Thoroughbred Owner Breeder

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ÂŁ4.95 JULY 2018 ISSUE 167

Gold star

PLUS

Stradivarius and Dettori clinch Cup thriller

Bet on Black

07

Royal Ascot glory for Chasemore Farm

Burke’s belle

Home test next for star filly Laurens

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Welcome

Stradivarius’s performance should wow Flat breeders

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

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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 JULY 2018 ISSUE 167

Gold star

PLUS

Stradivarius and Dettori clinch Cup thriller

Bet on Black

07

Royal Ascot glory for Chasemore Farm

Burke’s belle

Home test next for star filly Laurens

Jul_167_CoverV4.indd 1

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28/06/2018 13:01

Cover: Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori stay on strongly to win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen and trainer John Gosden Photo: George Selwyn

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Edward Rosenthal Editor

oyal Ascot provided its usual mix of drama, emotion and excitement with five days of top-class Flat racing. The Gold Cup again produced one of the finishes of the meeting, with three of Europe’s leading performers battling it out for the staying crown. Irish raider Torcedor appeared to have stolen a march turning for home before French-trained Vazirabad was produced with what looked like a winning challenge, only for Newmarket-based Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori to assert close to home and take the spoils. Order Of St George, successful in 2016 and runner-up to Big Orange 12 months ago, could finish only fourth, emphasising the quality of this year’s renewal. It’s no surprise that this famous 2m4f contest is – like staying races generally – so popular with racing fans. Horses that return year after year and display such courage over stamina-sapping distances gain a big following – and rightly so. Torcedor and Vazirabad, both six-year-old geldings, will hopefully be around for years to come, though the latter may need a more forgiving surface if he is to be seen at the Royal Meeting again. Stradivarius would seemingly be destined for a career at stud, as a four-year-old entire by Derby and Arc hero Sea The Stars. It would be lovely to think that in future, Gold Cup winners could be sired by Bjorn Nielsen’s homebred – but will he get his opportunity with Flat mares? It’s far from certain. A horse that has shown enough stamina to win a Gold Cup is, sadly, a turn-off to many commercial breeders, even if he has the speed, class and versatility to win at shorter distances. Given the chance, there’s no reason why Stradivarius could not produce top-class runners on the Flat, though he is undoubtedly an attractive prospect for the National Hunt sector. The exploits of such as Kayf Tara and, more recently, Yeats suggest we are more likely to see the progeny of Stradivarius at the Cheltenham Festival than Royal Ascot. Which is a shame.

The Chesham Stakes may not have the profile of any of the Group 1s at Royal Ascot but that will not make the victory of Arthur Kitt in this year’s race any less special for Andrew Black and his Chasemore Farm team. A son of his talented but ill-fated filly Ceiling Kitty, Black, who co-founded the betting exchange Betfair, tells Emma Berry (pages 5660) how Arthur Kitt came close to death during the birth that claimed the life of his mother, and explains how his bloodstock operation has evolved from a private passion into a successful commercial enterprise. In Arthur Kitt, a son of Derby winner Camelot, Black could yet have another exciting

“His offspring are more likely to run at Cheltenham than Royal Ascot” staying prospect in the mould of Black Panther, that tremendously tough and talented galloper he owned in partnership with Michael Owen. Middleham-based Karl Burke did not manage to hit the bullseye with his select team of Royal Ascot runners this year but in three-year-old Laurens, the upwardly mobile trainer houses one of the best fillies in Europe. In a brilliant and frank interview with Tim Richards (Talking To, pages 50-54), Burke explains how he almost left Britain after a oneyear ban threatened to derail his training career and why his family was such a huge help in turning things around. Now with 130 horses including three-time Group 1 winner Laurens, Burke is looking to the future and set to continue his progress up the trainers’ table.

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Contents

July 2018

38

104

56

News & Views

International Scene

ROA Leader

View From Ireland

Pooling resources the best option

5

TBA Leader Ready for the Racing Authority

7 10

Justify gallops to greatness

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Features

30

2

38

At Royal Ascot and Epsom

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From The Archives

Howard Wright Government and BHA strife

36

The Big Picture

Tony Morris Classic records

Tongue tie ban in Germany

Around The Globe

Changes News in a nutshell

34

Continental Tales

News ‘Hybrid’ races revealed

Mulvany takes breeding route

32

Dancing Brave’s King George win

Racing Life

Talking To...

Mayfair, property and fashion

Chasemore Farm

A tour of London’s most exclusive postcode 40

Andrew Black’s breeding operation

Trainer Karl Burke

28 50 56

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24

50

Features

Forum

Breeders’ Digest

TBA Forum

British success at the Royal Meeting

63 64 72

Crib-biting in focus

96

Data Book

Dr Statz Masar highlights Cape Cross mares

104

Forum The Thoroughbred Club Darley and Juddmonte visit

74

ROA Forum Deauville and Galway offering

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92 93

European Pattern

24 Hours With... Top jockey Gerald Mosse

Stowell Hill Partners for Billesdon Brook

Vet Forum

Caulfield Files Breeders should play it cool

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Breeder of the Month

Sales Circuit Store season underway

NH Breeders’ Celebration Dinner

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Winners and analysis

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Did you know? Our monthly average readership is

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28/06/2018 14:52



ROA Leader

Nicholas Cooper President

There’s only room in the pool for one operator H

opes that pool betting would gain a proper foothold in this country were recently given a welcome boost with the news that Britbet and the Alizeti consortium are in discussions. This comes as we approach the time when Betfred’s pool betting monopoly comes to an end. Britbet, which is made up of 55 racecourses, recently agreed a Standstill Arrangement with the Tote to explore opportunities for collaboration. Britbet certainly looks an exciting innovation, but, on its own, it would struggle to deliver a total package for pool betting without significant access to the off-course market. This access may now come via the Alizeti consortium. Alizeti is a new company largely financed by owners and breeders. It completed the purchase of a 25% stake in Betfred’s Tote business in May, with an option to obtain the remaining 75% in the third year. The deal is said to be worth approximately £150m. As liquidity of tote pools is the name of the game, we must hope that Britbet and the Alizeti/Betfred partnership start working very closely together to each one’s mutual benefit. Tote pools are small enough in the UK, without them being split by competing factions. There is an obvious attraction for both companies to create some form of joint venture. Britbet will have most of the oncourse pool betting market, while the Betfred/Alizeti consortium has access to the off-course market through betting shops. This comes as a result of Betfred having deals in place to sell pool bets in most shops through their Tote Direct subsidiary. Whatever the new arrangement brings, it is unlikely to lead to all racecourses operating under the same pool betting banner. There was an assumption that Ascot would be doing their own thing, but it is encouraging to learn there are now fruitful discussions going on with Alizeti. Our flagship racecourse also plans a Hong Kong dimension where four days of the Royal Meeting will be simulcast. Chester and Bangor will go it alone for the time being, continuing with their own on-course arrangements, while Chelmsford, owned by Betfred, will no doubt remain with that company’s existing Tote operation which Alizeti has now, of course, bought into. Crucial within all this will be the creation of new types of pool bets and the levels at which the take-out from the pool is set from bet to bet. While many on-course punters are, within reason, not that sensitive to betting ‘value’, many off-course punters are very value-conscious. Winning over a share of the sophisticated punter market could be one of the keys to success for pool betting in this country. Not only must the high-staking sector of the market see evidence

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that pool betting can offer good value, but they must also be attracted by the size of stake they can place. Although it is reassuring that both Britbet and Alizeti are making the right noises about their eventual contributions to racing, the reality is that winning over a much larger part of the horseracing betting market is surely a higher priority. As this can only be achieved if punters are attracted by better dividends and better dividends can only be realised by reducing the take-out from the pools, it follows that contributions to racing must be a secondary objective.

“There is an obvious attraction for Britbet and Alizeti to create a joint venture” Certainly, business on the racecourses and through betting shops are very important to this market in the short term, but the future is more likely to be dictated by sophisticated online marketing techniques and through links with overseas pools. As this new era for pool betting begins to unfold, it will be fascinating to see if Britain’s traditional fixed odds punter can ever be sufficiently enticed away from the type of betting they have always preferred. Achieving a significant increase in UK pool betting is going to be difficult but, now with the main players collaborating, we can approach this exciting new world with optimism.

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28/06/2018 13:02



TBA Leader

Julian Richmond-Watson Chairman

Countdown begins to new Racing Authority A

pril 2019 and the starting date for two momentous events – one still up in the air and affecting everyone in the European Union, the other most definitely in the diary and significant for British racing – is just nine months away, which will pass in the blink of an eye. While the sport’s leaders, supporting the referendum majority who in June 2016 said ‘No’ to Europe, are focused on ensuring that there is a Brexit transition period and then a full agreement that will allow the free movement and trading of horses beyond that date, they are also preparing for the start of a new era in which the Racing Authority finally takes over the distribution of funds that has been carried out by the Horserace Betting Levy Board for nearly 60 years. That responsibility offers an exciting prospect and initially came on the tide of a rising levy, which for 2017-18 could reach as much as £95 million. However, it now has to be considered in the light of government reforms to minimum stakes allowed on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, which will undoubtedly have a damaging effect on racing’s income through expected bettingshop closures. No-one can quantify that effect, but prudence will have to be exercised until the picture and level of revenues become clearer. Still, if the government can be persuaded to include bets on overseas racing in the levy calculation, the damage may be somewhat mitigated. I am sure that bookmakers will do everything to make sure their core business not only survives but also grows. After all, they are innovative businessmen. Our sport must not slip into a negative mode. We have the best high-class racing in the world and are the envy of nearly every other major nation. We need to be positive, and, postBrexit, very focused on what British racing and breeding can do to move forward and grow. The Racing Authority – in which I should declare my interest as one of the two Horsemen’s Group representatives, alongside the ROA Chief Executive Charlie Liverton – will be fundamental to that process. It has been operating in shadow form since August 2017 but at the beginning of last month the formal structure, under the chairmanship of former sports minister Sir Hugh Robertson, was agreed. While the BHA will continue to be responsible for governance and regulation, responsibility for collecting the levy will transfer to the Gambling Commission and distribution will be carried out by the Racing Authority, when the Levy Board is abolished in April 2019. Taken in the round, the new structure will require a firm platform of regulation and clear governance to ensure the sport

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is well organised, so that the entrepreneurial spirit of so many of those involved can thrive under a system that supports the enterprise under which our sport has flourished. Although Britain is unlikely ever to have the financial resources of, say, Japan or Australia, with their different betting models, it does have very successful racecourses, breeders and trainers, who make the very best of what is on offer. They should be supported in every way possible by a light-touch governance structure. While regulation must be resolute, independent and transparently fair, governance should be supportive, flexible and adaptable to change, most particularly in order that it benefits all sections of the industry going forward.

“It is up to industry stakeholders to identify what is needed to ensure the health of the industry” It is up to industry stakeholders to identify what is needed to ensure the health of the industry, and everyone should engage in the process through a system that encourages the sport to succeed in Britain, using the many unique resources it possesses. Making sure the sport thrives will do a service for the whole thoroughbred world, which benefits from the health of British racing. Breeding and racing thrive on competition and international exchange, but a strong home breeding industry, supported by everyone in the sport, is essential. Britain has the best racing and tests the best horses. So, let’s get engaged, let’s work on how we support British breeding and make sure we drive forward with a positive attitude of can do!

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28/06/2018 09:18


Denman tribute

Farewell champ Denman is captured here in full flight under Sam Thomas at Newbury, his size and power having earned him the nickname of ‘The Tank’ during a stellar career that featured a Gold Cup triumph and two victories in the Hennessy Gold Cup. Sadly, Denman had to be put down last month aged 18, the decision taken by owner Paul Barber, with the support of trainer Paul Nicholls, his head lad Clifford Baker and vet Buffy Shirley-Beavan. After beating stablemate Kauto Star in the 2008 Gold Cup, Denman was runner-up for the next three years, while his Hennessy victories – the second under 11st 12lb, giving his rivals a minimum 13lb – came in 2007 and 2009. Barber said: “If you’ve got great, big horses like him there’s a lot of strain and unfortunately they don’t live forever. I was so lucky to have him at home for the last couple of years and watch him enjoy life.” Nicholls commented: “He was tough, hardy and willing. He wasn’t the easiest to train and would bite your hand off in his box given half a chance. He came along at the right time and was one of our superstars during a golden era for Team Ditcheat.”

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28/06/2018 13:44


Adam Beschizza

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News

Stories from the racing world

BHA introduces ‘hybrid’ races

T

his month sees the first of a series of new ‘hybrid’ races. Known as optional claiming handicaps, the events have been devised in a bid to diversify the race programme and create opportunities for horses in contests that are not based solely on handicap ratings. It is hoped the races will help stimulate trade in a group of higher-rated horses who do not appeal to foreign purchasers or as potential jumpers - the ‘twilight zone’ horses who find winning opportunities hard to come by. The ten-race trial begins at Yarmouth on July 18 and is pitched at horses rated in the 80s and 90s. They will be run over distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile, and worth £30,000. When entering a horse in an optional claiming handicap, trainers can ‘buy’ a handicap rating up to 7lb lower than its published rating, but, in doing so, make that horse available to claim for a predetermined price in line with the reduced rating chosen. Claiming prices for the trial were derived from analysis of auction prices in Britain and Ireland in 2016-17 of all horses fitting relevant stamina and age profiles. Feedback from trainers with an interest in buying and selling such horses was also incorporated in the development of these values. Graeme Smith, the BHA handicapper

Yarmouth will stage the first optional claiming handicap on July 18

involved in framing the race conditions, said: “Optional claiming handicaps are an entirely new concept for British racing and cater for a portion of the horse population trainers believe is often limited to running in standard handicaps. “These races can contribute to a more diverse range of winning opportunities and also act as a means of realising the value from a section of the horse population that can be difficult to sell. “The trade-off between competing from an advantageous rating and risking a claim creates an extra dimension compared with standard handicaps.” Smith added: “Feedback from trainers has already highlighted a difference of opinion on whether horses running from reduced marks

or progressive horses running off their official rating could hold sway. “That tension should make for competitive races, serving a specific purpose for trainers and providing punters with a different type of challenge to solve.” Optional claiming handicaps in 2018 July 18 Yarmouth 6f July 20 Pontefract 1m August 11 Chelmsford 6f August 24 Chelmsford 1m September 7 Haydock 6f September 14 Sandown 7f September 26 Goodwood 1m October 8 Kempton 1m October 23 Newcastle 6f October 27 Doncaster 7f

Support meningitis research and win a superb prize Those behind the Jessica Bethell Foundation are raising funds and awareness for meningitis research at Ascot on King George day this month – and you can contribute by purchasing a raffle ticket with fabulous prizes on offer. Ascot have kindly given the charity a gazebo for Saturday, July 28 when ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman will draw the raffle. Tickets cost £10, for the chance to win the following prizes: • 1st prize: Four tickets to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and lunch at the Caviar House & Prunier at Ascot • 2nd prize: Two VIP tickets to see ELO at The O2 Arena • 3rd prize: Two tickets to a Chelsea football match – great seats in the directors’ box at Stamford Bridge, including silver service lunch and wines/drinks as guests of Alan Spence • 4th prize: Wembley stadium tour for two • 5th prize: Magnum of Pol Roger Champagne • 6th prize: A beautifully handmade couture millinery hat The Jessica Bethell Foundation was established following her death from meningitis in October 2012 aged 24. She was the daughter and assistant of trainer James and his wife Sally. Working alongside the foundation, Racing Welfare

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You could win tickets to the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot

purchased Hill House in Middleham, which will be named Jessica’s House in her memory. This will be developed into supported accommodation for young people and facilities to aid all working in the racing industry. • For raffle tickets visit www.JessicaBethellFoundation.co.uk or telephone 01969 640360, or email Hannah at office@jessicabethellfoundation.co.uk

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28/06/2018 14:28


TWEENHILLS TIMES AN EYE FOR SUCCESS

July 2018

ZOUSTAR

IS COMING FOR 2019

Zoustar will join the Qatar Racing stallion roster and European breeders will have access to the most promising young stallion in the southern hemisphere. Zoustar’s first crop of two-year-olds include Gr.2 winners Sunlight, Lean Mean Machine and Zousain. His progeny have earned more than A$3 million and therefore he has broken the all-time prize money record for an Australasian Champion First-Season Sire. Young sire sensation Zoustar

We are delighted to announce that record breaking Australian first-season sire Zoustar will stand at Tweenhills for the 2019 breeding season.

Zoustar was 3-year-old champion sprinter and he’s by Northern Meteor, a Champion First-Season sire in Australia himself. Northern Meteor was by twotime Australian champion sire Encosta de Lago. Please contact us to discuss nominations for your mares.

Hattie Errington Stud Hand

Right on course… I had never worked with racehorses until getting a job with Kim Bailey on my gap year in 2017. I start a bloodstock degree at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester this year. At Tweenhills I’ve worked alongside point rider Ed Bailey, who is going into his third year at RAU. Going for Gold… I will have done 6 months at Tweenhills when I finish in October and have enjoyed working with the foals, seeing the vetting, learning about reproduction etc. I ultimately want to be a National Hunt Bloodstock agent and buy the Gold Cup winner!

LION ROARS TO DERBY THIRD Roaring Lion confirmed himself a top-class 3-year-old when third in the Investec Derby at Epsom. Roaring Lion came within two lengths of giving Qatar Racing a first Derby when behind Masar and Dee Ex Bee, and in front of 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior. Roaring Lion’s trainer John Gosden said: “He ran a blinder and we are really happy with him. He’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse and we will go to the Gr. 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown (July 7) next.”

staff PROFILE

How did it start? I grew up in Cumbria but moved to Stroud around 7 years ago. My family aren’t into racing but I’ve always been around horses and had my first pony when I was about 9.

Roaring Lion finished third in the Derby

Roaring Lion is by Kitten’s Joy, sire of 2016 Eclipse winner Hawkbill, out of Gr. 1-placed mare Vionnet. He was purchased by David Redvers for $160,000 as a yearling at Keeneland. Pallasator and the Qatar Racing team

ROYAL ASCOT WINNER

WE ARE RECRUITING

Qatar Racing celebrated its latest Royal Ascot winner when the popular Pallasator won the Queen Alexandra Stakes. Winner of the Gr. 2 Doncaster Cup when trained by Sir Mark Prescott, Pallasator has bounced back to form for Gordon Elliott, also winning a charity race under Norman Williamson and a Gr. 2 hurdle. He was given a great ride by Jamie Spencer in the final race at Royal Ascot. On the eve of Royal Ascot, Tweenhills stallion Hot Streak gained many new fans when parading at the Goffs London Sale, held in association with Qipco at Kensington Palace.

Join the Tweenhills team

Do you want to work with top-class thoroughbreds? Are you looking for a job in the breeding industry? Tweenhills is recruiting new staff so please get in touch. We have a vastly experienced, dedicated and friendly team and would love you to be part of it.

Tweenhills, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, GL19 3BG W: www.tweenhills.com T: + 44 (0) 1452 700177 M: + 44 (0) 7767 436373 E: davidredvers@tweenhills.com 3276 - Tweenhills Times_July 2018_V3.indd 1

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Changes

People and business Sarah Lynam Daughter of Eddie Lynam notches her first success as a trainer at Sligo thanks to Musical Jewel landing a seven-furlong apprentice handicap. 32Red Online bookmaker fined £2 million by the Gambling Commission after failing to protect a problem punter. John Baker Switches from being Jockey Club Racecourse’s North West Regional Director to focus on Aintree as its Managing Director. Archie Watson So Brave’s victory at Yarmouth in June brings up 100 winners for up-and-coming trainer Archie Watson.

Lucinda Russell

Raul da Silva Jockey receives 21-day ban for violent conduct after striking weighing-room colleague Jim Crowley in the face at Goodwood.

Grand National-winning trainer receives an OBE for services to horseracing in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

Mike Dillon Ladbrokes’ public face who has spent 46 years with the bookmaker is moving on and looking for a new challenge. Christy Grassick Coolmore Ireland’s manager succeeds Stephen Collins as Chairman of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and will serve a two-year term.

Lizzie Kelly Jockey takes up summer placement at Newbury, where she will join the raceday presenting team, help with marketing and play an ambassadorial role.

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Tabcorp Australian betting firm in talks to pull out of deal to run Sun Bets, operated in partnership with Rupert Murdoch’s News UK.

Joao Moreira Ace Brazilian jockey will leave Hong Kong, where he has been champion for three years running, to ride in Japan.

Yuga Kawada Man hailed as heir apparent to Japanese riding legend Yutaka Take set to arrive in Newmarket this month for a spell with Roger Varian.

Kieren Fallon Former jockey’s book Form is voted Cross International Autobiography of the Year at the Sports Book Awards.

Ireland’s champion jumps trainer reaches 3,000 winners when Timi Roll lands a handicap hurdle at Wexford.

Gunter Wrogemann Leading South African jockey is in intensive care after being kicked in the face after a fall at Turffontein.

Ffos Las ARC buys Welsh racecourse from Dai Walters, who built the track on the site of an open-cast coal mine and which staged its first fixture in 2009.

Page Fuller Wins female amateur jump jockeys’ title and announces that she will turn professional; men’s title winner Lorcan Williams does likewise.

Willie Mullins

Andrew Thornton

Popular jump jockey with more than 1,000 winners calls it a day and scores at Uttoxeter on his final afternoon in the saddle; a media career awaits.

Harry Cobden Recently-appointed stable jockey to Paul Nicholls will be out of action for four months after suffering a small neck fracture at Market Rasen. Conor McGinn Becomes the first MP to attend a Racing to School raceday, the St Helens North member visiting local course Haydock Park.

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28/06/2018 13:59


Racing’s news in a nutshell

Horse obituaries

Racehorse and stallion

Movements and retirements

Sir Des Champs 12 Fatal injury at Necarne pointto-point claims the life of Gigginstown House Stud’s three-time Grade 1 and dual Cheltenham Festival winner.

Denman 18 Known as ‘The Tank’, the Paul Nicholls-trained horse won the Gold Cup, two Hennessys and thousands of hearts in a stellar career.

Djakadam

Talented staying chaser for Rich Ricci and Willie Mullins, winner of two Grade 1s and twice second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is retired due to injury aged nine.

T M Opera O 22 Son of Opera House who held the world earnings record for 17 years, winning 14 times from 26 starts, including seven Grade 1s.

Signora Cabello Phoenix Thoroughbreds secures a 75% share in the subsequent Queen Mary Stakes winner.

Fondmort 22 Popular Nicky Henderson-trained spectacular jumper who won the 2006 Ryanair Chase and excelled at Cheltenham.

Zoustar Currently based at Widden Stud in New South Wales, he will shuttle to the UK in 2019 and join the Qatar Racing stallion roster at Tweenhills.

Annie Power Mare who became the first of her sex in 22 years to win the Champion Hurdle in 2016 is bought by Coolmore and is in foal to champion sire Galileo. London Icon Star three-year-old for trainer Adrian Keatley – the son of Elzaam was rated 103 after an easy win at Navan – is sold to continue his career in Hong Kong.

People obituaries John Matthias 64

Enjoyed multiple Group 1 success in the 1980s; the former stable jockey to Ian Balding was best known for his association with Glint Of Gold.

Sam McComb 88 Rode in Grand Nationals of 1953 and 1954, before emigrating to Canada, winning the 1967 Canadian International on He’s A Smoothie.

Olin B Gentry 51 Prominent US horseman who ran the successful Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds and jointly-bred Kentucky Oaks heroine Lovely Maria.

Bill Mather 82 Former assistant trainer to Bruce Hobbs in Newmarket and one of the pioneers of professional racing in the UAE.

Joe Byrne 64 Champion jump jockey in Ireland in 1979 and enjoyed Cheltenham Festival glory in 1983 on Churchfield Boy in the Grand Annual Chase.

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Raymond Hopes MRCVS 87 One of the four original partners of Rossdales’ veterinary practice in Newmarket, responsible for the early development of its racehorses in training department and the mentoring of many successful younger colleagues.

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The Big Picture

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28/06/2018 08:46


Royal Ascot

Agent delight Royal Ascot 2018 kicked off with a huge upset as 33-1 chance Accidental Agent and Charlie Bishop (orange cap) swooped late to take the Queen Anne Stakes for trainer Eve JohnsonHoughton (right), celebrating her first Group 1 and debut success at the Royal Meeting. The result was a real family affair as the trainer’s mother, Gaie, owns and bred the son of Delegator. Photos George Selwyn

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The Big Picture

Stradivarius and Dettori in tune This year’s Gold Cup produced a thrilling finish between the best stayers in Europe. Stradivarius and Frankie Dettori (right) found extra in the drive for the line to see off French challenger Vazirabad (centre) and Ireland’s Torcedor, giving owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen and trainer John Gosden their first strikes in the famous 2m4f contest. Dettori, who was winning his sixth Gold Cup, received his prize from the Queen (below) – this was his 60th success at the Royal Meeting. Photos George Selwyn

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28/06/2018 08:51


Royal Ascot

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The Big Picture

Three of the best Without Parole (St James’s Palace Stakes, far right) and Eqtidaar (Commonwealth Cup, right) represented the Classic generation with distinction at Royal Ascot but the outstanding performance by a three-year-old – or indeed any age – was Alpha Centauri in the Coronation Stakes (below). Owned by the Niarchos family and trained by Jessica Harrington, Alpha Centauri produced a breathtaking performance under Colm O’Donoghue, unleashing a devastating turn of foot to surge clear of her rivals, including the 1,000 Guineas winners of England and France, to score by six lengths in course record time. The daughter of Mastercraftsman has a number of options, with the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on November 3 the end-of-season target. Photos George Selwyn

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Royal Ascot

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The Big Picture

Point peerless William Buick savours his success on Godolphin’s Blue Point in the King’s Stand Stakes, getting the better of Battaash. Photos George Selwyn

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28/06/2018 09:00


Royal Ascot

Clockwise from top left: Poet’s Word and James Doyle shock Cracksman in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, to the delight of Sir Michael Stoute, who is now the most successful trainer ever at Royal Ascot with 79 winners; Eddie Greatrex congratulates Oisin Murphy after Signora Cabello’s triumph in the Queen Mary Stakes; the Countess of Wessex and Duchess of Sussex enjoy the royal procession; Kingman’s son Calyx produces a superb change of gear in the Coventry Stakes; the Wesley Ward-trained Shang Shang Shang and Joel Rosario (yellow silks) score by the narrowest of margins from Pocket Dynamo in the Norfolk Stakes

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The Big Picture

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Investec Derby

Masar banishes the blues Godolphin’s blue silks have been around for a long time but never before had they been carried to victory in the greatest Flat race of them all, the Investec Derby. Sheikh Mohammed’s fledgling operation captured the race in 1995 with Lammtarra and gained their second triumph courtesy of Masar, who gave trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick (pictured above with Sheikh Mohammed) their first blue riband. The colt won by a length and a half at Epsom from Dee Ex Bee, with Roaring Lion third and favourite Saxon Warrior fourth. Photos George Selwyn

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The Big Picture

Investec Oaks

Forever fabulous Donnacha O’Brien clinched his second Classic of 2018 on Forever Together – a full-sister to Group 1 winner Together Forever – in the Investec Oaks for father and trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners. The daughter of Galileo stayed on strongly to defeat Wild Illusion by four and a half lengths. Photos George Selwyn

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From The Archives

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Dancing Brave on July 26, 1986

Brave to the last in King George for the ages Incredibly, 32 years have passed since Dancing Brave and Shahrastani locked horns. Shahrastani won the Derby, one of the most famous of modern times, before the pair went their separate ways, Dancing Brave’s team choosing to avoid a rematch in the Irish Derby – which Shahrastani won by eight lengths – by contesting the Eclipse, which he won easily. Dancing Brave also won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, pictured leaving Shardari behind, though the runner-up fought back to within threequarters of a length. Shahrastani was fourth, as he was behind Dancing Brave in ‘that’ Arc, after which Dancing Brave was rated 141 – a figure never bettered in the International Classifications, even by Frankel. Photo George Selwyn

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Tony Morris

Classic record finally buckled to Piggott

GEORGE SELWYN

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hen, in the mid-1950s, I began to take an interest in racing, it was the long history of the sport which most engaged my attention. I had been following – and playing – football, cricket and tennis for a while, but here was something that had been going far longer than any of them. Tennis was actually an invention of the late Victorian era, and it was only around that time – just three or four generations back in my pedigree – that cricket, football and rugby began to take form as properly organised competitive sports, owing much to the encouragement of the Church of England and its concept of ‘muscular Christianity’. Horseracing had already been a popular pastime for 200 years by then, dating back to the reign of Charles II, when enthusiasts in the north of England began to develop a new breed for the purpose by crossing native mares with stallions from the east. The process became more or less complete by the time of the Godolphin Arabian’s death in December 1753, when reliable accounts of thoroughbred racing were already available. The discovery that racing had thrived for so long as a feature of social life in Britain made me determined to learn more about the cast of characters – owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders and, of course, horses – who had played a part in its development throughout its history. A kid needs heroes to worship, and I felt sure I would find plenty in my quest for knowledge about a sport whose past was no less fascinating than its present. I soon came to focus on England’s Classic races, because those five events were clearly special, held to rank higher in importance than everything else, and had enjoyed that status throughout much of their history. Fortunately, it was not too difficult to gather information about them; there were references to them in countless books I could acquire cheaply, and I enjoyed piecing things together, then compiling lists in formats that suited my purpose. My researches into human achievements in the Classics showed that some records had stood for a long time, including that of the most successful jockey. Between 1792 and 1827 Frank Buckle rode five winners of the 2,000 Guineas, six of the 1,000 Guineas, five of the Derby, nine of the Oaks and two of the St Leger. His total of 27 Classic victories was exceptional, surely likely to last for all time. For part of his long career Buckle enjoyed the patronage of the Duke of Grafton, the leading owner-breeder of the period, and it had to be acknowledged that a number of his Guineas wins were registered in somewhat uncompetitive events with small

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fields. Those advantages were telling, and it seemed inconceivable that any rider coming along later would enjoy such favourable circumstances. The only chap who got close to Buckle’s score was Jem Robinson, who collected 24 wins between 1817 and 1848, with nine in the 2,000, five in the 1,000, six in the Derby, and two in both the Oaks and the St Leger. He also had some cheap victories among his record 2,000 Guineas tally, but he was destined to be remembered best for his Derby half-dozen, a score only Steve Donoghue contrived to match. Of course, there was a case of ‘what might have been.’ Between 1874 and 1886 Fred Archer notched 21 Classic wins – four in the 2,000 Guineas, two in the 1,000, five in the Derby, four in the Oaks, and six in the St Leger. Such was his dominance among the jockeys of his era that he would have seemed a shoo-in to surpass Buckle’s record, but for his suicide a couple of months after his Doncaster victory aboard Ormonde. The conviction that Buckle’s score would stand for all time was reinforced by the career of Gordon Richards, who erased Archer’s record for the number of winners in a season, then took the score higher again. For all his obvious brilliance over a long period that brought him 26 riding titles, Richards could muster only 14 Classic wins. If he couldn’t get closer to the record, who could? I was compiling all this data in 1958, the year in which I started collecting the autographs of jockeys and noting their Classic wins on the page where the signature appeared. I was thrilled to get Lester Piggott in my book, and duly credited him with his 2,000 win on Crepello, his Derby successes on Never Say Die and Crepello, and his Oaks score aboard Carrozza. Five years after that I had ceased to be an autograph hunter and had become a racing journalist. But I hadn’t neglected to update my records, and by then I could credit Piggott with four more Classic wins – a Derby on St Paddy, an Oaks on Petite Etoile, and St Legers with St Paddy and Aurelius. His tally was now up to eight, and I was in a job which, with a little bit of luck, would allow me opportunities to actually be present where Classic races were run. I might even get to meet Lester! I did get to meet Lester, and memorably, on the first occasion we spoke, he told me a blatant lie in answer to the question I asked. I didn’t blame him; a cub reporter shouldn’t have been despatched to quiz him on a personal matter. In truth, I was in awe of the Lester Piggott: holds the record for most Classic victories by a jockey

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The man you can’t ignore man – and delighted to see him chalk up Classic win number nine in the 1966 Oaks on Valoris. Of all the privileges I’ve been granted as a racegoer, I’m not sure that any match the autumn of that year, when Piggott was riding out of his skin, routinely winning every kind of race when defeat seemed inevitable. By walking away from Noel Murless at the end of that year, Lester missed out on much Classic glory in 1967, notching only with Ribocco in the St Leger, but he won three of the set in 1968 with Sir Ivor twice and Ribero at Doncaster. He still wasn’t halfway to Buckle’s record, which continued to seem impregnable, and could hardly be recognised as a target. In 1970 I was lucky enough to witness what has been denied to many. I saw Nijinsky land the Triple Crown, and I was present when Humble Duty ran away with the 1,000 Guineas, the only Classic that had eluded Piggott in the past. A front-running masterpiece in the St Leger on Athens Wood in 1971 was followed a year later with a Classic double on Roberto in the Derby, for which he was loudly booed, and Boucher in the Leger, yet another triumph achieved thanks to his association with Vincent O’Brien. Roberto’s Derby meant that Piggott was now level with Jem Robinson and Steve Donoghue, but we could hardly expect that he would win at Epsom on three more colts, Empery in 1976, The Minstrel in 1977 and Teenoso in 1983 – except that on each occasion I was wearing a particularly gaudy tie given to me by Susan Piggott, a plausible omen, at least after the first win.

“I did get to meet Lester and, memorably, on the first occasion we spoke he told me a blatant lie” Buckle’s record was vulnerable now. There had been Oaks victories in 1975 and 1981 with Juliette Marny and Blue Wind, and a 1981 fillies’ Guineas triumph with Fairy Footsteps just a week after the jockey had suffered an injury in the stalls at Epsom that prompted John Oaksey to deliver what seemed to amount to an obituary to TV viewers. It was finally clear that Buckle’s record was under threat. An Oaks victory on Circus Plume came as the equaliser, and Commanche Run’s St Leger meant that there was a new Classics champion. But it wasn’t to end there. Shadeed provided a win in the 2,000 Guineas of 1985, and I was present for the memorable 30th Classic triumph when Rodrigo de Triano scored in 1992. John Sharratt, Raceform’s top race-reader, and I had the press stand to ourselves that day. All our colleagues had persuaded their bosses to send them to Churchill Downs to watch Arazi flop in the Kentucky Derby. I lived to see one supposedly unassailable record bite the dust. What are the chances that I might see another? John Scott’s 40 Classic victories between 1827 and 1863, 16 of them in the St Leger, have stood as the record, unapproached in a century and a half. Aidan O’Brien took his tally to 31 in the 2018 Oaks, and he is still a young man. Am I going to see a second supposedly unassailable record finally overtaken? The only doubt is about how long I’m going to live. It’s a certainty that Aidan will attain the goal.

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28/06/2018 13:18


The Howard Wright Column

Take aways leave sour taste in racing ranks T

o mangle a passage from the Book of Job, the Lord taketh away and the Lord giveth. So, too, does the government, and the BHA board come to that. A crazy couple of months have proved both points, and no single entity, least of all the corporate body of British racing, appears to have emerged unscathed. The government takeaway involved Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs), with sports minister Tracey Crouch, egged on by her new boss, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport secretary of state – and MP for part of Newmarket, if you had forgotten ­– Matt Hancock, caving in to public opinion by reducing the maximum stake from £100 to £2, despite advice from the Gambling Commission and Responsible Gambling Strategy Board for a range of up to £30. So much for consultation, although when such disparate forces as the Daily Mail, The Times, The Guardian and BBC Radio 4’s consumer programme You and Yours are lined up alongside, bookmakers surely knew the game was up. A sense of morality, not science, won the argument. The gambling industry did itself no favours. Retail betting firms have long been on the back foot in getting across their message about social responsibility, and lack of a cohesive voice, or even a strong individual leader, enabled casino and gaming operators to exploit an opportunity to split what should have been united ranks. Racing had an awkward balancing act to perform. Not wanting to be branded anti-social, its leaders still needed to keep betting shop operators on side because of media deals that relate directly to the number of outlets, many of which have relied on FOBTs for profitability. This element of the sport’s funding model has been refined

Public opinion won the FOBT debate as the government caved in

over several years, as FOBTs have assumed greater importance, and until the moral element came to the fore, I cannot recall many critics of the principle, only of the spending priorities. However, what is given with one hand is being taken away with the other, for the government’s gambling review also provided for a rise in remote gaming duty – from the present 15% level to what, and when, has yet to be decided – in a bid to balance the Treasury’s books. As analyst David Zeffman pointed out: “Those operators who are purely online may legitimately feel aggrieved that they are bearing the burden of their retail counterparts’ behaviour.”

“A sense of morality, not science, won the argument over FOBT stakes; bookmakers knew the game was up” Racing’s pre-review position was further influenced by its desire not to upset a government that had granted largesse through a new levy-funding mechanism, backed by Hancock no less, which extended its reach to the offshore online community for the first time. This, too, is sure to be the subject of give and take, and the black hole being dug for racing from imminent betting shop closures has already been estimated at up to £60 million a year. Except, of course, secretary of state Hancock, who since the May pronouncement has immersed himself more in the Digital, Culture & Media elements of his job, has promised to do his best to cushion racing’s shortfall. Which brings us on to the BHA and Chairman Steve Harman. In a remarkable example of take and give, he is being removed from office prematurely but has been given the role of racing’s go-to man in negotiations with government over extending the levy to bets placed in Britain on overseas racing. Those with longish memories will recall this element was dropped from the bookmakers’ charge sheet when Peter Savill thought he had a data rights’ deal wrapped up, only for the European Court of Justice to take a different view. The circumstances behind Harman’s exit from a board whose members he largely hand-picked will probably remain unexplained publicly. After all, someone who during the saga employed at personal cost an expensive London lawyer, Mishcom de Reya, and a PR whose company profile lists its specialities as “issues, crisis and litigation” is not likely to unburden himself willingly. Even more extraordinary, though, is the fact that no-one was nominated to step into Harman’s shoes, not even Atholl Duncan, the BHA’s senior Independent Director. That tells you something about the sad situation. But what, I’m not sure, except that it’s a shambles.

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28/06/2018 13:25



View Fr m Ireland

Mick Mulvany on the go again

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“It’s very hard to buy a good horse for the money we have”

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his column has explored several examples of Irish trainers who have adapted to survive the increasingly competitive environment. The latest is Mick Mulvany, who is already recording his richest ever season. Mulvany began training in 2006 as the face of a family-run operation, based at his father Larry’s 440-acre farm in Kells, County Meath. They bought inexpensive horses and quickly expanded to 100 runners a year, after star sprinter Tough As Nails emerged in 2011. But numbers subsequently evaporated, prize-money dwindled and the Mulvany name disappeared from the spotlight. “We started breeding to our own stallion, Tough As Nails,” said Mulvany. “The mares we have are all winning mares. There are a lot of big winner machines out there, we’re just trying to Mick Mulvany, pictured here with Chris Hayes, has found a way to make his business viable

move along at our own pace, and it’s become very hard to buy a good horse for the money we have. “Even with the bit of success we have, we also don’t get many outside owners, so we had to find another way of getting horses. This could be more cost effective than buying, especially when you’re breeding to good mares, which we are.”

