Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder

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£4.95 | April 2017 | Issue 152

Incorporating

Sizing strikes Gold Harrington and Power claim blue riband with British-bred star

Plus • Life’s a breeze for jockey-turned-pinhooker Mark Dwyer • Fergal O’Brien on his Perfect Candidate for the National • Tony Morris looks at the career of US legend Man o’ War

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35744_DPS_SpeedSires_Apr'17.qxp_35516_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Mar'17 21/03/2017 10:57 Page 1

• AUSTRALIA • CAMELOT • CANFORD CLIFFS • EXCELEBRATION • FASTNET ROCK • FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND • GALILEO • GLENEAGLES • • HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR • IVAWOOD • KINGSTON HILL • MASTERCRAFTSMAN • MOST IMPROVED • NO NAY NEVER • POWER • PRIDE OF DUBAI • • REQUINTO • ROCK OF GIBRALTAR • RULER OF THE WORLD • STARSPANGLEDBANNER • THE GURKHA • WAR COMMAND • ZOFFANY •

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IVAWOOD

Defeated Champion Sprinter MUHAARAR and Dewhurst winner BELARDO to win the Gr.2 July Stakes (6f) and routed the Gr.2 Richmond Stakes (6f) field by 4½ lengths. Siring quality first foals with plenty of size and bone.

NO NAY NEVER Won the Gr.2 Norfolk Stakes (5f) in record time before adding the Gr.1 Prix Morny (6f) the following month. By the outstanding 2YO sire SCAT DADDY. First foals averaged more than fellow first crop sires SLADE POWER, OLYMPIC GLORY, TORONADO etc.

POWER Won the Gr.1 National Stakes (7f), the Gr.2 Coventry Stakes (6f) and the Listed Marble Hill Stakes (5f) as a 2YO and added the Gr.1 Irish Guineas as a 3YO. First crop 2YO’s include 4 Group/Stakes winners.

PRIDE OF DUBAI The only 2YO ever to land the Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes (6f) and Gr.1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (7f). By champion sire STREET CRY and from the immediate family of leading 2YO sires INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and KODIAC.

REQUINTO Won the Gr.2 Flying Childers Stakes (5f) and the Gr.3 Molecomb Stakes (5f) in record time. The fastest son of DANSILI. 55% winners/runners from his first crop 2YO’s – higher than FRANKEL!

WAR COMMAND Won the Gr.2 Coventry Stakes (6f) by 6 lengths, the Gr.2 Futurity Stakes (7f) by 3 lengths and the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes (7f) on his final start as a 2YO. By leading 2YO sire WAR FRONT. First crop foals at Tattersalls December sold for up to 100,000gns.

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

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

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Apr_152_Editors_Owner Breeder 25/03/2017 11:54 Page 3

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Editor: Edward Rosenthal Bloodstock Editor: Emma Berry Designed by: Thoroughbred Group Editorial: First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0209 Fax: 020 7152 0213 editor@ownerbreeder.co.uk www.ownerbreeder.co.uk @OwnerBreeder Advertising: Giles Anderson Tel: 01380 816 777 USA: 1 888 218 4430 Fax: 01380 816 778 advertise@anderson-co.com Subscriptions: Keely Brewer Tel: 020 7152 0212 Fax: 020 7152 0213 subscriptions@ownerbreeder.co.uk Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker can be purchased by non-members at the following rates: 1 Year 2 Year UK £55 £90 Europe £66 £105 RoW £99 £154 Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker is published by a Mutual Trading Company owned jointly by the Racehorse Owners Association and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association is a registered charity No. 1134293 Editorial views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the ROA or TBA ABC Audited Our proven average monthly circulation is certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulation at 9,500* *Based on the period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 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 | April 2017 | Issue 152

Incorporating

Sizing strikes Gold Harrington and Power claim blue riband with British-bred star

Plus • Life’s a breeze for jockey-turned-pinhooker Mark Dwyer • Fergal O’Brien on his Perfect Candidate for the National • Tony Morris looks at the career of US legend Man o’ War

04

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Cover: Sizing John and Robbie Power win the Cheltenham Gold Cup’ Photo: Bill Selwyn

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EDWARD ROSENTHAL

Patience the key when it comes to handicap marks W ho’d be a racehorse handicapper? So often vilified for their assessments – and that’s before they have even been tested on the

racecourse.

Irish trainer Pat Kelly took exception to the mark allotted to his Pertemps Final entry Presenting Percy, going all Robert de Niro and comparing himself to a “raging bull”. As it turned out, the king of comedy would have been more appropriate. Presenting Percy dispatched his 23 rivals with ease, leaving jockey Davy Russell looking somewhat embarrassed in the post-race interview. He could be Grade 1 horse now, apparently.

Tully East, Supasundae, Road To Respect, Arctic Fire, Champagne Classic and Rock The World were other handicap winners at the Festival for the Irish – not a bad little haul – who won 19 of the 28 races during the week.

Some of the big names may have been missing from Prestbury Park this year but there were still plenty of brilliant races and outstanding performances, wonderfully captured by the Selwyn brothers on pages 16-25.

Fergal O’Brien sent a select team to Cheltenham this year – his Barney Dwan had the misfortune of running into Presenting Percy in the Pertemps Final – and the Naunton handler will be hoping for better luck in the Randox Health Grand National on April 8.

O’Brien, who is enjoying his best season to date in terms of winners and prize-money, will send the aptlynamed Perfect Candidate to Aintree. The ten-year-old will carry 11st 4lb, the weights going up after the latest forfeit stage. He incurred a 6lb penalty after winning at Exeter a few days before the weights were published. No bitterness here, though.

“There’s no point moaning about going up 6lb, you have to accept that it is what it is,” O’Brien tells Tim Richards (Talking To, pages 44-48). “But he’s a big horse and I don’t think it will make much difference.

“I have always thought of him as a National horse; he jumps and he travels, but he does need the run of the

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

race, which might not always be easy. Having said that, I do believe on his day he could be a player and this could be his year.”

Sam Waley-Cohen is also bidding for Aintree glory and will ride The Young Master (10st 12lb), trained by Neil Mulholland. Waley-Cohen, who rides as an amateur in between running a healthcare business and family duties, has an exceptional record over the big fences and explains what it takes to triumph over the famous course (page 96).

“For a horse and jockey to win the National they have to become more than they are by themselves, more than the sum of the parts,” he says. “The horse has to put together its best possible performance and the jockey has to really become part of the horse, getting it into a rhythm to succeed in the ultimate racing challenge.

“That brings real romance to the whole event; in seconds you can be heading for all the glamour that goes with triumph or the devastation of disaster.

You need so much luck.”

As the jumps campaign moves towards its climax and the Flat turf season gets ever closer, racing on the all-weather continues, providing a tidy income through media rights payments to ARC and JCR tracks.

With so much action taking place on synthetics in Britain – and so many small fields increasing the chances of picking up some prize-money – it may seem strange that owners and trainers are deciding instead to pay to ship their horses over to France to race.

Yet, as James Crispe writes in Continental Tales (pages 38-39), the better prize-money across the Channel is still proving irresistible to many. Henry Spiller and Mark Loughnane both enjoyed fruitful trips in February and picked up decent pots, the latter’s runner being claimed.

If British racing is really dedicated to working together, as we so often hear, then an all-weather racing programme should be constructed to provide decent prize-money that will promote the sport, boost betting and, crucially, retain runners.

“The raging bull

turned into the king of comedy after Presenting Percy hacked up

”

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Apr_152_Contents_Contents 24/03/2017 18:40 Page 4

CONTENTS APRIL 2017

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54

NEWS & VIEWS

INTERNATIONAL SCENE

7

ROA Leader

35

View From Ireland

9

TBA Leader

38

Continental Tales

10

News

41

Around The Globe

12

Changes

30

Tony Morris

32

Howard Wright

Authority to act responsibly

Safeguarding the breed vital

David Nicholls quits training

News in a nutshell

Celebrating Man o’ War

Rankings rankles

Jessica Harrington enjoyed a terrific Cheltenham Festival with three winners, including Gold Cup victor Sizing John

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Irish Grand National prospers

Adrie de Vries flying

Oaklawn’s gamble pays off

Apr_152_Contents_Contents 24/03/2017 18:40 Page 5

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96

FEATURES

FORUM

16

70

The Thoroughbred Club

72

ROA Forum

82

TBA Forum

87

Breeder of the Month

88

Vet Forum

COVER STORY

The Big Picture Sizing John and all the big winners from the Cheltenham Festival

28 44 51

From The Archives Corbiere and Pitman in 1983

Talking To...

Trainer Fergal O’Brien

The Big Issue The Racing Authority

54

Breeze-up Season

62

Sales Circuit

68

Caulfield Files

90

Dr Statz

96

24 Hours With...

Mark Dwyer and Willie Browne

Mother-and-daughter achievers

Sam Waley-Cohen

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

New Code of Conduct for syndicates

Foal Show and celebration dinner news

Bryan and Sandra Mayoh for Sizing John

The problem of twins

DATA BOOK

92

NH Graded Races

94

Stallion Statistics

In Europe and America

Frankel leads French Classic entries

Introducing new runner Circulate

Your latest winners

Legend strikes

Our monthly circulation is certified at

9,500 Can other magazines prove theirs?

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Apr_152_ROA_Leader_Layout 1 24/03/2017 17:23 Page 7

ROA LEADER

NICHOLAS COOPER President Racehorse Owners Association

For racing’s rulers power comes with responsibility New funding model is golden opportunity but ructions must be kept private

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n view of what is now happening with Brexit, it is ironic that the racing industry continues to wait with bated breath to hear whether its new funding model has received clearance from Europe. It is my fervent hope that by the time these words are in print the last major hurdle frustrating the path of new legislation will have been cleared.

Assuming this is racing’s position by the beginning of April, it is estimated the sport can eventually look forward to receiving annual central funding of £90 million – a boost of around £35m, thanks to a levy being charged on all bets being placed by UK bettors on British horseracing. This will, crucially, include bets made online.

But that is only half of the good news; the other half is that racing will, for the first time in nearly 60 years, be able to have control over the funds it generates through betting. A Racing Authority, whose constitution is currently being put together, will take over the distribution role of the Levy Board from the beginning of next year, while the collection of funds from betting operators will be carried out by the Gambling Commission.

Unlike the Levy Board, the Racing Authority will be unfettered by either direct bookmaker or government involvement, although there must always be visibility that the authority is acting in the best interests of the whole industry.

It will mean the end of the annual ‘High Noon’ showdown between the betting and racing industries over which the government has frequently had to adjudicate.

Not only that, but the current costs of supporting both the Bookmakers’ Committee and the Levy Board itself can instead be diverted into the overall fund for racing.

While almost all of the Levy Board’s income is spent on the ‘improvement of horseracing’, there are many strands of expenditure within that definition. Spending on prizemoney, integrity and regulatory costs will certainly remain the Racing Authority’s main focus but for many years the

Levy Board has helped to prop up a number of worthy causes – some of them not even related to horseracing – in order to comply with its statutory obligation. How many of these the Racing Authority will continue to support is unclear at this stage, but there is likely to be a good deal of sympathy shown towards veterinary science, especially when it relates to the thoroughbred horse.

A structure that ensures racing is master of its own destiny represents a golden opportunity for the sport, but, equally, the responsibility attached to this major change will not be lost on racing’s administrators. With a board made up of equal representation from the Horsemen’s Group, the Racecourse Association and the British Horseracing Authority, it would be naïve to believe there will not be frequent differences of opinion. But then all board members will surely be aware that disagreements must be kept behind closed doors.

Certainly, with the absolute need for the Racing Authority board to be unified, a case has been made for the board to have an independent chairman. While there is an argument that an outside, unbiased chairman would be able to advise and adjudicate on the inevitable difficult decisions, we still have to assess whether the functioning of this board would really be improved by the appointment of such a person.

The irony over Europe is inescapable but, that aside, there it is also something of an irony in that racing is about to control its own finances at a time when central funding no longer brings most money into the sport.

It is true that media rights are now racing’s biggest earner but these are harnessed by racecourses and racecourse groups, who naturally make spending decisions based on their own individual businesses. The Racing Authority, however, must be flexible and creative in deciding how to spend this central funding for the greater good of the sport.

Howard Wright on the Racing Authority, pages 51-53

“The Racing Authority will be unfettered by either government or bookmaker involvement

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”

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Apr_152_TBA_Leader_TBA 24/03/2017 17:24 Page 9

TBA LEADER

JULIAN RICHMOND-WATSON Chairman Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

Consider heritable traits when planning matings Weaknesses should be eliminated where possible to enhance breed’s future

N

ow that the government has laid the statutory instrument before parliament to repeal the levy system, everyone involved with British racing must hope that its passage is smooth and that the additional revenue it promises is delivered from the outset.

The BHA, its chairman and chief executive, and all involved in the process, have worked extremely hard to reach this position, and they deserve full credit for achieving what has to be regarded as a positive result.

After more than 50 years of the Horserace Betting Levy Board being the paymaster of British racing, its eventual demise marks a sea change in the relationship between the sport and its major funders, and how that funding is approached. Through the Racing Authority, which will replace the Levy Board as the spending body, there will be a direct relationship with the betting industry, providing an opportunity for the two sides to work together to grow the cake, which supports everyone.

The mistrust and constant manoeuvering that has beset the industry for so long must be swept away and a way found to work together effectively. A new generation of more open and innovative betting operators will help, and as has been shown through the approved betting partners policy, it is vital that a good flow of information is available, so that initiatives can be assessed and benchmarked.

The Betting Partners Working Party was able to tinker around the edges, and the BHA’s Race Planning Committee even enjoyed the assistance of a friendly bookmaker to provide advice when actions were being contemplated that could damage betting turnover, but these tended to be reactive rather than proactive actions.

I am sure that most of the fixture list and race programme is fine but, while remembering that racing has built up a pattern and programme over many years, there must be scope for exciting innovation that catches the mood of modern-day punters and focuses their attention on or back to racing. I very much look forward to the

modern betting industry grasping this opportunity and working with racing to everyone’s benefit.

For breeders, though, matters closer to home demand slightly more immediate attention, for this is the busiest time of the year, as foaling and covering are in full swing.

Every covering made and every foal produced are the result of careful consideration by the mare owner, with many factors taken into account in making the decisions.

The term Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) might be new to most of us, but they are just the values we use where they are available.

We look at pedigrees; we have detailed records going back many years; we examine racing performance of both the sire and the dam and the distance they performed over; we consider conformation, and we delve into both sides of the pedigree to see how progeny and bloodlines have performed. All this information is in the public domain and readily available.

We might or might not know of unwanted heritable traits, such as wind or soundness problems, a tendency to bleed, or other less common but important heritable issues, which can be shown to be passed on from one generation to the next.

We have our own ideas about the importance of these and many other known factors that influence us, and we knowingly ignore or take a risk on some. But are we doing the breed a disservice by ignoring these problems for the sake of short-term financial gain?

Research to show that some unwanted traits are inheritable through a particular bloodline may not be universally welcomed, but if we intend to continue to improve the breed, we must be aware of these issues and consider, where possible, the option of breeding them out of future generations.

This is not an easy subject, but it is one we should grasp.

It cannot be good for anyone to knowingly breed traits that affect the life and racing ability of our horses, when we are able to eliminate them.

“It cannot be good for

anyone to knowingly breed traits that affect the life and racing ability of our horses

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

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Apr_152_News_Owner 24/03/2017 18:01 Page 10

NEWS Stories from the racing world

‘Sprint King’ Nicholls bows out Trainer who excelled with fast horses calls time on career due to financial issues

D

avid Nicholls, the trainer who became known as the ‘Sprint King’, was last month forced to call time on his 24-year training career.

Sovereign Debt proved his aptly-named last runner and winner when scoring in Doha, as the North Yorkshire trainer quit with debts of over £250,000, the majority said to be owed to bloodstock sales companies.

Nicholls also faces allegations of sexual assault, with a court case slated for August.

Personal matters aside, Nicholls was undoubtedly a master of his craft, winning six Group 1s via Ya Malak, Continent, Bahamian Pirate and Regal Parade, plus half a dozen Ayr Gold Cups among 1,267 career winners.

He excelled with sprinters and in 2011 notched a career-best 93 winners, while before starting out as a trainer in 1993 he was a successful jockey, best known for his association with prolific winners Soba and Chaplins Club, and his relationship with the late trainer David Chapman.

Nicholls, who turns 61 this month, said: “I’ve been in racing all my life and never had a bad day. It’s taken me all over the world and given my family and me a great living. I’ve trained a lot of special horses and won Group 1s with Continent, Bahamian Pirate, Regal Parade and Ya Malak, as well as the Ayr Gold Cup six times.”

He added: I’d like to think I helped Silvestre [de Sousa], Kieren [Fallon] and Franny [Norton], and I’m proud of how they’ve all done.”

De Sousa, Fallon and Norton all paid tribute to Nicholls, as did his retired jockey son Adrian, who said: “He had a great head lad in Ben Beasley, but he was a genius with

David Nicholls (inset) had an outstanding record with sprinters such as Regal Parade

horses and I’m not just saying that because he is my dad.”

Aside from his Group 1 winners, other horses who helped create the Nicholls legacy

included Fremen, Funfair Wane, Rudi’s Pet, Fire Up The Band, Strike Up The Band, Tax Free, Zuhair, Moss Vale, Proud Native and Venture Capitalist.

Jessica Bethell Foundation dinner in May The Jessica Bethell Charitable Foundation will hold its annual dinner at York racecourse on Tuesday, May 16 on the eve of the Dante festival.

Set up in 2012 following the tragic death due to meningitis of Jessica Bethell, the daughter of Middleham training duo James and Sally Bethell, the foundation raises funds towards worthy causes in the area around

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Middleham in North Yorkshire.

The foundation is currently working alongside Racing Welfare to purchase and establish a centre for young people in the racing community that will offer social interaction, IT, a gym, physio, food and much-needed accommodation.

Tickets for the dinner, which has been a sell-out for the previous two years, cost

£100. The evening will include live and silent auctions, hosted by ITV betting expert and At The Races frontman Matt Chapman.

To book places contact Berni Parr at jessicabethellfoundation@gmail.com or see jessicabethellfoundation.co.uk.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Apr_152_News_Owner 24/03/2017 18:01 Page 11

BHA overhauls licensing system for jockeys The BHA will overhaul the way jockeys are licensed in Britain in an effort to drive up standards and address the number of riders who fail to make the grade.

From April 1, applicants for apprentice and conditional jockey courses will only be accepted if they pass a pre-licence assessment. The length of the apprentice/conditional jockey course will be extended from five to ten days and training will continue when they are riding as claimers.

A BHA statement said: “The enhancements are designed to address the present situation in which racing is spending considerable resource training individuals who may not become successful. Too many jockeys also mean reduced opportunities for riders who might make the grade.

Currently 30% of licensing course attendees do not ride a winner and 88% do not ride out their claim.”

Paul Hanagan, champion jockey in 2010 and 2011, backed the move.

“Hopefully it will make it safer,” he said. “I thought it was easy enough for lads to get a licence now, so it’s nice to see something’s being done.”

Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the BHA, said: “The changes announced today ensure that our jockeys will have access to significantly enhanced technical, personal and professional training. A more efficient and extensive assessment process can help aspiring jockeys who have a genuine chance of success to receive the first class levels of support and guidance they require.

“One of our key strategic objectives is to prioritise the welfare of our human and equine athletes and these changes show we are clearly focussed on investing in and looking after our people, as well as our horses.

“We are fully aware of the impact these changes are likely to have on horsemen and thank trainers for their understanding. We will continue to have an open dialogue with the National Trainers Federation and their members as these changes come into effect.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Terry Doherty was named Employee of the Year while the David Nicholson Newcomer Award went to Elisha Whittington, pictured with Richard Johnson

Doherty takes top award Terry Doherty, Stud Manager of Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd-Webber’s Watership Down Stud, was named Employee of the Year at the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards 2017, held in February in Knightsbridge, London.

Doherty has been in his role at Watership Down Stud for 24 years, during which time the operation has produced the likes of topclass winners Rewilding, Dar Re Mi and The Fugue, the latter two now part of the broodmare band.

Brough Scott, Chairman of the judging panel, commented: “The finalists were of a

quite exceptional standard and it was really inspiring for the judges to hear their stories.

However, in the end, Terry emerged as a clear and very fine winner and I am sure he will be a great ambassador for the sport.”

He received a cheque for £40,000, half of which will be shared among his colleagues at the stud. In total £120,000 was shared between the winners on the night.

Among the other winners, the David Nicholson Newcomer Award went to Elisha Whittington, who works for trainer Tom Dascombe. She received a prize of £2,000 with the same amount going to her yard.

Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards 2017 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Dedication to Racing Award

Terry Doherty – Watership Down Stud

Colin Nutter – Sir Mark Prescott Runners up: Kim Jones – Malcolm Saunders Bryn Walker – Hugo Palmer

Leadership Award Rory O’Dowd – Brian Meehan Runners up: Michael Finn – Graeme McPherson Hayley Kelly – Mark Johnston

Rider/Groom Award Jamie Bunsell – Paul Henderson Runners up: Jason Favell – William Haggas Chetan Singh – Andrew Balding

Stud Staff Award Terry Doherty – Watership Down Stud Runners up: Jo Brown – Overbury Stud James Fitz-John – Swanbridge Bloodstock

David Nicholson Newcomer Award Elisha Whittington – Tom Dascombe Runners up: Anthony Lynch – Wadacre Stud June Palmer Kimpton – Ben Haslam

Rory Macdonald Community Award Sarah Monkman – Racing Welfare Runners up: Gary Humphries – Godolphin Kevin Parsons – National Association of Stable Staff

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Apr_152_Changes2pp_Layout 1 24/03/2017 18:14 Page 12

Racing’s news in a nutshell PEOPLE AND BUSINESS Thierry Jarnet Treve’s jockey for her back-to-back Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victories retires from the saddle ahead of his 50th birthday. Crowned champion jockey in France on four occasions, he captured his sole British Classic aboard Pennekamp in the 1995 2,000 Guineas.

Willy Twiston-Davies Sustains fractured vertebrae and cracked ribs in fall from Foxtail Hill at the Cheltenham Festival.

ITV

Robert Havlin

Viewing figures for the channel’s maiden Cheltenham Festival broadcast surpass those achieved by Channel 4 a year ago, with the peak audience on Gold Cup day hitting 1.8 million.

Flat rider who enjoyed his best season in 2016 with 81 winners will fight six-month disqualification imposed by French authorities for failing drug test.

George Baker Jockey suffers serious injuries following fall on the snow at St Moritz in Switzerland and returns to Britain to continue his recovery.

Also... Philip Bowcock is

appointed permanent Chief Executive of William Hill having filled the role on an interim basis since last year. Joao Moreira, the Hong Kong-based rider known as ‘Magic Man’, breaks his own record with eight winners on a single card at Sha Tin. The Ladbrokes Trophy is the new name for what was the Hennessy Gold Cup, now worth £250,000 after a £50,000 injection of prize-money. Barry Lynch launches his own agency, Lynch Bloodstock, in Fermoy, County Cork after five years working with Luke Lillingston. Nicky Mackay breaks femur and sustains lower leg fractures after his mount for Godolphin veers across the track and crashes through the rail at Chelmsford. Mark Kavanagh’s appeal, and that of fellow trainer Danny O’Brien, against cobalt conviction is upheld at tribunal. James Doyle will miss the start of the domestic turf season as he extends his stay in Australia. It follows former Godolphin rider James McDonald’s betting ban.

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Adrian Maguire Top jockey-turned-trainer expects to hand in his licence at the end of the season, with a lack of horses blamed.

Stephen Higgins

Chris McGrath

Will leave his role as Arena Racing Company’s Racing and Property Director to join the Hong Kong Jockey Club, linking up with former boss Tony Kelly.

Racing Writer of the Year on two occasions joins the Racing Post as Bloodstock Editor.

PEOPLE OBITUARIES Clive Bailey 70

Jim Leigh 82

Specialist hurdles jockey who was based with Toby Balding and rode around 100 winners, including Challow Hurdle scorer Official.

Lincolnshire-based trainer who sent out On Tiptoes to win the 1990 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Jack Purtell 95

Trackwork rider dies from injuries after a fall on the gallops at Thoroughbred Park in Canberra.

Australian rider winning three Melbourne Cups, four Cox Plates and the 1965 Oaks at Epsom on the Vincent O’Brien-trained Long Look.

Brian Procter 75 Partnered Brigadier Gerard, Bustino and Dayjur on the gallops as a work-rider for Dick Hern, having previously worked for Sir Gordon Richards.

Riharna Thomson 22

John Cameron-Hayes 91 Former Secretary and Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association, who oversaw its move from Portman Square to Ascot.

Ted Powell 74 Bred and trained dual Portland Handicap winner Hello Mister and latterly sent out Ajjaadd to win ten races.

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Apr_152_Changes2pp_Layout 1 24/03/2017 18:14 Page 14

RACEHORSE AND STALLION MOVEMENTS AND RETIREMENTS Sole Power Top sprinter trained by Eddie Lynam for the Power family is retired aged ten.

The Kyllachy gelding won 12 races, five Group 1s, and over £2 million.

Mastery Son of Candy Ride, unbeaten in three races in the US including a Grade 1, but currently out injured, will stand at Claiborne Farm upon his retirement.

Territories Prix Jean Prat winner, who this year took up stallion duties at Dalham Park Stud, will shuttle to Darley Australia’s Kelvinside in New South Wales.

California Chrome Reigning US Horse of the Year now based at Taylor Made Stallions will shuttle to Haras Sumaya Stud in Chile for the southern hemisphere breeding season.

Frosted Tapit’s son, winner of three Grade 1s in the US who is standing his debut season at Jonabell Farm, will shuttle to Darley Australia’s Northwood Park, Victoria.

Flying Artie Group 1-winning son of Artie Schiller is retired to stand at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley, along with Extreme Choice, his conqueror in the Blue Diamond Stakes.

HORSE OBITUARIES Hadrian’s Approach 10 Talented staying chaser for the KelvinHughes family and Nicky Henderson, winner of the 2014 bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown

Consul De Thaix 5 Promising young hurdler trained by Nicky Henderson who raced for JP McManus, twice finishing second to stablemate Brain Power this season.

Sunday Break 18

Perugino 25

Japanese-bred son of Forty Niner, a high-class performer in the US whose progeny includes French Group 1 winner Never On Sunday.

Half-brother to Sadler’s Wells stood latterly at Longford House Stud in Ireland. He sired top sprinter The Tatling and talented hurdler Harchibald.

Boomerang Bob 8

Antiquarium 5

Useful six-furlong performer, latterly in the care of Jamie Osborne, the winner of six races including at Listed level.

Godolphin’s son of New Approach, winner of last year’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle for trainer Charlie Appleby.

Danehill Dancer 24 Champion sire for Coolmore whose offspring included outstanding performers Choisir, Mastercraftsman, Esoterique and Legatissimo.

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THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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THE BIG PICTURE

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C H E LT E N H A M F E S T I VA L

D’AIR REWARDED The Stan James Champion Hurdle, the highlight on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, witnessed a brilliant performance from Buveur D’Air (main image) under Noel Fehily in the famous JP McManus silks.

Nicky Henderson, pictured far left with the winning owner, made the brave call to abort a novice chase campaign and revert to the smaller obstacles, and how the trainer was vindicated. Buveur D’Air’s triumph – over stablemate and yard favourite My Tent Or Yours (red cap) – was a record sixth Champion Hurdle for Henderson, who also struck at the Festival with star novice Altior (left, centre) in the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy and Might Bite in the RSA Chase, the last two partnered by Nico de Boinville Photos George Selwyn

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THE BIG PICTURE

TIARA IS CROWNED Special Tiara lived up to his name in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with a superb display of jumping and tenacity.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained ten-year-old made every yard of the running under Noel Fehily to deny the fast-finishing Fox Norton by a head. Fehily is pictured above with Special Tiara’s owner Sally Rowley-Williams, who collected her trophy from the Duchess of Cornwall. Douvan was all the rage for the two-mile event but Rich Ricci’s charge never looked comfortable and trailed home in seventh, subsequently found to have fractured his pelvis Photos Bill Selwyn and George Selwyn

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C H E LT E N H A M F E S T I VA L

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THE BIG PICTURE

SCEAUX SPECIAL After drawing a blank on the first two Festival days, the Willie Mullins-Ruby Walsh partnership clicked into gear on day three with a superb four-timer, led

by Ryanair hero Un De Sceaux (main image) for owner Edward O’Connell.

Yorkhill (top) started the ball rolling in the JLT Novices’ Chase, the first leg of a double for owners Andrea and Graham Wylie who saw Nichols Canyon (bottom) capture the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle.

