Thoroughbred Owner Breeder

Enduring quality

Invincible

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Division of labour helps G-men shoot for the top

For a generation of Spurs supporters the G-men will always refer to former strike partners Jimmy Greaves and Alan Gilzean but up in Cheshire two ex-amateur riders are shooting for the big time having gone into business together.

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero have posted impressive numbers since joining forces for the 2022-23 season. At the time of writing, the duo had sent out 148 winners over jumps, including a Grade 2 victory with Homme Public and a Cheltenham Festival strike with Iroko.

Iroko has progressed into a high-class chaser and he made a fine comeback at Haydock last month when runner-up in a graduation chase. The rising seven-year-old, a possible candidate for the Randox Grand National, races in the silks of JP McManus, yet the majority of the 90 inmates at Stockton Hall Farm are owned by syndicates.

“We probably get an enquiry a week asking about getting involved in a syndicate,’’ Greenall tells Marcus Townend (The Big Interview, pages 26-30). ‘‘We always felt we’d be happy with 50 or 60 horses, but it has happened relatively quickly.

‘‘When we started, we bought two or three horses, split them into shares and sold them. As soon as they were sold, we started again.

‘‘We got lucky with a couple of syndicates. I did a Haydock Park racing club where you got an annual member’s badge to the track. That was 40 members and, out of those, 30 are still owners and have shares in other horses.

‘‘That syndicate also brought a lot more people in and we started to be able to buy more expensive horses.

‘‘We run all the syndicates ourselves. I try to design them so that everybody is going to get on. We are not a big gambling yard. All our owners are similar – they just enjoy racing.”

The Greenall-Guerriero operation sees a division of duties between the partners, the former focused on recruiting and managing owners, the latter on the day-to-day training.

Edward Rosenthal Editor

Judging by their results, it’s a winning formula. ‘Social licence’ are words increasingly heard when reference is made to the world of horseracing and with that in mind it was depressing, if not entirely surprising, that the sports bulletin on the BBC early evening news on Sunday, November 17 chose to cover the deaths of three horses at that afternoon’s Cheltenham meeting. ITV also covered the story on its news programme.

The BBC’s commitment to covering horseracing evaporated many years ago but it should be a concern to the industry’s hierarchy that when it does decide to feature the sport, the angle is negative.

“Greenall is focused on managing owners, Guerriero on the training”

Aftercare in the racing world is a crucial topic and one that Grace Muir, founder of charity and rehoming centre HEROS, focuses on when asked for her top wish this Christmas.

“I fear that some in the non-racing world see our sport as wasteful and uncaring,” she says (Think Tank, pages 95-96). “And when I know and see daily that so many vulnerable and unwanted horses need help when their racing days are over, I sometimes find it hard to disagree. Our future, like that of the horses, sits on a precipice.

“My most heartfelt wish for the New Year is for the industry to pull together in a united quest to deliver a sustainable and secure aftercare provision for all horses bred for the sport.”

Amen to that.

Cover: Training partners Josh Guerriero and Oliver Greenall with stable star Iroko, owned by JP McManus, at Stockton Hall Farm in Cheshire

Photo: Bill Selwyn

BRADSELL CHAMPION SPRINTER

Gr.1

KING’S STAND

The first 3yo colt to win in 15 years

Gr.1 NUNTHORPE

In a faster time than Battaash Gr.1

FLYING

FIVE Fastest winner since 2002

CHAMPIONS TO THE FORE

BRADSELL

Sprint sensation

£10,000 (LIVE FOAL)

LOPE Y FERNANDEZ

Champion 3yo sprinter

£7,500

RAJASINGHE

Exceptional value

£3,000 STRADIVARIUS

7 Seven time Group 1 winner

£10,000 (LIVE FOAL)

Contact the team today

Joe Bradley 07706 262046 | Joe.Bradley@nationalstud.co.uk

Jamie Jackson 07794 459108 | Jamie. Jackson@nationalstud.co.uk

The most Stakes winners of any frst-season sire in 2024 - already the sire of the track-record breaking Big Mojo, winner of the Gr.3 Molecomb Stakes, Yah Mo Be There, winner of the L. Rose Bowl Stakes and Merveilleux Lapin, victorious in the L. Alson-Trophy. Serving With Style was also second in the Gr.2 Rockfel Stakes.

It’s just the beginning…

A Group winner at two and three, a brilliant Gr.1 Sussex Stakes success at four

£15,000

January 1st SLF

Second crop of yearlings reached 260,000gns, €280,000, 175,000gns etc… Stands at Beech House Stud, UK

BIG MOJO

MERVEILLEUX LAPIN

YAH MO BE THERE

Proven sires excelling on the track and in the sales ring and exciting young recruits with frst foals in 2025

€250,000

SIYOUNI

€200,000 ZARAK

€80,000 VADENI

€18,000 EREVANN

€8,000

FROM THE GALLOPS TO GLORY

Join us as we celebrate the brightest stars of 2024

SECURE YOUR SEAT roa.co.uk/awards24

Thursday 5 December 2024

Royal Lancaster Hotel Lancaster Terrace London W2 2TY

Black Tie

Welcome Reception 7pm Carriages 1am

ROA Leader

Tax rises and Jockeys’ Cup leave owners off the pace

The Autumn Budget did not deliver the proposed rise to gambling taxation rates, but it did hit businesses with a raft of extra taxation, increasing costs that they will have to bear. These increases will inevitably tighten finances for the enterprises that service our industry, from farriers to trainers all the way up to the racecourses, with the two large groups quoting eye-watering hits to their post April 2025 budgets.

There will be two inevitable consequences of the tax rises – a large proportion will be passed on to owners through trainer fees, and racecourses will look at their executive contributions as a way of making up the large tax increases. Since 2020 there has been no mechanism to govern the flow of revenues into prize-money –when we are faced by macro factors imposed on us by events like the Budget, we are in essence at the mercy of the racecourses.

The supposed ‘Budget for growth’ could well shrink the racing industry, as cost pressures see businesses and owners withdrawing, and racecourses use their prize-money contributions as the balancing item in the budgeting process.

It is vital, therefore, that the industry looks to itself to ensure we withstand the economic squeeze. We must innovate and be flexible when looking at the fixture list to ensure we are exploiting the revenue generated whilst at the same time continuing with the twoyear trial of Premier racing that is reaching its halfway stage.

We must react to situations as they arise, such as abandonments, to ensure we continue to provide opportunities for owners to run their horses, especially given the removal of 300 National Hunt races. There is no doubt that tensions are bubbling up as the industry grapples with the macro-economic pressures and extra tax burdens.

The recently announced Jockeys’ Cup came as a surprise to many in the industry. The Commercial Committee, formed two years ago, has discussed some of the promotional aspects of placing the jockeys front and centre to boost the engagement with fans and punters alike, however the concept of a separate competition linked to televised races on ITV has not been on the recent agenda. It was a shock, therefore, to see a draft press release less than 48 hours before its launch, a release which initially made no mention of owners, with none of the new prize pot being allocated to the group that owns the horses.

We have been crying out for initiatives and new investment, and this concept may well boost Premier racing for the National Hunt game that has to date not established significant traction. So, while it’s potentially good news, there are some serious issues that need to be addressed.

The investment for the Jockeys’ Cup is coming from betting giant Flutter and supported by Racecourse Media Group (RMG), whose biggest shareholder is the Jockey Club. These organisations

were the drivers behind the ITV show Champions: Full Gallop. A second series is planned, and the Levy Board has been approached for funding, which as I understand it has been signed off. So, if the show gets the green light using levy cash – which mainly funds prize-money of which owners receive 80% – could it be just a coincidence that the sums involved in the Jockeys’ Cup prize fund and the second series of Champions: Full Gallop are similar?

The new competition will undoubtedly provide some great content for the series yet we are entitled to ask how and why the money was allocated to both ventures.

Where is the joined-up approach to strategy? Where is the supposed Thoroughbred Group collaborative approach to

“None of the new prize pot is being allocated to the group that owns the horses”

commercial partnerships? There is no doubt that racehorse owners have been treated poorly, however, it does provide a template for deals to be done outside of the current structure, which, let’s face it, is not exactly delivering for the industry. It appears that we now have a mandate to find investment and use it for our own ends whilst considering the growth of the sport as our overarching objective.

As another year in British racing comes to an end, we look towards 2025 when the cast will change dramatically, with new Chairs and CEOs everywhere we look. This month’s Think Tank jury (pages 95-96) reveal their Christmas wish list for racing – my own New Year wish is that we finally begin to move forward with important projects and deliver the growth that we need to offset significant macro-economic headwinds.

Charlie Parker President

TBA Leader

Falling foal figures call for industry intervention

It’s a tough gig writing these monthly columns as my personality is always upon the ‘glass half full’ philosophy, so it’s difficult to read the recently published Return of Mares and think that it’s not the glass that should be the concern but more the emptying bottle! Let’s deal with the facts, then, and try and convince after. Whilst we cannot claim to have a vineyard yet to rely upon for guaranteed supply to refill glasses, there are several wine merchants that we are developing long-term deals with to ensure the party goes on.

The foal crop in 2024 is down by 6% at 4,074 foals, that’s 282 less than last year, but of even more concern are this year’s covering figures which are 10% less than 2023 and will inevitably convert to a further reduction in births for 2025. If we assumed that this year’s 6% or maybe 7% was repeated, the industry is looking at a foal crop number of around 3,800.

Does this matter you might ask? Well, emphatically yes for all sorts of reasons, the first of which is the race programme – not enough horses lead to small field sizes, leading to uncompetitive racing, leading to an uncompelling product, leading to lack of interest from the punter, leading to a decrease in betting turnover, which all results in lower returns for the levy and less income from media rights payments, with the ultimate outcome of less prizemoney and then the domino effect is in play!

The racing industry requires a sustainable supply line of horses to deliver a racing programme that is relevant and retains public attraction and interest. I was told by one major racecourse group executive that if Britain cannot supply these, then horses can be bought in from other markets. Well, good luck with that – Ireland similarly has a foal crop 6% down and coverings 15% down, so the direction of travel is clear.

The other train heading down the track – and it’s been here for too many years – is stallion book sizes. Yes, it’s a free market and choice must remain for breeders in this respect, but it is clear for several reasons that the current practices aren’t good for the breed and breeders in turn. Having stallions with large book sizes creates less demand for others, less diversity in the breed, and greater polarisation in the marketplace.

So, what is the TBA doing about this? Plenty, you’ll be pleased to hear, mostly being delivered through intervention and incentive. The Great British Bonus (GBB) is the best example, having transformed the perception and value of fillies in just over four years, with average sale prices up by 17%, encouraging the breeding, buying, racing and retention of British-bred fillies.

The first GBB graduates are now producing their own GBB fillies, ensuring successful racemares are retained in Britain for breeding and producing the next generation of winners on the track. This strategic intervention has created a secure footing on

Philip Newton Chairman

which the British broodmare band can start to rebuild and in ten years’ time will demonstrate improved quality amongst these ranks.

GBBPlus launched with the specific objective of encouraging the breeding of ten-furlong and above horses, with breeders being rewarded in the sales ring and on the racecourse with double GBB prizes for winners at these distances. This part of the scheme is restricted to stallions that stand at £50k or less and even though it was only launched in August, it was encouraging to see there were several front-rank trainers shopping specifically

“The Great British Bonus has transformed the perception and value of fillies in just four years”

for these fillies at the yearling sales. If you have a mare that suits a high-quality middle-distance horse, then be sure to join the club –you will be well rewarded.

Readers may ask – where’s the proof that all this is working? GBB provides its own audited confirmed numbers, but the TBA has also been working away for ten years in the National Hunt sector to prove the case of intervention and incentive, through the Elite Mares’ Scheme (an increase from 150 to 350 in that time) and then NHMOPS and now GBB to stimulate NH foal production. GBBPlus is also working here to reward horses that jump. This year there are 1,092 foals specifically bred for either NH or dualpurpose racing, that’s over 100% increase in just ten years.

Yes, this all takes time and maybe we must experience further losses before the lights turn back to green, but the TBA is committed to delivering a robust and sustainable industry and a diverse horse population for a compelling race programme. Remember, Amazon started as an online bookstore from the garage in Jeff Bezos’ home in Bellevue, Washington!

Happy Christmas and the best of New Years to you all.

New jockeys’ competition causes consternation among owners

The creation of a new points-based competition for jump jockeys linked to ITV-televised races has been criticised by senior figures at the Racehorse Owners Association, who were not consulted about either its launch or rewards structure that sees owners excluded from receiving prizes.

Backed by Flutter, the parent company of betting brands Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair, the David Power Jockeys’ Cup – named in tribute to the bookmaker who died earlier this year – was launched on November 15 at Cheltenham with a prize fund of £1.5 million and offering a top prize of £500,000.

Jockeys collect points with top-four finishes in races broadcast live on ITV, with a league-style format sorting the highest scorers. The competition, which will reward the leading ten jockeys as well as providing prizes for trainers, racing staff and the top two conditional riders, runs until the final ITV-covered race on Friday, April 4 at Aintree.

Louise Norman, ROA Chief Executive, said in a statement: “Whilst we fully support and understand the need for the industry to be innovative in order that it improves engagement and raises its profile, the ROA is disappointed that the new David Power Jockeys’ Cup has not taken into consideration any recognition or reward for racehorse owners who, as

the largest investors into the industry, including payments to trainers and jockeys such as riding fees, the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme, Career Ending Insurance payments and of course our training fees, are yet again overlooked during any discussions or communications.

“Without owners these innovative initiatives would not take place and for the ROA to receive only 48 hours’ notice of the Jockeys’ Cup via a press release, which initially did not even mention owners or any acknowledgment of their fundamental role in the industry, is utterly unacceptable. This again demonstrates the complete lack of appreciation from many in the industry for the owner and a real lack of understanding as to whom the horse belongs.

“The ROA will continue to work with our critical stakeholders to establish the clear message that owners must be centrally considered across British racing.”

In this month’s Leader column (page 9), ROA President Charlie Parker says that “racehorse owners have been treated poorly” by the organisers of the new competition, which was created outside of the sport’s agreed commercial structure.

In the days following its launch, the ROA received a number of responses from members regarding the David Power Jockeys’ Cup, the vast majority unhappy

with the lack of recognition for owners.

Alice Simmons, who has been an owner for over 25 years and runs Larkhill Racing Partnerships, said: “Whilst it’s nice for the jockeys, I feel that owners very much get forgotten as the paymasters to all, especially smaller owners like me.

“I have had to cut back over the last year as I find it harder and harder to fund my very expensive hobby. I had shares in nine horses this time last year and I am now down to four.

“I only run small syndicates as it’s so hard to get badges from the racecourses when my partners put so much money into their ownership. The prize-money is so poor we don’t even cover our costs.

“I am very much of the opinion that Premier racing is not addressing any issues and think any additional prize-money should now be spread back to the lowergrade races where there are bigger fields.