Tough As Nails’s first crop began racing in 2017, unsurprisingly coinciding with Mulvany’s resurgence. The filly My Silver Nails became the sire’s first winner in a Curragh nursery, and the Keith Dalgleish-trained gelding Tough Remedy has followed that up as a three-year-old at Newcastle. Just two of his eight runners have failed to earn prize-money.

O’Brien cutting his teeth in competitive arena By the end of this month rookie trainer Richard O’Brien could be two-thirds of the way towards achieving his goal of becoming a full-time trainer. With the problems facing Irish trainers well documented, the few that have started in the past four years have had to think outside the box. Some have opted to target different races to the superpowers, like Adrian Keatley focussing on sprinters, and Damian English on Dundalk, while others have taken up training part-time, Gavin Cromwell continuing to work as a farrier, for example. O’Brien chose that road, continuing to work part-time as a dentist, but recent successes have opened doors

and he now has his original 18 boxes full, with 20 more due for completion this month. He said: “I think when those 20 boxes are built we can fill nine of them. Then there’s the July sales, and the yearling sales thereafter, so it could be a case that the majority of them are full this time next year.” He added: “I have it worked out that I need upwards of 40 horses to stop working as a dentist, and we’d need to charge a little bit more, so I’m keeping my head down for the forseeable future. Realistically, we could achieve that in two years’ time.” In all of last season, O’Brien saddled seven winners on the turf from his Limerick base, yet by the end of May

this season he had already matched that number. He has broken new ground this year by winning with a series of promising fillies, and is hoping to saddle his first two-year-old winners this month. “The ones that have been winning for us are just wonderful horses,” he said. “Hardy, sound, wonderful temperaments. They are fantastic. “On March 28 we had never won with a filly, and now every filly we’ve run has won. You can’t defy the label until you’ve got the alternatives. “Fingers crossed, we’ve got a few two-year-olds and if we could get them to click later this month or later in the season, then that would be another label.”

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27/06/2018 17:29


By Jessica Lamb

CAROLINE NORRIS

The Mulvanys are also breeding their own mares to outside stallions with success, notably producing their stable star On The Go Again. “I still think he’s the best horse we’ve ever had,” said Mulvany. “We had Tough As Nails – he placed at Listed, Group 2 and Group 1 level, but they are different types of horses. On The Go Again has already won more. He’s a staying, dual-purpose bred horse with so much potential. “We were breeding with the idea of having a dual-purpose horse. His mammy Lady Bolino is a three-parts sister to the top hurdler Voler La Vedette, and she’s a daughter of Bolino Star, who won the Irish Lincoln and the Listed Victor McCalmont Stakes. She won a bumper herself, but got hurt so we had to stop.” As did his grand-dam before him, On The Go Again won a Listed race in April, and this year’s Irish Lincoln, following up his three Flat handicap wins last year, and that neck victory in the Lartigue Hurdle at the Listowel Harvest Festival. With a hurdle rating of 134, all roads now lead to the Guinness Galway Hurdle at the start of next month, with a spin on the Flat at Navan scheduled for July 9 in preparation. That Listed win was Mulvany’s first, and they remarkably had another first at Sligo in May when three-year-olds Stormy Tale and Premier League won on the same night. “We’d never had a double before, but then, we have only 11 horses in training,” he said.

Benkei (red and white) running a good race for Rogers to be third at Punchestown

Rogers has Galway goals

CAROLINE NORRIS

Richard O’Brien: a trainer going places

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Punchestown Champion Hurdlewinning trainer Harry Rogers has this season re-entered the jumps market with two lively candidates for the Galway Festival, starting at the end of this month. In May, both Benkei and Lord Erskine won handicap hurdles, the latter winning twice, with Benkei also running third in a valuable handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. Benkei had won last September, but his victory then was Rogers’s first over jumps since July 2014, when Giant’s Quest landed a Killarney handicap hurdle. “We’ve obviously had success with jumpers before, but we just weren’t sent any for a time,” he explained. “I don’t really know why, and we didn’t need to go looking for them. We were happy enough once we had the owners and the winners, it didn’t matter whether they were Flat or jumps.” He added: “We’ve 20 in training now and that’s enough at the minute. There’s no point having any more, and that pays its way so we’re happy and just hope we can get a few more of the right results.” After winning his first two

handicap hurdles in quick succession, Lord Erskine rose to a rating of 110, about 10lb shy of making the cut for the Guinness Galway Hurdle. “Lord Erskine just needs rain, he likes a dig in the ground, so if we can get that, and get the runs into him, he will go,” Rogers said. “He would want to win another couple to get in. Benkei will go for the big two-milefive-furlong handicap hurdle on the Saturday.” Rogers’s Flat team has been much slower to click into gear, but in the past four seasons that has been the trend for the County Louth team, just two of last year’s 11 winners coming before July. At the Galway Festival he won a valuable one-mile handicap with Remarkable Lady, and that five-yearold is being prepared for a step up to premier handicap level in the onemile contest on Tuesday evening at this year’s meeting. Galway is set to open its brand new parade ring stand this month, the multi-level structure offering views across the parade ring and racecourse, a balcony, and a champagne bar.

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27/06/2018 17:29


Continental Tales

Rule changes proving hard to swallow GERMANY

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ritish visitors take note! Animal rights activists have got their way and tongue ties are now banned in all German racing and, should visiting jockeys break the strict whip regulations which allow a maximum of five strikes per race, they can expect severe punishment. The tongue tie exclusion came into force on June 1 and claimed its first high profile victim just two days later. If there had been a stewards’ report into the dismal performance of the well-fancied Oriental Eagle following the Group 2 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft at Baden-Baden on June 3, it might have included something from the colt’s Royal Ascot-winning trainer Jens Hirschberger, rephrasing the school playground whine ‘you’ve changed the rules, it’s not fair, I’m not playing any more.’ Which is not to criticise Hirschberger, who has since gone public in saying that Oriental Eagle will in future compete in France, where tongue ties are still allowed. The son of Campanolgist had the breathing aide both when winning last year’s German St Leger and when starting his 2018 campaign with a Group 2 Gerling-Preis triumph, when his victims included Colomano, Walsingham and the subsequent Coronation Cup third Windstoss. But in the Wirtschaft he was tailed off last of six, miles behind both Walsingham and Colomano, and Hirschberger revealed: “Following the tongue tie ban we have tried things on the gallops at home that

Oriental Eagle: will have to compete in France after German ban on tongue ties

appeared to work, but at Baden-Baden he seems to have played with his tongue again and maybe swallowed it.”

So, rather than contest the Group 2 Hansa Preis during Hamburg’s upcoming German Derby meeting, it’s off to France for the four-year-old. German officials are trying to placate the animal rights lobby but it may not be that long before the whip goes the same way. The result of the 2016 German Derby is in abeyance in the hands of the lawyers, owing to a long-running court case brought because the jockey of third-placed Dschingis Secret did not break the whip rules, while those aboard the two horses just in front of him did. And goings-on at two of Germany’s Whit Monday bank holiday fixtures proved that ignorance of the whip regulations – or any inability to count up to five – can cost a jockey dearly. To British onlookers, the finish of the pferdewetten.de Preis, a one-mile maiden at Munich, would not look out of the ordinary. But Rodrigo Olechea-Rodriguez, the 40-year-old Panamanian riding the three-quarters of a length winner Dioresse, hit his mount eight or nine times, triggering a 35-day ban and the forfeiture of his entire share of the £2,655 first prize. Back in fifth place Sergio Jeanot Baldottier, fined three races earlier for putting up overweight, also broke the rules aboard Darshano and was handed a 20-day ban. It was a similar story over in Hanover, where Jose Luis Silverio, a veteran of 20 years in the saddle, transgressed on Voladora, runner-up in a £2,124-to-the-winner handicap, so was given a 28-day holiday and relieved of 50% of his prize-money.

Guineas hero’s spirit needs harnessing It’s difficult to believe that we can be over half way through the 2018 Classic season. If one Classic to have already taken place stands out as a remarkable contest it is the German equivalent of the 2,000 Guineas, the Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen, run at Cologne on May 21. What made this unusual was not just that the lowest-rated and longest-priced horse in the ten-runner line-up, Ancient Spirit, prevailed: his odds of 21-1 pale into insignificance when compared to Billesdon Brook’s 66-1 stunner in the 1,000 Guineas. It was more the nature and ease of his victory. Bred and owned by the Ullmann family and trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho,

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Ancient Spirit came into the race equipped with blinkers for the first time having finally got off the mark at the fourth attempt four weeks earlier, scrambling home by a shorthead in a minor seven-furlong event. The headgear appeared to be having a detrimental effect in the early stages, as the Invincible Spirit colt fought for his head while shackled in last, but after quarter of a mile jockey Filip Minarik admitted defeat in his battle to restrain him and, less than a furlong later, he had circled the field to move a couple of lengths clear. Surely his early exertions would take their toll in the closing stages? Exactly the opposite happened, as Ancient Spirit hit

the line strongly to beat two well-regarded British raiders, Fajjaj and Fighting Irish, by four and a half lengths and more. Time may tell that it was a fluke, but one would expect Ancient Spirit to be capable of better if he can be persuaded to run his race at a more even tempo – his mid-race move was reminiscent of Frankel’s surge in the 2011 St James’s Palace Stakes that almost led to an unthinkable defeat, at the finish the wonder horse had just three-quarters of a length to spare over Coolmore’s Zoffany. Ancient Spirit now heads for the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on July 8 and should not be underestimated.

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27/06/2018 18:00


By James Crispe, IRB

European Jockeys Cup day takes shape Gordon Lord Byron, Ireland’s most popular sprinter, and the Harry Dunlop-trained Group 2 winner Fighting Irish, are the headline names among the 38 initial entries for the European Jockeys Cup Million Leram, a seven-furlong contest which will become the richest Flat race in central Europe when it is run at Velka Chuchle racecourse in Prague on Saturday, September 22. Boasting a total prize fund of £90,467 and a first prize of £34,795, the Million Leram has had its purse boosted by almost 80% since last year and will again be part of the European Jockeys Cup, an international riders’ competition instigated in 2015. The initial entry cost just £50 but there are three more forfeit stages before the final fields are declared on September 18, plus progressively more expensive opportunities to make supplementary entries in July, August and September.

GEORGE SELWYN

CZECH REPUBLIC

Gordon Lord Byron: may be Czech mate

The big difference between this and other global jockeys’ championships is that a final list of participating jockeys will be announced nine days in advance of the meeting, before, at the final declaration stage, connections of the declared runners will be able to select a rider from that list, beginning with the horse with the highest handicap rating. Riders of the calibre of Cristian Demuro (the inaugural winner),

Gerald Mosse and Vincent Cheminaud have taken part in the meeting in previous years. In 2016 it was won by the Kazakh Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, while last autumn it fell to the Frenchman Thomas Huet, who had recently returned from a four-year stint in Australia. In total, 116 horses from seven countries have been entered in the four European Jockeys Cup races. “We’re delighted!” says Milan Baranik on behalf of the organisers. “The entries promise a unique sporting event on a level without parallel in the memory of Czech racing fans. “We’re convinced that Czech racing needs this kind of competition – without better material there is a danger that Czech horseracing will stagnate, and nobody wants that.” Another of the organisers, Tomas Machovsky, concludes: “In recent years Czech horses have been very successful, especially in France and Germany, so there’s no need for us to be afraid of matching up with foreign horses on our home ground.”

Stud goes close to remarkable Classic double Breeding a Classic winner in your first season of trying is a hugely unlikely occurrence. But the Swiss stud Gestut Zur Kuste almost went one better at Longchamp in May when one of their progeny, Teppal, landed the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches a couple of hours after another Zur Kuste graduate, Dice Roll, had been beaten in a three-way photo at the end of the colts’ equivalent, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. Ironically named ‘Gestut Zur Kuste’ (which translates to ‘Stud By The Coast’ when Switzerland is landlocked!), it is a group of Swiss breeding enthusiasts headed by Christoph Muller, the President of Frauenfeld racecourse near Zurich. “I manage Gestut Zur Kuste for some Swiss friends of mine and, unbelievably, we got started only four years ago,” Muller said. “All 35 of our mares are based in France, at either Haras d’Ellon

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SWITZERLAND

Teppal, bred by Gestut Zur Kuste, holds on to win the French 1,000 Guineas

– where I have been breeding under my own name for three decades now – and Haras d’Etreham. “We also have shares in a number of stallions, such as Almanzor, Le Havre, Wootton Bassett and Zarak, and we usually sell our yearlings at Deauville.” Teppal was knocked down to Con

Marnane’s Bansha House Stables for €60,000 before being sold on for €105,000 at the breeze-up nine months later, while Dice Roll was bought for €130,000 as a yearling by agent Amanda Skiffington. They are related on the male side as they are by the half-brother stallions Camacho and Showcasing.

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Around The Globe Justify and Mike Smith power towards immortality at Belmont Park

The crowning of a golden spell NORTH AMERICA By Steve Andersen

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he rapid ascension of Justify from an unraced three-year-old to the 13th winner of the American Triple Crown in a span of 111 days defied logic. On February 18, Justify won a maiden race on his debut at Santa Anita, which was followed by wins in a conditions race on March 11 and a three-length victory in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7, on his stakes debut. Showing no sign of fatigue, and maintaining a body weight well over 1,200 pounds, Justify zoomed through the gruelling Triple Crown series, winning the Kentucky Derby on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs on May 7, the Preakness Stakes on another sloppy track in the fog at Pimlico on May 21, and, upped in trip to a mile and a half, the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9. The conditions at Belmont Park for the series finale were ideal: clear skies and a fast track. Justify deserved a gorgeous day for his coronation in American racing. With six wins in less than four months, Justify became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. No horse has accomplished as much in as short a period of time as Justify, who seemingly has yet to reach his peak. Justify, who has earned $3,798,000, is the second Triple Crown winner of the

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decade, preceded by American Pharoah in 2015. Prior to that, there was a 37-year drought since Affirmed in 1978. For a while the series seemed too difficult. Now fans are beginning to expect such accomplishments. Like American Pharoah, Justify was sent out by Bob Baffert, who joined Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons – Gallant Fox (1930) and Omaha (1935) – as the only trainer to win two Triple Crowns.

“Justify deserved a gorgeous day for his coronation” Justify gave 52-year-old jockey Mike Smith his first Triple Crown win and the distinction of being the oldest jockey to win the prestigious series, one of the few events in American racing that captures the attention of the nation’s sporting public. Smith and Baffert became the public faces of Justify, and racing in general, through the Triple Crown. For the Californiabased Smith, whose dedication to fitness rivals that of any athlete half his age, the

Triple Crown success was a much-deserved milestone in a Hall of Fame career that began in 1982 at the age of 16. Since March, Smith has been fully aware of Justify’s brilliance. “To win six races in such a short amount of time like he’s done is just an unbelievable feat on his part,” Smith said after the Belmont. “This is just amazing.” The Belmont Stakes was indicative of Justify’s ability. He led shortly after the start, set a solid pace and repelled challenges from Bravazo and Hofburg on the turn, before taking a two-length lead in the stretch. Gronkowski, a four-time winner on Britain’s all-weather circuit for Jeremy Noseda, closed from last of ten to finish second, beaten a length and three-quarters, on his first start for top American trainer Chad Brown. Brown has become an expert in losing to Justify. In the Kentucky Derby the Brown-trained Good Magic, the champion two-year-old male of 2017, was second. Good Magic challenged Justify early in the Preakness and faded to finish fourth. Justify races for the partnership of WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing. By Scat Daddy, Justify is not expected to race again until late summer. Races such as the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 18 or the Travers at Saratoga on August 25 will be considered. A stud career looms in 2019. Until then, American racing has a bonafide star.

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The Worldwide Racing Scene

Dishing the dirt down under can be justified By Danny Power

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f the reports are correct Justify is set to join the Coolmore stallion roster next year, when he could become the second Triple Crown winner to stand in Australia. American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown winner to shuttle from Kentucky to Coolmore’s vast farm at Jerry’s Plains in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Last year American Pharoah was oversubscribed on a limited book that saw him cover 158 Australian mares at a fee of $AUD60,000 (£34,000) – a bargain price for a horse of his standing that stood his first season at Ashford Stud in the USA at $US200,000. American Pharoah, a son of Pioneerof The Nile, returns for his second Australian stud season, which starts in September. It’s a tremendous boost for Australian breeding to be able to stand horses of this calibre, despite the wariness of the fact they made their name on dirt racetracks. Seven previous Kentucky Derby winners haven’t made a massive impact on Australian breeding. The first to stand here was the little chestnut Thunder Gulch (by Gulch), who covered 86 mares in 1996. He shuttled for seven seasons to Coolmore and left 17 stakes winners. Fusaichi Pegasus, a charismatic son of Mr Prospector, stood from 2001 to 2007 at Coolmore and sired 25 stakes winners, headed by the international star Haradasun. Fusaichi Pegasus, and to a lesser extent Thunder Gulch, have breeding daughters that bob up in the pedigrees of many Australian winners. The 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet stood for three seasons at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley, but wasn’t well received and left only three Listed winners. Darley imported the exceptionally talented Street Sense (by Street Cry), who stood for five seasons, and although he sired two Group 1 winners – the mare Politeness and the crack colt Hallowed Crown – he covered only 52 mares in his final Aussie season. Hallowed Crown, a dual Group 1

winner, has replaced him at Darley. The much-heralded Big Brown (by Boundary) was a complete flop despite the support of one of Australia’s most successful breeders in John Singleton, who “wasted” four seasons of breeding his best mares to the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. Super Saver (by Maria’s Mon) stood one season at Victoria’s Eliza Park Stud in 2011 and left only 37 foals and not one horse worth a crumpet. Animal Kingdom (by (Leroidesanimaux), who arrived after his Dubai World Cup win at Meydan in 2013 to stand at Arrowfield Stud in partnership with Darley, has started his Australian career promisingly. His first crop, now three, includes the talented colt Peaceful State, a dual stakes winner who promises to reach the top, and a number of very promising fillies. However, Animal Kingdom, who was promoted as an outcross stallion free of Danzig blood, won’t be back this year after four seasons that saw him serve only 46 mares in 2017. It’s a tough road for American dirt stallions on turf-oriented Australia. The advantage of Justify is that his sire, the late Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg), is a supreme sire of turf runners, which makes Justify’s dirt record a bit of an anomaly on Scat Daddy’s CV. The Irish-bred Street Cry (by Machiavallian) is proof that a dirt-

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dominant runner can make it in a turf jurisdiction. However, although Street Cry was a tremendous galloper on the ‘grains’, he has a strong turf pedigree through his dam, the Irish Oaks winner Helen Street, and her Epsom Derbywinning sire Troy. Street Cry is the sire of the super Australian mare Winx and many other outstanding Australian gallopers over all distance. His dirt-track son Street Boss, who shuttles to Darley Northwood in Victoria, is an extremely popular and underrated stallion with the ability to leave, like his sire, dirt and turf runners. Another dirt stallion who has made his mark down under is More Than Ready, who has done exceptionally well matching with Australian bloodlines, particularly with Danehill-line mares. More Than Ready (by Southern Halo) sired two winners of Australia’s juvenile scamper, the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes. The dominance of Northern Dancer, his son Danzig and, in turn, his son Danehill on Australian breeding in the past 20 years has squeezed out the dirt sires from the US. Those few that have flourished needed to nick to that sire line, particularly with the influential Danehill. Medaglia D’Oro, who was a star on the dirt and has been a brilliant dirttrack sire, is the latest American stallion to make a mark on Australian breeding thanks to the Darley shuttle. His Australian stud career hit a crescendo when his son Vancouver won the 2015 Golden Slipper. It’s worth noting that Medaglia D’Oro is a son of the turf stallion El Prado – the fastest son of Sadler’s Wells, who has been able to bridge the divide from turf to dirt.

Animal Kingdom: Dubai World Cup hero has made a promising start as a sire in Australia

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Racing Life

Mayfair Lady Sarah Rodrigues spends some time in one of London’s most fascinating neighbourhoods

It’s hard to believe that Burlington Arcade was created as a litter-buffer

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t’s astonishing to think that the May Fair, from which the most prestigious pocket of London (and the priciest square on the Monopoly board!) takes its name, was once a rowdy event that attracted a number of ‘undesirables’ and eventually became something of a scourge. Celebrated annually from 1686 to 1764, the 15-day event was held in what was, at the time, Brookfield Market (now Shepherds Market) and started life as a cattle trading event which, like any good festival, drew rich and poor alike - with more than a bit of attendant merry-making. In the 17th century, author of The London Spy, publican Ned Ward, observed that prostitutes were doing a roaring trade alongside various entertainment booths, beyond which were “a parcel of scandalous boozing dens, where soldiers and their trulls were skipping and dancing to most lamentable music, performed upon a cracked fiddle by a blind fiddler.” Attempts by the authorities to stem the tide of ‘loose and disorderly’ behaviour weren’t particularly successful, resulting in near riots and one policeman

being run through with a sword, but the event came under some modicum of control during Queen Anne’s reign - a lull that was swiftly reversed by George I, whose attitude towards such revelry was a touch more lenient.

however, many of these former residences have found new life as commercial and office premises - or indeed, as the Royal Academy which, originally named Burlington House, was formerly the home of Lord George Cavendish.

The rise of respectability

The Burlington Arcade

Ultimately, however, it wasn’t royal decree that caused the May Fair to come to an end; it was the new wave of residents, such as the Earl of Coventry, whose grand homes started to replace the inns and taverns in the area. Objecting to the din, one such neighbour took out what would today be called a noise abatement order - and thus abolishment of the fair was inevitable. Under the ownership of the Grosvenor family of Westminster, the area began to be developed according to a plan laid out by master builder and carpenter Thomas Barlow; work which included the formation of three elegant squares Hanover, Berkeley and Grosvenor. Stately homes were built and, if the bright blue plaques one sees on a wander around the neighbourhood are to be believed, were once well lived in. These days,

It was Lord Cavendish who commissioned the design of Burlington Arcade - officially, for the “sale of jewellery and fancy articles of fashionable demand, for the gratification of the public.” Off paper, however, it seems that he was irritated by the vast amounts of rubbish being thrown onto his property and wanted to create a buffer zone of sorts. Oyster shells, in particular, were a problem - a fact that’s quite amusingly incongruous with the array of these delicacies expensively laid out in the nearby window of the Caviar House & Prunier on St James Street: it’s hard to imagine the wanton litterers of yesteryear having any inkling of what their casual snacks would one day become! Originally containing 72 two-storey units along its 196 yard length - although some of these have now been combined

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Mayfair even nominally, but there are still fascinating remnants of them. At one time, it was unseemly to carry your own purchases so, having made and paid for your selections, they’d be wrapped up and taken downstairs; there’s a narrow tunnel that spans the length of both sides of the Arcade, along which an employee would scamper, to deliver one’s shopping to a waiting attendant or carriage. These downstairs areas would often house the storekeepers as well as their stock; street urchins would also doss down here, running errands in exchange for a crust of bread and a safe, warm place spend the night.

to create larger stores - Burlington Arcade, which will celebrate its 200th birthday next year, is as rich in history as its shops are in rare and precious goods. It’s also guarded by the world’s oldest and smallest private police force - the extravagantly attired Beadles.

On tour with the Beadles

The Arcade, as impressive and beautiful as it already is, really comes to life on a wander with Head Beadle, Mark Lord. He draws attention to a section of flooring outside The Vintage Watch Company, where a slightly worn patch is testament to the magnetic appeal of the Rolex display; we stand and watch for a while, as (primarily male) passerby after passerby slows their steps and swivels a full 90 degrees to scour the window. There are tales of underworld activities carried out behind the Arcade’s elegant facade of respectability: a rather wonderful character named Madame Parsons, who sold exquisite Parisian bonnets in the mid19th century, was using her store as a front for her brothel in nearby Regent St. This, however, was just one of her duplicitous acts: upon her death it was discovered that ‘she’ was actually a ‘he’. Gender-bending, to at least some extent, wasn’t at all beyond the Arcade’s social mores: in keeping with Lord Cavendish’s aim of giving “employment to industrious females,” everyone working there, regardless of gender, had to be addressed as “Madame.”

Whether Royal or ‘regular’ The Beadles are the world’s oldest and smallest private police force

History lives on

Prostitution also played a significant role in the Arcade’s history, and although this was definitely not encouraged, it’s had a lasting impact on the rules in force within its walls. Whistling, for instance, is to this day prohibited, since this was the signal traditionally used by prostitutes and their pimps, who often inhabited the upper floors, to warn ‘respectable’ gentlemen that the police or beadles were on the lookout; it was also the signal given by people on the upper levels to pickpockets. Some of the other guidelines of bygone days may not still be enforced,

Jewels of unimaginable rarity wink and dazzle from several of the Arcade’s shop windows; in Hancocks, these range from quail-egg sized stones in every colour to a Van Cleef & Arpels brooch in the form of a scarecrow. This jeweller, established in 1849, also has the honour of having produced every single one of the 1358 Victoria Crosses that have been presented since 1857. Elsewhere, heady fragrances scent the air: perfumiers in the Arcade include True Grace, Kilian, Frederic Malle, Chanel, Roja and of course, Penhaligon’s which, like Hancocks, bears a Royal Warrant. “One of the things that makes the Arcade so special is the depth and breadth of knowledge contained within such a small area,” says Mark Lord. He

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The gates at either end of the Arcade were installed after an audacious robbery in 1964

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Racing Life

Dukes Hotel embodies old-fashioned courtesy and modern convenience

›› tells a tale around the level of service he

received in buying a pair of shoes in the Arcade - there are two mens’ shoe stores here, Church’s and Crockett & Jones, each offering a bespoke service. There’s also the beloved and charismatic shoe-shiner Romi Topi, who will keep your purchases in gleaming condition - his prices start from £7 with a coffee thrown in. This is another alluring aspect of Burlington Arcade, as Mark points out: it offers, despite the fact of the 7.69ct oval sapphire ring priced at £165,000 which has caught my attention in Hancocks, a brush with luxury and the elegance of a bygone era that everyone can access, whether they are having their shoes shined, treating themselves to a coffee and macaron at Ladurée or gifting themselves a candle from True Grace - the experience they have and the attention they receive will be just as rewarding as if they were purchasing a pair of Manolo Blahniks, a Mulberry handbag or an exquisite objet d’art from African luxury brand Patrick Mavros.

The hotel’s GBR proudly supports the best of British produce

Damage and defiance

Naturally enough, the aura of peace and refinement that pervades the Arcade today has been disrupted, on more than one occasion, in the past; as well as the seedier activities masked by its gracious facades in previous centuries, there have been the ravages of war, which all but destroyed the Piccadilly end, the restoration of which was completed in the 1950s. Prior to this, fire had destroyed parts of the building more than once, accompanied, in 1936, by some opportunistic looting. Today’s Beadles are proud of the exceptionally low rate of theft in the Arcade’s recent years, but the ghost of a previous robbery still makes its presence felt in the elegant gates placed at either end of the building. So seamlessly do they work with the architecture, you could be forgiven for presuming that they’d stood far longer than 50 or so years, but their installation came about as a direct result of a heist staged in 1964. In this incident, six masked men

Start your evening with a cocktail in the award-winning Dukes Bar

drove a Jaguar Mark X up onto the pavement and through the Arcade, drawing up besides a jeweller’s window, which they took to with sledgehammers before reversing the car back out with £35,000 worth of jewellery in tow. Despite nearby office workers throwing plants and furniture from their windows at the car, it got away and the perpetrators were never caught. The Arcade has also had more than a brush with stardom, not only by way of its clientele (it’s reported that Paul McCartney is exempt from the ban on whistling; other stories place Fred Astaire and Ingrid Bergman in its retail corridor) but also in being used as a location for films including Patriot Games and 101 Dalmatians. There hasn’t, as yet, been a Bond scene filmed here, but fans of the world’s most famous secret agent can make their way to N.Peal, at the Burlington Gardens end of the Arcade, where the cashmere sweaters he wore in Skyfall and Spectre are stocked.

Sharing plates give you the opportunity to sample even more items from the menu

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Mayfair “Shaken, not stirred”

007 has links with nearby Duke’s Hotel, too, which is one of the Mayfair area’s most quintessentially British and welcoming accommodations. It’s in the hotel’s bar that Ian Fleming is said to have coined the line “shaken, not stirred,” and the martinis served up today are undoubtedly Bond-worthy. Created by bartender Alessandro Palazzi, who was recently awarded Imbibe’s ‘Personality of the Year 2018’ in the category ‘Industry Legends’, The Vesper is a mix of No. 3 London Dry Gin, Lillet Blanc and Angostura bitters. It also employs Poland’s Potocki Vodka, an homage to Polish-born Christine Granville who, as well as being the real-life inspiration for Vesper Lynd, was a wartime spy and, rumour has it, Fleming’s lover. It’s the most frequently ordered martini at the bar; Palazzi has also created the “89 Jermyn Street” in partnership with Floris, the London-based perfumiers, whose 89 Eau de Cologne only seemed to enhance Bond’s legendary irresistibility.

GBR - Great British Restaurant

You could easily while away several hours in Dukes Bar, but eventually you’ll succumb to the siren song of the hotel’s GBR where, even before being seated, the stylishly dulled opulence of the decor delights: cloudy mirrored ceilings and panels magnify the glow cast by burnished metals and flattering lighting; while deep-hued wood, row upon row of glassware and bottles, a parquet floor and seating of velvet or leather all contribute to a sense of understated luxury. Overseen by Executive Head Chef Nigel Mendham, GBR recently launched its spring sharing menu, which allows diners the freedom to graze and sample their way through smaller portions of items from the menu. The restaurant’s commitment to supporting local suppliers continues with the new choices, which feature the likes of scallops from Scotland’s north west, or Heritage beetroot accompanied by Yorkshire fettle, quinoa from Essex and smoked lemon oil. There’s also a daily specials offering for those who want to relish a full-sized serving of, say, Loch duart salmon or Cumbrian lamb cutlets under their own steam. On the night of our visit, every morsel was sublime, sparklingly fresh and beautifully presented. Combined with the impeccable service and a thorough knowledge of wine - the one chosen for us by the restaurant manager was spot on - all made for a superb evening that perfectly struck a balance between upmarket and relaxed:

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Rooms and suites are effortlessly elegant and understated

luxurious without being stuffy, and friendly without being casual.

Dukes and dogs

The rooms achieve a similar harmony, with large beds on which to sprawl and a decor that falls squarely on the elegant side of decadence. Despite the hotel’s old world charm, no modern convenience has been overlooked, from WiFi to flat screen televisions, bottled water, a coffee machine, fresh fruit and a marble bathroom well stocked with Floris toiletries. Suites offer the addition of a south-facing sitting room furnished with comfortable sofas and, if the muse should call, a large writing desk; book one of these rooms directly with the hotel if you’re flying into London and you’ll be collected from the airport by chauffeur. Like the service, the hotel’s outward appearance is wonderfully unobtrusive, tucked, as it is, down a small cul-de-sac just off St James’s Place. You’ll no doubt notice the small dog motifs, both by the entrance and elsewhere in the hotel: the

hotel prides itself on being dog-friendly, with dogs up to 16kg in weight able to accompany you on your stay. The wide green spaces of London’s nearby parks are, of course, a huge part of the appeal and the concierge team will happily offer ideas as to suggested routes but, since even dogs like to be pampered, there’s plenty of spoiling to be had here, with services along the lines of a sumptuous dog bed in the room, complete with turndown treat, as well as two gourmet meals a day. Sitting, walking and veterinary services can also be arranged on request, and canine retail heaven exists just a short walk away at Orvis, as well as, around the corner, at William Evans. BURLINGTON ARCADE 51 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0QJ burlingtonarcade.com DUKES HOTEL 35 St James’s Place, London SW1A 1NY dukeshotel.com

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The hotel is nestled in a cul-de-sac, an oasis of calm and style in busy central London

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Racing Life

Racing Trophies

A cupful of history Sarah Rodrigues looks at the esteemed creators of this year’s Royal Ascot trophies was especially drawn to the classic, sleek designs of the 1930s.” In keeping with this aesthetic, 2018’s trophy designs, revealed at the beginning of June, are characterised by their elegantly clean lines. In addition to the Gold Cup, which was lifted this year by Frankie Dettori, the Queen’s Vase and Royal Hunt Cup, the collection included seven new trophies, in silver, which were created for the winners of other Group 1 races. These seven are the embodiment of a new tradition: as of this year, the winners of these trophies will keep them forever. Detailing is a key element of Garrard design; even before it was singled out for official royal attention in 1843, it had Garrard’s Head of Design, Claire Scott, had a rich archival history from which to draw inspiration been the silversmith of choice for clients he House of Garrard has long been In 1842, Royal Ascot’s first ever from the upper echelons of society, associated with royalty; established Gold Cup was created by Garrard. who sought the beautiful flourish by silversmith George Wickes in The trophies are kept by winners that Garrard would bring to such 1735, it had its first royal commission the in perpetuity, so each time practical items as inkstands and coffee pots in their they are redesigned, very next year. From these auspicious they must meet with beginnings, embodied in an ebony Haymarket workshop. In the approval of the teapot handle for Frederick, Prince of the trophies unveiled last Wales, the jewellery house became reigning monarch. This, in month, this minute focus Crown Jeweller in 1843. Today, examples itself, offers a fascinating is seen in, for example, the of its craftsmanship may be seen at insight into changing tastes Royal Ascot pattern of classic The Tower of London, as well as on the throughout history, and it was racing silk designs running left hand of the Duchess of Cambridge, on this rich archive that Garrard’s around their bases. Garrard’s flagship boutique Head of Design, Claire Scott, drew, in her sapphire engagement ring. The jeweller also has a significant history of in order to create 2018’s trophies. in Albemarle Street, Mayfair, trophy design, with pieces such as the “Looking back through the was built especially for the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy and the House’s many Royal Ascot jeweller and it is from this America’s Cup to their credit; they also, trophies was a fascinating prestigious address that the throughout their 164 years as the Crown and exciting experience,” brand’s signature design, the Jeweller, supplied trophies to Royal she says. “The cups from Albemarle collection, takes its Ascot, a prestigious partnership that’s Queen Victoria’s time were This year’s Gold Cup was name. Looking back on the house’s extraordinary design extraordinarily ornate, but I been revived in recent years. won by Frankie Dettori heritage was a key element here, too - the collection is based on a tiara found in the Garrard’s archives. That said, the company is open to the prospect of entirely unprecedented creations, having once answered a request for a gold and diamond encrusted croquet set. “Garrard, like Royal Ascot, is a name steeped in history,” says Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer of Royal Ascot. “We are delighted to continue to broaden our relationship with an organisation which shares so many of our values.”

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The 2018 designs are sleek and elegant

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House of Garrard 24 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4HT www.garrard.com

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Property

FUTURE IDYLL This luxurious estate, from game-changers Quada, reimagines country living for our times, says Sarah Rodrigues

Harford Manor has been recognised for its contemporary design

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The 40 acre grounds house extensive equestrian facilities

ocated in the village of Holyport renowned equestrian territory, with the Guards Cup Polo, the Cartier Cup and, of course, Royal Ascot all within reach - Harford Manor was awarded Best Architecture Single Residence South East England in the International Property Awards 2015-2016. With views towards Windsor Castle and easy access to the Michelin starred restaurants of Bray, plus a choice of excellent nearby schools, the property is spread over 23,000 square feet, with masses of space for family life and entertaining. Set within 40 acres, the external areas of the house provide full equestrian facilities, complete with outdoor and indoor riding ménages. Current stabling is for 10 horses, although there is capacity to extend this to 25 boxes; there’s also a stick’n’ball polo pitch and an outdoor polo arena, surrounded by a canter track. There are a number of other equestrian facilities in the nearby area, including polo fields owned by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of Leicester City FC. Inside the property, you’ll find six generously proportioned principal

bedrooms, each with an opulent marble ensuite including a hot tub. A secluded home office gives you space and privacy in which to work, although, it must be said, the panoramic views over the estate from this room could prove to be more than a bit of a distraction. Bookworms can squirrel themselves away in the library or, if a sociable turn of mood strikes, there’s a vast dining and entertaining space, as well as two kitchens. Cutting edge design and technology are central to the concept of the property; the vision was to redefine the model of traditional English country home living by retaining all of the elements that make such properties unique and desirable, whilst bringing its offering firmly into the 21st century. To this end, you’ll find features including a whole-house audio-visual system, with provision for ceiling speakers throughout, as well as security and alarm systems, plus high-speed, fibre optic internet and PABX phone system. There’s also a Savant integrated tablet or touch screen control system, which provides remote and internal control of lighting, heating, access, security, audio visual

10,000 bottles can be stored in the wine cellar

The 12-metre indoor swimming pool has been designed sustainably

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systems, skylights and electric blinds. These controls, of course, have additional benefits of an environmental ilk, a feature that’s in keeping with many of the design elements at Harford Manor. Its own environmental ground energy source, for instance, provides heating and cooling, including to the swimming pool; there’s also underfloor heating with air cooling throughout the entire house. The swimming pool and equestrian facilities are not the only leisure options offered by the property: as well as provision for a tennis court, which can be finished to the buyer’s specifications, there’s also a spa with Jacuzzi, fullyequipped gym, entertainment room with pool table, state of the art entertainment room and wine cellar capable of holding up to 1,000 bottles. Your guests aren’t advised to drive home after an evening of sampling its stocks, so it’s fortunate that there’s a garage for eight cars as well as, slightly further away, a private helicopter landing area. Alexander James Interior Design handled all of the property’s dressing, with fabrics, flooring, curtains, blinds and finishes designed for inclusion in the sale. Artworks have also been selected for this purpose, and include specially commissioned pieces by Bea Kayani in the galleria and dining hall and by Bill Bates in the leisure building,. Don’t fancy dusting the frames on your own? Staff can be housed in the self-contained threebedroom accommodation which, although contained within the main house, has its own separate entrance. Harford Manor is OTM at £30 million. www.quada.co.uk richard.bellman@quada.co.uk

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28/06/2018 12:55


Racing Life

DEAKIN & FRANCIS 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 online edition of The Rake magazine

These 18 carat gold cufflinks were made as a bespoke commission, for which prices start at £3,690, depending on materials

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ermyn Street, in London’s St James’s district, is full of temptations for the gentleman of taste: from the numerous shirtmakers offering styles in every colour and collar shape, to the traditional barbers that still offer traditional wet shaves with a cut-throat razor. The best of British shoemaking is well-represented, with stores from Edward Green, Church’s and Crockett & Jones - and the sock department at New & Lingwood is always a pleasure to visit, with the best selection of hosiery in the civilised world. Alongside the tailors and outfitters sits Paxton & Whitfield, the oldest cheesemonger in England, with a selection to impress the most demanding gourmet. If you enjoy the occasional cigar, you can select from Cuba’s finest at Davidoff or, should you find yourself in need of refreshment, you can sit outside and enjoy a cocktail at Franco’s or, my personal favourite, 45 Jermyn Street. With such an excellent range of boutiques, it is hard to resist making a purchase, even if it is just a new single-ended bow tie from Budd. The latest addition to the street is jeweller Deakin & Francis. Founded in

1786, it has only taken them 230 years to decide to open a shop under their own name in London. Originally based in the jewellery quarter of Birmingham, they have long supplied the best of Bond Street and beyond with beautifully crafted accessories; it is to this day a family-run business, now managed by brothers James and Henry Deakin, who are both

qualified gemologists and seventh generation jewellers. They are best known for their fine selection of cufflinks, which is the finest collection in London and, therefore, probably the world. Although we are wearing formal shirts less often these days, they are reporting a very healthy increase in sales, which is probably because cufflinks are the only piece of jewellery a conservative gentleman can comfortably wear; additionally, they can be fun to collect - rather like handbags are for ladies. A good pair of cufflinks can last a lifetime - you can even pass them onto a son or nephew. They make a wonderful gift and for a special birthday or occasion, I would suggest one of their dress sets. A dress set will consist of a set of cufflinks and four matching shirt studs to wear in your shirt front for evening. They are available in all sorts of combinations

Jockey cufflinks, from the Deakin & Francis ready-made collection

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Fashion of gold, pearl and diamonds - in fact, this is the most traditional way for a gentleman to wear diamonds. Consider them the male eternity ring, an ideal gift for a wedding anniversary. As well as the classics, they offer some fine novelties. Novelty accessories always make me a little worried and remind me of unwanted gifts at Christmas, but the ones at Deakin & Francis are actually rather nice. Witty, playful and sometimes cheeky, but always tastefully designed and made. Their ‘fundamentals’ collection even offers an owl and ladybird with moving parts - a small feat of elegant engineering. Deakin & Francis is a “fully vertical operation”, which means that they control the process from workshop to shop floor - so they have complete control over quality and design. They are also able to offer bespoke options. This could be as simple as engraving your initials or family cypher into a shield or, perhaps, picking the colours in a handpainted enamel - but the service can go far beyond that. For instance, Deakin & Francis can recreate the image of your family dog or thoroughbred into any accessory, a process that James Deakin particularly enjoys as it affords them the opportunity to meet and engage with their customers. “When a client comes to us for a bespoke commission we want to give them the best experience and share the process with them”, explains James. Numerous photographs taken from different angles are required; they will even ask about the animal’s personality traits. The aim is to capture the essence rather than a mere likeness. This, they achieve with their skilled craftsmen, who are able to hand make the model and apply details with a single-bristle brush. The options of customisation are almost limitless and the customer is guided through the process with skill and patience, whilst important decisions are made regarding cabochon sapphires, enamel painting and satin finishes. The process is not quick so allow plenty of time to enjoy the experience. If you are happy with the cufflinks you may even wish to order a matching belt-buckle or decanter top. So next time you are strolling down Jermyn Street, do pay Deakin & Francis a visit. They always have something new to show and, if you feel like treating yourself, their classic cufflinks start from a very reasonable £85. www.deakinandfrancis.co.uk 19-21 Piccadilly Arcade London, SW1 6NH

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Bespoke Spectacles If you, like one in three people, require spectacles to navigate yourself through a normal day, you have probably spent numerous hours trying on various pairs and asking for second opinions. And rightly so - considering that they are effectively a part of your face, picking the right frames is vital. Not only will they will fit better, but they will truly reflect your personality. Here are three brands for your consideration...