Rich Ricci’s Let’s Dance (middle) completed the quartet in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Photos George Selwyn

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C H E LT E N H A M F E S T I VA L

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THE BIG PICTURE

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C H E LT E N H A M F E S T I VA L

POWER-PACKED JOHN The elite staying chase ranks has a new star in the shape of Sizing John, emphatic winner of the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup under Robbie Power. Sizing John, owned by Alan and Ann Potts, was trainer Jessica Harrington’s first runner in the blue riband. The British-bred seven-year-old is another feather in the cap of his late sire Midnight Legend Photos Bill Selwyn and George Selwyn

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THE BIG PICTURE

GORDON TOO GOOD Gordon Elliott edged out compatriot Willie Mullins to take the top trainer trophy at Cheltenham, his six winners including the moody but talented Labaik (above) in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, a first Festival winner for 17-year-old riding sensation Jack Kennedy, and Apple’s Jade (below, right) under Bryan Cooper in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle

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C H E LT E N H A M F E S T I VA L

Clockwise from top: Ben Pauling (hands aloft) is thrilled to have a first Festival winner in the bag, celebrating the victory of Paul and Clare Rooney’s Willoughby Court and David Bass in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle; jockey Gina Andrews, trainer Stuart Edmunds (left of shot) and the Domesday Book team enjoy their Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup win; the Philip Hobbs-trained Defi Du Seuil, owned by JP McManus, confirms himself the best juvenile hurdler around with a scintillating performance in the JCB Triumph Hurdle under champion jockey Richard Johnson

Published here is the Final List of European stallions registered in full with the EBF for the 2016 covering season. The progeny of these stallions, CONCEIVED IN 2016 IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, (the foal crop of 2017) will be eligible to enter the EBF races to be held during the year 2019 and thereafter. They will also be eligible for other relevant benefits under the EBF terms and conditions in force in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

A ABBASHIVA (GER) ABDEL (FR) ACCLAMATION (GB) ACHTUNG (GB) ADELPHOS (FR) ADLERFLUG (GER) AEROPLANE (GB) AGE OF JAPE (POL) AIKEN (GB) AIR CHIEF MARSHAL (IRE) AIZAVOSKI (IRE) AL KAZEEM (GB) AL NAMIX (FR) ALASKA RIVER (GER) ALBAASIL (IRE) ALHEBAYEB (IRE) ALIANTHUS (GER) ALKAADHEM (GB) ALQAAHIR (USA) ALTRUISTIC (IRE) AMADEUS WOLF (GB) AMARILLO (IRE) AMARON (GB) AMERICAN DEVIL (FR) AMERICAN POST (GB) AMICO FRITZ (GER) ANABAA BLUE (GB) AND BEYOND (IRE) ANJAAL (GB) ANODIN (IRE) APPLE TREE (FR) APSIS (GB) ARAKAN (USA) ARCADIO (GER) ARCANO (IRE) ARCHANGE D’OR (IRE) ARCHIPENKO (USA) ARCTIC COSMOS (USA) AREION (GER) ARISTOTLE (IRE) ARMY KING (FR) ARRIGO (GER) ARVICO (FR) ASK (GB) ASSERTIVE (GB) AUSTRALIA (GB) AUTHORIZED (IRE) AVONBRIDGE (GB) AXXOS (GER) B BACH (IRE) BALKO (FR) BALLINGARRY (IRE) BALTIC KING (GB) BANNABY (FR) BARASTRAIGHT (GB) BARELY A MOMENT (AUS) BASHKIROV (GB) BATED BREATH (GB) BATHYRHON (GER) BATTLE OF MARENGO (IRE) BEAT HOLLOW (GB) BENVENUE (IRE)

EBF Owner April 2017 f-p.indd 2

BIG BAD BOB (IRE) BLACK SAM BELLAMY (IRE) BLEK (FR) BLU AIR FORCE (IRE) BLUE BRESIL (FR) BLUE CANARI (FR) BLUE CORAL (IRE) BLUEPRINT (IRE) BOLLIN ERIC (GB) BOREAL (GER) BORIS DE DEAUVILLE (IRE) BORN TO SEA (IRE) BOSWINGER (IRE) BOTTEGA (USA) BRAVE MANSONNIEN (FR) BRAZEN BEAU (AUS) BUNGLE INTHEJUNGLE (GB) BURWAAZ (GB) C CABLE BAY (IRE) CACIQUE (IRE) CALIFET (FR) CALL ME BIG (GER) CALLEJERO (ARG) CALMING INFLUENCE (IRE) CAMACHO (GB) CAMELOT (GB) CAMERON HIGHLAND (IRE) CAMILL (IRE) CANFORD CLIFFS (IRE) CANYON CREEK (IRE) CAPPELLA SANSEVERO (GB) CAPTAIN CHOP (FR) CAPTAIN GERRARD (IRE) CAPTAIN MARVELOUS (IRE) CARLOTAMIX (FR) CASAMENTO (IRE) CAT JUNIOR (USA) CELTIC ROCK (GB) CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) CHARM SPIRIT (IRE) CHICHI CREASY (FR) CHOEUR DU NORD (FR) CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (IRE) CITYSCAPE (GB) CLODOVIL (IRE) CLOUDINGS (IRE) COACH HOUSE (IRE) COASTAL PATH (GB) COCKNEY REBEL (IRE) COKORIKO (FR) CONDUIT (IRE) CONTAT (GER) COURT CAVE (IRE) CREACHADOIR (IRE) CRILLON (FR) CULPRIT (USA) CURTAIN TIME (IRE) D DABBERS RIDGE (IRE) DABIRSIM (FR) DAHJEE (USA) DALAKHANI (IRE) DANDY MAN (IRE)

DANSANT (GB) DANSILI (GB) DAPPER (GB) DARK ANGEL (IRE) DARSI (FR) DAWN APPROACH (IRE) DELEGATOR (GB) DENON (USA) DESERT PRINCE (IRE) DIAMOND BOY (FR) DIAMOND GREEN (FR) DICK TURPIN (IRE) DICKENS (GER) DINK (FR) DIOGENES (IRE) DISTANT MUSIC (USA) DOCTOR DINO (FR) DONCASTER ROVER (USA) DOYEN (IRE) DRAGON DANCER (GB) DRAGON PULSE (IRE) DREAM AHEAD (USA) DREAM EATER (IRE) DREAM WELL (FR) DUBAWI (IRE) DUE DILIGENCE (USA) DUNADEN (FR) DUNELIGHT (IRE) DUNKERQUE (FR) DURANTE ALIGHIERI (GB) DURBAN THUNDER (GER) DUTCH ART (GB) DYLAN THOMAS (IRE) E EARL OF TINSDAL (GER) EASTERN ANTHEM (IRE) EGERTON (GER) EL SALVADOR (IRE) ELASOS (FR) ELECTRIC BEAT (GB) ELUSIVE CITY (USA) ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL (USA) ELVSTROEM (AUS) ELZAAM (AUS) EPAULETTE (AUS) EQUIANO (FR) ES QUE LOVE (IRE) EVASIVE (GB) EVASIVE’S FIRST (FR) EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) EXCELEBRATION (IRE) F FAIR MIX (IRE) FAIRLY RANSOM (USA) FALCO (USA) FAME AND GLORY (GB) FAMOUS NAME (GB) FARHH (GB) FAST COMPANY (IRE) FASTNET ROCK (AUS) FEEL LIKE DANCING (GB) FEUERBLITZ (GER) FIGHT CLUB (GER) FINE GRAIN (JPN)

FINJAAN (GB) FINSCEAL FIOR (IRE) FIREBREAK (GB) FLAMINGO FANTASY (GER) FLEMENSFIRTH (USA) FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND (GB) FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (IRE) FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (IRE) FOUR STAR GENERAL (IRE) FRACAS (IRE) FRAMMASSONE (IRE) FRANKEL (GB) FRANKLINS GARDENS (GB) FREE EAGLE (IRE) FREMINIUS (GER) FRENCH FIFTEEN (FR) FRENCH NAVY (GB) FROZEN FIRE (GER) FROZEN POWER (IRE) FRUITS OF LOVE (USA) FUISSE (FR) FULBRIGHT (GB) FULL OF GOLD (FR) G G FORCE (IRE) GALE FORCE TEN (GB) GALILEO (IRE) GALIWAY (GB) GAMUT (IRE) GARSWOOD (GB) GATEWOOD (GB) GEMIX (FR) GENTLEWAVE (IRE) GEORDIELAND (FR) GEORGE VANCOUVER (USA) GETAWAY (GER) GIANT’S SEAWAY (USA) GLENEAGLES (IRE) GLOBUS (GER) GLOR NA MARA (IRE) GOLDEN HORN (GB) GOLDEN LARIAT (USA) GOLDEN TORNADO (IRE) GOLDMARK (USA) GREAT PRETENDER (IRE) GREEN MOON (IRE) GREGORIAN (IRE) GRIS DE GRIS (IRE) GUTAIFAN (IRE) H HAAFHD (GB) HAATEF (USA) HAIL (IRE) HALLOWED CROWN (AUS) HAMOND (GER) HANNOUMA (IRE) HARBOUR WATCH (IRE) HAVANA GOLD (IRE) HEERAAT (IRE) HELLVELYN (GB) HELMET (AUS) HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (USA) HIGH ROCK (IRE) HILLSTAR (GB)

HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) HONOLULU (IRE) HOT STREAK (IRE) HUNTER’S LIGHT (IRE) HURRICANE CAT (USA) HURRICANE RUN (IRE) I IFFRAAJ (GB) IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE) INDIAN DAFFODIL (IRE) INDIAN HAVEN (GB) INTELLO (GER) INTENSE FOCUS (USA) INTRINSIC (GB) INVINCIBLE SPIRIT (IRE) IT’S GINO (GER) IVAWOOD (IRE) J JAMMAAL (GB) JARN (GB) JET AWAY (GB) JEU IRLANDAIS (FR) JOSHUA TREE (IRE) JUKEBOX JURY (IRE) K KALANISI (IRE) KALATOS (GER) KALLISTO (GER) KAMSIN (GER) KAP ROCK (FR) KAPGARDE (FR) KARGALI (IRE) KAYF TARA (GB) KENDARGENT (FR) KFAR SABA (FR) KHALKEVI (IRE) KHELEYF (USA) KIER PARK (IRE) KINGMAN (GB) KINGSALSA (USA) KINGSTON HILL (GB) KISSING YOU (ARG) KODIAC (GB) KONIG TURF (GER) KOUROUN (FR) KUTUB (IRE) KYLLACHY (GB) L LAURO (GER) LAVEROCK (IRE) LAWMAN (FR) LE CADRE NOIR (IRE) LE FOU (IRE) LE HAVRE (IRE) LE VIE INFINITE (IRE) LEADING LIGHT (IRE) LEGOLAS (JPN) LEROIDESANIMAUX (BRZ) LETHAL FORCE (IRE) LIBERTARIAN (GB) LIBRANNO (GB) LILBOURNE LAD (IRE) LINDA’S LAD (GB) LITERATO (FR)

LIZIO (GB) LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) LORD OF ENGLAND (GER) LOS CRISTIANOS (FR) LOUP BRETON (IRE) LUCARNO (USA) LUCAYAN (FR) LUCKY SPEED (IRE) M MACHUCAMBO (FR) MAGADAN (IRE) MAHLER (GB) MAIGURI (IRE) MAINSAIL (GB) MAJESTIC MISSILE (IRE) MAKE BELIEVE (GB) MAKFI (GB) MALINAS (GER) MAMOOL (IRE) MANDURO (GER) MARESCA SORRENTO (FR) MARIYDI (IRE) MARSHALL (FR) MARTALINE (GB) MARTILLO (GER) MASKED MARVEL (GB) MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) MASTEROFTHEHORSE (IRE) MASTERSTROKE (USA) MAWATHEEQ (USA) MAXIOS (GB) MAYSON (GB) MAZAMEER (IRE) MEDICEAN (GB) MESHAHEER (USA) MHARADONO (GER) MIDNIGHT LEGEND (GB) MIGHTY (GB) MIKHAIL GLINKA (IRE) MILAN (GB) MILANAIS (FR) MILK IT MICK (GB) MILLENARY (GB) MISTER FOTIS (USA) MONITOR CLOSELY (IRE) MONSIEUR BOND (IRE) MONTGOLFIER (GER) MONTMARTRE (FR) MOOHAAJIM (IRE) MOONJAZ (GB) MORES WELLS (GB) MOROZOV (USA) MORPHEUS (GB) MOSS VALE (IRE) MOST IMPROVED (IRE) MOTIVATOR (GB) MOUNT NELSON (GB) MOURAYAN (IRE) MR MEDICI (IRE) MUBAAREZ (GB) MUHAARAR (GB) MUHAYMIN (USA) MUHTATHIR (GB) MUJAHID (USA)

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M M M M M M M N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N O O O O O O O O O O P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P

The European Breeders’ Fund, Lushington House, 119 High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9AE, UK T: +44 (0) 1638 667960 F: +44 (0) 1638 667270 E: info@ebfhorseracing.co.uk www.ebfstallions.com

MUKHADRAM (GB) MULLIONMILEANHOUR (IRE) MULTIPLEX (GB) MUSIC MASTER (GB) MUSTAJEEB (GB) MUSTAMEET (USA) MY RISK (FR) N NATHANIEL (IRE) NATIONAL FLAG (IRE) NATIVE RULER (GB) NAYEF (USA) NEATICO (GER) NEVER ON SUNDAY (FR) NEW APPROACH (IRE) NICE APPLAUSE (IRE) NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) NO NAY NEVER (USA) NO RISK AT ALL (FR) NOROIT (GER) NORSE DANCER (IRE) NOTNOWCATO (GB) NUTAN (IRE) O OASIS DREAM (GB) OCOVANGO (GB) OLDEN TIMES (GB) OLYMPIC GLORY (IRE) ON EST BIEN (IRE) ORIENTOR (GB) ORPEN (USA) OUILLY (IRE) OUTSTRIP (GB) P PACO BOY (IRE) PALACE EPISODE (USA) PALAMOSS (IRE) PALAVICINI (USA) PANIS (USA) PAOLINI (GER) PAPAL BULL (GB) PASSING GLANCE (GB) PASTORAL PURSUITS (GB) PASTORIUS (GER) PEDRO THE GREAT (USA) PEER GYNT (JPN) PENNY’S PICNIC (IRE) PETHER’S MOON (IRE) PETILLO (FR) PETIT SPECIAL (FR) PHENOMENA (GB) PHOENIX REACH (IRE) PICCOLO (GB) PIRATEER (IRE) PIVOTAL (GB) PLANTEUR (IRE) POET’S VOICE (GB) POLARIX (GB) POLICY MAKER (IRE) POLIGLOTE (GB) POLISH VULCANO (GER) POMELLATO (GER) POP ROCK (JPN) POSEIDON ADVENTURE (IRE)

EBF Owner April 2017 f-p.indd 3

POUNCED (USA) POUR MOI (IRE) POUVOIR ABSOLU (GB) POWER (GB) PRESENTING (GB) PRINCE CARO (USA) PRINCE D’ALIENOR (IRE) PRINCE FLORI (GER) PRINCE GIBRALTAR (FR) PROCLAMATION (IRE) PUIT D’OR (IRE) PUSHKIN (IRE) Q QUEST FOR PEACE (IRE) QUINZIEME MONARQUE (USA) R RACINGER (FR) RAIL LINK (GB) RAJJ (IRE) RAJSAMAN (FR) RAVEN’S PASS (USA) RAY OF LIGHT (IRE) RECHARGE (IRE) RED DUBAWI (IRE) RED JAZZ (USA) RELIABLE MAN (GB) REPLY (IRE) REQUINTO (IRE) RETIREMENT PLAN (GB) RIO DE LA PLATA (USA) ROB ROY (USA) ROBIN DES CHAMPS (FR) ROBIN DES PRES (FR) ROBIN DU NORD (FR) ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) RODERIC O’CONNOR (IRE) ROSENSTURM (IRE) ROYAL ANTHEM (USA) ROYAL APPLAUSE (GB) RUGBY (USA) RULE OF LAW (USA) RULER OF THE WORLD (IRE) RUSSIAN TANGO (GER) S SABIANGO (GER) SADDEX (GB) SADDLER MAKER (IRE) SADDLER’S ROCK (IRE) SAGEBURG (IRE) SAINT DES SAINTS (FR) SAKHEE (USA) SAKHEE’S SECRET (GB) SAMUM (GER) SANDWAKI (USA) SANS FRONTIERES (IRE) SANTIAGO (GER) SAONOIS (FR) SAYIF (IRE) SCALO (GB) SCATER (POL) SCHIAPARELLI (GER) SCORPION (IRE) SEA MOON (GB) SEA THE MOON (GER)

SEA THE STARS (IRE) SEPOY (AUS) SEPTEMBER STORM (GER) SHAKESPEAREAN (IRE) SHAMARDAL (USA) SHANTARAM (GB) SHANTOU (USA) SHARPOUR (IRE) SHIROCCO (GER) SHOLOKHOV (IRE) SHOOTING TO WIN (AUS) SHOWCASING (GB) SHREK (GER) SIDESTEP (AUS) SILVER FROST (IRE) SINNDAR (IRE) SINTARAJAN (IRE) SIR PERCY (GB) SIR PRANCEALOT (IRE) SIXTIES ICON (GB) SIYOUNI (FR) SLADE POWER (IRE) SLEEPING INDIAN (GB) SLICKLY (FR) SLICKLY ROYAL (FR) SNOW SKY (GB) SOCIETY ROCK (IRE) SOLDIER HOLLOW (GB) SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (IRE) SOLSKJAER (IRE) SOMMERABEND (GB) SORDINO (GER) SOUL CITY (IRE) SPANISH MOON (USA) SPECIAL KALDOUN (IRE) SPIDER FLIGHT (FR) SPIRIT ONE (FR) SRI PUTRA (GB) STARSPANGLEDBANNER (AUS) STEELE TANGO (USA) STIMULATION (IRE) STORM MIST (IRE) STORMY RIVER (FR) STYLE VENDOME (FR) SULAMANI (IRE) SUN CENTRAL (IRE) SUNDAY BREAK (JPN) SUPERSONIC FLIGHT (GER) SUPPLICANT (GB) SWISS SPIRIT (GB) T TAGULA (IRE) TAI CHI (GER) TALE OF TWO CITIES (IRE) TAMAYUZ (GB) TAU CETI (GB) TELESCOPE (IRE) TEOFILO (IRE) THE BOGBERRY (USA) THE CARBON UNIT (USA) THE FRENCH (FR) THE WOW SIGNAL (IRE) THEWAYYOUARE (USA) TIBERIUS CAESAR (FR)

TIGRON (USA) TIMOS (GER) TIN HORSE (IRE) TOBOUGG (IRE) TOCCATA (IRE) TONI BLUE (FR) TOP LINE DANCER (IRE) TOP TRIP (GB) TORONADO (IRE) TOUCH OF LAND (FR) TOUGH AS NAILS (IRE) TRAJANO (USA) TRANS ISLAND (GB) TRES ROCK DANON (FR) TURGEON (USA) U UNIVERSAL (IRE) URBAN POET (USA) URSA MAJOR (IRE) V VALE OF YORK (IRE) VALIRANN (FR) VATORI (FR) VERTIGINEUX (FR) VERY NICE NAME (FR) VESPONE (IRE) VIDAYAR (FR) VIRTUAL (GB) VISION D’ETAT (FR) VITA ROSA (JPN) VITA VENTURI (IRE) VOCALISED (USA) W WALDPARK (GER) WALK IN THE PARK (IRE) WAR COMMAND (USA) WATAR (IRE) WAY OF LIGHT (USA) WELL CHOSEN (GB) WESTERNER (GB) WHERE OR WHEN (IRE) WHIPPER (USA) WIENER WALZER (GER) WIESENPFAD (FR) WILLYWELL (FR) WINDSOR KNOT (IRE) WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) WORTHADD (IRE) X XTENSION (IRE) Y YEATS (IRE) YORGUNNABELUCKY (USA) YOUMZAIN (IRE) Z ZAMBEZI SUN (GB) ZANZIBARI (USA) ZAZOU (GER) ZEBEDEE (GB) ZIZANY (IRE) ZOFFANY (IRE)

EBF INTERNATIONAL STALLIONS STALLION ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (USA) AMERICAIN (USA) CANDY RIDE (ARG) DAAHER (CAN) DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) DEEP IMPACT (JPN) ENGLISH CHANNEL (USA) EPIPHANEIA (JPN) FIRST DEFENCE (USA) GOLD ALLURE (JPN) GREY SWALLOW (IRE) HARBINGER (GB) HEART’S CRY (JPN) HONOR CODE (USA) JUST A WAY (JPN) KARAKONTIE (JPN) KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) KINSHASA NO KISEKI (AUS) KITTEN’S JOY (USA) KIZUNA (JPN) LEMON DROP KID (USA) LIAM’S MAP (USA) LORD KANALOA (JPN) MIZZEN MAST (USA) MR SPEAKER (USA) MUSKETIER (GER) NATIVE KHAN (FR) NOBLE MISSION (GB) NOVELLIST (IRE) ORFEVRE (JPN) POINT OF ENTRY (USA) QUALITY ROAD (USA) RED ROCKS (IRE) RULERSHIP (JPN) THE FACTOR (USA) TWIRLING CANDY (USA) UNION RAGS (USA) VICTOIRE PISA (JPN) WORKFORCE (GB)

STANDS USA USA USA USA JPN JPN USA JPN USA JPN USA JPN JPN USA JPN USA JPN JPN USA JPN USA USA JPN USA USA USA TUR USA JPN JPN USA USA USA JPN USA USA USA JPN JPN

The stallions listed above stood OUTSIDE THE EBF AREA IN 2016 and have been registered as International Stallions for that year by reason of stallion nomination payments. The progeny of these stallions, CONCEIVED IN 2016, (the foal crop of 2017), will be eligible to enter and run in EBF races to be held during 2019, and thereafter, with no further payments. Further details from the Chief Executive, European Breeders’ Fund.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

The story behind the photo No woman had ever won the Grand National until Jenny Pitman and Corbiere came along to etch their names into the annals of the world’s most famous jumps race.

Thirty-four years ago the National was a fiercer test than it is nowadays, but they bred ‘em tough then and for Corbiere it was only the first of five National appearances.

Jockey Ben de Haan, 23, led on him from the get-go, and though Hallo Dandy temporarily assumed the lead on the second circuit, Corbiere had regained it three out, and he went on to win by three-quarters of a length from strong-finishing Irish raider Greasepaint.

Hallo Dandy, who is pictured on the far side of Corbiere in our main image, was to go on and win the National 12 months later, but 1983 was Corbiere’s year.

Pitman, who has been joined by fellow females Venetia Williams and Sue Smith as National-winning trainers, later reflected: “That win for Corbiere in 1983 was absolutely astounding for someone with my background, basically a girl with her backside hanging out of her jeans. To have a National winner was so unreal.”

Photos George Selwyn

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CORBIERE APRIL 9, 1983

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THE MAN YOU CAN’T IGNORE COMMENT

Tony Morris This year racing devotees across the Atlantic will celebrate the life of Man o’ War; a century after his birth no other US-bred has come close to matching his achievements

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I

n and around Lexington this year a series of events is being staged to celebrate the life of the horse regarded by many as Kentucky’s most distinguished equine son. The marvel that was Man o’ War never raced in the Bluegrass State, but it was there, on March 29, 1917, that he first saw the light of day at August Belmont’s Nursery Stud, and where Samuel Riddle’s Faraway Farm was his home, as fabled stallion, pensioner and noted tourist attraction, until his death on November 1, 1947.

American racing devotees have never actually needed an excuse to remember Man o’ War, but in the year that marks the centenary of his birth and the 70th anniversary of his death it is surely appropriate that the career of such an iconic thoroughbred figure should be granted special attention. The sport needs to celebrate its heroes, and in the history of racing on the other side of the Atlantic there are few who might claim comparable heroic status.

Like many other American champions, before and since, Man o’ War had plenty of English connections in his pedigree. Five generations back in the male line he traced to West Australian, who in 1853 had become the first winner of our Triple Crown. Three of his four grandparents were products of English studs, one being the 1903 Triple Crown victor Rock Sand, his maternal grandsire. His granddams Fairy Gold and Merry Token were daughters of Epsom Derby winners Bend Or and Merry Hampton respectively.

Man o’ War’s sire Fair Play – Fairy Gold’s son by the reputedly vicious Hastings – was himself a runner in high repute, ranked second-best only to unbeaten Colin among his contemporaries, while his dam Mahubah had raced only three times, winning once in addition to a second and a fourth. Her five products at stud were all by Fair Play, Man o’ War being the second of them.

The big red chesnut colt was not one of the most sought-after offerings in the draft from Nursery Stud at Saratoga in August 1918. But $5,000 was a respectable enough sum, a little over double the average for the whole consignment of 21 head. Ed Buhler made the winning bid on behalf of Sam Riddle, whose

Legend: Man o’ War could be the best thoroughbred ever to come out of Kentucky

trainer Louis Feustel had inspected the youngster and expressed his approval. Riddle himself had felt that Man o’ War had enough bone to make a decent hunter.

So what was it about this colt that made him stand apart from all his contemporaries and gave him iconic status, to the extent that a century later he is still idolised by racefans and horsemen alike? Just about everything, I reckon.

Here was a horse whose reputation preceded him to the track, as odds-on favourite in a field of seven maidens at Belmont Park on June 6, 1919. Having won that by six lengths, he ran only in stakes races – 20 of them – thereafter, never starting at odds-against. Before June was out his record read four wins out of four, collecting the Keene Memorial Stakes at Belmont, the Youthful Stakes at Jamaica and the Hudson Stakes at Aqueduct.

He appeared only once in July, taking the Tremont Stakes at Aqueduct, conceding 15lb to the runner-up. In the first of four August outings at Saratoga he added a two-length triumph in a highly competitive edition of the important

United States Hotel Stakes. Set to concede weight to all of his nine rivals, he led throughout and won readily under restraint. A colt named Upset, in receipt of 15lb, was best of the rest.

Man o’ War was six races and under two months into his career, but his performances had all drawn rave notices, and for one writer at the Thoroughbred Record magazine he was already exceptional. While granting that there were probably plenty of good juveniles who had yet to prove their mettle at the track, he was adamant that none would be able to match the colt who could already be pronounced as the champion of his crop.

That was obviously tempting providence, and just a few days later Man o’ War lost his unbeaten record in the Sanford Memorial Stakes. But if the notion of his invincibility had been extinguished, the result amply confirmed his status. After an uncharacteristically slow break, he was always playing catch-up, and though he was gaining ground in the closing stages he wound up a neck short, as old rival Upset made a 15lb concession tell in his favour.

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Apr_152_Tony_Morris_Owner 24/03/2017 14:56 Page 31

Ten days later Upset challenged Man o’ War again in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes, but now he received only 5lb and was flattered to finish only a length in arrears, the favourite’s rider having been easing his mount down throughout the final furlong. Man o’ War concluded his campaign with two more victories, each accomplished in a canter while conceding weight all round – the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga and Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park. Upset finished fifth in both.

It had been an exemplary first season for Man o’ War, as acknowledged leader of his generation, with nine wins and an unlucky second from ten starts. But none of his achievements at two was a factor in determining his greatness and establishing the sky-high reputation that has endured for a century. A precocious sprinter does not earn such reverence.

Man o’ War’s second all-conquering campaign comprised 11 races, and there was something special about almost all his performances. He put a stop to all argument about the title of America’s greatest thoroughbred. He was the wonder of his age, and of all ages.

His season began at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes, where he led every step of the nine furlongs, trouncing Upset and seven others. Next came the Withers Stakes at Belmont, and although the opposition failed to extend him, he set a new American record for a mile. He had only one rival in the Belmont Stakes, and while leaving him 20 lengths behind he lowered the 11-furlong track record.

Man o’ War was running out of credible opponents, his races were becoming exhibitions. But he remained a great draw. He might have been unbackable, but crowds flocked to witness him in action, turning in his predictable virtuoso performance. At Jamaica his sole opponent in the Stuyvesant Handicap received a 32lb concession, yet Man o’ War went off at 1-100 and trounced his hapless victim by eight lengths.

John P Grier, who had been his runner-up in the previous year’s Futurity Stakes, chanced his luck again in the Dwyer Stakes at Aqueduct, but even getting 18lb he could make no impression. The champion won in an American record time for nine furlongs.

And so it continued. He trotted up in the Miller Stakes at Saratoga, his prep for the prestigious Travers Stakes there a fortnight later, when Upset and John P Grier, both favoured by the weights, formed the opposition. They were readily repelled. After two more bloodless victories over a solitary opponent at Belmont, starting at 1-100 both times, he left New York. At Havre de Grace in Maryland, he faced three rivals, all receiving hefty concessions; usual result and a track record time.

If there was any horse who might give Man o’ War a contest, that was Sir Barton, who had won what we came to know as the Triple Crown in 1919. Several tracks vied for the honour of staging a match between the pair, and Kenilworth Park, in Canada, topped the bidding.

The much-hyped clash took place on October 12, 1920 with the senior individual asked to concede Man o’ War 6lb. On those terms it had to be a mismatch, the champion, sent off at 1-20, ending his career with a seven-length triumph and yet another track record.

Man o’ War surely was a phenomenon. He set the benchmark for quality in performance in American racing, and according to the compilers of Thoroughbred Champions of the 20th Century, the accolade was still his in 1999. And as there has certainly been no pretender to the crown since then, why wouldn’t America celebrate him again in 2017?

“He set the

benchmark for quality in performance in American racing”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Apr_152_HowardWright_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:09 Page 32

HOWARD WRIGHT COMMENT

The World’s Best Racehorse Rankings include horses that have tested positive for banned substances, a situation that must disturb the IFHA

Time for rankings clean up

D

eep down in the 2016 international order of merit known as the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings rests a rogue entry, a horse who by all the tenets of fair play should not be there. On a mark of 115, Masochistic creeps into the list with a rating he does not deserve, not because his form, on paper, is suspect, but simply because he was disqualified after finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for producing a positive post-race sample for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

Unlike the majority of world authorities, the California Horse Racing Board, under whose jurisdiction the race was run, allows the use of anabolic steroids in training but not on raceday, with a suggested withdrawal period of 60 days.

Most countries impose a six-month racing ban for its use.

According to evidence produced after Masochistic’s disqualification, the steroid was administered and reported to – but not publicly announced by – the CHRB 68 days before the Breeders’ Cup. In the week leading up to the race, trainer Ron Ellis was warned there was a 10% chance the horse would test positive; he took the risk and suffered the consequences.

Masochistic suffered no consequences as far as his reputation was concerned; his 115 mark remains on the record. Yet the oddity of the case is that according to the rankings material, his peak performance was achieved on August 27, the day before he was given stanozolol. Why a horse should need steroid treatment 24 hours after running the race of his life must be a matter of conjecture, unless, of course, this was a regular part of his training regime.

Remarkably, the 2016 World Rankings only just missed being the victim of an even more blatant example of unfair play.

Had Don Inc been rated a few pounds higher, the list would have been graced by a horse who

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“Masochistic suffered no consequences as far as his reputation was concerned; 115 remains on record”

was disqualified after winning one of South America’s biggest older-horse races, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano in Rio de Janeiro, having produced a positive sample for none other than stanozolol, which was also found in the fifth-

Masochistic: disqualified in Breeders’ Cup Sprint

placed runner. Yet Don Inc was allowed to continuing racing unchecked and on his next outing, barely two and a half months later, won a Group 1 event and recorded a Racing Post Rating of 113.

None of this can have been sweet music in the ears of senior figures at the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, which has loudly preached an unequivocal policy of clean racing. Nor can Longines, the ubiquitous sponsor of the Latinoamericano, have been happy with the turn of events, since it prides itself on supporting elegance, tradition and performance, none of which applied to Don Inc. Of course, as has been pointed out here before, the IFHA cannot set rules, in the manner that FIFA does for world football, because it does not organise tournaments. However, on this issue the IFHA does have the advantage of being able to impose sanctions.

Since 2004, the IFHA has been wholly responsible for the preparation and management of the well-recognised system that began life as the International Classifications in 1977, and Longines came on board as official sponsor of what became the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings in 2013.

Between them, they can set whatever rules they wish.

While the IFHA is moving towards a new system of accreditation for laboratories, through which all samples from at least Group 1 races should be processed, it can take another major step forward in recognising clean racing by eliminating from the annual rankings any horse that has tested positive for a prohibited substance, or even removing performances achieved in jurisdictions that allow raceday medication.

There may be legal issues to overcome, and some racing folk in parts of the US will not take kindly to being told their game is up. But if the IFHA is serious about the issue, agile minds should be available. And if the BHA takes a lead, so much the better. After all, head of handicapping Phil Smith is one of three cochairmen of the rankings committee, and he has been known to make a stand before now.

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Knockhouse Stud OB April 2017 f-p_Knockhouse Stud OB April 2017 f-p 24/03/2017 09:09 Page 1

LIBERTARIAN Bay, 2010, 16.3hh by New Approach ex Intrum Morshaan (Darshaan)

First Crop Yearlings 2017

Libertarian's foals were in demand at the sales Race record from only 6 starts: 1st Maiden Stakes, 1m2f, Pontefract, on debut.

1st Gr.2 Dante Stakes, 1m2½f, York, beating Trading Leather.

2nd Gr.1 Investec Derby, 1m4f, Epsom Downs, behind Ruler Of The World and beating Battle Of Marengo and Ocovango.

4th Gr.1 Ladbrokes St Leger, 1m6½f, Doncaster, behind Leading Light.

Stunning looking son of NEW APPROACH Bred on the classic NEW APPROACH/DARSHAAN cross From the same family as HALLING Second son of NEW APPROACH to go to stud

“With any pace in the race, he'd have won.”

KARL RICHARD BURKE, AFTER THE EPSOM DERBY-GR.1 Exceptional First Foals

Also standing: Notnowcato, Workforce, September Storm & Prince Flori

Sean, Geraldine & Janet Kinsella, Knockhouse Stud, Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland Tel: 00353 51 885170/885363 • Mobile: 00353 85 7852067 or Alan Grace: (085) 8136735 seankhstud@eircom.net • www.knockhousestud.com Follow us on twitter and facebook

Apr_152_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:36 Page 35

VIEW FROM IRELAND

By JESSICA LAMB

A truly grand Irish Grand National Massive increase in prize-money and Aintree handicap row give race a huge boost

C

ould this be the Irish Grand National’s greatest era? A massive boost in prizemoney has given the 2017 renewal a record entry, numerically and in quality, and an Aintree Grand National weights row involving leading owner Gigginstown House Stud looks set to see those entries hold up on Easter Monday.

If all the big guns stand their ground, we are in for a Fairyhouse showpiece better than the last ten put together, with sponsor Boylesports committed to preserving its new €500,000 prize fund until 2019. Could this be the new norm for the Irish Grand National?

Could we be about to better the Dreaper years?

Three-time winner Jim Dreaper, son of former trainer Tom, is not sure that the next three years and beyond will be better than his family’s run, but that’s not because the horses are not as good.

“We ran the likes of Arkle and Flyingbolt under top weight in the Irish National because there was nowhere else to go,” he explained.