“My support is with the ROA regarding their disappointment about this new initiative.”

The prospect of securing the £500,000 first prize saw effusive praise from leading riders. “I can’t wait to be part of the inaugural David Power Jockeys’ Cup,” said current champion jump jockey Harry Cobden. “It’s a huge amount on offer and I’m sure will create some great competition as we’ll all be trying to win as many of those ITV races as we can.”

BILL SELWYN

The David Power Jockeys’ Cup kicked off at Cheltenham’s November meeting

Alastair Down, 1956 - 2024

Celebrated horseracing writer Alastair Down died last month after a brief illness. He was 68.

A wordsmith of rare talent, Down’s career took in extended spells at The Sporting Life and Racing Post while he was also a popular presence on TV screens during his time on Channel 4 Racing, working alongside John McCririck, Jim McGrath and John Francome.

His ability to convey the thrill and emotion of the sport’s biggest occasions – not least the Cheltenham Festival, which he adored – saw him named Racing Writer of the Year on a record five occasions by the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) between 1994 and 2018.

Growing up in Bromley, Kent and educated at the prestigious Tonbridge School, Down had already fallen in love with racing by the time he headed north to read politics and philosophy at the University of York, where betting, reading poetry and socialising took priority over studying.

Following a stint on Raceform, editing form books, and sub-editing shifts on The Sun, Down moved to The Sporting Life in 1981.

When Mirror Group, owner of the Life, bought the Racing Post in 1998, Down remained on the staff and became a key contributor to the tabloid with his

outstanding colour pieces from the racecourse, which often arrived with his editors later than expected due to his famous reluctance to honour a deadline.

Few, if any, could write as beautifully about the sport as Down, yet he could also be punchy and direct. His comments about the performance of the Kieren Fallon-ridden Top Cees in a handicap at Newmarket in 1995 – he suggested the Lynda Ramsden-trained gelding had been a non-trier – resulted in a High Court case three years later, where Mirror Group was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages.

Down relished the pure spectacle of National Hunt racing more than anything and the Aintree executive was left in no doubt about his views on the 2001 Grand National, which took place on heavy ground and saw Red Marauder triumph over three exhausted rivals, two of whom were remounted. He described the contest as “sickening” and “rancid”.

In addition to his haul of Racing Writer of the Year accolades from the HWPA, Down was given the President’s Award in 2022 (postponed until 2023).

Former colleague Francome told the Racing Post: “I knew Alastair for 40 years and he was a great guy and an incredible writer. Even when you’d read him, you’d never see the same phrase used another time, he always had something new and his words were very special.

Lord Allen appointed new BHA Chair

One of the sport’s vacant senior positions has been filled with the appointment of Lord Allen as new Chair of the British Horseracing Authority.

A vastly experienced Chairman, Lord Allen’s working life has taken in the financial and commercial sectors, government, broadcast arena, international companies and global sports events.

He oversaw London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics and was Board Director on the organising committee. He was knighted in 2012.

Lord Allen was a chief adviser to the Home Office from 2006 to 2008. In 2012, he was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Management Board of the Labour Party. A year later he was

made a Life Peer, taking the title Baron Allen of Kensington.

His career began in broadcasting and media with Granada TV in 1991 before going on to have senior roles with EMI, Virgin Media and Endemol. He is currently Chairman of Global Media and Entertainment Limited as well as Advisory Chairman to investment bank Moelis & Company, Chairman of multinational infrastructure group Balfour Beatty PLC, and Chairman of e-commerce retailer THG.

Lord Allen said: “I am honoured to be appointed to the role of Chair of the British Horseracing Authority at this important time for the organisation.

“I look forward to building a strong relationship with the new CEO and the Board and all our stakeholders, delivering

“We worked together on Channel 4 and just before we’d go live he could be a bit of a drama queen, but as soon as the camera was on he’d just be a natural. We had a lot of happy days and he’ll be sorely missed.”

With his family in attendance, Down was present at Cheltenham’s Showcase Meeting in October when the famous press room was renamed in his honour.

“It’s very moving, I can tell you,” he told Alice Plunkett on ITV Racing. “By the end of the day I may have had a cup of coffee and a glass of champagne –and may even shed a tear or two.”

Down suffered personal tragedy in November 2019 when his daughter Saskia Jones was murdered alongside Jack Merritt in the terror attack at Fishmongers’ Hall on London Bridge. He is survived by his children Camilla, Clare and James.

Lord Allen: distinguished career

the vision of building the commercial and reputational aspects of the sector.”

Lord Allen will assume his new post on June 1, 2025 and work with current Chair Joe Saumarez-Smith on a smooth transition. The BHA is still searching for a new CEO with Julie Harrington stepping down at the end of this month.

The Cheltenham press room was renamed in honour of Alastair Down

DUBAI MILE

GR.1 WINNING TWO-YEAR-OLD

Won 4 races at 2 years, €214,498, 8-10f, and was placed 3 times: Won Gr.1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud, 10f, at 2. 2nd Gr.2 Royal Lodge Stakes, 8f, Newmarket, at 2. 4th Gr.2 King Edward VII Stakes, 12f, Royal Ascot. Previous winners of the Critérium include DARSHAAN, PISTOLET BLEU, POLIGLOTE, VOIX DU NORD and FAME AND GLORY.

THE ONLY SON FROM THE ONLY CROP OF ROARING LION AT STUD. SIRE LINE OF KAMEKO, MEDAGLIA D’ORO AND SPANISH MOON.

Sire: RUNNING LION – won 8 races, incl. Gr.1 International S, Gr.1 Irish Champion S, Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth S, Gr.1 Eclipse S, Gr.2 Royal Lodge S, at 2, 2nd Gr.1 Futurity, at 2, 3rd Gr.1 Derby S; sire from only one crop of DUBAI MILE (Gr.1), RUNNING LION (Gr.2), QUEEN OF THE PRIDE (Gr.2), MIDDLE EARTH (Gr.3), EMBESTO (Gr.3), KINGSWOOD (Gr.3), LION’S PRIDE, etc.

Dam: BEACH BUNNY – won 3 races, incl. LR Dance Design S, 2nd Gr.1 Pretty Polly S, Gr.2 Blandford S, Gr.3 Ridgewood Pearl S, Gr.3 Noblesse S, 3rd Gr.3 Amethyst S, 4th Gr.1 Pretty Polly S, Gr.3 Meld S, Gr.3 DC Laverack S, etc; dam of 9 winners, incl. DUBAI MILE, NAADIRR (LR Cammidge Trophy, LR Garrowby S, 2nd Gr.3 Bengough S, LR Carnarvon S, LR Hopeful S, 3rd Gr.3 Premio Tudini, LR Leisure S, etc), BEACH BELLE (LR Fillies’ Sprint S).

The Immediate Family of MISS TAHITI (Champion at 2; Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac, 2nd Gr.1 Prix de Diane, Gr.1 Prix Saint-Alary, etc), MISS FRANCE (Gr.1), ENGLAND’S LEGEND (Gr.1), etc.

A PEDIGREE BLENDING CLASSIC DISTANCE AND SPEED

Changes People and business

Alan Switzer

Appointed Chief Financial Officer at the BHA with responsibility for managing the organisation’s financial operations and providing advice to the Board and executive team.

Eddy Greatrex

Jockey hit with 28-day ban under totting-up guidelines, with nine days suspended, having breached the whip rules five times in the last six months.

Charlie Boss

Former Chief Commercial Officer at the Jockey Club returns to the organisation as Interim Group Chief Executive, taking over from Nevin Truesdale.

Dylan Whelan

Conditional rider disqualified for six months following positive test for cocaine at Fakenham earlier in the year. The ban has been backdated to May 16.

People obituaries

Alastair Down 68

Journalist and broadcaster was HWPA Racing Writer of the Year on five occasions while also proving a popular presence on Channel 4 Racing.

Con Power 71

Top showjumper who dominated the sport in the 1970s, mentoring Jessica Harrington, and whose son Robbie was a leading jump jockey.

Racing’s

news in a nutshell

Sue Smith

West Yorkshire trainer who won the 2013 Grand National with Auroras Encore is joined on the licence by husband Harvey’s grandson Joel Parkinson.

Roderick Duncan

Leaves his role as Clerk of the Course at Huntingdon following a dispute with the Jockey Club over changes imposed on the track’s workforce.

Sam Welton

Former conditional jockey is recognised for his career transformation to qualified civil engineer at the 2024 Richard Davis Awards, taking the top prize.

Roger Varian

Master of Carlburg Stables in Newmarket is added to Godolphin’s roster of trainers for 2025 and will receive four juveniles for Sheikh Mohammed’s outfit.

Sir Mark Todd

Gold medal winner at two Olympics for New Zealand will relinquish his licence having started training in Britain in 2019, sending out 34 winners.

Pascal Bary

Top French trainer who masterminded the careers of superstars Six Perfections, Study Of Man, Sulamani and Divine Proportions retires aged 71.

Freemason Lodge

Big-spending owner Kia Joorabchian submits a bid for the famous Newmarket stable, previously home to retired legend Sir Michael Stoute.

Ian Brown

Flutter UK and Ireland Chief Executive steps down from the role with Kevin Harrington set to succeed him in January.

Keith Ballard

Australian jockey wins on his final ride –Metal Bar at Mounts Isa in Queensland – as he calls time on his 55-year career in the saddle aged 71.

Jimmy Quinn

Jockey hangs up his saddle aged 57 having ridden more than 1,500 winners over 40 years, including Kingsgate Native’s Group 1 Nunthorpe win in 2007.

Steve Jobar 75

Former jockey enjoyed his biggest success on the David Elsworth-trained Heighlin in the 1980 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Derek Morris 93

Lightweight jockey rode for the Queen, winning the Queen Anne and Lockinge Stakes as well as the Lincolnshire and Queen’s Prize handicaps.

John Wade 80

Major figure in northern jump racing who sent out Always Right to take the 2011 Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster.

Changes

Racehorse and stallion Movements and retirements

More Than Looks

Four-year-old son of More Than Ready, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November, is retired to begin his stallion career at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky.

Bluestocking

Juddmonte’s top-class daughter of Camelot, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes, Prix Vermeille and Arc this year, is retired to the paddocks.

Vauban

Rich Ricci sells his talented staying gelding to Australian interests for A$2m following the six-year-old’s 11th-place finish in the Melbourne Cup.

Go Bears Go

Group 2-winning son of Kodi Bear will start his stallion career at Springfield House Stud in Co Tipperary, standing in partnership with owner Amo Racing.

Magna Grecia

March Hare Stud recruits dual Group 1 winner from Coolmore – the son of Invincible Spirit’s 2025 fee is set at £5,500.

Twilight Son

Son of Kyllachy, sire of Stewards’ Cup hero Get It and Super Sprint winner Caburn, relocates to Annshoon Stud in County Kilkenny. His fee is €5,000.

Luxembourg

Camelot’s multiple Group 1-winning son will commence his stallion career at Coolmore’s National Hunt base at Castlehyde Stud in 2025.

Dubai Mile

David Stack’s Coolagown Stud in County Cork secures Group 1-winning son of Roaring Lion for the 2025 covering season. His fee is €4,000 (live foal).

Acclamation

Rathbarry Stud sire is retired from covering duty aged 25. His progeny includes Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior and Breeders’ Cup hero Expert Eye.

Arrest

Classic-placed son of Frankel, winner of a Group 3, is retired from racing and will start his stallion career at Boardsmill Stud in County Meath next year.

Bucanero Fuerte

Son of sire sensation Wootton Bassett, decisive winner of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at two, is retired to stand at Tally-Ho Stud in County Westmeath.

Horse obituaries

Jayarebe 3

High-class son of Zoffany trained by Brian Meehan for Iraj Parvizi, winner of the Group 2 Prix Dollar, suffers a suspected heart attack after contesting the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Walzertakt 15

Group 2-winning son of Montjeu had been based at Chapel Stud in Worcestershire since 2022, recruited from Haras de la Croix Sonnet in France.

Abuffalosoldier 7

Talented staying chaser collapses after winning at Cheltenham in November, one of three runners to die on the third day of the meeting.

Invincible Spirit

Outstanding stallion is retired from covering duty at the Irish National Stud aged 27. He sired 22 individual Group 1 winners including Kingman.

Sakheer

Ballyhane Stud in County Carlow will stand son of Zoffany, impressive winner of the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at two, in 2025.

Henry Longfellow

Dubawi’s son, a high-class performer at two and three, is retired from the track to join Coolmore’s roster for 2025. His opening fee is €15,000.

De Treville

Too Darn Hot’s half-brother, whose progeny includes Group 3 scorer Gregarina, moves from France to Longford House Stud in County Tipperary.

National Treasure

Son of Quality Road, whose three Grade 1 victories included the 2024 Pegasus World Cup, is retired to Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky. His fee is $40,000.

Technician

Knockmullen House Stud in County Wexford adds the Group 1-winning son of Mastercraftsman to its roster, setting his fee at €2,000.

Faces at the Awards CARTIER RACING AWARDS

Charlie and Sam Pearson receive City Of Troy’s Horse of the Year trophy from Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK (left)

Steph Hollinshead, Kia Joorabchian and Hayley Turner

Andrew and Anna Lisa Balding

Charlie and Aisling Appleby

Lizzie Nielsen and Oisin Murphy

Caroline and Martin Cruddace

Photos: Dan Abraham

The Big Picture

Making hay in the sun

Ralph Beckett’s stable has enjoyed a sensational year and he secured another top-level victory courtesy of Jim and Fitri Hay’s Starlust in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Rossa Ryan, who captured the Arc in October on the Becketttrained Bluestocking, was again the man in the saddle, producing Starlust from off the pace to record a neck success over Motorious (2).

Photos Bill Selwyn

The Big Picture

Fergie’s fantastic time

Sir Alex Ferguson (above, right) enjoyed an exceptional November with big-race winners across the globe. Homebred Spirit Dancer (top), co-owned with Peter Done and Ged Mason, captured the Bahrain International Trophy for the second year running under Oisin Orr before Il Ridoto (right), also partowned by the former Manchester United manager, recorded a decisive success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham for rising weighing-room star Freddie Gingell.

Photos Steve Cargill and Bill Selwyn

Bahrain and Cheltenham

The Big Interview

G-men AIM HIGH

The training partnership of Oliver Greenall and

Josh Guerriero took time to find its rhythm but now the dynamic duo’s operation is thriving with its focus on syndicate ownership

Words: Marcus Townend • Photos: Bill Selwyn

In one sense, the stable jointly run by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero is like many of its counterparts up and down the country.

Horses are scattered around the verdant fields which border the driveway up to Stockton Hall Farm, where barns that once held Aberdeen Angus cattle have been converted into open, airy stables for thoroughbreds.

Around them, staff dash to grab a quick coffee in between morning lots in a scene replicated in all racing stables.

But that is as far as tradition goes in this corner of Cheshire, a stone’s throw from the market town of Malpas.