Cubitts

A relative newcomer into the world of spectacles, this London-based brand is gaining cult status for its quality and value. Frames start from only £125 and this includes optional tinting - ideal for a pair of holiday sunshades. They also offer a made-to-measure service, where you have a full consultation and measurement, plus the choice of 175 different materials, including genuine and ethically sourced horn. With prices starting at only £425, they offer great value, especially when you take into account the fact that you can pay more for a ‘designer’ pair from your high street optician. www.cubitts.com

E.B. Meyrowitz

Established in 1875, Meyrowitz has a rich heritage of providing spectacles and eye accessories - in fact, in the early days of motorsport and aviation, they pioneered “mist-free” goggles to drivers and pilots. Now situated in The Royal Arcade between Bond Street and Albemarle Street, they specialise in top-end bespoke frames for the modern-day sybarite. They have an unrivalled choice of materials including buffalo horn, genuine tortoise shell, exotic leathers and precious metals. With years of experience they are able to create a pair of spectacles that will become part of you. www.ebmeyrowitz.co.uk

TD Tom Davies

Established in 2002 with stores throughout London, Tom Davies has a strong following, with A-list celebrities who appreciate his modern, clean designs; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for example, are both customers. The most expensive pair of his bespoke glasses cost over £10000, although granted, they were of 18 carat gold. Music and film stars aside, the best advertisement for the product is, in fact, Tom himself: despite having 20:20 vision, he chooses to wear his own designs every day. www.tdtomdavies.com

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28/06/2018 12:55


Racing Life

Royal Ascot

SHIFT IN GEAR Sarah Rodrigues looks at Royal Ascot’s emergence into the 21st century

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GEORGE SELWYN

s steeped in tradition as Royal Ascot is, it’s not without its ability to move with the times. Last year, the first significant change since 1971 was made to the rigorous Royal Enclosure dress code, with jumpsuits officially acceptable - subject, of course, to certain requirements regarding length, coverage and colour. At this year’s event, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, became the royal pioneer for this contemporary style at the races, appearing on June 20th in a shortsleeved Emilia Wickstead jumpsuit, with elegantly wide, flowing legs. Other changes to be made in recent years have been as reflective of society as of fashion - for example, it was only as of 2016 that married women were, after many decades of tradition, permitted to use their own names on the badges that must be worn in the Royal Enclosure; prior to this, their badges were made up according to the names of their husbands. There was, of course, no badge made up

GRAHAM READING

Victoria Smith wore royal blue for her day in the Royal Enclosure

in the name of Meghan Markle, whose ‘HRH The Duchess of Sussex’ badge was attached to her handbag rather than to her Givenchy dress; a ‘hole-in-expensivefabric’ saving device that’s been employed by both Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice in the past. Occasionally, tradition is dispensed with for temporary and practical reasons,

such as last year, when unusually hot conditions saw organisers permitting men to remove their coats once within the Royal Enclosure - although, of course, these did still have to be worn for admission. The rules on headwear became a little stricter this year, with most fascinators now no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure and the rules specifying that all headpieces in the top tier must have “a solid base of 4 inches (10cm) or more.” Guests in the other enclosures had more freedom in this regard, although wearing one’s head piece at all times is still essential. “Women can be very expressive with their hats at Royal Ascot, and that’s largely because the dress code has always been so traditional,” says milliner Edwina Ibbotson. This year, her bespoke creations incorporated many requests for feathers and flowers; with Royal Ascot seen as the style-setter for the rest of the summer formal season, what does she think we’ll be seeing a lot of this year? “Slightly larger, broader brimmed hats,” says Edwina. “I also had a lot of requests for black and white hats, so I expect we will be seeing more monochrome.” One significant Royal Enclosure event this year was in the attendance of transgender guest, Victoria Smith, who rode three times at Ascot as jockey Vince Smith, as well as having three runners at the prestigious event in her later career as a trainer. Over the course of her career as a

CHRYSOULLA PHOTOGRAPHY

Milliner Edwina Ibbotson says black and white was a popular choice this year

Statement headpieces are one of the fashionable highlights of Royal Ascot

jockey, which spanned 1983 - 2000, Smith rode more than 250 winners and, this year, entered the Royal Enclosure on Ladies’ Day dressed in a royal blue Hobbs dress, with a matching Carrie Jenkinson hat - a colour scheme chosen to reflect the branding of her employers, Godolphin, for whom she works as a security guard. “The reaction I’ve had from the racing world and beyond since coming out last year has been wonderful,” says Smith, who also made racing history in May this year, when she became the first transgender jockey to ride on a British course. “When Ascot were contacted to authorise my admission as Victoria Smith to the Royal Enclosure, they were nothing but supportive. It was an absolutely fantastic day.” Edwina Ibbotson Millinery 020 7498 5390 www.edwinaibbotson.co.uk

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The original system, and the only one scientifically proven at University level, to improve growth and development in horses in training, and significantly reduce both fungus and bacteria in stables. Up to 5yrs warranty and running costs as low as 40 cents per week Guaranteed to be at least 10% cheaper than any copy of our system on the market so there is no need to pay more. We can also offer subsidised installation, please ask for a quotation.

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To date, the consignors of 14 sales toppers and the trainers of 75 G1 winners have used our system as part of their preparation. Our system is also used on some of the world’s leading Stallions. Try it risk-free, we have confidence in our product and we offer a full refund if you don’t see any improvement in your horses within 90 days.

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27/06/2018 09:30


Talking To...

Cracking on with

KARL Whichever measure you use, Karl Burke has got to be high up on any list of Britain’s best trainers, and this season is as exciting as any to date with brilliant filly Laurens the star of a seriously strong Spigot Lodge team and past troubles an increasingly distant memory Interview: Tim Richards Photos: Louise Pollard and George Selwyn

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our stable has been on an upward curve in the past few years, with more boxes, enhanced facilities, better quality runners and Group 1 winners. What’s driving this improvement? Being able to source good horses and ultimately reinvesting in the infrastructure of Spigot Lodge. We have been able to keep shares in some of the better horses, as well as a lot of the bad ones. Thankfully the better outweigh the bad! We are just finishing the last phase of expanding

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facilities, building another barn, a covered ride plus two houses for staff accommodation. We have 128 horses in at the moment and I wouldn’t want to be any bigger. In fact, we might tighten up the numbers and go for quality over quantity. I certainly couldn’t get my head round training 200 horses. But we are receiving more orders and our cashflow has improved as a result of being able to sell horses we have had shares in. I intend to continue to keep a leg in some of the more expensive

horses, though always mindful it can backfire very quickly. This upturn in your yard’s fortunes follows a difficult time for you personally, having received a oneyear ban for passing information to a disqualified person in 2009-10. Was there ever a time when you thought your training career was over? At the time of the ban I considered selling up and starting again in France. I completed the course for my trainer’s licence in France and looked at

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Adam Karl Beschizza Burke

Northern soul: Karl Burke enjoys training in Middleham after previous spells in Wantage and Newmarket

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Talking To... “Libertarian’s sale to Godolphin could not have come at a better time” ›› properties over there; we had done quite

a bit of racing in France and really enjoyed it. But it was the time of the property crash and, fortunately or unfortunately, we couldn’t sell Spigot Lodge. We stuck on here and Elaine, my wife, was adamant she should keep going with the support of our daughters Kelly and Lucy, as well as a couple of very loyal owners. How supportive were your family when you were without a licence? They wouldn’t give Elaine the licence while I was still banned. I couldn’t live at Spigot Lodge while it was a licensed property, so I disappeared and Elaine’s dad, Alan Jarvis, took over for an interim period with Elaine as assistant. We eventually closed the yard and a couple of very loyal owners, John Hughes and Ray Bailey, stayed with us and Elaine was assistant to John and Kirsty Weymes, who were licensed in our adjacent property, Little Spigot. We were down from 90 to about 20 horses at the time. They had 18 winners that year under John Weymes, so we were able to pay the mortgage. There weren’t

many staff around at the time and Kelly and Lucy were a fantastic help. Libertarian came along afterwards when I was listed as assistant to Elaine and he was most welcome, finishing second in the 2013 Derby. His sale to Godolphin was a huge financial boost and could hardly have come at a better time. Did the experience change your outlook on training and life in general? It made me realise that having a trainer’s licence is a privilege, not a right. Almost like stepping off the treadmill; a break from getting up and permanently thinking about what’s happening in an hour’s time, later in the day, next week, whenever. You never stop. In hindsight, to be knocked off that perpetual wheel was a good thing. It made me relax, rather than rushing here, there, everywhere and even in the car cursing slow drivers! Suddenly there was no rush. Once I got over the initial shock of being banned it was probably the best year I’d had. I did a fair bit of travelling, to Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as a 2,500 mile charity bike ride, zig-zagging to every racecourse, from Perth to Newton Abbot in 40 days. The son of a publican, you grew up in two pubs in Rugby. What was the attraction of racing in those early days? I was interested in ponies when I was about ten and my dad had a big Irish-based pub, the Red Lion in Hillmorton. Dad loved his racing and it was always on in the bar on Saturdays and he used to take me to Leicester and Warwick. I would read the racing in the paper before going to school and listen to the results on the radio in the evening, marking them down in the paper. After taking my O Levels in 1979 I

Laurens and PJ McDonald win their second Group 1 in France with a gutsy success in the Prix de Diane

had a holiday job at Hugh O’Neill’s stables in Dorking and never went home because Hugh offered me an apprenticeship. I came back closer to home from O’Neill’s to work for Elaine’s dad, Alan Jarvis, near Coventry and my first ride for him, The Britisher, was a winner at Hamilton. But I was always going to be too big for the Flat. At that stage Elaine and I were good friends, but we didn’t start going out together for two or three years. What made you want to train and what route did you take before arriving at Spigot Lodge in Middleham? I didn’t really want to train because I could see the hassles and financial problems of the business. It never really interested me until we bought a property with a few acres at Newark. We took in a few horses at livery from the people I was riding for. I enjoyed getting the horses ready, learnt a lot about feeding and progressed into training, which

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Karl Burke

Karl Burke has a string of around 130 horses at Spigot Lodge where wife Elaine, seen here leading the string on Jay Kay, is a vital part of the operation

is put on by horsemen for horsemen with good prize-money in a convivial atmosphere. France is a beautiful country, but I didn’t realise how big until we started having runners at tracks in the south. Laurens has battled courageously to win two Group 1s in France – the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and the Prix Saint-Alary. What’s her likely programme and what makes her so good? I think we might bypass the Irish Oaks so she can have an easy two or three weeks and then we can prepare her for the Yorkshire Oaks. Obviously, we’re stepping her up in trip and if we find that’s a mistake we have the shorter Prix de l’Opera as a back up on Arc weekend. But if all goes well at a mile and a half we’ll aim for the Arc. The reaction we have had since the French Oaks has been fantastic and we’ve received an invitation to a huge fillies and mares race in Japan in November, with expenses paid. So that’s another possibility. I think Laurens’s greatest asset is her natural huge stride and high cruising speed. She just keeps going and horses find it difficult to pass her. What would be your advice to a new trainer embarking on his/her career? Think again! No, seriously, if you believe in what you’re doing and things get tough, keep going. And then if things are going well, don’t get too complacent. We have been very lucky, but it is hard to balance the books and impossible to compete with Coolmore and Godolphin. Be aware that things can change very quickly for better or for worse; on your knees one minute and in the winner’s enclosure with a Group horse the next.

at the time was a mistake because we didn’t have the money or proper facilities. After two years at Broadway we moved near Wantage, between Henrietta Knight and Andy Turnell, but outgrew the place, went to Newmarket and rented David Morley’s former stables, where we had 129 winners in two years. We wanted to buy a place but could not afford Newmarket prices and were told Spigot Lodge was for sale. We moved to Middleham with 60 horses but within six months were down to 35 because most of our owners were southern-based. It was a struggle at first, but we knew the property had scope. What are the pros and cons of training in Middleham? And how big a problem is finding staff in the Yorkshire Dales? I’m a great believer that if you’re training winners, people will support you wherever you are. But there are a lot of owners in the

south who’d rather have their horses trained nearer to home than in the north. That may be a negative, but there are far more pros for Middleham. The gallops are excellent, very healthy for the horses. The logistics of getting to the races are very good; there are 17 courses within two hours by horsebox. Even travelling south to the London tracks is not as bad as people make out. I think we can get staff here more easily than trainers can in the south. You keep hearing horror stories about stables in Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom trying to attract staff. The cost of living is that much cheaper in Yorkshire. As an industry, I think racing will have to think seriously about the effects Brexit could have on stable staffing. You have made several successful raids to France, winning Group 1s there. Apart from prize-money, what is the main attraction? I’ve always enjoyed racing in France because it is very relaxed. The sport there

Lord Shanakill, Odeliz, Quiet Reflection, Laurens and Unfortunately have been Group 1 winners for you, while Libertarian finished second in the Derby. Which was the best and which has given you the most memorable moment? At the time they were all very important for different reasons. The best day’s racing I have had was Derby day 2013 with Libertarian, finishing second to Ruler Of The World. From start to finish, Epsom looked after us really well. We were taken round from seven in the morning from interview to interview because it was the 100th anniversary of suffragette Emily Davison’s death under the King’s horse at Tattenham Corner. Elaine, as the licence holder, had a great chance to become the first woman to train a Derby winner and the atmosphere was fantastic. Sadly, it was not to be, but it was still an amazing day. We were very

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Talking To...

Karl Burke

›› proud of Libertarian in defeat. Profile-

wise, Quiet Reflection winning the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot was the biggest. Hopefully, Laurens hasn’t finished yet; she is probably the classiest of them all and has the most natural ability. You have pulled off some remarkable coups in the sales ring, including Odeliz, bought for €22,000 and resold for 950,000 gns, and Quiet Reflection, bought for £44,000 and resold for 2.1m gns. How much pleasure do you get from such results? The yearling sales are probably the most enjoyable part of the job. We work very hard at it and get a lot of satisfaction out of ‘pinching’ one and watching it progress. There’s a lot of pleasure to be had, particularly if we have managed to hang on to a leg in one that turns out to be talented. Such success has put us in a totally different life position.

“Fillies offer better value. But if a horse doesn’t look like an athlete I won’t buy it” A lot has been re-invested in Spigot Lodge and hopefully that will repay us in the long run. We do 90% of the sales ourselves and if we work closely with any agent it would be BBA Ireland, where Eamonn Reilly, a good friend, is a director. Kelly and Lucy do a lot at the sales, which takes much of the workload, while Elaine likes to do the Arqana and Tattersalls Osarus sales in France. Recently, with the support of owners like John Dance and Khalifa Dasmal, we have been able to look at a better class of horse, though generally we have to go for the not-so-obvious ones. Based on the above, do fillies offer more value than colts and explain the success you have enjoyed in recent times? Yes, I think the fillies do offer better value. All the big boys are after a stallion, trying to buy colts with good pedigrees. Generally, fillies are cheaper. Obviously, I have my own ideas on what I look for, particularly conformation and the outlook of the animal; I like one with a good walk, an honest head and take it from there. I go for the horse

Quiet Reflection’s win in the 2016 Commonwealth Cup was a pivotal moment for the trainer

rather than the pedigree, always trying to buy an athlete, not a sheet of paper. For me, it doesn’t matter what it’s bred by or related to – if it doesn’t look like an athlete I’m not going to buy it. I often like to take a chance on first-season sires; Showcasing’s Toocoolforschool won the Mill Reef and then Quiet Reflection was from Showcasing’s second crop. Also, Unfortunately, our Prix Morny winner, was from Society Rock’s first crop. How do you, Elaine and the girls spend your downtime together and relax away from racing? We don’t do much, I’m afraid. It’s difficult living on the job but in winter we’ll have a few evenings out. If Elaine and I are away, Kelly and Lucy look after the job, and viceversa. But we are all aiming to go away together on safari this winter. What is the best thing – and the worst – about British racing? The wide variety of our racecourses is a big attraction, while the standard of facilities at most tracks for both the horses and the public are of a high standard. The owners get well looked after in France, but nothing like they do in England. However, I do think the racecourses have to be careful how they bring in the crowds. Food, drink and music may be boosting attendances. This policy of attracting as many people as possible to drink as much as they can is not good for horseracing. You have to ask yourself if the drug problem that’s rearing its head on racecourses is a by-product of those pop bands performing after racing. I think we should concentrate more on the horse and everything it involves rather than trying to attract huge and, at times, unruly crowds. The big attendances are great for the racecourses, but are the racecourses passing enough of that benefit on to the horsemen? I’m not so sure.

If you owned just one horse who would train it? And if you could win only one race which would it be, and why? If it’s a two-year-old I’d send it to Tom Dascombe, because he’d wind it up to win first time and we’d have a great night out afterwards. Also William and Maureen Haggas do a fantastic job getting the best out of every class of horse. The Derby is the one race most of us want to win. I have to say, watching the ITV coverage, they did a terrific job and are promoting racing unbelievably well. I know they have to be slightly betting orientated, but they are promoting the horses and people directly involved with them, which is so important. ITV must be kept on board.

CLOSE UP AND… PERSONAL

I am happy when… the horses are running well and the yard is running smoothly Four dinner party guests… Sir Mark Prescott, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and my wife Elaine I am annoyed by… traffic jams Actor to play me on screen… a 50-year-old Robert Redford What keeps you awake at night… when our horses are out of form

CLOSE UP AND… PROFESSIONAL

My ambition is… keep improving our quality of horse and win the Derby Best piece of advice received… keep your eyes open and your mouth shut I handle defeat by… sulking for a couple of hours, it used to be three or four days Favourite racecourse… York and Haydock My racing idol is… Sir Mark Prescott

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Chasemore Farm

Chasing a

DREAM From gambling revolution to gambolling foals, Andrew Black has been in thrall to the racing world from one end of the spectrum to the other and is now making his mark as a breeder with his second Royal Ascot winner Interview: Emma Berry

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bloodstock market than betting markets. “I don’t see myself as a punter but I’ve spent a period of time as a professional gambler, playing cards actually, and that was a part of my life. If I have a bet these days it’s invariably on the basis of pedigree and looking at the picture of what you think the horse should be from his pedigree and what he’s achieved. To me, that sort of punting is not very different to breeding because if you’re betting on what sort of animal it is, or the sort of animal you’re trying to rear, it’s the same sort of mindset, so I think I’m suited to that.” Black admits to spending hours poring over pedigrees and considering matings for his 30-strong broodmare band, often trying to strike a balance between the fickle nature of an increasingly commercial marketplace and his more unorthodox views.

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CHASEMORE FARM, MAIN PHOTO: GEORGE SELWYN

reeders and bookmakers may appear to be polar opposites when considering the various factions within horseracing. Breeding and betting, however, are none too distinguishable, according to the man who knows plenty about both and is doing all he can to ensure the odds are in his favour at his beautifully developed stud in Surrey. In a part of the country more readily associated with the sprawling suburbia of the stockbroker belt, Andrew and Jane Black have settled into a pastoral niche, within view of the M25 and just six miles from Sandown Park, but comfortingly bucolic nonetheless. At 330 acres, Chasemore Farm isn’t exactly a small niche but it is one which has grown from a single railed paddock for children’s ponies to a manicured breeding operation to rival its more established counterparts in Newmarket’s thoroughbred heartland. To use the term ‘state of the art’ would be to do a disservice to the well thought-out rustic charm of a main yard reminiscent of Normandy farms, but in its facilities, not to mention an on-site vet, Patrick Sells, Chasemore can certainly boast of all the accoutrements required to run a thoroughly modern stud farm. “I’m a statistician really. For various reasons I was always drawn into genetic study and actually betting and breeding are kind of similar,” says Black, the Betfair co-founder who is now increasingly more occupied with analysing the vagaries of the

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Adam Beschizza

Arthur Kitt returns a winner at Royal Ascot after a turbulent start in life which saw him raised on a foster mare (inset)

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GEORGE SELWYN

Chasemore Farm

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“I’m more inclined to go against the market and the principal thinking. I’m a bit of a contrarian,” he says. “It’s almost painful doing the matings because we go over and over them, and chop and change things. It’s agony sometimes. I’m looking at pedigrees throughout the year. The amount of time that I put into it probably far outweighs the value I get out of it but it’s very much a hobby and part of the problem is that there never is an answer to who is the right stallion. It’s a punt, a probability play.” The gambling parlance recurs frequently in Black’s explanations of his approach to breeding and, during one particular incident two years ago, he must have felt his luck had run out. On the night of February 24, 2016, the farm’s prize mare Ceiling Kitty – the homebred Queen Mary Stakes-winning daughter of Red Clubs and the first horse Black ever owned outright, Baldovina – showed signs of foaling. Tragically, the Camelot colt she was carrying was locked in the ‘dog sitting’ position which had caused huge internal damage to the mare. With only a slim chance of saving the foal, Sells and his team at the stud set to work on cutting the unresponsive foal from the mare immediately post mortem. After six minutes of mouth-to-nose resuscitation, and with the team close to giving up hope, the colt finally gasped and came to life. “The whole thing was very traumatic. I still think about it now,” Black recalls. “I went back to the house for a while and felt sure that by the time I came back we’d have lost them both. But when I came back down at about 1am the foal was still alive. Everyone was exhausted. It was the most draining experience we’ve had on the farm.”

58

CHASEMORE FARM

Andrew Black: ‘I’m a bit of a contrarian’

Mares and foal on the 330-acre Chasemore Farm, which has been developed by Andrew and Jane Black over the last ten years

By the time this story was recounted on the Saturday of Royal Ascot, it was no less tragic but had been furnished with a more uplifting second chapter. The victory of that colt, now known as Arthur Kitt, in the Chesham Stakes is by no means a happy ending but it is a happy outcome nonetheless. Despite the improbability of this orphaned foal with a twisted hind leg being able to bestow his mother with posthumous glory along the same stretch of turf on which she herself recorded her most memorable triumph, for Black it was a case of a plan coming together, albeit in rather more tragic circumstances than he had first envisaged. “I had hoped to breed something that was precocious but that had stamina. And he’s been out early but he should also have stamina. Not many horses who are bred for the Chesham are actually being aimed to run in it. That’s why I had it in mind,” he says. “People have criticised me and said that I was a bit arrogant for saying that I was trying to do this and trying to do that. But I don’t think it’s arrogant to try to do something and with Arthur Kitt, when I was

thinking about the mating, I was thinking about the Chesham, and that was in my mind when I sent the mare to Camelot. It’s amazing to have that kind of long-term plan play out. It’s good for your self-belief and it’s good for all the team at Chasemore Farm. It helps everyone here to believe in what we’re doing.” While in many ways it’s mission accomplished, Black is not the only one hoping that Arthur Kitt can go on to be a stable star for Tom Dascombe in similar vein to Brown Panther, whom he co-owned with that horse’s breeder and fellow partner in the trainer’s Manor Farm Stables, Michael Owen. He adds: “In the parade ring [at Ascot] Arthur looked strong enough but he also looks like he has plenty of development still to come so I hope that he will be progressive and gradually lay on muscle. At this point the hope is just that he stays sound and healthy. In the Chesham, he was 1,000-1 at one stage in running because he started well and then lost his position, but he then started to run on again and showed a very good attitude, which bodes well.”

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and that was a very good decision – he’s standing at a huge price these days.” Black’s wish is to trim his personal broodmare band to no more than 25 mares. A total of 55 foals were born this year on the farm, which now has a staff of ten. “Ceiling Kitty left us with two fillies, the first being Eartha Kitt, who is now in foal to Frankel. Her Invincible Spirit filly Formidable Kitt is still in training with

“It’s almost painful doing the matings; we go over and over them” Tom Dascombe. We have a lot of young mares who are just starting their careers as broodmares and it’s exciting to see what they are producing,” says Black. But it’s not just the female members of the families who are of interest, despite a nod to the commercial angle through an increasing presence of Chasemore Farm at the sales. Arthur Kitt was retained for understandably sentimental reasons, but if his Chesham Stakes win proves to be a marker for future success then he may well fulfil another of his owner-breeder’s ambitions. “It would be amazing one day to produce our own stallion,” Black says. “I don’t think I’d ever go out and buy a stallion but if one came along it would be nice. I always keep a couple of colts back, I can’t resist it, especially ones that I think have interesting pedigrees. I’d love to work on the syndication side of a stallion

››

The farm is home to boarding mares as well as the Blacks’ own broodmares

CHASEMORE FARM

From its single-paddock beginning, Chasemore Farm is now home not just to a private broodmare band but also keeps boarding mares for clients, including the south London-based Chris Stedman. It was a feather in the cap of a relatively fledgling operation to be sent eight mares by Philippa Cooper after she sold her Normandie Stud in Sussex last year, and Chasemore also has boarders from prominent French-based Swedish breeders Sven and Carina Hanson, as well as Jan and Maya Sundstrom and their daughter Anna — responsible collectively for such Group 1 stars as Pride, Reliable Man and Le Havre. Looking back on a project which has taken just over a decade to come to fruition, Black recalls: “It was just 330 acres of open land other than the farmhouse and one small paddock where the kids had their ponies. There wasn’t a single road or any water pipes on the farm and part of it was being used for crops. We put up a temporary yard and then designed out and away from there. “I don’t think we had a particularly big vision. I spoke to a few people and we went

through various different versions of what it might look like, some a bit too grand for us, but actually what we have is quite grand in its own way. I knew the land was interesting, and with the big slope it means the paddocks at the top are different to the paddocks at the bottom. “From 2014, we started to think that we could make more of a business out of it and not just keep our own mares. So we’ve got a lot more commercial and over the last few years we have opened for business for outside clients, and we now have three or four big clients.” Black looks upon this newer venture as something of a breeding collective. “It was always my hope that sitting in this part of the country we’d attract interest from people in London and Surrey. Then I wasn’t sure if I’d misjudged it but in the last six months since the facilities have been finished we’ve had a lot of interest. We haven’t had anyone walk away from us yet if they’ve come to visit the farm, and the ones we’ve attracted are the ownerbreeder types.” He continues: “I want this place to be an owner-breeder community and if it means I have to have fewer mares to allow room for clients then I’m happy to do that. I have a mixture of mares and initially I wanted to get the numbers up and have a good body of horses here to get the place up and running. We’re working on the quality over time. “We’re looking [at pedigrees] all the time. It’s a big part of it and if I didn’t enjoy it I wouldn’t do it. It can work well for our other owner-breeders. I could talk about stallions for an infinite amount of time. We’ve been buying shares in stallions and they are horses we’d like to use ourselves but we can also offer them to our clients here at good prices. I think it helps to run this place more commercially and it helps with our community orientation. I was talked into buying a share in Le Havre

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Chasemore Farm ›› but that’s further down the line, we’re not

and I don’t like it because I think when you inbreed that closely there is a chance of producing unhealthy animals. If you take that risk you can potentially end up with something quite exciting but to me it’s a risk I didn’t want to be taking. It definitely is a trend – Enable is not the only one. People think if we do this and it works out we could get something fantastic but it’s rolling the dice and it can also go horribly wrong. “Shalaa is ridiculously inbred and it’s a really bold piece of inbreeding that I wouldn’t dare to do because you could get a freak, but obviously people like freaks if they are good freaks. I don’t like to roll

the dice that way but I do like to breed to proven animals who are inbred, and I have a really nice Shalaa colt foal.” Black’s own ideas are balanced with a more scientific approach through work with geneticist Stephen Harrison, who provides analysis of the horses’ DNA. “It’s really interesting but it’s not my bible,” he says. “I like to try to understand how Professor Steve thinks it’s going to make something better but there will always be a strong random element. All you’re really doing is giving yourself a slightly better chance and trying to massage the odds in your favour.”

Black into Red For a man with a self-professed love of card games, it was perhaps foretold that Andrew Black would be drawn to a stallion named Red Clubs. It was, however, the fact that the son of Red Ransom represented an interesting outcross for his first broodmare Baldovina, offering a blend of Roberto over Storm Cat, with Northern Dancer only appearing in the fourth generation of the mare’s pedigree. The gamble in sending a moderate maiden to an unproven sire in his second season was landed in some style when their offspring Ceiling Kitty won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot hard on the heels of her Listed Marygate Stakes victory at York. And that wager is still paying dividends as Ceiling Kitty is now the dam of two black-type winners from only three offspring – all three of whom are winners. “I think I’m probably more of an

GEORGE SELWYN

thinking of that at the moment and I’m not sure about standing just one stallion, or standing one here.” Black’s stated love of tireless pedigree research has led him, like many breeders before him, to form his own theories, and to back that judgement through purchases and matings. The late Red Clubs, a rare representative of the Roberto line in Europe, covered just three crops before his untimely death but Black has done his best to round up a number of his daughters (see panel) and of course raced one of the better ones in his homebred Ceiling Kitty. The Derby winner Sir Percy, who was the best British two-year-old of his generation, is another to have caught his attention. “Sir Percy’s top line is just not around any more, which is extraordinary. If you go back to Mill Reef, he’s all that’s left in Britain and that’s ridiculous. Darshaan has been hugely significant and we’ve just lost that line. Sir Percy produces pretty much anything – great two-year-olds, milers, middle-distance horses, Cheltenham Festival winners – he’s a good stallion. I’d love to have a nice Sir Percy mare. You’d have to think it’s a good outcross.” In pursuit of this aim, Black purchased the Victoria and Anthony Pakenhambred full-sisters Gallifrey and Galmarley, daughters of the listed-winning Galileo mare Crystal Gal who traces back to Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Classic Park. The former is now a dual winner while Galmarley, trained, like her dam, by Lucy Wadham, has made a promising start to her juvenile career. He continues: “In recent times there have been some horses who are very inbred and historically that wouldn’t have been done. It seems that there is a trend these days to breed horses more fiercely

old-fashioned breeder,” says Black. “I see the latest trends and I follow them but I do look for differentiated horses. If we’ve done something that turns out to be clever, and I hope it does, then we’ve cornered the market in Red Clubs mares. He had to me a very interesting pedigree. He was by Red Ransom out of a Primo Dominie line mare, a First Trump mare, but that sort of line is almost extinct. It didn’t work out but he was of a particular type and he’s also void of Northern Dancer which I don’t think is particularly important but it’s interesting.” Along with Ceiling Kitty, Chasemore is also home to the black-typeearning Red Clubs mares The Gold Cheongsam, Roger Sez and Illaunglass. Black is looking forward to the debut later this season of The Gold Cheongsam’s first foal by Kingman, who is in training with John Gosden and has been named Sassy Dresser. “Red Clubs died very young but to me there was a possibility that he could have been a good broodmare sire,” Black continues. “The only one [of his good fillies] I haven’t been able to buy is Sky Lantern. For a while we thought we’d end up owning her as she was bought [as a yearling] by Ed Sackville. But then I bought the next four, I think I got all the good ones and they all look very similar.” The Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Ardad, now standing at Overbury Stud, is the best representative of Red Clubs as a broodmare sire to date, and of course Ceiling Kitty has played her part well in this regard. Meanwhile, a combination of two of Black’s favourite stallions can be found in the American stakes winner Consolida, who is by Sir Percy out of a Red Clubs mare.

Ceiling Kitty (purple/yellow) wins the Queen Mary

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GETTING AHEAD STARTS IN THE OF THE FIELD PADDOCK ARTHUR KITT The Chesham Stakes congratulations to Andrew and Jane Black and all the Team at Chasemore Farm

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27/06/2018 09:41


Breeders’ Digest

Emma Berry Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes: Sales Circuit: Store sale season starts in ebullient fashion – pages 64-70 Caulfield Files: Fluctuating fees mean it could pay for breeders to bide time – pages 72-73 Dr Statz: Expect further inbreeding to Urban Sea following Masar’s success – page 96

British flag flying high over Royal Ascot

A

t a meeting which illuminates British racing in all its excellence it was heartening to see that exactly half of the 30 races during Royal Ascot were won by horses carrying a GB suffix, representing 13 different breeding entities from the behemoth to the boutique. As Accidental Agent led his Queen Anne Stakes rivals past the post, the tone was set for a very special week. Gaie Johnson Houghton may have felt some disappointment when her homebred son of the late Overbury resident Delegator failed to sell at only 8,000gns as a yearling but any such thoughts have long been banished since he provided her daughter Eve with not just a first Royal Ascot winner but also a first Group 1 winner. Barry and Fiona Reilly’s Epsom-based Woodcote Stud enjoyed another Group 1 winner to follow St Leger hero Kingston Hill when the admirable Poet’s Word finally gained the top-level victory he so richly deserved. He, too, is the son of a sadly deceased stallion, Dubawi’s son Poet’s Voice, who died early this year. There was a distinctly international flavour to the third British-bred Group 1 winner of the week, Without Parole. His dam, the Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe, resides at Newsells Park Stud but is owned by John and Tanya Gunther of the Kentucky-based Glennwood Farm. The Gunthers, who are Canadian, are truly enjoying an annus mirabilis as breeders of Triple Crown winner Justify and Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso. Without Parole made his 2018 debut on a drizzly day at Yarmouth, beating Ostilio. The form of that April 24 novice stakes now looks incredibly strong with the latter having won the Britannia for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Simon Crisford. Newsells Park also featured as the birthplace of the final winner of the week, Pallasator, who has proved to be as versatile as he is quirky, winning a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle on April 27, followed by an appearance at the Punchestown Festival and then victory in the Queen Alexandra. After the setback to Enable earlier this season, Juddmonte received a boost with three Royal Ascot winners, two of which were by their own young sires. Perhaps

Jul_167_BloodstockIntro.indd 63

the most important victory was that of Kingman’s first-crop son Calyx, who was highly impressive on only his second outing in the Coventry Stakes. Meanwhile, Frankel’s name was kept in lights as the leading sire of the week, his Juddmonte-bred winner Monarchs Glen augmenting Without Parole’s top-flight success. Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar were rewarded for the significant investment they have made in their Blue Diamond Stud with a homebred winner in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Aljazzi, a daughter of Shamardal trained by Marco Botti, will be a lovely addition to their broodmare band in time and would be an exciting mate for another of the stud’s graduates, Decorated Knight, now standing at the Irish National Stud. Godolphin’s King’s Stand Stakes winner Blue Point is also by Shamardal but was foaled in Ireland, though his Group 2-winning stablemate Old Persian makes this list after adding the ‘Ascot Derby’ to Masar’s victory at Epsom to continue a purple patch for Charlie Appleby’s stable.

Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s Crystal Ocean looks a Group 1 winner in the making and took the Hardwicke Stakes in fine style. Hopefully, he will attempt to emulate another former Sir Michael Stoute trainee Harbinger by winning the King George later this month. On page 56, you can read the story of Arthur Kitt, who is the second Royal Ascot winner for Andrew Black. Making his breeders’ roll of honour debut is David Hodge of Llety Farm, breeder of Archie Watson’s first Royal Ascot winner Soldier’s Call, while David Erwin is in the same position with his Wokingham Stakes winner Bacchus, whom he races with John Woodman and Giles Morland. And finally, it’s always good to see Jeff Smith’s colours carried to glory at a major meeting. He teamed up with David Elsworth to land the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes with Dash Of Spice from a family which has served Littleton Stud so well. Hearty congratulations to all and a tip of the hat to Ascot for acknowledging the winning breeders with a special lunch.

Royal Ascot roll of honour for GB-breds Group 1 winners Accidental Agent (Delegator)

Mrs R F Johnson Houghton

Queen Anne Stakes

Without Parole (Frankel)

Glennwood Farm

St James’s Palace Stakes

Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice)

Woodcote Stud

Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Group 2 winners Calyx (Kingman)

Juddmonte Farms

Coventry Stakes

Aljazzi (Shamardal)

Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar

Duke of Cambridge Stakes

Old Persian (Dubawi)

Godolphin

King Edward VII Stakes

Crystal Ocean (Sea The Stars) Southcourt Stud

Hardwicke Stakes

Group 3 winners Expert Eye (Acclamation)

Juddmonte Farms

Jersey Stakes

Listed winners Monarchs Glen (Frankel)

Juddmonte Farms

Wolferton Stakes

Arthur Kitt (Camelot)

Chasemore Farm

Chesham Stakes

Soldier’s Call (Showcasing)

Llety Farm

Windsor Castle Stakes

Heritage handicaps/conditions races Ostilio (New Approach)

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Britannia Stakes

Dash Of Spice (Teofilo)

Littleton Stud

Duke of Edinburgh Stakes

Bacchus (Kheleyf)

D J Erwin Bloodstock

Wokingham Stakes

Pallasator (Motivator)

Newsells Park Stud

Queen Alexandra Stakes

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28/06/2018 14:03


Sales Circuit • By Carl Evans Goffs London Sale

Had it not been for a new location within Kensington Palace Gardens you might have felt the Goffs London Sale 2018 was a re-enactment of the edition held 12 months earlier. It was another very warm evening, albeit mercifully a couple of degrees cooler than the sauna of 2017, 13 horses found a buyer, one more than last year, and the most active man on the grounds – other than the auctioneers who had to work up a sweat to get stock moving – was bloodstock agent Alastair Donald. Last year he bought six horses on behalf of Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha of King Power Racing, and he matched that tally once again, slightly increasing his aggregate spend. The haul included the £720,000 top lot, Belle Josephine, a ten-year-old daughter of Dubawi with a Pivotal colt at foot and carrying a Siyouni foal, plus five horses holding Royal Ascot entries. To buy a horse ready to run at the Royal Meeting might be considered the raison d’etre of this sale – an easy peg on which to hang it – yet with the exception of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha few seem to have engaged with that concept. Either that, or the horses are deemed unlikely to win at the meeting, or the reserves for those likely to score are set too high.