“We’re talking about the 1960s here, but the races that the Gold Cup and Champion Chase

year in the Irish Grand National are younger. Could they win? Possibly”

winners run in now, they weren’t there. Good horses had to carry weight.

“There’s a bit of a phobia of running Grade 1 horses in handicaps because it’s a massive weight to carry, but often there will be horses a couple of pounds below them. In the old days Arkle might have met horses carrying 9st 10lb who should have been much higher.

That doesn’t happen now.”

Arkle, the Gold Cup winner of 1964, 1965 and 1966, won the 1964 Irish Grand National carrying 12st. Stablemate Flyingbolt followed up two years later under 12st 7lb, weeks after winning Cheltenham’s Champion Chase. It was a feat that had been accomplished by

CAROLINE NORRIS

“The top weights this Outlander: Aintree’s loss will be Fairyhouse’s gain as far as top stayer is concerned

another Dreaper star, Fortria – Champion Chase winner in 1960 and 1961, when he also won the Irish Grand National.

In recent history, Desert Orchid is the only other Gold Cup or Champion Chase winner to land the prize, doing so in 1989 under a top weight that put all bar one other horse out of the handicap – the fourth, Cloney Grange, was a huge 36lb ‘wrong’.

When 1993 Gold Cup winner Jodami finished second in the 1996 renewal it was a similar story; the 1995 winner Flashing Steel spared him top weight by 1lb, but the majority of the field was out of the handicap Again, nine of the 23 were out of the handicap when ten-time Grade 1 winner Beef Or Salmon had a crack in 2008. He ran off a rating of 160, aged 12. Trainer Michael Hourigan rues not running him sooner.

“It’s hard to give that kind of weight away,” he said. “Quite a few top weights had won it, but maybe we didn’t chance it soon enough with him. He was into a bit of age and decline by then, his form wasn’t the same. He’d have been able to carry the weight more easily earlier. The top weights this year are younger.

Could they win? Possibly.”

Senior handicapper Noel O’Brien had compressed the handicap to give Beef Or Salmon a helping hand, dropping him 3lb.

However, in stark contrast to his treatment of certain Irish horses this year, the British handicapper had dropped him even further when making him top weight for the same season’s Aintree Grand National.

At the time the weights were published Beef Or Salmon was rated 167, and when allotted 11st 12lb it was from a mark of 159. He ran at

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>>

Apr_152_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:35 Page 36

VIEW FROM IRELAND >> Fairyhouse because he was an old horse who

wasn’t in love with travelling; the top weights in this year’s renewal will run as their owner was annoyed with their treatment for the Aintree Grand National.

When entering Lexus Chase winner Outlander and RSA Chase winner Don Poli in the British marathon, Michael and Eddie O’Leary of Gigginstown had expected the sort of treatment Beef Or Salmon received, but the pair, along with Empire Of Dirt, were treated more harshly.

A row ensued, ending in Gigginstown withdrawing three of the race’s top four in the weights and entering them at Fairyhouse.

O’Brien said: “One race’s loss is another’s gain; Gigginstown have thrown the kitchen sink at the Irish Grand National.

“With the prize fund being €500,000 for the first time, that is hardly surprising, but, having said that, the cut off point between top-class handicapper and Grade 1 horses does now seem to be blurry.”

In Arkle’s time the lines were not blurry, as Dreaper explained; Grade 1 horses ran in handicaps out of necessity and did so giving away stones of weight.

Outlander, Don Poli, Empire Of Dirt and JP McManus’s Carlingford Lough – the other 160-bracket entry – are weighted much more closely to their rivals.

Dreaper does not rule out victory for any of the top quartet, but warns: “Weight is only one issue they have to contend with, there are other aspects, like distance.

“These days lots of people seem to assume that if a horse stays three miles they definitely stay three and a half; that’s like saying if he stays two miles he stays two and a half, which just isn’t always the case.”

He added: “For a lot of them this is unknown territory. Most will expect Don Poli to stay, but there are question marks for Outlander as he hasn’t much form beyond two and a half.”

Regardless of participation or the result, the

fact remains that backer Boylesports nearly doubling the Irish Grand National’s purse has had an immediate effect in taking the handicap to a new level.

Last year’s total fund, €275,000, will be what this year’s winner receives. It’s a pot that only the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National can better.

In the past ten years only nine horses rated 150 or more have run in the marathon, yet the 2017 renewal attracted 15 in that bracket, four of them rated 160-plus.

The total initial entry of 124 is a record number for the race and the quality throughout that entry means that, on last year’s handicap marks, 22 of the 2016 runners would struggle to make the cut. That is the negative of the race’s new riches.

The handicapper explained: “What you have when the weights go up like this is a race where the Thomas Gibneys, Dot Loves and James Motherways can’t even get in. You risk losing those fairytale results.”

In Brief Cash boost As Irish sprinting lost its finest advocate Sole Power to retirement last month, prizemoney was increased for middle-distance horses.

The Curragh’s Tattersalls Gold Cup, won last year by Fascinating Rock, was boosted by €50,000 to €300,000 for the Group 1, scheduled for May 28.

Edmond Mahony, Chairman of Tattersalls, said: “Based on official ratings the Tattersalls Gold Cup was the second best Flat race run in Ireland last year and the €50,000 increase in prize-money reflects the global stature of the race.”

Movement on the trainer’s motion to address debts incurred from owners could come this month.

An idea was tabled at the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association’s AGM last year calling for owners’ payments to trainers to be handled through their Horse Racing Ireland accounts.

It was also requested that owners who do not pay up have all their horses banned from racing until the debt is cleared.

Though agitated at having not been first consulted on this, the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners had embraced the need for changes and recognised the struggles facing trainers.

The bodies met in January and AIRO chief Aiden Byrnes said afterwards: “We discussed the main headings at length and

36

GEORGE SELWYN

Debts talk

Fascinating Rock won last year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup; this year’s purse has risen

they have gone away to work on our concerns.

“We could see that if there was an option to have accounts paid through HRI, it would be useful to some, but we see difficulties if it is imposed upon owners as compulsory.”

He added: “We are working together perfectly amicably on this and the trainers have said they will get back in touch within two months. We see that as the end of March.”

Festival update The Punchestown festival’s four feature contests are going to be €50,000 more valuable for 2017; prize funds for the Champion Chase, Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Stayers Hurdle and Champion Hurdle will total €250,000, while minimum race values have been raised €3,000 to €15,000.

Entries for 11 of the 12 Grade 1s close on April 5, the key handicaps closing on April 12.

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Apr_152_Continental_Tales_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:59 Page 38

CONTINENTAL TALES

HOLL

By JAMES CRISPE, INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU

D AN

De Vries thrilled by quality rides In-demand Dutch jockey vows to extend stellar career into his 50s

U

nlike the Dettoris, Cauthens and McCoys of this world, the riding career of Dutchman Adrie de Vries has been a real slow-burner.

Native of a part of Holland – Heerlen – that is closer to Brussels, Cologne and Luxembourg than Amsterdam, he soon thrived in the very small talent pool that is his homeland, and was champion jockey 12 times.

But it took two decades in the saddle for him to finally snaffle a Group 1 prize, another four years for him to double that tally, and he was 45 years old by the time that he became champion in a major racing nation – Germany.

Now, a little over two seasons on from that, he has suddenly become known as one of Europe’s most reliable big-race pilots, in demand from Doha to Dusseldorf, by bin Suroor and Burke, on Energizer and Empoli.

His 2017 has begun in spectacular fashion, sparked by a Qatar Derby win three days before the old year was out, and continuing with a Dubai World Cup Carnival treble in early February before another lucrative Qatari triumph, this time for Epsom trainer Simon Dow on Mr Scaramanga, and a Meydan Super Saturday Group 1 success for Godolphin.

Even over the phone to Dubai, de Vries comes across exactly as advised – professional, personable and polite, with better English than many for whom it is their mother tongue.

“It has been a fantastic season so far, with plenty of Carnival winners, and when the entries come out each Monday I am constantly taken aback by the quality of the horses that my agent has put me up on,” he reports, modestly.

De Vries has a long-held ambition to become

ECH R CZ

UBLIC EP

a trainer – wife Lorna is a highly accomplished rider and will undoubtedly be a key team member once that career-shift occurs – but his plan to quit the saddle in his early fifties is becoming less concrete given this current purple patch as he approaches his 48th birthday.

“My career has received a great boost so I’ll keep riding for at least another couple of seasons,” he admits. “I didn’t expect to still be riding top class horses at this stage, so I am definitely not thinking about quitting.”

Barring a couple of trips to the Shergar Cup

and a 2012 Tercentenary Stakes success at Royal Ascot, he has been a rare visitor to our shores.

Yet his enthusiasm for British racing is fervent (“it’s the best in the world, I watch it all the time” he says) and, if the opportunity arose, he would relish the challenge of coming over more often.

For now he is concentrating on completing his winter stint in the Arabian Gulf. Then it will be back to Germany to help his boss, Markus Klug, in his bid to retain the trainers’ title and in so doing fill one glaring omission from his CV – a Germany Derby victory.

Nikas nightmare settled out of court

A full stop has finally been put at the end of the lengthy saga of Nikas winning the 2015 renewal of the Czech Republic’s most famous race, the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase, only to be disqualified following a positive dope test.

As first reported in these pages in January 2016, Nikas’s sample was found to have traces of theobromine and caffeine, and these illegal substances were traced back to the factory of

38

Adrie de Vries after his latest big-race Middle East win, on Mr Scaramanga in Qatar

the feed company, Troubecké hospodá ské, near Troubky, in the east of the country.

An out of court settlement has been reached whereby Troubecké hospodá ské has agreed to pay 2.3 million koruna (£64,570) to connections, which is just over the 2m koruna first prize on offer.

This will mainly go to owner Petr Kupka, with trainer Stansilav Popelka getting 350,000 and jockey Marek Stromsky, who has since retired still yearning for a first Velká victory,

awarded 240,000.

There are close parallels with the 2002 Hennessy Gold Cup which saw Be My Royal pass the post in front only to lose the race as the result of a contaminated batch of Connolly’s Red Mills feed.

The wheels of Czech justice may have taken a long time to turn but at least the judicial machinery there is better oiled than in Britain – Be My Royal’s demotion was not confirmed until almost three years after the race.

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Apr_152_Continental_Tales_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:59 Page 39

SPA I

FRA

As Helene Paragon’s lifetime earnings approach the £2 million mark following a second straight Group 1 success in Hong Kong, it is worth taking a moment to marvel at the implausibility of the son of a stallion with a grand total of two thoroughbred foals making it to the top of the global racing tree.

Helene Paragon began life in Spain as plain Sir Andrew, a colt trained by Fernando Perez who won on his debut, at San Sebastian in August 2014. Thereafter he raced exclusively in France, finishing placed in Listed, Group 3 and Group 1 events, prior to his sale to the Far East in the summer of 2015.

He is by the stallion Polan, another Spanish colt who won three of his 12 career outings, including a Listed race in Bordeaux, and stood as a €1,000-a-covering sire in France for just one season before returning to Spain, where he died in 2014. His dam’s side is not exactly stuffed with winners, either, so hardly the bloodlines expected in one of the world’s top milers!

A rather sad note about this tale concerns the regular name-changing of horses exported to Asia. Given the amounts of cash involved

NC

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HKJC

The marvel of Helene Paragon

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Helene Paragon was not bred to excel but excel he has, in Spain and Hong Kong

when top European performers are sold to carry on racing in the former colony, it is hardly surprising that the fiendishly superstitious Hong Kongers wish to give their acquisitions a ‘lucky’ name as part of the deal.

However, Sir Andrew was named in honour of the much-respected former Secretary of the Spanish Jockey Club and lifelong racing

addict, Andres Ramos Covarrubias, who died of cancer at the age of 53 a few months after he was foaled. What a pity that Ramos Covarrubias cannot continue to be commemorated now that the humbly-bred colt has become just the second Spanish graduate (after Equiano) to win two internationally-recognised Group 1 races.

Rosey raids for Spiller and Loughnane

It wasn’t quite the St Valentine’s Day Massacre but two British-based trainers – Henry Spiller and Mark Loughnane – escaped the commercialised romance of February 14 by nipping across the Channel to Chantilly. They came back smelling of roses having put their French rivals to the sword and registered their first continental triumphs.

Newmarket resident Spiller had already saddled a handful of Gallic raiders – and covered his travel expenses with all bar one of them – before Melissa Jane scrambled home by a short head in the £7,265-to-thewinner Prix du Layon Gaspard.

But Loughnane, who is about to move his yard from Staffordshire to a purpose-built new 120-acre training complex in Pensax, near Worcester, had never been responsible for a French runner before Burnside romped home by six lengths in the £6,838 Prix du Lay du Prieure.

Neither horse made the return journey,

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Henry Spiller: good bit of business

as the two contests were both claimers and their performances piqued the interest of the locals enough to attract multiple claims.

Yet their handlers are not complaining.

“It was good from a business point of view,” Spiller insists. “I picked up Melissa

Jane for 1,500 guineas as a yearling, she won a Plus10 maiden at Chelmsford, and in Chantilly she was claimed for €17,000 having just won €8,500 in prize-money.

“France is a lucrative place to go and it’s pretty accessible from Newmarket. It’s easier to make money with an average horse out there and I speak a fair bit of French so I intend to be going back and forth throughout the coming season.”

Loughnane is similarly upbeat. “I only had Burnside for a couple of weeks,” he says, “and, having paid £9,500 for him, he won almost £11,000 when you include the French-bred owners premium and was claimed for almost €16,000.

“The whole trip was the idea of his owner, Brian Dunn, who spends quite a bit of time at Cagnes in the south of France. I intend to keep going over.”

While prize-money at British all-weather fixtures continues to improve, go-ahead trainers are still looking further afield for opportunities on the sand.

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Apr_152_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:37 Page 41

AROUND THE GLOBE THE WORLDWIDE RACING SCENE

NORT H A M E R I CA

by Steve Andersen

Deep South track thriving at last

“The machines have

been in place since 2000 and provided a turnaround for the track’s bottom line” Oaklawn Park has caught the momentum from the growing casino industry in the United States in recent decades. Today there are casinos in 38 of the lower 48 states in the form of Native American casinos, card clubs, riverboat casinos, and conventional land-based casinos.

In several cases, casinos have been detrimental to business at local racecourses, unless the racecourse incorporated an alternative form of gambling. A casino adjacent THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

GEORGE SELWYN

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ideos of old horseraces helped save Oaklawn Park, one of the few tracks in America’s Deep South.

Located in the historic spa town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, Oaklawn Park has been a success story in the last 15 years, with growing prize-money, greater interest from owners and trainers, and the Arkansas Derby in April that is a vital prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Much of the credit stems from revenue generated by historical racing machines, video poker and slot machines. Historical racing machines allow customers to place bets on a replay of races run years ago through a terminal with characteristics of casino slot machines. The machines, also known as instant racing machines, have been in place at Oaklawn Park since 2000 and have provided a turnaround for the track’s bottom line at a time neighbouring states have built competing casinos. Historical racing machines were followed at Oaklawn Park more recently by video poker and slot machines.

The boost in revenue has led to soaring prize-money for the track’s annual race meeting from late January to mid-April. The Arkansas Derby was worth $500,000 in 1997.

This year it will be run on April 15 and is worth $1 million.

Gaming machines have helped transform horseracing’s fortunes at Oaklawn Park

to Aqueduct has led to higher purses on the New York circuit in the last decade, particularly at Belmont Park and Saratoga.

There are similar stories on a lesser scale in states such as Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Arkansas residents voted against legalising casinos in 1996, a measure defeated partially by religious interests in the state and casinos from surrounding states. At the time, Oaklawn Park’s business was in decline and the future of the track, which opened in 1905, looked grim.

Racing was under way at three major venues in nearby Texas, and casinos in three other nearby states – Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma – were drawing customers.

The installation of historical racing machines in 2000 helped to reverse that trend. The concept for the machines was home-grown, developed by Eric Jackson, the general manager at Oaklawn Park in the late 1990s.

In 2005 the Arkansas state government passed legislation giving voters the opportunity to approve video poker and some other slot machines on a local basis. Hot Springs voted to approve more gambling.

The track’s casino, which operates yearround, has helped lure customers back to the racecourse. Arkansas is not a well-populated state, but Hot Springs is situated within driving distances of cities such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Kansas City, St Louis, and Memphis, giving the track several population centres from which to draw fans.

The primary beneficiaries of the slot machine business have included the racecourse, owned by Charles Cella of St Louis, and his family, the government, and racing in the form of purses.

Every day prize-money has soared at a venue that runs four days a week – Thursdays through Sundays – and does not have a turf course. In 1997, a maiden special weight race was worth $22,000. The purse for the same race was $34,000 in 2007, and it is $72,000 this year.

The final weekend is the racing highlight of the season, with five stakes races worth $500,000 or more. The Arkansas Derby is the focus. American Pharoah captured the 2015 Arkansas Derby before sweeping the Triple Crown.

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Apr_152_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:37 Page 42

AROUND THE GLOBE

AUST R A L I A

by Danny Power

The Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne in late February shattered previous records when a colt from the same farm that bred and raised Black Caviar sold for $AUD1.4 million.

The result was almost double the previous Victorian record; $750,000 for Gentle Irony, a moderate colt by Exceed And Excel who sold to Darley Australia in 2008.

Lot 259 was a medium-sized, well-built, attractive bay colt by one of the sires of the moment, I Am Invincible (by Invincible Spirit). He is from the Encosta De Lago mare Soorena, the dam of top-class sprinter The Quarterback, winner of the 2016 Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, and classy Hong Kong galloper Vanilla, who raced as Philippi and won at Group 2 level – and was second in the Group 1 Australian Derby – before he was exported.

Up-and-coming Melbourne trainer Ciaron Maher, acting for clients, won a three-way bidding battle with Australian Bloodstock’s Darren Dance and The Quarterback’s trainer Robbie Griffiths to secure the colt. It was shaggy-haired Maher’s first foray into the stratosphere of million-dollar yearlings, but he said he has been eyeing the youngster for more than six months leading up to the sale.

He said he first saw the colt on a visit to breeder Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm, at Nagambie, about 90 minutes north-east of Melbourne, and he had inspected the youngster “more than once” since.

“The I Am Invincibles are flying and he’s a good, tough clean colt with a great temperament”

“I was out of ammunition and it was more than I expected to pay for him,” Maher said. “I loved him when I saw him at the farm six months ago. Rick is a great breeder and this colt is another example of that.

“I thought he was a real running type, the I Am Invincibles are flying and he’s a good, tough clean colt with a great temperament. I can’t wait until he gets into the stable.

“He has a pedigree to be a stallion and, hopefully, that’s what he will be once he

42

INGLIS

Maher prevails in bidding battle

This son of I Am Invincible proved the top lot at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

finishes racing.”

I Am Invincible, based at Yarraman Park in Scone, NSW, has climbed the stallion ladder quickly. He was a brilliant, fast racehorse, although a Group 1 eluded him due to ongoing feet issues – five wins from 13 starts, the best being the 2009 Group 3 DC McKay Stakes at Morphettville, while he was runnerup to Takeover Target in the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap soon after.

Recently, an offer of $30 million for big-time businessman and owner-breeder Gerry Harvey was rejected by Yarraman’s principles, brothers Harry and Arthur Mitchell, and senior partowner, former Queensland bookie Ray Gall.

The Yarraman team has also shunned numerous attempts from European studs to shuttle the handsome stallion in the off season.

I Am Invincible, who stood at a lowly $11,000 fee when he first went to stud in 2010, is expected to cover a full book at around $120,000 next spring. Harry Mitchell said the fee rise, from $55,000, gives the farm the opportunity to restrict the size of the stallion’s book to a quality 150 mares; in the past three seasons he has covered 212, 198 and 2011 mares.

I Am Invincible has 18 stakes winners, including the champion sprinting colt Brazen Beau (now a shuttle stallion for Darley), Group 1 Myer Classic-winning mare I Am A Star, top Singapore sprinter Super One, and sensational juvenile filly Houtzen (at the time of writing unbeaten, and favourite for the Group 1

Golden Slipper Stakes).

Interestingly, I Am Invincible is one of three searing hot stallions in Australia to have come from relative obscurity, who didn’t win at the highest level and covered low-grade mares at very low fees.

Written Tycoon (by Last Tycoon’s son Iglesia), sire of last year’s Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, was covering mares at a discounted fee of only $3,300 in his third season (advertised fee $6,600) in 2009, while minute speedster Not A Single Doubt (by Redoute’s Choice) languished at a fee of $13,750 for six seasons after going to stud in 2005. Last season he covered 124 mares at $71,500 and it’s possible Arrowfield Stud will boost it further this year after another Group 1producing season.

Written Tycoon, whose yearlings averaged a massive $305,000 (off a fee of $13,750) at the Magic Million Gold Coast sale in January, is expected to rise to $100,000 for the 2017 breeding season at Woodside Park. He previously held the highest fee record for a Victorian stallion at $49,500 (224 mares) after being lifted from $19,800 in 2016.

These self-made stallions add to a rare long list of popular and successful stallions currently available to Australian breeders, mostly Australian-bred, but also including Darley’s US super shuttler Medaglia d’Oro (by El Prado) and Coolmore’s rising star So You Think (by High Chaparral), who has yet to have an impact in Europe.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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HISTORY

Apr_152_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 17:59 Page 44

TALKING TO...

FERGAL O’BRIEN

Fergal a man to

FOLLOW

Trainer Fergal O’Brien has already beaten his previous best score for a season as he continues to reap the benefits of a rock-solid racing education and move back to the familiar stomping ground of Naunton in Gloucestershire; the next aim is big-race glory in the Grand National

By Tim Richards • Photos George Selwyn

W

hat brought you to England from your home in County Tipperary at the tender age of 14?

When I was 14 I spent a summer with my brother Brian, who was working for the Doug Francis stable in Cheshire. I then went home and back to school for a year before returning to Mr Francis, who sent me to the Racing School in 1989, by which stage I was 16. I was lucky because I found myself mixing with a good group of students and being taught by some very able instructors. Though I have to say I have been disappointed with the results of the British Racing School since then. In my experience, these days not many of their students seem fit for purpose, I’m afraid.

You ended up working for three Grand National-winning trainers, Tim Forster, Ginger McCain and Nigel TwistonDavies. In what way did your experience with three such revered professionals help you when you branched out on your own?

After my time at the Racing School I was sent to Captain Tim Forster, who always seemed pessimistic and a bit of a doom and gloom merchant. But that was just the way he was. I then found myself between jobs at Ginger McCain’s; I did enjoy myself at Cholmondeley, a lovely place to work. Donald had just come back from Newmarket to join his dad and Red Rum was still alive, busy opening shops and clubs. Then in 1992, after speaking with Carl Llewellyn, who I’d known during our spell together at Tim Forster’s and by this time was working for Nigel, I moved to Naunton. Nigel was really getting going and it seemed the place

to go. Those three trainers were very different but all highly respected professionals. It has to be said the Captain, despite his pessimism, had a wonderful understanding with his many top staying chasers; it was great fun to be part of the McCain set-up, while Nigel was very positive and forward thinking, as he is today. All of them provided a variety of experiences for me, each one distinctive in their own way.

“Having been a cog in a wheel I suddenly found I was the one that had to make the wheels go round”

When you started training five years ago at Cilldara Stud, near Cheltenham, the pressures would cause you to lie awake at night. Now, during your best season with over 50 winners and a near 20% strike-rate, how tough do you find the job?

It was very difficult starting up after being at Nigel’s for 18 years. Having been a cog in a wheel I suddenly found I was the one that had to make the wheels go round. However involved I was at Nigel’s, at the end of the day I could go home and didn’t have to worry about a VAT bill or where the rent was coming from.

Once you start on your own you discover all those responsibilities rest on your shoulders,

along with the actual training and making sure the owners are happy. I wouldn’t say I overworry, though Paddy Brennan tells me I am hard to ride for because he knows how much I want it and that in turn puts a lot of pressure on him. But he means it in a good way. It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s a point-to-pointer at Andoversford or a horse going to Cheltenham, you want them all to win. Anyway, once I got to grips with the job we had nearly 150 winners in our three and a half years at Cilldara.

Things really seem to have clicked this season. What’s the secret? And is there a part of you that wishes you had struck out on your own earlier?

There’s no secret as such. It’s a combination of factors: everyone has settled into Grange Hill Farm. I am lucky to have a good head lad, Kevin Brown, who worked with me at Nigel’s. Also my secretary/amateur Ally Stirling who was at Nigel’s and one of the first people to work for me when I started. We have better horses, and now that Paddy Brennan isn’t riding so much for Tom George he has become a great help behind the scenes. My partner and assistant Sally Randell, who trained for herself at one stage, joined us full-time in September and brought some nice horses with her. There was never any thought of setting up on my own any earlier after those brilliant 18 years with Nigel.

In any case, if I had I’d have missed Imperial Commander’s Gold Cup. I just felt it was time to move on when I did.

You have a prolific association with Paddy Brennan, who rides most of your horses. What makes him so good?

There is a great part of Paddy that the race-going

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Apr_152_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 17:59 Page 45

Fergal O’Brien: trainer has no regrets about not setting up his own operation any earlier

Apr_152_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 17:59 Page 46

FERGAL O’BRIEN >> public don’t see. He is very good at finding

suitable races for certain horses and talking through races. His feedback is always informative and helpful. Sometimes he’ll come back in after finishing fifth or sixth and I’ll tell him if he’d got stuck in a bit more he could have been placed and that would have pleased the owners. Invariably, his reply would be that the horse wasn’t enjoying itself so he didn’t knock it about because he was thinking of the future – and nine times out of ten he’d be proved right by a better run next time. He’ll never suggest a horse should run somewhere just to suit Paddy; it’s always what’s best for the horse.

Were your 18 years as a pivotal member of team Twiston-Davies like the ‘University of Life’ for you? How closely involved were you with his Grand National winners Earth Summit and Bindaree, and Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander?

I was 20 when I went there and it was a time when I was eager to learn everything about the job, about life generally and of course much more about racing. And the bonus for me was that Nigel was just getting going with about 40

horses, which quickly rose to 70 with more owners joining the yard.

I felt lucky to be part of what was a blossoming business and of course every day was a positive. It was a great 18 years and I wouldn’t have wanted to have spent a minute less there. I had a lovely time seeing Nigel’s sons Sam and Willy grow up, being part of all that, and I still feel very close to them.

I was as involved with Earth Summit, Bindaree and Imperial Commander as much as any head lad/assistant could be. Nigel was away racing a lot, left me to it and we worked very well together. I still have lots of friends working for Nigel and it’s great to see him doing well.

Gold Cup Day in March 2010 will never be forgotten as we had three winners. Not only did Imperial Commander do his stuff, but 17-yearold Sam took a day off from school to win the Foxhunter on Baby Run and Paddy, fresh from Gold Cup glory, gave Pigeon Island a peach of a ride to win the Grand Annual Chase. We certainly had plenty to celebrate that night.

Bindaree’s 2002 Grand National was right up there as well because everyone knew Nigel was thinking of retiring and that day at Aintree turned everything around.

Cap Soleil, above, retains her unbeaten record at Sandown under Fergal O’Brien’s number one jockey Paddy Brennan, while left is the trainer’s Grand National hope Perfect Candidate

Apr_152_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 17:59 Page 47

FERGAL O’BRIEN

As a teetotaller you must have been a useful driver to and from the races and any number of functions. But now as a trainer do you find you miss out on your owners’ winning celebrations?

When you’re Irish everyone thinks you’ve got a problem with drink, and I have never had a problem with being a teetotaller! I have never found a drink I like and when my partner Sally has one I might try it, but never enjoy it. I used to and still do get invited to a lot of places I wouldn’t normally be asked to simply because they know I can drive them home. I can party with the best of them, enjoy our owners’ celebrations as well as any other gatherings. I’m as happy as everyone else, without a drink.

Your National hopes this month are likely to be carried by Perfect Candidate (11st) in the Grand National and Alvarado in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. The former looks to

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

have been trained for the race. How do you see their prospects?

There’s no point in moaning about going up 6lb, but that’s what happened to Perfect Candidate when he was given 11st after his Exeter win a couple of days before the National weights came out. You have to accept that it is what it is. But he’s a big horse and at the end of the day I don’t think it will make that much difference. I have always thought of him as a National horse; he jumps and he travels, but he does need the run of the race, which might not always be easy in the National. Having said that, I do believe on his day he could be a player and this could be his year. After Exeter the plan was to go straight to Aintree, unless we felt he needed a spin over hurdles. Alvarado has been fourth in two Grand Nationals as well as second in last year’s Scottish National and he will be heading back to Ayr. How do you go about reading the

minds and freshening up horses that lose their way?

I wouldn’t claim to be any better than anyone else when it comes to encouraging horses back on the rails. I am very lucky to have local pretraining yards – under Jill Tate, Angela Slatter and Andrew Campbell – where the horses can be freshened up in a different environment away from their regular training routine. The Slatters have a farm so the horses can be ridden round the farm amongst the sheep, a typical change that can be as good as a rest for them.

Two years ago you moved back to your old stamping ground, at Upper Yard, Grange Hill Farm, Naunton as next door neighbour to the TwistonDavies set-up. Do you have separate facilities or do you share the gallops?

We share the facilities. I rent my yard from Cathy Twiston-Davies and the gallops and schooling amenities from Nigel. When I came

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Apr_152_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:00 Page 48

FERGAL O’BRIEN

Cap Soleil’s connections celebrate a Listed bumper victory at Sandown in March; next stop is likely to be Punchestown

>>

back here we didn’t really know how it was going to work, but it has. We have two gallops and when Nigel is on one I am on the other; he pulls out at 7.30am, my string pulls out at 7.45am and we don’t interfere with each other.

I feel as if I’ve grown up here, know the yard, the facilities and also the surrounding area, where we find the best places for road work and riding cross country to keep the horses fresh.

Would you ever advocate centralised training, which would surely make economic sense for owners?

No. When they are all in one place you get one horse sick and suddenly they’re all sick. Yes, they are a herd animal, but some don’t like being in massive herds, as they would be in crowded centralised training centres. I’ve had one or two that have come to me from Lambourn and they are different animals after about three weeks here. We turn them out a lot and they enjoy doing their own thing.

“I think the girls

should be jumping up and down looking for that 4lb riding allowance” The profile of the Cheltenham Festival towers over the rest of National Hunt racing. Has it become too big at the expense of the rest of the season?

I don’t think so. It is our Olympics and that’s what we all aim for. If you have a bumper or novice winner in September or October, then Cheltenham in March is invariably top of the agenda. The Festival is a complete display of National Hunt racing, a terrific advertisement for our wonderful sport with all the best horses competing at the highest level in such a variety

48

of steeplechases and hurdle races. Perhaps it’s a bit different for us because we are only 12 miles from the racecourse. I equate both the Open meeting in November and the Cheltenham Festival with Christmas, a time we look forward to with family and friends coming over from Ireland for both meetings.

The French authorities’ introduction of a 4lb riding allowance for women riders this spring has prompted a lot of conjecture in England. Would such a move here be a good or bad idea?

It’s a great idea. I accept that Josephine Gordon, who I’m sure is very talented on the Flat, has spoken out against the idea. But if you put a top boy and a top girl on horses of the same ability the boy is always going to be stronger. That’s just genetics, nothing to do with sexism or being chauvinistic. It’s fact. Take someone like Lucy Alexander, a former champion conditional and phenomenal rider; I’m sure if someone gave her a 4lb riding allowance she’d grab it with both hands. I think the girls should be jumping up and down looking for that 4lb. You see a lot of women who ride well on the Flat, but when they lose their claim the rides dry up. I’d have thought if they can continue with a 4lb claim it would be a big help to their careers.

Which horse trained by you has given you the most pleasure, and why?

When I started training Dark Energy won five for us, including a £15,000 chase at Market Rasen, giving us all a lot of pleasure in those early days. Also Lord Landen, who is owned by a great bunch of people, and came to me rated in the 90s and managed to win at Cheltenham off 105. That was a phenomenal achievement for everyone involved. The owners are local from Bishop’s Cleeve so to have a winner at Cheltenham meant the world to them.