The system that Greenall and Guerriero operate with its clearly defined roles – Oliver responsible for the business, liaising with existing owners and recruiting new ones, and Josh for the training of their horses and entries – is unusual in a British racing stable.

But what is unique is how their system has shaped the make-up of their stable. Ninety per cent of the 90 horses in their care are syndicate-owned.

There are almost 400 individual owners on their books, many having multiple shares, and the stable runs 56 individual syndicates with, once again, some of their owners being involved in multiple horses.

As costs continue to rise, putting inevitable further financial pressure and constraints on individual ownership, the model looks to be a glimpse into the future, with Greenall and Guerriero ahead of the curve.

When Guerriero joined Greenall in

2016, they had less than 20 horses but a heap of hope and ambition.

Not only has the number of horses increased almost five-fold, on average they now syndicate two horses a month, having created a system that keeps their owners continually informed on both their horses’ progress and their financial position.

They also have a live Randox Grand National hope in their care in the JP McManus-owned Iroko, the high-class gelding who gave the duo a first Cheltenham Festival success when he landed the 2023 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

‘‘We probably get an enquiry a week asking about getting involved in a syndicate,’’ Greenall explains. ‘‘We always felt we’d be happy with 50 or 60 horses, but it has happened relatively quickly.

‘‘When we started, we bought two or three horses, split them into shares and sold them. As soon as they were sold, we started again. That is how we built up.

‘‘We got lucky with a couple of syndicates we did. I did a Haydock Park racing club where you got an annual member’s badge to the track. That was 40 members and, out of those, 30 are still owners and have at least five shares in other horses.

‘‘That syndicate also brought a lot more people in and we started to be able to buy more expensive horses.

‘‘We run all the syndicates ourselves. I try to design them so that everybody is going to get on. We are not a big gambling yard. All our owners are

Former weighingroom colleagues Oliver Greenall (mounted) and Josh Guerriero are realising their ambitions at Stockton Hall Farm in Cheshire

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero

The Big Interview

similar – they just enjoy racing.

‘‘They are not in it to make money. They just like seeing the horses do well and having an enjoyable day out.’’

The training partnership has its roots in the weighing room. Greenall and Guerriero got to know each other while riding as amateur jockeys, although they came into the sport on different avenues.

“You never get a final decision if you are both trying to do the same thing”

Greenall is from a family with racing in its blood. His three brothers, including Jake who turned professional and Thomas who was twice champion amateur jump jockey, all rode. His father Peter is Lord Daresbury, senior Jockey Club member and former Chairman of Aintree and Haydock as well as also being a two-time champion amateur jump jockey.

Oliver originally envisaged a life in farming when riding out for Mick Easterby while studying at Askham Bryan College near York.

He was another two-time champion amateur jump jockey with his biggest win coming in the Foxhunter Chase at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival on Amicelli.

Steve Wynne was training at the Greenalls’ Stockton Hall Farm when Oliver arrived back in 2010 to look after a handful of point-to-pointers and a herd of suckler cows.

Greenall, who eventually took out a full training licence in 2016, admits: ‘‘I never thought I would train but I found the farming very lonely – and I didn’t make much money at it!

‘‘I used to breed store cattle. I would sell them once or twice a year. That was my only interaction, the rest of the time you are on your own and I was new to the area, so I found the farm quite isolating.

‘‘With racing I really liked the interaction with the owners, doing the horses and going to the races. As I got a little bit bigger with the horses, I employed people and had people like the farrier, physios and the vets coming in. I enjoyed it more.’’

For Guerriero, the chance to join forces with Greenall offered up an opportunity he feared he may never get. He was born and spent his early years near Florence in Italy and moved to Britain when he was ten after his father, Giuseppe, moved to Penrith and opened a restaurant.

He learnt to ride while on holiday back in the country of his birth but the connection to racing came when helping out at Nicky Richards’ Cumbria stable.

From there Guerriero moved to Philip Hobbs in Somerset during which time his 99 winners as a rider included the 2008 Fox Hunters’ Chase at Aintree on Christy Beamish with Greenall back in fourth on Sonevafushi.

As well as assisting Hobbs, Guerriero also worked for Victor Dartnall for four years before assisting Dan Skelton for

the first three years of his training career.

It was a tough decision to leave someone who always looked like becoming a future champion trainer, yet Guerriero recognised the offer to work in partnership with Greenall was probably the only way to realise his ambitions.

Initially the pair were business partners without being joint licence holders.

Guerriero says: ‘‘Dan’s stable was an up-and-coming yard and growing like mad – there were 120 horses there when I left, and they were getting bigger. But I have always been quite driven that I wanted to do my own thing.

‘‘I knew it would be very hard to do it without backing. When Ollie spoke to me, I thought it was the perfect

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero

opportunity to do it together. I saw a future here.

‘‘I could have stayed at Dan’s and been an assistant for the next 20 years – but it was not what I wanted to do.’’

What works so well now for Greenall and Guerriero did take time to evolve. Both candidly admit it took a while for their working relationship to become harmonious.

Greenall recalls: ‘‘We had a lot of arguments to start with. I had been here six or seven years doing it myself. Josh wanted to do things the way he had been taught by Philip Hobbs, Victor Dartnall and Dan Skelton. I had come from Mick Easterby – quite different ways!

‘‘All the old staff at that point had worked for me for a long time and they were slightly on my side, saying, ‘Who’s this guy coming in?’.

‘‘It was tricky, but we soon realised that training is such an opinionated thing that it was important Josh focused on the training and I focused on the other side of it.

‘‘For the business to work, I knew my skills were getting the owners in, communicating with them and dealing with that side of the business. We didn’t have any big backers and because we are mainly syndicates that became more and more time-consuming.’’

Agreeing with his business partner, Guerriero adds: ‘‘It took us a while to find our roles. We had to do separate things because you never get a final decision if you are both trying to do the same thing.

‘‘Someone has to have the final say. Now we leave each other to our own job. It was the only way to make it work without any fallouts or complications.

‘‘I am pretty much always here at the stable. I don’t go racing too often apart from Aintree, Uttoxeter and Bangor, which is four miles down the road. I do all the feeding and like to be here to do all that.

‘‘There are owners who have input and will speak to me which works fine but, with Ollie largely dealing with them, I can be objective and try to do exactly what I think is best for the horse and find which race is best without being too influenced.’’

The partnership took a step forward when Guerriero’s name was added to the licence for the 2022-23 season.

Greenall says: ‘‘Josh said it would not really matter if his name was on the licence or not but the day he was put on the licence, I noticed a change, not in enthusiasm but the way he approached the business. He felt that

Oliver Greenall watches on as Ryan Day puts stable star Iroko through his paces while, inset, Blossom Tea (Robbie Dunne) and Dazzlelikethis (Henry Brooke, red cap) enjoy a schooling session

The Big Interview

Developing the skills of younger staff is an important part of the trainers’ business

›› responsibility. He felt more invested in it.’’

In a further illustration of the division of labour, much of the stable’s recruitment from domestic sales is delegated to bloodstock agent Dan Astbury, who used to work alongside Greenall and Guerriero before going freelance.

The stable also taps into the French venture set up by Lord Daresbury, which buys up to 15 foals a year and develops them in conjunction with the Cypres family at Haras de Cercy in the Nievre region, renowned for AQPS horses.

The talent from there has included Iroko, Gesskille, winner of last season’s Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree before suffering a fatal injury in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham a month later, Grade 2 winner Homme Public and Gaboriot, third in this year’s Grand Sefton.

“The more information you can give owners the happier they are”

There are a handful of individual owners at Stockton Hall Farm. JP McManus currently has three there which include Jagwar, a winner at Bangor and Wetherby already this season, useful juvenile hurdle recruit My Noble Lord as well as Iroko.

However, the stable revolves around syndicates. Owners are encouraged to visit any time but there is also an owners’ morning on the first Saturday of every month, with information on

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero

‘We’ll have to bump everyone up’

The hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions plus April’s rise in the national minimum wage announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the first Budget of the new Labour government will inevitably lead to owners having to pay more in their training bills.

That is the verdict of Oliver Greenall, who also feels too little attention is paid to the costs trainers incur developing the skills of their employees.

He says: ‘‘We are going to work out what it will cost us but, because most of our staff are aged between 18 and 23, it will probably hit us quite hard.

‘‘We pay the staff over the minimum wage, but we will have to bump everyone up. We will have to pass it on to the owners unfortunately, which we always try not to do.

‘‘The industry is dominated by younger people, so raising the minimum wage will have a big effect.

that plus all updates on horses shared via the Racing Manager App.

Greenall says: ‘‘A list will go out on Racing Manager saying what time a horse is out on the gallops, so you just turn up, have some breakfast and watch your horse.

‘‘We get on average 100 people on those mornings and all the main information also comes from Racing Manager. Each horse has its own page where we post all the videos and updates. Owners can access the horses they have a share in.

‘‘On a Monday the horses all jump so you get a jumping video and on Wednesday and Saturday they work so you should get one working video in a week.

‘‘Some things are automated so if the horse is about to run, Timeform do a written preview of the race and you get an entry note.

‘‘If you want to go to the races, you can click on to send me a notification and get a ticket.

‘‘Before and after the race we do a video of the jockey. There is a race replay and the next morning a trot-up video. We try to do set things and owners can write comments to each other. It works really well.’’

Greenall and Guerriero also engaged a software company to develop an

‘‘The problem we find is that a lot of staff are so inexperienced when they first arrive. Every year you get less and less people who have ridden all their lives.

“A lot have been to the races and fancy having a go. They go to college for nine to 12 weeks, get turfed out, and suddenly think they can work in racing, which is not the case.

‘‘Luckily, being a National Hunt yard, the horses tend to be nicer to ride at home so we can take on less experienced staff, but we have to put a lot of work in, with all the senior staff helping.

‘‘We have one girl who has recently completed a coaching module to try to help the staff. She rides upsides them once a week, trying to improve and help.

‘‘For the first two years at least, you have to give them extra time. Maybe they ride and muck out less. It is an investment.’’

owner portal on their website, which allows clients to keep up to date with their winnings and outgoings.

Greenall explains: ‘‘We have built our own accounting platform where we put all the accounts each month.

‘‘Financially, the syndicates are run differently. Some owners pay a set monthly fee, some pay an up-front fee, and some pay as they go. It depends how the syndicate is set up and we accommodate how an owner wants to do it.

‘‘If I am selling up two syndicates a month, one might be an up-front fee and one not to attract different people. Owners go on the portal to see where their account stands.

‘‘If their horse has won or perhaps they got some VAT back, you get a credit that month with some money back or, if you are not on a direct debit, maybe not having to pay that month. If you owe us money, you get billed.

‘‘With so many owners, for our cash flow, it’s important to the business.

‘’People want the information. The more you can give people we find the happier they are and the less questions there are.’’

No matter what the questions, with their innovative approach, Greenall and Guerriero seem to be coming up with plenty of the right answers.

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Jumping at Windsor

Then and now: November saw a gallops trial at Windsor as the track looks forward to resuming jump racing this month, while inset, runners on the hurdles course as it was back in 1989

GEORGE SELWYN

Back in the HUNT

The return of jump racing at Windsor has received the thumbs up from industry participants with the track’s Winter Million fixture set to provide owners and racegoers alike with some festive fireworks

Words: James Burn

December 15 might be a tad early for Christmas presents, but there will be a gift that day for racing fans when Windsor hosts the return of jumping after a near 20-year absence.

Dual Champion Hurdle hero Comedy Of Errors and Royal Athlete, who landed the Grand National a couple of years after winning at Windsor, are among the equine celebrities to have graced the location before it stopped jumping in 1998.

It made a brief cameo in 2004 and 2005, staging some of Ascot’s fixtures when the royal racecourse was being redeveloped, but owners Arena Racing Company (ARC) last year pledged to reintroduce the discipline and its bold plans included transferring the valuable Winter Million meeting from Lingfield.

That means in the New Year Windsor will stage two days of racing (January 17 and 19) either side of Ascot’s Clarence House card, creating the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million, which has £1.2 million in prize-money up for grabs.

back at Windsor, so we went away and researched it – Jon Pullin was our Director of Racing at the time and had actually ridden round Windsor during his time as a jump jockey.

“Winter jumping means you’re in the hands of the weather, so, should we get the fixtures away this season, we’d be looking to build on it and make it bigger and better. I think it will take a couple of years to establish, so we won’t make any knee-jerk reactions, but we think it’s got really good mileage.

“We started that inaugural Winter Million at Lingfield because we knew getting jumping back at Windsor wouldn’t be straightforward or a five-minute job. The concept we ended up with was advantageous to jumping, but there was always the view we would move it to Windsor when we got BHA permission.”

“We’re really encouraged by the public’s appetite for jumping here”

What makes Windsor somewhat special on the Flat is its figure-of-eight layout, which was in use for the jumping way back when, but was not considered this time round.

Recalling how the initial idea came about, Mark Spincer, Managing Director of ARC’s racing division, says: “It was a few years ago and we were looking at how we could be more innovative. It was a conversation [ARC Chief Executive] Martin Cruddace had about getting jumping

“I used to love riding there, it was a lovely course,” says former jockey Simon McNeill, whose greatest hit in the saddle came when Katabatic won the Champion Chase at the 1991 Cheltenham Festival.

“It was unique, but it was always busy with a good atmosphere and decent

DARREN COOL IMAGES

Jumping at Windsor

crowd. It was fun to ride round there – I wouldn’t say it was a challenge necessarily – but I can fully understand why, for safety reasons, they wouldn’t use that track now.”

A more conventional circuit, therefore, has been configured, creating a new back straight that means horses will gallop continuously in a left-handed direction.

“When we talked to the BHA, it was clear they would never let us use a figureof-eight track; what was licensed then wouldn’t be licensed now,” Spincer adds.

“That meant we put some extensions in down the riverbank going away from the course, which probably took 15 to 18 months to grow and get right. Now it’s nicely matured, and we can start racing soon.

“These things take time and can be done in half the time or take twice as long, it depends on the weather, but we wanted to give ourselves time to get it right. We’re also well supported on the Flat, so we wanted to make sure whatever alterations we made to the programme were received well by both codes.

“That had to come into the planning and then there are things such as buying roll-on, roll-off fences, which aren’t just readily available off the shelf.”

Clerk of the Course Charlie Rees, Arc executives Charlie Moore, Fraser Garrity

and Rebecca Davies, four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson, broadcaster Cornelius Lysaght and the BHA’s Peter Hobbs and Wayne Hutchinson – along with their now-retired colleague Richard Linley –are name-checked as playing pivotal parts in jumping returning, although the “list is as long as your arm” according to Spincer, who is mindful of managing both codes at the scenic site, which is adjacent to the River Thames.

“Our partnership with Ascot is brilliant; £40 buys you a pass for all three days”

“We’ve got three jumps fixtures and that will be our season,” he continues. “We’re running a dual track now and we’ve got to ensure we do our jumping in the traditional season and then give ourselves enough time to get the Flat track ready for the Flat season.