Belle Josephine, in foal to Siyouni, sold with her Pivotal colt foal for £720,000

Belle Josephine, who Donald’s business partner Ed Sackville said was another early brick in Srivaddhanaprabha’s breeding plans – he also bought the Tale Of The Cat mare Baldovina for £300,000 at this sale last year – was followed over the line by 14-year-old Miss Beatrix, the Moyglare Stakes winner who arrived carrying to Muhaarar. Offered by her breeder, Bill Durkan, she was sold to Ann Marshall, who was acting for another, undisclosed, Irish stud owner.

What the sale, and the buyers, want most is a Royal Ascot winner or two, and it came pretty close on the opening day of the meeting when King Power’s Shine So Bright finished fifth of 23 in the Coventry Stakes, having been bought the previous evening by Donald for £375,000. But whatever the results on the track there is no doubt the sale makes a very good eve-of-Royal Ascot party, and is welcomed by racehorse owners, trainers and traders – plus sponsors as a glitzy branding opportunity.

Goffs London Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

Belle Josephine (Dubawi - Bella Lambada)

Salcey Forest Stud

720,000

SackvilleDonald

Miss Beatrix (Danehill Dancer - Miss Beabea)

Ballintougher Stud

400,000

Ann Marshall

Marathon Man (So You Think - Marie Des Fleurs)

Carlos Lerner

380,000

Paul Moroney

Shine So Bright (Oasis Dream - Alla Speranza)

Spigot Lodge Stables

375,000

SackvilleDonald

Dark Acclaim (Dark Angel – Sistine)

Prestige Place Stables

330,000

Avenue Bloodstock

Main Street (Street Cry - My Special J's)

Clarehaven Stables

300,000

SackvilleDonald

Junius Brutus (Cockney Rebel – Tricked)

Bansha House Stables

300,000

SackvilleDonald

Vintage Brut (Dick Turpin – Traditionelle)

Habton Grange

280,000

SackvilleDonald

Mr Reckless (Reckless Abandon – Zarabaya)

The Old Malthouse Stables

200,000

Avenue Bloodstock

C Violence - Indian Miss (Indian Charlie)

Mocklershill

190,000

John Best

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2018

13

3,710,000

285,385

300,000

720,000

2017

12

4,525,000

377,083

340,000

900,000

2016

28

5,593,000

199,750

135,000

1,300,000

2015

23

3,784,000

164,522

100,000

825,000

2014

35

6,760,000

193,143

120,000

1,300,000

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Overview and analysis of the latest events in the ring Goffs CEO Henry Beeby was quick to stress that horses-in-training sales can vary significantly in terms of the quality of lots on offer from year to year, and a chance to position his company in the heart of London in midsummer is too good to miss. For the record, the clearance rate fell back to 45%, with 13 of the 30 lots finding a buyer. Turnover was down 18% and there were falls of 24% and 12% in the median.

Goffs UK Store Sale

A son of Kayf Tara with six-figure appeal was the equine highlight at Goffs UK’s one-day Spring Store Sale. Now happily placed in the role of hors d’oeuvres to the sales company’s double-session horses-in-training catalogue, the store version was well stocked with top-end buyers seeking horses to take racing, and pinhookers combing the middle-to-lower tiers and hoping their purchases would be back one year later as winners of point-topoints or bumpers. The only specialist store sale held in Britain, and in recent years the first of the season on both sides of the Irish Sea, it faced new competition from

TALKING POINTS • After a lean season for many breeze-up consignors, Goffs London Sale provided another selling opportunity, and Con Marnane of Bansha House Stables and Willie Browne of Mocklershill took it. Browne sold an unnamed two-year-old colt by US sire Violence for £190,000 to racehorse owner Mark Curtis, who will place the horse with trainer John Best, while Marnane moved on the juveniles Junius Brutus and No More Regrets for £300,000 and £130,000 respectively. Marnane had gone down his trusted route of putting them into training in France with Matthieu Palussierre, running them to show their worth, and then going back to market, with happy results. The pair finished sixth and last respectively in the Windsor Castle Stakes and the Albany Stakes.

an auction held one week earlier at Fairyhouse by Tattersalls Ireland, but which seems to have had little or no impact on events in Doncaster. Goffs UK appeared satisfied with minor falls in turnover (-7%), average (-3%) and clearance (which still achieved a healthy 83%), and delighted with a rise in the median price (+4%). That sense of pleasure had been felt by the company’s executives a few hours earlier when the hammer fell at £140,000 for the aforementioned son of Kayf Tara, whose valuation was the best at Doncaster for ten years. Gordon Elliott, a certainty to be Ireland’s champion trainer one day despite the presence of his nemesis, the

late-rallying, multiple title-holder Willie Mullins, is no stranger to a high-value store, and bought the sale-topper for the second year running. This year’s pick was consigned by Ballincurrig House Stud on behalf of owner Fiona Magee. Highflyer Bloodstock proved the most active buyers, gaining 12 stores for £323,000, while the bold Doyle brothers, pinhookers of Monbeg Stables, secured nine at an average price of just over £30,000. Elliott contented himself with just the one long-term prospect, but former British champion jump trainer Paul Nicholls gained three, and was to prove a key buyer at the in-training sessions which followed.

Goffs UK Store Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

G Kayf Tara – Novacella (Beyssac)

Ballincurrig House Stud

140,000

Gordon Elliott

G Getaway - What A Mewsment (Persian Mews)

Ballyreddin Stud

88,000

Kieran McManus

G Great Pretender - High Benefit (Beneficial)

Ballincurrig House Stud

75,000

Kevin Ross Bloodstock/Ben Case

G Al Namix - Quick Siren Mae (Bricassar)

RH Bloodstock

70,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

G Jeremy – Alfreeze (Alflora)

Chapel Lane Bloodstock

70,000

Kieran McManus

F Presenting - Robyn's Rose (Golan)

Busherstown

68,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

F No Risk At All - Fontaine Riant (Josr Algarhoud)

Ballincurrig House Stud

65,000

Kieran McManus

G Milan - Wall Of Silence (Lahib)

Ballincurrig House Stud

64,000

Harry Fry Racing

G Sholokhov – Sardagna (Medaaly)

Ashbrittle Stud

62,000

Dan Skelton

F Great Pretender - One Gulp (Hernando)

Goldford Stud

60,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

G Oscar - Betty Roe (Vinnie Roe)

Oak Tree Farm

60,000

Colin Tizzard

Figures Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2018

199

5,505,900

27,668

24,000

140,000

2017

209

5,951,500

28,476

23,000

100,000

2016

183

4,280,500

23,391

20,000

105,000

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Sales Circuit ›› Goffs UK Spring Sale

TALKING POINTS

Horses-in-Training/Pointers

A great champion does not have to return to the top to be admired, but there are added laurels and a sense of achievement for those who do. Nicky Henderson’s return to the peak of Britain’s jump trainers’ table has been widely admired, and you sense Paul Nicholls would like nothing better than to achieve the same rebound to glory. Signs of his intent can be detected in his presence at leading sales of jumpers, and, with the help of owner Colm Donlon, he was able to leave Doncaster knowing the prize draw at this year’s two-day Horses-in-Training Sale would be heading to his Somerset yard. The ace in question, four-year-old Ask For Glory, had been a hugely impressive winner of his debut point-to-point, held at Bartlemy ten days earlier, with the result that his octogenarian owner/ trainer/breeder, Donal Coffey, added him to the sale as a wildcard. Agent Tom Malone’s £280,000 bid was by some way the highest at the sale, and it also served as a reminder of the loss of his sire, Fame And Glory, who died early last year. His son became one of 315 horses who changed hands during the horsesin-training section, during which 91% of lots found a new home. That figure

• Nicky Tinkler’s eye for a well-bred horse, conceived with Flat aspirations, but destined for a jumping career, served him well at this sale. Yorkshire-based Tinkler – brother of jockey Andrew – gained £115,000 for Dubawi’s five-year-old gelded son Financier, a half-brother to sire Desideratum and out of a mare who was a half-sister to another sire in Medaaly, and also to highclass Charnwood Forest. Tinkler spotted the then three-year-old in a Godolphin draft bound for Doncaster’s January Mixed Sale in 2016, and picked him up for just £16,000. He knew he would have to be patient given the youngster’s size and waited 18 months before unleashing him to win a point-to-point at Witton Castle in County Durham, two weeks before the Spring Sale. Kerry Lee liked what she saw and bought him at Doncaster, saying she hoped he might prove to be another Supasundae, Jessica Harrington’s crack hurdler who learned the jumping game under Tinkler’s care. Twelve months ago at the Spring Sale, Tinkler sold another British point-to-pointer, Indian Hawk, for £110,000, and he has since won two hurdles and a chase for Nicky Henderson. would have been helped by 36 fewer horses entering the ring, but the smaller catalogue was no advantage to turnover, which still managed a minor increase. Also up was the average price (+4%) and the median (+20%). Point-to-pointers, particularly those offered as wildcards from the supplementary catalogue which completed day one, dominated the top-ten board, although Raya Time, who made £150,000 to a bid from racehorse owner Roger Brookhouse, had won a Killarney bumper ahead of his ring appearance.

The session-best on day two, fiveyear-old Coeur De Lion, had been jumping and racing on the Flat, but will stay on the level for a crack at the autumn’s staying handicaps. He returned to Alan King’s stables, but for a new syndicate, having been knocked down to Stephen Kemble for £110,000. As at the store sale, Highflyer Bloodstock led purchasers, gaining nine horses for £462,500, but Tom Malone effectively headed the bill, gaining two in conjunction with Paul Nicholls, and a further nine in his own name for a combined spend of just over £600,000.

Goffs UK Spring Sale Horses-in-Training/Pointers Top lots Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

Ask For Glory (Fame And Glory - Ask Helen)

Gurtacrue Stables (Donal Coffey)

280,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

Raya Time (Al Namix – Ruthenoise)

Skehanagh Stables (Sam Curling)

150,000

Roger Brookhouse

Gameface (Oscar - Queensland Bay)

Ballyboy Stables (Denis Murphy)

145,000

Kieran McManus

Alnadam (Poliglote – Rosadam)

Paurick O'Connor Racing

130,000

Tom Malone

Financier (Dubawi – Desired)

Ivy Lea Farm (Nicky Tinkler)

115,000

Kerry Lee

Canelo (Mahler - Nobody's Darling)

Million In Mind

110,000

Kieran McManus

Coeur De Lion (Pour Moi – Hora)

Barbury Castle Stables (Alan King)

110,000

Stephen Kemble Bloodstock

Buster Valentine (Ask - Femme Du Noir)

Paurick O'Connor Racing

100,000

Bobby O'Ryan/Ruth Jefferson

Castle Trump (Presenting - Ella Watson)

Glenview Stables (Paul Cashman)

100,000

T Brown

Burbank (Yeats - Spring Swoon)

Meikle Ben Stables

95,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

???????????????????

Figures Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2018

310

6,303,550

20,011

12,000

280,000

2017

327

6,233,200

19,062

10,000

210,000

2016

249

4,734,000

19,012

10,000

290,000

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Tattersalls Ireland May Sale, Cheltenham

Members of Tattersalls Ireland’s team predicted this event would step up on the previous month’s April Sale at the venue, and they were not wrong. While the April Sale was hit by weeks of bad ground – which limited trainers’ opportunities to run horses – and competition from sales at Doncaster and Punchestown, this event stood alone and was graced by some very smart horses who had been able to strut their stuff on good going. As a result it not only proved a far stronger event than the April version, but also produced much better figures than at the May 2017 rendition. No fewer than six horses made sums in excess of the top price at that event 12 months earlier. Irish pointers dominated affairs and in numerous cases rewarded pinhookers with some fancy profits. El Barra and Monkfish, both bought by Harold Kirk for clients of Willie Mullins, had been bought for €52,000 and €36,000 as stores, yet made £280,000 and £235,000 when returned to the ring after showing their prowess in points. Top lot El Barra – who was consigned by trainer Robert Tyner – had been beaten into second on his only start, but was given a model ride for a newcomer by Derek O’Connor, showed a proper turn of foot to emerge from the pack, and was only outgunned by a very smart rival with the benefit of a run. That rival, four-year-

old Fury Road, has since left Pat Doyle to join Gordon Elliott, and could well prove a very useful operator for his owners, Gigginstown House Stud. The Monbeg Stables-consigned Monkfish became another fine sales result for one of the Doyle brothers, not Donnchadh or Sean, but Cormac, while another Monbeg offering, Run Wild Fred, made £225,000 to a bid from what appeared to be Gigginstown interests – although the buyers’ sheet read Lodge Bloodstock. Run Wild Fred was consigned by James Doyle, no relation of the siblings, although he learned his trade from Sean and operates from the same premises, and he said Sean’s little brother

Gearoid had been one of the syndicate who owned the four-year-old. Keeping up with who is who at Monbeg Stables is rarely easy for an outsider. A 56% increase in turnover was helped by an additional ten lots, although the market could not swallow them all, and the clearance rate ducked back five points to 76%. The average price rose 41% and the median by 8%, and while the cards fell right for the event it was a healthy way to say goodbye to another season of young jumping stock sales. No less importantly it was a fine omen for a pair of major Irish store sales waiting around the corner.

TALKING POINTS • Despite some excellent prices for British pointers at public auction during the past six months there was to be no resounding climax at this sale. The number of four-year-old pointers in Britain is relatively small, and not all are for sale. However, it is pleasing to note that 125 four-year-olds were registered to race in UK points in the season just ended, up 40% on the 89 of the previous year. • Selling for a profit is always good, even when it might not be a life-changing sum. Stratford-upon-Avon-based Fran Nimmo and her partner, jockey Charlie Poste, seemed happy enough with the £45,000 gained for four-year-old Maisemore Park winner Generation Gap, who had been bought last year for €8,000, and there was a broad smile on the face of Paul Hosgood, who trains pointers for pleasure at a yard near Taunton. He bought Mystic Court privately as a foal, trained him to win a race in early May, and then sold him for £32,000. Hosgood’s attitude post-sale was admirable, for while six-figure Irish pointers were dominating proceedings, he said: “It’s sensible money, and we can go again. The guys who are selling for big sums are professionals, doing it for a living.”

Tattersalls Ireland May Sale, Cheltenham Top lots Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

El Barra (Racinger – Oasaka)

Leighmoney Stables (Robert Tyner)

280,000

Harold Kirk/WP Mullins

Monkfish (Stowaway – Martovic)

Monbeg Stables (Cormac Doyle)

235,000

Harold Kirk/WP Mullins

Run Wild Fred (Shantou - Talkin Madam)

Baltimore House Stables (James Doyle)

225,000

Lodge Bloodstock

Lock's Corner (Gold Well - Last Century)

Milestone Stables (Colin Bowe)

215,000

Kieran McManus

The Very Man (Jeremy - Mill Meadow)

Newlands Farm (Stuart Crawford)

210,000

Gordon Elliott Racing

Jasmin Des Bordes (Great Pretender - Queen Des Bordes)

Monbeg Stables (Donnchadh Doyle)

145,000

Tom Malone

Thunderstruck (Fame And Glory - Go Sandy Go)

Leamore Stables (Cormac Farrell)

125,000

Gerry Hogan Bloodstock

Paxman (Jeremy - Dreamy Lagoon)

Milestone Stables (Colin Bowe)

110,000

Evan Williams

Easyrun De Vassy (Muhtathir - Royale The Best)

Milestone Stables (Colin Bowe)

105,000

Tom Malone/Paul Nicholls

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2018

51

2017

46

3,568,000

69,961

45,000

280,000

2,281,000

49,587

41,500

130,000

2016

63

3,206,000

50,889

40,000

200,000

2015

43

2,459,200

57,191

35,000

200,000

2014

55

2,401,000

43,655

35,000

130,000

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Sales Circuit ›› Goffs Land Rover Sale

Jump racing’s appeal to wealthy owners who yearn to see their horses racing at the major spring festivals was heavily underlined at this, the first of two major store sales held in Ireland. The sale’s previous best price of €215,000 was reduced to a memory at the first of two sessions, which was headed by a fabulous-looking son of Flemensfirth consigned from Ballincurrig House Stud. He made €325,000, a remarkable sum for a gelding who has yet to be broken in. However, he had the stature and looks of a future Cheltenham Festival horse, and given that he had made €110,000 as a foal the market had already given him one healthy vote of confidence. Paul Nicholls, who had been involved in the sale of high-value horses at a number of spring auctions of jumpers or potential jumping stock, is set to train the gelding for his landlord, Paul Barber, who will share ownership with Paul Vogt, reported agent Tom Malone. Nicholls’ interest in the horse will have been heightened by a catalogue page which

The Flemensfirth gelding from the family of Master Minded set a new store record at Goffs

showed he was foaled by Keep Face, an unraced half-sister to his brilliant twomile chasing champion Master Minded. Geldings by the late Saddler Maker (€235,000 to join Henry De Bromhead) and Camelot (€230,000 on his way to a place with Nicky Henderson) also achieved prices beyond the sale’s previous best, but there was a sense of

circumspection too. Very big prices and the hype they create can invoke caution in buyers who fear the market is too strong, and that it might be prudent to wait for things to cool down. Pinhookers in particular cannot afford to be lured into a bull run, and if they take a cautious view of the middleto-lower tiers of a sale the result is a fall

Goffs’ Land Rover Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

G Flemensfirth - Keep Face (Poliglote)

Ballincurrig House Stud

325,000

Paul Nicholls

G Saddler Maker – Uvanana (Dom Alco)

Oak Tree Farm

235,000

Henry de Bromhead

G Camelot – Scandisk (Kenmare)

Yellowford Farm

230,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

G Kayf Tara - Alina Rheinberg (Waky Nao)

Glenwood Stud

210,000

Aiden Murphy/Olly Murphy

G Jeremy – Allthewhile (Old Vic)

Rathmore Stud

190,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

G Beat Hollow - Corskeagh Shadow (Beneficial)

Manister House Stud

170,000

Aidan O'Ryan/Gordon Elliott

G Presenting - Bonnie Parker (Un Desperado)

Parkville Stud

150,000

Tom Malone/Colm Donlon

G Flemensfirth – Annalecky (Bob's Return)

Glenvale Stud

140,000

Aiden Murphy/Kim Bailey

G Milan - Babies Present (Presenting)

Ballincurrig House Stud

120,000

Gordon Elliott

G Shantou – Backtothekingsnest (King's Theatre)

Loughmore Stables

120,000

Gerry Hogan Bloodstock

G Stowaway - Hats And Heels (Flemensfirth)

Kilmoney Cottage Stud

120,000

Aidan O'Ryan

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2018

393

13,570,800

34,356

25,000

325,000

2017

380

12,270,500

32,291

28,000

175,000

2016

448

11,770,600

26,274

20,000

165,000

2015

437

11,722,500

26,825

20,000

155,000

2014

418

11,557,000

27,648

22,000

200,000

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in the clearance rate. At this sale that figure would not have been helped by an additional 66 horses entering the ring, and it slipped back from 88% in 2017 to 79% – Part 1 of the sale showed an 84% clearance, but Part 2 one of 73%. The 393 horses who found buyers – 13 more than the previous year – helped turnover rise by 11%, and those sky-high valuations at the top of the market lifted the average price by 6%, but the median fell 11%. Highflyer Bloodstock’s 17 purchases put €1,152,000 into the till (more than double the sum they spent in 2017 when also top buyer), while the remarkable Team Doyle of Monbeg Stables – noted pinhookers of horses bought to run in Irish point-to-points – reduced the number of horses they bought from 13

Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale

Two female stars, backed up by some highly-prized males, gave this sale the gloss for which the breeze-up trade had been yearning, but the figures continued the tale of downturn in this sector of the market. A combination of consignor Katie Walsh – whose riding career had been brought to a close a few weeks earlier – and a Frankel filly she had prepped for the breeze, proved potent after the two-year-old recorded a fast time, with the result that she made €315,000 in the ring. That was easily a record for this one-day event, and was created by agent Stephen Hillen, who brought the

TALKING POINTS • Tom Lacey is Britain’s leading exponent of the art of buying a store, racing it once or twice – usually in point-to-points – and then reoffering it to the market. His successes this year include Larkhill winner Interconnected, who at Cheltenham made £220,000, a UK record for a pointer at auction – no less pleasingly his former inmate, Blackbow, became one of the season’s leading bumper horses at Willie Mullins’ stable. Herefordshire-based Lacey is not resting on such results, judging by his purchase at the Land Rover Sale of a Presenting gelding for €80,000 – a figure few jump pinhookers would rise to – and a son of Stowaway for €52,000. It might not be long before Lacey takes one to Cheltenham or Aintree and tops the sale. His lead has encouraged other UK-based players to try their luck, not least jockey Charlie Poste and his partner Fran Nimmo – they bought three at the sale, investing a total of €68,000 on sons of Presenting, Court Cave and Maresca Sorrento. to 12, but increased their average spend by €10,000 to one of €42,833. Ireland’s champion point-to-point trainer, Colin Bowe, was also in fighting form, gaining seven at an average of €42,286. Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House

Stud had the biggest draft and duly headed consignors, selling 13 lots for €589,000, while Richard and Sally Aston’s Goldford Stud proved the pick of UK vendors, trading three horses for €225,000.

hammer down for an unnamed client. Hillen was in good form during the breeze-up season, not least when landing the 900,000gns top lot – Legends Of War, a subsequent winner for Qatar Racing – at the Craven Sale. Slade Power’s first foals and yearlings achieved high marks, and his breezers have been generally well received, too. A colt by the Darley sire made €220,000 when leaving Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm bound for trainer Michael O’Callaghan, while any Scat Daddy horse is likely to prove popular – he hardly needed Justify to win the US Triple Crown to boost his appeal – and a filly by the late sire

made €200,000 to a bid from John Lenihan. In common with other 2018 sales of this type the figures fell, but vendors had seen the warning signs at other auctions, set reserves accordingly, and the clearance rate of 83% was only marginally below that of the previous year. However, turnover fell 17%, the average by 14% and the median by 24%. BBA Ireland led purchasers, gaining nine horses for a spend of €685,000, while Tally-Ho Stud’s 19-strong draft resulted in 17 sales for an aggregate of €693,000, ensuring it held on to leading vendor honours.

Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

F Frankel - Vital Statistics (Indian Ridge)

Greenhills Farm

315,000

C Slade Power - Tallulah Bell (Gone West)

Oak Tree Farm

220,000

Michael O'Callaghan

F Bated Breath - Hurry Home Hillary (Deputed Testamony)

Greenhills Farm

200,000

BBA Ireland

F Scat Daddy - Akris Queen (Arch)

Mocklershill

200,000

John Lenihan

C Exceed And Excel – Kaabari (Seeking The Gold)

Brown Island Stables

190,000

De Burgh Equine

C Quality Road – Rhagori (Exceed And Excel)

Mayfield Stables

180,000

Global Equine Group

C Society Rock - Deeday Bay (Brave Act)

Tally Ho Stud

140,000

BBA Ireland

F Starspangledbanner - Noisy Feet (Tapit)

Brown Island Stables

120,000

BBA Ireland

C Siyouni - Louve Rouge (Gold Away)

Grove Stud

105,000

Maura Gittins

C No Nay Never - Laber Ildut (Whipper)

Ardglas Stables

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Price (€)

80,000

Buyer Stephen Hillen

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Rabbah Bloodstock

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Sales Circuit ››

Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2018

393

13,570,800

2017

380

12,270,500

34,356

25,000

325,000

32,291

28,000

2016

448

175,000

11,770,600

26,274

20,000

165,000

2015 2014

437

11,722,500

26,825

20,000

155,000

418

11,557,000

27,648

22,000

200,000

BBAG Spring Sale

The 2018 European breeze-up season sailed into the past following this version, which also included a handful of horses in training, held at BadenBaden. With a largely domestic market in attendance the auction was unlikely to provide a compelling late twist in the tale of below-par breeze-up results seen at similar events held in previous weeks, although it did manage to produce improved figures in some areas. Popular breezers found buyers, two achieved sums above last year’s top price, and

despite a bigger catalogue the clearance rate improved marginally to 68%. Following downturns last year the aggregate rose 27%, there was a 1% improvement in the average price and 2% decline in the median. Overseas involvement played a part at the head of the top-ten board, with Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman signing for a sale-high Maxios filly consigned by French-based Philip Prevost Baratte. Boman’s €55,000 bid almost doubled the price paid for the filly as a BBAG September yearling, and ensured the daughter of Listed winner

Sarabia will go into training with David Simcock. Her new owners are the Never Say Die syndicate who raced Teppal last year. That filly was later sold privately to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani before providing Simcock with success in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. Colin Huggan, who has a yard near Newmarket, travelled a son of Camelot to the venue and was rewarded with a €49,000 sale to racehorse owner Adel Massaad. The same colt had been led out unsold for 23,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale.

BBAG Spring Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

F Maxios – Sarabia (One Cool Cat)

Philip Prevost Baratte

Price (€) 55,000

Buyer Blandford Bloodstock

C Camelot – Commendable (Pivotal)

Colin Huggan Bloodstock

49,000

RB Agency/Adelresort

F Adlerflug - Burning Heart (Lomitas)

Stall Moorbock

43,000

Andreas Lowe

F Wiesenpfad - La Dane (Danehill)

Gestut Bona

30,000

Manfred Schmelzer

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

2018

54

525,400

9,730

9,680

Top Price (€) 55,000

2017

4

413,200

9,60

9,860

43,000

2016

47

538,200

11,451

8,000

61,000

2015

44

569,900

12,952

10,500

61,000

2014

49

548,600

11,196

7,500

40,000

Please contact Andrew Mead (+44 7940 597573 mead@castlebridge.eu) or Bill Dwan (+353 87 648 5587 dwan@castlebridge.eu) to discuss all your 2018 sale requirements

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Caulfield Files

Fine line between boom and bust The fickle nature of the commercial stallion market could mean that there’s value to be found for breeders who bypass the early rush for big names at high prices

I

n this month’s Data Book you’ll find analyses of the pedigrees of nine European Classic winners and collectively they highlight exactly how difficult it can be for stallion owners to maintain the interest of commercial breeders – a section of society who must rank among the most dedicated followers of fashion. Of course Saxon Warrior’s sire Deep Impact and Forever Together’s sire Galileo are pretty much immune to the whims of fashion, thanks to their status as two of the world’s few elite stallions. Unfortunately, some of the others have been subject to the type of fluctuating demand which almost guarantees that their careers are going to be subject to further peaks and troughs. Billesdon Brook’s eye-opening victory in the 1,000 Guineas came too late for her sire Champs Elysees, as this brother to Dansili had already been transferred to Coolmore’s National Hunt sector. That transfer came after Champs Elysees’ book had soared from 49 mares in 2013 to 155 the following year but then fell back to 105 mares in 2015 and to only 54 in 2016. Champs Elysees isn’t the only son of Danehill among the Classic sires under review. Although demand for his services at Banstead Manor Stud varied considerably, the fluctuations weren’t as extreme as those suffered by Camacho, another Juddmonte-bred. The Yeomanstown Stud resident is enjoying a memorable time with his three-yearolds of 2018. While the star of the crop is Teppal, who came out best in a tight finish to the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, it has also produced two other ‘Guineas’ victors, with Another Day Of Sun taking the Spanish equivalent of the 2,000 Guineas and Queen Estoril the Danish version of the 1,000 Guineas. Arguably much more important than those Spanish and Danish successes were the victory of Camacho’s seven-year-old son My Catch in the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint and the success of his two-year-

old filly Signora Cabello in a competitive edition of the Queen Mary Stakes. My Catch plays a significant role in Camacho’s up-and-down career, as he is one of 76 members of Camacho’s 2011 crop (his fifth). This larger crop in 2011 reflected the encouraging start made by his comparatively small first crop in 2009. Although only 43-strong, this first crop produced three black-type juveniles headed by Star Rover (Timeform 103) and Puff (TF 106). Puff’s victory in the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes was early enough in 2010 to attract more mares. So, instead of the 40 foals in his second crop, 18 foals in his third and 40 in his fourth, Camacho went to war with 79 juveniles in 2013. These juveniles did particularly well, with Green Door taking the Group 2

“Young Americanbased stallions frequently find support ebbing away” Flying Childers Stakes and My Catch the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg, while Ambiance, Beldale Memory and Hurryupharriet all became Listed winners over five furlongs. The problem was that there were no Group winners from his second, third or fourth crops, just a handful of Listed winners, setting the cycle of rise and fall into motion. Camacho had only 20 foals in his 2012 crop, a mere four in 2013 and 30 in 2014, but then the success of his larger 2011 crop saw a considerable revival in interest in Camacho, who possibly also benefited from the impressive start made by his half-brother Showcasing in 2014.

The end result was a 2015 crop of 88, of which Teppal is one. Even though there were no black-type performers from Camacho’s 2012, 2013 and 2014 crops, breeders decided to stick with Camacho in 2015, to the extent that he has more than 100 two-year-olds in 2018 and he covered no fewer than 177 mares in 2016 for a crop of over 140 in 2017, so – at the age of 16 – Camacho has finally received sufficiently prolonged support to get off the rise-and-fall treadmill. That said, his 2017 book fell short of 100 mares.

Danehill dominance

The third son of Danehill to sire a Guineas winner was Holy Roman Emperor. Just as he’d done in 2012, when Homecoming Queen romped home a 25-1 winner of the 1,000 Guineas, Holy Roman Emperor sprang a considerable surprise in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, when Romanised also scored at 25-1. Holy Roman Emperor seems to have been around for ages, partly because he covered his first mares at the age of three, but he is still only 14. He is another whose foal crop dwindled a little in recent years, going from 132 in 2014, to 104 in 2015 and 75 in 2016, and his 2017 crop is also much smaller than his biggest crop, which numbered 155 foals in 2009. It mustn’t be forgotten, though, that he has shuttled to Australia in 2015, 2016 and 2017, covering as many as 127 mares in 2016 and 99 in 2017, so he has been busy enough. The domination of the Danehill male line in this year’s Guineas races continued when Alpha Centauri turned in a careerbest effort to land the Irish 1,000 Guineas. The subsequent Coronation Stakes winner is by Mastercraftsman, himself a son of Danehill Dancer, a stallion who has enjoyed Classic success with his daughters Speciosa, Legatissimo, Again and Dancing Rain. Mastercraftsman is another example of a stallion who enjoys a particularly good season every four or five years, which is

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TREVOR JONES

Bloodstock world views

The book sizes of Champs Elysees fluctuated dramatically at Banstead Manor Stud

roughly the time it takes for the success of one crop to be translated into another. The 2009 Irish 2,000 Guineas winner made a fast start at stud with a first crop numbering 135 foals. Mastercraftsman duly became 2013’s leading first-crop sire, thanks to the Group successes of Kingston Hill (Racing Post Trophy), Amazing Maria and Craftsman. This first crop did even better at three in 2014, when The Grey Gatsby won the Dante Stakes and Prix du Jockey Club and Kingston Hill finished second in the Derby before going on to St Leger glory. There was also an Italian Classic success, when the filly Vague Nouvelle took the Premio Regina Elena. These results presented Mastercraftsman with every chance of shining again with his 2015 and 2016 crops, the former sired at an increased fee of €35,000 and the latter at €40,000. Mastercraftsman’s 2015 crop was not only his most expensive up to that point but also his largest at 174 and his 2016 crop numbers 130. In addition to Alpha Centauri, the 2015 crop includes Wind Chimes, an unbeaten two-year-old who was a close third in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. However, there were a few comparatively fallow years in between those Classic-winning seasons in 2014 and 2018. With his second and third crops both being smaller than the first, at 114 and 98 foals, neither has come close to matching the first crop’s excellent totals of ten Group winners headed by three Group 1 winners. There were just two

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Group winners in his 2012 crop, five in the 2013 crop (but no Group 1 winners) and just one Group winner so far in his large 2014 crop (which was sired at a reduced fee of €12,500). A second downturn in Mastercraftsman’s career may already have been set in motion, as his 2016 and 2017 books stood at 104 and 108 mares and his fee was back down to €25,000 by 2017.

American switch

It will also be interesting to see how the career of Declaration Of War develops. Although he has the Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Olmedo in his first crop, the picture has been somewhat clouded by the decision to move the son of War Front to the US, after just one season in Ireland. The move was motivated by the fact that Declaration Of War finished a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on dirt after the decision had been made to base this winner of the Queen Anne Stakes and the Juddmonte International in Ireland. Young American-based stallions frequently find support steadily ebbing away from them over their first four seasons and Declaration Of War’s first three years at Ashford Stud have seen him cover 192, 154 and 128 mares. While a book of 128 mares is more than enough to help a stallion prove himself, it is still only two-thirds as big as Declaration Of War’s first American book. In other words, that third American crop may one day pale in comparison with the first, simply because

not enough attention is paid to crop size and percentages. The last Classic stallion on a rollercoaster ride is New Approach, who represents the bridge between Galileo and Masar in this impressive trio of Derby winners. Needless to say, New Approach began his stallion career in a blaze of glory, with the future 2,000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach among his three juvenile stakes winners at the 2012 Royal Ascot meeting. Bearing in mind that that first crop also produced the Oaks winner Talent and the Derby runner-up Libertarian, New Approach could hardly have made a better start and this first crop ultimately produced eight Group winners, including three at Group 1 level. As the champion colt of his generation at both two and three, New Approach appeared to be perfectly placed to follow in the footsteps of his sire Galileo. His fee quickly rose, to £50,000 in 2013 and to £80,000 in 2014 and 2015, which seemed likely to guarantee him even better mares. However, the fact that his fee was back down to £30,000 by 2017 tells its own story. Although there were two Group 1 winners among the four Group winners in his second crop, these two – Potemkin and Elliptique – didn’t gain that status until they were five in 2016. Crops number three and four have produced just three Group winners between them, none at Group 1 level, but they can be partially excused because they were sired at a reduced fee of £22,500. The £50,000 2014 crop has also fallen below expected standards, its only Group winner so far being the Group 2-winning filly Strathspey. However, we have another example here of Classic success being repeated five years down the line, with Masar emerging from New Approach’s first £80,000 crop to win the Derby. As his progeny have now won the 2,000 Guineas, Oaks and Derby, New Approach has clearly earned further firstrate opportunities but his crop size has been falling – no doubt partly because he is a rig who needs careful management during the breeding season. All in all, these stories appear to add up to one of success breeding further success. Spare a thought, though, for these stallions when things aren’t going so well – a sire can’t be a good stallion one year and not worthy of support the next. Commercially it could pay not to join the rush to pay top dollar to access the in-vogue stallions, but to support him a year or two later, so that your youngster arrives at the sales at a time when the stallion’s progeny are again excelling on the racecourse.

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Behind the scenes at Darley and Juddmonte

KIRSTEN SMITH

O

Frankel and Rob Bowley at Banstead Manor Stud

gave the group a look at the Tattersalls sale ring and explained the process of buying and selling yearlings. The Thoroughbred Club would like to thank both studs for providing such an interesting and memorable day for our

KIRSTEN SMITH

who has looked after Frankel since he arrived at the stud in 2012 and find out what it is really like to look after a champion. Once the coach returned members to Tattersalls, another of the club’s committee members, Harvey Bell,

KIRSTEN SMITH

n Saturday, June 9 members of The Thoroughbred Club were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at two of the largest stud farms in Newmarket and the chance to meet some of the most well-known stallions in the world. The day started with a short coach ride from Tattersalls to Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud, where members were greeted by one of the club’s committee members, Claudia McDougall, who gave a brief talk on the Godolphin operation and some of its stallions. After this the group were given a tour of the stallion paddocks, allowing them the chance to get close to some of the stallions, including the phenomenal leading British-based sire Dubawi and New Approach, the sire of this year’s Derby winner Masar. The tour also included a behind-thescenes look at the covering shed and prep area, where Claudia explained the process of booking mares in and covering. After the tour members were dropped back in Newmarket, giving them time to explore the town’s facilities such as the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art. In the afternoon, members were collected by coach and taken to Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud, where they were greeted by Nominations Assistant Eoin Fives and given a parade of the stallions. The highlight for many was the chance to meet the legendary Frankel, who was more than willing to pose for photos with the group. Members also had the chance to chat to Rob Bowley,

New Approach, one of Dalham Hall’s star stallions and sire of this year’s Derby hero Masar, stands alongside fellow Derby victor Golden Horn

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www.thethoroughbredclub.co.uk •

Interested in learning more about stud management? members. The first of three Regional Training Courses will be held at Lackham Hall, Wiltshire College on Tuesday, July 24. The one-day courses, which are organised by the TBA and the National Stud (with funding from The Racing Foundation), give breeders the opportunity to update their stud management knowledge with talks from a range of industry experts. The courses are free for members, and topics to be covered include nutrition, farriery, worm control and preparations for covering. Further information can be found on The Thoroughbred Club’s website or by contacting Leaya Slater at the National Stud on 01638 675930, or email leaya@ thenationalstud.co.uk

@TTC_GB

Another exciting regional day announced Members will have the chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at another prestigious training facility as part of an upcoming regional day. The trips, which are organised by the TBA, take place throughout the summer and allow exclusive access to a variety of studs and training facilities across the country. On Tuesday, July 24 the South-West Regional Day will take place at the historic Beckhampton Stables near Marlborough, which is the base of Classic-winning trainer Roger Charlton. The trip will

include a tour of the stables and facilities, followed by lunch. Roger has trained a number of topclass racehorses in recent years, including Decorated Knight, Al Kazeem, Time Test and Bated Breath. One of his most promising young horses is Listed winner Aspetar, a three-year-old son of Al Kazeem. A limited number of tickets are available for members at a reduced rate of 50%. Further information on all the regional day visits can be found on The Thoroughbred Club’s website. Alternatively, to book a place please email melissa.parris@thetba.co.uk.

