner over jumps at 4 in France. Foster’s (f Cokoriko) Gympie (f Lord du Sud) unraced to date.

Broodmare Sire: VIDEO ROCK. Sire of the dams of 27 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - DELTA WORK Network G1, ARRY Boris de Deauville LR, DIEU VIVANT Network LR, EQUEMAUVILLE Saint des Saints LR. The Network/Video Rock cross has produced: DELTA WORK G1, SAINT ARE G1, VENT SOMBRE G2, DIEU VIVANT LR, Colere Noire LR, Rob Conti LR.

DELTA WORK br g 2013 Konigsstuhl

Dschingis Khan Konigskronung

Mosella

Surumu Monasia

Reliance II

Tantieme Relance III

Nicotiana

Naras Nina

No Lute

Luthier Prudent Miss

Pauvresse

Home Guard Misoptimist

Luchiroverte

Slip Anchor Green Lucia

Kelinda

Pot d’Or Tafaraoui

Monsun NETWORK br 97 Note

Video Rock ROBBE b 05 Hotesse du Bouille

See race 42 in the January issue

94 BETWAY CHALLOW NOVICES’ HURDLE G1 NEWBURY. Dec 29. 4yo+. 20f 110yds.

1. CHAMP (IRE) 6 11-7 £25,628 b g by King’s Theatre - China Sky (Definite Article) O-Mr John P. McManus B-P. & J. Myerscough TR-Nicky Henderson 2. Getaway Trump (IRE) 5 11-7 £9,617 b g by Getaway - Acinorev (Cape Cross) O-Owners Group 023 B-E. M. O’Sullivan TR-Paul Nicholls 3. Kateson (GB) 5 11-7 £4,815 gr g by Black Sam Bellamy - Silver Kate (Insan) O-DMRichardsRobertsChurchwardW-Williams B-D. M. Richards TR-Tom Lacey Margins 2.5, 0.75. Time 5:10.00. Going Good to Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 5-6 7 5 2 £65,193

93 RYANAIR DECEMBER HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 29. 4yo+. 16f.

1. SHARJAH (FR) 5 11-10 £65,265 b g by Doctor Dino - Saaryeh (Royal Academy) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Ecurie Haras De Beauvoir TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Supasundae (GB) 8 11-10 £21,018 b g by Galileo - Distinctive Look (Danehill) O-Ann & Alan Potts Limited B-Newsells Park Stud Limited TR-Mrs J. Harrington 3. Tombstone (IRE) 8 11-10 £9,956 ch g by Robin des Champs - Connaught Hall (Un Desperado) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-K. O’Brien TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 3.75, 1.75. Time 3:55.00. Going Good to Yielding. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-5 22 6 9 £327,169 Sire: DOCTOR DINO. Sire of 10 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - LA BAGUE AU ROI Turgeon G1, MASTER DINO Mizzen Mast G1, SHARJAH Royal Academy G1, SCEAU ROYAL Marchand de Sable G2, DOTTORE Turgeon LR. 1st Dam: SAARYEH by Royal Academy. Winner at 3 viz. Year of the Snake Maiden Stakes, Ascot. Dam of 4 winners:

2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2008: 2010: 2011: 2013:

2014: 2015:

JAASSEY (g Josr Algarhoud) Winner at 3. Nariman (f Diktat) unraced. Broodmare. Three Blessings (f Mark of Esteem) ran 3 times. (c Josr Algarhoud) SONGEUR (c Elusive City) 4 wins at 4 in France. Sahawar (c Dark Angel) 4 wins at 2 to 4 in France, 2nd Derby du Languedoc LR. Sarabhai (f Falco) SHARJAH (g Doctor Dino) Sold 23,809gns yearling at AROCT. 6 wins, Guinness Galway H. Hurdle G1, Unibet Morgiana Hurdle G1, Ryanair December Hurdle G1, 3rd WKD Hurdle G2, Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle G3. Saaryouni (c Siyouni) Shwedagon (c Dark Angel) ran on the flat in France and over jumps in France.