What are the plans for your exciting bumper horse Cap Soleil, now three from three after her Listed win at Sandown in March?

I’m very lucky to have Cap Soleil. For a four-

year-old to do what she did at at Sandown, beating older fillies, is so exciting for the team.

There’s a chance she could go to Aintree but it would need to be soft. Punchestown is more likely. Cap Soleil is very laid back and easy to train – the perfect woman!

Looking ahead, can you give us an exciting prospect from your yard and what plans you might have in mind?

I am looking forward to Pride Of Lecale coming back into training. He was a useful bumper horse last year when he picked up an injury, but I am expecting him to go on and make his mark. Global Stage and Out Of Style are two others I like. All three are very nice horses.

CLOSE UP AND...

PERSONAL Most dangerous thing I’ve done… skiing off the side of a mountain with a paraglider, and I don’t like heights!

Away from racing I enjoy… watching rugby and football on TV Four dinner party guests…

Martin Pipe, AP McCoy, Mo Farah and Usain Bolt My desert island discs would be… any country music My biggest regret… I don’t have regrets

CLOSE UP AND...

PROFESSIONAL I am driven by… fear of failure Alternative career… farming Racing has taught me… patience I handle defeat by… going away by myself for ten minutes Racing would benefit from… more terrestrial television coverage

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Apr_152_The RacingAuthority_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:10 Page 51

THE BIG ISSUE THE RACING AUTHORITY

Spending

POWER With the offshore betting loophole plugged, events like the recent Cheltenham Festival will help to produce millions of extra pounds each year for British racing; how that money is spent will be down to the new Racing Authority, which takes over the role from the Levy Board Words Howard Wright

M

ore than half a century after British racing was first granted the benefit of statutory funding from bookmakers, through the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, a new dawn is about to break. From April 1, when an enabling statutory instrument laid before parliament on Budget Day comes into force, all betting operators – online and retail – who take bets from punters in the UK on British horseracing will pay a levy “for the purposes of aiding the horseracing and equine sector,” in the government’s words.

Offshore operators and betting exchanges, which have so far fallen outside legislation drawn up long before the internet was invented, will be placed on the same formal basis as land-based companies.

The Levy Board, which for 54 years has collected and distributed the money, will be disbanded. The Gambling Commission will be responsible for collection, and a new body, the Racing Authority, will have the task of spending the money.

Not surprisingly, given the level and intensity of debate that has gone on since the turn of the century, with most interested parties taking the view that the levy system is no longer fit for purpose but unable to find a solution on which both racing and betting could agree, water is still flowing under this particular bridge.

The issue of state aid, which the previous levy system avoided since it was in place before Britain joined the EEC in 1972, has to be formally smoothed out by the European Commission. Even then, a complaint could be lodged – most likely by a bookmaker trading in the UK but based in the EU – which would take up to 18 months to resolve.

In domestic terms, there could be a request for a judicial review of the statutory instrument, which could take three months to decide.

Uncertainty rumbles on, therefore. But, under the assumption that all will be well in the end, so does work on setting up the Racing

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Apr_152_The RacingAuthority_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:10 Page 52

THE RACING AUTHORITY >> Authority,

t:

although the government’s latest declaration that the Levy Board will continue in place until January 1, 2018 has provided some welcome breathing space.

“The immediate pressure on setting up the Racing Authority has been eased,” says Horsemen’s Group Chairman Philip Freedman, who has been closely involved with the process, while Racecourse Association Chief Executive Stephen Atkin, who has been equally consumed with the legal aspects of setting up the new authority, adds: “The delay is what it is, although there are some advantages in hindsight, because of the potential challenges to the legislation.”

Uncertainty of timing and legislative appeals aside, the challenges facing the Racing Authority are readily identified by Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the BHA, who with Director of Corporate Affairs Will Lambe has led the discussions with racing’s main sponsoring government department, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

“Managing the hand-over from the Levy Board; ensuring the authority’s structure is fit for purpose in carrying out its functions; giving confidence to all those shareholders who have been recipients of Levy Board funding that it is ready to take on those responsibilities; managing reserves, and probably managing expectations: those are the chief challenges,” Rust says.

“There’s a strategy for the sport that the authority will reference but it will have to make some tough decisions along the way.”

Freedman puts managing expectation near the top of the list of challenges, “because of the amounts of money coming in.”

He adds: “The big question will be about the likely projection on revenue before the government’s seven-year review takes place.

Turnover will be up but there will be more money going online, and we will need the rise in turnover to offset the decline in margin.

“So, the chief challenge will be to spend the

Philip Freedman (above) and Nick Rust have high hopes for the Racing Authority

money in a way that grows the authority’s income. There’s a view that because bookmakers will not be directly represented on the authority, it will behave in a perverse way, but if it did that, the only loser would be racing.

“It will have to take account of online and retail betting, which has been part of the approved betting partner process, whereas previously the Levy Board was concerned only with retail.”

Reaching the starting point for the Racing Authority has had its moments of tension, although all have been played out behind closed doors, and Rust is happy with progress.

He explains: “We formed a tripartite working group within racing to plan and develop it to the stage where it can go to the boards of each of the RCA, the BHA and the Horsemen’s Group for approval, and that group has also worked on dealing with government concerns as they’ve brought together the necessary legislation.

“From my point of view, it’s worked well. It’s

THE RACING AUTHORITY – WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE Six directors: two each nominated by signatories to the tripartite Members’ Agreement – BHA, Horsemen’s Group and Racecourse Association.

Chairman: separate from directors but still to be decided whether position is filled by an independent, which government and most senior figures from the members’ and executive committee seem to favour.

Executive: names, numbers and roles still to be decided. Nick Rust says: “Inevitably it will have some executives, but it won’t be the same size as the Levy Board’s, and the directors of the Racing Authority will make decisions as to where required services are procured, and whether or not they are done by the executive or can be sourced from where they already exist elsewhere in racing.”

Base: still to be decided, but most likely to be in London and close by the BHA headquarters. Rust adds: “You would want to make sure it was accessible to the three member groups.”

52

been a collaborative approach and, given the number of interests across British racing, proposals were made early this year that had broad support. Not everyone agreed at that stage, but agreement wasn’t far off, so in that sense it’s worked quite well.

“The government wants to make sure there is proper governance and visibility of the authority’s intended actions and the decisions it takes. By transferring decisions from the Levy Board to what will in effect be a private company, the government has to make sure that it stands up to scrutiny.

“In agreeing to implement legislative change, government was persuaded that the improvement in revenues to racing would improve the grass roots of the sport and it wants to make sure that the effect of the legislation does improve the sport for all.

“We pushed for change, and in return the government has said it understands the reasons but it wants to see the sport flourish and for the money to be spent in the right areas. In particular, the government is keen to ensure that where the authority grants funding, it is adequate and appropriate for the activities that are undertaken. In other words, that they are not over-funded, so there is a fair opportunity to spread the money to support all those for whom it is appropriate to benefit.”

But has the establishment of the Racing Authority matched the aspirations of the tripartite membership?

Rust believes it has from the BHA’s point of view, because it mirrors the Members’ Agreement. He says: “The Racing Authority will need to make spending decisions in line with the wishes of the tripartite members.

“The Members’ Agreement created two distinct bodies – the Members’ Committee, which sets strategy, and the Executive Committee, which carries out responsibilities and makes day-to-day decisions where

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Apr_152_The RacingAuthority_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:10 Page 53

THE RACING AUTHORITY appropriate – and they will continue, because the authority will make spending decisions in line with the sport’s strategic policy, set by our members. What it’s not doing is setting a strategy for the sport.”

While the RCA has still to finalise its nominees, Chief Executive Atkin has responsibility in mind. He says: “If you were asked to put up your hand for the job, you’d do it slowly and not too high, because it’s unpaid and carries some risk. The responsibility of the directors is serious, because they have responsibility not just to their own bodies but for spending both existing and new money. It’s a real job without any pay.”

For the Horsemen’s Group, Chairman Freedman hopes previous mistakes will be avoided. He says: “The Members’ Agreement was signed with one racecourse member, the RCA, and three representing horsemen’s bodies, which meant the Members’ Committee has not worked the way it was envisaged in the constitution. Equally, the racecourses have an issue because they are made up of small and large independents, Jockey Club Racecourses and the Arena Racing Company.

“Now, though, the Racing Authority will

“There is a strategy

but the authority will have to make some tough decisions along the way” have two RCA representatives and two Horsemen’s Group representatives, and their job will be to represent the bodies themselves rather than individual shareholders on those bodies.”

Two major gaps in representation will become apparent when the Levy Board is wound up and the Racing Authority takes full control for spending – independent members, who sat on the Levy Board as government appointees, and betting interests will no longer have direct input. Outsiders may wonder where the checks and balances will come from.

Rust answers: “In terms of transparency, the government will be able to review matters at any stage, so the check and balance outside racing will be government scrutiny and public opinion.

“We’re very keen to engage with bookmakers. It’s still to be agreed but for sure there will be a liaison group involving the betting industry in and around the Racing Authority, although it won’t have a formal vote.

It’s important, because since we are now going to get payment from all betting operators and THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Stephen Atkin: delay has advantages

more than 50% of turnover on British racing is not in betting shops, we’re really keen to adapt the fixture list in line with the needs of digital betting.

“We want to be in a position where this liaison group reflects retail and digital providers, and those who wish to take part come along in the right spirit and are prepared to share data, in return for a strong influence in future relations.”

Freedman is aware there will be no equivalent to the Levy Board’s governmentappointed members on the Racing Authority but believes the new set-up could work better as a result.

He says: “Members of the Racing Authority will have to represent all their members, so you won’t get a position that has happened with the Levy Board, where, say, if the TBA didn’t like something the Horseman’s Group was putting forward, or similarly a racecourse

group didn’t agree with the RCA representatives, they had the scope to go through the back door to the governmentappointed members and get a decision reviewed.

“That’s not a criticism of any individuals, nor am I suggesting that the governmentappointed members were an obstruction; rather it’s a reflection on the process. Now, with the Racing Authority, the industry will be united over the matter of spending, because I’d like to think that policy will be agreed through the Members’ Committee and Executive Committee and go forward.”

Unity and togetherness: they were prominent features of the various presentations made during a series of industry roadshows held last month, and they seem to sum up the spirit of optimism held by Messrs Rust, Freedman and Atkin for the future of the Racing Authority.

Rust describes himself as “very optimistic,” and adds: “The sport has more confidence in itself than perhaps it had two or three years ago. We’ve got somewhere with government by working together. There is largely common agreement on the major headlines the sport needs to pursue, so I’m optimistic in that, as far as they ever can be, sectional interests will be put aside and the Racing Authority will make decisions in line with the strategy of the sport.”

Freedman adds: “I’m very optimistic, as long as we adjust to the idea that racing has to be a high-volume, low-margin product in the future, which I think is achievable.”

And Atkin concludes: “The Racing Authority will be permanent, an enduring organisation, because we have made a commitment that it will be. It will be fit for purpose. There are no provisions in the articles for winding up the authority. Only insolvency will close it.”

THE RACING AUTHORITY – WHAT IT WILL HAVE TO SPEND The new levy will be raised through a charge on all betting operators, including exchanges and spread-betting companies, online as well as retail, at the fixed rate of 10% of profits above £500,000 on all bets on UK horseracing from customers located in the UK. The government has estimated that statutory inclusion of online bookmakers, whether based in the UK or not, for the first time would have produced a yield in the range of £7284m in 2015-16.

Levy income for the financial year 2016-17 is forecast to be around £48m, from £54.5m in 2015-16. However, by running down Levy Board reserves, expenditure for the calendar year 2017 has been maintained at the 2016 level of around £70m, so £22m of the extra money is already being spent.

The general expectation is that at the outset the Racing Authority will have an additional £12-15m a year to spend.

Horsemen’s Group Chairman Philip Freedman comments: “Levy Board reserves will be at a historically low level, so there will be a need to bring them up again. Not all the money available will be spent on day one!”

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BREEZE-UP SEASON

Acorns from

OAKS For Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Mark Dwyer, readying horses for breeze-up sales is akin to teaching children at prep school; his lessons, with fellow master Willie Browne, have been well taught Words and photos Carl Evans

F

or some of us the name Mark Dwyer conjures images of two Cheltenham Gold Cup victories, rather than his successful consigning operation known as Oaks Farm Stables.

That says plenty about the imprint Gold Cup winners make in the memory bank, because Dwyer hung up his whip 20 years ago and since then has been concentrating on making his Yorkshire base a successful buying and selling operation. He leaves breeding to others, preferring to pinhook foals to sell as yearlings and yearlings to offer as breezers, and he is not averse to trading a jumping store or one that wins a point-to-point or bumper.

“The game has

become very timereliant; a lovely horse is penalised for not doing a quick time” Dwyer was still riding as a jump jockey when using his skill in the saddle to begin prepping his own breezers, but he soon aligned himself with Willie Browne of Mocklershill, widening his knowledge of the breeze-up trade and pooling financial resources.

Browne says: “We’ve known Mark since he

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was a young jockey. I remember coming back from Tralee races one day, and the following morning he rode a bit of work for my father – he was due to go to England the next day.

“We kept in touch while he was riding there, and after he made plans to go down the [breezeup consigning] route we bought a couple of horses together. Being a famous jockey may have helped him get started, but I was never in awe of him or him of me, and in nearly 20 years since there hasn’t been a cross word.

“Because he started with me, learning what I know and don’t know, he’s tuned into my kind of horse – that may not always be the right kind, but we usually agree and more or less like the same animal.”

Dwyer concurs with his colleague, saying: “We both have input, but if one of us likes a horse and the other doesn’t we’re happy to say ‘go ahead, you buy it’. The sales companies will give you a bit of credit, and if we see a horse we really like we’ll push the boat out – we’re not tied to a budget, and we might go a bid or two beyond our valuation. When it comes to that situation Willie is the stronger one of the partnership – he’s braver, or more foolish! I leave it to Willie because I would walk away before him.

“Most of what I have learned in this business has come from Willie, from conformation to

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Mark Dwyer at home at Oaks Farm in Yorkshire

Apr_152_BreezeUp_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:06 Page 56

BREEZE-UP SEASON

CONSIGNORS’ ASSOCIATION MADE A POINT Stung by criticism of breeze-up horses, and keen to promote them as more than just precocious or speedy, a group of vendors formed the Breeze-Up Consignors’ Association in 2015.

In addition to creating a show of unity by some highly-respected traders, the association generated fees to advertise successful graduates. Both Dwyer and Browne are members who believe the body has righted some misconceptions.

Dwyer says: “Some trainers had made negative comments about the breeze-ups, saying they get horses too jazzed up, and so we pooled together to create the association and use it to promote the successes of all horses who have breezed. With that information being printed every few weeks last summer it even surprised some of the consignors that so many winners, and good quality winners, were coming from breeze-up sales.”

Browne is quick to praise John Cullinan, a key orchestrator of the association, saying: “He’s a top man who has done Trojan work for not much thanks. Advertising breeze-up winners has to be a help, and we will continue to do that for the next six months, and possibly longer if the funds are forthcoming.”

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>> the type of horse that is required, and looking

ahead to what the next man wants.

“I am involved in 16 or 17 [breeze-up] horses that are being prepared at Mocklershill this year, in addition to some stores, and Willie has shares in some of the horses we have here.

If we buy in Ireland it stays in Ireland, particularly with foals, and any we buy at Donny or Newmarket tend to stay here.”

Dwyer is preparing 12 two-year-olds at Oaks Farm, some to sell under that name, others to join Browne’s consignment.

Mocklershill is offering about 65 breezers this year, which is similar to last year, but slightly down on past numbers.

Has the budget for buying risen due to

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Apr_152_BreezeUp_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 18:06 Page 57

BREEZE-UP SEASON

Top: Mark Dwyer with Willie and Tanya Browne watching the Craven Breezeup. Above and left: Members of this year’s team are put through their paces at Oaks Farm in readiness for the forthcoming sales

competition from other pinhookers? Dwyer says: “Not for the last few years, and you have to really like a horse to pay a big price. You only have one day and 20 seconds in which to trade on, and we’ve been in the creek without a paddle on occasions. But it’s never about one horse, but the package of horses – it’s a numbers game, and that’s how we view it.”

Neither man is a fan of timing breezes, believing it skews valuations, and Dwyer is keen to underline that the process of educating a horse to breeze should leave something for its forthcoming trainer.

Browne says: “It was tough buying yearlings last year, and it has become tougher for us on the basis that we don’t spend quite as much as THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

we used to on higher-value horses. I’ve been known to spend £200,000 on a yearling, but those days are past – when you bought a horse for that sort of money, and it had a nice pedigree and was a good mover, you could get your money back, but the game has become very time-reliant, so a lovely horse will be penalised if it doesn’t do a quick time.”

The two men say the recent Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale emphasised the point. Browne reckons a fraction of a second was making a difference of $200,000 to $300,000 to a horse’s value, while Dwyer says: “If you had a horse that did 10.3s it might as well have stayed in the stable, if it did 10.2s you had a nice horse and probably got him sold, and if

you did 10.1s you did good business – it’s unbelievable.”

Rescue led to a Yorkshire life Dwyer started putting down roots in Yorkshire after leaving Ireland to take a position as first jockey to Jimmy Fitzgerald, and he was just 21 when they teamed up to land the 1985 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Forgive’n Forget.

Before that Dwyer had been a member of Liam Browne’s academy, taking Ireland’s apprentices’ title before turning to jumping. In addition to Gold Cup wins for Fitzgerald and Peter Beaumont (on Jodami in 1993) he also won a Champion Hurdle on Richard Price’s Flakey Dove (1994), took two Scottish

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BREEZE-UP SEASON >>

Nationals, was placed in a couple of Grand Nationals, and was twice runner-up in the jockeys’ championship behind Peter Scudamore then Richard Dunwoody. He reckons about 1,000 winners came his way on the Flat and over jumps.

Following Fitzgerald’s death in October 2004 a Daily Telegraph obituary quoted the late trainer describing Dwyer as, ‘a jockey you never had to give instructions to – he knew instinctively what to do’.

A fall at Kelso in 1996 converted his elbow into a jigsaw puzzle, and subsequently led to retirement, and the small-scale breeze-up operation he had been running parallel to his riding commitments became his full focus.

Why did he stay in Yorkshire, rather than return to County Meath? He looks at his wife, Jane, and says: “There was a secretary in Jimmy Fitzgerald’s office – that I rescued...” and with three grown-up children of their own, a base that is handily placed just off the A64 near Malton, and a bunch of mates that make a trip to the pub or golf course a pleasure, Dwyer is happy in the north of England.

The subsequent acquisition of land adjacent to Oaks Farm has enabled him to create a breeze-up training ground that is easy on the Hands-on consignor: Dwyer, left, bandaging a young breezer before exercise

DWYER’S QUICK SIX Best day in the ring At Arqana last year we got €775,000 for a Redoute’s Choice filly that had cost us €75,000. Named Eyes On Asha, she recently won on debut for Kevin Ryan.

Best day at the races My two Gold Cups would be high up there, and I got a lucky spare ride on Flakey Dove to win the Champion Hurdle.

Cheltenham memories When I was riding I took it for granted.

Now, I go as a spectator and the whole thing strikes me as unbelievable – it was big then, but it’s perceived as being bigger now.

Disappointments That I didn’t ride 100 winners in a season – I got into the 90s, but I was not a numbers man and not one for chasing the title.

Relaxation The pub and watching rugby, be it an international or my local team in Malton.

Aversions Committees and people who dump litter.

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eye, with broadleaf trees and manicured beech hedges that create windbreaks while giving an air of thoroughbred sophistication.

A vast grass field that rises gently into the distance provides Dwyer’s embryonic racers with a chance to feel turf beneath their feet, while Malton offers similar options.

Of his breezing regime, Dwyer says: “They all learn to canter upsides, and initially we send them out in a group before slowly weaning them off each other, teaching them to gallop alone. I like to get them all away from home three times before they sell – the first time they’ll just have a look at where we want them to gallop and give them a nice strong canter, next time they do a bit more, and nearer the sale they do a final gallop.

“You are preparing them for the next man, and they’ll be expected to go out in a string, so they need to be ready for that – and we put them through stalls as part of the process. This is their prep school.

“We try not to buzz them up too much, and don’t fit them with gags or gadgets like that – we set our stall out to keep them relaxed and in a good frame of mind. That can be a penalty for us, because sometimes they are not revved up to get that fast time, missing that kick at the two-furlong pole, but a good jockey will always be aware and ready for such eventuality.

The whole process is about the individual horse, and our ability to get them to the sale ready to do their best – some are backward, some are not even two, and we have to work

with them, aiming for a good time, while leaving a bit for the buyer to work on. We are very conscious of that – it’s a fine line and can be confusing at times, knowing whether to push on with a horse or back off.”

Is there a conflict of interest in being a consignor of yearlings, but also a buyer of yearlings that are pinhooked to breeze? Dwyer

“They’ll be expected

to go out in a string so they need to be ready for that; this is their prep school” says: “You couldn’t run your business if people thought you kept your best yearlings to breeze – we take them all to the yearling sales and if they don’t sell we have the option of breezing them, but it’s not in our plan. We buy for the purpose. Fillies without pedigrees are very hard to sell at any level, but if they breeze well that helps – and if we fail to sell a breezer they have to go into training. Once the colours come out the die is cast, but there is always a buyer if they show a bit of ability on the racecourse.”

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THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Apr_152_Bloodstock_Intro_Owner 24/03/2017 16:44 Page 61

BREEDERS’ DIGEST

By EMMA BERRY, Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes:

• Sales Circuit: Record-breaking Festival Sale as £3m is traded in one hour – pages 62-66 • Caulfield Files: Seasonal insight gained through the French Classic entries – pages 68-69 • Dr Statz: Like mother, like daughter: but which combination is best? – page 90

Fortune favours brave breeders I

t’s not so long ago that Britain was viewed as the poor relation to Ireland and France when it came to National Hunt breeding.

There’s no doubt that the Cheltenham Festival is not the be-all and end-all of the jump racing season, even though many commentators and some participants now act as if that is the case. But it is of course a showcase meeting and, as such, its results are both important and informative.

In recent years, the mid-March action at Prestbury Park has given followers of British National Hunt breeding much to cheer about, especially when considering the relatively small pool of jumping broodmares in this country compared to our competitors. In 2015, Coneygree became the first Britsh-bred winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 20 years, and lo and behold, 24 months later, along comes another one.

Congratulations to Bryan and Sandra Mayoh, who feature as the TBA’s Breeder of the Month in this issue, but that was decided even before Sizing John won the Gold Cup and was gained instead for his victory in February’s Irish Gold Cup. The co-breeders also celebrated a Listed mares’ hurdle victory for Lifeboat Mona at Sandown in January and it’s a safe bet that another Breeder of the Month title will be heading their way.

Following a Grade 1 treble for Britain’s leading jump sire Kayf Tara at last year’s Festival, three of the four championship races went the way of British-breds this time. The loss of Midnight Legend last July has been much lamented and his posthumous honour now as the sire of a Gold Cup winner should be a spur to persuade some jumping owner-breeders to keep a well-bred male horse entire throughout his career over obstacles with a potential stud career in mind.

That said, the Cheltenham Festival provided a terrific advert for Derby winners, with Authorized, Sir Percy, High Chaparral

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

and none other than Galileo each siring at least one winner. It is, however, a doubleedged sword for those intent on trying to keep top-class middle-distance horses to the fore as Flat sires.

Of course Galileo’s popularity will never wane, but High Chaparral was never properly afforded the respect he deserved before his untimely death, Sir Percy is similarly overlooked and Authorized was transferred from Dalham Hall Stud to Darley’s French wing at Haras du Logis some years ago.

Authorized enjoyed double success at the meeting, first with dual Festival winner Tiger Roll in the JT McNamara National Hunt Challenge Cup, and later in the Stayers’ Hurdle, one of two Thursday Grade 1 winners for Graham and Andrea Wylie.

Before being bought to go jumping for the Wylies, Nichols Canyon ran for the partnership of Elaine ‘Legs’ Lawlor and former ROA President Rachel Hood. It was Hood’s former fellow ROA council member Sally Rowley-Williams who enjoyed another day in the spotlight on Wednesday courtesy of her admirable Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara. The ten-year-old posted a much deserved success, both for him and for his trainer Henry de Bromhead

after Special Tiara had finished third in the last two runnings of the race.

Bred by David Young, he was, of course, another big Festival winner for Kayf Tara, while the former British-based Mount Nelson enjoyed a major breakthrough in the National Hunt world as the sire of Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Penhill. The six-yearold’s victory surely proved to be a bittersweet moment for his breeder Newsells Park Stud, who were also responsible for Galileo’s swankily-bred Coral Cup winner Supasundae, as well as Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Melon, a son of Medicean.

It is no secret that Newsells Park’s Manager Julian Dollar was loathe to part with Mount Nelson, who left Royston for Ireland’s Boardsmill Stud at the end of the year. His Cheltenham success will have been a huge fillip for his new owners but, as previously alluded to, it can only make the situation harder for middle-distance Flat horses at stud.

However, a label doesn’t change a stallion’s genetics, so if you believe in a horse strongly enough, stick to your guns and try to breed yourself a Wicklow Brave, my personal favourite of all the Cheltenham runners with his bold effort in the Champion Hurdle after last year’s Irish St Leger victory.

Sizing John’s dam La Perrotine appeared at the 2014 TBA National Hunt Foal Show

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Apr_152_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 24/03/2017 17:57 Page 62

SALES CIRCUIT • By Carl Evans and Nancy Sexton

TATTERSALLS IRELAND

Overview and analysis of the latest events and trends in Britain and Ireland

The record-breaking Festival sale-topper Maire Banrigh will race in the colours of John Hales after being selected by Ryan Mahon

Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Festival Sale Colossal trade, a record price for a point-topoint mare, and a crisp £3m turnover in an hour and a half meant this auction was not overshadowed by the Cheltenham Festival.

Twenty-four horses walked the ring and 21 (88%) found a home at an average of just over £142,000 – it is amazing what people will pay for an Irish pointer (they made up the bulk of the catalogue), while two from that sphere but trained in Britain also made six-figure

sums. Tattersalls Ireland’s director of horsesin-training sales, Richard Pugh, a man close to the heart of Irish pointing (a commentator at weekends), said in advance that a particularly strong group of horses had been assembled, and he proved spot on.

Heading trade with a valuation of £320,000 was Maire Banrigh, a five-year-old daughter of Flemensfirth and the winner of a mares’ maiden race on debut five days earlier.

A feather in the cap of Richard Black, who bought her as a store at Doncaster in April for £40,000, and trained her to win in John

TALKING POINTS

Murphy’s colours, at Cheltenham she became a stripe on the shoulder of jockey Ryan Mahon.

He has been working away steadily on a second career as a bloodstock agent, and brought the hammer down for the record setter. His client was John Hales, and he said Paul Nicholls or Dan Skelton would have the pleasure of adding her to their string – whichever trainer missed out would gain The Dellercheckout, also knocked down to Mahon for Hales, and another lumpy purchase at £260,000.

some distance away just outside the bidding ring – it didn’t stop him buying, for he secured British pointer Sky Pirate with an offer of £150,000.

• JP McManus unwittingly helped give this sale a solid start in 2014 when paying £220,000 for sale-topper Minella Rocco, who rewarded the investment when becoming a Cheltenham Festival winner last year, landing the National Hunt Chase. One day after this sale the same horse improved on that, finishing second in the Timico Gold Cup – no wonder the big spenders of jump racing take Irish pointers seriously.

• The same sum bought Santini, the winner of a point-to-point in Gloucestershire, and whose half-sister Dusky Legend had finished third in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle a couple of hours earlier at the Festival. Both horses were owned by breeders Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes of Trull House Stud, although Santini was knocked down to trainer Dan Skelton, who said new ownership had to be decided.

• At this edition of the event, JP and his son Kieran stood inside the bidders’ area – along with racing manager Frank Berry – a position from where they bought Irish pointer Slate House, at £310,000 the sale’s second highest-valued horse, and another king result for vendor Wilson Dennison.

Joseph O’Brien joined them, and he too got on the score sheet with the purchase of Rapid Escape for £220,000. Yet Jonjo O’Neill, McManus’s main trainer in Britain, and based at his Jackdaws Castle Stables in Gloucestershire, stood

• Buyers took little interest in the Ellmarie Holden-trained Ex Patriot, who, despite an entry in the following day’s JCB Triumph Hurdle, was led out unsold when bidding halted at £200,000. He had finished first in two of his three previous runs in hurdles, but, after a total of ten races, was apparently too exposed for a market hungry for untapped potential. He ran a screamer in the Triumph, being bang in contention turning for home and finishing fourth, beaten just seven lengths by winner Defi Du Seuil.

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Apr_152_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 24/03/2017 18:04 Page 63

TATTERSALLS IRELAND Cheltenham Festival Sale TOP LOTS Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

MAIRE BANRIGH (King’s Theatre — La Marianne)

Ballinapark Stables

320,000

John Hales/Ryan Mahon

PALMERS HILL (Gold Well — Tosca Shine)

Ballyboy Stables (Denis Murphy)

310,000

Kieran McManus

SLATE HOUSE (Presenting — Bay Pearl)

Loughanmore Farm

260,000

Tom Malone

THE DELLERCHECKOUT (Getaway — Loreley)

Monbeg Stables (Cormac Doyle)

260,000

John Hales/Ryan Mahon

RAPID ESCAPE (Doyen — Kenzie)

Christopher Donnelly

240,000

Gordon Elliott

SPEAK EASY (Beneficial — For Bill)

Monbeg Stables

220,000

Joseph O’Brien

MR WHIPPED (Beneficial — Dyrick Daybreak)

Ballyboy Stables

160,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

SANTINI (Milan — Tinagoodnight)

Holcombe Brook Stables

150,000

Dan Skelton Racing

SKY PIRATE (Midnight Legend — Dancingwithbubbles)

Cottagefield Stables (Tom Lacey)

150,000

Jonjo O’Neill Racing

FOUR-YEAR TALE Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2017

21

3,000,000

142,857

120,000

320,000

2016

14

1,447,000

103,357

91,000

225,000

2015

18

1,362,000

75,667

60,000

205,000

2014

16

1,688,000

105,500

70,000

260,000

Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham January Sale

TALKING POINTS • James Doyle reaped a handsome £170,000 when selling Bitingthebullet from the Monbeg Stables draft of Sean and Donnchadh Doyle. Another member of the family which has become masters of the pointer pinhook? No, just a friend.

• Coolmore stallion Getaway continued his run of good ring results thanks to Getareason, who made £140,000 when offered by Warren Ewing and Paula Geraghty, wife of jockey Barry.

TATTERSALLS RELAND

A record price of £480,000 for a point-topointer was the highlight of this sale, which had been postponed and held in February for the second year running.

The later date meant a handful of races in Ireland for four-year-old pointers had been run, and it is winners or placed horses from such events – still raw and with plenty for ‘the next man’ to work upon – that tend to head sales of this type.

Witness Flemenshill, a bay son of Flemensfirth, who brought up the meaty new mark that towered over the £370,000 given for Presenting Forever at Doncaster in 2009 by Graham Wylie when Howard Johnson was his go-to trainer. The bidder who set the new high was agent Tom Malone, acting for racehorse

owners Ann and Alan Potts, and who said Colin Tizzard would handle the prized catch’s next moves. Malone described Flemenshill as “a shell”, although he had overcome immaturity when winning on debut at Oldtown – the runner-up, Defi Bleu, had been knocked down for a sale-topping €255,000 at Tattersalls Ireland’s August Store Sale last year, and came highly-regarded from the ranks of Gigginstown House. By such measures are record prices made, in this instance creating a fabulous return for vendor Wilson Dennison, one of Ireland’s leading pinhookers of pointers, and his trainer, County Antrim’s Colin McKeever.