Event reminder: Breeders’ Seminar There are still a limited number of places available on their year’s Breeders’ Seminar, which members of The Thoroughbred Club can attend for free. The event, which will take place at Tattersalls on Saturday, July 28 will discuss all aspects of modern broodmare and stallion management, and has secured a number of speakers with international reputations in their specific fields, including Sue McDonnell and Dixon Varner. For further information on the seminar, including a full programme and online booking form, please visit The Thoroughbred Club’s website, or email info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk

Bobs Worth and Might Bite (right) pictured at a recent TBA regional day at Hillwood Stud

Dates for your diary Thursday, July 5 East Regional Day The Royal Studs, Sandringham

Saturday, July 28 Breeders’ Seminar (ISER) Tattersalls

Tuesday, July 24 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Lackham Hall, Wiltshire College

Thursday, September 6 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Exeter racecourse

Tuesday, July 24 South West Regional Day Roger Charlton’s Beckhampton Stables

Tuesday, September 11 North Regional Day Richard Fahey Racing

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Thursday, September 13 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Haydock Park racecourse

New Members Bryiony Ewart , Dumfriesshire Amy-Sue Winton, Dorset Siobhan Doolan, London David Trundell, Scotland Sara Carr, West Sussex

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ROA Forum

The special section for ROA members

Enjoy Deauville in comfort W

e are delighted that France Galop is once again this summer extending an invitation to members to book places in the Jardin des Proprietaires, the owners’ garden area at Deauville’s La Touques racecourse on 14 dates during their summer festival. This is part of a collaboration between the ROA, France Galop and the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners to offer reciprocal arrangements to our respective members. Access to the facility and the buffet lunch will cost €45 and includes racecourse admission. Drinks are not included. Up to eight places are available for ROA members on the following dates, subject to availability. To book places in the Jardin des Proprietaires, contact the ROA or email info@roa.co.uk indicating how many places you would like and for which dates. Access is not available to this area during the Arqana Sales period or on August 15, but requests for those dates can be made direct to the Panoramic restaurant at La Touques, or Le Jardin du Paddock outdoor restaurant, by contacting reservationhippodrome@ lucienbarriere.com

The owners’ garden area at Deauville is accessible to ROA members

• Saturday, July 28 - 12.30pm

• Sunday, August 12 - 2.30pm

• Sunday, July 29 - 2.30pm • Tuesday, July 31 - 1.30pm • Friday, August 3 - 1.30pm • Sunday, August 5 - 2.30pm (Prix

• Thursday, August 16 - 1.30pm • Friday, August 24 - 1.00pm • Saturday, August 25 - 1.30pm • Sunday, August 26 - 2.30pm (Grand

• Tuesday, August 7 - 1.30pm • Thursday, August 9 - 12.30pm

• Tuesday, August 28 - 12.30pm • Wednesday, August 29 - 2.30pm

(Prix Psyche G3)

(Prix Rothschild)

Maurice de Gheest G1)

(Jacques le Marois G1)

Prix de Deauville G2)

Welcome respite at Galway ROA members visiting Ballybrit for the Galway Festival can enjoy access to the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners members’ facility for the first three days of the popular festival. Last year over 140,000 revellers made the pilgrimage to Galway over

the course of the week, making the option of a marquee valuable. Members are able to take up to three guests with them. Badges for the marquee do not gain access to the racecourse. These must be purchased directly through Galway racecourse and

are currently priced at €25. The festival runs for seven days from July 31 to August 5, but please note this offer applies only for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the meeting, as follows: July 31: First race 5.15pm, last race • 8.20pm. Gates open at 2.30pm. August 1: First race 5.15pm, last • race 8.15pm. Gates open at 2.30pm. August 2: First race 3pm, last race • 7.10pm. Gates open at 12.30pm.

Join the throng at Galway with exclusive access to the AIRO facility

The marquee will be situated beside the new Tote and Champagne Bar building. Members should show their Horseracing Priviledge Card or PASScard to gain admission. Complimentary snacks and refreshments will be available.

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Racing Staff Week BBQs for workforces and owners

Mister McGoldrick: former chaser now based permanently in Yorkshire

New Beginnings visit “We’re not trying to change the world but for every horse that becomes a New Beginnings horse, its world will change forever.” That is the mantra of York-based Retraining of Racehorses charity New Beginnings. This is one of the younger retraining centres, having been set up in 2010 and becoming a registered charity only in 2016. Founders Pam Hollingworth and Kevin Atkinson do not come from a racing background, but they do come from a thoroughbred horse background, and therefore understand their needs and ability to adapt to a wide range of equestrian disciplines. Whilst they retrain most of the horses that pass through their hands for a second career outside of racing, New Beginnings does have two permanent residents – Golden Hello and the wonderful Mister McGoldrick, who many will remember for his 66-1 win at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. On Thursday, September 27 New Beginnings will open its doors to ROA members and their guests to view the workings of a retraining centre. There will be a tour, ridden display and also a chance to chat to and watch the centre’s farrier in operation. This visit will take place in the morning, allowing members the chance to go racing at Pontefract in the afternoon if they wish, for which complimentary admission will be provided. Tickets for this event cost just £10 per person, which will be contributed to the charity after any direct costs. ROA members wishing to book can call the office on 020 7152 0200, or by visiting roa.co.uk/events

The important role of racing staff will be in the spotlight during Racing Staff Week (June 30-July 7). Organised by Racing Welfare and sponsored by Betfair, the week brings the racing industry together to recognise the invaluable passion, skill and commitment made by racing’s workforce in a series of activities on and off the racecourse. We hope that many members will be joining in the fun at a number of staff and owner BBQs being arranged by trainers during the

week. Packs including invitations, posters and aprons have been sent out to participating trainers, and grants of £100 will be awarded by the ROA to successful applicants. We very much hope all involved will enjoy these events, intended to allow owners and staff to get to know each other better in an informal environment. BBQ organisers and attendees are encouraged to take pictures and share them on social media using #racingstaffweek and #ROABBQs.

Members enjoyed a fine morning and course walk with Michael Church (third right)

Breakfast with the Stars The ROA’s summer events are in full swing, and have so far been blessed with good weather. This was certainly the case on May 22 when around 20 members enjoyed a memorable morning at Epsom Downs racecourse for the Breakfast with the Stars event. From the privileged surroundings of the Royal Box, guests viewed presentations and interviews with connections of intended runners in the runup to the Investec Derby festival and watched Derby contender Young Rascal and Oaks runner Perfect Clarity working on the course. The racecourse kindly allowed the group exclusive access to the Gladiator Room, where winning connections are entertained. Afterwards guests were able to join a fascinating course walk hosted by Derby historian and Classic pedigree expert Michael Church.

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ROA Forum

MY DAY AT THE RACES With Robert Moss at Epsom on June 1

Robert Moss has been an owner for ten years. He has 14 horses in training on the Flat with Simon Dow, seven horses in sole ownership and seven in partnerships with Damien Brennan and Harry Redknapp. As a partnership the owners enjoyed notable success with the Simon Dow-trained Mr Scaramanga in Doha’s Group 2 Al Biddah Mile at Al Rayyan racecourse in February 2017. The partnership enjoyed a memorable Investec Derby festival at Epsom Downs with four runners over the two days. Did you receive any welcome information as an owner in advance of the raceday? Yes, by letter and email. How was the experience of arrival at the racecourse, and collecting your owners’ badges? All done with ease. What were your thoughts on the location, comfort and provision in the owners’ and trainers’ facility? The point of entry was perfect, so easy to enter. There were always

Robert Moss (right) with his trainer Simon Dow and champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa

tables and chairs available. The bar service was magnificent and the food was of excellent quality and it just kept coming! Congratulations to the organisers on the day.

What was your overall lasting feeling of the day, based on your racecourse experience? A perfect two days’ racing.

How was the pre-parade ring/ paddock experience? Perfectly organised.

HOW IT RATED

How did you find the facilities for owners’ viewing? The views are great and all areas were accessible.

Viewing

Were you able to review a replay of your race easily on course? Yes, I watched it on the big screen.

Overall score

Entry Atmosphere Owners’ facilities Food

★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 25

BHA PRIVACY AND DATA POLICY Members will be aware that privacy laws in the United Kingdom changed at the end of May. To reflect these changes, the BHA has updated its privacy notices for licensed and registered personnel. These can be found on the BHA website on the Data Protection page. In addition, the Racing Admin

website now has functionality so that users can update their contact details and marketing preferences from within the site. In order that the BHA can ensure that the personal data that it holds on its licensed and registered personnel is as accurate as possible, members are

encouraged to keep their details up to date. Any questions can be directed to dataprotection@britishhorseracing.com. The protection of members’ data is very important to the ROA and our updated privacy notice can be found at roa.co.uk

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Newton Abbot regional meeting

ROA members gathered in Devon to discuss topics including the raceday experience

The ROA’s fourth regional meeting of the year was hosted at warm and sunny Newton Abbot on June 4. The ROA team comprising Chief Executive Charlie Liverton, board member Paul Duffy and Membership Manager Sadie Evans gave the 40 members in attendance an update on current issues, while Newton Abbot’s Managing Director Pat Masterson was on hand to answer questions. Topics discussed included the formalisation and function of the new Racing Authority, the Industry Ownership Strategy being led by the

ROA, the fixtures and funding process and the distribution of owners’ prizemoney and appearance money. Issues raised by members focussed around the raceday experience for owners going racing both with, and without, a runner. The message was clear that owners greatly value being provided access to meet fellow owners on days when they don’t have a runner. Newton Abbot kindly extended an invitation for a number of members to assist with choosing the best turned out awards and presentations for the first three races.

Ownership Matters Harrogate The latest Ownership Matters evening was held at Harrogate on June 5, when over 20 members gathered at Hotel du Vin for drinks, nibbles and a discussion. The evening gave members the opportunity to get together to discuss topical racing and ownership issues and to bring along guests who may be interested in finding out more about racehorse ownership. Jeremy Wray gave members an update on Championship Horse Racing, a new racing concept announced in February, in which 12 branded teams would compete over eight consecutive Thursdays at different Group 1 racecourses around the country, in an early summer

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evening televised slot between July and September 2019. The competition would be based on each team having a squad of 30 horses under the direction of leading trainers or racing managers with four jockeys per squad. Each fixture will feature six handicaps, with all 48 races having prize-money in excess of £100,000. The competition will operate on a points system, similar to F1, to determine the winners of the team and jockeys’ championships. Further details can be found online at championshiphorseracing.com. The next Ownership Matters event will be held in Edinburgh on November 1.

Welfare item

One of the BHA’s stated priorities this year is equine welfare. As a key piece of work in developing equine health and welfare strategy, the BHA is inviting owners to complete a survey to investigate and better understand the aftercare of thoroughbreds who have come to the end of their racing career. The survey will take around ten minutes to complete and can be found on the BHA website at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ racehorseownersurvey. Syndicators are invited to circulate the survey to fellow syndicate members. This follows on from a survey which was sent to licensed trainers earlier this year and provided a wealth of information about horses exiting trainers’ yards and their careers afterwards. The survey ties in with our commitment to improving traceability of thoroughbred racehorses, from foals to beyond retirement, and the information owners supply will aid future work carried out to ensure appropriate outcomes for ex-racehorses. The survey will close on July 15. Should you have any questions about the survey please contact equine@britishhorseracing.com

We’d like your views As key industry stakeholders it’s very important for members to be able to communicate easily with the ROA on topical ownership issues. This keeps the ROA abreast of matters affecting owners and, where necessary, the chance to share feedback in an anonymised form. Examples of topics which members comment on fairly frequently are race planning and handicapping. Owners may be frustrated by being balloted out or by not enough race types in a region, or become disillusioned if their horse has gone up the ratings quickly but is not being dropped at the same rate to give them a chance to race competitively. These are topics where comments might be shared with the wider industry to help shape future policy. We would like to hear your views on race planning and handicapping issues and would encourage members to email us at comment@roa.co.uk

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ROA Forum

MAGICAL MOMENTS with ROA member Noel Kershaw

O

ne of a certain N Kershaw’s top 40 UK hits was called When A Heart Beats. When you own a good sprinter, like another N Kershaw, it certainly does. Pop star Nik Kershaw’s heyday was the 1980s but for racehorse owner Noel Kershaw, it’s all about the here and now. Mr Lupton has landed a big victory in each of his four seasons of racing, and having struck in a £50,000 handicap at York in May, hopefully can progress to record a second major win of 2018. He is, understandably, the pride and joy of his owner, and has an extra claim to being recognised as one of the family. Kershaw says: “I’ve always been interested in racing having been introduced by my grandad John Lupton, hence Mr Lupton. “This initial interest was then built on through regular pilgrimages to the beautiful Yorkshire racetracks I’m lucky enough to be in relative close proximity to. “My dad, who I spent many years working for, always promised to buy a horse but never did and I’d always wanted to know how the industry worked and looked like from behind the scenes. “In May 2014 I attended a charity golf day in support of the Graham Wylie Children’s Heart Unit Foundation, and in seeing that there was an opportunity to bid for the right to be a racehorse owner for a year, I decided that I was going to go for it. “I set a figure of how far I’d go but, buoyed by far too many drinks, I totally ignored my limit and ended up bagging the prize!” He continues: “I got to name the horse, choose the colours and keep half the winnings in conjunction with Richard Fahey, who had been kind enough to donate the prize to be auctioned off. “I expected that really to be 50% of nothing, but in his first year he won at Haydock and then came second in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, won the £300,000 Weatherbys

Noel Kershaw (left) with wife Norah, Robin O’Ryan and jockey Tony Hamilton

Hamilton sales race at Doncaster, and came second in the Totepool TwoYear-Old Trophy at Redcar, so at the end of the one-year term I officially bought 50% with Richard retaining the other half.” Mr Lupton is by Elnadim, as was a yearling Kershaw bought with brother Simon, Our Kid. Kershaw says: “He ran under our Market Men Partnership last term, winning on debut at Wolverhampton and then enjoying mixed results, although we always saw him as being a scopey type with more to come as a three-year-old. “However, sadly last month he suffered a freak break to his foreleg which meant we had no option but to have him put down, which was very upsetting and brought into focus just how precarious and unpredictable the sport can be. “Richard Fahey and his team handled the whole situation with the highest levels of concern and care for Our Kid, and we are indebted to them for their fantastic advice and compassion. “We’ll be looking to invest again at the end of this year in another yearling for 2019.”

Kershaw has never once regretted it was Fahey who put up that charity auction prize and adds: “I don’t think I could have been more fortunate. Richard and his team are simply brilliant; they have always been so accessible and open, always had time for endless stupid questions, visits to the stables and been instrumental in developing our passion and understanding of the sport. “His team are amazing, there’s always much humour and they are all so grounded and diligent it’s just been great to be around.” Also great to have been around is Mr Lupton, who at the time of writing has won five of his 30 starts, for £416,502 in prize-money. Asked to pick out the magical moments to date, Kershaw replies: “It’s so hard to say because we have been so incredibly fortunate - if I have to choose one it’s probably winning the Longholes Handicap at Newmarket at the 1,000 Guineas meeting last year. “I was with my brother and his wife and two great friends, Mr Lupton got an amazing ride by Gerald Mosse, we were then hosted in the royal box to watch the replay with a glass of fizz, all this at the home of racing.

››

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“Winning the valuable sales race at Doncaster was equally special, not just the win but the fact that when we returned to the Weatherbys box they had hosted a lunch for the runners in the race – we were applauded by them all, this in our first year of racing! “We were as green as the turf itself but soon benefitting from the amazing warmth and charity of fellow owners, which was so refreshing and continues to be a great element of our enjoyment in the sport. “The best thing about being an owner is to be part of that wider team, the people involved in the day to day who work so hard and then all those people who have adopted Mr Lupton as their own to follow. “When he has landed the race against all the odds, carrying top weights in handicaps and reeling in horses on much less of a mark is just so special.” As has been rubbing shoulders with the top brass, Mr Lupton having contested four Group 1s to date, and several other Pattern races. “The Group races have made our heads spin,” admits Kershaw. “To see our boy in the parade ring with the likes of Harry Angel, Caravaggio, Tasleet, The Tin Man, Brando and all the other top sprinters last year was something else – a bit like Bradford City making it to the Premiership; you knew they weren’t going to win the league but playing with and seeing all the best teams made it something you wouldn’t have passed up.” Bradford features in Kershaw’s professional, as well as sporting, life. He explains: “I own a food service business called Delifresh, supplying hotels and restaurants throughout the north of England with a comprehensive range of fresh fruits and vegetables, specialist delicatessen goods, dairy and dry stores. “I’ve a great team of people around me and we operate from three centres – Bradford, Widnes and Newcastle.” As for Mr Lupton, he was ready to contest the Wokingham at the time of our chat, a race in which he finished eighth of 28 runners. Kershaw says: “That was the plan from the beginning of the year. We’ve no plans set but he’s in good order and is only five.” Wouldn’t it be good if Mr Lupton could continue his rise up the charts?

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Diary dates and reminders JULY 5 ROA regional meeting at Perth ALL PLACES FILLED JULY 13 Chester Owners Jackpot+ ALL PLACES FILLED

SEPTEMBER 21 Member visit to Cheveley Park and Banstead Manor Studs, Newmarket, with lunch at Palace House OCTOBER 20 Private box at Ascot for British Champions Day

JULY 30-AUGUST 1 Galway Festival – access to AIRO marquee

OCTOBER 24 Owners Jackpot+ at Fontwell

JULY 31-AUGUST 4 Qatar Goodwood Festival Richmond Enclosure badges available until July 13 AUGUST Deauville Festival – selected dates. Access to exclusive owners’ garden lounge facility AUGUST 22 Juddmonte International Stakes at York – private box and hospitality package SEPTEMBER 19 ROA regional meeting at Sandown Park

OCTOBER 30 ROA regional meeting at Chepstow NOVEMBER 1 Ownership Matters event in Edinburgh NOVEMBER 20 ROA regional meeting at Southwell DECEMBER 6 ROA Horseracing Awards See roa.co.uk/events for further details on all the above and to book

Four chances to win a Jackpot race in July There are four chances to win an ROA Owners Jackpot of £2,000 during July, and members in the north and Scotland have the lion’s share of opportunities this month. The chosen races are staged only at courses that have signed up to the racing industry’s prize-money agreement, and as a further incentive to boost owners’ prize-money, the weekly races will be run only at racecourses where there is a guaranteed minimum prize fund of £6,500 per contest (including Appearance Money Scheme and Incentive Race Fund). To qualify, horses must be owned by ROA members. In the case of a racing partnership, the horse needs to be registered as at least 51% in the ownership of ROA members. For horses owned by clubs or syndicates, the majority of the club/ syndicate managers will need to be members of the ROA to qualify.

This month’s Owners Jackpot races July 5, Perth 3m Class 4 4yo+ 0-105 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle July 13, Chester 7f Class 4 3yo+ 0-85 Handicap July 20, Haydock 1m2f Class 5 3yo 0-70 Handicap July 26, Doncaster 6f Class 4 3yo 0-80 Handicap

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ROA Forum

TRACK TALK

Latest news from the UK’s racecourses

card to take place on the all-weather track. Chelmsford City is strongly encouraged to adopt the same limit on the number of turf races at racecourse fixtures. The limit of three races could be reduced further in the event that, ultimately, the safety factor at any of its planned race starts is less than ten. 2. At this stage, no turf races will be approved to take place in 2019 and all Chelmsford City racecourse fixtures will be allocated to take place on the all-weather. This will be revisited once further progress has been made on the construction of the turf track, with a decision on the timing of the first turf races not required until the details of the races at each fixture are published in the programme book.

WINCANTON FACILITY Chelmsford City has been given permission to install a turf track

CHELMSFORD CITY GRANTED PERMISSION TO BUILD TURF TRACK

At its March meeting the British Horseracing Authority board considered an application from Chelmsford City racecourse for the addition of a turf track on the inside of its existing all-weather track.The application was not approved at the time, but more information was requested in order that the board could reconsider the application at a future board meeting. Following further discussions between the British Horseracing

News in Brief Sales ring integrity

The Racing Post reported in June that the BHA had set up a team to investigate practices involved in the buying and selling of bloodstock and racehorses in British racing. The review will look at whether the bloodstock industry code of practice, introduced in 2004, is fit for purpose. Former top policeman Justin Felice has been appointed to lead the review. Approximately 60 individuals are being interviewed to gauge their feedback on current practices and suggestions for any possible improvements. Owners and members who feel they

Authority’s racecourse inspectorate team, PJA safety officers and racecourse representatives, and the provision of further information by the racecourse, the BHA board has now approved Chelmsford City’s application to install a turf course for Flat racing, subject to certain conditions: 1. Due to the track design and restricted number of race starts, other than in exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of the BHA, no more than three turf races will be programmed on any BHA fixture allocated to the racecourse, with all other races on the

might have something to contribute are invited to contact Justin Felice via 020 7152 0015 or by emailing bloodstockreview@britishhorseracing. com. It is expected that a report outlining recommendations will be presented to the BHA board in the autumn.

Prize-money poll

A short online survey on the topic of the distribution of owners’ prize-money was circulated to members on the ROA e-bulletin service at the end of May. We had an excellent response with over 800 responses received. Thank you to all those who have taken part and submitted their views.

Wincanton’s owners’ and trainers’ facility is being moved during the summer break. The new facility will look out on to the paddock, and will be much larger.

FEEDBACK WINNER

It’s the height of the summer and we hope you’re enjoying your racing. Why not let us know about your experiences with a runner at roa.co.uk/feedback? It’s a quick and easy questionnaire and you could scoop yourself a £50 John Lewis giftcard in our monthly draw of responses, just like William Robinson, who owns horses in partnerships with trainers Scott Dixon and Ron Thompson.

The survey responses are being analysed and we will report on the findings in a future issue.

Racing by rail

Recent train timetable changes have created issues for some travellers, but could prove good news for some racegoers. Two new routes through City Thameslink now provide services for those travelling to Lingfield (to East Grinstead) and Huntingdon (to Peterborough).

German rule change

The use of tongue ties in German horseracing has been banned. The new rule was effective from June 1.

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Figures for period June 1, 2017 to May 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 Chester Newbury Doncaster Haydock Park Sandown Park Musselburgh Chelmsford City Wetherby Salisbury Pontefract Ripon Hamilton Park Newcastle Lingfield Park Ayr Kempton Park Leicester Carlisle Thirsk Beverley Nottingham Redcar Windsor Ffos Las Catterick Bridge Yarmouth Bath Wolverhampton Chepstow Southwell Brighton Total

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

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

440,240 234,235 193,894 157,580 120,660 97,495 84,003 77,193 68,829 67,399 50,744 44,728 42,799 40,847 40,195 39,434 39,340 36,520 35,647 34,589 33,820 33,274 31,280 30,968 30,696 30,291 29,726 29,516 28,053 26,464 26,251 24,929 23,530 22,712 21,365 20,263 58,513

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 2016-17 (£)

131,711 262,485 88,544 109,292 85,387 69,538 71,051 113,201 73,663 69,290 39,664 13,171 57,271 38,949 47,416 35,201 40,062 18,174 48,406 29,165 21,636 6,186 19,940 5,630 12,139 6,813 26,216 5,813 30,968 3,951 19,775 4,585 20,812 4,631 22,713 5,667 25,023 4,754 19,160 5,457 20,474 5,291 23,652 6,399 16,351 5,227 18,997 6,121 21,082 4,332 19,563 6,346 19,010 15,039 19,995 5,292 12,017 3,965 17,369 2,834 18,980 5,158 16,124 3,778 18,833 3,603 13,113 3,869 15,718 2,553 14,021 3,075 30,974 20,273

835,269 435,126 349,399 341,832 263,933 151,997 182,973 159,810 128,599 144,970 79,878 70,485 61,750 72,964 75,114 63,793 64,783 64,900 65,424 59,207 59,586 63,797 52,858 56,649 56,166 56,200 63,775 54,840 44,035 46,668 50,759 44,902 45,999 39,694 39,635 37,359 110,059

18 18 19 11 39 15 17 24 23 16 16 59 4 17 15 18 18 46 74 15 58 18 13 16 18 22 16 27 6 16 23 21 76 17 37 21 887

15,034,850 7,832,272 6,638,576 3,760,149 10,293,404 2,279,956 3,110,537 3,835,436 2,893,480 2,319,520 1,278,047 4,158,590 247,000 1,240,390 1,126,708 1,148,276 1,166,100 2,985,409 4,841,360 888,100 3,455,960 1,148,346 687,160 906,378 1,010,982 1,236,400 1,020,400 1,480,688 264,211 746,682 1,167,452 942,947 3,495,925 674,800 1,466,500 784,547 97,567,537

439,355 213,682 176,768 140,722 117,490 78,585 80,623 80,581 56,486 69,218 50,211 41,133 32,246 38,091 37,047 36,898 33,297 34,214 33,306 44,654 26,398 30,531 28,005 29,304 29,295 27,164 23,578 29,024 24,167 22,628 23,290 32,298 20,860 23,393 12,732 19,718 54,518

s s s s s s s t s t s s s s s s s s s t s s s s s s s s s s s t s t 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 Ayr Kelso Doncaster Newcastle Perth Fakenham Carlisle Wincanton Exeter Warwick Stratford-On-Avon Ludlow Chepstow Cartmel Newton Abbot Hereford Wetherby Taunton Market Rasen Leicester Musselburgh Huntingdon Hexham Uttoxeter Ffos Las Catterick Bridge Towcester Worcester Fontwell Park Lingfield Park Bangor-On-Dee Plumpton 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 2016-17 (£)

Up/ down

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

286,217 267,292 156,372 112,263 102,856 85,960 54,366 43,928 41,974 37,957 36,434 35,134 33,521 33,352 32,831 31,930 31,880 31,749 31,473 31,415 31,062 30,738 30,372 30,264 28,819 28,538 28,060 27,636 26,062 25,195 25,077 24,394 24,089 23,909 22,059 21,411 21,324 20,770 20,415 18,569 17,924 45,209

139,257 119,630 88,351 90,699 85,030 64,402 59,022 35,802 23,303 42,455 34,354 25,050 20,714 30,673 34,611 35,619 31,682 20,217 30,548 36,970 22,228 29,301 23,651 31,760 28,529 30,039 31,287 32,235 24,144 16,293 26,106 26,316 23,712 17,748 20,801 19,100 27,812 18,302 24,457 19,858 20,216 35,280

78,943 68,782 19,362 17,813 16,227 21,492 9,230 11,606 5,020 7,945 5,710 3,851 0 5,502 5,821 6,487 6,358 4,204 5,349 8,578 4,854 60 5,988 5,410 6,064 5,037 4,897 4,364 5,281 3,045 5,928 4,984 2,796 3,971 4,083 3,371 4,538 4,147 3,953 3,269 3,773 8,802

505,230 456,328 265,335 226,887 212,937 173,216 122,975 95,072 73,026 88,885 77,053 64,034 54,234 72,231 73,263 74,037 70,201 56,635 67,370 76,964 58,144 60,099 60,011 67,435 64,143 63,839 64,244 64,235 57,456 44,533 57,237 55,694 50,596 45,628 46,942 43,882 53,675 43,379 48,825 42,226 41,914 89,966

8 16 8 9 9 9 14 14 11 9 9 15 12 11 16 14 16 14 16 14 9 17 7 14 13 21 8 10 16 15 24 11 9 12 21 22 6 14 14 16 20 543

4,041,839 7,301,255 2,122,682 2,041,983 1,809,968 1,558,946 1,721,653 1,331,001 803,281 799,967 693,478 960,510 650,810 794,537 1,172,201 1,036,522 1,123,212 792,885 1,077,924 1,077,491 523,300 1,021,688 420,079 944,093 833,858 1,340,626 513,952 642,350 919,293 667,998 1,373,685 612,637 455,366 547,541 985,787 965,403 322,047 607,309 683,547 675,623 838,282 48,806,608

264,866 243,494 139,465 100,415 106,933 29,163 51,678 38,475 34,174 37,803 25,913 54,522 23,698 20,103 27,778 21,769 24,393 28,214 51,678 34,619 27,840 27,779 24,651 26,604 25,937 18,015 24,074 19,792 24,074 19,133 25,180 22,612 16,963 17,286 20,938 19,721 34,174 23,245 17,477 18,165 17,986 39,242

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

NH Breeders’ Celebration Dinner The 2018 National Hunt Breeders’ Celebration Dinner took place in Doncaster on May 21. The event, which was supported by Goffs UK on the eve of its Spring Store Sale, celebrated and rewarded success in the 2017-18 National Hunt racing season with the presentation of ten awards. TBA Chief Executive Claire Sheppard said: “The TBA National Hunt Celebration Dinner continues to grow in popularity each year and quite rightly recognises the

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1 David and Kathleen Holmes presented the Midnight Legend Trophy for Leading NH Flat Mare to Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle for their homebred Midnightreferendum, a bumper winner in February at Warwick and runner-up in the Grade 2 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard NH Flat Race at Aintree.

continually improving quality of British NH bloodstock. The TBA has been supporting domestic NH breeding with industry initiatives such as the Elite Mares Scheme and NHMOPS and it is great to see these are now yielding results.” The TBA would like to congratulate all winners from the night and thank Goffs UK, Racing UK, Nick Luck and individual award sponsors for their generous support of the event.

2 Host Nick Luck with champion jockey Richard Johnson and champion trainer Nicky Henderson. 3 Kathleen Holmes receives the Birch Farm Stud & DGS Horse Transport Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdles Mare from Helen Plumbly on behalf of breeder Paul Brewer for Midnight Tune.

4 Peter Hockenhull, centre, receives the Yorton Stud Trophy from Lester Futter for Leading NH Flat Horse, won by the Black Sam Bellamy gelding Kateson for breeder David Richards and partners. 5 Presenting Percy earned his breeder, Preston Lodge Stud, the Highflyer Trophy for Leading Novice Chaser.

The award was presented by Anthony Bromley and Tessa Greatrex to Matt Coleman, representing Johnny Weatherby of Preston Lodge Stud. 6 The Mickley Stud Trophy for Leading Hurdles Mare was awarded to Colin’s Sister, trained by Fergal O’Brien who collected the prize from

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Richard Kent on behalf of breeder Caroline BeresfordWylie. . 7 Nick Luck interviews Nicky Henderson, as he receives the prize for six-year-old Santini, bred by Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes, who was awarded the Distillery Stud Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdler.

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8 For the second year running, Sizing John won the Leading Chaser award (Overbury Stud Trophy), for breeders Bryan and Sandra Mayoh, pictured with Robert Waley-Cohen. 9 Allan Munnis of Beech Tree Stud presents the Leading Chase Mare trophy for the prolific Lady Buttons to

breeders Jayne and Keith Sivills. 10 Doug and Freddie Procter collect the Shade Oak Stud Trophy for Leading Hurdler, awarded to the Jedd O’Keeffe-trained Grade 1 winner Sam Spinner, who was bred by Wriggle Valley Thoroughbreds and Robert Eccleshall.

11 Cue Card’s exceptional career, spanning 41 races and 16 victories, including eight Grade 1 wins, was acknowledged with the evening’s Special Award, the Eric Gillie Ltd Trophy, for his breeder Rowland Crellin. Cue Card’s trainer Colin Tizzard was on hand to collect the award on his breeder’s behalf.

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TBA Forum

European Breeders’ Federations convene for annual meeting in Copenhagen Julian Richmond-Watson, Claire Sheppard and James Crowhurst represented the TBA at the AGM of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (EFTBA), hosted by the German Owners’ and Breeders’ Association in Cologne on May, 21. The EFTBA was set up in 1994 to enable European breeders’ associations to be represented with a strong single voice and is currently under the chairmanship of Joe Hernon (ITBA). The AGM discussed a range of issues affecting the European breeding industry, with the main agenda item being the implications of Brexit for more than 40,000 European breeders and how the EFTBA can take collective action to address the uncertainties. The veterinary committee presented on its meeting at the AGM, which included discussions on the ongoing shortage of vaccines and the shuttling of stallions. The programme also included stud visits to the world-famous Gestut Rotttgen and Gestut Schlenderhan and attending the 2,000 German Guineas at Cologne.

Claire Sheppard said: ‘It was a very productive meeting and provided a unique chance to discuss the progress being made to address the challenges of Brexit with our European counterparts, alongside a variety of important issues facing British and European breeders.”

Forthcoming Event: The TBA ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ NH Foal Show

The popular National Hunt foal show returns to Bangor on July 29

The TBA ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ NH Foal Show will take place at Bangoron-Dee racecourse on Sunday, July 29. The event, which is supported by Goffs UK, Weatherbys, British EBF and Saracen Horse Feeds, gives breeders the opportunity to showcase their youngstock in front of a panel of industry judges. The day will be split into four sperate classes, according to sex and age of the

TBA Annual Awards Evening Bookings are now being accepted for the TBA Annual Breeders’ Awards Evening, which this year takes place on Wednesday, July 18 at The July Course in Newmarket. The event will showcase and celebrate the British-bred success on the racecourse throughout 2017 and will commence at 6.45pm with a drinks reception and a parade of stallions from The National Stud, followed by dinner and the awards ceremony. Tickets are £85pp and include the stallion parade, drinks reception, two-course dinner and the awards ceremony. Breeders and members can purchase tickets through the online booking system on the events page of the TBA website.

foals, with the winner and runner-up from each of the classes going forward for judging of the overall Champion and Reserve Champion of the show. National Hunt breeders are invited to submit entries for the show by filling in and returning the entry form which is available on the events page of the TBA website. Entries close on July 6. Spectators and NH enthusiasts are welcome to come to this free event.

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Healthy prices for NHMOPS horses at sales The largest National Hunt store auction in Britain, the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale, took place at Doncaster on May 22. The sale saw 239 horses pass through the ring, topped by a son of leading Britishbased National Hunt sire Kayf Tara who was bought by Mags O’Toole for Gordon Elliott for £140,000. The sale also saw a strong representation of mares registered with the TBA’s National Hunt Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NHMOPS). The scheme, which was set up and is run by the TBA, pays bonuses of up to £10,000 to connections of registered mares who win eligible bonus races. A total of 16 mares registered with the scheme passed through the sales ring and they were led by lot 72, a daughter of Great Pretender who sold for £60,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock. Her consignor, Goldford Stud, saw further success with NHMOPS-registered mares with

its two other eligible lots selling for £20,000 and £38,000. Seven registered horses sold for above the sales average (£27,668) to a range of purchasers including Tom Malone, Highflyer Bloodstock, Monbeg Stables, Henry Daly, Nigel Hawke, Michael Scudamore, Jason Higgins, Robert James, Chris McSharry and Paul and Caron Chapman. The following week, two horses eligible for the scheme went through the ring at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham May Sale, a select auction of NH horses in training and point-to-pointers. Crackle Lyn Rosie, a daughter of Kayf Tara, sold to Evan Williams for £42,000. Fellow trainer Fergal O’Brien also purchased five-year-old Agent Valdez, by Avirco, who was a recent winner of a mares’ maiden point-to-point at Loughrea. Further information on the scheme, including a list of eligible races, can be found on the TBA website.

Winners 31/5/2018 Ffos Las THE TED HOPKINS MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE RACE (CLASS 4) Winner: Papagana Owned by Mr D J Burke Bonus Value: £10,000 27/5/2018 Kelso THE FIVE STAR TAXIS MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NATIONAL HUNT FLAT RACE (CLASS 3) Winner: Rubytwo Owned by Langdale Bloodstock Bonus Value: £5,000

Sales Day Seminar On Wednesday, May 30, the TBA teamed up with The National Stud with funding from The Racing Foundation to offer a one-day seminar on preparing and selling yearlings for the sales. The day, which attracted over 60 delegates, combined a series of talks from industry experts followed by a panel discussion on what buyers are looking for in a yearling. John Hernon started off proceedings with an insightful talk on yearling preparation, where he discussed the range of exercises used to prepare yearlings for the sales and other activities including dentistry, farriery and veterinary. This was then followed by a talk from Louise Jones from Connolly’s Red Mills on nutrition of the yearling, in which she discussed feeding techniques for optimal skeletal health, muscular development, digestive health and behaviour. Following questions and a tea break, delegates were given a talk on conformation by Liam MacGillivray from Newmarket Equine Hospital, which included a discussion on different conformational defects and treatment options. Harvey Bell from Tattersalls

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Panellists discuss what to look for when buying and selling a yearling

then gave a talk on the company and the processes involved in selling yearlings, including nominations, inspections, entries and the sales. After a delicious lunch, Kate Daly from Newmarket Equine Hospital gave a talk on veterinary involvement during sales preparation, which covered topics such as endoscopy, wind testing, radiographs and skeletal problems. The day concluded with a discussion

panel comprising of Tim Lane (National Stud), Amanda Skiffington (Anglia Bloodstock), Angus Gold (Shadwell), and Paul Thorman (Trickledown Stud). The panel provided a unique insight into what they looked for in a yearling and the process of selling yearlings. The TBA would like to thank the National Stud, the Racing Foundation and all the speakers, who made the seminar such a success.

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TBA Forum Diary Dates

Derek Christopher

Thursday, July 5 East Regional Day The Royal Studs, Sandringham Wednesday, July 18 TBA Annual Awards Evening The July Course, Newmarket Thursday, July 19 TBA Annual General Meeting The meeting will commence at 10.30am, after which members are invited to join the board for a light lunch and refreshments. If you are planning to attend, please contact Stanstead House on 01638 661321 or email pauline.stoddart@thetba.co.uk to ensure that adequate catering facilities can be supplied Tuesday, July 24 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Lackham Hall, Wiltshire College Tuesday, July 24 South West Regional Day Roger Chalton’s Beckhampton Stables Saturday, July 28 Breeders’ Seminar (ISER) Tattersalls, Newmarket Sunday, July 29 TBA ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ NH Foal Show Bangor-on-Dee racecourse Thursday, September 6 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Exeter racecourse Tuesday, September 11 North Regional Day Richard Fahey Racing and Oaks Farm Stables Thursday, September 13 National Stud/TBA Regional Training Course Haydock Park racecourse

New Members

Nick Barnett, Clwyd Simon Capon, Herts Richard Gayton, North Yorkshire Dan Hunt, Dorset Ruth Jefferson, North Yorkshire John Meaden, Dorset Amanda Meer, South Yorkshire Michelle Morris, Essex Alison Schmutz, Cumbria

November 4, 1929 - May 1, 2018

Derek Christopher, TBA member and bloodstock agent, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 1 at the age of 88 after a long battle with cancer. A longstanding member and staunch supporter of the TBA, Derek was TBA Regional Representative for the East for over 20 years, and helped to organise many successful TBA regional events. Derek also served on the TBA’s Education and Employment Committee and was instrumental in the introduction of the NVQ training programme, aimed at training young people to join the breeding industry. As part of the TBA’s work to promote careers in the breeding industry, Derek arranged visits for Pony Club members and other youth organisations to stud farms to entertain, educate and inform them about working in the breeding industry. He also instigated the TBA’s Stud Staff Award, set up to recognise and reward those working in the industry and he acted as a mentor to many young people at the start of their career. Derek was involved with horses from an early age, and on leaving school started working life as a pupil to trainer John Goodgame, based in Enfield. He then joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps for his National Service in 1948, serving time at the Remount at Melton Mowbray and training as an army farrier. From there he joined Hertfordshire Police Constabulary in 1951, and continued his involvement with horses, enjoying a successful spell in the Regional Crime Squad where he specialised in horse and tack theft, and liaising with the Jockey Club on racingrelated crime. During this time he was also involved in showing hacks and hunters at county level and riding in point-to-points and hunting. He served as Joint Master of the Aldenham Harriers from 1983 to 1996, and hunting and hounds remained one of his lifelong passions. On retirement from the police force, Derek took on Upperwood

Farm Stud, owned by Halsey and Partners on the Gaddesden Estate near Hemel Hempstead. From here he bought and sold thoroughbreds, acted as a bloodstock agent for overseas clients in Dubai and offered a lairage service for horses in transit through London Luton Airport, as well as operating a stud farm. On retirement from Upperwood Farm, Derek continued working as a bloodstock agent and his involvement with the TBA and in particular with training new young entrants to the industry grew, He acted as assessor and verifier for the TBA and National Stud’s NVQ/ Apprenticeship courses and for Haddon Training, where he became involved in delivering NVQs for the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and for those working in hunt service. Throughout his life Derek participated in the full range of equestrian activities, serving time as a BSJA judge, a member of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Management Committee and on the committee of the Association of Master Harriers and Beagles to name but a few. There are many working in the breeding industry and wider equestrian world who have been trained by Derek, guided by him, hunted with him and generally sought his advice over the years. He was one of whom it can be said that if you want something doing, ask a busy person, and he could always be relied on to make a positive contribution to the work in hand. Enthusiastic, sociable and full of ideas, he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. In 2004 Derek was the recipient of the TBA’s Dominion Award, for his significant contribution to the British breeding industry and which he cited as one of the proudest moments of his life. The TBA has lost a staunch supporter and friend and he will be greatly missed by all at Stanstead House, as well as within the Association and beyond.