“The fixtures will not grow and if we

move a Flat fixture to a jumps fixture, that means losing a Flat fixture. Switching one meeting is maybe something we’d look at depending on how well it’s supported, but that’s all we’re talking about and we’re not looking to grow the fixtures as there are only so many horses you can put on that turf whether they’re jumps or Flat horses.”

Preparations for jumping at Windsor stepped up a notch in November when horses galloped – an exercise that drew something of a mixed response, albeit aspects of that were welcomed.

“I was there – we got some really good feedback from the jockeys who rode about things we could do slightly differently and we’ve taken it on board,” Spincer reflects.

“Those jockeys who arrive on December 15 will find things are as they recommended.”

The experienced operator is also hoping arrivals include plenty of racegoers, saying: “We’re delighted where we are for the December meeting. I think we’re nearly sold out for the hospitality and restaurants, and the general admission is selling well too. I think you’ll see a crowd on that Sunday that you might see on one of our good Monday night Flat meetings.

“We’re really encouraged by the public’s appetite at this stage for jumping at Windsor and there might be a bit of novelty factor, but the bit for us is that,

Trainers Kim Bailey and Nicky Henderson (right), who attended the gallops trial, are looking forward to saddling NH runners at Windsor

RACE PROGRAMME

FRIDAY 17 JANUARY

£30,000 THE FITZDARES BERKSHIRE WINTER MILLION NOVICES' HURDLE

£20,000 THE FITZDARES NOVICES' LIMITED HANDICAP STEEPLE CHASE

£75,000 THE FITZDARES LIGHTNING NOVICES' STEEPLE CHASE

£45,000 THE FITZDARES MARES' HANDICAP STEEPLE CHASE

£100,000 THE WEATHERBYS CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL BETTING GUIDE HURDLE

2m4f (5yo+) THE FITZDARES SOVEREIGN HANDICAP HURDLE

THE FITZDARES BERKSHIRE WINTER MILLION HANDICAP STEEPLE CHASE

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY THE FITZDARES MARES' NOVICES HURDLE

THE FITZDARES

Jumping at Windsor

traditionally, Sunday isn’t your biggest corporate day and we’re seeing people wanting to do that.

“I think our partnership with Ascot is brilliant too and for £40 you can buy a pass and go to all three days. That’s us working in collaboration with Ascot, which we could probably do more of in this industry. We’re trying to attract people who want to see quality jumps racing at that time of year at an affordable price.”

Six-time champion jumps trainer Nicky Henderson supplied some of the horses who galloped at the venue and is understandably excited by the prospect of having runners there.

“There’s that bend after the winning post, which they never use on the Flat, but it should be all right,” he notes, referring to one of the tighter elements of the track that concerned riders, although officials have been quick to act, reducing field sizes among other adjustments.

“It was always good ground and people loved it, while Windsor is handy for us Lambourn trainers. A lot of people might be under the impression because the track is by the river that it must be wet, but it wasn’t. That was a long time ago – I might be the only trainer who can remember that – and consequently a lot more water will have been put on the Flat course, so it might not ride as good as it did, but hopefully it remains nice ground.

“It’s a huge bonus it’s started again – I think it will be terrific. I think we had our first ever double when we started training there and I certainly rode there plenty of times as an amateur.

“Losing a racecourse like we did with Towcester not so long ago was tragic and this is the opposite of that – it’s very good news and it could easily be a success, especially when you consider the prizemoney on offer at the January meeting.”

Henderson’s training counterpart Kim Bailey is in full agreement and not just because Windsor was the scene of arguably his “biggest coup ever”.

“It was a horse called Sprung Rhythm, whom we backed at 33-1 and he went off at 10-1 before winning by 20-odd lengths –I loved Windsor,” he says fondly.

“The ground was always good, and I just remember it as a really nice course, which was lucky for me. I’m 100 per cent behind Windsor having jumping again and just wish we could do the same at Nottingham.

“I think the feedback has been good. That bend away from the stands is always going to be tight, but it’s a really good initiative. It’s a popular racecourse and for most people attending the big Winter Million meeting, is easier to get to than

Mark

Spincer highlights ARC’s recent investment in the Surrey racecourse

‘Lingfield

is an important jumps track’

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away is a phrase that might be on people’s minds given that Lingfield has lost its flagship fixture to create a new highlight for Windsor, but Mark Spincer, Managing Director of ARC’s racing division, is on the front foot when it comes to the future of National Hunt racing at the Surrey venue.

Eight jumps meetings are due to take place at Lingfield in 2025, but not one has the prestige or profile of the Berkshire Winter Million, although long-term fears for the code there should not exist, according to Spincer.

He says: “We’ve invested a lot of money in the last few years at Lingfield on the jumps track – the drainage etc – and that wasn’t just to host the Winter Million originally; we wouldn’t have bothered if that’s all we were thinking.

“It’s an important jumps track to us and it continues to be. Dickie Johnson helped us with that work and, talking to him, it’s put Lingfield back in

Lingfield.

“I’m thrilled. It’s a disaster Towcester closed and is still sitting there unused, so this is great news. I haven’t got any runners earmarked for that first meeting yet, but hope to have some.

“I know Windsor’s Flat meetings are

contention as a very decent jumps course. Some of the challenges we had to overcome with the drainage means we might have missed horses because the ground wasn’t what they wanted.

“Now it’s more even, we’re hopefully back in the shop window for those runners and we can deliver good safe ground for them.

“Drainage isn’t a sexy subject, but having good, safe ground for horses is one of the most important things we can do.”

At pains to point out how Arena Racing Company values its jumps offering, Spincer adds: “We’ve invested in a new weighing room at Worcester, which opened this summer. I know it’s taken a couple of years but that was a significant investment and we’ve done lots of drainage work at Southwell, Newcastle and Doncaster as well, so we’re investing in our jumps tracks as much as our Flat tracks.

“We see both codes as important and won’t change that opinion.”

popular on a Monday night – and why wouldn’t you go racing on a lovely summer evening – but I think the jumping will be popular too, it always was. I’ve nothing but positive things to say about it.”

Bailey, it seems, is not the only one with that view.

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Sire of a Classic Winner and Precocious Stakes Sprinters

Polar Falcon x Spurned (Robellino)

Whitbread Salver for Leading Active British-based Stallion 2023-24 by prize-money

Sire in 2024 of Gr.1 winner STRONG LEADER & Gr.1 Chaser DASHEL DRASHER

Galileo x Chelsea Rose (Desert King)

Tough Dual Group 1 Classic Winner by GALILEO

His first crop of 108 will be three-year-olds in 2025

Invincible Spirit x Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge)

Multiple Stakes producing sire by Sire of Sires INVINCIBLE SPIRIT

Sire in 2024 of smart sprinter TEES SPIRIT & 44% winners to runners

Folland-Bowen Bloodstock

On the RISE

Following a year of landmark results for Natalie Folland and Matt Bowen of Folland-Bowen Bloodstock, the team are now looking forward to further expansion in 2025

Words: James Thomas

Folland-Bowen Bloodstock has just completed its third yearling sale season since business partners Natalie Folland and Matt Bowen branched out under their own banner. The outfit already looked to be going places at a rate of knots prior to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, but the team came away from a buoyant renewal

of Book 2 toasting some landmark results.

The three-strong draft generated receipts totalling 1,140,000gns, with the group headed by a Sea The Stars colt closely related to six-time Group 3 winner Al Aasy who went the way of Godolphin at 550,000gns. The following day, Stroud Coleman Bloodstock signed

Matt Bowen and Natalie Folland enjoyed one of their best results at the recent Tattersalls October Sale

at 460,000gns for the outfit’s Too Darn Hot filly.

The results prompted some emotional scenes among the Folland-Bowen team, and deservedly so. Not merely on account of the magnitude of the prices involved, but because these sorts of successes are only made possible by the kind of hard yards that usually go unseen.

“Even now the October Sale results feel surreal, the week flew by,” says Folland. “We’re so incredibly grateful for the support we’ve had since we set up on our own. We all work so hard and treat every horse like they’re our own; it’s very personal for us all. Being entrusted with our clients’ horses means the world to us and for the yearlings to be purchased by some of the best judges in the industry for serious prices means it will be a week we won’t forget.”

In some respects these results have been a lifetime in the making. The 37-year-old Folland has been involved

in the industry since her school days and tailored her education around a career with horses. As well as being an equine sports massage therapist, she also gained a stud management qualification

“We all work so hard and treat every horse like they’re our own”

and a degree in equine science before establishing her career in bloodstock.

“I met Jenny and Liam Norris in my teenage years and worked for them around school, college and university,”

she says. “I also worked the sales for other stud farms and I focused my qualifications around stud management and equine massage. I then went on to manage Elkington Stud for Jane Keir for eight years before we set up FollandBowen Bloodstock.”

Rather than reaching for the more familiar industry names, when Folland is asked who has proved the greatest source of inspiration in her career she points to the influence of the late Mary Bromiley, the renowned equine physiotherapist who was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her services to equine sport.

Folland is not alone in admiring Bromiley’s work, as Martin Pipe credited the success of top-class staying chaser Carvill’s Hill to her talents, while she also treated the stable’s Grand National winner Miinnehoma.

“Mary Bromiley changed everything for me,” says Folland. “Mary was the Fonthill Stud in Wiltshire is home to the burgeoning Folland-Bowen operation

Folland-Bowen Bloodstock

›› visionary who laid the foundations of the veterinary physiotherapy profession. She was an incredible horsewoman and a fantastic teacher.

“Mary encouraged us to look at every horse as an individual and think outside the box. The time I spent training with her was invaluable. She’s sorely missed by all who knew her. How we manage the horses in our care and how we work them during sales preparation is largely down to her influence.”

It was during her time at Elkington Stud in Oxfordshire that Folland met Bowen, 41, who was running a nearby farm that comprised 2,000 acres of arable farm land and 2,000 indoor pigs. The pair are no longer a couple, but the arrival of their daughter was what initially prompted them to bring their working lives closer together.

“When we found out we were having our little girl, Imogen, Matt moved over to work at Elkington Stud,” Folland continues. “We decided having two busy management roles and trying to raise a baby was going to mean both of us missing out on pieces of her childhood, and so working together was the most sensible way forward.”

The way forward led them in a new direction in 2021 when the pair left Elkington to establish Folland-Bowen Bloodstock at the historic Fonthill Stud, which sits within the grounds of the picturesque Fonthill Estate in south-west Wiltshire.

The stud was established in 1952 by the first Lord Margadale, grandfather of trainer Hughie Morrison, and enjoyed a golden period in the 1970s thanks to blue hen mare Set Free. The daughter of

bred two winners of the Oaks in Juliette Marny (1975) and Scintillate (1979), while Julio Mariner, a Blakeney brother to Juliette Marny, won the 1978 St Leger.

More recently the farm has produced the likes of US Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 Gamely Stakes second Bodhicitta and the high-class Tropbeau. The chance to operate out of somewhere with such a storied past was too good to pass up.

“We noticed Fonthill Stud had come up for rent and we suspected that Elkington Stud’s owner, Jane Keir, may start to wind down in the coming years,” says Folland. “We were both working there together and wanted our own setup eventually, and historic nurseries like Fonthill Stud don’t come up often. We

were blown away by the character of the yard and knew instantly we wanted to be based here.”

Receiving the keys set in motion a steep upward trajectory. “We moved in on November 1, 2021,” continues Folland. “We’ve progressed so much in those three years and we couldn’t be happier with the direction that the business is heading. We have a solid team and fantastic owners that we’re very grateful for. We’re just about to expand further and sign the lease on a second local stud so we can take on more foaling and barren mares for 2025.”

As the expansion suggests, there is plenty going on at Folland-Bowen Bloodstock at present. There is a division of labour, but, as anyone who has worked in a busy stud or stable will recognise, the team putting its collective shoulder to the wheel takes priority over clearly defined roles.

“We currently have 68 horses at Fonthill Stud and our surrounding grazing land,” says Folland. “Our team currently consists of six full-time and two part-time members. Everyone mucks in together and does a bit of everything, but we do all have our own set roles and responsibilities within the team too. Matt manages the land and maintenance team whilst I head the equine team.”

Up-and-coming British bloodstock operators are not exactly ten a penny, yet despite the clear and obvious challenges presented by the paucity of prize-money, Folland sees plenty to be positive about in the domestic industry’s future. And, moreover, shaping this future is something the Folland-Bowen team are already taking an active role in, not only

Worden

The outfit sold this Sea The Stars colt for 550,000gns at the Tattersalls October Sale

BILL SELWYN

Karl Burke with his Group 2 winner Flight Plan, a celebrated Folland-Bowen graduate

Won Gr.1 Frank E Kilroe Mile Stakes

Won Gr.2 Del Mar Handicap (3 times)

Won Gr.2 Charles Whittingham Stakes (2024)

Won Gr.2 Eddie Read Stakes 36 Stakes winners/performers (10 new Stakes horses in 2024)

Te highest-ranked sire standing under £15k in Europe by number of winners in 2024 (European Sires by no. of winners from 1/1/24 to 16/10/24 in

Marray Toroughbred Services) 57% winners/runners worldwide

Folland-Bowen Bloodstock

providing guidance for their staff but also a work-life balance.

“I think we have plenty of ambitious up-and-coming horsemen and horsewomen in the UK,” Folland says. “Even in the last 12 months we’ve seen some new set-ups and younger members of the industry taking the spotlight with fantastic results.

“Staffing issues seem to be a challenge across the board but we have a young team here and we don’t shy away from teaching or encouraging people to join the industry. Over the years I’ve introduced teenagers into the industry that have then gone on to work for some of the best studs around the world and some have even set up their own businesses.

“I’m incredibly proud of everything they’ve achieved and I’m always on the end of the phone for them even now if they want to run things by me. As an industry we need to make sure we’re providing good working hours, good wages and keeping our teams engaged and progressing within industry.”

She adds: “We are concerned about the British bloodstock industry as many of the well-bred and successful horses get sold abroad. However, this year’s push to keep some of these better bred yearlings in the UK has been positive. For example, Amo Racing’s influence on the sales results was phenomenal. However, prize-money in the UK needs an overhaul to keep owners and breeders involved in the industry long term. This has been

“We set realistic goals for the team to keep everyone focused”

echoed for some time now by trainers, owners and breeders.”

Events at the latest edition of Book 2 are not the only results the FollandBowen team have had to celebrate in recent times. At last year’s December Mares Sale they sold the Group 3-placed Adaay To Remember to Tally-Ho Stud for 160,000gns on behalf of GB Horseracing, while on the track the classy Flight Plan’s all-the-way win in the Group 2 Dullingham Park Stakes is nominated as another highlight.

“Seeing Flight Plan win the

Dullingham Park Stakes last year was really special,” says Folland. “Liam Norris and William Huntingdon purchased his dam, Romp, for 14,000gns for Jane Keir. Having organised the Night Of Thunder mating with Jane, our team foaled, raised and prepped him as a yearling. Seeing him produce a Group 2 win was fantastic.