This highlight set the tone for a terrific trade, with increases in all the key categories. From a similarly-sized catalogue to last year an extra ten horses walked in, but turnover rose 110%. The median price was up 25%, while the average climbed 46%. The clearance rate was 79%.

• Three British pointers were offered, but only one sold – Black Sam Bella made £35,000 after a debut win at Barbury Castle the previous weekend for Wiltshire owner/trainer Laura Thomas, who had picked the filly up for very little as a foal. Six-year-old Chosen Lucky, who returned to Dean Summersby’s stables on the Devon/Cornwall border after bidding halted at £28,000, won a week after the sale to add to three previous victories, and at the time of going to press was the leading pointer in Britain this season with four wins.

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The bar for Irish pointers reached a new high with the £480,000 sale of Flemenshill

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Apr_152_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 24/03/2017 17:58 Page 64

SALES CIRCUIT

TATTSERSALLS IRELAND Cheltenham January Sale TOP LOTS Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (£)

Buyer

Flemenshill (Flemensfirth — Southern Skies)

Loughanmore Farms

480,000

Tom Malone/Colin Tizzard

On The Blind Side (Stowaway — Such A Set Up)

Glenview Stables

205,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

Bitingthebullet (Gold Well — Tawny Owl)

Monbeg Stables (James W Doyle)

170,000

Evan Williams

Frozen Flame (Frozen Fire — Flame Supreme)

Redbridge Stables

145,000

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock

Getareason (Getaway — Simple Reason)

Bernice Stables

140,000

Kirk/Mullins

Planet Nine (Flemensfirth — Old Moon)

Camas Park Stud

135,000

Gerry Hogan Bloodstock

Sending Love (Scorpion — Dato Vic)

Bernice Stables

130,000

Harold Kirk/Willie Mullins

Oakley Hall (Milan — Rockwell College)

L Hannity

120,000

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock

FIVE-YEAR TALE Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

Top Price (£)

2017

33

2,562,000

77,636

50,000

480,000

2016

23

1,230,000

53,478

40,000

200,000

2015

28

1,629,000

58,179

39,000

200,000

2014

28

1,459,500

52,125

31,500

190,000

2013

31

1,542,000

49,742

28,000

250,000

Arqana February Sale Ending partnerships by putting jointly-owned property into an auction ring is the most equitable way of adjudging share values.

That method created this single-session sale’s leading prices, as jump owner/breeder Luc Gabeur of Ecurie Sagara took control of six of the eight horses in which he was the majority shareholder. His purchases included sale topper Roi Mage, runner-up in a Grade 1 chase at Auteuil last year, and who made €210,000. Gabeur signed for the five-year-old in the name of Sofiga.

Formerly a two-day affair, this sale, offering a mix of jumpers and Flat horses, and from breeding shed dwellers to yearlings, was reduced to a single-session 12 months ago and now seems happy over that duration.

The clearance rate fell back to 2015 levels at 75%, but as Arqana chief Eric Hoyeau pointed out, the event fulfils a purpose, and the best horses gave the figures a rosy hue. Turnover rose 22% and the average by 45%, while the median figure also travelled in the right direction, increasing by 11%.

Compared to many other racing nations the French take a cosmopolitan view of their sport, staging cards with a variety of races, and involving horses of varying breed descriptions. Gianicolo is a case in point, being an Anglo-Arab by the very good thoroughbred sire Balko, and with enough speed to win over hurdles and (at Auteuil, no less) over fences. He joined Roi Image in being bought by Gabeur as part of this partnership resolution process, and at €150,000 was one of five horses who headed the sale-topping price of 2016, which was just €45,000.

ARQANA February Sale TOP LOTS Sex/Name/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

Roi Mage (Poliglote — Royale Majesty)

Francois Nicolle

210,000

Sofiga

Gianicolo (Balko — Muscade)

Francois Nicolle

150,000

Sofiga

Desert Red (Green Desert — Penicuik)

Coulonces Consignment

81,000

NACL Associates

F Olympic Glory — Blissful Beat (Beat Hollow)

Coulonces Consignment

70,000

Agence FIPS

Catalina Bay (Pastoral Pursuits — Scarlet Buttons)

Maurizio Guarnieri

47,000

Federico Barberini

Liane De Pougy (Ballingarry — Libanoor)

Trois Rivieres

41,000

Guy Petit

Ellen Des Mottes (Maresca Sorrento — Ewing Des Mottes)

Francois Nicolle

40,000

SCEA Ecurie Sagara

Prestige Vendome (Orpen — Place Vendome)

Nicolas Clement

40,000

Guy Pariente

Selva Real (Royal Applause — Silca Chiave)

Channel Consignment

40,000

Emerald Bloodstock

FIVE-YEAR TALE Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2017

202

2,075,500

10,275

5,000

210,000

2016

237

1,786,500

7,538

4,500

45,000

2015

240

1,913,500

7,973

4,500

80,000

2014

240

2,430,000

10,125

6,000

74,000

2013

187

1,487,000

7,952

4,500

200,000

64

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V O i ew nl in C a e a t t a lo w gu w w. e & ta tte Vid r s eo al s l s. ie

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Apr_152_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 24/03/2017 17:58 Page 66

SALES CIRCUIT Increases were also recorded at the OBS March Sale two weeks later in Ocala. Held over two days, OBS’ flagship juvenile sale is large enough to present a proper gauge of the market and with new money fuelling the top end, a record average of $188,757 – up 17.7% from 2016 – was celebrated. A total of 30 horses also realised $500,000 or more, up from 17 last year, including five million-dollar lots. Trade was topped by a daughter of WinStar Farm stallion Congrats, who sold for $1.7 million out of the McKathan Brothers’ draft to Kerri Radcliffe.

However as with Fasig-Tipton, the sale was hit by a number of withdrawals. When all was done and dusted, 300 of the 414 horses offered had been sold for a total of $56,627,000 (excluding private sales registered after the end of the sale). Given that the original catalogue comprised 677 lots, only 44% of the catalogue actually changed hands.

Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream and OBS March Figures from both the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream and OBS March Sales painted a healthy start to the American breeze-up sales season but in reality it was feast or famine for a number of vendors.

A catalogue of 162 for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale in Miami was whittled down to just 87 horses by the time the auction opened during the evening of March 1. Of those 87, 74 were sold, meaning that just 46% of those catalogued changed hands. Against that, the sale produced a historically high clearance rate of 85% from those offered while total sales of $25,115,000 represented a leap of 16% from 2016. The average and median also improved, increasing by 3.7% and 8% to $339,392 and $270,000.

Three horses realised a million dollars or

Kerri Radcliffe was a big spender at both OBS and Fasig-Tipton breeze-ups

more led by an Uncle Mo filly who sold for $1.5 million to new investor Lawrence Best of OXO Equine LLC.

FASIG-TIPTON Gulfstream Sale TOP LOTS Breeding

Vendor

Buyer

b f Uncle Mo - Flowers Atthefinish (Grand Reward)

Cary Frommer

OXO Equine LLC

1,500,000

b c Bernardini - Winner (Horse Chestnut)

Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds

Eaton Sales, agent for MV Magnier

1,450,000

b c More Than Ready - Tensas Punch (War Front)

Cary Frommer

OXO Equine LLC

1,100,000

b c Medaglia d’Oro - Wild Chant (War Chant)

Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds

WinStar Farm & Breeze Easy

900,000

b f Scat Daddy - Me And Miss Jones (Smarty Jones)

Niall Brennan Stables

Kerri Radcliffe, agent

800,000

TALKING POINTS • Newmarket-based agent Kerri Radcliffe and her husband Jeremy Noseda made a successful foray into the OBS market two years ago when paying $170,000 for subsequent Group 3 winner Nemoralia. This time around, Radcliffe spent $2.95 million on three horses at OBS to end the sale as leading buyer and another $1.55 million on two horses at Fasig-Tipton.

The $1.7 million OBS sale-topping Congrats filly will join Bob Baffert but Noseda will train a filly by Nemoralia’s sire More Than Ready who cost $600,000, as well as a Scat Daddy filly who was snapped up for $800,000 at Fasig-Tipton.

• The OBS March sale-topper capped a productive first major dip into the juvenile market for her vendor, Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables, consigning through the McKathan Brothers, Top Line Sales, Wavertree Stables and Eddie Woods. In addition to the Congrats filly, who was pinhooked by the Zayat team for $250,000 as a yearling, the group included a Pioneerof The

Price ($)

Nile colt who was sold through Eddie Woods for $1 million to Robert and Lawana Low. In all, Zayat sold three horses at Fasig-Tipton for a total of $1.35 million and another five at OBS for a total of $3.385 million.

• Lawrence Best of OXO Equine was a welcome new top end player. Best, founder of investment company OXO Capital LLC, came away with two million-dollar lots from Fasig-Tipton in the sale-topping $1.5 million Uncle Mo filly and a $1.1 million colt by More Than Ready. Both were sold by Cary Frommer. Best also paid $1.1 million for a Tapit filly and $1.05 million for an Arch colt, both sold by Tom McCrocklin, at OBS. • Other new players included Saudi Arabian Amr Zedan, who paid $950,000 for an Union Rags colt through Dennis O’Neill at OBS. Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, which was so active during the Wildenstein Stables Ltd dispersal, also made a single purchase at both sales. The dearest, made at FasigTipton, was a $575,000 son of Mineshaft bred by Godolphin and sold for $200,000 to Sweet Clover Stable as a yearling.

OBS March Sale TOP LOTS Breeding

Vendor

Buyer

b f Congrats - Azalea Belle (Dixie Union)

McKathan Bros.

Kerri Radcliffe, agent

1,700,000

b c Orb - Remember (Forest Wildcat)

Crupi’s New Castle Farm

Solis/Litt

1,250,000

ch f Tapit - Arienza (Giant’s Causeway)

Tom McCrocklin

OXO Equine LLC

1,100,000

b c Arch - Enhancing (Forestry)

Tom McCrocklin

OXO Equine LLC

1,050,000

b c Pioneerof The Nile - Heavenly Vision (Forestry)

Eddie Woods

Robert & Lawana Low

1,000,000

66

Price ($)

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67

Apr_152_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 15:33 Page 68

CAULFIELD FILES ANDREW CAULFIELD REPORTS ON THE BLOODSTOCK WORLD

Assessing the Classic generation More useful than a crystal ball, we cast an eye over the entries for the French Classics for an inkling of what lies in store on the Turf this season

68

ASUNCIÓN PIÑEYRÚA

T

hrough the ages, a wide variety of techniques have been used in the suspect business of divination, ranging from sacrificing goats to the less messy tarot cards. For me, though, it’s the entries for the four French Classics (plus the Grand Prix de Paris). They may lack that air of mystery, but they are a useful means of making a few predictions for the coming year (not that I could have predicted last year’s Prix du JockeyClub success of Wootton Bassett’s son Almanzor, or the Grand Prix victory of the Air Chief Marshal colt Mont Ormel).

Altogether, there are just over 500 individual horses entered for the two Poulains races, the Jockey-Club, the Prix de Diane and the Grand Prix (which I have included on the basis that its distance makes it a closer equivalent to the Derby than the Jockey-Club, with the longer race also helping the stallions whose progeny require a stiffer test of stamina).

Inevitably there is some correlation between the stallions’ fees and the size of their representation in the Classics. It will therefore surprise no-one that the incomparable Galileo leads the way. In fact, he is responsible for little short of 10% of the nominees for the five Group 1s, with a total of 48 sons and daughters, from a 2014 crop of 162 foals.

Thanks to The Gurkha, Galileo has now been responsible for winners of all five Group 1 races under review. He also cropped up as the broodmare sire of last year’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Prix de Diane winner La Cressonniere. Galileo also leads the way among the broodmare sires of the Classic entrants, with a total of 19.

It is Frankel, one of Galileo’s stallion sons, who has the second-highest total of entries, with a whopping 30 individuals from a first crop of 111. The established Group winners Fair Eva, Frankuus, Queen Kindly and Toulifaut are supported by an intriguing collection of lightly-raced winners, such as Cracksman, Eminent, Icespire, Mirage Dancer, Monarch’s Glen, Swiss Storm and Lady Frankel, a half-sister to the dual French Classic winner Lope de Vega, who was successful on her debut at Saint-Cloud on March 19.

It could also pay to take note of some of the youngsters which, at March 5, were still unraced. William Haggas’ Elyaasaat, a son of

Frankel has 30 entries for the French Classics and is second only to his own sire

the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Lahudood, is entered in all three colts’ contests.

Andre Fabre, trainer of Lady Frankel, has Finche, a half-brother to the Group 1 winners Proviso and Byword.

Al Shaqab paid €800,000 for the filly Middle East as a two-year-old – she ran second on her debut at Chantilly on March 10 – and also has a homebred colt, Oshayger, out of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Zagora.

Another of Galileo’s Classic-winning sons, New Approach, has suffered a slight fall from favour, as illustrated by the fact that his 2017 fee is £30,000, compared to £80,000 in 2014 and 2015. Don’t forget, though, that his 2017 Classic contenders were conceived after he had run away with the first-crop sires’ title in 2012.

He has nine nominees, including five trained

by Fabre, so a revival may be on the cards.

The jury is also out on Nathaniel, another of Galileo’s top middle-distance sons. Although his results with his first two-year-olds were less than spectacular, there’s good reason for thinking that his progeny will improve substantially from two to three. He has six entries, including the promising British fillies

Enable and Precious Ramotswe, each of whom made a winning debut on the all-weather.

Another young stallion who generally failed to live up to expectations with his first juveniles last year was Excelebration. He is standing the 2017 season at €10,000, having started out at €22,500, but he is another who possibly deserves a little patience. He has six nominees, including Shahjalal and Zeyzoun, a pair of unraced French colts bred and owned by the Aga Khan. There’s also Brittanic, a David Simcock colt who has won his first two starts over Newcastle’s all-weather, and Richard Hannon’s Barney Roy, who is widely expected to develop into a smart performer. Barney Roy is one of the 19 entries with a dam by Galileo.

Another of last year’s first-crop sires, the very fast Australian horse Sepoy, has a quality team of six. Although it is far too early to be jumping to conclusions, it could be significant that five of the six are fillies.

It is no surprise to find that Fastnet Rock’s eight-strong team includes four out of Galileo mares. Two of them, Intricately and Rivet, have already made major contributions towards the flourishing Fastnet Rock-Galileo nick.

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Needless to say, Fastnet Rock is by no means the only son of Danehill with a sizeable squad for the French Group 1s, with the veteran Dansili having 14, Redoute’s Choice 13 and Exceed And Excel eight.

Dansili’s team includes numerous highly regarded once-raced winners. Three are trained by Fabre, whose potentially exciting Franz Schubert represents the very successful Dansili-Sadler’s Wells nick. Fabre’s trio is completed by Pharaonic, a half-brother to Jockey-Club winner New Bay, and Trais Fluors, a winner at Maisons-Laffitte.

In addition to Pharaonic, Juddmonte has John Gosden’s Shutter Speed, Dermot Weld’s Titus (plus the twice-raced Tempera), while Shadwell’s filly Talaayeb will be bidding to add to Dansili’s fine record with Rahy mares.

Dansili’s fee in 2013 was £80,000, whereas Redoute’s Choice was easily the highest-priced French-based stallion at €70,000. Redoute’s Choice’s fee at Haras de Bonneval reflected his outstanding achievements with the likes of Stratum, Snitzel, Miss Finland and Lankan Rupee in his native Australia.

Several of Redoute’s Choice’s French-trained contenders have shown plenty of promise, including Deep Inside, Spotify, Gold Luck, Golden Attitude, Wajnah and Normandie, but the one which will surely attract the most attention is the as-yet-unraced Zarmitan, a son of the exceptional Zarkava. Watch out too for John Gosden’s filly Astronomy’s Choice.

Redoute’s Choice shuttled to France for just two seasons but France still has two highpriced stallions in Le Havre, at €60,000, and Siyouni, at €45,000. Although both of these comparatively young stallions have already enjoyed success in the French Classics (Le Havre has two daughters who have completed the Pouliche-Diane double), they are rather short of representatives this time.

Their 2013 fees – and the stage of their respective careers – need to be factored in, as Le Havre was priced at only €5,000 in his fourth season and Siyouni was available for €7,000 in his third season. Siyouni still has a pair of likely sorts in Kestila and Straight Right, who have so far raced mainly in the provinces.

Another popular French stallion, Kendargent, has a 12-strong team led by the Listed winner Xaarino. Spare a thought, too, for the ex-English Myboycharlie, who has a team of six, even though his fee at Haras de Mezeray is only €4,500. Perhaps there will be another Euro Charline or Camprock among them.

When I reviewed the French Classic entries last year, Sea The Stars ranked second only to his half-brother Galileo, with 27 nominees.

Subsequent events were to justify these Classic aspirations, as the 27 featured such as Harzand, Across The Stars, Cloth Of Stars, Mekhtaal and Zelzal. However, they came from a crop of 124, whereas Sea The Stars’ 2017

“Excelebration, with

six nominees, is another who perhaps deserves a little patience” contenders come from a crop of only 74. This helps explain why he has ‘only’ 12 entries in the five French Group 1s under review. Most are still untried but Big Challenge was a stylish winner of his only start for Saeed bin Suroor.

This colt shares the same broodmare sire, Maria’s Mon, as last year’s Jockey-Club winner Almanzor. It could also pay to make a note of the promising filly Listen In, a half-sister to those smart colts Dominant and Es Que Love.

Of course, Dubawi has a CV packed with outstanding achievements and he ranks third on the list behind Galileo and Frankel, with a total of 21 from a crop of 112 foals. He is well placed to add to his tally of Classic winners with the Prix Marcel Boussac winner Wuheida heading a team which also includes Coronet, D’bai and the once-raced winner Ettisaa.

Potential dark horses are the unraced Mabrook (out of Galileo’s smart daughter

Mahbooba and therefore bred to the same cross as Night Of Thunder and Dartmouth); the high-priced Parabellum; and Plumatic, a son of the Group 1-winning Plumania.

There’s also good cause to be optimistic about Shamardal, as this winner of the Poulains and Jockey-Club is strongly represented with a team of 17. Several have already enjoyed stakes success, including Alrahma, Blue Point, Heuristique and Really Special. Bearing in mind that Shamardal is still only 15 and his eldest daughters are only eight, there is plenty of credit attached to having six nominees out of his broodmare daughters.

Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega, who emulated his sire’s French Classic double, had 13 entries last year but only six this year, from his third crop. However, the six include three British winners headed by the Group 3 winner South Seas.

Invincible Spirit is another with a 17-strong team, most of which hold engagements in either the Poule d’Essai des Poulains or Pouliches. Pick of the bunch at this stage has to be National Defense, winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Then there’s Fabre’s Inns Of Court, a once-raced winner on Polytrack who has the attraction of also representing the powerful Invincible Spirit-Mr Prospector cross. Like the Group 1-winning sprinter Signs Of Blessing, Inns Of Court is out of a Seeking The Gold mare.

The only American-based stallions with five or more representatives are War Front with 13, the late Street Cry with six and Medaglia d’Oro with five. Predictably, most of the War Fronts are in the care of Aidan O’Brien, who has a very strong hand. Brave Anna and Roly Poly both ranked among the top four fillies on the European two-year-old ratings and Lancaster Bomber ranked fourth among the colts on 117, with War Decree and Intelligence Cross also well ranked on 113 and 110 respectively.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Zainhom could be the pick of the Street Crys. Interestingly, Medaglia d’Oro’s team of five represents a reduction of seven from the previous year, which raises the question of whether Godolphin now consider his progeny more at home in the US.

Sires with the highest representations GALILEO 48 FRANKEL 30 DUBAWI 21 INVINCIBLE SPIRIT 17 SHAMARDAL 17 DANSILI 14 REDOUTE’S CHOICE 13 WAR FRONT 13

KENDARGENT 12 SEA THE STARS 12 NEW APPROACH 9 EXCEED AND EXCEL 8 FASTNET ROCK 8 CAPE CROSS 7 PIVOTAL 7 EXCELEBRATION 6

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

LAWMAN 6 LOPE DE VEGA 6 MAKFI 6 MOTIVATOR 6 MYBOYCHARLIE 6 NATHANIEL 6 OASIS DREAM 6 SEPOY 6

STREET CRY 6 DREAM AHEAD 5 ELUSIVE CITY 5 MEDAGLIA D’ORO 5 SIYOUNI 5 TAMAYUZ 5 TEOFILO 5

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Apr_152_ThoroughbredClub_Owner 24/03/2017 15:39 Page 70

Circulate should be fun to follow in fast-ground handicaps this summer

Tom Clover is a new name to the training ranks and is in charge of three-year-old filly Circulate for The Thoroughbred Club

Meet our newest addition – Circulate The Thoroughbred Club are delighted to announce Circulate as the newest addition to our team of horses in training, joining Amy Murphy’s Mercian King who won for TTC in November.

A gorgeous three-year-old bay filly by Dutch Art, she is currently in training with emerging young trainer Tom Clover in the heart of Newmarket.

Clover, 31, only launched his training career with partner Jackie Jarvis five months ago, and although yet to get his name on the scoresheet has a qualitylooking bunch of horses going into next season, including Circulate.

He picked up the filly from William Haggas for a tender price of 10,000gns.

For her former yard she ran twice in allweather maidens at Kempton, finishing fifth on both occasions. Since joining

70

Wroughton House Stables in early December she has run four times, showing ability on each of those starts.

“She has run four times for me, all on the all-weather, and has been slightly frustrating to be honest and had a few hard luck stories,” said Clover.

“The most frustrating was probably at Wolverhampton when she was an oddson shot and just got done on the line. I think Joe [Fanning] thought he had it won.”

That day at Wolverhampton she went down by a head to the Sylvester Kirktrained Oberyn over seven furlongs on just the second run for her new yard. On most of her starts to date she has shown good speed and a keenness for racing, which usually takes her to the front in her races.

“She ran back at Chelmsford on February 2 and again was a little unlucky.

The horse that set the pace came back in front of her and she had to snatch up and broke her stride,” Clover continued.

Her pedigree suggests she will continue to improve with racing and it looks as if seven furlongs will be her ideal trip going forward.

Her dam, Royal Whisper, was unraced but her grandam Never A Doubt won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin in France while also finishing second in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.

Described as a straightforward filly who is a pleasure to deal with, Clover feels that there is more than something there and that, based on her work at home, she will certainly be up to winning races this year on turf.

Clover added: “It depends on where the suitable races are but I like to think Yarmouth and those sorts of places would suit. She’s out in the field at the minute THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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@T T C_ GB

and she should come back fresh. I think we can have a lot of fun with her.

“I very much think fast ground in 065/0-75 handicaps in the high summer will be right up her street, hopefully on the July course; that would be a nice plan.”

We are very much looking forward to seeing Circulate racing in our colours and having some great days racing with her and The Thoroughbred Club members.

Introducing our new member benefit – TTC Bursary Fund The Thoroughbred Club is pleased to announce that they will be offering full members the opportunity to apply for a grant through a new initiative, TTC Bursary. Continuing the support members received thanks to last November’s Careers Course, TTC has created the new initiative to help further members’ professional development as they pursue careers within the horseracing industry.

The bursary will enable full members of the club to submit an application for a grant of up to £500 to fund an educational course or continued professional development activity which will allow them to develop or further their career in the breeding industry.

The bursary has been introduced following feedback from TTC members and conclusions from the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s Industry Workforce Analysis. TTC committee believe that young people within the industry will benefit greatly from a bursary fund that can open access to industry training and development.

Harry Williams, TTC Chairman, said of the announcement: “One of the central aims of The Thoroughbred Club is to help members establish and develop

Members can apply to the bursary fund for courses that include horse handling

their career within the breeding and racing industry, and we are always looking for ways in which we can better support members achieve their aspirations.

“By introducing our new bursary we are not only able to build on the success of last year’s Careers Course, but we are committing to the long term support of the industry’s next generation.”

All full members of the club are eligible to apply from April 1, 2017. Example

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS Open to all 16- to 30-year-olds £50 per year (£35 per year for 16- to 22-year-olds)

Full Member • Access to all TTC events • Follow our TTC broodmares and horses in training • Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder magazine subscription • Annual Thoroughbred Stallion Guide • Blogs, webinars, vlogs with exclusive access on our website • Career course and educational opportunities

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grant requests could include: Training course, e.g. Stud Secretary’s Course, The Racing Industry Course, National Stud Lecture Series; Entry cost for attendance to an industry event or conference; Equipment to support development of career Applications can be made via www.thethoroughbredclub.co.uk/ ttcbursary

Associate Member - Free • Six-month membership • Limited TTC events access • Limited TTC website access

HOW TO JOIN • Visit thethoroughbredclub.co.uk to sign up • If you would like to discuss membership options please contact Tallulah Lewis at info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk

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Apr_152_ROA_Forum_Owner 24/03/2017 17:14 Page 72

ROA FORUM T he spec i al sec ti on for ROA members

Syndicate Code of Conduct

T

he ROA has welcomed the initiative taken by the British Horseracing Authority to provide greater protection and transparency for members of ownership syndicates with the launch of a new Syndicate Code of Conduct.

The code sets out the basic requirements syndicators must meet, although it does not define how they will operate.

Those requirements include the provision of an agreement in which details relating to the duration and costs of the syndicate are all outlined, along with how decisions should be made and when financial statements will be circulated.

It will also become a requirement that all syndicators become registered owners in their own right, ensuring that they are subject to the Rules of Racing.

ROA Chief Executive Charlie Liverton said: “The results of the National Racehorse Owners Survey last year reinforced how many people start their ownership journey in a syndicate, and the code of conduct will form a vital set of rules helping to protect all parties.

“Understanding how a syndicate operates, and having a verified agreement in place, will ensure that those looking to join a syndicate have greater transparency and clarification of relevant information before joining the

The Ontoawinner syndicate enjoyed tremendous success with Quiet Reflection

wonderful experience that comes with racehorse ownership.”

The code is a response to the growth of syndicate ownership and it will be the first time the Rules of Racing will include specific protection for syndicate members.

Trainers have voiced concerns about syndicates who take money from members but then do not pay for horses or training fees.

The code will be incorporated into the Rules of Racing when the BHA introduces modernised registration structures in the spring, aimed at simplifying the administration of racehorse ownership.

The Syndicate Code of Conduct is one of a number of changes set to improve racehorse ownership and supports the industry’s promotion of syndication. This was led by Great British Racing’s launch of www.InThePaddock.co.uk, which allows owners to search for syndicates and racing clubs to suit them, by location, code and cost. Following being incorporated within

the Rules of Racing, all syndicates wishing to appear on www.InThePaddock.co.uk will be required to adhere to the Code of Conduct.

The code will apply to all ownership entities registered as a syndicate and, where the syndicator is paid for their role and/or the entity was formed through a public offering.

Following the code being included in the Rules of Racing, syndicators will have a three month grace period before they will be required to fully comply. The BHA would, however, encourage all syndicators to consider if any changes are necessary as soon as possible to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Code.

Find out more • The full Syndicate Code of Conduct and a detailed list of FAQs can be found online at britishhorseracing.com • Questions about ownership structures and reforms can be directed to 01933 304808 or email ownersupport@weatherbys.co.uk

Newmarket Equine Hospital and Heath House tour We are delighted to announce an exciting new visit for ROA members next month to the Newmarket Equine Hospital and Sir Mark Prescott’s Heath House Stables.

The visit will take place on Monday, May 22 and will begin at the Newmarket Rowley Mile car park where a coach will transport guests to the Newmarket Equine Hospital for a light lunch and tour of the facilities.

A world-renowned specialist veterinary centre, the hospital services racehorses from across the country, as well as being a referral centre for horses throughout the world. Purpose-built in 2008 with state-ofthe-art facilities, it is the largest equine hospital in Europe, and is sure to prove a

72

Sir Mark Prescott will open the doors of his Heath House Stables on May 22

fascinating start to the day.

From there, ROA members will travel to Heath House, the training yard for the redoubtable Sir Mark Prescott. The trainer of over 1,900 winners, Sir Mark has formed the careers of some outstanding horses including Champion Sprinter Pivotal, triple Group 1 winner Albanova and dual Champion Stakes heroine Alborada.

The cost of this visit will be £10 per person. We have 50 places and ROA members will be limited to one guest each.

This visit is sure to be a sell-out, so members are advised to book early. To reserve your chance to attend this fantastic day, please call 0207 152 0200, or email info@roa.co.uk.

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www.roa.co.uk

BHA considers rewarding more runners An appearance money scheme offering a cash sum down to eighth place is one of the innovations being considered by the BHA to make the sport more competitive.

Richard Wayman, BHA Chief Operating Officer, told the audience at the industry roadshow at York that the governing body had been working with the Horsemen’s Group and Racecourse Association to make the most of the opportunity given by levy replacement and the Racing Authority, which will next year officially take over decisions on how those funds are spent.

Wayman said there were three objectives being considered: increasing customer engagement, growing the number of owners, and staging more competitive and compelling racing.

He explained that last year 36% of the programme failed to attract eight runners.

“Although that was an improvement on the previous three years, the simple fact is there are still too many races falling short of where a lot of our customers want them to be,” Wayman said.

“Although the details are still being worked on our aim is to create a substantial appearance money scheme to boost the number of races attracting at least eight runners.

“With payments down to eighth place we believe this can influence where horses run, can provide a further boost for grassroots racing, and also make for a more competitive sport which will appeal to both existing and new audiences.”

Wayman believes the fixture list can have an influence on engaging more people.

He added: “The reality is that for many

The BHA could extend prize-money payments down to eighth place

years our fixture list has been structured to maximise the levy paid by betting shops.

“Under the Racing Authority we will introduce new fixture criteria that not only takes account of betting shops but also thinks about digital betting, media rights income and the revenues from people attending race meetings.

“The fixture list must evolve as we take into account all of the requirements of all of our various customers.”

Wayman said the issue of ownership would be addressed by looking to the sport‘s grassroots.

“If we are going to start growing ownership as well as attracting new people we have to stop losing owners at the sport’s grassroots who have been finding other ways to spend their time and money,” Wayman said.

“As funding increases we will aim to increase prize-money for grassroots racing.”

New Racing Admin website In addition to the new ownership structures, the new Racing Administration website will be launched in the coming weeks. This will enable owners to deal with their administration online, from setting up a new ownership to registering sponsorships, authority to act and colours.

Several groups of owners were invited to test the new system in a series of workshops in February and ensure it meets their needs and feedback from the sessions was positive.

The new system will streamline and simplify ownership registration, remove the need to submit most paper forms and provide owners with free and easy access to information about your horses, fixtures via an online programme book and entries and declarations.

Owners will be invited, nearer the launch date, to set up a log in to the site.

Free entry to Aintree’s Grand Opening Day Aintree is offering ROA members free admission to the Grand Opening Day of the Randox Health Grand National Festival on Thursday, April 6.

Any ROA member who would like to go racing at Aintree but does not have a runner will be issued with a free complimentary Tattersalls ticket, with any guests being able to purchase a ticket at face value.

Grand Opening Day is the curtain raiser to the Randox Health Grand National Festival, with a feast of racing including four Grade 1 contests.

ROA members can take advantage of this offer on production of a valid Horseracing Privilege Photocard/PASScard at the owners’ and trainers’ reception. Please note that Aintree are unable to provide access to the owners’ and trainers’ pavilion under this offer.

Any members who wish to apply for a car-parking label for this day should call the office or email info@roa.co.uk THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Annie Power was a winner on Grand Opening Day in 2016

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Industry roadshows discuss extra funds Four industry roadshows were staged last month around the country in York, Musselburgh, Cheltenham and Newmarket.

The roadshows were open to owners to attend, and viewable via a live stream.

BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust was joined by representatives from the Horsemen’s Group and Racecourse Association.

Togetherness was a recurring theme of Rust’s keynote address and he said it had helped bring a boost to racing’s funding from the government’s proposed levy replacement scheme close to realisation.

Rust said he was confident that the scheme, which should bring in an extra £3040 million per year, would be in place in April.