2nd Dam: BELLE ARGENTINE by Fijar Tango. 2 wins at 2 and 3 in France Prix La Camargo LR, 3rd Dubai Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1. Dam of ALZERRA (f Pivotal: Willmott Dixon Cornwallis S G3, 2nd Chippenham Lodge Cherry Hinton S G2), Matloob (c Halling: 3rd Iveco Daily Solario S G3). Grandam of GIFTED MASTER, MAJEYDA. Broodmare Sire: ROYAL ACADEMY. Sire of the dams of 184 Stakes winners.

SHARJAH b g 2013 Elmaamul

Diesis Modena

Majmu

Al Nasr Affirmative Fable

Priolo

Sovereign Dancer Primevere

Salagangai

Sallust Malagangai

Nijinsky

Northern Dancer Flaming Page

Crimson Saint

Crimson Satan Bolero Rose

Fijar Tango

In Fijar Last Tango

Jarlina

Pharly Janthina

Muhtathir DOCTOR DINO ch 02 Logica

Royal Academy SAARYEH b 98 Belle Argentine

See race 38 in the January issue

Sire: KING’S THEATRE. Sire of 109 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - CHAMP Definite Article G1, PENNY JANE Topanoora G2, PEREGRINE RUN Definite Article G2, COGRY Supreme Leader G3, BORN SURVIVOR Bob Back LR, CAIUS MARCIUS Trempolino LR, KINGS APOLLO Magic Ring LR. 1st Dam: China Sky by Definite Article. ran once in a N.H. Flat Race and ran twice over hurdles. Dam of 1 winner:

2012: 2013: 2014: 2015: 2016: 2017: 2018:

CHAMP (g King’s Theatre) 5 wins, Betway Challow Novices’ Hurdle G1. Track Mac (g Presenting) unraced. Drury (f Beat Hollow) unraced. (f Shirocco) (c Fame And Glory) (c Presenting) (c Walk In The Park)

Broodmare Sire: DEFINITE ARTICLE. Sire of the dams of 8 Stakes winners. NH in 2018/19 - CHAMP King’s Theatre G1, PEREGRINE RUN King’s Theatre G2. The King’s Theatre/Definite Article cross has produced: CHAMP G1, PEREGRINE RUN G2, Takeyourcapoff G3, Tango Knight G3.

CHAMP b g 2012 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Princely Native

Raise A Native Charlo

Dennis Belle

Crafty Admiral Evasion

Indian Ridge

Ahonoora Hillbrow

Summer Fashion

Moorestyle My Candy

Miller’s Mate

Mill Reef Primatie

Kanara

Hauban Alika

Sadler’s Wells KING’S THEATRE b 91 Regal Beauty

Definite Article CHINA SKY b 05 Katday

When Champ was sold as a foal in 2012, the son of King’s Theatre made €40,000, with his price reflecting the quality of his pedigree. In addition to being by a champion sire, he is out of a daughter of the tremendously successful broodmare Katday. Katday found fame as the dam of Best Mate, a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but she was far from a one-hit wonder. Her next two foals were brothers to Best Mate by Un Desperado and both were above average, especially Cornish Rebel, who won the Gr1 Challow Hurdle before developing into a smart chaser, good enough to be placed in the RSA Chase and the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. Next came Katday’s Roselier gelding Inexorable, winner of a Gr3 novice hurdle. Cornish Rebel had realised IR£110,000 at the Derby Sale in 2001 and Inexorable had set a record for a National Hunt store at Doncaster’s 2002 May Sale, selling

110 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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CAULFIELD ON KEMBOY: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Christmas Chase was his second success over three miles and he clearly stays well, even though his sire is Victory Note, a French Guineas winner by Fairy Kingâ&#x20AC;? for 185,000gns. Champâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dam China Sky, by the high-class middle-distance horse Definite Article, possessed only a fraction of her siblingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability. However, her progeny have sold for up to â&#x201A;Ź80,000 and she now has a

Gr1 winner to her credit in Champ, who followed in Cornish Rebelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps in winning the Challow. That was Champâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth successive victory from five runs over hurdles and he has also won a bumper. He can be expected to stay three miles.