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Future Flat and current jumps stars on show at Hillwood Stud’s Regional Day

Members at Hillwood Stud with Bobs Worth and Might Bite

Charlie and Tracy Vigors hosted a splendid morning at their Hillwood Stud at Aldbourne, a West Regional Day that concluded with lunch at The Hare, a popular watering hole for the Lambourn racing fraternity where David Cecil once presided, writes Alan Yuill Walker. Situated on the Wiltshire Downs on the way to Marlborough, Hillwood, which was previously owned by the Hobbys and revolved around their fine matriarch Lighted Lamp, was taken over by the Vigors in August 2005 since when they have markedly upgraded the property. Today it comprises 130 acres divided between two separate farms of 60 and 70 acres with stabling for 56 horses incorporated in five separate units, the facilities including a circular, railed gallop of 2.5 furlongs, two covered horses walkers, and a polytrack lungeing ring. Because of the difficulty in securing riders, the Vigors have recently decided to forego the breeze-up aspect of their business, and now concentrate instead on breeding stock and the yearling sales. At present they have 24 resident mares and they will be consigning in the region of 50 youngsters at the

Tracy Vigors shows one of the Hillwood yearlings

sales this autumn. Amongst the mares on view were two expensive purchases from last year, Baldovina, now with a colt foal by Le Havre, and Yarrow, with a Kodiac colt. They are now carrying to Frankel and Lope De Vega respectively. The latter, who cost 625,000gns from the Ballymacoll Stud dispersal, is a half-sister to two Derby runners-up in Golan and Tartan Bearer.

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth with this year’s runner-up Might Bite

“It’s a quality band of young mares,” stressed Charlie. “We have several new clients who have made a significant investment at the breeding stock sales in the last three years and are breeding to top-class young stallions. We all dream of breeding a Classic winner and these mares are being given every opportunity to do that.” Charlie also gave a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes. “Tracy does all the foaling and all the mares are walked in to stallions even those going to Ireland. We have two horseboxes and that enables us to have them back home from Ireland in just 36 hours,” he explained. Two key figures in the smooth running of Hillwood are box driver Rob Turner and head girl Jo Saunders, not forgetting whoever was responsible for providing TBA visitors with two sessions of coffee and biscuits! Hillwood is very much a Flatorientated establishment, but ironically the highlight for many on this occasion will have been the two Nicky Henderson stalwarts Might Bite and Bobs Worth. Meanwhile Altior was keeping his own counsel at the other end of the stud.

The North Regional Day The North Regional Day will take place on Tuesday, September 11 and will include a visit to Richard Fahey Racing and to Mark Dwyer’s

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Oaks Farm Stables in Malton, North Yorkshire with lunch in between venues. Full details will be sent to those in the North region. Anyone

from outside the area should contact Annette Bell for an application form at the TBA office or annette.bell@ thetba.co.uk.

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TBA Forum

MEET THE BOARD with Sam Bullard

Tell us about yourself. What do you do in your professional life? I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be Director of Stallions at Darley. It is the most wonderful role, overseeing the team responsible for such a special roster of stallions. As well as my role on the TBA Board, I feel privileged to be a trustee of World Horse Welfare. I am also a Director of Fakenham racecourse. What is your background in breeding/ racing? I was born into an East Anglian hunting family. I left the Household Cavalry to work for Gavin PritchardGordon in the hope of riding a few winners. From there I went into the bloodstock agency world and had my own agency for ten years, prior to joining Sheikh Mohammed’s team in 2000. In addition to my professional involvement I have partnerships in several mares with the same goals as most other breeders. What made you want to join the TBA Board and what are your specific areas of interest? The stallion side of the industry is both my passion and my specific area of experience. I hope that as a Board member of the TBA I can make the process of breeding thoroughbreds a little easier for existing breeders at the same time as encouraging more people to get involved. What do you think is the biggest challenge(s) facing the breeding industry? And what are the solutions? The cost of production is a huge challenge for breeders. To offset this cost, and as with any economic system, we need to ensure that there is greater demand for the supply of horses being produced. To achieve this, we need more ‘end users’ – in other words people who want to own the racehorses that breeders are producing. Because currently in the UK we are fortunate to have some of the world’s best bloodstock, now is the perfect time to achieve

Sam Bullard combines his Darley work with a number of other industry roles

this greater demand. And a vital contributing factor to this effort needs to be the continued pressure to increase prize-money. Having said that, I also think it is incumbent on all breeders to be prepared to put some of their stock into training too. In terms of breeding/bloodstock, what has been your best/favourite moment? With the stallions that Sheikh Mohammed has assembled we are lucky that there have been many special moments: from Dubawi’s extraordinary rise to eminence, to many breeders having big-race winners by our stallions. All of these are special, as was my son Patrick’s first point-to-point winner! Mr Oppenheimer entrusting the stud career of the great Golden Horn to us was also a special moment. As both his sire and maternal sire are Darley stallions, it was a huge privilege to be able to support him through his second career. The recent success of Masar at Epsom, which included every aspect of the Godolphin and

Darley operations in realising Sheikh Mohammed’s long-held ambition, was another special highlight. What race would you most like to win as a breeder and why? We are fortunate to have many great races on wonderful courses, so I would be more than happy with a Group 1 winner on any of them. Where would you like the breeding industry to be in five years’ time? There are many scientific developments which may have farreaching effects within our industry. I would like to think that we can face these challenges in a proactive fashion in order to safeguard the thoroughbred that we all cherish. More specifically, I hope that breeders will be trusting in their own judgement to reduce the effects of fashion within the industry, and that initiatives to boost the middle-distance horses in particular have succeeded. Ultimately, I hope that breeders can thrive – deservedly – when a job has been done well.

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Investing In Breeding & Racing – Education Employers’ feedback was the cornerstone of the TBA’s decision to switch its primary support for education and training from government-funded apprenticeships to the new Entry to Stud Employment Programme (E2SE). And, as the firstyear experience enters its final phase, Tabbi Smith, training director at the National Stud, which administers the programme, could not be happier. She reports: “I am incredibly grateful to the TBA for grabbing this thorny issue and providing an access route into the industry, not only as an alternative to what was available before, but also for providing an opportunity for people who’ve never had the chance to follow their passion.” After 27 years’ support for recruitment and retention that majored on apprenticeships or their equivalent, a growing dearth of numbers prompted consultation among members, guided by the association’s education and employment committee under the chairmanship of Paul Greeves and conducted by education and welfare manager Caroline Turnbull. A key finding was that apprenticeships did not cater for young people coming out of equine colleges or older enthusiasts wanting a career change. Hence the launch of E2SE, funded equally by the TBA and Racing Foundation, open to all ages and levels of experience, and based around a nine-week, residential course at the National Stud, starting in October, and followed by up to nine months’ paid work placement with a UK stud farm. The age range on the first group was from 19 to 57, and Smith describes it as “the best residential course we’ve ever had.” She adds: “The older students pulled the younger ones up to their level. I’ve never walked into the accommodation block and met students eating Camembert and discussing pedigrees at seven at night. They all got on together and it was a lovely atmosphere.” Ed Preece, from near Banbury, who turned 24 while on the course and is one of four E2SE students working at Cheveley Park, is among those who would not have had the opportunity

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under the old scheme. “I had no working background in racing or breeding, although my family had shares in jumpers with Robin Dickin,” he explains. “When I got my degree and finished at university two years ago, I was interested in getting into the horseracing industry, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. I looked at the National Stud course but wasn’t eligible, so I started in accountancy. Then the E2SE opportunity came up and both the content and the timing were perfect.” He adds: “The initial course was really good, because it provided the basic skills, from handling horses down to tractor driving, and because we were split into three groups, we rotated between the National Stud, and two other local stud farms, which was useful because we experienced three different establishments. “When it came to the placement, I favoured Cheveley Park because I knew it was a well-run operation with a good reputation, and its policy of largely breeding to race, rather than breeding to sell, attracted me. It’s given me a huge insight to the breeding season, from seeing the veterinary work to having the opportunity to accompany the mares for covering.” Tabbi Smith picks up the theme, saying: “When the idea was first floated, one of the points that came up from the employers was the need

Tabbi Smith of the National Stud

to make people taking the nine-week course as useful as possible. So, instead of us presenting an employer with someone novice and green, ready to be trained up in the basics, we gave them people as a complete package. “E2SE has no other recruitment criteria other than a passion to do the job. Lack of experience is not a drawback, and nine of the 12 on the initial course had never touched a horse before, but they came with racing and pedigree backgrounds, and encyclopaedic knowledge of racing and history. That’s ideal, because we can teach them the right standards for the industry, and they lap it up.” She adds: “Support from studs has been huge, and we’ve used seven for the placements - Cheveley Park, Shadwell, Blue Diamond, Vauterhill, Egerton, Elwick and the Royal Studs. We spend a lot of time matching people to studs, and so far the feedback from everyone has been very good.”

TBA 3-2-1 Point to Point Bonus Another of this year’s TBA 3-2-1 point-to-point bonuses has been awarded to Rapaport following her run in the Goffs UK Spring Sale P2P Bumper Standard National Hunt Flat Race at Aintree on May 18. The initiative gives the opportunity for owners of mares to win a bonus of up to £3,000 in any of three end-of-season bumpers run under Rules on licensed racecourses. The bonus operates on a sliding scale with the highest-placed mare in each of the bonus races receiving

a £1,000 bonus, a further £1,000 if she is British-bred and another £1,000 if she is owned by a TBA member. Rapaport, who is owned by Nicola Bulgin and trained by her husband Toby Bulgin was fourth at Aintree, making her the highest-placed mare and, being bred in Britain and owned by a TBA member, she was awarded the full bonus of £3,000. The six-year-old daughter of Dr Massini was bred by The Glanvilles Stud in Dorset.

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Breeder of the Month Words Hyperion Promotions Ltd

BREEDER OF THE MONTH - MAY

STOWELL HILL PARTNERS Bob McCreery, who died in 2016, was responsible for breeding Qipco 1,000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook and for putting together the syndicate who race her as Pall Mall Partners & Partners. The syndicate is headed by his widow, Jeanette, with Stowell Hill leasing 50% to the partners who pay half the training fees and keep half the prize-money while the stud retains ownership. Billesdon Brook is out of Coplow, a daughter of Manduro who was placed several times for the same owners. She had already gained considerable kudos by producing two stakes winners from stallions widely considered unfashionable. Billesdon Brook, her second foal, is by Champs Elysees, who now stands as a dual-purpose stallion at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland. She won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last summer, ten days after her half-sister, the year older Dick Turpin filly Billesdon Bess, won the Listed Upavon Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury. It was no surprise when Coplow’s third foal, a filly by Showcasing named World’s Fair, was bought by John Gosden for 380,000gns at Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale. Her fourth foal is a yearling filly by Sepoy and she is now in foal to Dubawi. Darley’s flagship stallion is also the sire of Coplow’s half-sister Anna Nerium, a Group 3 winner who finished seventh behind her close relative in the 1,000 Guineas. Anna Nerium’s own-brother was the ill-fated Piping Rock, who won the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes for the Pall Mall Partners.

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McCreery bought their dam, Anna Oleanda, for 45,000gns at the 2005 Tattersalls December Sale. She was by the French and Irish Derby winner Old Vic, arguably the best horse he bred. Another candidate for that honour is High Top, winner of the 2,000 Guineas in 1972. Both horses were the result of one of McCreery’s early forays into the bloodstock market in 1966. Three years after setting up a breeding operation at Moreton Paddox Stud in Warwickshire, he paid 1,500gns for Camenae. She became the dam of High Top, who went on to be a successful stallion siring a number of Classic winners including Top Ville. In 1980, McCreery moved to Stowell Hill in Somerset from where he bred Old Vic, a son of Sadler’s Wells out of Camenae’s daughter Cockade. The dual Derby winner is the sire of Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King and two Grand National winners. SPECIAL MERIT AWARD – MAY

NEW HALL STUD Gordon Thom could already be considered Scotland’s most successful Flat racehorse breeder even before Sophie P won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita to give the former owner of New Hall Stud his second winner at the highest level. Prior to its sale in 2016, the Ayrshire stud had a band of about 40 broodmares and their followers. The highlight of Thom’s time at New Hall was the achievements of Donna Blini, both on the racecourse, and more significantly, as a broodmare. The daughter of Bertolini fetched

The Pall Mall Partners with Billesdon Brook

20,000gns as a yearling and won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes. At the end of her three-year-old career, Katsumi Yoshida bought her for 500,000gns. In Japan, she became the dam of Gentildonna, who won the Japanese Triple Crown of 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger, before adding two victories in the Japan Cup. The daughter of Deep Impact retired as the highest-earning female racehorse of all time. Thom sold Sophie P privately to local trainer Mike Smith. The daughter of Bushranger and the Giant’s Causeway mare Fountains Abbey won four races and was listed-placed, before Gordian Troeller paid 160,000gns for her at Tattersalls last year. Her breeder has retained an active role in the sport since the sale of his former base. As well as having several horses in training, he keeps a few mares on neighbouring land. His son Stuart and daughter-inlaw Carmen Thom have recently setup Galloway Stud, located south of Newmarket. Stuart Thom was previously stud groom at Lofts Hall Stud and winner of the Godolphin Stud Staff award in 2016.

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Vet Forum: The Expert View

By Rob Pilsworth MRCVS

Crib-biting: vice or virtue?

How and when does it start?

Crib-biting starts young. A large study in the late 1990s, over a four-year period, showed crib-biting established at 20 weeks of age in 10% of the population of over 225 horses studied. This indicates that weaning may play a big part, as this is often the time period where this activity takes place. As weaning progresses naturally, the foal spends increasing amounts of time grazing and decreasing amounts of time sucking (see Fig 2). When man interferes and weans the foal by abrupt removal of the dam, this natural progression from sucking to grazing cannot occur and, in many horses, this may well be the trigger for the development of crib-biting. The same study showed a four-fold increase in the development of cribbiting if concentrate feeding was introduced at the same time. Similarly, weaning the foal either in an isolated stable or indoors in groups in a barn, rather than at grass able to graze, doubled the incidence of crib-biting. Although a genetic basis is postulated for some other stereotypies there is no evidence that this is the case with cribbing. In one large study the genetic basis of approximate 100 ‘cribbers’ and 100 controls was examined in Finn horses and halfbreeds. There were no significant genetic links. So, if this is an acquired

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PIETER RAMZAN

W

ith the sales season just around the corner, over the next few months vets will be spending many a happy hour skulking out of sight in a stable yard, waiting to observe, and so certify for return to the vendor, a ‘crib-biter’ caught in the act (Fig. 1). Crib-biting, like boxwalking and weaving, is ranked as a vice. The very word tells us all we need to know: it’s bad, it’s wrong, no-one wants it. But are we right to assume that this behaviour, one of a group known as stereotypies, is wrong? Stereotypies are defined as repetitive, stylised, behaviour patterns with no obvious biological function, often also seen in caged wild animals. However, there is an increasing body of evidence that ‘cribbing’ may actually be a coping mechanism, useful to the health of the horse.

Figure 1: A horse ‘cribbing’. The jaws firmly grasp the edge of the manger, as the horse ‘gulps’ air into the oesophagus (gullet)

behaviour, we have to look at the reasons why it’s acquired if we want to stop it.

Why do they do it?

One reason may be that it facilitates coping with stress. In an experimental study, 20 crib-biters and non-crib biters were each given a dose of adreno-corticotropic hormone (ACTH). This is the equivalent of subjecting the horses to stress. Following this injection, the level of the hormone which helps us cope with stress, cortisol, was measured in the saliva every half hour. The crib-biting group showed an increase in cortisol following the injection, if they were prevented from crib-biting but showed the same levels as the controls if they were allowed to carry on ‘cribbing’. This research seems to indicate that crib-biting allows the horses to cope better with a stressful situation, amplifying the point that preventing the horse from crib-biting may be the wrong thing to do. Another study monitoring the heart rate of horses which ‘cribbed’ compared to controls showed that the crib-biting group had a higher resting heart rate on average than normal

horses, seeming to indicate that they were inherently more reactive or ‘nervous’ than other horses. During the periods of crib-biting, however, the heart rate lowered to normal, indicating the horses were using crib-biting as a means of coping with stress. In another study, the crib-biting group not only showed lower heart rate and alteration in pain threshold, they also showed a three times higher level of beta-endorphin (the chemical which is the brain’s own morphine-like opiate). This could indicate that crib-biting actually induces a pleasurable experience akin to an opiate ‘hit’. This may be the reason why ‘cribbing’ appears to become addictive with age, even when increased welfare provision is made. It’s not untypical for a hardened cribber to continue to carry out the behaviour on the fence when turned out to grass, even though standing in the middle of a field where it could graze continuously: once a crib-biting ‘junkie’, the habit seems hard to kick.

Is it harmful?

The most common perception among owners is that crib-biting is bad for horses because it produces colic. Most of this stems from an early paper which linked the behaviour to the development of excessive gas within the intestines (flatulent colic). The recent evidence using real-time imaging of horses carrying out the behaviour however, has shown us that the air is not in fact swallowed (see Fig 3) but is belched back out again from the oesophagus, casting doubt on this appealing but probably erroneous link. Several other studies have shown an association between crib-biting/ wind-sucking and colic in horses, but it has to be emphasised that this is just that – an association. No causal link has ever been established. Given that we now know that crib-biters also have higher acid levels in the digestive tract, and an increased prevalence of stomach ulcers, and we know that both of these factors can produce an increase in observed colic, isn’t it more likely that this group of horses have an underlying problem with coping with the feed they are given. This problem manifests itself by the development

››

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Vet Forum: The Expert View two are linked, but one does not cause the other. In one study, the development of colic was linked not only to an increase in crib-biting, but also to the stabling of the horses off grass in Autumn, and again in this situation both the cribbiting and the colic could be attributed to a lack of the horse’s ability to graze, rather than the time of year. This is the problem with associations in research. As a direct result of the finding that stomach ulceration and increased acid was linked to ‘cribbers’, further research showed that feeding of antacids to these horses reduced the behaviour significantly. This suggests that the horses are crib-biting because of the increased acidity and ulceration in their stomachs, rather than the latter being caused by crib-biting. Several anecdotally effective commercial products are now available, aimed directly at producing stomach comfort, but with the intended end-result of reducing cribbing. There is even some evidence that cribbing may increase saliva flow into the stomach, bicarbonate rich saliva being a natural antacid.

How can we stop it?

Treatments aimed at reducing cribbing include invasive surgery (see inset box) making the horse physically incapable of grasping a fixed object, and gulping air. Given that we have already noted that cribbing is a need in the affected horse, and actually helps them cope with the inappropriate environment, is a surgery that physically prevents them from being able to carry out the behaviour not tantamount to cruelty? For the same reason the fitting of anti-crib biting collars should be discouraged. These work primarily by punishing the horse for attempting to crib-bite. They do so by the pain experienced by the horse in attempting to arch the neck. There is no doubt that in many horses these collars are effective, but should we be using them? In one study, two research workers who have led the way in this field, Christine Nichol and Paul McGreevy, assessed the effectiveness of anti-cribbing collars in eight horses. They found that the collars prevented the activity in six of the eight, but when the collars were removed after 24 hours, these horses showed a rebound in crib-biting behaviour, increasing it well above the frequency

COURTESY OF PROF. PAUL MCGREEVY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

›› of wind-sucking and colic. So, yes, the

Figure 2: A graph showing the incremental crossover between sucking (blue) and grazing (red) that happens very gradually during natural weaning. Preventing this may encourage the development of ‘cribbing’

seen prior to prevention. In one study using an even more harsh method of inflicting pain on cribbiters, they were fitted with a device that gave an electric shock every time they ‘cribbed’. Sixty horses were enrolled on the study. At first sight, it seemed to have a very high cure rate. However, long-term follow up of these horses showed that only nine were persistently ‘cured’ and of those, three required further re- enforcement at nine months, so only 10% stopped cribbing long term. In other words, these horses clearly have a motivation and need to crib-bite. When they are prevented from doing so, once the prevention mechanism is removed, they are even more keen than previously to crib-bite. Behaviours of this sort are usually thought to be functional, (i.e. have a useful purpose), so then is it wrong to try to prevent such behaviour?

Prevention is better than cure

We know for certain that once cribbiting is established it’s very difficult to eradicate. The emphasis therefore has to be on the prevention. One large study in Switzerland showed that the biggest steps we could take are to allow horses increased socialisation and tactile contact (mutual grooming is a normal part of behaviour in groups of horses housed outside). Free

movement in the paddock also had a preventative effect, as did the feeding of a high roughage diet with little or no concentrate. In the thoroughbred racehorse, most of these are difficult or impossible to achieve in the adult, but some steps could be taken in this direction. For instance, having a grill-panel between adjacent boxes, which allows horses to see each other without being able to bite or kick. Similarly, the provision of ad-lib forage between concentrate meals, so allowing them to forage whenever they feel the need to eat, rather than to have to wait until we decide it is time for them to do so. The main push however has to come in the young foal, at or around the time of weaning, when this behaviour often establishes. Great effort should be made to make the weaning period as stress-free as possible. Weaning should always take place in groups, out in the paddock, so that the foal which has just been prevented from sucking the dam can immediately turn its attention to grazing (see Fig 2). It is clearly time that we reappraised our ideas about this behaviour and a good first step in this direction would be to drop the term stable vice in its description. Even the veterinary profession have done the horse no favours, coining the ‘posh’ technical term for ‘cribbing’, aerophagia.

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biting may be a way for the horse to cope with some of our sub-optimal husbandry practices. While we may not like the aesthetics of observing horses crib-biting, this is not a good enough reason to deprive them of an activity useful to their wellbeing. In other examples of behavioural stereotypy, relatively simple

Aerophagia translated means ‘swallowing air’, and we now know that horses don’t actually swallow it, so this term too should be dropped. We need to look closely at how we keep horses. We are so used to the fact that this highly social herd grazing herbivore is kept isolated individually in a box, unable to graze or exercise, that we take if for granted. Crib-

management practices have reaped dividends. For instance, the provision of a large safety-mirror will prevent many horses box-walking. Similarly, horses which were allowed visual access to other horses on all four sides of their stable ceased to weave completely. We probably need to devise similar strategies to cope with, not prevent, crib-biting.

Five things you thought you knew about crib-biting that are wrong Horses which crib-bite and wind-suck swallow the air into their stomach and intestines

Crib-biting causes colic

Wrong. While several studies have shown that there is an association between crib-biters and colic, a causal link has never been shown. Other associations have been proven, however, which may explain the link (see ‘Is it harmful?’).

Wrong. Radiographic studies done using real-time fluoroscopy have shown that the grunting experienced during crib biting is produced simply by air ballooning the oesophagus. It’s not swallowed, and is expelled again through the mouth after each grunt (see Fig 3).

COURTESY PROF. PAUL MCGREEVY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Figure 3: A radiograph of the type used to show that the air (dark shadow) only balloons the oesophagus, and comes back out again. It is not swallowed

Horses learn to crib-bite and wind-suck if allowed to observe others doing so

Wrong. In a large owners’ survey carried out in America, 50% of owners thought that crib-biting was learnt, but only 1% thought that they had observed this to happen. The most common way people deal with this ‘risk’ is to make sure no other horses could see a horse crib-bite. Given that this also means that the cribber can also see no other horse, this is just about the worst thing we can do, as we know isolation increases the behaviour. There has been no scientific evidence ever produced that crib-biting is a learnt or copied behaviour.

Crib-biters lose condition

Wrong. Although the time and energy spent cribbing can reduce time for nutrition, and thus bodily condition, other correlates of crib-biting such as the presence of stomach ulcers, increased acid, and decreased gut function also contribute. Many of these problems will get worse if crib-biting is prevented. Some elite racehorses, competing at the top level, have been cribbers, but no-one ever likes to shout about them.

Crib-biting is curable

Wrong. Surgical techniques have been developed to prevent horses crib-biting. These procedures involve removal of the lower neck muscles and the nerves to throat in an attempt to physically prevent the horse from being able to grasp objects and intake air. Not only are these surgeries often ineffective (in most studies a cure rate of 50% or less is recorded), it’s also akin to amputating the hand of a child to prevent it scratching, when in fact we should be addressing the cause of the itch.

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Dr Statz

John Boyce cracks the code

Cape Cross’s Classic influence is a factor in Masar’s existence M asar’s thrilling Derby success focussed much attention on several interesting aspects about his pedigree. First there was the fact that he was the third consecutive winner of the Blue Riband from his male line, Galileo having won in 2001 and his son New Approach in 2008. This feat was last achieved by Mill Reef (1971), Shirley Heights (1978) and Slip Anchor (1985). Epsom also reminded us once again of the Classic heritage of Masar’s broodmare sire Cape Cross. This was a second success in the Epsom Classic for the former Darley stallion as a broodmare sire, having already sired the great Ouija Board, dam of the 2014 Derby winner Australia (by Galileo). In fact, we can be quite certain that Australia’s success played a big part in the decision to send Masar’s dam Khawlah to Galileo’s son New Approach. Of course, Cape Cross also sired two Derby winners in Sea The Stars (2009) and Golden Horn (2015). Sea The Stars, being a half-brother to Galileo, further cemented the close ties between Galileo and Cape Cross. Cape Cross spent his entire career at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, producing 16 crops, the last of them two-year-olds of 2018. He started out at a fee of only IR£8,000 which was changed to €10,000 in his third season after the euro came along. In his heyday he had four seasons covering at €50,000, before gradually dropping to €20,000 by the time he retired from covering in 2015. His was a classic rags-to-riches story. By the time his first major winner emerged – Ouija Board in the 2004 Oaks – Cape Cross was looking like a useful stallion who produced his fair share of sprinter-milers, the average winning distance of his offspring being 8.4 furlongs. The 11 stakes winners from his first crop were produced at a rate of 13.9%, well ahead of the 3.5% usually expected from his mares. This – and more importantly – the fact he got a double Oaks winner set his career on an altogether different path. But Cape Cross was never a middledistance influence in the same way as a Galileo or a Montjeu. With all the stouter mares covered over the years, his stamina index rose to only 9.1 furlongs. Crucially though, his four top-rated runners, Sea The Stars (140), Golden Horn (134), Behkabad

NEW APPROACH’s northern hemisphere Group winners

Form

Horse

Born

Sex

Dam

Broodmare Sire

G1w G1w G1w G1w G1w G1w G2wG1p G2wG1p G2wG1p G2wG1p G2wG1p G2w G2w G3w G3w G3w G3w

DAWN APPROACH ELLIPTIQUE MASAR POTEMKIN SULTANINA TALENT BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE HERALD THE DAWN LIBERTARIAN MESSI NEARLY CAUGHT CONNECTICUT STRATHSPEY CAP O'RUSHES CEISTEACH NEWFANGLED VENETO

2010 2011 2015 2011 2010 2010 2012 2013 2010 2010 2010 2011 2014 2010 2011 2010 2013

C C C G F F F C C G G G F G F F C

HYMN OF THE DAWN URYALE KHAWLAH PRAIA SOFT CENTRE PROWESS MAZUNA HYMN OF THE DAWN INTRUM MORSHAAN MESSINA KATCH ME KATIE CRAIGMILL PERFECT NOTE VALLEY OF GOLD CEIST EILE SCARLET IBIS VENIA LEGENDI

PHONE TRICK KENDOR CAPE CROSS BIG SHUFFLE ZAFONIC PEINTRE CELEBRE CAPE CROSS PHONE TRICK DARSHAAN DASHING BLADE DANEHILL SLIP ANCHOR SHAMARDAL SHIRLEY HEIGHTS NOVERRE MACHIAVELLIAN ZINAAD

(125) and Ouija Board (125) all relished a mile and a half. We can expect many more owners of Cape Cross mares to be considering New Approach in future. It’s a cross that has already produced the Group 2-winning Beautiful Romance, while New Approach’s first-crop son Tha’ir, out of a mare by Cape Cross’s sire, landed the Chesham. That Listed victory, together with Newfangled’s Group 3 Albany win and Dawn Approach’s Group 2 Coventry score, heralded the amazing first crop of New Approach six years ago. After all, no sire had before got three Royal Ascot juvenile stakes winners in the same year. Six years on and New Approach’s career has settled down into one of a respectable middledistance influence. But had it not been for

Masar: the Derby victor is inbred to the Arc winner Urban Sea and to Ahonoora

his exciting first crop that also featured Oaks heroine Talent and Nassau scorer Sultanina, New Approach would not have covered many of the good mares currently contributing to his present-day success. Another noteworthy aspect of Masar’s pedigree is his inbreeding to the outstanding Arc winner Urban Sea, the dam of New Approach’s sire Galileo and fourth dam of Masar. Urban Sea’s heritage is such that we are bound to see more inbreeding to this great mare in years to come. We will also see it when breeders start to combine Galileo with his halfbrother Sea The Stars. Not surprisingly, this has already started to happen. There are currently four runners and two winners by Sea The Stars out of Galileo mares, creating 2x3 inbreeding to Urban Sea. So far, Masar is the only major winner inbred to the Arc winner from eight northern hemisphere foaled runners. Masar is also inbred to the Group 2-winning, 122-rated sprinter Ahonoora, through two great mares owned by Lodge Park Stud – Park Appeal, dam of Cape Cross, and Park Express, dam of New Approach. And you have to concede that with 29 stakes winners in the northern hemisphere (4.6% of runners) it has been used wisely. By comparison, the corresponding figure for Danehill is 25 stakes winners, or 3.8% of runners. Significantly, there are six (24%) Group horses by New Approach inbred to Ahonoora.

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Data Book • Analysis by Andrew Caulfield European Pattern 38 QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS STAKES G1 NEWMARKET. May 5. 3yoc&f. 8f.

1. SAXON WARRIOR (JPN) 9-0 £283,550 b c by Deep Impact - Maybe (Galileo) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Tip Two Win (GB) 9-0 £107,500 gr c by Dark Angel - Freddie’s Girl (More Than Ready) O-Mrs Anne Cowley B-Mrs A. Cowley TR-Roger Teal 3. Masar (IRE) 9-0 £53,800 ch c by New Approach - Khawlah (Cape Cross) O-Godolphin B-Godolphin Management Company Ltd TR-Charlie Appleby Margins 1.5, Head. Time 1:36.50. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 5 4 1 £555,887 Sire: DEEP IMPACT. Sire of 118 Stakes winners. In 2018 - JOUR POLAIRE Helissio G1, KEIAI NAUTIQUE Smarty Jones G1, SAXON WARRIOR Galileo G1, STUDY OF MAN Storm Cat G1, WAGNERIAN King Kamehameha G1, DANON PREMIUM Intikhab G2, KATSUJI White Muzzle G2, SATONO WALKURE Roi Normand G2, SUNGRAZER Deputy Minister G2, ANDRIETTE Silver Deputy G3, CANTABILE Galileo G3, KAWAKITA ENKA Kurofune G3, PRIMO SCENE Fastnet Rock G3, SATONO ARTHUR Redoute’s Choice G3. 1st Dam: MAYBE by Galileo. Champion 2yr old filly in Europe in 2011. 5 wins at 2, Moyglare Stud S G1, 3rd Qipco 1000 Guineas G1. Own sister to PROMISE TO BE TRUE. Dam of 2 winners:

2014:

2015:

2017:

Pavlenko (f Deep Impact) Winner at 3, 3rd Platinum S LR. SAXON WARRIOR (c Deep Impact). 4 wins at 2 and 3, Racing Post Trophy S G1, Qipco 2000 Guineas G1, Juddmonte Beresford S G2. (c American Pharoah)

2nd Dam: SUMORA by Danehill. 2 wins at 2 stanjamesuk.com St Hugh’s S LR. Dam of MAYBE (f Galileo, see above), PROMISE TO BE TRUE (f Galileo: Turkey Jockey Club Silver Flash S G3, 2nd Total Prix Marcel Boussac G1, 3rd Criterium International G1) Broodmare Sire: GALILEO. Sire of the dams of 109 Stakes winners. In 2018 - AGE OF FIRE Fastnet Rock G1, HERO’S HONOUR Await The Dawn G1, LEICESTER Wanted G1, SAXON WARRIOR Deep Impact G1, SISTERCHARLIE Myboycharlie G1, THE AUTUMN SUN Redoute’s Chance G1, UNFORGOTTEN Fastnet Rock G1. The Deep Impact/Galileo cross has produced: SAXON WARRIOR G1, VANQUISH RUN G2, CANTABILE G3, Pavlenko LR.

SAXON WARRIOR b c 2015 Halo Sunday Silence DEEP IMPACT b 02

Wishing Well

Understanding Mountain Flower

Alzao

Lyphard Lady Rebecca

Burghclere

Busted Highclere

Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Rain Flower

Indian Ridge Rose of Jericho

Wind In Her Hair

Galileo MAYBE b 09

Hail To Reason Cosmah

Sumora

As a winner of the Japanese Triple Crown, including the Kikuka Sho over 15 furlongs, Deep Impact tends to be thought of as a true stayer especially when he also won the Tenno Sho over two miles. In fact he never tackled a distance shorter than a mile and a quarter, the distance of his two-year-old win and of his Japanese 2,000 Guineas victory. However, he is capable of siring top winners over a mile, including four consecutive winners of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) and

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one of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. On May 5, Saxon Warrior became his first son to win a Classic over a mile when he stretched his unbeaten record to four in the 2,000 Guineas, to start short-lived speculation that he could become the first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1970. Less than 24 hours after Saxon Warrior’s win, Deep Impact was responsible for first and second - Keiai Nautique and Gibeon - in the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo, to underline his ability to sire top milers. Deep Impact has now been champion sire in Japan for six consecutive years, earning himself the description of Japan’s answer to Galileo. Saxon Warrior represents a combination of these two great stallions, as he is the second foal of Galileo’s champion juvenile filly Maybe. Saxon Warrior’s older sister Pavlenko proved disappointing, although she has been Listed placed, but the cross is thriving, as it has also produced Vanquish Run, a Group 2 winner over a mile and a half in Japan, and Cantabile, a Group 3 winner over nine furlongs as a three-year-old in 2018. These three Group winners come from a sample of 13 foals of racing age, which equates to 23% Group winners. Maybe’s next foal is a 2017 colt by American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Maybe was at her most effective as a two-year-old, when she followed up her Chesham Stakes success with three Group wins, culminating in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Fifth behind her 20-1 stablemate Was in the Oaks, Maybe was then dropped back to a mile but failed to reproduce her juvenile form. Her sister Promise To Be True ran only once at three after being placed in both the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac and Group 1 Criterium International at two. Sumora, the dam of these Galileo fillies, is by Danehill, the broodmare sire of 11 other Group 1 winners by Galileo, including Frankel, Teofilo and Intello. Sumora herself is closely related to the Oaks and German Oaks winner Dancing Rain, who was sired by Danehill Dancer from her dam Rain Goddess. Sumora was a hard-pulling type at two, when she earned a Timeform rating of 105 over five furlongs, and she then raised her rating to 109 at three, racing mainly at up to six furlongs. Sumora’s speed was in line with her pedigree, as this daughter of Danehill is out of a mare by the high-class sprinter Indian Ridge, himself a son of the very fast Ahonoora. However, Maybe’s second dam, the unraced Rain Flower, was a three-parts-sister to Ahonoora’s Derby-winning son, Dr Devious. Saxon Warrior’s fourth dam, the unraced Alleged mare Rose Of Jericho, enjoyed considerable success as a broodmare, producing the speedy Archway and the

Japanese Group 1 winner Shinko King in addition to Dr Devious. 39 QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS STAKES G1 NEWMARKET. May 6. 3yof. 8f.

1. BILLESDON BROOK (GB) 9-0 £310,487 ch f by Champs Elysees - Coplow (Manduro) O-Pall Mall Partners & Partners B-Stowell Hill Partners TR-Richard Hannon 2. Laurens (FR) 9-0 £117,713 b f by Siyouni - Recambe (Cape Cross) O-Mr John Dance B-Bloodstock Agency Ltd TR-K. R. Burke 3. Happily (IRE) 9-0 £58,911 b f by Galileo - You’resothrilling (Storm Cat) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Orpendale & Chelston Ireland TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 1.75, 0.5. Time 1:36.60. Going Good to Firm. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 10 4 5 £367,354 Sire: CHAMPS ELYSEES. Sire of 21 Stakes winners. In 2018 - BILLESDON BROOK Manduro G1, HARLEM Nayef G1, ELYSEA’S WORLD Singspiel G3, BARSANTI Zafonic LR. 1st Dam: Coplow by Manduro. Dam of 2 winners:

2014: 2015:

2016: 2017:

BILLESDON BESS (f Dick Turpin) 4 wins at 2 and 3, British Stallion Studs EBF Upavon S LR. BILLESDON BROOK (f Champs Elysees) 4 wins at 2 and 3, Qipco 1000 Guineas S G1, Grosvenor Sport Prestige S G3, 3rd Longines EBF Star S LR. World’s Fair (f Showcasing) unraced to date. (f Sepoy)

2nd Dam: ANNA OLEANDA by Old Vic. 2 wins at 3 in Germany. Own sister to ANNO LUCE. Dam of MIDDLE CLUB (f Fantastic Light: Prix d’Aumale G3, 2nd Oaks d’Italia G2), ANNA NERIUM (f Dubawi: BathwickTyres Dick Poole S G3), PIPING ROCK (c Dubawi: Worthington’s Horris Hill S G3), Anna Mona (f Monsun: 3rd Prix de Royaumont G3), Anna Royal (f Royal Dragon: 3rd Premio EBF Terme di Merano LR, Kolner Stuten Trophy LR) Broodmare Sire: MANDURO. Sire of the dams of 3 Stakes winners.