“We also have his gorgeous yearling half-sister by Pinatubo and his dam Romp, who’s in foal to Oasis Dream, heading to the Tattersalls December Sales, which is going to be emotional because she’s been in my care for nine years.”

Romp and her Pinatubo filly are not the only Folland-Bowen offerings that catch the eye at this year’s December Sales, either. “We have something for everyone for the foal and mare sales,” Folland says of the 20-strong consignment. “There are some lovely young mares with up-and-coming pages with well-planned covers.”

Few covers can have been better planned than that of headline act Kentucky Belle, who heads through the ring during the first blue-chip Sceptre Session. The ten-year-old is being offered on behalf of breeder Elaine Chivers, a loyal supporter who keeps a sizable broodmare band at Fonthill Stud.

The mare is best known as the dam of Isaac Shelby, winner of the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at two and Group 3 Greenham at three, in which he beat no less a rival than outstanding miler Charyn. Isaac Shelby was also just a short-neck away from Classic glory, having narrowly lost out to Marhaba Ya Sanafi in last

year’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

Kentucky Belle is being offered in foal to Night Of Thunder, meaning she is carrying a full-sibling to Isaac Shelby, whose own profile has been enhanced with the recent announcement that he will take up stallion duty at Newsells Park Stud in 2025.

“Kentucky Belle knows she’s special,” says Folland. “She passes on her fantastic temperament, good conformation and athletic way of going to her progeny. We’re all very excited that Isaac Shelby will be standing at Newsells Park for the 2025 season and we’ll be supporting him heavily. We also have Kentucky Belle’s yearling filly by Sergei Prokofiev heading to the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. Sergei has obviously hit the ground running with his first crop and this filly certainly looks like she’ll follow suit.”

The December Sales draft looks set to see Folland-Bowen finish what has already been a memorable year on a high. Topping 2024 won’t be easy. But the pair would not have got this far without their share of ambition, and there is a clear determination to make the next 12 months every bit as productive as the last.

“We’re in competition with ourselves,” Folland says. “We set realistic goals for the team each year to keep everyone focused and ensure we’re constantly moving forward.

“We want to keep the operation small enough that the individual care doesn’t change and we want to keep building on producing high-quality, tough and sound racehorses that deliver results at the sales and on the track.”

Romp, dam of Flight Plan, is catalogued to sell at the Tattersalls December Sale

Fee: £22,500 (1st October SLF)

• Sire of 5 GROUP 1 WINNERS

• Sire of 21 GROUP/STAKES horses in 2024 including Gr.1 and Gr.2 winner FANTASTIC MOON

Gr.1 and Gr.3 winner ASSISTENT

• Also sire of 12 individual 2yo winners in 2024 including Listed winner INSTANT FRAGILE Group 3 placed SHANDANA Listed placed QUEBEC and SECRET OF LOVE

• Champion Sire in Germany in 2023 and 2024

• In 2023, sire of the Group 1 German Derby winner and the Group 1 German Oaks winner

STUDY OF MAN

Fee: £25,000 (1st October SLF)

• Sire of 11 Group/Stakes horses including Gr.1 winner KALPANA, Gr.2 winners BIRTHE and DEEPONE from his first crop, 3yos of 2024

• Also sire of 9 2yo winners in 2024 including REVOIR, ALMERIC, MANY MEN and Group placed ALLA STELLA

• Leading 2nd Crop Northern Hemisphere Sire with 9.72% Group Horses to Runners

• Leading 2nd Crop European Sire with 13.89% Stakes Horses to Runners

• Yearling colts sold in 2024 made 260,000gns, 220,000gns, 210,000gns, etc and at Tattersalls Book 2 averaged £143,193 (€171,832)

SPRINGFIELD HOUSE STALLIONS 2025

Only Gr.1 July Cup Winner by Sire of Sires INVINCIBLE SPIRIT

PROVEN SIRE OF TOP CLASS SPRINTERS

Yearlings Averaged €29,000 in 2024

Fee: €4,250 1st Oct SLF

CHAMPION SPRINTER, GROUP WINNER AT 2 AND 3

Sound Bloodlines of KODIAC and GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

Family of Champion Miler BENBATL, Gr.1 1,000 Guineas Winner EMALKA, etc.

Fee: €8,000 1st Oct SLF

Breeders’ Digest

Nancy Sexton Bloodstock Editor

End of an era as chapter closes for pair of stalwarts

It says something for the consistency of a stallion when the industry comes to take them almost for granted.

There is some truth in that notion for both Invincible Spirit and Acclamation, two brilliant stallions who were officially retired last month by their respective connections following years of successful stud service.

Consider this: there are some industry players out there who weren’t even born when either Invincible Spirit or Acclamation were retired to stud.

Invincible Spirit joined the Irish National Stud in 2003 having secured an elusive Group 1 win by a nostril in the Haydock Sprint Cup. At the time, the stud housed another high-profile son of Green Desert in the Classicwinning miler Desert Prince. While he was the popular go-to young stallion at €35,000, Invincible Spirit was the cheaper Green Desert alternative at €10,000. Yet within five years, he was the one commanding €75,000 while Desert Prince’s star waned en route to exile.

At his peak, Invincible Spirit was one of Ireland’s most important stallions at €120,000. Plenty of his stock possessed that Green Desert pace and they were often smart, sharp-looking types, all of which made his progeny appealing in the ring. And as time went on, he made a name for himself as a sire of sires through the likes of I Am Invincible and Kingman – although that reputation has been eroded to some extent in the past few years by a series of recent underwhelming sons.

Nevertheless, Invincible Spirit retires having been the most remarkable servant to the European industry, in particular the Irish National Stud for whom his importance cannot be underestimated. His current roll call consists of 22 winners at the top level while in addition to supplying various leading sire sons he has found some momentum as a broodmare sire, as the likes of Notable Speech and Starlust have illustrated to good effect this year.

Acclamation’s importance to Rathbarry Stud in County Cork, meanwhile, pays a further tribute of the legacy of Liam Cashman. Cashman

Cashman with Acclamation

secured the son of Royal Applause, winner of the Diadem Stakes at Ascot for Gerald Cottrell, during his racing career with the assistance of Patrick Cooper of the BBA Ireland, but died in 2010 just as the horse was getting going.

Like Invincible Spirit, Acclamation was initially a friend of the smaller breeder, providing plenty of those who used him during his early days at €10,000 with a good turn while he maintained his upward trajectory. Early on it was apparent that the typical Acclamation was a tough and genuine type capable of coming to hand early. And like Invincible Spirit, several sons were quick to pick up the baton, notably Yeomanstown Stud’s Dark Angel, a member of his first crop who is on course to be crowned this year’s champion sire, and Mehmas, a recordbreaking two-year-old sire of 2024 who continues to go from strength to strength at Tally-Ho Stud.

There is an understandable pride at Rathbarry Stud in Acclamation, not just in light of his success, which consists of seven Group 1 winners including latest stars Romantic Warrior and Makarova, but the fact that he retires on his own terms with hopefully a long retirement ahead of him.

“For us, he was our Galileo,” says the stud’s Niamh Woods. “Dad [Liam Cashman] bought him through Patrick Cooper. There were a lovely bunch

of people involved with him as a racehorse and several stayed involved with him at stud, people like David Powell [of Catridge Farm who co-bred Acclamation out of Princess Athena].

“I think the attitude and soundness of his progeny went a long way. There was a longevity to a lot of them. Look at Romantic Warrior winning again [in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong] the other day. And the likes of Oh This Is Us [winner of 17 of 90 starts] as well. There’s so many of them by him who kept running and I think that helped make him so popular with trainers.

“He’s always been very easy to do, very fertile, but time took its toll this season. Many thanks go to Clive Cox, our stallion man, who has wrapped him up in cotton wool and really looked after him.”

Rathbarry Stud brings down the curtain on Acclamation’s career in the knowledge that his influence on the breed is flourishing.

For starters, Dark Angel has a collection of sons at stud, one of which will be the top miler Charyn in 2025, and is well regarded as a broodmare sire. Mehmas also has a growing group of young sire sons out there despite being a relatively young ten-year-old himself. As for Rathbarry Stud, the operation has its own young son of Acclamation on the roster in Bouttemont, who covered 81 mares in his first season this year.

Meanwhile, Acclamation’s daughters continue to be well sought after thanks to a broodmare sire record that consists of almost 40 stakes winners led by Broome and Eqtidaar.

“He was one of those that if you got a colt, then great,” says Woods. “But if you got a filly, then that was still great because you had the chance of a serious throw on the track and then again if you decided to breed from her. He was one of those rare stallions where it didn’t really matter what you got by him.

“He’s been a wonderful servant, not just to us but to the shareholders and breeders who used him. He really was good to everyone and for us he’ll always be a star.”

RATHBARRY STUD

Catherine

Sales

Circuit • By

Carl Evans

Logic set aside as top end remains relentlessly strong

Arqana October Yearling Sale

Aggregate: up. Average: up. Median: up. Trade at this five-day sale of yearlings followed on from gains seen at the Tattersalls October Sale Books 1 and 2 and consolidated at the Goffs Orby Sale.

Choice yearlings are a global commodity, and despite some experts stating the world is less safe now than at any time since the height of the Cold War, the colourful theatre of horseracing – whether viewed as a business or a sporting pastime – remains a luxury item of addiction, and immune to logic. The wealthier the buyer, the more determined they seem to purchase the very best horses, which is keeping the top of the market as strong as ever.

This was evidenced when totals for Part I of the sale, a single session dedicated to the cream of the crop, were completed. The average price hit six figures for the first time, rising 14 per cent to nearly €105,000, turnover rose by the same percentage to nearly €18 million and 86 per cent of the 197 offered lots found new homes.

When Part II followed up with further good business, a record turnover for the entire sale was achieved with two full days of selling remaining. The final total of just over €29.3m was a rise of 13 per cent and there were new highs in the

average price of €48,251 (up nine per cent) and median of €28,500 (up 13 per cent). However, the reality of trade further down the scale could be seen in the figures for Part III, which was held over two sessions. All the key indicators were down, although a fatter final session involving 67 more yearlings than 12

months earlier did lead to higher turnover.

Extra horses also hit the overall clearance rate which dropped two points to 84 per cent.

A son of Darley sire Night Of Thunder jointly headed trade when selling to trainer Yann Barberot for €500,000 after being offered by the Didier Reedmanaged Haras du Mont Dit Mont, which is based in northern France not far from Deauville. The colt in question was a first foal for the Siyouni mare Paramount, who was bought by Reed’s farm for €140,000 as a yearling and later won and was Group 3-placed on the racecourse.

The other €500,000 sale was created by trainer Paddy Twomey and agent Jason Kelly, who combined to purchase a son of Kingman offered by Andreas Putsch’s Haras de Saint Pair. This colt was foaled by the Listed-winning and Group 1-placed Pivotal mare Via Pisa, a halfsister to top-class Japanese performer and now sire Admire Mars and very talented Via Firenze. Via Pisa’s progeny include yearlings who have been sold by Saint Pair for €950,000 and €850,000, which provides outsiders with an insight into the money-making mares that are out there if luck is on your side.

Putsch’s operation also traded a

This Kingman colt out of Via Pisa contributed to a good sale for Haras de Saint Pair

Yann Barberot will train this Night Of Thunder colt, who jointly topped the sale at €500,000

€420,000 colt by new sire Space Blues to agents Peter and Ross Doyle, who were acting for Pia Brandt’s client Stall Perlen, while the same sum enabled trainer Fabrice Chappet and racehorse owner Jean-Christophe Moran to sign for a Victor Ludorum colt from Haras d’Ombreville. Moran, who has been a successful owner of trotters, is now trying his luck with thoroughbreds. His purchase had been foaled by Alakhana, whose top foal, Group 2 winner Jayarebe, suffered a cardiac arrest a few days after

this sale having crossed the line in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. A tough outcome for Brian Meehan’s stable and owner Iraj Parvizi.

Stock by Kildangan Stud’s Space Blues proved popular, his seven sold yearlings changing hands for an average of €129,000, not bad for an advertised covering fee of €17,500 in 2022. The Henri Bozo-managed Haras des Monceaux headed vendors, turning over €3,140,000 and 26 horses, while Stroud Coleman Bloodstock was leading buyer

Arqana October Yearling Sale

through ten purchases for just over €1.9m. The agency’s highest-value acquisition was a €380,000 Sea The Stars colt from Monceaux.

Statistics

(including private sales)

Sold: 615 (84% clearance)

Aggregate: €29,387,000 (+13%)

Average: €48,251 (+9%)

Median: €28,500 (+13%)

Sex/breeding

C Kingman - Via Pisa Haras de Saint Pair

C Night Of Thunder – Paramount Haras du Mont Dit Mont

C Space Blues – Wismar Haras de Saint Pair

C Victor Ludorum – Alakhana Haras d’Ombreville

C Wootton Bassett – Dramatically La Motteraye Consignment

Tattersalls Autumn

Horses-in-Training Sale

Australian dollars and Middle-Eastern dirhams, riyals and dinars helped drive this sale ahead of last year’s edition and close to the record-breaking auction held in 2022.

There was a new sale-topping price of 1.3m gns, no less than 300,000gns above the previous best, while the clearance rate held steady year-on-year at 88 per cent. This was helped by a smaller catalogue which resulted in 86 fewer lots being offered – a prudent prune perhaps – yet turnover gained six per cent at just over 35.6m gns. The average price grew 13 per cent to just under 35,000gns, while the median was up seven per cent at 16,000gns.

So all seems fairly rosy in this particular area of horseracing, and might prompt members of the British government, if aware of the strength of trade at this and the frontline yearling auctions of late, to assume the industry

500,000 Jason Kelly Bloodstock/Paddy Twomey

500,000 Yann Barberot

420,000 Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock

420,000 Fabrice Chappet/Jean-Christophe Moran

400,000 Michael Kinane

Hubie de Burgh: co-purchaser of Delius

Classy three-year-old Delius set a new sale record when

Sales Circuit

as a whole is doing fine. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is not averse to racing – he attended the St Leger meeting in a social capacity – but at the conclusion of this sale Tattersalls’ Chairman Edmond Mahony rounded on the Budget that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had delivered three days earlier.

In a rare public delve into politics, Mahony said: “The implications of it [the budget] will have far-reaching effects, not only on all businesses in the racing industry, but more long-term on breeders and trainers, who could now be liable for inheritance tax on their assets. The effects of these changes are surely going to have a negative impact on the whole racing and breeding sector in this country.”

He could have highlighted the additional national insurance contributions which racing employers –and, in the context of this sale, think trainers – are now set to pay, but he left

that to others. A couple of weeks later, in a link to his inheritance tax comment, farmers marched through London to highlight their fears at the Budget’s impact.