Katday won three times at around 11 furlongs in the French provinces and was also placed over hurdles in Ireland. She was a half-sister to Charlie Turquoise, winner of a Listed chase at Auteuil, and Kalankoe, runner-up in the Breedersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cup

Chase. Champâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fifth dam is Pretty Lady, a mare who served Marcel Boussac extremely well by producing Dynamiter, twice winner of the Champion Stakes, and Abdos, Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s champion two-year-old of 1961.

Leading NH Sires by earnings Name Presenting Oscar Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Beneficial Milan Kayf Tara Westerner Stowaway Midnight Legend Flemensfirth Getaway Scorpion Yeats Court Cave Mahler Gold Well Robin des Champs Kapgarde Shantou Network Voix du Nord Kalanisi Galileo Brian Boru Vinnie Roe Doctor Dino Martaline Saddler Maker Arcadio Dubai Destination High Chaparral Robin des Pres Definite Article Poliglote Craigsteel Winged Love Nickname Shirocco Doyen Authorized Jeremy Della Francesca Dark Angel Califet Indian River Walk in the Park Champs Elysees Black Sam Bellamy

YOF 1992 1994 1991 1990 1998 1994 1999 1994 1991 1992 2003 2002 2001 2001 2004 2001 1997 1999 1993 1997 2001 1996 1998 2000 1998 2002 1999 1998 2002 1999 1999 1994 1992 1992 1995 1992 1999 2001 2000 2004 2003 1999 2005 1998 1994 2002 2003 1999

Sire Mtoto Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Top Ville Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Danehill Slip Anchor Night Shift Alleged Monsun Montjeu Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Galileo Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Garde Royale Garde Royale Alleged Monsun Valanour Doyoun Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Definite Article Muhtathir Linamix Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Monsun Kingmambo Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Cadoudal Indian Ridge Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Suave Dancer In the Wings Lost World Monsun Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells Montjeu Danehill Dancer Danzig Acclamation Freedom Cry Cadoudal Montjeu Danehill Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells

Rnrs 284 263 150 255 263 194 190 200 141 233 184 185 140 138 143 151 88 52 122 47 31 125 72 70 63 6 74 24 92 80 52 68 59 26 66 61 9 78 62 51 92 13 19 15 31 23 50 101

Wnrs 72 58 57 63 59 37 47 49 55 51 48 36 46 42 37 46 23 21 35 16 15 25 19 21 17 4 15 7 20 16 14 21 14 12 18 14 6 18 16 19 20 6 3 6 11 8 15 12

Wnrs/Rnrs (%) 25.35% 22.05% 38.00% 24.71% 22.43% 19.07% 24.74% 24.50% 39.01% 21.89% 26.09% 19.46% 32.86% 30.43% 25.87% 30.46% 26.14% 40.38% 28.69% 34.04% 48.39% 20.00% 26.39% 30.00% 26.98% 66.67% 20.27% 29.17% 21.74% 20.00% 26.92% 30.88% 23.73% 46.15% 27.27% 22.95% 66.67% 23.08% 25.81% 37.25% 21.74% 46.15% 15.79% 40.00% 35.48% 34.78% 30.00% 11.88%

Wins 100 82 91 95 85 48 66 78 82 65 63 50 65 64 58 60 36 31 42 23 21 32 26 30 27 8 24 9 28 20 18 30 21 19 24 22 9 23 24 29 25 8 7 6 12 9 19 17

AvgDist 20.5 20.3 20.5 20 21.1 20.5 20.1 18.8 21.1 19.8 18.5 19.4 20 20.1 20.6 19.9 20 20 19.1 18.7 19.1 19 18.3 21.4 21.8 18.7 19.3 20.1 17.9 19.9 17.5 19.9 21.4 19.6 20 20 22.5 19.2 19 17.6 17.7 18.7 16.1 19.6 23.3 19.2 17.2 20.2