BILLESDON BROOK ch f 2015 Danzig

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom

Razyana

His Majesty Spring Adieu

Kahyasi

Ile de Bourbon Kadissya

Kerali

High Line Sookera

Monsun

Konigsstuhl Mosella

Mandellicht

Be My Guest Mandelauge

Old Vic

Sadler’s Wells Cockade

Anna Paola

Prince Ippi Antwerpen

Danehill CHAMPS ELYSEES b 03 Hasili

Manduro COPLOW ch 09 Anna Oleanda

Four years after Dansili supplied the 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France, his younger brother Champs Elysees rather unexpectedly followed in his footsteps, with his daughter Billesdon Brook taking the same Classic at 66-1. Perhaps one reason why Billesdon Brook was virtually unconsidered is the fact that Champs Elysees is now employed primarily as a sire of jumpers at Coolmore’s National Hunt division, at a fee of E6,500. His transfer to Ireland followed a book of only 54 mares in 2016. He had received only 49 mares three years earlier and books of this size make it very difficult for a stallion to enjoy consistent success. As a brother to Dansili, Cacique, Banks Hill and Intercontinental, Champs Elysses hadn’t always struggled for support.

This three-time Group 1 winner over a mile and a half in North America made a promising start in 2013 and consequently covered 155 mares at a fee of £5,000 in 2014 - one of them being Billesdon Brook’s dam Coplow. Champs Elysees has now been represented by three Group 1 winners, the others being the 2018 Australian Cup winner Harlem and the popular Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris. Billesdon Brook’s pedigree pays tribute to the late Bob McCreery. His Stowell Hill operation produced the Classic winners High Top (2,000 Guineas) and Old Vic (an impressive winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club and Irish Derby), with Old Vic being a son of High Top’s sister Cockade. This family link was surely part of the attraction when McCreery bought Old Vic’s daughter Anna Oleanda for 45,000gns at the 2005 December Sales. Anna Oleanda comes from an outstanding German family, her dam being the German champion Anna Paola, who had several successful broodmare daughters. McCreery was responsible for the matings which produced Anna Oleanda’s last seven foals and six of them won. The only non-winner was Billesdon Brook’s dam Coplow, a Manduro filly who came closest to success when beaten half a length in a ten-furlong Newbury maiden. McCreery first sent Anna Oleanda to Fantastic Light to produce Middle Club, a Group 3 juvenile winner who became a very useful middledistance performer. Middle Club’s talent earned Anna Oleanda a chance to visit Dubawi. Her first foal by him, Piping Rock, won his three starts as a two-year-old, including the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes, before dying from colic. Anna Nerium, the last of her three Dubawis, also became a Group 3 winner at two, in the Dick Poole Stakes, and has also won the Free Handicap. Anna Oleanda is now dead, but several of her daughters already have winners to their name, with Coplow doing best. In addition to Billesdon Brook, she has produced the ten-furlong Listed winner Billesdon Bess, the only black-type winner so far by Dick Turpin. World’s Fair, Coplow’s 2016 filly by Showcasing, sold for 380,000gns as a yearling. 40 THE EMIRATES POULE D’ESSAI DES POULAINS G1 PARISLONGCHAMP. May 13. 3yoc. 1600m.

1. OLMEDO (FR) 9-2 £303,398 b c by Declaration Of War - Super Pie (Pivotal) O-A. Caro/G. Augustin-Normand B-Dream With Me Stable TR-Jean Claude Rouget £121,381 2. Hey Gaman (GB) 9-2 b c by New Approach - Arsaadi (Dubawi) O-Mr Sultan Ali B-Godolphin Management Company Limited (Rabbah) TR-James Tate £60,690 3. Dice Roll (FR) 9-2 ch c by Showcasing - Schlague (Pulpit) O-Mr G. Algranti B-G Zur Kurste TR-F. Chappet Margins Neck, Nose. Time 1:37.72. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 6 2 3 £411,155

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Data Book European Pattern Sire: DECLARATION OF WAR. Sire of 4 Stakes winners. In 2018 - OLMEDO Pivotal G1, ACTRESS Gulch G3, SPEED FRANCO Street Sense G3. 1st Dam: SUPER PIE by Pivotal. Winner at 3 in France. Dam of 2 winners:

2013: 2015:

SUPER MAC (c Makfi) 5 wins at 2 to 4 in France. OLMEDO (c Declaration of War) Sold 70,028gns yearling at ARAU2. 2 wins at 2 and 3 in France, Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains G1, 2nd Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere - Al Hazm G1, Prix de Fontainebleau G3, Prix des Chenes G3.

2nd Dam: Super Lina by Linamix. 1 win at 2 in France, 2nd Prix Penelope G3. Dam of Art Contemporain (c Smart Strike: 3rd Prix Noailles G2) Broodmare Sire: PIVOTAL. Sire of the dams of 77 Stakes winners. In 2018 - CRACKSMAN Frankel G1, OLMEDO Declaration Of War G1, RHODODENDRON Galileo G1, DEFOE Dalakhani G2, MABS CROSS Dutch Art G3.

OLMEDO b c 2015 Danzig

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom

Starry Dreamer

Rubiano Lara’s Star

Rahy

Blushing Groom Glorious Song

Tempo

Gone West Terpsichorist

Polar Falcon

Nureyev Marie d’Argonne

Fearless Revival

Cozzene Stufida

Linamix

Mendez Lunadix

Supergirl

Woodman Southern Seas

War Front DECLARATION OF WAR b 09 Tempo West

Pivotal SUPER PIE ch 08 Super Lina

There has been a spate of northern hemisphere Classic success for the progeny of first-crop stallions in recent years, including Nathaniel, Frankel, Bodemeister, Rajsaman, Le Havre, Uncle Mo and Wootton Bassett. The latest addition to the list is Declaration Of War, sire of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Olmedo. Declaration Of War’s final racecourse appearance saw him finish an excellent third, beaten only a neck, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on dirt. The son of War Front had also been a champion on turf, thanks to his victories in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes and Group 1 Juddmonte International. Declaration Of War was to spend only one season at Coolmore before being transferred to Ashford Stud in Kentucky. His first crop also includes the talented European fillies Actress and Eirene, and the talented American turf performer Super Franco. Olmedo’s win in the Poulains was his first at Group level, but he had shown plenty of ability on all four of his previous starts. After an impressive debut win, he had been beaten only a short head in the Group 3 Prix des Chenes before coming out best of the colts in Happily’s Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. He had then finished only a head behind Wootton in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. He runs as though he may have enough stamina to shine at around ten furlongs. Olmedo’s dam Super Pie is by Pivotal but, like many daughters of this high-class sprinter, she stayed better than her sire, as she showed in winning a near-ten furlong newcomers’ race at Deauville. The

next dam, the Linamix mare Super Lina, was second in the Group 3 Prix Penelope over ten and a half furlongs and fourth in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary over ten furlongs. Olmedo cost E100,000 as a yearling, which is a comparatively modest sum for a colt of his bloodlines. His second dam is a half-sister to the Group 2 Prix Noailles winner Super Celebre, who in 2003 chased home Dalakhani in both the Group 1 Prix Lupin and the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club, the latter over a mile and a half. Third dam Supergirl never raced but had the distinction of being a half-sister to several of Daniel Wildenstein’s stakes winners, headed by Steinlen, winner of the Arlington Million and the Breeders’ Cup Mile. 41 THE EMIRATES POULE D’ESSAI DES POULICHES G1 PARISLONGCHAMP. May 13. 3yof. 1600m.

1. TEPPAL (FR) 9-0 £252,832 b f by Camacho - Jummana (Cadeaux Genereux) O-H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani B-Gestut Zur Kuste AG TR-David Simcock 2. Coeur De Beaute (FR) 9-0 £101,150 b f by Dabirsim - Twilight Tear (Rock of Gibraltar) O-Mr A. Mouknass B-Haras De Grandcamp Earl TR-Mauricio Delcher Sanchez 3. Wind Chimes (GB) 9-0 £50,575 gr f by Mastercraftsman - Militante (Johannesburg) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Ecurie Des Monceaux TR-A. Fabre Margins Short Neck, Head. Time 1:37.97. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 3 3 0 £261,241 Sire: CAMACHO. Sire of 14 Stakes winners. In 2018 TEPPAL Cadeaux Genereux G1, MY CATCH Barathea G3, SIGNORA CABELLO Night Shift LR. 1st Dam: JUMMANA by Cadeaux Genereux. Winner at 2. Own sister to PARTY. Dam of 5 winners:

2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: 2015:

2017:

Whiskey Talk (g Cape Cross) (c Falbrav) Genereux Present (c Soviet Star) LA MADRAGA (f Dr Fong) 2 wins at 3 in France. Jouemoisen (f Hernando) unraced. Another Party (c Pomellato) 4 wins at 2 and 3 in France, 2nd Prix d’Arenberg G3, Prix du Bois G3, Prix du Pin G3. Gonzeville (f Le Havre) JASS (c American Post) Winner at 3 in France. JEVOUSVOISENCORE (c American Post) Winner at 3 in France. TEPPAL (f Camacho) Sold 42,016gns yearling at ARAU2. 3 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1. (c Showcasing)

2nd Dam: Forty Belles by Forty Niner. Dam of PARTY (f Cadeaux Genereux: Racing Post Radley S LR). Grandam of OBSERVATIONAL. Broodmare Sire: CADEAUX GENEREUX. Sire of the dams of 62 Stakes winners. In 2018 - TEPPAL Camacho G1, HARRY ANGEL Dark Angel G2, WELL TIMED Holy Roman Emperor G2, DIAPHORA Pivotal LR.

TEPPAL b f 2015 Danzig

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom

Razyana

His Majesty Spring Adieu

Zafonic

Gone West Zaizafon

Prophecy

Warning Andaleeb

Danehill CAMACHO b 02 Arabesque

Cadeaux Genereux JUMMANA ch 00

Young Generation Balidar Brig O’Doon Smarten Up

Sharpen Up L’Anguissola

Forty Niner

Mr Prospector File

Bellarida

Bellypha Lerida

Forty Belles

Little more than an hour after Showcasing’s son Dice Roll had finished a narrowly-beaten third in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Showcasing’s older half-brother Camacho sprang a sizeable surprise when his daughter Teppal landed the Pouliches. On her previous appearances, at two, Teppal had won a novice maiden auction race at Lingfield by a neck and a novice race over Kempton’s all-weather track by four lengths. During a brief career, Camacho had won a Newmarket maiden race at two before winning a six-furlong Listed race at Haydock and finishing second in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes. After two disappointing efforts he was retired to Morristown Lattin Stud at a small fee. His main appeal was that he was a son of Danehill and had a Cheveley Park Stakes winner, Prophecy, as his second dam. He was qualified to become an effective sire of two-year-olds and this he has done, even though demand for his services has fluctuated wildly over the years. Although he had 76 foals in his fifth crop in 2011, he had only 20 foals the following year, a mere four in 2013 and 30 in 2014. Then his larger 2011 crop did extremely well at two in 2013, with Green Door and My Catch becoming Group winners, while Ambiance, Beldale Memory and Hurryupharriet all scored at Listed level. Naturally there was renewed demand for Camacho’s services in 2014. The result was a 2015 crop of 88, one of which is Teppal. Incidentally, there wasn’t a single stakes winner for Camacho in his small crops of 2012, 2013, and 2014, but it should pay to keep an eye on his 2018 two-year-olds, which come from his largest crop, numbering 102. Teppal cost E105,000 as a two-year-old at Arqana. Her dam Jummana was a fairly useful sevenfurlong winner at two and is a sister to Party, a seven-furlong Listed winner who later showed she stayed a mile and a quarter. Teppal’s third dam Bellarida won the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont over a similar distance. Teppal is the ninth Group winner descending from Bellarida. Significantly, several of the others were also sired by sons of Danehill, with Dansili siring the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner We Are and her sister With You, Cacique the Hong Kong Group 1 winner Dominant, and Clodovil the Group 2 Lennox Stakes winner Es Que Love. 42 AL SHAQAB LOCKINGE STAKES G1 NEWBURY. May 19. 4yo+. 8f.

1. RHODODENDRON (IRE) 4 8-11 £198,485 b f by Galileo - Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Lightning Spear (GB) 7 9-0 £75,250 ch h by Pivotal - Atlantic Destiny (Royal Academy)

O-Qatar Racing Limited B-Newsells Park Stud Limited TR-David Simcock 3. Lancaster Bomber (USA) 4 9-0 £37,660 b c by War Front - Sun Shower (Indian Ridge) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Sun Shower Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins Short Head, 2.75. Time 1:35.00. Going Good to Firm. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-4 13 5 6 £1,309,796 Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 283 Stakes winners. In 2018 FOREVER TOGETHER Theatrical G1, RHODODENDRON Pivotal G1, CALL TO MIND Danehill Dancer G2, CLIFFS OF MOHER Dansili G2, MISSION IMPASSIBLE Exceed And Excel G2, WALDGEIST Monsun G2, BYE BYE BABY Danehill Dancer G3, CAPRI Anabaa G3, IDAHO Danehill G3, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G3, PLATINUM WARRIOR Clodovil G3. 1st Dam: HALFWAY TO HEAVEN by Pivotal. 4 wins at 2 and 3, Boylesports Irish 1000 Guineas G1, Blue Square Nassau S G1, Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S G1, 3rd Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron S G1, Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1. Dam of 5 winners:

2010:

2011: 2012: 2014:

2015: 2017:

FLYING THE FLAG (c Galileo) 3 wins at 2, 3 and 5 at home, UAE, eFlow ‘You First’ International S G3, 2nd Galileo EBF Futurity S G2. JUST GORGEOUS (f Galileo) Winner at 3. Broodmare. HANOVER STREET (g Galileo) Winner over hurdles. RHODODENDRON (f Galileo). 5 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, Dubai Fillies’ Mile S G1, Al Shaqab Lockinge S G1, Prix de l’Opera Longines G1, Breast Cancer Research Debutante S G2, 2nd Investec Oaks S G1, Qipco 1000 Guineas G1, Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf G1, 3rd Moyglare Stud S G1. MAGICAL (f Galileo). 2 wins at 2, Breast Cancer Research Debutante S G2, 2nd Moyglare Stud S G1. (f Galileo)

2nd Dam: CASSANDRA GO by Indian Ridge. 6 wins at 3 to 5 King’s Stand S G2, Tripleprint Temple S G2, 2nd Darley July Cup G1. Own sister to Grey Eminence. Dam of HALFWAY TO HEAVEN (f Pivotal, see above), TICKLED PINK (f Invincible Spirit: Connaught Flooring Abernant S G3, The Coral Charge Sprint S G3), THEANN (f Rock of Gibraltar: Cuisine de France Summer S G3). Grandam of PHOTO CALL, BEST REGARDS. Third dam of Snazzy. Broodmare Sire: PIVOTAL. Sire of the dams of 77 Stakes winners. In 2018 - CRACKSMAN Frankel G1, OLMEDO Declaration of War G1, RHODODENDRON Galileo G1, DEFOE Dalakhani G2, MABS CROSS Dutch Art G3. The Galileo/Pivotal cross has produced: HYDRANGEA G1, MAGICAL G1, RHODODENDRON G1, THE UNITED STATES G1, FLYING THE FLAG G2, GOSPEL CHOIR G2, ORDEROFTHEGARTER G3, SILVER GALAXY G3, Tamarind Cove G3, Flattering LR.

RHODODENDRON b f 2014 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Polar Falcon

Nureyev Marie d’Argonne

Sadler’s Wells GALILEO b 98 Urban Sea

Pivotal HALFWAY TO HEAVEN b/br 05

Fearless Revival

Cozzene Stufida

Indian Ridge

Ahonoora Hillbrow

Rahaam

Secreto Fager’s Glory

Cassandra Go

There was a period in the noughties when fillies enjoyed a lot of success in the Lockinge Stakes, with Russian Rhythm, Peeress and Red Evie all winning in the space of four years. Red Evie, of course, became the dam of Galileo’s Arc-winning daughter Found, and the Coolmore partners must have high hopes that Rhododendron, the 2018 Lockinge winner, will also develop into a top

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CAULFIELD ON TEPPAL: “The Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine is the ninth Group winner descending from Bellarida. Significantly, several of the others were also sired by sons of Danehill” broodmare. This daughter of Galileo has enjoyed Group 1 success at the ages of two, three and four, in addition to finishing second in the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks. Rhododendron’s ability to win a Group 1 over a mile as a four-year-old surely owes a lot to the speed elements in the bottom half of her pedigree. Her first two dams, Halfway To Heaven and Cassandra Go, are respectively daughters of the sprinters Pivotal and Indian Ridge. Daughters of Pivotal now have eight black-type winners from 31 foals of racing age by Galileo, which equates to a remarkable 26%. Rhododendron’s brother Flying The Flag was a Group 3 ten-furlong winner and her Group-winning younger sister Magical failed by only a short head to win the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Their dam Halfway To Heaven won the Irish 1,000 Guineas before stretching her stamina to win the Group 1 Nassau Stakes over ten furlongs. Cassandra Go was a specialist sprinter, fast enough to win the King’s Stand, Temple and King George Stakes. Speed was also the main asset of Cassandra Go’s Group 3-winning daughter Theann. When Theann was mated to Galileo, she produced Photo Call, who was sold for $3 million after becoming a Grade 1 winner in the USA. Cassandra Go’s half-sister Persian Secret was a Listed winner over a mile but her son Do The Honours was a very smart sprinter. Cassandra Go was also a half-sister to Verglas, a Coventry Stakes winner. 43 TATTERSALLS IRISH 2000 GUINEAS G1 CURRAGH. May 26. 3yoc&f. 8f.

1. ROMANISED (IRE) 9-0 £206,195 b c by Holy Roman Emperor - Romantic Venture (Indian Ridge) O-Mr Robert Ng B-Mrs M. Aherne TR-K. J. Condon 2. U S Navy Flag (USA) 9-0 £68,142 b/br c by War Front - Misty For Me (Galileo) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Misty For Me Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien £32,743 3. Gustav Klimt (IRE) 9-0 b c by Galileo - Massarra (Danehill) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 2.25, 1.25. Time 1:38.93. Going Good to Firm. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 6 2 1 £227,201 Sire: HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR. Sire of 74 Stakes winners. In 2018 - ROMANISED Indian Ridge G1, BEAUTY ONLY Ali-Royal G2, WELL TIMED Cadeaux Genereux G2, DUCA VALENTINOIS Fruits of Love G3, HOLY LEGAL Minstrel Glory G3. 1st Dam: ROMANTIC VENTURE by Indian Ridge. 2 wins. Own sister to SIGHTS ON GOLD. Dam of 6 winners:

2004: 2005:

2006: 2008: 2009: 2010:

LIFETIME JOURNEY (c Thunder Gulch) Winner at 5 in Kingdom of Saudi Ara. FICTIONAL ACCOUNT (f Stravinsky) 6 wins at 3 to 6, Ire.Field Leger Trial Ballycullen S LR, SIS Live Fenwolf S LR. Broodmare. TIMELY PRODUCTION (c Peintre Celebre) 4 wins at 3 in Sweden. SAMARKAND (g Sadler’s Wells) Winner at 3. Black Romantic (c Singspiel) ROCK OF ROMANCE (c Rock of Gibraltar) 5 wins at 3 to 6 in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Premio St Leger Italiano G3.

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2015: 2016:

ROMANISED (c Holy Roman Emperor) 2 wins at 2 and 3, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas G1, 2nd BetBright Solario S G3. Roman Venture (f Holy Roman Emperor) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: Summer Trysting by Alleged. Dam of DESIGNS ON ROME (g Holy Roman Emperor: The Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup G1 (twice), Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup G1, Longines Hong Kong Cup G1, 2nd Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S G1), SIMPLE EXCHANGE (c Danehill: American Derby G2), SIGHTS ON GOLD (g Indian Ridge: betfair.com Brigadier Gerard S G3, Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial G3, 2nd Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase G1). Grandam of EL NINO. Broodmare Sire: INDIAN RIDGE. Sire of the dams of 98 Stakes winners. In 2018 - LANCASTER BOMBER War Front G1, ROMANISED Holy Roman Emperor G1, ARCTICA Captain Al LR. The Holy Roman Emperor/Indian Ridge cross has produced: ROMANISED G1, Ahlan Emarati G2.

ROMANISED b c 2015 Danzig

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom

Razyana

His Majesty Spring Adieu

Secretariat

Bold Ruler Somethingroyal

Fanfreluche

Northern Dancer Ciboulette

Ahonoora

Lorenzaccio Helen Nichols

Hillbrow

Swing Easy Golden City

Alleged

Hoist The Flag Princess Pout

Seasonal Pickup

The Minstrel Bubinka

Danehill HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR b 04 L’On Vite

Indian Ridge ROMANTIC VENTURE ch 97 Summer Trysting

Back in 2012, Holy Roman Emperor sprang a considerable surprise when his second-crop daughter Homecoming Queen ran away with the 1,000 Guineas at odds of 25-1. The son of Danehill was responsible for another 25-1 Classic winner when Romanised wore down US Navy Flag to take the Irish 2,000 Guineas. This was only the second win from six starts for Romanised, whose best previous effort was arguably his second to Masar in the Group 3 Solario Stakes. Romanised is the third black-type winner for his dam Romantic Venture. Although Romantic Venture is a daughter of the sprinter Indian Ridge, Romanised’s predecessors were both stayers. One, Fictional Account, gained her Listed wins over 14 and 16 furlongs, even though she was by the sprinter Stravinsky, and the other, Rock Of Romance, won the Group 3 St Leger Italiano, even though he was a son of the miler Rock Of Gibraltar. As Rock Of Gibraltar shares the same sire, Danehill, as Holy Roman Emperor, Romanised must have reasonable prospects of staying middle distances. The explanation for the stamina in Romantic Venture’s first two stakes winners is that she is out of Summer Trysting, a stoutly-bred mare sired by Alleged from a daughter of The Minstrel. Summer Trysting produced middle-distance Group winners to three fast horses, including Romantic Venture’s smart brother Sights On Gold, who stayed a mile and a half, and Romanised’s close relative Designs On Rome, a Holy Roman Emperor who became a star in Hong Kong. Designs On Rome’s four Group 1 successes were all gained over a

mile and a quarter. We never learned the extent of Holy Roman Emperor’s stamina. Officially rated Europe’s second-best two-year-old of 2006, just 1lb below his narrow Dewhurst Stakes conqueror Teofilo, Holy Roman Emperor was retired early to substitute for Danehill’s sub-fertile son George Washington at Coolmore. 44 TATTERSALLS GOLD CUP G1 CURRAGH. May 27. 4yo+. 10f 110yds.

1. LANCASTER BOMBER (USA) 4 9-3 £156,637 b c by War Front - Sun Shower (Indian Ridge) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Sun Shower Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Cliffs of Moher (IRE) 4 9-3 £50,442 b/br c by Galileo - Wave (Dansili) O-Mrs John Magnier B-Wave Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 3. Defoe (IRE) 4 9-3 £23,894 gr c by Dalakhani - Dulkashe (Pivotal) O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum B-Darley Stud Management Company Ltd TR-Roger Varian Margins 2, 1.5. Time 2:14.05. Going Good to Firm. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-4 18 2 9 £1,098,377 Sire: WAR FRONT. Sire of 60 Stakes winners. In 2018 LANCASTER BOMBER Indian Ridge G1, FIRE AWAY Unbridled G3, LULL Tiznow G3, HOMESMAN Red Ransom LR. 1st Dam: Sun Shower by Indian Ridge. Dam of 5 winners:

2006:

2007: 2008:

2009: 2010: 2011:

2012: 2014:

2015: 2017:

MULL OF KILLOUGH (g Mull of Kintyre) 9 wins at 3 to 8, Weatherbys Earl of Sefton S G3 (twice), Darley S G3, 2nd F.Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile S G2 (twice) Tashzara (f Intikhab). Broodmare. EXCELEBRATION (c Exceed And Excel) Champion 3yr old colt in Germany in 2011, Champion older horse in Ireland in 2012. 8 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, Germany, Qipco Queen Elizabeth II S G1, Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp G1, P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois G1, 2nd JLT Lockinge S G1, Queen Anne S G1, Qipco Queen Elizabeth II S G1, 3rd St James’s Palace S G1. Sire. ASCOT MAGIC (c Strategic Prince) 2 wins at 3 in India. (f Rebuttal). Died as a foal. SHIVALIK SHOWERS (c Dancing Forever) 13 wins at 3 to 7, 2018 in India, D. Khaitan Memorial Calcutta Gold Cup LR, RWITC Ltd Turf Championship LR, Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Trophy LR, C N Wadia Gold Cup LR, Idar Gold Trophy LR, Irish TB & Goffs R.W.I.T.C. Ltd Gold Cup LR. Rainfall Radar (f Rebuttal) LANCASTER BOMBER (c War Front). 2 wins at 2 and 4, Tattersalls Gold Cup G1, 2nd Dubai Dewhurst S G1, St James’s Palace S G1, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf G1, Breeders’ Cup Mile G1, Ricoh Woodbine Mile S G1, 3rd Al Shaqab Lockinge S G1. Chief of War (c War Front) unraced to date. (c War Front)

Broodmare Sire: INDIAN RIDGE. Sire of the dams of 98 Stakes winners. In 2018 - LANCASTER BOMBER War Front G1, ROMANISED Holy Roman Emperor G1, ARCTICA Captain Al LR.

LANCASTER BOMBER b c 2014 Northern Dancer

Nearctic Natalma

Pas de Nom

Admiral’s Voyage Petitioner

Rubiano

Fappiano Ruby Slippers

Lara’s Star

Forli True Reality

Ahonoora

Lorenzaccio Helen Nichols

Hillbrow

Swing Easy Golden City

Warning

Known Fact Slightly Dangerous

Sarah Siddons

Le Levanstell Mariel

Danzig WAR FRONT b 02 Starry Dreamer

Indian Ridge SUN SHOWER br 01 Miss Kemble

As recently as 2008, roughly seven months after she had produced a colt by Exceed And Excel, Indian Ridge’s seven-year-old daughter Sun Shower was sold cheaply. Sun Shower had failed to win in six attempts in France, with her best placing - a second over 11 furlongs coming at the little-known Gemozac track. Consequently, she had started her broodmare career with visits to comparatively inexpensive stallions, such as Mull Of Kintyre, Intikhab, Exceed And Excel and Strategic Prince. Following her sale in 2008 she was exported to India, where she produced a colt by Strategic Prince in 2009 and a colt by Dancing Forever in 2011. By then her Exceed And Excel colt Excelebration was busily establishing himself as one of Europe’s top milers and her Mull Of Kintyre gelding, Mull Of Killough, had developed into a useful miler. Sun Shower was transferred in foal to the USA and has since become a regular visitor to War Front, whose sire Danzig was also the grandsire of Exceed And Excel. The oldest of Sun Shower’s War Front foals is Lancaster Bomber, who became his dam’s second Group 1 winner when he led throughout in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Remarkably, this was only the second win for Lancaster Bomber from 18 starts, but no fewer than 14 of them were in Group 1 contests and he had finished second in five of them, including in the Dewhurst, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the St James’s Palace and the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Lancaster Bomber is War Front’s eighth Group 1 winner trained by Aidan O’Brien. Lancaster Bomber’s second dam, the once-raced Miss Kemble, comes from a top middle-distance family. A half-sister to the high-class middledistance performers Princess Pati (Irish Oaks) and Seymour Hicks (Great Voltigeur Stakes), Miss Kemble was out of Sarah Siddons, a winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks. Sarah Siddons in turn was a daughter of Mariel, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes after finishing second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Mariel was herself out of a smart half-sister to the brilliant St Leger and King George winner Ragusa. This is also the family of Wicklow Brave, the Irish St Leger winner who is also a Grade 1 winner over jumps, and of Leggera, winner of the Prix Vermeille and second in the Arc. 45 TATTERSALLS IRISH 1000 GUINEAS G1 CURRAGH. May 27. 3yof. 8f.

1. ALPHA CENTAURI (IRE) 9-0 £206,195 gr f by Mastercraftsman - Alpha Lupi (Rahy) O-Niarchos Family B-The Niarchos Family TR-Mrs J. Harrington 2. Could It Be Love (USA) 9-0 £68,142 b f by War Front - Playa Maya (Arch) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Playa Maya Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien

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Data Book European Pattern 3. Happily (IRE) 9-0 £32,743 b f by Galileo - You’resothrilling (Storm Cat) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Orpendale & Chelston Ireland TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 1.75, 0.75. Time 1:38.71. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 6 3 1 £271,369 Sire: MASTERCRAFTSMAN. Sire of 52 Stakes winners. In 2018 - A RAVING BEAUTY High Chaparral G1, ALPHA CENTAURI Rahy G1, SAINT EMILION Pentire G1, AVAY Catienus G2, THEE AULD FLOOZIE Spinning World G2, LUVALUVA Galileo G3, MASTER OF ARTS Carnegie G3, MASTER THE WORLD Zaha G3, NEUFBOSC Verglas G3, GESTAPO Auenadler LR, KEY MASTER Red Ransom LR, TREASURE O’Reilly LR. 1st Dam: Alpha Lupi by Rahy. unraced. Own sister to Helike. Dam of 4 winners:

2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2014: 2015:

2016: 2017:

TENTH STAR (c Dansili) 2 wins at 2 and 5 at home, USA, Golden Fleece S LR, 2nd Juddmonte Royal Lodge S G2. ELITISTE (f Danehill Dancer) Winner at 3 in France. Broodmare. Sellsabeel (f Galileo) unraced. Broodmare. (c Galileo) GALILEO GAL (f Galileo) Winner at 3 in Canada. ALPHA CENTAURI (f Mastercraftsman) 3 wins at 2 and 3, Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas G1, Coolmore Stud EBF Naas Juv. Sprint S LR, 2nd Albany S G3. Etoile Filante (f So You Think) unraced to date. (f Sea The Moon)

2nd Dam: EAST OF THE MOON by Private Account. Champion 3yr old filly in France in 1994. 4 wins at 2 and 3 in France Dubai Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1, Prix de Diane Hermes G1, P. Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois G1, 2nd Emirates Prix du Moulin de Longchamp G1. Dam of MOON DRIVER (f Mr Prospector: Prix d’Arenberg G3), Mojave Moon (c Mr Prospector: 2nd Fayette Breeders’ Cup S G3, 3rd Californian S G2), Helike (c Rahy: 2nd Grand Prix de Marseille LR), Canda (f Storm Cat: 2nd Prix Yacowlef LR, Criterium de Vitesse LR). Grandam of AUTOCRATIC, EVASIVE, IBN MALIK, Moon Prospect, Enquete. Third dam of Rabiosa Fiore. Broodmare Sire: RAHY. Sire of the dams of 133 Stakes winners. In 2018 - ALPHA CENTAURI Mastercraftsman G1, BEE JERSEY Jersey Town G1, AROD Teofilo LR, MUNTAZAH Dubawi LR.

ALPHA CENTAURI gr f 2015 Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Mira Adonde

Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour

Black Tie Affair

Miswaki Hat Tab Girl

Reves Celestes

Lyphard Tobira Celeste

Blushing Groom

Red God Runaway Bride

Glorious Song

Halo Ballade

Private Account

Damascus Numbered Account

Miesque

Nureyev Pasadoble

Danehill Dancer MASTERCRAFTSMAN gr/ro 06 Starlight Dreams

Rahy ALPHA LUPI b 04 East of The Moon

Despite being a champion two-year-old and a Classic-winning miler, with a champion stallion as his sire, Mastercraftsman hasn’t always found it easy to maintain breeders’ interest. With his first three crops numbering 135, 114 and then 98 foals, he was available for as little as E12,500 (from an original E20,000) in his fourth season. The lower fee helped revive interest, with his fourth crop numbering 139 foals, and the upward curve continued, thanks to the efforts of his first runners in 2013. The son of Danehill Dancer became 2013’s leading first-crop sire, thanks largely to the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy success of Kingston Hill, with support from his fellow Group winners Amazing Maria and Craftsman. This excellent first

impression was reinforced early in 2014, when The Grey Gatsby won the Group 2 Dante Stakes and Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club and Kingston Hill finished second in the Derby. There was also an Italian Classic success for Vague Nouvelle. The end result was that Mastercraftsman’s 2015 crop was not only his biggest, at 174 foals, but also his most expensive, at an increased fee of E35,000. Inevitably expectations were high for this crop and it hasn’t disappointed. His big daughter Alpha Centauri won the Irish 1,000 Guineas two weeks after another daughter, Wind Chimes, had been a narrowly-beaten third in the French equivalent. Mastercraftsman’s three-year-old colts, such as Neufbosc and Key Master, are also making their mark. It will be interesting to see whether Mastercraftsman can maintain his revival. Although his first crop contained an impressive ten Group winners, including three Group 1 winners, his next three crops struggled in comparison. There were just two Group winners in his 2012 crop, five in the 2013 crop (but no Group 1 winners) and just one Group winner in his large 2014 crop. These ups and downs have a habit of repeating themselves and Mastercraftsman’s largest crop is followed by a 2016 crop of around 130 foals, with his 2016 and 2017 books standing at 104 and 108. Mastercraftsman could be said to have received some help in siring Alpha Centauri. This Niarchos-bred filly is out of a daughter of the dual French Classic winner East Of The Moon, herself a daughter of the brilliant Miesque. Alpha Centauri’s dam Alpha Lupi has had four winners from four runners, including the Gr2 Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Tenth Star. Miesque’s 14 foals divided into six colts and eight fillies. Only two of the fillies enjoyed stakes success, with East Of The Moon leading the way, but it was a safe bet that her daughters would help establish a dynasty. Their Group 1-winning descendants prior to Alpha Centauri include Karakontie, Rumplestiltskin, Tapestry and Real Steel, and this highly valuable family has added another 2018 Classic winner in the Prix du Jockey-Club hero Study Of Man. 46 CHURCHILL COOLMORE PRIX D’ISPAHAN G1 PARISLONGCHAMP. May 27. 4yo+. 1800m.

1. RECOLETOS (FR) 4 9-2 £126,416 b c by Whipper - Highphar (Highest Honor) O-Sarl Darpat France B-Sarl Darpat France TR-C. Laffon-Parias £50,575 2. Almodovar (IRE) 6 9-2 b g by Sea The Stars - Melodramatic (Sadler’s Wells) O-Mr B. E. Nielsen B-B. E. Nielsen TR-Roger Charlton 3. Trais Fluors (GB) 4 9-2 £25,288 b c by Dansili - Trois Lunes (Manduro) O-Haras de Saint Pair Scea B-SCEA Haras de Saint Pair TR-A. Fabre Margins 1.75, 2. Time 1:52.80. Going Good to Soft.

Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-4 10 6 2 £530,474 Sire: WHIPPER. Sire of 26 Stakes winners. In 2018 RECOLETOS Highest Honor G1, VILARO Vettori LR. 1st Dam: Highphar by Highest Honor. unraced. Dam of 5 winners:

2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2014:

2015: 2016:

PEDREGALEJO (c High Chaparral) 8 wins. MARACENA (f Marju) Winner at 3 in France. Broodmare. THARSIS (f Gold Away) Winner at 2 in France. Broodmare. Zamarrila (f High Chaparral) ran on the flat in France. Broodmare. Mollina (f Pivotal) unraced. RECOLETOS (c Whipper) 6 wins at 3 and 4 in France, Churchill Coolmore Prix d’Ispahan G1, Prix du Muguet G2, Prix Greffulhe G2, Prix du Prince d’Orange G3, 3rd Qipco Prix du Jockey Club G1. CASTELLAR (f American Post) 2 wins at 3 in France, Prix Cleopatre G3. Villalar (f Whipper) unraced to date.

2nd Dam: PHARATTA by Fairy King. 4 wins at 2 and 3 in France, USA Garden City Breeders’ Cup H G2. Grandam of CARTAYA, Elabela. Broodmare Sire: HIGHEST HONOR. Sire of the dams of 70 Stakes winners. In 2018 - RECOLETOS Whipper G1, CASTELLAR American Post G3, BALMAIN It’s Gino LR, PEPITA Sir Prancealot LR.

RECOLETOS b c 2014

WHIPPER b 01

Raise A Native Gold Digger

Miesque

Nureyev Pasadoble

Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Millieme

Mill Reef Hardiemma

Kenmare

Kalamoun Belle of Ireland

High River

Riverman Hairbrush

Fairy King

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Sharata

Darshaan Shademah

Myth To Reality

Highest Honor HIGHPHAR b 04 Pharatta

PARISLONGCHAMP. May 27. 3yof. 2000m.

1. LAURENS (FR) 9-0 £126,416 b f by Siyouni - Recambe (Cape Cross) O-Mr John Dance B-Bloodstock Agency Ltd TR-K. R. Burke 2. With You (GB) 9-0 £50,575 b f by Dansili - In Clover (Inchinor) O-George Strawbridge B-G. Strawbridge TR-F Head 3. Soustraction (IRE) 9-0 £25,288 ch f by Lope de Vega - Mathematicienne (Galileo) O-Wertheimer et Frere B-Wertheimer et Frere TR-C. Laffon-Parias Margins Short Head, 2. Time 2:08.39. Going Good to Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 6 4 2 £622,241 Sire: SIYOUNI. Sire of 23 Stakes winners. In 2018 LAURENS Cape Cross G1, AYLMERTON Smart Strike G2, FINSBURY SQUARE Dyhim Diamond G2, BARKAA Apeldoorn G3, CITY LIGHT Kendor G3, LA SIGNARE Beat Hollow G3, FATALISTE King’s Best LR, SULLY Verglas LR. 1st Dam: RECAMBE by Cape Cross. 2 wins at 3 in France. Dam of 3 winners:

2011: 2013: 2014:

Mr Prospector Miesque’s Son

47 THE GURKHA COOLMORE PRIX SAINT-ALARY G1

Although Sharata never raced, she had plenty to recommend her as a broodmare. Her sire Darshaan was an excellent broodmare sire and Sharata was a half-sister to Shahrastani, winner of the Derby and Irish Derby. These bloodlines stood Sharata in good stead and she was to produce the impressive total of five black-type winners, including three at Group level. Sadler’s Wells was responsible for three of the five, most notably the smart Crimson Tide, and it was his brother Fairy King who sired Sharata’s daughter Pharatta, who enjoyed Group 2 success at up to nine furlongs in France and the US, and won four of her six starts. Unfortunately, Pharatta produced only four named foals and only one of them won. However, two of her daughters have produced a Group winner, including Highphar, dam of the very smart Recoletos. This son of Whipper was third in the Prix du Jockey-Club and won his first starts as a four-year-old, including the Prix d’Ispahan - a race once won by his broodmare sire Highest Honor. Recoletos stays a mile and a quarter. His sire Whipper was a faster type, who enjoyed Group 1 success at Deauville at the ages of two (Prix Morny), three (Prix Jacques le Marois) and four (Prix Maurice de Gheest). Recoletos is Whipper’s third Group 1 winner, one of his predecessors being the Prix de l’Abbaye winner Wizz Kid.

2015:

AUTIGNAC (f Solon) Winner over jumps in France. Murviel (f Siyouni) ANEMOI (g Manduro) Winner of a N.H. Flat Race at 4. LAURENS (f Siyouni) Sold 209,523gns yearling at DNPRM. 4 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, bet365 Fillies’ Mile S G1, The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary G1, William Hill May Hill S G2, 2nd Qipco 1000 Guineas S G1, Shadwell Prix du Calvados G3.