Mahony was on more familiar ground when thanking visitors from around the world, singling out Australia and the Middle East, but also “a large contingent of European buyers, especially from Spain and Italy,” and he also noted involvement from the domestic “Flat and National Hunt fraternities”.

According to the Chairman, Australian buyers invested more than 6m gns, with 1.3m gns of that total being spent on one horse, the aforementioned sale-topper. Delius, a three-year-old Frankel colt with a Group 3 win and Group 1 places in his form, had cost MV Magnier 675,000gns as a foal. He later joined Jean-Claude Rouget to race for the familiar Coolmore team, but his new owners involve a partnership which includes Aussie legend Gai Waterhouse and leading racehorse owner Sir Owen Glenn.

Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale

Atlantic Coast 3 c Kodiac - Liwa Palace

Too Bossy For Us 3 c Golden Horn - Above The Clouds

Mountain Bear 3 c No Nay Never - Holy Alliance

Caviar Heights: Listed winner was bought for 520,000gns to race on with William Haggas

Guy Mulcaster: busy for Chris Waller

Agents Johnny McKeever and Hubie de Burgh pulled the partnership together and then headed off opposition in the ring, including from other Australian interests. If Delius were to win next year’s Melbourne Cup, he would look cheap.

Guy Mulcaster, who represents leading down-under trainer Chris Waller, missed out on the top lot, but he gained another three-year-old son of Frankel in the gelded form of Hutchence, a 310,000gns yearling who was resold for 460,000gns. Consigned by the Alex Elliottspearheaded Imperium Sales, which made a debut splash at this sale last year when selling 575,000gns top lot Balance Play, Hutchence had won three times and gained an official rating of 97 while racing for Valmont from Ralph Beckett’s stable.

Another Imperium-offered, Becketttrained lot, the 98-rated Mr Monaco, was sold for 410,000gns to Will Bourne representing Australian trainer Ciaron Maher. The result was a windfall for The Obank Partnership in whose colours Mr

Goffs UK October HIT & Yearling Sale

Goffs UK managed to put an additional 26 offered lots on this one-day mixed sale, although Managing Director Tim Kent would still like to gain more support from vendors.

He made that comment in an end-of-sale statement, pointing out the auction “acted as an outlet for trainers and yearling vendors to trade stock at all levels of the market”. It might be assumed that with Tattersalls having closed its Ascot venue – which for many was an ideal location to buy or sell inexpensive horses – an auction like this would be a sound outlet for horses of all abilities and from Flat and jump backgrounds, although online sales are impacting some horses-in-training auctions.

Kent was able to point out that his company’s Doncaster venue can generate big-sum transactions, as witnessed by events at its Summer Sale, but that was down to a very appealing dispersal of horses owned by Chris Giles, and this auction had nothing of the same quality.

It did have a semi-dispersal of horses offered from the County Carlow yard of John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, who starts a ‘gross negligence’ suspension on December 1 following the removal of a dead horse from his stables on a trailer pulled by his branded horsebox. The carcass was covered with a tarpaulin which became untethered on the journey, exposing the

Monaco raced, because Elliott – in his guise as bloodstock agent – had bought the horse as a yearling for £35,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale.

Those seeking high-price adrenalin at this auction needed to attend on the Tuesday, the second of the five-day auction, for it contained the best of the bunch. During this session another big-money moment saw the 520,000gns sale of three-year-old colt Caviar Heights, who, pleasingly for domestic racing, was bought by agent Sam Haggas on behalf of a client of his father, Newmarket trainer William Haggas.

Andrew Balding had purchased the horse on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum for 300,000gns as a yearling and saddled him to win a maiden race, but he was then sent to Karl Burke for the latest season. From his Yorkshire yard the son of Sea The Stars gained a Listed win and a rating high of 109.

This annual auction is good business for The Castlebridge Consignment which

regularly receives a squadron of horses to put through the ring. It sold 129 on this occasion, turning over nearly 3.8m gns, which was slightly more than Coolmore’s 30 lots sold for nearly 3.6m gns.

The Goff/Brown/Boman/Biggs team behind Blandford Bloodstock were leading buyers with 13 purchases for nearly 2m gns, just ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Najd Stud and Archdale Bloodstock, which bought 12 horses for 1.5m gns.

Horses by champion sire Frankel were in big demand, but those by Darley stallion Territories were notably popular too. That is a good omen for breeders in India, for the 12-year-old will be standing at Poonawalla Stud next year.

Statistics

Sold: 1,020 (88% clearance)

Aggregate: 33,705,774gns (+6%)

Average: 34,955gns (+13%)

Median: 16,000gns (+7%)

scene to the public and being widely shared and viewed on social media.

Hanlon attended Doncaster for the dispersal and looked on as 15 of his 24 lots – which did not include star chaser Hewick – changed hands for receipts of £113,000. He told the media: “It’s a lonely day when you have to come here, when they put you to do this. I don’t think it’s very fair,” although he may have felt a little brighter 24 hours later when his ten-month suspension was reduced to six on appeal.

Top-lot honours went to six-year-old

Bowling Buddy who had been bought for £20,000 at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale in May – when he was a recent Irish point-topoint winner – by the astute father-andson team of Aiden and Olly Murphy. Olly trained the gelding to win three hurdles from late August to mid-October, then returned him to the ring at this sale where he was knocked down for £58,000. Northumberland trainer Adam Nicol, who is based at Seahouses, signed the buyers’ sheet.

Of 28 yearlings offered at the end of the session, 13 found a buyer but

Bowling Buddy: triple winner was bought for £58,000 to join Adam Nicol

Sales Circuit

invariably for little money. Jason Kelly took this opportunity to secure some inexpensive fire power for next season, bagging six lots including the highestpriced yearling, a £22,000 daughter of Zoustar from Yapham Manor Stud.

The slightly-larger catalogue which

Bowling Buddy 6 g Ask - Oscar Beag

Highly Recommended 5

Cossack Chach 4 g Churchill - Infatuation

How About No 4 g Galiway - Feriadargent

Goffs Autumn HIT and Yearling Sales

A smaller horses-in-training catalogue, a slightly larger book of yearlings, but increased figures in both sections gave this four-day sale a positive outcome.

Returning to a familiar theme, Goffs Group MD Henry Beeby thanked vendors who supported the in-training catalogue, but urged more to come forward and support the sale. Obliquely referencing the Newmarket-based competition run by Tattersalls he said “a monopoly is never good for any product,” and said the sums achieved for quality horses entered by Goffs’ shareholder and long-time supporter the Aga Khan were evidence that his company could attract buyers and gain top prices for vendors.

The 87-year-old Aga Khan’s draft was all over the top-ten board of horses who

saw 135 horses walk the ring helped turnover, but not the clearance rate which lost two points at 68 per cent. The 88 lots who found new homes generated turnover of £760,000 (up 27 per cent), while the average gained five per cent, but the median dipped 20 per cent.

UK October HIT & Yearling Sale

Statistics

Sold: 92 (68% clearance)

Aggregate: £760,000 (+27%)

Average: £8,261 (+5%)

Median: £4,000 (-20%)

€220,000 sale-topper will continue his career in the

had shown their mettle on the track, and were headed by the €220,000 sale of Ridhaz, a three-year-old Iffraaj gelding with two wins to his name this year from the stable of Michael Halford and Tracey Collins. Billy Jackson-Stops was keen to buy Ridhaz, but BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe landed the decisive bid and

said the horse’s next stop would be in the Middle East. Donohoe said: “He likes fast ground and is a winner on the allweather, so he should have everything to suit him out there.” And sunshine.

An unnamed client of Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman gained the Aga Khan’s Masoun, a €105,000 son of

Goffs

Warren Chase Stables (Olly Murphy)

Adam Nicol

Nicholson/Poplar Cottage (Phil Rowley)

Mary Lewis

P McGrath Bloodstock/ Gold Star Promotions

Jamie Railton

Lizzie Quinlan

Ridhaz:

Middle East

Bobby O’Ryan: agent signed for no fewer than 69 yearlings at the Autumn Sale

Too Darn Hot. Like Ridhaz, Masoun was a dual winner on the Flat this year, in his case for trainer Johnny Murtagh.

Breaking the Aga Khan’s hold on big prices was seven-year-old

Thecompanysergeant, a five-time winner over jumps, successful in a beginners’ chase, with an official rating of 136 and the scope to go higher. Offered by owner Martin Cooney from trainer Denis Hogan’s yard, the son of Kayf Tara was sold to Gavin Cromwell and agent Kevin Ross for €110,000.

TALKING POINT

During two-and-a-half days of selling yearlings, Eastern European buyers were to the fore. Racehorse owners from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Poland, and not forgetting the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, did not invest at the top end, but with 125 sales to Eastern Europe alone they certainly helped oil the wheels and guide the clearance rate up three points to one of 79 per cent. Rises in turnover (just over €3.8m) and average price (€8,737) and a break-even mark for median (€5,000) were welcome, yet Beeby described the figures as “hardly a cause for celebration and at the lower end of the scale”.

Beeby added that overseas buyers had been vital, and commented that Autumn Sale yearlings would next year be racing at “all corners of the globe.”

Observers did not have to wait long for the top-priced yearling to emerge, for the filly in question, a daughter of Shadwell Stud sire Mohaather, was sold on day one some hours after the in-training sale had been completed.

• Goffs’ chief Henry Beeby described figures gained at his company’s Autumn Sale of yearlings as “hardly a cause for celebration and at the lower end of the scale”.

However, a slightly different note came from buyer Tom Whitehead, who said breeze-up consignors were having difficulties buying yearlings to resell next spring. That may have been a reference to a shortage of yearlings suitable for breezing, or a reflection of high prices at some other yearling auctions.

Figures can give a general view of the market and are a handy tool, but individual buyers and sellers can be in clover or sack-cloth from one year to the next.

Goffs Autumn HIT and Yearling Sales

Agent Barry Lynch and trainer Jack Davison combined to lift this pearl with a bid of €110,000, gaining a daughter of the mare Aneen, a Listed-placed half-sister to steadily resurgent Derrinstown sire Awtaad.

A Tsui family-bred Pinatubo colt with more talented relatives was sold for €75,000 at the final session and took second place on the top-ten table. His dam, Sea The Sun, is a half-sister to Lanwades Stud’s Classic-winning stallion Sea The Moon and from Sacarina’s sire-producing family of Samum and Schiaparelli. Trainer Sheila Lavery made the winning bid for the yearling colt on behalf of a syndicate.

Conor Walsh of Wexford’s Beechlane Stables enjoyed a pinhook profit when trading a Mehmas colt bought at the Sapphire Sale last year for €13,000 and resold at this auction for €60,000 to breeze-up consignor Tom Whitehead, while Italy’s Marco Bozzi gained a €57,000 Starspanglebanner filly from The Castlebridge Consignment.

HIT statistics

Sold: 81 (86% clearance)

€1,417,950 (+11%)

€17,506 (+26%)

€5,500 (-27%)

Yearling statistics

Sold: 436 (79% clearance)

Aggregate: €3,809,200 (+17%)

€8,737 (+4%)

€5,000 (0%)

This Mohaather filly led the yearling sale GOFFS

Sales Circuit

Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale Challenges for NH breeders were evident at this famous auction of young jumping stock where there was another drop in the figures from the high of 2022.

An extra session 12 months ago had been devoted to a 36-lot dispersal of the late Kieran Lennon’s stock from Springhill Stud, but returning to a four-day format the event resulted in 797 horses entering the ring, 179 fewer than in 2023 and the smallest number this century with the exception of 2020 when Covid’s impact was felt. Compare that to the early years of this millennium when more than 2,000 foals, mares and yearlings were regularly offered with a high in 2007 of 2,825 lots. Nearly 1,000 foals alone changed hands in that year, which compares to 445 at the latest edition.

The year-on-year fall in offered lots meant that the latest turnover figure was almost bound to be squeezed and it was duly down 26 per cent at just under €8m, while the average price was clipped

seven per cent to €16,414 and the median eight per cent to €11,000.

Even less appealing was the 60 per cent clearance rate, down two points and meaning that 316 horses, mainly foals, were taken home. There will be opportunities to reoffer them as yearlings or stores, but for some breeders hoping to generate cash flow with a view to, among other things, plan matings, it was a case of taking stock, rather than moving it on.

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said he empathised with consignors who had “found this week a challenge,” but he pointed out some vendors “attained excellent prices” and he added: “It was also encouraging to see buyers drawn to a broader range of stallions, with the

progeny of six different stallions among the top ten purchases.” Blue Bresil and Walk In The Park filled the top two places on the sires’ list, while foals by ninthplaced Harzand achieved an average of just over €21,000, more than four times his 2023 advertised fee at Kilbarry Lodge Stud.

Day one set the tone with a 52 per cent clearance rate and evidence that buyers would be fussy when picking out potential purchases, but prepared to go a bit higher for foals of virtue. Eoghan Murphy, who with brother Brian nabbed the €58,000 session-topper, a son of Glenview Stud’s new resident sire Jeu St Eloi, said he felt they might get lucky at around €45,000, but had gone deeper for a lovely prospect.

A Harzand colt sold for €54,000 to

TALKING POINT

Aisling Noone and Simon Kavanagh of Drumloose Stables headed day two, while day three’s improved trade was topped by a €92,000 son of Walk In The Park who went to pinhookers Dick Frisby and his son JJ.

Not for the first time, the sale’s final day set the stage for the overall top lot in the shape of a desirable mare, but on this occasion it also contained the two most highly-valued foals who each made €110,000.

The belle of the ball proved to be Instit, a six-year-old daughter of recently pensioned Saint Des Saints. The French sire has been a reliable source of high-quality stock, a fact not unnoticed by Cheshire’s Will Kinsey of Peel Bloodstock, whose €125,000 offer clinched Instit’s passport and a Walk In

• Followers of point-to-pointing are happy to remind outsiders of its role in being the start line for a multitude of professional jockeys, trainers, racehorse owners, administrators, stewards and management.

The sport has led others into breeding, a point made by the sale of Instit, the six-year-old mare who topped Tattersalls Ireland’s November Sale with a €125,000 valuation. The buyer was former point-to-point rider Will Kinsey and his brother-in-law, the three-time national champion Richard Burton. Kinsey said: “We have also got a few new partners into the industry who are all former amateur riders. It is a bit of an ex-amateur riders’ syndicate.”

Nicky Bertran de Balanda purchased the €110,000 No Risk At All colt

High-class jumps mare Instit was bought by Peel Bloodstock for €125,000

LANWADES

Sales Circuit

The Park foal she carried in utero.

“I’ve been trying to buy one [a Saint Des Saints mare] for a long time,” said Kinsey of the Willie Mullins-trained Listed-winning and Graded-placed chaser. Kinsey implied her first cover will be by a sire standing in Britain when adding: “There are a lot of good options in the UK right now.”