Updating industry figures on the progress made on the sport’s strategy for growth, he said: “While many of the challenges we faced at the beginning of 2015 remain, we’re in a better place today.

“Racing has come together to a large degree in the last few years, making a concerted effort towards common goals, and it is bearing fruit in a number of areas.”

Those included the authorised betting partner scheme which he said had brought in at least an additional £10m in income in its first year, growing betting on British racing, near record attendances, and reversing declining trends in horse population and ownership with an additional 500 horses in training compared to 2014.

Rust added: “Our togetherness is bringing improved funding this year from the replacement levy scheme. I have no doubt the progress we have made with the government on the levy was largely due to racing speaking with one voice.”

The scheme will extend the levy to betting through digital channels.

The secondary legislation to enact levy

BHA boss Nick Rust heads the panel of experts at the industry roadshows

reform has not yet been laid, while state aid approval has also not been received, but Rust is confident the system will be in place by the April target date, although he did acknowledge there was a chance of a legal challenge.

He said: “The government announced April so I’m very confident that this will be in place for April. I’m pretty confident it will pass European state aid concerns given the amount of time and care the DCMS has taken with framing the legislation.”

Rust also acknowledged there was still much to do, citing the low returns to participants at grassroots level, difficulties recruiting and retaining stable staff, growing interest in the sport and prioritising equine welfare.

He concluded: “We’ve come together and made some progress and we still have many challenges.

“But we now have more confidence in ourselves and more belief in our sport and its worth. British racing is growing up to its full potential. We have much we can still achieve.

“We have a great history, pedigree and sport, let’s stick together and build it together. We can do this.”

A highlights video will be available on the BHA website and a BHA Racing Data pack, giving quarterly updates regarding the sport’s key data can be found at www.britishhorseracing.com

Data dashboard The BHA launched a new resource last month which provides a data dashboard on fixtures, races, runners, attendances, races televised, going and prize-money going back to 1995.

The resource is free to access at this link: brenda.britishhorseracing.com/dashing

ROA Owners Jackpot races in April There are five weekly opportunities this month for members to bag a £2,000 bonus in an ROA Owners Jackpot race in addition to win prize-money.

Owners Jackpot races are staged at courses that have signed up to a prize-money agreement, and this year only where there is a guaranteed minimum prize fund of £5,000 per contest.

To qualify, winning horses must be owned by ROA members. For horses in a joint ownership, 51% or more of the winning horse must be owned by members of the ROA. For horses owned in a racing partnership, both nominated partners must be members of the ROA.

THE FIVE RACES OFFERING A £2,000 BONUS IN APRIL ARE...

April 2, Ascot, 2m3 ⁄2f Class 4 4yo+ Maiden Hurdle

April 18, Exeter, 2m2f Class 4 4yo+ 0-115 Handicap Hurdle

April 5, Wincanton, 3m1f Class 4 5yo+ 0-110 Handicap Chase

April 25, Hexham, 3m Class 5 5yo+ 0-100 Handicap Chase

April 11, Pontefract, 1m Class 5 4yo+ 0-75 Handicap

Upcoming races for May onwards can be found at roa.co.uk in the Jackpot section

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MY DAY AT THE RACES WITH LAURENCE BELLMAN AT LINGFIELD PARK, MARCH 3, 2017

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s part of a new regular feature we will be asking a member to share their experience as an owner with a runner at the races. This month we asked Laurence Bellman to give his views on a visit to Lingfield Park in March with Simply Me, a four-yearold filly in training with Tom Dascombe.

Laurence has been an owner for 15 years. He goes racing regularly, attending around 100 meetings a year, and describes himself as passionate about his horses.

He said: “I am an independent owner although I’ve joint interests with friends in other horses. I consider myself small but have an interest in 30 horses.”

Laurence has enjoyed an exceptional start to 2017. In his own name he has had four horses – three with Ed Walker and one with Tom Dascombe – run in 14 races, winning ten and coming second twice. At one stage in that sequence he had seven consecutive wins in 24 days from January 25 to February 18.

He said: “They weren’t small fields – the smallest being six runners and the largest 13.

The total prize-money was just under £27,000, which is horrifically low but you know that. It is a thrill whatever the course and whatever the grade. All credit to my trainers and their hardworking teams of staff.”

Did you receive any welcome information as an owner in advance of the raceday?

I received a letter from Lingfield Park giving details. This is useful to newer owners. In my case it is probably not needed, and I would personally prefer to receive an email.

How was the experience of arrival at the racecourse and collecting your owners’ badges?

I have been to the racecourse many times. The car park for owners is well signed and located and there are always two attendants. It is probably the best racecourse car park. It was a quiet day, so picking up a badge, racecard and owners’ lunch voucher was easy.

What were your thoughts on the location, comfort and provision in the owners’ and trainers’ facility?

Coffee and tea self-making facilities only.

Cappuccino/latte and all other drinks were chargeable. There were no biscuits or snacks.

Basic voucher worth, I believe, £5 to use in a communal restaurant where there is a choice

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Laurence Bellman with Simply Me, jockey Richard Kingscote and groom Elisha Whittington, a winner at the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards in February

of two/three hot meals and salads/pre packed rolls. The food was only fair. There is no viewing of parade ring or racetrack from any owner area or restaurant. [A Winter Warmer offer is available to owners and trainers with a runner in the Panoramic Trackside Restaurant overlooking the finishing line, at a cost of £20 per person for a three-course carvery menu.]

Many of the staff are retired, so cheap or concessioned labour. On a busy Saturday they would not cope so well. Tracks need young, vibrant, knowledgeable hosts/hostesses.

How was the pre-parade ring/paddock experience?

I love this part of the experience. It’s a very important part of the owners’ day. Noticeable that more horses are being saddled in the boxes, this may not help the novice owner.

Did you find the facilities for owners’ viewing acceptable?

There is no designated owners’ viewing area that I know of. A box could easily be made available but this has never been offered, even when there are empty boxes. The restaurant gives a good view of the racecourse but does not offer complimentary meals. You normally walk to the front of the stand and there is a large screen near the winning line. Large screens should be mandatory at all courses.

Were you able to review a replay of your race easily?

The races are replayed two or three times immediately after the race, but owners are

usually getting a de-brief from the jockey.

How were you treated as a winning owner on the day?

I was presented with a memento and then taken to a nice box to view the replay.

Champagne, sandwiches, wraps and cake were offered. It was a good experience and I left with a nice Lingfield bag containing a bottle of champagne, race video, photo and photoframe and a little glass vase.

I believe every winning owner should receive a photograph (preferably titled and/or framed) from every racecourse, with duplicates available at cost price.

What was your overall lasting feeling of the day?

Racing is a fantastic experience and winning is obviously even better. I would always return as I love the whole experience.

Improvements? Staff need to smile and show enthusiasm for the product. Owners are not made to feel especially important. Lingfield Park is not a Grade 1 track but could do more on several fronts.

How it rated Entry Viewing Atmosphere Owners’ facilities Food Overall score

HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH 13

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AIRO welcomes members at Punchestown Festival

Diary dates and reminders

The Punchestown Festival provides a grand finale to the jump season, and through our partnership with the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, ROA members are offered access to the AIRO Members’ Marquee, along with complimentary refreshments.

Members will be able to gain free admission to the marquee on production of a valid ROA Horseracing Privilege Photocard/PASS card and mentioning the ROA at the entrance to the facility, which is located in the Tented Village in the Reserved Enclosure.

APRIL 6 Grand Opening Day at Aintree

This offer does not provide racecourse admission. Badges can be purchased directly from the racecourse.

The festival runs from Tuesday, April 25 to Saturday, April 29. Further details can be found at punchestown.com Racing Breaks (racingbreaks.com) can assist members with flights, transport and accommodation for Festival race meetings.

A glorious Goodwood package

For entry to members for the opening day of the Randox Health Grand National Festival (see page 73).

APRIL 12 Visit to Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale with lunch At Doncaster (see story opposite page).

APRIL 19 Dalham Hall Stud visit Behind the scenes tour of Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket for members and guests.

APRIL 25 ROA regional meeting At Hexham racecourse.

APRIL 25-29 Punchestown Festival Complimentary access to the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) marquee on production of a Horseracing Privilege Photo Card/PASS Card. Please note racecourse admission is payable.

MAY 17 Ownership Matters Roadshow In York.

MAY 22 Visit to Newmarket Equine Hospital and Sir Mark Prescott Newmarket double-header (see page 72).

Members can enjoy the Qatar Goodwood Festival with a superb hospitality deal

We are delighted to be able to offer ROA members a fabulous reduced price hospitality package for the five days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival (August 1-5).

The package includes Richmond Enclosure admission, lunch in the Horsewalk Restaurant with champagne on arrival, a three-course seated lunch, grandstand seat to view racing, afternoon tea, car parking label and racecard per person.

The price is £200 per person per day and places are strictly limited.

At the time of writing we have already filled places for the Wednesday, and expect to sell out soon on all other days.

Please see roa.co.uk/events or call the ROA office to book.

Richmond Enclosure badges We will offer our usual badge service to members wishing to book for the Richmond Enclosure for the five days of Glorious Goodwood.

The prestigious Richmond Enclosure is a members’ only area, for annual members and owners and trainers with a runner. It features

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stylish bars, including the Champagne Lawn and 1812 Bar and private hospitality.

The Richmond Enclosure offers the best vantage points from which to watch racing or visit the Parade Ring, with views directly opposite the winning post. Covered seating is available within the March Grandstand. A dress code applies and the closing date for applications will be Friday, July 14.

Adults: £81 up until April 30. Price increases to £89 thereafter.

Junior Badges (18-24 years): £44.50.

Please call the ROA office if you require Junior Badges. Accompanied youngsters under 18 years of age are admitted free.

Please note the ROA Car Park label is not valid for the QIPCO Goodwood Festival.

Members can purchase labels for Car Park 8 for £12 each.

Members may book a maximum of four badges per day.

Bookings can be made online at roa.co.uk/events or call the ROA on 020 7152 0200.

JUST ANNOUNCED! MAY 23 Breakfast with the Stars In a private facility at Epsom racecourse. See website for details.

Further details and how to book for ROA events can be found online at roa.co.uk/events

Feedback winners Members are encouraged to complete our online Raceday feedback form after going racing with a runner. One member per month who has completed feedback online is picked at random to win a £50 John Lewis giftcard. This month’s winner is Mr Geoffrey Keeys, who owns four horses in partnerships with his wife, including Perfect Candidate, who was recently successful at Exeter. The feedback form can be found in the Raceday section at roa.co.uk.

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Royal Ascot hospitality places

Farewell Sue, welcome Ruth

Sue Drawwater: decade at ROA

The Carriages and Sandringham restaurants will host members on June 20-24

ROA members can enjoy a choice of two discounted hospitality packages during Royal Ascot (June 20-24) in the Carriages and Sandringham Restaurants.

The restaurants are located on the ground (Sandringham) and first floor (Carriages) of the double-decker Royal Ascot marquee in the Queen Anne Enclosure and offer luxurious surroundings to watch the day’s events unfold both on and off the track.

The location provides easy access to the Royal Enclosure, and outstanding head-on views of the racing down the straight.

Each facility offers a bespoke package including reception drinks, three or four-

course luncheon depending on package, afternoon tea, and a complimentary bar throughout the day which includes champagne for the Carriages package.

Packages can be purchased with or without admission. Guests will also receive one car park label per two places booked, racecards and racing papers.

Members will be seated together, on shared tables of ten, as available. We would recommend early booking as some facilities are already sold out on Thursday and Friday.

For full details of prices and availability see roa.co.uk/events or call Sarah Holton in the ROA office to book.

News in brief Spaces left for April visit to Goffs Breeze-up Sale We have a few places left for a members behind the scenes visit to Goffs Breeze-Up sale on April 12. Visitors will be able to enjoy a morning tour of the sales complex, watch the sale of horses that have breezed the day before, and soak up some expert opinion on points to consider when purchasing a horse from our tour guide, vendors and purchasers.

Places can be booked for £15 per person, which includes a three-course lunch with wine. See www.roa.co.uk/events or call 020 7152 0200 to book.

Public liability cover The BHA has increased the minimum provision of public liability insurance required by licensed trainers. New trainer licence applications will require a minimum

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

limit of liability of £5 million (previously £2m). Trainers renewing their licences will need to comply on the renewal of their policy.

ROA membership includes automatic third party liability cover for members with a limit of liability of £10m. We are able to provide this level of cover exclusively for members through our group scheme, and an individual owner wouldn’t usually be able to obtain this level of cover.

Changes in guidance from HMRC There have been some slight changes in guidance from HMRC on processes relating to the VAT Scheme for Racehorse Owners.

While these do not impact on existing arrangements, other than in relation to the use of data and contact information, the updated HMRC VAT Notice from February

Last month marked the retirement of Sue Drawwater, PA to the Chief Executive.

Sue joined the ROA in the summer of 2007 and has worked tirelessly for the past ten years supporting the Chief Executive and ROA board members.

During that time Sue has worked for three Chief Executives; Michael Harris, Richard Wayman and Charlie Liverton.

Her seamless organisational skills have helped ease the association, board and executive through a busy and challenging period of change and development.

Sue will be greatly missed by her colleagues in the ROA office and we would all like to wish her a long, happy and well-deserved retirement.

At the same time we are pleased to welcome Ruth Diver to the team as our new PA to the Chief Executive.

Ruth has over 12 years’ experience working in senior support roles in both the private and public sectors, most recently for an executive search and advisory firm.

Previously Ruth was a member of the diplomatic service and worked for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London and overseas. During this time she worked in Iraq, assisting the Coalition Provisional Authority in reconstructing the Iraqi Civil Service for which she was awarded an MBE.

can be found as a link on the ROA website in the Resources section.

ROA on YouTube The ROA has a YouTube channel which includes interviews with owners and associated content. Let us know if you have any clips to add or to subscribe to the channel see http://bit.ly/YouTubeROA

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M AGICAL M OM E NT S

M

r Scaramanga was not alone in failing to get the better of James Bond, but Mr Scaramanga the racehorse has defeated allcomers twice in his three runs for Robert Moss and Dale Brennan, most recently when annexing one of Qatar’s biggest prizes during its Emir’s Sword festival.

The Simon Dow-trained three-year-old landed the £200,000 Al Biddah Mile at Al Rayyan racecourse in Doha, and for Moss it was a change of luck in the Middle East after the injury to previous flagbearer Hombre Rojo at Meydan last year.

Even Mr Scaramanga’s appearance in Qatar was fortuitous, as Moss explains.

“We took him to Newcastle for a Meydan qualifier – he underperformed and came last of four,” he says. “But then Adrian Beaumont [of the International Racing Bureau] rang to say

“Simon Dow lives

and breathes horses.

I trust him implicitly, which is important” the Qataris were looking a bit short for the Al Biddah Mile and were we interested.

“Everything was free – the horse went for free, we were flown business class – and none of us expected anything; we were hoping for fifth at best, which was $10,000.”

Mr Scaramanga did much better than fifth to plunder the first prize of £115,000, going some way to easing memories of Hombre Rojo’s misfortune, when he did himself a major mischief in the Al Bastakiya in Dubai last March – it has still not been decided whether he will be able to run again.

Moss adds: “I don’t think Qatar is trying to emulate Dubai. They have their own culture and it’s a very beautiful country. It was a new experience to celebrate the win with bottled water but we actually felt better for it!”

A fine wine, or at least a Peroni, might be more the order of the day should Mr Scaramanga head to Rome to contest the Italian 2,000 Guineas, while closer to home Moss hopes to have some Royal Ascot involvement this summer, having “got a bit carried away” in the wake of his first yearling, Presumido,

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Mr Scaramanga and Adrie de Vries see off all challengers in the Al Biddah Mile at Al Rayyan to the delight of owners Robert Moss and Dale Brennan (above, centre)

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JUHAIMQREC

with ROA members Robert Moss and Dale Brennan

winning a few races for the Dow stable.

“I kept buying and breeding horses and currently have 16,” reveals Moss.

Explaining his entry to ownership, he says: “I bought a tenth of a racehorse that didn’t really perform. Then I bought my mare from Juddmonte, Vezere. She didn’t do too well, so I then bought a yearling [Presumido], who was off for 18 months as he injured his stifle in his box. It was something of a slow start!”

Moss is motoring now and as well as having a football team-worth of his own, he shares Mr Scaramanga and three others with Brennan.

Sparkalot, a promising fourth on debut at Lingfield in March, is owned with Brennan and Harry Redknapp, the ex-football manager whom he met on a golf day.

Moss attributes much of his enjoyment to Epsom-based Dow, saying: “He’s a great trainer, not only personable but honest, and so hardworking. He lives and breathes horses and puts so much care into it. I trust him implicitly, which is very important.”

Mr Scaramanga is the current star while Hombre Rojo continues his recovery; Moss thinks it will be a few more

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months yet before a decision is made over whether the four-year-old, who rattled up a Lingfield hat-trick and came third in the UAE 2,000 Guineas before injury struck, can return or not. There are also some unraced youngsters, Corredordel Viento, Corazon Espinado and El Borracho, to look forward to.

Moss, who speaks Spanish and gives his horses Spanish names, isn’t overly keen on racing juveniles, preferring to let them mature.

Asked for his magical moments to date, Moss replies: “Obviously the local Group 2 win in Doha, but every moment is magical. We have a good strike-rate and must have the best crop of horses in Epsom.

“We’re aiming for Royal Ascot and some lovely turf races this year. However they perform, I’m confident our investment in the sport will continue unabated…or until the money runs out!”

Moss, an electrical wholesaler based in Dartford – his pal Brennan is an electrical contractor – admits he would not have the stomach for owning jumpers, with injuries his biggest fear, and while he confesses to liking having winners on the track, he sounds happy just being around his horses at Dow’s Clear Height stable of a Sunday morning.

“Owning horses is rather contagious,” says Moss. “They’re beautiful animals, easy to fall in love with, powerful but fragile.”

Here’s hoping Moss’s string can stay in one piece, especially Mr Scaramanga, his very own horse with the golden fun.

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Flat Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

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

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

Figures for period February 1, 2016 to January 30, 2017

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 2015-16 (£)

Up/ down

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

439,286 212,321 176,251 140,472 114,448 80,126 79,833 76,642 62,705 54,369 45,309 41,143 40,348 37,668 36,725 36,467 34,512 32,066 32,000 31,889 30,417 28,713 28,527 26,996 26,736 26,611 25,603 25,300 24,167 23,371 23,081 22,440 22,119 21,547 19,068 9,301 53,417

127,650 91,453 82,011 68,655 74,177 41,667 51,071 53,755 45,957 39,600 29,697 14,545 19,214 25,850 21,230 28,919 25,198 0 18,233 19,206 18,658 16,436 18,848 13,777 19,430 13,723 19,240 20,020 12,050 20,622 13,672 16,613 17,559 18,889 14,373 27,586 30,678

251,426 121,269 69,398 113,995 77,302 10,430 35,997 37,556 28,632 17,925 11,270 5,239 5,116 5,154 4,491 3,824 4,383 4,185 5,345 4,150 4,269 5,235 5,112 4,467 5,037 4,054 5,559 4,334 3,609 4,669 3,566 2,675 13,267 3,500 2,771 2,713 20,279

818,363 425,749 327,660 323,122 265,927 132,223 167,058 169,093 137,294 112,449 86,335 60,927 64,679 68,673 62,445 69,210 64,190 36,250 55,579 55,246 53,344 50,384 52,488 45,241 51,204 44,389 50,446 49,654 39,827 48,662 40,319 41,727 52,944 43,949 36,212 39,600 104,438

18 17 19 11 39 15 24 16 16 23 17 17 55 16 17 16 77 2 44 18 19 17 27 13 20 22 23 56 6 18 15 17 18 83 22 30 883

14,730,525 7,237,740 6,225,542 3,554,346 10,371,159 1,983,351 4,009,385 2,705,495 2,196,700 2,634,519 1,467,700 1,035,760 3,557,345 1,098,766 1,061,566 1,107,354 4,942,634 72,500 2,445,469 994,420 1,013,537 856,525 1,417,179 588,129 1,024,079 976,553 1,160,249 2,780,608 238,960 875,922 604,784 709,360 953,000 3,647,761 796,654 1,188,000 92,263,574

388,619 188,919 168,936 136,791 105,410 86,530 66,008 68,579 57,439 49,896 36,465 39,867 39,310 32,289 34,084 33,032 31,257 32,205 26,159 27,399 24,486 27,121 21,099 25,473 24,323 20,435 23,318 24,182 22,888 19,876 17,669 18,539 19,019 16,440 14,759 12,774 48,088

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

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

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2015-16 (£)

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

250,443 235,147 136,843 95,191 93,559 52,342 51,606 37,242 37,181 36,902 34,031 33,649 30,843 28,982 28,234 28,103 27,196 27,147 25,137 24,514 24,420 24,278 23,976 23,103 21,638 21,397 20,507 20,410 20,253 19,879 19,873 19,683 19,054 18,520 18,143 17,901 17,032 16,746 16,352 15,992 15,584 37,722

131,251 121,028 82,868 86,811 86,291 75,081 62,951 46,696 27,856 25,128 39,767 38,815 17,023 19,467 27,903 21,875 29,517 30,734 27,032 36,370 22,516 28,206 23,132 25,947 18,007 30,040 22,759 15,548 27,606 24,165 22,582 23,551 23,080 19,835 17,860 19,492 31,532 21,506 24,674 24,461 22,150 34,184

71,423 62,512 20,505 16,604 19,471 20,393 10,889 8,472 9,941 3,090 9,937 6,851 5,156 4,398 4,856 3,755 0 5,241 4,832 4,909 4,325 7,448 0 5,504 4,659 5,728 4,276 4,291 5,093 4,366 4,005 4,252 3,837 3,930 3,173 3,939 4,783 3,351 2,725 3,652 3,736 8,311

453,929 418,688 243,073 201,718 206,453 149,634 126,112 92,826 75,132 65,584 83,735 80,251 53,022 53,280 60,992 53,733 56,713 63,122 57,000 66,823 51,943 60,028 47,108 54,554 45,040 59,348 47,876 40,249 53,889 49,894 46,460 47,739 45,971 42,286 39,197 41,332 53,347 41,845 44,174 44,105 41,638 80,742

8 16 7 9 8 11 12 12 15 14 16 11 9 15 14 16 18 15 18 10 22 24 11 13 17 17 15 6 16 12 7 19 22 13 14 20 10 19 9 16 9 565

3,631,431 6,699,001 1,701,511 1,815,458 1,563,143 1,645,972 1,513,345 1,113,907 1,126,973 918,183 1,339,758 882,762 477,198 799,206 853,892 859,728 1,020,836 946,834 1,026,004 668,234 1,142,741 1,440,669 518,191 709,207 765,673 1,008,908 718,139 241,495 862,231 598,723 325,219 907,037 1,011,368 549,718 548,762 826,632 533,472 795,047 397,562 705,683 374,739 45,584,593

242,694 226,859 140,405 93,109 83,611 27,472 47,962 28,558 36,459 28,939 28,086 23,202 25,256 23,882 47,962 53,935 25,153 27,234 24,388 13,214 17,519 18,043 21,346 19,868 18,398 20,650 19,634 0 19,652 20,544 28,939 14,741 15,526 17,971 16,762 15,439 19,634 13,546 15,067 13,253 12,797 35,449

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

EXPLANATION The tables set out the average prize-money at each fixture staged by a racecourse over the last 12 months. They show how this is made up of the three sources of prizemoney: 1. Racecourses’ contribution 2. Levy Board (HBLB) 3. Owners The tables also confirm the number of fixtures staged and the total amount of prize-money paid out by each racecourse throughout this period.

The racecourses are ordered by the average amount of their own contribution to prizemoney at each fixture. This contribution originates from various sources including media rights, admission revenues and racecourse sponsors.

If a racecourse has increased its average contribution at each fixture compared with the previous 12 months, it receives a green ‘up’ arrow. If its average contribution has fallen, however, it receives a red ‘down’ arrow.

As these tables are based on the prize-money paid out by each racecourse, the abandonment of a major fixture could distort a racecourse’s performance.

OWNERSHIP KEY JCR Jockey Club Racecourses

ARC Arena Racing Company

I Independently owned racecourse Gold Standard Award

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ownerbreeder ad pages 04-2017_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 03-2017 24/03/2017 09:46 Page 81

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fs r 2017. andful o Just a h citing horses fo x in 2 e o sort Early 2y – Roger Varianl) RIUS or / Megaspie AL MA er GENERoly Roman Emp H y b yo miler lt l o c a ( tenti 2 Hills o p g in it arlie E xc AT – Ch / Mrs Seek) O B E F ea LI

Frankie Dettori celebrates winning the Steward’s Cup at Glorious Goodwood on KVT horse Magical Memory

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KENNET VALLEY THOROUGHBREDS Fulham Green, Chester House, 81-83 Fulham High Street, London SW6 3JA • www.kvtracing.com

Want to find out which stallions are making waves?

For the very latest sire lists go to www.ownerbreeder.co.uk Tables updated every day

DON’T MISS OUT ON OWNING A GORDON ELLIOTT TRAINED HORSE! This is your chance to get involved in one the most exciting projects this year. We are the only syndicate sending 2 year old’s to Gordon Elliott.

Cheltenham and Royal Ascot-winning trainer with our own Commissioned. Nick and Aidan O’Ryan (winner of the Supreme Hurdle, Cheltenham) will be attending the Breeze Up’s in April/May. To secure your investment in one of our breezer horses and be on our EXCLUSIVE list to guarantee a share when the hammer falls, don’t delay.

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TBA FORUM The special section for TBA members

TBA/EBF mares’ race sponsorships

F

ebruary saw the running of two TBA/EBF-sponsored races.

The TBA/EBF Mares’ Novices’ Chase at Bangor-on-Dee on February 10 was won by the Paul Nicholls-trained Antartica De Thaix (Dom Alco), storming to victory to win by 49 lengths from runner-up Lochnell (Winged Love), who is trained by Ian Duncan.

Antartica De Thaix, now seven, followed up by winning a Listed Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon on March 5.

Wetherby staged the TBA/EBF Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase on February 21.

Money Maid, a nine-year-old daughter of Blueprint, trained by Graeme McPherson for EPDS Racing, stayed on strongly to beat Chasma (Kayf Tara) by 16 lengths.

ALAN WRIGHT

John Sexton, Chairman of Go Racing in Yorkshire, presenting the award to members of the EPDS Racing Partnership 5, owners of Money Maid

Notes for employers Members are reminded that the TBA has an extensive list of employment law fact sheets on the website which can be accessed through the members’ area, and which cover all aspects of the employment relationship.

For those employers who need additional support and advice on an employment matter, the TBA provides access to legal advice from solicitor Rachel Flynn of

Keystone Law. Rachel or her colleagues will provide TBA members referred by TBA with ‘first call’ legal advice, including ad hoc assistance where possible over the telephone.

Members with a legal issue that they would like to discuss should call the TBA team at Stanstead House in the first instance. They will then be contacted by Rachel within 24 hours of their initial call.

STATUTORY RATES FROM APRIL 2017

Statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay

National living and minimum wage:

• Statutory sick pay rises from £88.45 to £89.35 per week or 90% of normal pay (whichever is lower).

Age Current rate Over 25 £7.20 (National Living Wage) 21 to 24 £6.95 18 to 20 £5.55 Under 18 £4.00 Apprentice* £3.40

April 2017 rate £7.50 £7.05 £5.60 £4.05 £3.50

*If under 19 or in first year of apprenticeship (otherwise refer to age bands). The apprenticeship rate does not apply to Higher Level Apprenticeships.

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• Statutory maternity pay rises from £139.58 to £140.98 per week or 90% of normal pay (whichever is lower).

• Statutory paternity pay, shared parental leave and adoption pay also rises from £139.58 to £140.98 or 90% of normal pay (whichever is lower).

Please see TBA Employment Factsheet No. 16 for full details on parental rights and pay rates.

Sophie Walker collecting her award

Melton Hunt Ride The TBA sponsored the award for the first thoroughbred to finish in the Melton Hunt Club Cross-Country Ride.

The winner of this year’s award was Sophie Walker, who was third on Suzie Cullotty’s horse Red. Sophie also picked up the award for the first finisher in the ‘under 25’ category and was also the first lady to finish. The overall winner of the competition was Rowan Cope, riding Arthur.

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w w w. t h e t b a . c o . u k

National Hunt Breeders’ Celebration Dinner The TBA would like to extend an invitation to all National Hunt enthusiasts to join us at the Mount Pleasant Hotel near Doncaster on Monday, May 22 for the National Hunt Breeders’ Celebration Dinner. The achievements of British National Hunt breeding in 2016/2017 will be honoured with ten awards revealed on the night, the winner being chosen from three nominees in each category.

The Awards • Leading Chaser OVERBURY TROPHY • Leading Novice Chaser SHADE OAK TROPHY • Leading Hurdler HIGHFLYER TROPHY • Leading Novice Hurdler BIRCH FARM STUD AND DGS TRANSPORT TROPHY • Leading NH Flat Horse YORTON TROPHY

The evening showcases the best of British National Hunt breeding

• Leading Chase Mare BEECH TREE TROPHY • Leading Hurdles Mare MIDNIGHT LEGEND TROPHY • Leading Novice Hurdles Mare MICKLEY TROPHY

The TBA NH Committee would particularly like to thank Goffs UK for its generous cosponsorship of the event, and the individual sponsors of the ten awards.

An application for tickets will be sent in the TBA April membership mailing.

• Leading NH Flat Mare MILL HOUSE TROPHY • Special Award ERIC GILLIE LTD TROPHY

RACECOURSE BADGES FOR BREEDERS The TBA is delighted to have secured badges for some of the most prestigious meetings in the racing calendar for breeders who have bred a runner at the following meetings: Ascot racecourse has offered two owners and trainers’ badges at Royal Ascot for each horse declared, and two tickets to breeders who have bred a runner tickets on QIPCO Future Champions Day in October. In addition to these fantastic offers, holders of the Racecourse PASS card/Breeders Badge can also take advantage of entry on any other race days where they have bred a runner.

Goodwood racecourse has offered two Richmond Enclosure badges for breeders who have bred a runner in all Listed and Group races in this year’s calendar.

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Applications will be required two weeks in advance and will be confirmed at declaration stage.

Newmarket Racecourses are offering increased access to meetings for racecourse PASS/breeders’ badge card holders for breeders to watch horses they have bred run.

This includes all meetings with the exception of the Guineas meeting, July Festival and music nights at the July Course.

Applicants for the special badges for Ascot and Goodwood must be TBA members to qualify but do not need to hold a Racecourse PASS card. Further details on how to apply for these and other offers will be published on the TBA website and advertised nearer the time.

MOPS Bonus Race Winners 2017 February 9, Huntingdon 188Bet EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Div I) (Class 6) Winner: PETTICIOAT TAILS owned by Wynnstay Wanderers Bonus Value £5,000.

March 1, Wincanton Lycetts Bloodstock Insurance Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Winner: TANGLEY owned by Mahon racing Bonus value £10,000 March, 3, Newbury The West Berkshire Racing Club Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Class 5) Winner: LADY MIX owned by Mrs K J Glover Bonus Value £5,000

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TBA FORUM

TBA National Hunt ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ Foal Show The TBA National Hunt ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ Foal Show, now in its fifth year, will take place on Sunday, July 30 at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.

All TBA members are invited to attend the show which provides a unique opportunity for National Hunt breeders to showcase their young stock based on the format of the successful French APQS shows where such stars as Sprinter Sacre and Silviniaco Conti were judged.

There will be four separate classes, split according to sex and age group, with the winners and runners-up of each class going forward for the judging of the overall Champion and Reserve Champion of the show. Previous winners of the Show include the Kayf Tara colt out of Lago d’Oro, that realised £62,000 as a yearling at the Goffs UK

January Sale earlier this year.

Six judges from Britain, Ireland and France will choose the winners of each class, based on conformation and movement, backed up by the pedigree.