2nd Dam: Razana by Kahyasi. 4 wins, 2nd G.P. Conseil General de Loire Atlantique LR. Dam of SALFORD MILL (c Peintre Celebre: Stanspoker.co.uk Newmarket S LR, Mercedes Benz Hong Kong Derby LR, Mercedes Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile LR), Ovambo (g Namaqualand: 2nd Cadogan Charity Fred Archer S LR, 3rd betfair.com Ormonde S G3). Grandam of Domination. Broodmare Sire: CAPE CROSS. Sire of the dams of 53 Stakes winners. In 2018 - LAURENS Siyouni G1, MASAR New Approach G1, CELLARMAN Mossman G3, MONTOYA STAR High Chaparral G3, POWER O’HATA Power G3.

LAURENS b f 2015 Polar Falcon

Nureyev Marie d’Argonne

Fearless Revival

Cozzene Stufida

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

Pivotal SIYOUNI b 07 Sichilla

Slipstream Queen Conquistador Cielo Country Queen Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

Park Appeal

Ahonoora Balidaress

Kahyasi

Ile de Bourbon Kadissya

Raysiya

Cure The Blues Rilasa

Cape Cross RECAMBE b 05 Razana

With his 2018 fee set at E75,000, Siyouni has the distinction of being the highest-priced stallion ever to have stood in France. It was therefore appropriate that his English-trained daughter Laurens should travel to Longchamp to score a narrow victory in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary. This was the fourth win from six starts for 2017’s Fillies’ Mile winner, who was also second in the 1,000 Guineas, so Laurens has proved a bargain at the £220,000 she cost at Doncaster, where she was the highest-priced filly. Laurens comes from Siyouni’s fourth crop. Although each of his first four crops was sired at only E7,000, they have already produced 13 Group winners (plus a 14th Group winner, sized to southern hemisphere

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CAULFIELD ON RECOLETOS: “He stays a mile and a quarter. His sire Whipper was a faster type, who enjoyed Group 1 success at Deauville at two, three and four. He is Whipper’s third Group 1 winner” time, in Australia). This represents an impressive strike-rate for a comparatively inexpensive stallion and raises expectations of Siyouni’s 2018 juveniles, which were sired at E20,000. Stamina is clearly no problem for Laurens, even though Siyouni never tackled more than a mile. Her dam, the Cape Cross mare Recambe, stayed well, as she proved by winning at up to 14 and a half furlongs in France. Recambre’s half-brother Salford Mill was a Listed winner with a Timeform rating of 116 who went on to win the Hong Kong Derby as Helene Mascot. Laurens’ third dam, the Cure The Blues mare Raysiya, was a winning half-sister to the Irish St Leger second Rayseka and to Rifada, dam of the Gr2 Prix Hocquart winner Rifapour. Raysiya has plenty of smart descendants, notably the Prix de l’Opera winner Kinnaird, the Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Shifting Power and the 2,000 Guineas third Ivawood, who won the Group 2 July Stakes and Group 2 Richmond Stakes as a two-year-old. Trace the female line back a few generations and you come to Rose Ness, the Charlottesville mare who also ranks as the fourth dam of Daylami and Dalakhani. 48 INVESTEC CORONATION CUP G1 EPSOM DOWNS. Jun 1. 4yo+. 12f.

1. CRACKSMAN (GB) 4 9-0 £238,182 b c by Frankel - Rhadegunda (Pivotal) O-Mr A. E. Oppenheimer B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd TR-John Gosden 2. Salouen (IRE) 4 9-0 £90,300 b c by Canford Cliffs - Gali Gal (Galileo) O-Mr H. Balasuriya B-Silvercon Edgeridge Ltd TR-Sylvester Kirk £45,192 3. Windstoss (GER) 4 9-0 br c by Shirocco - Wellenspiel (Sternkoenig) O-Gestut Rottgen B-Gestut Rottgen TR-Markus Klug Margins Head, 3.75. Time 2:38.40. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-4 9 7 2 £1,894,583 Sire: FRANKEL. Sire of 24 Stakes winners. In 2018 CRACKSMAN Pivotal G1, MOZU ASCOT Hennessy G1, LIGHTENING QUICK Marju G3, NELSON Dalakhani G3, MIRAGE DANCER Green Desert LR, ROSTROPOVICH Machiavellian LR, WITHOUT PAROLE Lemon Drop Kid LR. 1st Dam: RHADEGUNDA by Pivotal. 3 wins at 3 at home, France, Prix Solitude LR. Dam of 3 winners:

2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014:

2015:

FANTASTIC MOON (c Dalakhani) 2 wins at 2, Candy Kittens Solario S G3. Saxon Princess (f Dalakhani) ran a few times. Broodmare. (c Montjeu) STRONG FORCE (g Sea The Stars) Winner at 3. CRACKSMAN (c Frankel) Champion 3yr old colt in Europe in 2017. 7 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, Qipco Champion S G1, Investec Coronation Cup G1, P.Ganay L’Inauguration de Parislongchamp G1, Betway Great Voltigeur S G2, Qatar Prix Niel G2, 2nd Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby G1, 3rd Investec Derby S G1. Military Band (c New Approach) in training.

2nd Dam: ST RADEGUND by Green Desert. 1 win at 3. Dam of RHADEGUNDA (f Pivotal, see above), Halla San (g Halling: 3rd Totepool Further Flight S LR, Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup LR) Broodmare Sire: PIVOTAL. Sire of the dams of 77 Stakes winners. In 2018 - CRACKSMAN Frankel G1,

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OLMEDO Declaration of War G1, RHODODENDRON Galileo G1, DEFOE Dalakhani G2, MABS CROSS Dutch Art G3. The Frankel/Pivotal cross has produced: CRACKSMAN G1, Seven Heavens LR.

CRACKSMAN b c 2014

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Theatrical

Danehill

Danzig Razyana

GREEN ROOM b/br 02

Rainbow Lake

Rainbow Quest Rockfest

Polar Falcon

Nureyev Marie d’Argonne

Fearless Revival

Cozzene Stufida

Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

On The House

Be My Guest Lora

Pivotal

St Radegund

See race 4 in the June issue 49 INVESTEC OAKS G1 EPSOM DOWNS. Jun 1. 3yof. 12f.

1. FOREVER TOGETHER (IRE) 9-0 £283,550 b f by Galileo - Green Room (Theatrical) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Mr and Mrs V. Khosla TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Wild Illusion (GB) 9-0 £107,500 b f by Dubawi - Rumh (Monsun) O-Godolphin B-Godolphin Management Company Ltd TR-Charlie Appleby 3. Bye Bye Baby (IRE) 9-0 £53,800 b f by Galileo - Remember When (Danehill Dancer) O-Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier B-Remember When Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 4.5, 3.5. Time 2:40.30. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 4 1 3 £301,614 Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 283 Stakes winners. In 2018 FOREVER TOGETHER Theatrical G1, RHODODENDRON Pivotal G1, CALL TO MIND Danehill Dancer G2, CLIFFS OF MOHER Dansili G2, MISSION IMPASSIBLE Exceed And Excel G2, WALDGEIST Monsun G2, BYE BYE BABY Danehill Dancer G3, CAPRI Anabaa G3, IDAHO Danehill G3, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G3, PLATINUM WARRIOR Clodovil G3. 1st Dam: Green Room by Theatrical. unraced. Dam of 7 winners:

2006:

2007: 2008: 2009: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: 2015:

2017: 2018:

Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Fairy Bridge

Bold Reason Special

Miswaki

Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal

Allegretta

Lombard Anatevka

Nureyev

Northern Dancer Special

Urban Sea Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Kind

RHADEGUNDA b 05

Sadler’s Wells GALILEO b 98

Sadler’s Wells Galileo FRANKEL b 08

FOREVER TOGETHER b f 2015

LORD SHANAKILL (c Speightstown) 5 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, Etihad Airways Prix Jean Prat G1, 2nd Darley Dewhurst S G1, 3rd totesport.com Lockinge S G1, St James’s Palace S G1, Darley Prix Morny G1. Sire. BRANNAGH (c Hennessy) 3 wins. Dressing Room (g Dixie Union) Nimboo (f Lemon Drop Kid) unraced. Broodmare. SMARTIE ARTIE (c Smart Strike) Winner at 4. TOGETHER FOREVER (f Galileo) 3 wins at 2, Dubai Fillies’ Mile S G1. Broodmare. SIGNE (f Sea The Stars) 3 wins at 4. BLACK RUBY (f Dansili) Winner at 3. FOREVER TOGETHER (f Galileo) Sold 630,251gns yearling at GOOY1. 1 win at 3, Investec Oaks G1, 2nd Arkle Cheshire Oaks (R.Sangster Mem Cup) LR. (f Galileo) (f Galileo)

2nd Dam: Chain Fern by Blushing Groom. unraced. Own sister to AL BAHATHRI. Dam of SPANISH FERN (f El Gran Senor: Yellow Ribbon H G1, 2nd Yellow Ribbon S G1, 3rd Ramona H G1, Matriarch S G1). Grandam of HEATSEEKER, GRAN ZAMIR, Day Of Conquest, Day By Day, Kirkwood, Thought Is Free. Third dam of HEARTS OF FIRE, Mr Wizard, Merry Me, Kenny Powers. Fourth dam of Great Canal. Broodmare Sire: THEATRICAL. Sire of the dams of 79 Stakes winners. In 2018 - FOREVER TOGETHER Galileo G1, OSCAR NOMINATED Kitten’s Joy G3, LE GRAND FRISSON Smart Strike LR. The Galileo/Theatrical cross has produced: FOREVER TOGETHER G1, TOGETHER FOREVER G1.

Tree of Knowledge Sassafras Sensibility Blushing Groom

Red God Runaway Bride

Chain Store

Nodouble General Store

Chain Fern

Four daughters of Galileo were among the nine contenders for the Oaks, including the E1,400,000 Magic Wand and the E900,000 Forever Together. Magic Wand had beaten Forever Together by more than three lengths into second place in the Cheshire Oaks but Forever Together proved much the stronger at Epsom, recording her first win by four and a half lengths. Forever Together’s name is somewhat unimaginative, as she is a sister to the 2014 Fillies’ Mile winner Together Forever and the name Forever Together had already been carried with great distinction by an American filly who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf as recently as 2008. It is worth mentioning that both Together Forever and her sister Forever Together failed to win until their fourth appearance. Forever Together follows Was and Minding as the third Oaks winner by Galileo, who also sired the sires of Talent and Enable, plus the dam of Qualify. In other words, six of the last seven Oaks winners have Galileo in their pedigree, the exception being Taghrooda, who was sired by Galileo’s half-brother Sea The Stars. Forever Together’s dam Green Room is now one of those extremely rare mares with three Group 1 winners to her credit. This daughter of Theatrical was bred by Juddmonte but never went into training because of complications with one of her feet. Sold as a three-year-old for 20,000gns in February 2005, she quickly provided her buyers with a profit, as she made $240,000 at the 2006 Keeneland January Sales. Lord Shanakill, the Speightstown colt she was carrying at the time, became her first Group 1 winner when he landed the Prix Jean Prat. It is significant that Forever Together’s dam is by a son of Nureyev, as Galileo is also enjoying considerable success with mares by Pivotal, a grandson of Nureyev. He also sired Rip Van Winkle from another grand-daughter of Nureyev. Green Room’s record makes one wonder what her half-sister Spanish Fern might have achieved as a broodmare had she not suffered a fatal injury leaving the stalls in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in 2000. Not only was Spanish Fern a winner of the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, but she also had an excellent pedigree. By El Gran Senor, sire also of Juddmonte’s exceptional producer

Toussaud, Spanish Fern was out of Chain Fern, a sister to Haafhd’s excellent dam Al Bahathri. Green Room is one of two daughters of Chain Fern to have produced a Grade 1 winner. The first, Rusty Back, produced the Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker to Giant’s Causeway. Another of Chain Fern’s daughters, Dayville, is the second dam of Group 1 winner Hearts Of Fire. This is also the family of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Military Attack and the hugely popular stayers Big Orange and Red Cadeaux. 50 INVESTEC DERBY G1 EPSOM DOWNS. Jun 2. 3yoc&f. 12f.

1. MASAR (IRE) 9-0 £850,650 ch c by New Approach - Khawlah (Cape Cross) O-Godolphin B-Godolphin Management Company Ltd TR-Charlie Appleby 2. Dee Ex Bee (GB) 9-0 £322,500 b c by Farhh - Dubai Sunrise (Seeking The Gold) O-Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum B-Godolphin Management Company Ltd TR-Mark Johnston 3. Roaring Lion (USA) 9-0 £161,400 gr/ro c by Kitten’s Joy - Vionnet (Street Sense) O-Qatar Racing Limited B-RanJan Racing Inc TR-John Gosden Margins 1.5, 0.5. Time 2:34.90. Going Good. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 9 4 3 £1,021,395 Sire: NEW APPROACH. Sire of 37 Stakes winners. In 2018 - MASAR Cape Cross G1, GOGO GRACE Monolith G3, BEST APPROACH Efisio LR, VENETO Zinaad LR. 1st Dam: KHAWLAH by Cape Cross. 3 wins at 2 and 3 at home, UAE, The S & M Al Naboodah Group UAE Derby G2. Dam of 1 winner:

2014: 2015:

2016: 2018:

Kenspeckle (f Dubawi) unraced. MASAR (c New Approach) 4 wins at 2 and 3, Investec Derby G1, bet365 Craven S G3, BetBright Solario S G3, 3rd Qipco 2000 Guineas S G1, Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere - Al Hazm G1, Chesham S LR. (c Shamardal) (f Dubawi)

2nd Dam: VILLARRICA by Selkirk. 2 wins at 3. Dam of VANCOUVERITE (g Dansili: Prix Guillaume d’Ornano-Logis St Germain G2, 2nd Emirates Airline Jebel Hatta G1), KHAWLAH (f Cape Cross, see above) Broodmare Sire: CAPE CROSS. Sire of the dams of 53 Stakes winners. In 2018 - LAURENS Siyouni G1, MASAR New Approach G1, CELLARMAN Mossman G3, MONTOYA STAR High Chaparral G3, POWER O’HATA Power G3. The New Approach/Cape Cross cross has produced: BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE G1, MASAR G1, Normandy Eagle G3.

MASAR ch c 2015 Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge

Urban Sea

Miswaki Allegretta

Ahonoora

Lorenzaccio Helen Nichols

Matcher

Match II Lachine

Green Desert

Danzig Foreign Courier

Park Appeal

Ahonoora Balidaress

Selkirk

Sharpen Up Annie Edge

Melikah

Lammtarra Urban Sea

Galileo NEW APPROACH ch 05 Park Express

Cape Cross KHAWLAH b 08 Villarrica

Epsom’s Classics were a highly fruitful hunting ground for the progeny of that remarkable Arc-winning mare Urban Sea. Among her 11 foals were two winners of the Derby (Galileo and Sea The Stars)

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Data Book European Pattern and two fillies who were placed in the Oaks (Melikah and All Too Beautiful). All Too Beautiful in turn became the dam of Oaks runner-up Wonder Of Wonders. We have also seen Galileo sire three winners apiece of the Derby and Oaks, while Sea The Stars already has a Derby and an Oaks winner to his credit. Galileo’s sons New Approach and Nathaniel have also sired winners of the Oaks. Consequently, the Derby or the Oaks must rank high among the potential targets for any horse inbred to Urban Sea, such as Masar. This tough colt is by Galileo’s Derby-winning son New Approach out of Khawlah, a grand-daughter of Oaks third Melikah (who was also second in the Irish Oaks). Masar is therefore inbred 3 x 4 to Urban Sea and he is also inbred 3 x 4 to Ahonoora, sire of the Derby-winning Dr Devious and broodmare sire of New Approach. It is worth adding that Melikah was a daughter of Lammtarra, winner of the 1995 Derby. Having finished a fine third in the 2,000 Guineas, Masar appreciated the extra half mile of the Derby to the extent that he became the third generation of Derby winners from his male line. It looks as though Galileo is going to exert a lasting impact on the Derby, in much the same way that the Mill Reef male line once did. Masar’s dam Khawlah looked to have a bright future early in her three-year-old season when she defeated the high-class South African filly Mahbooba to take the Group 3 UAE Oaks and then accounted for the future Group 1 winner Master Of Hounds in the Group 2 UAE Derby. Unfortunately, it was more than 13 months before Khawlah returned to action and she never recaptured the form she had shown on Tapeta. Khawlah in turn is a half-sister to Vancouverite, a French Group 2 winner who earned a Timeform rating of 118. It is also relevant that Khawlah is a daughter of Cape Cross, who was responsible for Urban Sea’s brilliant son Sea The Stars and for the outstanding Ouija Board, who produced the dual Derby winner Australia to Galileo. 51 QIPCO PRIX DU JOCKEY CLUB G1 CHANTILLY. Jun 3. 3yoc&f. 2100m.

1. STUDY OF MAN (IRE) 9-2 £758,496 b c by Deep Impact - Second Happiness (Storm Cat) O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd TR-P. Bary £303,451 2. Patascoy (FR) 9-2 b c by Wootton Bassett - Noble World (Winged Love) O-Roberto Cocheteux Tierno B-Mme B Moser TR-X Thomas-Demeaulte £151,726 3. Louis d’Or (IRE) 9-2 ch c by Intello - Soudanaise (Peintre Celebre) O-Camille Garnier B-Dayton Investments (Breeding) Limited TR-T Castanheira Margins 0.5, Head. Time 2:07.44. Going Soft. Age Starts Wins Places Earned 2-3 4 3 1 £849,768

CAULFIELD ON STUDY OF MAN: “He is one of nine black-type winners among Deep Impact’s 60 foals of racing age out of daughters of Storm Cat”

Study Of Man and Stephane Pasquier capture the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly Sire: DEEP IMPACT. Sire of 118 Stakes winners. In 2018 - JOUR POLAIRE Helissio G1, KEIAI NAUTIQUE Smarty Jones G1, SAXON WARRIOR Galileo G1, STUDY OF MAN Storm Cat G1, WAGNERIAN King Kamehameha G1, DANON PREMIUM Intikhab G2, KATSUJI White Muzzle G2, SATONO WALKURE Roi Normand G2, SUNGRAZER Deputy Minister G2, ANDRIETTE Silver Deputy G3, CANTABILE Galileo G3, KAWAKITA ENKA Kurofune G3, PRIMO SCENE Fastnet Rock G3, SATONO ARTHUR Redoute’s Choice G3. 1st Dam: Second Happiness by Storm Cat. Dam of 4 winners:

2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2014: 2015:

2016: 2018:

ZEN (c Bago) 3 wins at 5 to 7 in Belgium. Happy (f Bago) unraced. Broodmare. Tough Decision (c Agnes Tachyon) MAMBO NEPHEW (c Bago) 4 wins at 2 to 4 in Japan. House of Dreams (f Neo Universe) TALE OF LIFE (g Deep Impact) 3 wins at 2 and 4 in France, USA. (c Bago). died as a yearling. STUDY OF MAN (c Deep Impact) 3 wins at 2 and 3 in France, Qipco Prix du Jockey Club G1, Prix Greffulhe G2, 2nd Prix La Force G3. Tiki (c Galileo) unraced to date. (f Galileo)

2nd Dam: MIESQUE by Nureyev. Champion 3yr old filly in Europe in 1987, Champion older horse in Europe in 1988. 12 wins at 2 to 4 at home, France, USA General Accident 1000 Guineas G1, Prix Marcel Boussac G1, Dubai Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1, Prix de la Salamandre G1, Prix d’Ispahan G1, P. du Moulin de Longchamp Ecurie Fustok G1, P. Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois G1 (twice), Breeders’ Cup Mile G1 (twice), 2nd Queen Elizabeth II S G1, Prix de Diane Hermes G1, P. du Moulin de Longchamp Ecurie Fustok G1, 3rd Prix Morny G1. Own sister to MASSARAAT and Siam. Dam of KINGMAMBO (c Mr Prospector: St James’s Palace S G1, Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains G1, Emirates Prix du Moulin de Longchamp G1, 2nd Prix de la Salamandre G1, 3rd Queen Elizabeth II S G1, P. Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois G1), EAST OF THE MOON (f Private Account: Dubai Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1, Prix de Diane Hermes G1, P. Fresnay-leBuffard Jacques Le Marois G1, 2nd Emirates Prix du Moulin de Longchamp G1), MINGUN (c A P Indy: Meld S G3), MIESQUE’S SON (c Mr Prospector: Prix de Ris-Orangis G3, 2nd Prix de la Foret G1, Prix Maurice de Gheest G1), MOON IS UP (f Woodman: Prix de Lieurey LR, 3rd Prix de Seine-et-Oise G3), Inventing Paradise (f Mr Prospector: 2nd Prix de Saint-Cyr LR). Grandam of RUMPLESTILTSKIN, AMANEE, MOON DRIVER, I AM BEAUTIFUL, Mojave Moon, Tower Rock, Helike, Tarnished, Jadeer, Canda. Third dam of KARAKONTIE, REAL STEEL, TAPESTRY, ALPHA CENTAURI, AUTOCRATIC, JOHN F KENNEDY.

Broodmare Sire: STORM CAT. Sire of the dams of 220 Stakes winners. In 2018 - STUDY OF MAN Deep Impact G1, GO FOR THE SUMMIT Heart’s Cry G2, POLLARA Camelot G3, ULTRA BRAT Uncle Mo G3, ALOFT Galileo LR, DANON GOOD Elusive Quality LR, DARK ARTIST Paynter LR. The Deep Impact/Storm Cat cross has produced: A SHIN HIKARI G1, AYUSAN G1, KIZUNA G1, LACHESIS G1, REAL STEEL G1, SATONO ALADDIN G1, STUDY OF MAN G1, Mau Lea G1, HIRABOKU DEEP G2, PRODIGAL SON G2, Flawless Magic G2, Langley LR.

STUDY OF MAN b c 2015 Halo

Hail To Reason Cosmah

Wishing Well

Understanding Mountain Flower

Alzao

Lyphard Lady Rebecca

Burghclere

Busted Highclere

Storm Bird

Northern Dancer South Ocean

Terlingua

Secretariat Crimson Saint

Nureyev

Northern Dancer Special

Pasadoble

Prove Out Santa Quilla

Sunday Silence DEEP IMPACT b 02 Wind In Her Hair

Storm Cat SECOND HAPPINESS b 02 Miesque

For the second time in eight days, the Niarchos family enjoyed Classic success with a descendant of the great Miesque, when Study Of Man added the Prix du Jockey-Club to Alpha Centauri’s Irish 1,000 Guineas. Whereas Alpha Centauri is out of a grand-daughter of Miesque, Study Of Man is out of Miesque’s daughter Second Happiness, a lightly-raced Storm Cat filly whose best effort was a third at Compiegne. Clearly Second Happiness didn’t rank among Miesque’s best daughters, which were led by Alpha Centauri’s second dam East Of The Moon. This daughter of Private Account emulated Miesque’s victory in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches before also winning the Prix de Diane, a race in which Miesque had

suffered one of her rare defeats. Miesque also won the 1,000 Guineas and started her broodmare career with two Classic winners, with the Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Kingmambo preceding East Of The Moon. Clearly Classic success for Study Of Man came as no surprise, especially when he is a son of Japan’s pre-eminent stallion Deep Impact. Deep Impact’s 2015 crop also features the 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior and the Japanese Derby winner Wagnerian. Study Of Man represents a very successful nick, as he is one of nine black-type winners among the Japanese Triple Crown winner’s 60 foals of racing age out of daughters of Storm Cat. The others include Kizuna (Group 1 Japanese Derby and Group 2 Prix Niel), A Shin Hikari (Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan), Ayusan (Group 1 Japanese 1,000 Guineas), Lachesis (Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Real Steel (Group 1 Dubai Turf). Real Steel is arguably the most relevant to Study Of Man, as his dam Loves Only Me was out of Miesque’s daughter Monevassia, a sister to the excellent Kingmambo and to the Group 1 sire Miesque’s Son. Real Steel did much of his racing at around nine furlongs but it was by only a neck he failed to beat Kitasan Black in the Japanese St Leger. This suggests that Study Of Man should stay a mile and a half. Second Happiness was originally sent to Japan as a mate for the Niarchos family’s Arc winner Bago but also visited Deep Impact in 2011 and 2014. She was transferred to Europe while carrying Study Of Man and has since produced a 2016 colt and a 2018 filly to Galileo.

102 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Group 2 and 3 Winners Date

Grade Race (course)

27/04

G2

bet365 Mile (Sandown Park)

27/04

G3

bet365 Classic Trial (Sandown Park)

27/04

G3

bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (Sandown Park)

29/04

G3

Henkel Europa Meile (Dusseldorf)

29/04

G3

Prix Allez France Longines (Parislongchamp)

29/04

G3

Prix de Barbeville (Parislongchamp)

29/04

G3

P. Parioli 2000 Guineas Shadwell IITris (Rome)

Dist

Age

Sex

Sire

Dam

Broodmare Sire

Addeybb (IRE)

4

G

Pivotal

Bush Cat

Kingmambo

10f

Sevenna Star (IRE)

3

C

Redoute’s Choice

Sevenna

Galileo

31

10f

Crystal Ocean (GB)

4

C

Sea The Stars

Crystal Star

Mark of Esteem

32

8f

Degas (GER)

5

H

Exceed And Excel

Diatribe

Tertullian

33

10f

Kitesurf (GB)

4

F

Dubawi

Shimmering Surf

Danehill Dancer

34

Funny Kid (USA)

5

H

Lemon Drop Kid

Pitamakan

Danzig

35

Wait Forever (IRE)

3

C

Camelot

Mount McLeod

Holy Roman Emperor

36

8f

15.5f 8f

Horse

Index 30

29/04

G3

P. Regina Elena 1000 Guineas Shadwell (Rome)

8f

Act Of War (ITY)

3

F

Mujahid

Calma Apparente

Rainbow Quest

37

01/05

G2

Prix du Muguet (Saint-Cloud)

8f

Recoletos (FR)

4

C

Whipper

Highphar

Highest Honor

52

Royal Youmzain (FR)

3

C

Youmzain

Spasha

Shamardal

53

Luminate (IRE)

3

F

Lawman

Kalandara

Rainbow Quest

54

Torcedor (IRE)

6

G

Fastnet Rock

Magnolia Lane

Sadler’s Wells

55

Invincible Army (IRE)

3

C

Invincible Spirit

Rajeem

Diktat

56

01/05

G3

pferdewetten.de Bavarian Classic (Munich)

01/05

G3

Prix Penelope (Saint-Cloud)

02/05

G3

Longines Sagaro Stakes (Ascot)

02/05

G3

Merribelle Stable Pavilion Stakes (Ascot)

05/05

G2

Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes (Newmarket)

05/05

G3

Longholes Palace House Stakes (Newmarket)

06/05

G2

Gerling Preis (Cologne)

06/05

G2

Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes (Newmarket)

06/05

G3

07/05

G2

10f 10.5f 16f 6f 12f 5f 12f

Defoe (IRE)

4

C

Dalakhani

Dulkashe

Pivotal

57

Mabs Cross (GB)

4

F

Dutch Art

Miss Meggy

Pivotal

58

Oriental Eagle (GER)

4

C

Campanologist

Oriental Pearl

Big Shuffle

59

9f

Wuheida (GB)

4

F

Dubawi

Hibaayeb

Singspiel

60

Prix d’Hedouville (Parislongchamp)

12f

Waldgeist (GB)

4

C

Galileo

Waldlerche

Monsun

61

Camelot Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes (Naas)

10f

Cliffs Of Moher (IRE)

4

C

Galileo

Wave

Dansili

62

07/05

G3

Prix de Guiche (Chantilly)

9f

Intellogent (IRE)

3

C

Intello

Nuit Polaire

Kheleyf

63

07/05

G3

Mastercraftsman Irish EBF Athasi Stakes (Naas)

7f

Lightening Quick (GB)

3

F

Frankel

Lightening Pearl

Marju

64

08/05

G2

Prix Greffulhe (Saint-Cloud)

9.5f

Study Of Man (IRE)

3

C

Deep Impact

Second Happiness

Storm Cat

65

09/05

G3

Centennial Celebration MBNA Chester Vase (Chester)

12f

Young Rascal (FR)

3

C

Intello

Rock My Soul

Clodovil

66

09/05

G3

Prix Texanita (Maisons-Laffitte)

10.5f

Alistair (FR)

3

C

Panis

Alliance d’Or

Linngari

67

10/05

G3

Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes (Chester)

13f

Idaho (IRE)

5

H

Galileo

Hveger

Danehill

68

11/05

G2

Homeserve Huxley Stakes (Chester)

10f

Forest Ranger (IRE)

4

G

Lawman

Alava

Anabaa

69

12/05

G3

Plusvital Irish EBF Blue Wind Stakes (Curragh)

10f

Bye Bye Baby (IRE)

3

F

Galileo

Remember When

Danehill Dancer

70

12/05

G3

Betfred Chartwell Stakes (Lingfield Park)

7f

Tomyris (GB)

4

F

Invincible Spirit

Totally Devoted

Seeking The Gold

71

13/05

G2

P.Presidente della Repubblica GBI Racing (Rome)

9f

Royal Julius (IRE)

5

H

Royal Applause

Hflah

Dubawi

72

13/05

G3

Amethyst Stakes (Leopardstown)

8f

Zihba (IRE)

3

C

Choisir

Fancy Vivid

Galileo

73

13/05

G3

Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial (Leopardstown)

8f

Who’s Steph (IRE)

3

F

Zoffany

Llew Law

Verglas

74

13/05

G3

Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Leopardstown)

10f

Hazapour (IRE)

3

C

Shamardal

Hazarafa

Daylami

75

13/05

G3

Prix de Saint-Georges (Parislongchamp)

5f

City Light (FR)

4

C

Siyouni

Light Saber

Kendor

76

16/05

G2

Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes (York)

6f

Harry Angel (IRE)

4

C

Dark Angel

Beatrix Potter

Cadeaux Genereux

77

16/05

G3

Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (York)

10f

Give And Take (GB)

3

F

Cityscape

Grace And Glory

Montjeu

78

17/05

G2

Betfred Dante Stakes (York)

10f

Roaring Lion (USA)

3

C

Kitten’s Joy

Vionnet

Street Sense

79 80

17/05

G2

Betfred Middleton Stakes (York)

10f

Coronet (GB)

4

F

Dubawi

Approach

Darshaan

18/05

G2

Mansionbet Yorkshire Cup (York)

14f

Stradivarius (IRE)

4

C

Sea The Stars

Private Life

Bering

81

19/05

G3

Al Rayyan Aston Park Stakes (Newbury)

12f

Crystal Ocean (GB)

4

C

Sea The Stars

Crystal Star

Mark of Esteem

82

20/05

G2

Comer Group Int. Oleander Rennen (Berlin-Hoppegarten)

16f

Sound Check (GER)

5

H

Lando

Sky Dancing

Exit To Nowhere

83

20/05

G2

Derby Italiano II Tris (Rome)

11f

Summer Festival (GB)

3

C

Poet’s Voice

Kammaan

Diktat

84

20/05

G3

Goffs Lacken Stakes (Naas)

20/05

G3

Premio Carlo d’Alessio (Rome)

6f

Sioux Nation (USA)

3

C

Scat Daddy

Dream The Blues

Oasis Dream

85

12f

Chasedown (IRE)

4

C

Nathaniel

Whipcla

Whipper

86

20/05

G3

Premio Tudini - Tris (Rome)

6f

My Lea (IRE)

4

F

Dandy Man

Luvmedo

One Cool Cat

87

21/05

G2

Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (2000 Guineas) (Cologne)

8f

Ancient Spirit (GER)

3

C

Invincible Spirit

Assisi

Galileo

88

21/05

G2

Prix Corrida (Saint-Cloud)

10.5f

Bateel (IRE)

6

M

Dubawi

Attractive Crown

Chief’s Crown

89

21/05

G3

Prix Cleopatre (Saint-Cloud)

10.5f

Castellar (FR)

3

F

American Post

Highphar

Highest Honor

90

24/05

G3

Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Sandown Park)

10f

Poet’s Word (IRE)

5

H

Poet’s Voice

Whirly Bird

Nashwan

91

24/05

G3

Matchbook Henry II Stakes (Sandown Park)

16f

Magic Circle (IRE)

6

G

Makfi

Minkova

Sadler’s Wells

92

26/05

G2

Lanwades Stud Ridgewood Pearl Stakes (Curragh)

8f

Opal Tiara (IRE)

5

M

Thousand Words

Zarafa

Fraam

93

26/05

G2

Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes (Curragh)

6f

Merchant Navy (AUS)

4

C

Fastnet Rock

Legally Bay

Snippets

94

26/05

G2

Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes (Haydock Park)

6f

Sands Of Mali (FR)

3

C

Panis

Kadiania

Indian Rocket

95

26/05

G2

Armstrong Aggregates Temple Stakes (Haydock Park)

5f

Battaash (IRE)

4

G

Dark Angel

Anna Law

Lawman

96

26/05

G3

Al Basti Equiworld Bronte Cup Stakes (York)

27/05

G2

Wempe 1000 Guineas (Dusseldorf)

14f

Precious Ramotswe (GB)

4

F

Nathaniel

Miss Pinkerton

Danehill

97

Nyaleti (IRE)

3

F

Arch

America Nova

Verglas

98

27/05

G2

Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Parislongchamp)

27/05

G3

Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes (Curragh)

15f

Vazirabad (FR)

6

G

Manduro

Visorama

Linamix

99

10f

Platinum Warrior (IRE)

3

C

Galileo

Laugh Out Loud

Clodovil

100

27/05

G3

Prix du Lys (Parislongchamp)

31/05

G2

Geldermann Badener Meile (Baden-Baden)

12f 8f

Neufbosc (FR)

3

C

Mastercraftsman

Nonsuch Way

Verglas

101

Stormy Antarctic (GB)

5

G

Stormy Atlantic

Bea Remembered

Doyen

02/06

G3

P. der Annette Hellwig Silberne Peitiche (Baden-Baden)

6f

102

Millowitsch (GER)

5

H

Sehrezad

Muriel

Fath

02/06

G3

Investec Diomed Stakes (Epsom Downs)

103

8.5f

Century Dream (IRE)

4

C

Cape Cross

Salacia

Echo of Light

104

8.5f

Wilamina (IRE)

5

M

Zoffany

Tropical Lake

Lomond

105

Polydream (IRE)

3

F

Oasis Dream

Polygreen

Green Tune

106

8f

02/06

G3

Investec Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Epsom Downs)

02/06

G3

Prix du Palais Royal (Parislongchamp)

03/06

G2

Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft (Baden-Baden)

11f

Iquitos (GER)

6

H

Adlerflug

Irika

Areion

107

03/06

G2

Grand Prix de Chantilly (Chantilly)

12f

Waldgeist (GB)

4

C

Galileo

Waldlerche

Monsun

108

7f

03/06

G2

Prix de Sandringham (Chantilly)

8f

Mission Impassible (IRE)

3

F

Galileo

Margot Did

Exceed And Excel

109

03/06

G2

Prix du Gros-Chene (Chantilly)

5f

Finsbury Square (IRE)

6

G

Siyouni

Diamond Square

Dyhim Diamond

110

03/06

G3

Ittlingen Derby-Trial - Fruhjahrs Preis (Baden-Baden)

10f

Royal Youmzain (FR)

3

C

Youmzain

Spasha

Shamardal

111

03/06

G3

Prix de Royaumont (Chantilly)

12f

Pollara (IRE)

3

F

Camelot

Brooklyn’s Storm

Storm Cat

112

Jul_167_DataBook.indd 103

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER 103

27/06/2018 16:31


24 hours with... GERALD MOSSE

GEORGE SELWYN

Gerald Mosse started out in 1983 but it seems like yesterday to him and at 51 he continues to look forward to the next adventure, wherever that may be Interview: Tim Richards

M

y job is my hobby so I am always in a dream world. But I still wake up at about 5am, trying to be very quiet because I don’t want to disturb my wife Jonga and our nine-month-old son Armand. When I’m dressed I have a cup of tea and a small cookie to make sure there’s something in my stomach to start the day. Riding out for local trainers in Newmarket like Ed Dunlop, William Haggas, Gay Kelleway and John Ryan requires only a few minutes in the car. I’ll ride from the yard or go to certain gallops on the Heath and, if I go to the racecourse, it’s often for Saeed bin Suroor or Robert Cowell. I go home for a sweat in a hot bath, which I much prefer to a sauna. I am strong and need to watch my weight. If I’m racing at Newmarket it’s a five-minute journey. In complete contrast, I drove myself to Chepstow in May; it took three and a half hours and was no fun because normally I have a driver. After Chepstow I went to Lambourn for the night and rode out for Ed Walker and Charlie Hills, who both train for my boss Dr Johnny Hon, a big owner from Hong Kong. Then I drove to Yarmouth, another long trip, but could not have had a better ending to the day – on a winner, Gulland Rock, for Willie Carson, trained by his son Tony. Willie and I rode against each other all over the world. Unfortunately he wasn’t at Yarmouth, but we had a good talk on the phone and it was great to catch up with him again. I like travelling, but with a driver or by train or plane. I think I must be one of the most travelled jockeys in the world. When you are riding far afield internationally, you

find yourself on some of the best horses at the best tracks. There is nothing better. I am 51 and always looking forward, not back, and that’s why I want to carry on. I started in 1983, which seems like yesterday. I have worked for Patrick Biancone, ten years with the Aga Khan and also for Francois Boutin. I have won the Arc on Saumarez, the Melbourne Cup on Americain and ridden over 500 winners in Hong Kong. My memory cannot recall every big one, but they include Arazi, Daylami, Linamix, Ashkalani, Jim And Tonic, Siyouni and Red Cadeaux. I have

“I think I must be one of the most travelled jockeys in the world” enjoyed a very spoiled career. So many days you can’t forget, like the 2010 Melbourne Cup which left me with a very strong feeling that just lives on and on. Another unforgettable day was in Italy when I won a Group 1 on Waikika for my best friend Philippe Bellaiche, who has had only two horses in his life. As you grow older you seem to enjoy the smaller, less obvious things in life. More and more I appreciate the back-up I receive when I am riding. There are so many who prepare the horse before I go out and grab the glory. Their input is much more than mine.

When I arrive at the races lunch is often no more than a cola and a piece of chocolate. However, I have to say we are spoiled in the jockeys’ room in England; every racecourse provides a good variety of food for us. The catering for jockeys here is up there with Japan and Hong Kong. I know people think I am not normal when I tell them how I like to relax and where I like to be when I am away from racing – on a horse. Not a thoroughbred, maybe a quarter horse and certainly no competition, sometimes even away with the kids and their ponies. Riding through a forest can be so calm. It’s strange when I spend my professional life on horses – but that’s me at my happiest. Jonga and I enjoy visiting new places in England and in winter I always like to be at the seaside, diving, fishing and water-skiing – I have been to Thailand many times. I come from Marseille, by the Mediterranean, and have always loved the sea. I am always pleased when it is time for dinner in the evening. I don’t enjoy cheese, never drink wine or any alcohol but I do like most English food. When I am cooking it is mainly chicken or fish. Sometimes I enjoy food too much and if I could choose one dish it would be couscous, which comes from Morocco. I have never ridden in that country but was on a big winner in nearby Tunisia and the couscous was excellent there, too. When I am in different countries I try to find the local food. Bed is between 11 and 12 and I’m lucky because I don’t need much sleep; I get plenty of practice when I’m on those long journeys. Jonga says when we are travelling together I’m never there. Always asleep.

104 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Jul_167_24Hour.indd 104

27/06/2018 17:08


RACING BANK

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