The two foals who reached a six-figure sum were sons of Saint Des Saints and No Risk At All. The Mariga family of Coolmara Stables traded the Saint Des Saints colt who had been foaled by Zarkareva and from the family of Zarkava, the dam of soaring sire Zarak. France-based agent Nicky Bertran De Balanda brought the hammer down on behalf of Sofiane Benaroussi, and then quipped that he should have bought the foal’s dam at Goffs in December when Coolmara secured her for €240,000. To get nearly half that back with her first foal and no covering fee was a fine result.

The No Risk At All colt was a halfbrother to Kapkiline, dam of smart French three-year-old hurdler Olympic Story, and also to Gary and Josh Moore’s good chaser Kotmask. Their now 16-year-old dam Kotkiline was sold to Maurice Garde for €34,000 at Arqana in November and he became breeder of the colt she carried and who he then consigned at this auction through James Sheehan’s Clonmult Farm. Former jump jockey-turned-agent Jerry McGrath was at the ring, bought the foal in question and revealed he was acting for a French client whose plan was to race his purchase as an entire in the hope that he might one day become a stallion.

Agent Aiden Murphy made a useful contribution to takings with an €80,000

investment in a Coole House Farmconsigned Blue Bresil colt, while Kinsey added to his mini empire with a €72,000 Walk In The Park filly foal from Ballincurrig House Stud.

The following day, while switching from jumps to Flat, Tattersalls Ireland unfurled its Sapphire Sale at which a €50,000 foal from the first crop of Tally-Ho Stud resident Persian Force headed trade when selling to racehorse owner Nigel O’Hare. Another newbie, the Starfield Stud-based Space Traveller, was responsible for the next best, a €43,000 colt who was bought by the sire’s owner, Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics.

A Gleneagles colt proved the pick of a group of yearlings when selling to Joseph O’Brien for €32,000, but the event had an end-of-term feel reflected in a 44 per cent clearance rate, with 48 of 108

offered lots finding buyers. The sale has thrown up good racehorses, so despite falls in all the other notable figures there were likely to be some shrewd buys.

Tatts Ireland November NH Sale statistics

Sold: 481 (60% clearance)

Aggregate: €7,894,900 (-26%)

Average: €16,414 -7%)

Median: €11,000 (-8%)

Sapphire statistics

Sold: 48 (44% clearance)

Aggregate: €315,200 (-41%)

Average: €6,567 (-3%) Median: €2,750 (-31%)

The first foal out of Grade 3-winning chaser Zarkareva, by No Risk At All, made €110,000

Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt

… with Streets Bloodstock, specialist bloodstock accountants, tax and nancial advisers and co-authors of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s 2024 Tax Guide. Based in Newmarket, at the heart of the racing industry, Streets Bloodstock looks after and supports the needs of all those involved.

Sales Circuit

Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale

This after-racing auction reversed a decline in figures achieved last year, and produced some happy returns for pinhooking Irish point-to-point handlers.

With the exception of the Covidaffected 2020 sale, the catalogue of 43 lots was the smallest at this event since Tattersalls Cheltenham was created, although that did not deter racegoers, owners, trainers and hangers-on converging for a busy two hours of selling. The sales company has introduced a wrist-band system to keep numbers manageable near the ring’s entrance/exit and in the buying area, but the churn of bodies seemed little changed.

After withdrawals, 38 horses went under the hammer, six fewer than last year, but that did not prevent turnover gaining a handsome 34 per cent when topping out at just over £3m. The average gained 26 per cent at £93,485 and the median 24 per cent at £72,000, figures that had been bettered just once before in the event’s history.

Ten horses sold for a six-figure sum and 33 lots found a buyer, a clearance rate that grew 17 points to 87 per cent.

Kovanis, a handsome, iron-grey gelding who had won a maiden point-topoint for four-year-olds in October,

to the position of sale-topper when knocked down for £330,000 to the team of Eddie O’Leary and Gordon Elliott. The price generated a marked jump in valuation for the son of Tunis, who had been bought for £50,000 as a store 18 months earlier by the eagle-eyed Ian Ferguson on behalf of racehorse owner Philip McBurney. He entrusted the training role to County Antrim handler Gerald Quinn who completed the circle,

although

TALKING POINT

• A busy period for sales of pointto-pointers has a new addition following an announcement by Goresbridge that it would stage such an auction on November 28. That is two days before Goffs UK puts on its Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury, a near clash of dates that is far from ideal. Factor in a lack of rain through the second half of October and first two weeks of November, resulting in ground quicker than ideal, and a number of horses that might have gone under the hammer will have been held back until the ground eases.

Having such a sale in Ireland would appeal to local vendors, but it was going to be interesting to see if Goresbridge attracted some of the very best Irish pointers, or merely those whose breeding, conformation or racing record would put them just below that level.

Meanwhile, the company’s website is in need of an update. The home page includes a ‘Covid 19 Guide’ and a news section involving two articles, one relating to ‘Select showjumpers and eventers results 2022’. Come on Goresbridge – your website is a first port of call for many.

surged

he was quick to point out that Kovanis had been a dream horse from day one.

Portrush winner Kovanis joined Gordon Elliott on a bid of £330,000

Nicky Henderson secured Reckless Spending at £200,000

Inc. Gr.1 winning sprinters GLASS SLIPPERS, DREAM OF DREAMS, DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT, and Gr.1 miler AL WUKAIR.

Already the broodmare sire of Gr.1 horses –Poptronic, Lightsaber, Texas, and many more. A great outcross. Ranked alongside No Nay Never, Kodiac & Dark Angel for sires of Gr.1 winning sprinters since 2019 Te leading sire of sprinters by earnings standing at under £25k (5f/6f from 2017 to 2024, Marray Toroughbred Services)

Sales Circuit

Gordon Elliott: made his trip worthwhile as the purchaser of £392,000 worth of stock

Trainer Jonny Fogarty consigned two four-year-old geldings and looked on as Reckless Spending was sold for £200,000 to a client of Nicky Henderson’s, and Hank West joined Willie Mullins’ stable following a £195,000 bid

Kovanis 4 g Tunis - Nova D’Auteuil

Reckless Spending 4 g Sholokhov - Carrigeen

Un Sens A La Vie 4 g Muhtathir – Kpalime

Goffs UK British NH Breeders Showcase

Inaugurated last year to give NH foal breeders an opportunity to meet, greet and trade weanlings in Britain, this event involves a show followed by an auction.

The show can be especially useful to owners of new stallions eager to present first foals, and since it offers top prizes of £5,000 for the filly and colt who land red rosettes – plus sums of £1,500 and £500 to the placed foals – it provides winning breeders with a good sum towards next year’s covering fees. On this occasion the sale, which takes place 24 hours after the show, also involved seven yearlings and six mares, although they proved out of place or out of favour.

Whether they have a future at the event is up for debate, although on this occasion they did bulk up the catalogue. Last year, at an all-foal event, 83 lots walked the ring, while on this occasion 66 foals were offered. The yearlings and mares brought another 13 lots to the table, but just three of the six offered mares sold (one privately) and two of the seven yearlings.

Fortunately the foals were popular and attracted the all-important

from Harold Kirk.

Reckless Spending, who had finished second on his pointing debut at Umma House just ahead of the sale, had cost €68,000 as a store, while Hank West, who made a winning start earlier in November, had changed hands for €52,000 at the same stage.

Willy Twiston-Davies has not yet been put alongside father Nigel as co-trainer at their Cotswolds base, but he is certainly a factor in the operation, particularly at bloodstock sales.

Father and son had a busy evening, securing three new recruits, including Un Sens A La Vie who made £180,000 to race for the El Rincon Partnership, which had landed a Grade 2 prize a few hours earlier on the Cheltenham card with the smart Potters Charm.

Twiston-Davies Jnr’s other signings included winning four-year-old pointer

Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale

Shabalko D’Herm, who was also offered from the Quinn stable by McBurney having been secured as a store for €36,000 by Ferguson. This recruit would have been particularly pleasing for Twiston-Davies, who spoke afterwards of adding fresh impetus to his father’s well-established yard.

Shabalko D’Herm will be the stable’s first horse for Babbitt Racing, which is the pseudonym of Cheltenham-based Karen and Marcus Salter, owners of some ten horses in training at various locations.

Statistics

Sold: 33 (87% clearance)

Aggregate: £3,085,000 (+34%)

Average: £93,485 (+26%) Median: £72,000 (+24%)

Caherty Stables (Gerald Quinn)

Ballyboy Stables (Denis Murphy)

Gerry Aherne signed for this Walk In The Park colt at a joint sale-topping £70,000

Sales Circuit

pinhookers from Ireland who were seeking material for the 2027 store sales. Of the 66 foals offered, 43 changed hands at a clearance rate of 65 per cent, although the rate in 2023 had been comfortably higher at 78 per cent.

Turnover for the whole event fell 27 per cent to £929,500, but on a positive note the median price of £15,000 was unchanged while the average was down just one per cent at £19,365, a figure which suggests, barring large veterinary bills, most successful vendors will have come out on the right side.

That was certainly true for Leicestershire breeder Joss Hanbury, whose filly by Nathaniel was sold to the Mariga family of Coolmara Stables for £70,000, although Hanbury also pocketed £5,000 because his foal won the fillies’ class the previous day after being presented by Juliet Minton’s Mill House Stud. The price was a new high for a filly at the event, albeit below the £90,000 given for a Blue Bresil colt at the sale last year.

Top lots

Sex/breeding

C Walk In The Park - Princess Vega

F Nathaniel - Atlanta Ablaze

F Golden Horn - Put The Kettle On

Only For Love 12 m Kalanisi – Sardagna

C Crystal Ocean – Teesdale

Fasig-Tipton November Sale

There was some disappointment within the Fasig-Tipton camp that its flagship breeding stock sale was unable to continue its run of $100 million turnover in sales, writes Nancy Sexton. But it’s hard to be down on an auction that once again produced 25 million-dollar mares – the same number as last year – during an evening of frenetic trade driven by strong Japanese participation.

Japanese interests accounted for three of the top six lots and ten of the milliondollar lots overall, led by the $6 million sale-topper McKulick, who heads to Yoshiyuki Ito’s Grand Stud following her sale to Emmanuel de Seroux’s Narvick International. A half-sister to the German 2,000 Guineas winner Fearless King, McKulick was originally a 180,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase by Mike Ryan on behalf of Klaravich Stables. Sent to Chad Brown, she went on to win the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational alongside five other Graded events during

The Marigas also picked up the £45,000 top-priced mare, 12-year-old Only For Love, who was offered with a Choeur Du Nord cover from Sarah and Nigel Faulks’ Yeo Barton Bloodstock. Sharing top billing among foals was a Walk In The Park colt who left Liz Lucas’s Swanbridge Bloodstock after a bid of £70,000 by Coolmore’s Gerry Aherne. Syndicates are no longer found solely on the racecourse, for they can also

UK British NH Breeders Showcase

involve breeding clubs and pinhooking operations. Online bookmaker OLBG.com has set up a club which provides members with the chance to follow their horses from foal to racehorse, and with that in mind CEO Richard Moffat and bloodstock agent Ed Bailey grabbed a £62,000 filly out of Put The Kettle On.

A Queen Mother and Arkle Trophy winner when trained by Henry de Bromhead, Put The Kettle On was subsequently sold for £380,000 to Simon and Rhian Davies and merged into their Dahlbury broodmare band. She rewarded them with a Planteur foal last year, and 12 months later a daughter of Golden Horn who has now joined OLBG’s club.

Statistics

Sold: 48 (61% clearance)

Aggregate: £929,500 (-27%) Average: £19,365 (-1%) Median: £15,000 (0%)

from Cobhall Court Stud

Ed Bailey/OLBG Racing Club

This Nathaniel filly also made £70,000

Goffs

Grade 1-winning Frankel mare McKulick realised $6 million to Japanese interests

a career that netted nearly $2m in earnings.

McKulick wasn’t the only major score of the evening for Klaravich since Seth Klarman’s outfit also sold fellow Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity in foal to Into Mischief for $3.6m through ELiTE, again to Narvick and Grand Stud. The filly is by far the best performer sired by Flintshire but her dam Strong Incentive has the makings of a blue hen given two of her other four foals of racing age consist of this year’s Grade 1 Test Stakes winner Ways And Means and Grade 3 scorer Highly Motivated.

Strong Incentive, a stakes-winning daughter of the nondescript Warrior’s Reward, sold at the previous year’s renewal for $2.15m to Jon Clay’s Alpha Delta Stables and returned this time around to make $2.75m outside of the ring to MV Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm.

Magnier also came away with European star Ramatuelle at $5.1m with an eye on sending her back to Ireland for a visit to Wootton Bassett. It was a rollercoaster of a

week for her connections, owners Infinity Nine Horses and Ecurie des Monceaux et al and trainer Christopher Head, who had sent their Prix de la Foret heroine all the way out to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, only for her to be scratched on veterinary advice. Several days later, they had $5.1m reasons to be happy.

One runner who did have better luck at the Breeders’ Cup was Canadian star Moira, who defeated Godolphin’s Cinderella’s Dream to land the Filly & Mare Turf. Shipped back to Kentucky, the former $150,000 yearling went on to sell for $4.3m to an online bid from Yulong, signing under the banner Bayles.

Moira was, remarkably, one of eight million-dollar lots to sell during the evening out of the Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa consignment. Others included three-time Grade 1 winner Adare Manor, who will become part of the powerful broodmare band at Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm after selling for $2.8m, star turf mare War Like Goddess, a mere $1,200 yearling in her day who made $1.8m to Zhang Yuesheng signing as Willingham Stud, and Grade 1

Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Statistics

Sold: 172 (73% clearance)

Aggregate: $96,423,500 (+7%)

Average: $541,705 (+17%)

Median: $250,000 (+15%)

winner Eda, who headed a productive evening for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing at $2.55m. Joorabchian, who attended in person, also came away with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Group 2 winner Agartha, the sole mare offered in foal to Frankel, at $1.4m.

The foal section was more selective, although it did include the first North American sale of a Flightline weanling who sold for $675,000 to agent David Ingordo.

Overall, the figures showed a slight decline from last year. It’s worth remembering, however, that this year’s sale did not benefit from the participation of flamboyant new player John Stewart. Last year, Stewart – who has coined himself as a ‘buyer not a bidder’ – pumped $13.35m into the market. On this occasion, he didn’t sign for a single horse.

Ramatuelle 3 f Justify - Raven’s Lady

Moira 5 m Ghostzapper - Devine Aida

Surge Capacity 4 m Flintshire - Strong Incentive

Denim And Pearls 3 f Into Mischief - Majestic Presence ELiTE, agent

Farm LLC

Adare Manor 5 m Uncle Mo - Brooklynsway Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent 2,800,000Katsumi Yoshida

Strong Incentive 12 m Warrior’s Reward - G G’s Dolly Mill Ridge Sales, agent 2,750,000MV Magnier & White Birch

Private Mission 6 m Into Mischief - Private Gift Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent 2,600,000Summer Wind Equine

Eda 5 m Munnings - Show Me Hill ’n’ Dale at Xalapa, agent 2,550,000Amo Racing USA LLC ››

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Sales Circuit

Keeneland November Book 1 Sale

Japanese participation also played a key role in the single-session Book 1 of the Keeneland November Sale, accounting for two of the nine million-dollar offerings in Grade 3 winner Walkathon (bought by Narvick International on behalf of Grand Stud) and Grade 2 scorer Midnight Memories (bought by Katsumi Yoshida), writes Nancy Sexton

However, it was Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm who dominated the top end of trade with her purchase of the two most expensive lots.