Earnings (ÂŁ) ÂŁ1,406,785 ÂŁ1,265,055 ÂŁ1,232,111 ÂŁ1,178,402 ÂŁ1,122,818 ÂŁ915,070 ÂŁ899,559 ÂŁ865,914 ÂŁ848,285 ÂŁ801,361 ÂŁ755,392 ÂŁ644,691 ÂŁ637,786 ÂŁ616,340 ÂŁ611,049 ÂŁ601,789 ÂŁ600,890 ÂŁ562,490 ÂŁ479,477 ÂŁ436,088 ÂŁ424,879 ÂŁ418,464 ÂŁ414,546 ÂŁ403,468 ÂŁ396,902 ÂŁ384,180 ÂŁ381,239 ÂŁ370,855 ÂŁ369,760 ÂŁ369,505 ÂŁ340,099 ÂŁ334,863 ÂŁ299,932 ÂŁ284,187 ÂŁ277,295 ÂŁ273,781 ÂŁ265,836 ÂŁ262,534 ÂŁ257,863 ÂŁ253,311 ÂŁ247,097 ÂŁ244,106 ÂŁ218,234 ÂŁ217,833 ÂŁ217,180 ÂŁ216,813 ÂŁ214,826 ÂŁ209,708

Top Horse Snow Falcon Paisley Park Champ Lady Buttons If the Cap Fits Thistlecrack Rockyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Treasure Leapaway Warriors Tale Castlegrace Paddy Verdana Blue Royal Village Brave Eagle Court Maid Ornua Calivigny Sizing Tennessee Clan des Obeaux Bun Doran Delta Work Kemboy Brain Power Gold Seal Sub Lieutenant De Name Escapes Me Sharjah Ramses de Teillee Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jade Hardline Elegant Escape Altior Robin des Foret Definitly Red Capeland Wholestone Joey Sasa Frodon Rock the Kasbah Battleoverdoyen Babbling Stream Rain in Spain Auvergnat Silver Streak Clarcam Native River Walk in the Mill Low Sun Black Mischief

Earned (ÂŁ) ÂŁ140,441 ÂŁ131,104 ÂŁ60,393 ÂŁ79,756 ÂŁ83,682 ÂŁ74,645 ÂŁ53,473 ÂŁ56,706 ÂŁ53,184 ÂŁ36,147 ÂŁ136,285 ÂŁ47,546 ÂŁ28,673 ÂŁ34,813 ÂŁ64,896 ÂŁ31,487 ÂŁ154,396 ÂŁ152,975 ÂŁ33,369 ÂŁ108,421 ÂŁ118,625 ÂŁ82,753 ÂŁ51,066 ÂŁ41,365 ÂŁ60,550 ÂŁ232,656 ÂŁ46,323 ÂŁ140,367 ÂŁ80,184 ÂŁ155,935 ÂŁ141,355 ÂŁ40,369 ÂŁ90,712 ÂŁ54,284 ÂŁ40,092 ÂŁ32,642 ÂŁ152,971 ÂŁ34,560 ÂŁ61,284 ÂŁ26,232 ÂŁ28,624 ÂŁ102,101 ÂŁ135,982 ÂŁ131,073 ÂŁ69,150 ÂŁ86,613 ÂŁ52,563 ÂŁ32,135

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Active stallions in short supply but Getaway is one to watch for the future It is a fact of life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or death â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that active stallions are in short supply at the very top of the table. Presenting died in 2017, Oscar retired in 2015, Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre died in 2011 and Beneficial died in 2013. The first two still have a number of progeny reaching the racecourse and, given the number of runners they have had already this season, there is no likelihood that they will be replaced by young bloods in the immediate future. Milan and Westerner are the only sires in the top ten aged below 25 and it is not until Getaway in 11th that one comes upon a sire aged 16 or younger. Getaway is one of the Coolmore jump team and based at Grange Stud. A high-class stakes winner in France, Britain and Germany, where he notched two Group 1s, he raced until he was seven and his first crop are aged only seven. This season he has been represented by Christmas Hurdle winner Verdana Blue and some of his early runners over fences are showing aptitude. Time will tell regarding Getawayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term prospects; the latest Return of Mares shows him with 150 live foals reported from 247 coverings in 2017.