Cash prizes generously donated by Goffs UK, along with trophies and rosettes will be awarded to the successful exhibitors.

For entry, foals need to be born in Great Britain and to have been bred with the intention to run under National Hunt rules.

The mare and foal must be owned by a member of the TBA. Further details of the show, the event schedule and entry forms will be sent out to all members in the April membership mailing. In the meantime, any enquires should be directed to Melissa at the TBA on melissa.parris@thetba.co.uk.

TBA diary dates THURSDAY, APRIL 20 TBA/EBF Mares’ Novices’ Series Chase FINAL At Cheltenham.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 The Thoroughbred Breeders Association Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Race (Class 1) (Listed) At Cheltenham.

FRIDAY, MAY 5 TBA Annual Awards Evening At Newmarket.

MONDAY, MAY 22 TBA National Hunt Breeders Celebration Dinner At the Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster.

TUESDAY, MAY 23 National Stud/TBA Broodmare Ownership Course At the National Stud.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15 TBA Annual Seminar At Tattersalls.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 MIND Mental Health First Aid Course At the National Stud.

JUNE 27 & 28 Supervisory Skills Course At the National Stud.

SUNDAY, JULY 30 STEVE DAVIES

TBA National Hunt Foal Show At Bangor-on-Dee racecourse.

The popular ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ Foal show returns to Bangor racecourse in July

NHMOPS LATE REGISTRATIONS The TBA’s NH Committee has introduced a late registration period for the National Hunt Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NHMOPS). The extended period will close on December 31 of the horse’s yearling year. Late registrations will be charged at £200 for TBA members and £300 for non-TBA members. To join the TBA, please contact Annette Bell on 01638 661321.

NHMOPS is an initiative that aims to encourage owners and trainers to buy and race mares. Winning connections can claim prizes of up to £10,000 in eligible mares-only races (terms and conditions apply). For more information on NHMOPS, please visit the National Hunt racing section of the TBA website.

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EAST REGIONAL DAY Please note the date for the East Regional Day in September to Sir Michael Stoute and the National Horseracing Museum is THURSDAY, September 7, not Tuesday as printed in last month’s edition.

NEW MEMBERS Mrs Sheila Liddle, North Yorkshire Ilyas Emir Karadag Esq, London Cammidge Bloodstock, North Yorkshire Mr and Mrs K Ramsey, Kentucky Ms Annabel Owen, Berkshire Miss Sarah Hickey, Bedfordshire Peter Bickley Esq, Scotland Mrs Greta Sparks, North Yorkshire Julian Taylor Esq, Northamptonshire

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ADAM SMYTH

w w w. t h e t b a . c o . u k

The TBA Annual Seminar provides updates on a range of issues affecting the breeding and racing industry

Courses and Seminars for breeders in 2017 The TBA has organised and facilitated a varied range of courses and seminars that are available to breeders and stud employees across the country in 2017, and are aimed at updating and improving knowledge on aspects of human and equine stud management. Starting in May with Health & Safety, they continue throughout the year, concluding with the well-respected TBA Annual Stud Farming Course in December 2017. All courses are listed below, with further details to be made available in future issues of the magazine and available from Caroline Turnbull at Stanstead House (email: caroline.turnbull@thetba.co.uk).

Managing Safely – May 17/18 and 24/25, venue to be decided. A four-day accredited course for supervisors and managers delivered by an industry expert covering a range of topics including risk management.

Members £380, non-members £480 (+VAT).

Broodmare Ownership Course – May 23 at the National Stud. Includes sessions on buying broodmares, preparation for the stud

season and administrative matters. TBA members £54 (non-members £108).

transitioning into one. TBA members £165 (non-members £295).

Mind Mental Health First Aid – June 7 at the National Stud. An introductory threehour mental health course which enables participants to understand mental health, identify some common mental health issues, support people in distress and look after their own mental health. TBA members £35 (non-members £75).

Regional Courses – July 4 at Sparsholt College, Winchester and July 6 at York Racecourse. A one-day course of essential stud farm management topics, including foaling and care of the neonate, foot care and nutrition. Free to TBA members.

TBA Annual Seminar – June 15 at Tattersalls, Newmarket. This year’s seminar will showcase some of the activities and new developments that the TBA engages in for the benefit of all British breeders, including current veterinary issues, support for the British thoroughbred and education and training of breeders and stud staff. Free to TBA members.

Supervisory Skills Course – June 27 and 28 at the National Stud. Provides participants with the skills needed to lead a team. Ideal for those in a supervisory role or

Stud Secretaries and Stud Administration Course – September 4 to 8 at the National Stud. Aimed at those aspiring to become or newly started. Contact Leaya Slater at the National Stud for further information on 01638 675630 or email: Leaya@nationalstud.co.uk TBA Annual Stud Farming Course – December 12 to 14 at the British Racing School. Covers all aspects of stud management from conception to care of the older foal. Twenty-four sessions delivered by veterinary and industry experts, allowing interaction between delegates and speakers.

TBA members £395 (non-members £495).

TBA Annual Awards Dinner This year’s Annual Breeders Awards Evening will be held at the Jockey Club Rooms, Newmarket on Friday, May 5. The evening will commence with a drinks reception and will be followed by the presentation of awards and a fork buffet. The evening is an opportunity to celebrate the successes of the breeding industry in the last 12 months. Invitations to apply for tickets have been sent to members in the March mailing. Additional forms are available from the TBA office. Numbers are strictly limited and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Jockey Club rooms are the venue of the TBA Annual Awards in May

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TBA FORUM

FROM THE ARCHIVES: a selection of features from the TBA’s first 100 years

HYPERION Gazing up Newmarket High Street, the lifesize statue of Hyperion by John Skeaping, which has stood in the courtyard of the Jockey Club’s headquarters since being moved from its original position at Woodlands Stud in 1996, is a generation or two away from its subject’s heyday. Yet many of the horses who pass daily on their way to and from the races would not have been born but for him.

The description that introduced his entry in A Century of Champions, by John Randall and Tony Morris, published in 1999, still holds good: “Hyperion was the most successful British-bred sire of the century, and no other stallion since St Simon has either won so many sires’ championships or got so many top-quality runners consistently over a period of more than 20 years.”

Hyperion, bred by the 17th Earl of Derby and born in 1930, was champion sire six times, runner-up four times and third once from 1939-54. He sired 118 stakes winners from 527 foals, of whom seven – Godiva, Sun Chariot, Sun Stream, Hypericum, Owen Tudor, Hycilla and Sun Castle – won 11 British Classics between them, while his son Pensive won two legs of the US Triple Crown.

Aureole, his biggest prize-money earner, won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, was second in the Derby, and was twice leading sire, with an outstanding colt, Saint Crespin III and St Paddy, in each of his first two crops, as well as Vienna, who produced Vaguely Noble, another double champion sire.

Given that Hyperion’s fillies were extremely successful, it was no surprise he excelled as a broodmare sire, being champion four times and producing such as the dams of Parthia, Alycidon, Carrozza and Citation, as well as

CORRECTION In our February issue, Helmet was incorrectly identified as the winner of the Tattersalls Silver Salver for leading British first-season sire.

The records used to determine the award inadvertently failed to recognise that Helmet stood his first season at stud in Ireland and so was ineligible for the award.

The results were recounted and the TBA is delighted to announce that Frankel is the winner of the Tattersalls Silver Salver. The TBA apologise unreservedly for this error.

Tattersalls’ Silver Salver: FRANKEL Few stallions, if any, have retired to stud with

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Lord Derby’s Hyperion, the most successful British-bred sire of the 20th century

Lady Angela, dam of Northern Dancer’s sire Nearctic. Hyperion’s sons also added to his lasting reputation in Britain, including the sires of Classic winners Rockavon, Glad Rags and Intermezzo. Others brought their sire worldwide acclamation, including Heliopolis, champion sire in the US, where Alibhai and Khaled were also outstanding, and stallion championship success in Australia (Helios), New Zealand (Ruthless), South Africa (Deimos), Belgium (Aldis Lamp) and Sweden (Hyperbole), while his grandson Star Kingdom was a five-time champion sire in Australia.

higher expectations than Frankel, but not all of the cognoscenti among his legion of followers envisaged him becoming the season’s leading British-based first-season sire.

With an unparalleled record over eight to 10 furlongs, the unbeaten son of Galileo inevitably attracted many high-class classic and middledistance mares whose progeny would surely make superior three-year-olds to two-years-olds and that indeed is the likelihood.

But first the Juddmonte homebred made an indelible mark with his first crop of juveniles to win this award with 15 winners of 22 races and £364,586. His two outstanding qualifying winners (GB and Ireland only) were the rival

Hyperion was already a champion when he retired to stud in 1935, having won at two, three and four, including the Derby and St Leger. Yet his life started unpromisingly, being the result of a late mating with Gainsborough by his dam Selene, which resulted in his own relatively late foaling on 18 April.

So small as a weanling that he had to have a special manger built, he was 14hh 2in when he went into training and only 15hh 1 ½ in at his tallest, and after his early gallops jockey Tommy Weston is reported to have said: “He’s either dead lazy or next to useless.” Clearly he was dead lazy.

fillies Queen Kindly (Lowther Stakes) and Fair Eva (Princess Margaret Stakes).

That is only part of the first chapter in Frankel’s stallion career, however, as his first crop also included a handful of Group winners overseas, including Soul Stirring, who was successful at the highest level in Japan.

The Banstead Manor Stud resident was a global phenomenon as a racehorse and now his progeny attract just as much excitement on the racecourse and in the sales ring. One of the factors that seems to generate so much Frankel fever is that his offspring have a wonderfully positive way of running, and we look forward to seeing his first Classic runners this season.

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BREEDER OF THE MONTH Words Alan Yuill Walker Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

NH BREEDER OF THE MONTH – February 2017

Bryan and Sandra Mayoh, Eskdale Stud

GEORGE SELWYN

With Sizing John winning the Grade 3 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles and Lifeboat Mona winning a Listed mares’ hurdle at Sandown, Bryan and Sandra Mayoh could well have been recipients of the January award.

However, compensation was just round the corner thanks to Sizing John’s victory in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February – a comparatively rare occurrence of a British-bred Grade 1 winner in Ireland.

With a doctorate in chemistry from Oxford, Dr Bryan Mayoh has spent most of his life in the retail business and he has his own ideas about bloodstock breeding and marketing. As a TBA board member, he has expressed particular concern about the present-day obsession with speed over stamina, suggesting that breeders should make more use of the many top stallions who get diverted prematurely to

Sizing John, a top-class performer for the Mayohs

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

National Hunt breeding.

Sizing John (by Midnight Legend) and Lifeboat Mona (by Kayf Tara) are by the two most successful British-based jumping sires of recent times. Lifeboat Mona has now won two Listed races confined to members of her sex, a type of event long advocated by her breeder.

It so happens that Kayf Tara was responsible for the very first horse that Mayoh and his former wife Sandra bred at their Eskdale Stud, near Whitby in Yorkshire. Belonging to the Overbury Stud resident’s initial crop of foals, Kornati Kid (2002) was a Grade 2 winner over fences.

La Perrotine, the dam of Sizing John and his half-sisters La Doelenaise and Batoutahell, are three of Mayoh’s current ten-strong broodmare band, all usually boarded at Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire.

Eight of these broodmares are visiting the resident stallion Telescope (in whom Mayoh owns a substantial interest).

Telescope is just the sort of middle-distance stallion that Mayoh considers should not be overlooked – only a misplaced perception labels him as a jump sire.

Sizing John and Lifeboat Mona were sold as foals by Tattersalls Ireland in November 2010, the former for €16,000 and the latter for €600.

Successful in three hurdle races and a bumper, La Perrotine was acquired privately as a five-year-old at the 2005 Doncaster November Sales from Howard Johnson, her racing career being terminated through injury. Two years earlier the filly had been bought at Doncaster by the former Co Durham trainer for 54,000gns after winning her class at the pre-sale show.

“She made such an impression on Sandra at that stage that we snapped her up when she came back on the market.” says Mayoh.

Reflecting on Lifeboat Mona’s modest price, her breeder continues: “She was a well-bred, good-looking foal, but nobody wanted a filly and nobody came to look at her.”

After her dam, Astar Love – another French-bred like La Perrotine – had difficulty foaling Lifeboat Mona (her only runner from three progeny), she was retired prematurely.

It is only for the last few years that Mayoh has kept his mares at Shade Oak, which is convenient for his new home at Maesbrook, near Oswestry. However, he continues to have his weanlings and young stock boarded in Ireland at Ballincurrig House Stud in Co Cork.

Sizing John went on to lift the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, defeating Minella Rocco, while Lifeboat Mona finished unplaced behind Apple’s Jade in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.

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VET FORUM: THE EXPERT VIEW

By DEIDRE CARSON MRCVS

Twins just double trouble Far from being a case of two for the price of one, mares are not designed to carry two foals, so a pregnancy scan showing twins is never good news for a breeder

T

PROF SIDNEY RICKETTS

What is the problem with twins?

Mares are not designed to carry twins. The placenta of each twin will have a part of its surface in contact with the other’s placenta, rather than the uterine lining, thus limiting the nourishment each receives. Most twin pregnancies in mares end up in the expulsion (abortion) of both foals long before term and at a stage when they are much too young to survive. According to published data, 64.5% of twin pregnancies that were maintained for more than eight months were aborted.

Occasionally, one twin will die in the uterus and the other might be carried to term and survive. Unusually, both twins are carried to term but will be small and weak at birth. One

“The skill and

experience of the vet are central to the success of reducing a twin pregnancy” might be larger and stand a slightly better chance of survival. However, it is rare for both twins to be born strong enough to survive.

One or both might require nursing care and both remain smaller than a similarly bred singleton throughout their lives.

Routine checks On larger studs where the vet visits daily or at least several times a week, an in-season mare will usually have been checked at least once prior to covering to ensure she is close to ovulation. She will then have been scanned for ovulation 24 to 48 hours after covering.

At this examination it may be possible to detect if there have been two ovulations on

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PROF SIDNEY RICKETTS

he stud season is upon us again and a number of barren and maiden mares will have already been covered since the official start of the covering season on February 15, as will some early-foaling mares.

A 14-day scan showing twins in separate horns

the ovaries and this will indicate an increased risk of twins being conceived.

Mares are then usually scanned for pregnancy at around 14 to 17 days from ovulation, when that date is known.

Otherwise, the date from covering is used.

At 14 days, a conceptus (pregnancy) might be only just visible even if the date of ovulation is known. If ovulation was delayed, a conceptus might be up to four days younger (and much smaller) than this and might be missed. What can happen is that one follicle ovulates on the day of covering but a second might ovulate a couple of days later, meaning that there is at least two days’ difference in age of the two conceptuses. It is usual to perform a second scan at around 18 to 21 days in pregnant mares to rule out the presence of twins as this will help to pick up a smaller conceptus if present. It is always good practice to scan every mare twice before she is much more than 21 days in foal. The earlier twins are diagnosed, the easier it is to try to reduce the pregnancy to a singleton.

What can be done if a mare conceives twins?

It is quite simple to abort both pregnancies at an early stage by injecting the mare with prostaglandin. This means losing the pregnancy and several weeks of the stud season, as the mare then needs to come back into season before being covered again. It is usually worth trying to save one of the twins by trying to ‘terminate’ the other. The skill and experience of the vet are central to the success of an attempt to reduce a twin pregnancy at any stage. Don’t hesitate to ask

A 14-day scan showing twins in the same horn

for a referral to an equine reproduction specialist if your vet is not confident they have the skills needed. Not all attempts at reduction are successful, with both twins being lost regardless of the skill or experience of the vet.

Early interventions For any of these gynaecological procedures the mare should be in stocks for the safety of the vet and stud staff and to reduce the risk of injury to the mare. It is often necessary to sedate the mare and it is common practice to treat her with anti-inflammatory medication to try to reduce the risk of her losing both conceptuses.

When diagnosed prior to 17 days from ovulation, the vesicles are still mobile within the uterine horns and one may be ‘milked’ in to a good position and then manually crushed using ultrasound guidance per rectum. This sounds easy but can be quite difficult in older mares with poor uterine tone and in some maiden mares.

After around 17 days, the vesicles become fixed within the uterus. In some instances they fix in opposite horns, but in others they become fixed in the same horn (ipsilaterally) and closely opposed to each other. Natural reduction might occur and is believed to be more likely if the sacs are in the same horn.

However, there is a good chance that both will survive, at least for a few months.

Manual reduction after 17 days is easier if the pregnancies are in separate horns but can be difficult at any time if the sacs are in the same horn. The vet will identify and locate the sacs using ultrasound per rectum and THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

OLIVER PYNN MRCVS, ROSSDALES

Apr_152_Vet_ForumV2_Owner Breeder 24/03/2017 14:52 Page 89

It is a rare occasion when both twins are born alive and strong enough to survive

then apply pressure either by ‘pinching’ between the thumb and fingers or using the scanner probe to damage one of the sacs – either the smaller one or the one which is easier to access. This becomes more difficult and more problematic as the pregnancy progresses and is almost impossible after 30 days. A repeat scan should be performed a few days later to see if one sac is still present and growing. In some cases, the remaining embryo will also die, but this is less likely if the twins were originally in separate horns.

After approximately 30 days, loss of both sacs is more likely because fluid from the crushed sac interferes with the attachment of the other to the uterus. Some practitioners attempt to simply damage, rather than rupture, one of the sacs to try to avoid this.

Surgical options?

It is possible to attempt selective reduction of a twin pregnancy using a technique called trans vaginal ultrasound guided aspiration (TVUA). This is a complicated technique, not without risk to the mare, and repeated attempts might be required. The scanner probe and needles must be sterilised before use. With the mare standing sedated in stocks and following medication with antiinflammatories, the probe is passed into the vagina. One of the twins is fixed against the THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

vaginal wall by a gloved hand passed via the rectum. A sterile needle is passed down a special guide on the probe and inserted into the foetus and fluid is aspirated (sucked out).

The success of this procedure is very variable but it is slightly more successful if the sacs are in separate horns and the pregnancy is less than 36 days. This procedure is more difficult and much less rewarding in mares that are over 45 or 50 days of pregnancy. In a slight variation of this technique, one of the foetuses might be injected with a substance to kill it.

Another technique involves trans vaginal ‘stabbing’ of one of the foetuses, but this does not appear to be a better option than TVUA. Unpublished data suggests that it might be possible to ‘bounce’ one of the foetuses enough to rupture the attachment of the umbilical cord. The procedure might need to be done daily for several days and the foetus needs to be monitored for a decrease in heart rate rather than instantaneous death.

Older pregnancies Cranio-cervical dislocation (CCD) has also been described as a technique for twin reduction in pregnancies of 60 to 90 days gestation. The mare needs to be restrained in stocks and given a smooth muscle relaxant and usually some sedation. One of the twins

is located using a gloved hand placed per rectum, usually the smaller one, and the vet uses his or her thumb and forefinger to damage and then rupture the ligaments between the head and neck. The foetus usually dies between one and seven days following the procedure. The success rate is variable, depending on the stage of pregnancy and the experience of the operator.

In a few cases, CCD is performed surgically, via a flank laparotomy. We are occasionally asked to abort quite advanced twin pregnancies and this can be done using medication which will induce premature foaling. Such processes must be monitored closely in case dystocia (difficult foaling) occurs.

Ultimately, early intervention is the best way to manage twin pregnancies, but there are no guarantees that a twin won’t be missed during pregnancy scans. It is not possible to diagnose twins by manual examination alone.

Ultrasound scans are best performed in subdued light with the mare well restrained with a person at the head and at the tail.

Repeat scans which allow your vet to check for size, shape, appearance of the foetus and presence of a foetal heart beat, as well as for the presence of twins, will give the best chance of an accurate assessment of your mare’s pregnancy in the early stages.

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DR STAT JOHN BOYCE CRACKS THE CODE

Red Evie and Found top of tree

I

n recent years racing fans all around the world have been treated to the finest fillies and mares. Black Caviar and now Winx in Australia, Rachael Alexandra and Zenyatta in America, and in Europe last year there was Found and Minding.

The question for this column is what have been the best mother-daughter combinations in Europe in the last 25 years or so. I am looking for fillies that have won at the highest level and gone on to produce a daughter who has also won at the highest level. In the interests of further clarity I have used the average of Timeform ratings of both mother and daughter to decide which combination gets top billing.

A quick glance at the table of qualifying dams and daughters does suggest that many of these successful combinations have been recent.

Indeed, in addition to Found and Minding, we have also witnessed Journey, Rhododendron and Wuheida join this famous club in 2016.

So, here we go, counting back from tenth place we have Zee Zee Top and her daughter Izzi Top with a combined average Timeform rating of 118.5. Both mother and daughter raced in the famous colours of the Weinfeld family’s Helena Springfield Ltd, with Zee Zee Top taking the Prix de l’Opera and her daughter Izzi Top coming out on top in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.

We have two mother-daughter combinations

locked in joint-eighth place with an average Timeform rating of 119.5. Montare was a staying daughter of the brilliant Montjeu and won the 2006 renewal of the Prix Royal Oak, before going on to produce the 123-rated British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Journey by Dubawi in 2016. Also on 119.5 are Rumplestiltskin and her daughter Tapestry.

Rumplestiltskin was a top-class Danehill juvenile, taking the Moyglare and Boussac, and has spent her breeding life visiting Galileo, by whom she had several smart runners, including the 2014 Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry.

Three mother-daughter combinations are tied for fifth place on our table: in descending order of the daughter’s Timeform rating we have Wince and Quiff, Echelon and Integral, then Daryaba and Daryakana. Juddmonte’s Wince won the 1,000 Guineas and her first foal Quiff carried the same Juddmonte colours to victory in the Yorkshire Oaks for Sir Michael Stoute.

The Cheveley Park Stud homebred Echelon earned her Group 1 stripes in the Matron, while her daughter Integral, also a Cheveley Park homebred, took the Falmouth and Sun Chariot.

Concluding this trio of homebred combinations we have the Aga Khan’s Prix de Diane and Prix Vermeille heroine Daryaba, who produced the Hong Kong Vase winner Daryakana.

In fourth are Grey Lilas and her daughter Golden Lilac, with an average Timeform rating of 121. Grey Lilas, one of four Danehill dams in

The best G1 mother-daughter combinations in Europe by average Timeform rating 1990-2016 Dam

Damsire

TFR

Daughter

Sire

TFR

TF Avg

Red Evie

Intikhab

121

Found

Galileo

129

125.5

Lillie Langtry

Danehill Dancer

120

Minding

Galileo

127

123.5

Banks Hill

Danehill

128

Romantica

Galileo

116

122.0

Grey Lilas

Danehill

120

Golden Lilac

Galileo

122

121.0

Wince

Selkirk

117

Quiff

Sadler's Wells

124

120.5

Daryaba

Night Shift

121

Daryakana

Selkirk

120

120.5

Echelon

Danehill

120

Integral

Dalakhani

121

120.5

Rumplestiltskin

Danehill

116

Tapestry

Galileo

123

119.5

Montare

Montjeu

116

Journey

Dubawi

123

119.5

Zee Zee Top

Zafonic

116

Izzi Top

Pivotal

121

118.5

Halfway To HeavenPivotal

118

Rhododendron

Galileo

118

118.0

Exclusive

Polar Falcon

115

Echelon

Danehill

120

117.5

Quarter Moon

Sadler's Wells

120

Diamondsandrubies

Fastnet Rock

114

117.0

Coup de Genie

Mr Prospector

114

Denebola

Storm Cat

119

116.5

Miss Tahiti

Tirol

114

Miss France

Dansili

119

116.5

Hibaayeb

Singspiel

120

Wuheida

Dubawi

112

116.0

90

GEORGE SELWYN

Mother and daughter combination pip Lillie Langtry and Minding to bragging rights

Red Evie: earned a 121 Timeform mark

our top ten, won the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and became dam of triple Group 1-winning Golden Lilac, who won the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane at three and returned at four to lift the Prix d’Ispahan.

In third spot are triple Group 1 winner Banks Hill and her daughter Romantica. Banks Hill, a sister to four Group 1 winners, plus top sire Dansili, won the Coronation Stakes, Prix Jacques le Marois and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on her way to an excellent 128 rating from Timeform. Her Galileo daughter Romantica, not quite as talented (TF116), won the Prix Jean Romanet.

With an average Timeform rating of 123.5, the runners-up are Lillie Langtry and her daughter Minding. Lillie Langtry earned a 120 rating from Timeform after taking the Coronation Stakes and Matron in 2010. Her second foal Minding carried all before her in 2016. Voted Cartier Horse Of The Year, Minding won seven Group 1s at two and three and must be odds-on to add further success this year.

Winning the 1,000 Guineas in May, the Oaks in June and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in October stamps her as a truly outstanding filly.

But in terms of pure merit she’s not quite as good as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Found. Rated 129 by Timeform, Found also won the Prix Marcel Boussac at two and the Breeders’ Cup Turf at three, and she ran second in ten other top-level races.

Her dam is Red Evie, who earned her 121 rating following her exploits in 2007 when she added the Lockinge Stakes to her earlier Group 1 victory in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Red Evie-Found combination have an average Timeform rating of 125.5, which puts them on top of the leaderboard.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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DATA BOOK ANALYSIS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD

National Hunt Grade 1s 156 BETFRED SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE G1 SANDOWN PARK. Feb 4. 5yo+. 20f.

1. TOP NOTCH (FR) 6 11-3 £28,475 b g by Poliglote - Topira (Pistolet Bleu) O-Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede B-Haras Des Sablonnets & B. Gabeur TR-Nicky Henderson 2. Baron Alco (FR) 6 11-3 £10,685 ch g by Dom Alco - Paula (Network) O-Mr John Stone B-Yves D’Armaille TR-Gary Moore 3. Le Prezien (FR) 6 11-3 £5,350 br g by Blue Bresil - Abu Dhabi (Saint Cyrien) O-Mr John P. McManus B-Mr J. Breton & T. Trapenard TR-Paul Nicholls Margins 5, 1.25. Time 5:19.90. Going Soft.

Age 3-6

Starts 16

Wins 10

Places 4

Earned £208,708

Sire: POLIGLOTE. Sire of 84 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 - SO FRENCH Mansonnien G1, TOP NOTCH Pistolet Bleu G1, LET’S DANCE Bonnet Rouge G2, POLITOLOGUE Turgeon G2, DEVICE Mansonnien G3, PERFECT IMPULSE Cadoudal G3, GORVELLO Mansonnien LR. 1st Dam: TOPIRA by Pistolet Bleu. 2 wins at 3 and 4 in France. Dam of 7 winners: 2002: SOUPCON (g Enrique) 4 wins in France.

2004: Sadko (c Peintre Celebre) 2005: SHE HATES ME (f Hawk Wing) Winner at 3 in France. Broodmare.

2006: CODE ROUGE (c Peintre Celebre) 2 wins.

2007: NEVER FORGET (f Westerner) 4 wins at 3 and 4 in France, Abu Dhabi Prix de Malleret G2.

2008: BLUETOP (c Anabaa Blue) 4 wins over jumps in France.

2009: Topleague (c Poliglote) 2010: HOLY VIRGIN (f Saint des Saints) Winner over jumps in France.

2011: TOP NOTCH (g Poliglote) Sold 23,809gns yearling at AROCT. 10 wins, 2nd JCB Triumph Hurdle G1, stanjames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle G1, Betfred Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase G1.

2013: Top And Go (f Smadoun) unraced.

2nd Dam: El Quahirah by Cadoudal. 4 wins at 2 to 4 in France, 3rd Prix du Calvados G3.

Dam of GOLANI (c Nikos: Prix Edmond Blanc G3), CARLA (f Cardoun: Prix des Lilas LR, Prix Ceres LR), Niederhoff (c Epervier Bleu: 2nd Prix Denisy LR, Prix Michel Houyvet LR, Prix Vulcain LR). Grandam of SVEDOV, ZAIN AL BOLDAN. Third dam of Namkham.

Notch has them firmly in his sights. A winner of both his starts over hurdles in France as a three-year-old, Top Notch has since amassed eight wins from 14 starts.

He twice failed by only a neck to become a Gr1 winner over hurdles (once in the Triumph Hurdle) and he was good enough to contest the 2016 Champion Hurdle.

Switched to the bigger obstacles, Top Notch looks even more at home and was gaining his fourth consecutive success, from five starts, when he landed the Gr1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

Top Notch’s pedigree features some notable jumping stallions.

Poliglote was France’s champion sire in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Then there’s Pistolet Bleu, sire of Top Notch’s dam Topira. Although Pistolet Bleu died after only one season in Ireland, he added numerous smart performers, headed by Sizing Europe and Merigo, to those he had sired while in France, such as Katarino, Geos and Balko. And Top Notch’s second dam, El Quahirah, was

by Cadoudal, the many-times champion French jumping sire.

Topira and El Quahirah, though, were useful middle-distance performers on the Flat. Top Score’s half-sister Never Forget won the Gr2 Prix de Malleret. Having been claimed after winning at Deauville, the two-year-old El Quahirah went on to be third in the Gr3 Prix du Calvados and to contest the Gr1 Prix de la Salamandre.

El Quahirah also produced Golani, winner of the Gr3 Prix Edmond Blanc, a race also won by Svedov, a son of El Quahirah’s Listed-winning daughter Carla.

157 DELOITTE BRAVE INCA NOVICE HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Feb 12. 5yo+. 18f.

Broodmare Sire: PISTOLET BLEU. Sire of the dams of 16 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 - TOP NOTCH Poliglote G1, TWO’S COMPANY Soviet Star LR. The Poliglote/Pistolet Bleu cross has produced: TOP NOTCH G1, Chatterbox LR.

TOP NOTCH b g 2011 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge POLIGLOTE b 92 Val de L’Orne Alexandrie Apachee Top Ville Pistolet Bleu Pampa Bella TOPIRA b 96 Cadoudal El Quahirah Belgaum

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Val de Loir Aglae Sir Gaylord Americaine High Top Sega Ville Armos Kendie Green Dancer Come To Sea Dictus Beliziana

According to Racing Post ratings, the best British jumpers sired by Poliglote are Don Poli (RSA Chase and Lexus Chase), Wonderful Charm (a Gr2 winner over hurdles and fences) and Hinterland (a Gr2 winner over hurdles who progressed to win the Gr1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase).

However, at the age of only six, Top

92

1. BACARDYS (FR) 6 11-10 £45,385 b/br g by Coastal Path - Oasice (Robin des Champs) O-Shanakiel Racing Syndicate B-E. Vagne & J. Da Silva TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Bunk Off Early (IRE) 5 11-9 £14,615 ro g by Zebedee - Ctesiphon (Arch) O-Supreme Horse Racing Club B-Miss S. Russell TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Brelade (GB) 5 11-9 £6,923 b g by Presenting - Polivalente (Poliglote) O-Mr D. P. Sharkey B-Patrick Burling Developments Ltd TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 0.75, 2.25. Time 4:32.80. Going Soft.

Age 4-6

Starts 9

Wins 5

Places 2

Earned £93,680

Sire: COASTAL PATH. Sire of 4 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 - BACARDYS Robin des Champs G1, CONCERTO D’ALLEN Ragmar LR. 1st Dam: OASICE by Robin des Champs. 6 wins at 4 to 6 in France. Dam of 1 winner: 2011: BACARDYS (g Coastal Path) 4 wins, Weatherbys Champion Open NH. Flat Race G2, 3rd Weatherbys Champion Bumper NH Flat Race G1, attheraces.com Champion INH Flat Race G1, Deloitte Brave Inca Novice Hurdle G1.

2012: Cerealice (f Laveron) 2013: Dionysis (c Lucarno) unraced.

Broodmare Sire: ROBIN DES CHAMPS. Sire of the dams of 6 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 BACARDYS Coastal Path G1, LE COSTAUD Forestier G1.