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21/01/2019 14:30

The Finish Line with Rachael Blackmore

Rachael Blackmore, the first woman to become champion conditional jockey in Ireland in 2016/17, is now battling it out with Paul Townend and Davy Russell in the title race, currently sitting in second place in the table. The 29-year-old, from Killenaule in County Tipperary, has ridden big-race winners for Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott and caused one of the surprises of the season when guiding Bedrock to victory over odds-on favourite Samcro in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal in November. Interview: Tim Richards

’d say I was always going to become a vet, but only in my dreams because I was never going to have the academics to back it up. I finished my equine studies in the University of Limerick and did a business diploma in Dublin. I loved my time at college but I didn’t achieve anything close to the required marks in the exams. I am not complaining now, though! We always had ponies and hunters at home on the farm in County Tipperary. I have grown up around ponies and horses that have given me so many good days. Naturally enough you become attached and have a soft spot for horses that provide you with the goods on a big day. The lads riding out and caring for these horses on a day-today basis are the ones who really know them.

I’ve been riding as an amateur since I was 18 or 19. It was more of a gradual progression to become a jump jockey – it wasn’t a case of dropping everything to become a jump jockey. My parents have always been behind us whatever role we pursued. There are times when I feel the more progress you are making, the more pressure you are under. You are trying to maintain the level you have reached and you are getting better rides on better horses. I am obviously really enjoying it all. I don’t get overly nervous. I think everyone has a touch of nerves going out to ride but it doesn’t affect me massively. For me, it’s all about getting on the best horse in the race. I don’t really know what the secret is. I watch videos of myself, more so when things have gone wrong in a race. You look back that evening filled with frustration and try to see what you can learn from particular incidents in races. Garry [Cribbin, agent] is a massive asset to have on my side. He is very professional and an extremely good agent, the ideal person to be working with. We wouldn’t necessarily speak every day; obviously we’d talk if there’s a problem or an issue. If he picks up on something that might be beneficial during the day, he would contact me. He also looks after a lot of other jockeys.

Blackmore enjoys her third winner at the 2018 Punchestown festival on Meri Devie

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Criticism on social media is an everprevalent issue, though it doesn’t bother me, to be honest. I am 29 now and I don’t take much notice of it,

though it might have been a different story when I was 18 or 19, receiving some of the messages being sent out these days. Unfortunately, it’s an ever-growing issue in the wider world. The anonymity that someone can portray themselves under is dangerous. Apart from that, I use social media and of course it can be very useful, informative and entertaining. I don’t think you can ever be fit enough for race-riding. I go to a personal fitness trainer in Carlow when time allows, and I also see Wayne Middleton, who is a fitness trainer for any jockeys that need him. He is based at RACE at the jockeys’ school on the Curragh. It is a great service that is provided for us. My diet is pretty normal and my weight is very good. I don’t have to watch what I eat and that’s a big plus. The dedication of some jockeys when it comes to their diet is something I admire. Post-race interviews are no problem. We’re usually being interviewed after a winner so I am generally pretty happy to talk in front of the cameras. Away from racing, dinner with friends is what I enjoy most. And of course going to Dublin airport at the end of June with my holiday bag packed! I feel privileged to be able to do a job that really doesn’t seem like a job to me. I love it and never get caught up wondering what else I might be doing; I’ll have plenty of time for that in a few years. Where would I like to be in five years’ time? Wherever I am, I’d like to be happy.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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22/01/2019 08:13

DAR17518 Owner Breeder OBC NOT 1FEB19.qxp 11/01/2019 14:53 Page 1

Night of stars

TRAINERS of his first two-year-olds include

BUYERS of his first yearlings include

Karl Burke Owen Burrows Mick Channon Robert Cowell Clive Cox Simon Crisford Tom Dascombe John Gosden Didier Guillemon Richard Hannon Mark Johnston Martyn Meade David O’Meara Hugo Palmer Henri-Alex Pantall Kevin Ryan Saeed bin Suroor James Tate

Avenue Bloodstock Blandford Bloodstock Stroud Coleman Peter & Ross Doyle Dermot Farrington Charlie Gordon-Watson Kern/Lillingston Bobby O’Ryan Margaret O’Toole Rabbah SackvilleDonald Shadwell Amanda Skiffington Oliver St Lawrence Phoenix Thoroughbreds John & Jake Warren

A racing who’s who has faith in Dubawi’s Guineas hero Night Of Thunder. How about you? £15,000 Oct 1, SLF Dubawi – Forest Storm (Galileo) Stands at Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket +44 (0)1638 730070 +353 (0)45 527600 darleystallions.com

Darley