BACARDYS b/br g 2011 Diesis Halling Dance Machine COASTAL PATH b 04 Sadler’s Wells Coraline Bahamian Garde Royale Robin des Champs Relayeuse OASICE b 02 Agent Bleu Judice Herenice

Sharpen Up Doubly Sure Green Dancer Never A Lady Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Mill Reef Sorbus Mill Reef Royal Way Iron Duke Reliorneuse Vacarme Acoma Laniste Berenice

The top bumper form of the 2015/16 season has been working out well.

Ballyandy, winner of Cheltenham’s Champion Bumper, won the valuable Betfair Hurdle on only his fourth start over obstacles and the Cheltenham third, Bacardys, has done even better.

Having won the Champion Bumper at Aintree, the son of Coastal Path has now won both his completed starts over hurdles, including the Gr1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle.

Coastal Path ran out of stamina when strongly backed in the 2008 Gold Cup. He had previously won all six of his starts in France, including four consecutive Group races at around 3,000 metres.

Coastal Path comes from a branch of Juddmonte’s Bahamian family which is noted for its stamina. His dam Coraline visited Linamix to produce those talented brothers Martaline and Reefscape, the former a Gr2 winner over a mile and threequarters and the latter a winner of the Gr1 Prix du Cadran. Martaline is now firmly established as one of France’s best jumping stallions, finishing second to Poliglote among the leading sires of 2015 and third in 2016.

Coastal Path started his stallion career at Haras de Saint-Voir in 2010 before being moved to Haras de Cercy in 2013, where he has been covering a mixture of thoroughbreds and AQPS mares. He has arguably made a bigger impact with his Irish runners, which are headed by Bacardys and Bello Conti, who finished fourth in a pair of Gr1s. His best French winner, Bosseur, won the Gr3 Prix Juigne over hurdles, as well as being Gr1-placed.

Bacardys is an AQPS, His second dam Judice was a half-sister to Arenice, an accomplished mare whose victories included the Gr1 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Judice, a winner at around a mile and a half, produced seven winners, including Bacardys’ dam, the Robin des Champs mare Oasice, a middle-distance winner in France and Corsica.

158 FLOGAS NOVICE CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Feb 12. 5yo+. 21f.

1. DISKO (FR) 6 11-10 £42,863 gr g by Martaline - Nikos Royale (Nikos) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-E.A.R.L. Haras Du Luy TR-Noel Meade 2. Our Duke (IRE) 7 11-10 £13,803 b g by Oscar - Good Thyne Jenny (Good Thyne) O-Cooper Family Syndicate B-B. Cooper TR-Mrs John Harrington

3. Balko des Flos (FR) 6 11-10 £6,538 ch g by Balko - Royale Marie (Garde Royale) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-C. Bardin & F. Bardin TR-Henry de Bromhead Margins 1.75, 6. Time 5:30.50. Going Soft.

Age 4-6

Starts 9

Wins 4

Places 4

Earned £85,019

Sire: MARTALINE. Sire of 40 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 - DISKO Nikos G1, AGRAPART Darshaan G2, EDWARD D’ARGENT Roi de Rome G2, VICONTE DU NOYER Woodman G3, LOU PRINCESS Kaldounevees LR, MY MARLIM Fabulous Dancer LR, SNOW LEOPARDESS Persian Bold LR. 1st Dam: Nikos Royale by Nikos. Dam of 3 winners: 2004: MYLENA DU LUY (f Marathon) 3 wins.

2005: VALSE DU LUY (f Valanour) 7 wins over jumps in France.

2011: DISKO (g Martaline) 4 wins, 2nd attheraces.com Champion INH Flat Race G1, Flogas Novice Chase G1, 3rd Neville Hotels Fort Leney Novice Chase G1, Florida Pearl Novice Chase G2.

Broodmare Sire: NIKOS. Sire of the dams of 21 Stakes winners. NH in 2016/17 - DISKO Martaline G1, INVICTER Sholokhov G2, ANTONY Walk In The Park G3, DROP OUT JOE Generous LR. The Martaline/Nikos cross has produced: DISKO G1, NIKOLINE G3, Elenika G3, WITHOUT LIMITES LR.

DISKO gr g 2011 Mendez Linamix Lunadix MARTALINE gr 99 Sadler’s Wells Coraline Bahamian Nonoalco Nikos No No Nanette NIKOS ROYALE b 99 D’Arras Rodara Rosenpappel

Bellypha Miss Carina Breton Lutine Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Mill Reef Sorbus Nearctic Seximee Sovereign Path Nuclea Djakao Dulciora Marinus Rosenau

Sadler’s Wells’s winning daughter Coraline excelled in producing three Group-winning sons and now all three of those sons – the sub-fertile Reefscape, Coastal Path and Martaline – have sired at least one Gr1 winner over jumps. As I mention in the notes on Coastal Path’s son Bacardys, Martaline is now a regular fixture among France’s top five jumping stallions, notably finishing second in 2015 and third in 2016.

His success has translated into a fee of €15,000 in 2017, which puts him on the same mark as Saint des Saints.

Martaline’s progeny have proved adept on both sides of the English Channel. Kotkikova and Chimere du Berlais are two French Gr1 winners, while Dynaste and Very Wood were successful at Gr1 level at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival. His current representatives in Britain and Ireland include progressive hurdler Agrapart, the smart staying chaser Ucello Conti and Disko, winner of the Gr1 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

In winning at Leopardstown, Disko turned the tables on Our Duke, who had previously beaten him a length in another Gr1 novice chase, this one over three miles.

Disko, who also won a bumper and a maiden hurdle, appears to stay quite well. He shares the same broodmare

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Caulfield on Disko: “He shares the same broodmare sire, Nikos, as that very smart hurdler Apple’s Jade, as well as As d’Estruval, Houblon des Obeaux, Invicter, Antony and Drop Out Joe”

sire, Nikos, as that very smart hurdler Apple’s Jade, the Gr2 winners As d’Estruval, Houblon des Obeaux and Invicter, and the useful staying chasers Antony and Drop Out Joe. Nikos’s greatest gift to British racing was his spectacular son Master Minded. Although Nikos was most effective over seven furlongs and a mile, he sired a Prix du Cadran winner in Nononito and jumpers of the calibre of Cenkos, Nakir. Encore Un Peu, Eric’s Charm and Fataliste.

Disko’s dam Nikos Royale was placed over hurdles on her only starts and the next dam, Rodara, was a triple winner over middle distances.

159 SPRING JUVENILE HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Feb 12. 4yo. 16f.

1. MEGA FORTUNE (FR) 11-0 £40,342 b g by Soldier of Fortune - Far Across (Common Grounds) O-Mr C. Jones B-Famille Niarchos TR-Gordon Elliott 2. Bapaume (FR) 11-0 £12,991 b g by Turtle Bowl - Brouhaha (American Post) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Maurice Rohaut-Leger TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Dinaria des Obeaux (FR) 10-7 £6,154 b f by Saddler Maker - Indiana Jaune (Le Nain Jaune) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-N. Devilder & L. Rebuffe TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 3.5, 7. Time 4:01.10. Going Soft.

Age 2-4

Starts 11

Wins 3

Places 3

Earned £58,546

Sire: SOLDIER OF FORTUNE. Sire of 11 Stakes winners.

NH in 2016/17 - MEGA FORTUNE Common Grounds G1, TIN SOLDIER Anabaa G3, SLOWMOTION Medaaly LR. 1st Dam: Far Across by Common Grounds. unraced.

Dam of 7 winners: 2000: ARAKAN (c Nureyev) 6 wins at 3 to 5, Bango Criterion S G3, Merbury Catering Supreme S G3, 2nd Lennox S G2. Sire.

2001: SOLID REACH (g Mt Livermore) 7 wins at 3 to 7 in USA. 2003: Shifting Sands (f Spinning World) ran on the flat in France. Broodmare.

2004: GYROSCOPE (f Spinning World) 2 wins at 3. Broodmare.

2005: Firecross (f Pivotal) unraced. Broodmare.

2006: FAROX (c Peintre Celebre) Winner at 4 in Germany.

2007: La Somome (f Hernando) 2008: (c Pivotal). died.

2011: SPIRIT OR SOUL (c Soldier of Fortune) 2 wins at 4 in France.

2012: MIGNONE (f Orpen) Winner at 3 in France.

2013: MEGA FORTUNE (g Soldier of Fortune) Sold 15,079gns yearling at GOOY1. 3 wins, Spring Juvenile Hurdle G1, 3rd Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle G2, Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle G3.

2nd Dam: CITY EX by Ardross. 1 win at 3 in France. Dam of DONKEY ENGINE (c Fairy King: Prix de la Porte Maillot G3), PETIT POUCET (c Fairy King: San Francisco H G3, 2nd Early Times Turf Classic S G1, 3rd Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains G1, Secretariat S G1) Broodmare Sire: COMMON GROUNDS. Sire of the dams of 41 Stakes winners.

In February 2016’s Caulfield Files, I summarised the stallion career of Galileo’s son Soldier Of Fortune. I pointed out that this winner of the Irish Derby and Coronation Cup hadn’t made a dream start as a sire of Flat performers, siring nothing better than a few Listed winners, one being the smart all-weather horse Fire Fighting.

I added that it promised to be a different story over jumps. The grandsires of Soldier Of Fortune’s dam Affianced were Busted and Lord Gayle, two stallions whose descendants made a major impact on the National Hunt world. Soldier Of Fortune also had the attraction of being bred along similar lines to Sholokhov, who has been represented by jumpers of the calibre of Don Cossack in Ireland and Esmondo in France.

It appears that Coolmore were thinking along similar lines, as Soldier Of Fortune was moved from France to Ireland shortly before the start of the 2016 breeding season. The fact that he proceeded to cover nearly 300 mares at The Beeches reflects the fact that his daughter Slowmotion soon became a Gr2 winner, in a juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Slowmotion has progressed to win a Listed race over fences and Soldier Of Fortune has also been ably represented in Ireland by Mega Fortune. This Niarchos-bred gelding was an unexceptional middle-distance winner on the Flat but has now won two of his four completed races over hurdles, turning in a career-best effort to land the Gr1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

As might be expected of a Niarchos bred, Mega Fortune has a distinguished pedigree. He is a halfbrother to the smart Arakan, sire of Toormore and Dick Turpin. His second dam City Ex, the dam of two Gr3 winners on the Flat, was by the great stayer Ardross, a stallion with a rich legacy in the National Hunt world.

160 STAN JAMES IRISH GOLD CUP G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Feb 12. 5yo+. 24f.

1. SIZING JOHN (GB) 7 11-10 £72,436 b g by Midnight Legend - La Perrotine (Northern Crystal) O-Ann & Alan Potts Partnership B-Dr B. & S. Mayoh TR-Mrs J. Harrington 2. Empire of Dirt (IRE) 10 11-10 £24,359 b g by Westerner - Rose of Inchiquin (Roselier) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-S. Harnedy TR-Gordon Elliott 3. Don Poli (IRE) 8 11-10 £11,538 b g by Poliglote - Dalamine (Sillery) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Brian J Griffiths & John Nicholson TR-Gordon Elliott Margins 0.75, 0.75. Time 6:23.30. Going Soft.

MEGA FORTUNE b g 2013 Sadler’s Wells Galileo Urban Sea SOLDIER OF FORTUNE b/br 04 Erins Isle Affianced La Meilleure Kris Common Grounds Sweetly FAR ACROSS b 96 Ardross City Ex Rythmique

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Miswaki Allegretta Busted Chemise Lord Gayle Gradille Sharpen Up Doubly Sure Lyphard Sweet And Lovely II Run The Gantlet Le Melody The Minstrel Georgica

Age 4-7

Starts 16

Wins 6

Places 9

Earned £280,410

Sire: MIDNIGHT LEGEND. Sire of 17 Stakes winners.

NH in 2016/17 - SIZING JOHN Northern Crystal G1, QUITE BY CHANCE Gildoran LR, SEEYOUATMIDNIGHT Morpeth LR. 1st Dam: LA PERROTINE by Northern Crystal. 4 wins.

Dam of 2 winners: 2007: Scholastica (f Old Vic) 4 wins, 3rd betatbluesq.com Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle LR. 2009: La Doelenaise (f King’s Theatre). Broodmare.

2010: SIZING JOHN (g Midnight Legend) 6 wins, Paddy Power Future Chmpions Nov. Hurdle

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2012: 2013: 2014: 2015:

G1, 2nd Herald Champion Novice Hurdle G1, 3rd Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle G1, Stan James Irish Gold Cup G1, Ryans Cleaning Craddockstown Nov. Chase G2, Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase G3, 2nd Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase G1, Racing Post Christmas Novice Chase G1, Paddy Power Cashcard Chase G1, 3rd Ryanair Colliers Novice Chase G1, Merseyrail Manifesto Novices’ Chase G1.

Batoutahell (f King’s Theatre) unraced.

French Steps (g Schiaparelli) unraced.

Deadringerforlove (f Black Sam Bellamy) unraced to date. (f Black Sam Bellamy)

2nd Dam: HARATIYNA by Top Ville. 1 win at 2 in France. Dam of Harawi (c Akarad: 3rd Prix Coupe des Trois Ans LR, 2nd P.RTL Clement Lesbordes Printemps Hurdle LR). Grandam of JANE AUSTEN, Acapulco, Haraplata, LE CHATEAU, Le Missionnaire. Third dam of Hashbrown. Fourth dam of EVASIVE’S FIRST. Broodmare Sire: NORTHERN CRYSTAL. Sire of the dams of 2 Stakes winners.

mare Haratiyna, was a half-sister to the Italian Derby winner Houmayoun.

Her sire Northern Crystal was a less familiar name in Britain, despite having been a dual Gr3 winner over a mile in France. La Perrotine justified her purchase price by winning a bumper and three novice hurdles.

161 BETFAIR ASCOT CHASE G1 ASCOT. Feb 18. 5yo+. 21f.

1. CUE CARD (GB) 11 11-7 £85,425 b g by King’s Theatre - Wicked Crack (King’s Ride) O-Mrs Jean R. Bishop B-Mr R. T. Crellin TR-Colin Tizzard 2. Shantou Flyer (IRE) 7 11-7 £32,055 b g by Shantou - Carrigmorna Flyer (Bob Back) O-Mr Carl Hinchy B-T. McCarthy TR-Rebecca Curtis 3. Royal Regatta (IRE) 9 11-7 £16,050 b g by King’s Theatre - Friendly Craic (Mister Lord) O-Mrs Lesley Field & Mrs Eileen Murphy B-W. B. Mactaggart TR-Philip Hobbs Margins 15, 3.75. Time 5:26.00. Going Soft.

SIZING JOHN b g 2010 Northern Dancer Night Shift Ciboulette MIDNIGHT LEGEND b 91 Troy Myth Hay Reef Crystal Glitters Northern Crystal North Cliff LA PERROTINE b 00 Top Ville Haratiyna Halwah

Nearctic Natalma Chop Chop Windy Answer Petingo La Milo Mill Reef Haymaking Blushing Groom Tales To Tell Green Dancer Nenana Road High Top Sega Ville The Minstrel Herila

Midnight Legend died in July 2016 at the age of 25, having covered around 25 mares in the preceding months. A couple of his sons have paid tribute to him in subsequent months. Firstly, Seeyouatmidnight (a Gr2 winner over hurdles and fences) defeated Bristol de Mai in a Listed chase at Carlisle and then Sizing John gained his first Gr1 success over fences, in the Irish Gold Cup. Sizing John had scored at the same level over hurdles at the end of 2014 and he would have achieved more Gr1 successes had he not kept coming up against Douvan, who has beaten him into second place in no fewer than four Gr1s.

Midnight Legend was already a veteran at 23 when he finally achieved his first Gr1 success as a stallion, via Sizing John. A tough son of Night Shift, he had raced with distinction until he was eight. In addition to becoming a triple Listed winner at up to a mile and threequarters on the Flat, Midnight Legend also won a Gr2 hurdle race at Aintree and a Gr1 at Punchestown.

Towards the end of his racing career he was asked to combine racing with stallion duties, covering 25 mares as a seven-year-old and 24 the following year. His list of good winners also features Wychwoods Brook (Gr2 Peter Marsh Chase) and Midnight Chase (Gr2 Cotswold Chase).

Sizing John’s dam La Perrotine was bought for £54,000 as an unraced three-year-old at Doncaster in 2003. Her price reflected the fact that her dam, the winning Top Ville

Age 4-11

Starts 35

Wins 16

Places Earned 15 £1,340,232

Sire: KING’S THEATRE. Sire of 93 Stakes winners.

NH in 2016/17 - CUE CARD King’s Ride G1, ROYAL VACATION Foxhound G1, BELLSHILL Be My Native G2, PEREGRINE RUN Definite Article G2, ROYAL REGATTA Mister Lord G2, SHANESHILL Doyoun G2, THE NEW ONE Turgeon G2, THEATRE GUIDE Denel G3, BLOOD CRAZED TIGER Bob Back LR, BRIERY BELLE Anshan LR, REGAL ENCORE Bob Back LR, STEPHANIE FRANCES Supreme Leader LR. 1st Dam: Wicked Crack by King’s Ride. 6 wins, 3rd McCabe Builders Ltd. Boyne Hurdle G2 (twice), 2nd Digifone Kinloch Brae Chase G2, Tote John Hughes Rehearsal H. Chase G2. Dam of 2 winners: 2003: (c Definite Article) 2004: HIDDEN CRACK (g Lahib) 5 wins.

2006: CUE CARD (g King’s Theatre) Sold 48,261gns yearling at TIFEB. 16 wins, Weatherbys Champion Bumper NH Flat Race G1, Cheltenham Collection Sharp Nov. Hurdle G2, 2nd stanjames.com International Hurdle G2, John Smith’s Mersey Novices Hurdle G2, William Hill King George VI Chase G1, Betfair Ascot Chase G1 (twice), Ryanair Festival Trophy Chase G1, Betfred Bowl Chase G1, Betfair Lancashire Chase G1 (3 times), Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase G2, Sportingbet Haldon Gold Cup H. Chase G2, 2nd Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase G1, William Hill King George VI Chase G1 (twice), John Smith’s Melling Chase G1 (twice), Fullers London Pride Berkshire Nov Chase G2, 3rd Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase G2, BetVictor Haldon Gold Cup H. Chase G2.

2007: For A Laugh (g Westerner) unraced.

2008: The Wicked Kipper (f King’s Theatre).

Broodmare.

2013: Sidetracked (g Beneficial) unraced.

2014: (c Gold Well) 2015: (f Milan) 2016: (f Leading Light) Broodmare Sire: KING’S RIDE. Sire of the dams of 17 Stakes winners.

CUE CARD b g 2006 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge KING’S THEATRE b 91 Princely Native Regal Beauty Dennis Belle Rarity King’s Ride Ride WICKED CRACK b 93 Deep Run Mighty Crack Treize

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Raise A Native Charlo Crafty Admiral Evasion Hethersett Who Can Tell Sovereign Path Turf Pampered King Trial By Fire Thirteen of Diamonds Clear Bay

See race 33 in the February issue

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Apr_152_DataBook_Layout 1 24/03/2017 14:48 Page 94

DATA BOOK

Grade 2 & 3 Races Date 02/02 04/02 04/02 04/02 05/02 05/02 11/02 11/02 11/02 11/02 17/02 18/02 18/02 18/02 18/02 18/02 18/02 18/02 19/02 19/02 19/02 23/02 25/02 25/02 25/02 25/02 25/02 25/02 26/02 26/02 26/02 26/02

Grade G3 G2 G3 G3 G2 GrB G2 G2 G2 G3 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G3 G3 G2 G2 G3 G3 G2 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G2 G3 GrB

Race (course) Surehaul Mercedes Powerstown Nov. Hurdle (Clonmel) Totepool Towton Novices’ Chase (Wetherby) Coolmore Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle (Fairyhouse) Betfred Mobile Heroes Handicap Hurdle (Sandown Park) Boylesports Tied Cottage Chase (Punchestown) racinguk.com Gd. National Trial H Chase (Punchestown) Betfair Denman Chase (Newbury) Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase (Newbury) Betway Kingmaker Novices’ Chase (Warwick) Betfair Handicap Hurdle (Newbury) Weatherbys J. Seymour Mares’ Nov. Hurdle (Sandown) Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase (Ascot) Red Mills Chase (Gowran Park) Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle (Haydock Park) Betfred Rendlesham Hurdle (Haydock Park) Betway Kingwell Hurdle (Wincanton) Red Mills Trial Hurdle (Gowran Park) Betfred Grand National Trial Hcp Chase (Haydock Park) Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle (Navan) Ten Up Novice Chase (Navan) Flyingbolt Novice Chase (Navan) At the Races M. Purcell Mem. Nov. Hurdle (Thurles) Betbright Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Kempton Park) Betbright Pendil Novices’ Chase (Kempton Park) Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (Kempton Park) At The Races Bobbyjo Chase (Fairyhouse) Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle (Fairyhouse) Betbright Handicap Chase (Kempton Park) Totepool National Spirit Hurdle (Fontwell Park) Paddy Power Johnston Novice Hurdle (Naas) We Show all Live Racing Newlands Chase (Naas) Woodlands100 Club Nas Na Riogh Nov.Chase (Naas)

Dist 24f 24f 18f 23f 16f 28f 23f 16f 16f 16f 19.5f 23.5f 20f 22.5f 22.5f 15f 16f 28f 21f 24f 17f 20f 16f 20.5f 16f 25f 16f 24f 19f 16f 16f 20f

Horse Monalee (IRE) Baywing (IRE) Shattered Love (IRE) Lord of The Island (IRE) Douvan (FR) Baie des Iles (FR) Native River (IRE) Altior (IRE) Flying Angel (IRE) Ballyandy (GB) Colin’s Sister (GB) Bigbadjohn (IRE) Ballycasey (IRE) The Worlds End (IRE) Zarkandar (IRE) Yanworth (GB) Tombstone (IRE) Vieux Lion Rouge (FR) Sutton Place (IRE) Acapella Bourgeois (FR) Ball d’Arc (FR) Tin Soldier (FR) Master Blueyes (IRE) Frodon (FR) River Wylde (IRE) Pleasant Company (IRE) Dinaria des Obeaux (FR) Pilgrims Bay (IRE) Camping Ground (FR) Forge Meadow (IRE) Alisier d’Irlande (FR) Edwulf (GB)

Age 6 8 6 9 7 6 7 7 6 6 6 8 10 6 10 7 7 8 6 7 6 6 4 5 6 9 4 7 7 5 7 8

Sex G G M G G M G G G G M G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G F G G M G G

Sire Milan Winged Love Yeats Heron Island Walk In The Park Barastraight Indian River High Chaparral Arcadio Kayf Tara Central Park Vinnie Roe Presenting Stowaway Azamour Norse Dancer Robin des Champs Sabiango Mahler Network Network Soldier of Fortune Mastercraftsman Nickname Oscar Presenting Saddler Maker Turtle Island Goldneyev Beneficial Kapgarde Kayf Tara

Dam Tempest Belle Cerise de Totes Tracker Miss Morose Star Face Malownia Native Mo Monte Solaro Gypsy Kelly Megalex Dd’s Glenalla Celtic Serenade Pink Mist Bright Sprite Zarkasha Yota Connaught Hall Indecise Glebe Beauty Jasmine Pretty Moon Everlast Miss Blueyes Miss Country Clarin River Katie Flame Indiana Jaune Lady Ariadna Camomille Ballys Baby Isati’s Valentines Lady

Broodmare Sire Glacial Storm Champ Libre Bustino Arctic Lord Saint des Saints Smadoun Be My Native Key of Luck Roselier Karinga Bay Be My Native Yashgan Montelimar Beneficial Kahyasi Galetto Un Desperado Cyborg Good Thyne Valanjou Moon Madness Anabaa Dushyantor Country Reel Mandalus Alderbrook Le Nain Jaune Supreme Leader Pennekamp Bob Back Chamberlin Zaffaran

Index 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193

Leading National Hunt sires 2016/17 by earnings Name

King's Theatre Presenting Kayf Tara Oscar Flemensfirth Beneficial Westerner Milan Midnight Legend Shantou Stowaway Gold Well Kalanisi Authorized Vinnie Roe Overbury Robin des Champs Brian Boru Indian River Voix du Nord Martaline Definite Article Yeats Scorpion Heron Island Kapgarde Winged Love Old Vic Cloudings Network Craigsteel Poliglote Dr Massini High Chaparral Court Cave Saddler Maker Robin des Pres

YOF

1991 1992 1994 1994 1992 1990 1999 1998 1991 1993 1994 2001 1996 2004 1998 1991 1997 2000 1994 2001 1999 1992 2001 2002 1993 1999 1992 1986 1994 1997 1995 1992 1993 1999 2001 1998 1994

Sire

Rnrs

Sadler's Wells Mtoto Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Alleged Top Ville Danehill Sadler's Wells Night Shift Alleged Slip Anchor Sadler's Wells Doyoun Montjeu Definite Article Caerleon Garde Royale Sadler's Wells Cadoudal Valanour Linamix Indian Ridge Sadler's Wells Montjeu Shirley Heights Garde Royale In the Wings Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Monsun Suave Dancer Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Cadoudal

257 343 271 276 272 310 215 314 169 109 149 94 144 61 73 70 101 95 46 26 60 101 97 151 74 39 60 62 48 51 84 28 73 66 79 13 82

Wnrs

90 105 95 82 86 79 69 77 58 42 45 25 31 27 26 22 35 31 18 13 19 28 39 34 18 18 16 23 13 16 24 10 20 14 20 8 25

%WR

35.02 30.61 35.06 29.71 31.62 25.48 32.09 24.52 34.32 38.53 30.20 26.60 21.53 44.26 35.62 31.43 34.65 32.63 39.13 50.00 31.67 27.72 40.21 22.52 24.32 46.15 26.67 37.10 27.08 31.37 28.57 35.71 27.40 21.21 25.32 61.54 30.49

Races

AWD

Earnings (£)

Top horse

137 149 145 112 110 120 100 104 98 72 74 40 52 44 41 33 48 43 26 19 28 40 52 44 30 26 24 32 21 28 38 22 32 24 29 12 37

20.0 20.2 20.3 19.9 20.2 20.1 19.8 20.6 19.8 20.3 19.4 20.7 19.2 18.8 21.0 19.6 18.8 20.5 22.5 18.0 19.3 20.6 18.5 18.5 20.4 18.3 20.3 21.5 21.6 18.6 22.7 18.8 20.8 18.6 22.4 20.6 19.6

2,136,986 1,880,952 1,700,288 1,382,430 1,306,383 1,221,515 1,187,270 1,165,057 904,099 842,876 767,734 557,260 554,656 512,614 466,296 462,281 454,451 454,373 438,465 421,839 421,450 399,343 399,071 389,158 379,001 362,954 359,917 354,144 345,588 335,793 326,517 320,034 312,029 307,155 302,724 300,595 271,573

Cue Card Lord Scoundrel Thistlecrack Wrath Of Titans Noble Endeavor De Plotting Shed Westerner Lady Double Shuffle Sizing John Airlie Beach Outlander Mysteree Brain Power Tiger Roll Supreme Vinnie Clondaw Warrior Listen Dear Sub Lieutenant Native River Taquin du Seuil Disko Definitly Red Shattered Love Jack The Wire Otago Trail Garde la Victoire Some Plan Village Vic Many Clouds Ball d'Arc Wholestone Let's Dance Foxtail Hill Altior Court Frontier Apple's Jade I Just Know

Earned (£)

258,392 126,784 183,767 97,270 93,250 46,814 142,604 55,029 111,632 101,400 97,504 66,293 119,187 81,071 51,479 174,802 43,580 54,022 236,348 102,344 59,659 78,260 52,824 39,667 87,195 58,464 63,832 57,714 79,730 98,747 50,411 63,349 46,253 81,432 28,168 88,729 19,432

Legend grows Cue Card’s victory in the Ascot Chase provided King’s Theatre with another boost and Sizing John’s success in the Irish Gold Cup pushed Midnight Legend up one place. His Cheltenham Gold Cup win will be reflected in next month’s table.

Presenting had two Grade 2 strikes, through Ballycasey and Mount Mews, while Oscar and Beneficial each had one in the shape of River Wylde and Forge Meadow. Deceased Soldier Of Fortune was represented

by Mega Fortune, who landed the Spring Juvenile Hurdle. Presenting passed the 100 mark in winners and is ten clear of Kayf Tara in that category. The latter had a stunning month adding 15 winners to his tally.

Statistics to March 13

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24 HOURS WITH… SAM WALEY-COHEN

96

GEORGE SELWYN

B

y 6am the children, Max and Scarlett, are usually scrambling into our bed and quickly into the process of turfing me out.

Most mornings my first port of call is some form of exercise routine, perhaps dashing from our London home to Lambourn to ride out. If we happen to be with the rest of the family near Banbury I could ride there, depending on the time of year.

Otherwise, based in London, I go for a run in Hyde Park and sometimes Battersea Park. My fitness is crucial when I am not riding all the time; I don’t want to find myself in a tight finish and not be fit enough to hold my own against the professionals. I enjoy running, I go to the gym and have been doing quite a bit of boxing training.

First thing, Bella, my wife takes charge of Max (3) and Scarlett (1), though I do enjoy helping out if I’ve got time. Whenever I can, I try to take Max to school on the back of my bike. The office in London is about ten minutes away by bike, otherwise I run there taking in a detour through Hyde Park, which gives me a 10k spin before work.

Normally I start the day with a banana, especially if I’m going to the gym. Then when I get back I’ll have a quick shower and a bowl of porridge. Or even just grab a piece of toast as I’m dashing out of the door. There is no normal routine; I could be visiting any one of our 51 sites of the Portman Healthcare dental practices. I use the train a lot so I can work en route. I try to fit as much into every hour as possible.

I like to get a sense of what’s going on in the business on the ground.

Recently I got the train to

SAM WALEY-COHEN is hoping to add to his six wins over the Grand National fences on April 8, before which he will continue with his hectic regime of work, running, flying and daddy duties Burnham-on-Sea to visit our practice there, had lunch and then on to our Bath practice, where I had supper. I keep a close eye on my weight, which means I eat pretty much what I want as long as I exercise it off again. That seems to be the trick.

I am hoping to ride The Young Master, my eighth attempt – including a second, fourth and fifth – in the Randox Health Grand National. You have to be a dreamer in this sport and I can persuade myself why he’s going to be a brilliant ride round there, though I’ve dreamt before and it didn’t work out!

The Young Master has got the stamina, the courage and the scope, but things

have to go right. I rode him in the Hennessy and he dumped me at the first; I rode him in the Bet365 Gold Cup and he won.

For a horse and jockey to win the National they have to become more than they are by themselves, more than the sum of the parts.

The horse has to put together its best possible performance and the jockey has to really become part of the horse, getting it into a rhythm to succeed in the ultimate racing challenge.

That brings real romance to the whole event; in seconds you can be heading for all the glamour that goes with triumph or the devastation of disaster. You need so much luck.

A lot of the skills I’ve learnt point-to-pointing form the right education for going round the Grand National course. You are not quite sure what’s going to happen next in a point-to-point; there are loose horses, people not necessarily keeping straight, horses that may or may not have much experience. You’re keeping an eye on the other horses as much as your own.

In the National the horses are experienced, you can concentrate more on your own mount and it’s invariably the fences that present the biggest challenge. On paper, The Young Master’s truly got the makings of a National horse.

In a busy life being able to fly light aircraft and helicopters has proved a big help getting to and from the races. I am not good at relaxing and doing nothing; a quiet day would be with the family or simply riding for pleasure. I love going into the mountains on holiday and did once climb Mont Blanc and ski down from the summit, while last July I ran a marathon along the Great Wall of China and through some of the local villages. On another ‘holiday’ I cycled a stage of the Tour de France from Annecy, which was very steep and brutally tough.

Bella was an actress and is a big thespian so we try to get to the theatre when we can. She produces the evening meal at home once we have put the children to bed. On special occasions I love steak and chips, but my own culinary capabilities are limited to scrambled eggs.

Bedtime is between 1010.30pm. My head hits the pillow and that’s it – though with the children you always have half an ear listening out for any disturbance.

Interview by Tim Richards

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