Pope came away with the $2.4 million sale-topper Roses For Debra, a mere $27,000 yearling who was trained by Christophe Clement to win eight races including this year’s Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway Stakes for owners Cheyenne Stable LLC and John O’Meara. Pope suggested that the mare, a Liam’s Map half-sister to minor American stakes winners Rose’s Vision and Rosie’s Alibi, could visit either Curlin or Justify next season.

However, Pope also confirmed that she was shopping with an eye on supporting her Grade 1-winning Tapit colts Charge It and Tapit Trice at stud. The pair will stand their first seasons at Gainesway Farm next season and true to her word, Pope had purchased $9.335m worth of stock come the end of the sale,

in some instances in partnership with Gainesway Farm.

Among the partnership’s purchases was the second most expensive horse of the sale, 12-year-old Lady Tapit. Grade 3-placed herself, Lady Tapit is the dam of this year’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap winner Kingsbarns and was sold in foal to Good Magic.

Meanwhile, British-bred Anisette, a star of the Californian circuit with her victories in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, American Oaks and Gamely Stakes, became the latest high-profile mare to join Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong operation, in her case when knocked down for $1.8m to Willingham Stud.

The most expensive foal of the day was an Into Mischief colt out of Grade 3 winner Eres Tu sold for $900,000 to Glen

Hill Farm. He was followed by a Curlin colt from the family of Grade 1-winning fillies Cavorting and Clairiere for whom Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing paid $725,000.

Overall, Book 1 narrowly failed to keep pace with last year. Yet as the sale went on, there was a momentum to the market that ultimately pushed trade ahead of 2023. Particularly strong was the weanling market, notably for those by first-season sires.

(78%

$436,154 (-4%)

Keeneland November Sale Book 1

Grade 3 winner Roses For Debra topped the Keeneland November Sale at $2.4 million

Mandy Pope with the Gainesway team

Dr Statz Market mirage

The record-breaking average price at Tattersalls October Book 1 was no doubt very welcome for vendors with big-ticket yearlings to sell this year. Book 2 also benefitted from demand spilling over from Book 1 to produce its own record average.

Yet with most European sales already concluded, the yearling market in general did not benefit. Demand at Book 1 was clearly stoked as traditional rivals Coolmore and Godolphin kept their spending at high levels while we had a new big player in Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing, who together with partners contributed an additional £24 million to the demand side of the equation.

The net result was that the average price for all yearlings sold up to and including the Goffs Autumn Sale shows a 12.6 per cent increase on last year. The average price of £74,349 is the highest it has ever been and as much as 21.6 per cent ahead of 2020, when Covid affected the price equilibrium.

Yet this headline growth figure is misleading as many vendors have attested to during the course of the year. When we examine the market in ten per cent segments, a more accurate and realistic picture emerges. The top ten per cent average – relating to about 500 yearlings – was £330,924 12 months ago and it rose by 27.9 per cent this year to £423,130. Meanwhile, the next ten per cent segment grew by only two per cent, and the remaining eight segments all contracted by the following percentages: 2.9, 5.9, 8.3, 11.2, 14.4, 17.5, 21.7 and 25.5 respectively.

Allied to that, production costs are also creeping upwards with average stallion fees – the main component of production costs – climbing to a new high of £27,216. That’s 3.5 per cent higher than last year, which means about £920 on average has been added to the conception fee of each of the 5,165 yearlings sold in 2024 to the end of the Goffs Autumn Sale. While most of this increase is borne by the more expensive stallions, the average fee of the cheaper sires also rose albeit only marginally.

It therefore goes without saying that very few benefitted from the increased demand at the top of the market. An average that was up 12.5 per cent along with the 3.5 per cent rise in the accompanying conception fees quite clearly did not translate into profits all

around and this is also borne out by the fall in the number of profitable yearlings compared to recent years. Their number, after an upkeep fee of £20,000 is applied, stood at 1,998 or 39 per cent of the 5,165 sold. That is the first time in four years that this metric had dipped below 40 per cent – it was 41 per cent last year and 42 per cent the year before, admittedly with the unpaid-for Saleh Al Homaizi yearlings included which in all likelihood would have been profitable anyway.

It is unsurprising that Dubawi and Frankel should top the charts by average price among those with ten or more yearlings sold. At this stage of his career, there is nothing left for Darley’s evergreen Dubawi to prove, certainly nothing that would alter buyers’ perceptions. However,

Zarak: one of the more profitable sires

there were a number of vendors this year not prepared to accept prices that the market offered them and only 14 of the 22 (64 per cent) offered were listed as

EUROPEAN SIRE YEARLING PROFITABILITY

ZUZANNA

sold in the end.

Dubawi is still producing the goods as he leads all European sires with 25 stakes winners this year, headed by the likes of Group 1 winner Notable Speech. Moreover, he had another fine group of two-year-olds representing him this year, featuring the Group winners Ancient Truth and Delacroix.

Frankel, meanwhile, has had one of his quieter years from his horses aged three and up, so much so that he will likely be relinquishing his Britain and Ireland sires’ title to Dark Angel. But, just like Dubawi, he’s back with a very good group of juveniles, led by three Group-winning fillies including the unbeaten triple Group 1-winning European champion two-yearold filly elect Lake Victoria. His yearlings, conceived at a fee of £200,000, still produced the highest average price/fee multiple at 3.8 of any stallion with a fee of £100,000 or more.

Among all the stallions in our £50,000-plus cohort, it was Night Of Thunder who delivered the best average price/fee multiple at 5.1. Produced at €75,000, the 2024 yearlings by the son of Dubawi were always going to be highly sought after as he capitalised on the quality of his 2021 crop by delivering his first ever Group 1-winning colt in the shape of Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics. And his next crop contains two outstanding fillies in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Desert Flower plus impressive Group 3 Albany winner Fairy Godmother.

Among the freshman sires in this fee bracket it was St Mark’s Basilica with an average profit of £108,686 that led the way from Palace Pier, who struggled a little with just 30 per cent of his yearlings making money after the £20,000 upkeep fee is levied.

We must also mention Dark Angel who, like many speed-orientated sires with a large number of yearlings coming on to the market, was not as commercially successful as his middledistance counterparts. Although he netted 2.9 million guineas for his full-sister to champion miler-elect Charyn, there were so many on the market that just under half made a profit – which is counterintuitive considering he is certain to be champion sire in Britain and Ireland this year.

The same phenomenon applies to No Nay Never, who in recent years is proving to be perhaps the best European sire of speedy juveniles there has ever been.

The £20,000-£49,000 category is dominated by five really successful sires, namely Too Darn Hot, Blue Point, ››

John Boyce cracks the code

EUROPEAN SIRE YEARLING PROFITABILITY

Dr Statz

Mehmas, plus another Dubawi pair in New Bay and Zarak, all of whom produced six-figure averages. Once again, it is a Darley stallion, this time Too Darn Hot, that led this group by average price, while another, Blue Point, has the best average price/fee multiple at 5.1.

Not only did this pair succeed in adding first-crop three-year-old Group 1 winners to their resumes, they also achieved further Group success with their second-crop juveniles, in Too Darn Hot’s case through Hotazhell. Meanwhile, Blue Point’s Rosallion added to his juvenile Group 1 haul and Kind Of Blue was a new Group 1 winner from his first crop.

Mehmas smashed his stud companion Kodiac’s single-season two-year-old individual winner world record with his first breed-back crop following his own record-breaking first season.

More importantly, the latest Mehmas youngsters feature plenty of classy types, including three Group 1 winners in

SIRE AVERAGES 2024 YEARLING

A robust top end of the market at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale filtered down into Book 2

Scorthy Champ, Vertical Blue and Magnum Force. His eight two-year-old stakes winners in 2024 puts him right in the vanguard of elite European sires of

juveniles, behind only Wootton Bassett (13) and Galileo (11).

The metric that has everyone excited about Zarak is his 12 per cent stakes winners to runners from mares that managed only 5.7 per cent with all other sires. He’s also added Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan and Grosser Preis von Baden scorer Zagrey – both new stallions in France for 2025 – to his tally of Group 1 winners. Little wonder, then, that he had the best proportion of profitable yearlings of his fee group (80.4 per cent) and an average price/fee multiple of 4.9.

Nathaniel, who has earned a fee increase to £20,000 for 2025, leads the £10,000-£19,000 group of sires by average price and has also posted the best profit percentage at 73.3 per cent. The highlight of his 2024 season was his Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me who comes up for sale this month at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Several stallions in this cohort also had very good fee multiples, with Territories leading the way on 6.6 followed by Nathaniel (5.4), Gleneagles (4.8) and Study Of Man (4.7), plus the best performing newcomer of the group Space Blues (4.1). It is no surprise that the four proven sires above have all delivered Group 1 winners during 2024.

In the sub-£10,000 category the runaway winner was Havana Grey, whose yearlings are from his fourth crop conceived at just £6,000. He’s the only sire below £20,000 to record a six-figure average price. No fewer than 91 per cent of his yearlings sold made a profit which makes him the leader among all sires with 15 or more sold. It also goes without saying that his ridiculously high average price/fee multiple of 17.3 is the best in the business.

CLASSIC WINNING SON OF LOPE DE VEGA LOOK DE VEGA.

Won the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club just like his sire and grandsire FEE: €20,000

GR.1 WINNING MILER BY NEW BAY BAYSIDE BOY.

Won the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes . FEE: €12,500

CLASSIC WINNER, CLASSIC SIRE MAKE BELIEVE.

Sire of two Group 2 winning 2yos in 2024 . FEE: €8,000

ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING SIRES LOPE DE VEGA.

Sire of 6 individual Gr.1 winners in 2024 . FEE: €175,000

DUBAWI‘S SENSATIONAL SIRE SON NEW BAY.

Multiple Gr.1 sire again in 2024 . FEE: €75,000

Sexton Files

Record breaker Mehmas on firm upward trajectory

For a snapshot of Acclamation’s legacy as a sire of sires, look no further than the 2024 season. In his veteran son Dark Angel, he has the champion sire elect and one who has achieved the title without the support of a six-figure fee in contrast to those who have gone before him in the recent era. Meanwhile, in terms of two-year-old standings, Acclamation’s younger son Mehmas sits in second by prize-money behind Wootton Bassett. However, his tally of eight European stakes scorers, not to mention his record-breaking tally of winners (63 at the time of writing), is a considerable achievement in light of the fact his 2022 crop is the product of a €25,000 fee. By comparison, Wootton Bassett stood his first season at Coolmore for €100,000.

Incidentally, both Dark Angel and Mehmas are out of mares by Machiavellian, an extremely well-bred horse who was also the damsire of Zoffany and features twice close up in the pedigree of Lope De Vega.

Mehmas’ current two-year-old crop

was produced in the aftermath of the success of his record-breaking first group of juveniles in 2020. That year’s intake of freshman sires were arguably hindered by the effects of Covid, which delayed the season until early June, but once up and running Mehmas went on to fire in 56 winners including the Middle Park Stakes hero Supremacy and Gimcrack Stakes scorer Minzaal. Four years on and that excellent first crop has come to yield 17 stakes winners overall.

That success prompted Tally-Ho Stud to raise his fee from €7,500 to €25,000 for the 2021 season. Breeders weren’t deterred, however. There are no fewer than 244 foals in that 2022 crop, meaning he has a wealth of opportunity behind him. Yet he is making the most of it.

Mehmas hit 62 two-year-old winners in Europe last month when Naughty Eyes scored at Wolverhampton. To place that figure into context, only two other stallions, Wootton Bassett and Dark Angel, have sired more than 35 in Europe this season.

Not only that, the quality runs high.

Scorthy Champ, a brother to the highclass Mehmas pair Malavath and Knight, defeated Henri Matisse to take the National Stakes at the Curragh in September. The following month, Vertical Blue defied her 33-1 starting price to nose out stablemate Zarigana in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp. Several weeks later, Magnum Force broke new ground for the sire by becoming his first Breeders’ Cup winner in the Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. Mehmas is no stranger to success in North America as his earlier crops include the Grade 1 winners Going Global, who sold for $2.5 million at the end of her career to Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong Investments, and Chez Pierre. And therein lies one aspect to Mehmas’ success since while softer ground often holds no fears for his progeny, they also tend to bounce off the firmer conditions often found in the US. His stock are also often pacy individuals on the neater side, making them appealing candidates to nip round the tight American bends.

At the heart of it all, however, is a generally sound attitude and physical

Dwindling line resting on the shoulders of Blame

It wasn’t so long ago that the Hail To Reason sire line was flourishing in the US, particularly through Halo or Roberto. Halo’s best son Sunday Silence, of course, was exported to Japan, where his dominance helped that nation achieve its goal of becoming a player of global significance.

Closer to home, various sons such as Devil’s Bag and Southern Halo, sire of More Than Ready, were successful in their own right but Devil’s Bag’s line has steadily waned with time and that belonging to More Than Ready is now also hanging by a thread.

Today, representatives as a whole are dwindling and unless a son of Deep Impact can be introduced successfully or one of the few More Than Ready horses available becomes successful, then it will become very hard for North American breeders to access direct Halo blood.

Luckily, the same can’t be said for Europe, where Deep Impact’s Classicwinning son Study Of Man has made

such a bright start at Lanwades Stud. Sire of Group 1 winner Kalpana among five first-crop stakes winners, he will by all accounts be deservedly busy at his new fee of £25,000 in 2025.

As far as the Roberto sire line is concerned, matters rest primarily on the shoulders of Claiborne Farm’s Blame. It’s a shame that this line has contracted to such a degree given its propensity for throwing sound, durable horses. For that, the commercial market has to take some responsibility since it’s a line very capable of producing large, rugged animals, often with a leaning towards turf, little of which suits American commercial demands. There can also be a mental toughness to them that is not to everyone’s tastes. For instance, many of the best colts by Dynaformer, one of Roberto’s leading sire sons, had to be gelded to get the best out of them.

The end result is that today there are few Roberto-line representatives left in Kentucky, of which Blame is the most

established.

Blame left the racetrack as something of a villain when denying Zenyatta an unbeaten send-off in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. That narrow victory was the culmination of a championship four-year-old campaign that also took in wins in the Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap, and made him one of the most desirable new stallions of 2011 when he returned to stand at his birthplace Claiborne Farm at a fee of $35,000.

Truth be told, Blame has become a useful rather than outstanding stallion. He is capable of producing a top-notcher, as his record of six Group/Grade 1 winners attests, but they haven’t come with the regularity that might have satisfied those early expectations. His crop numbers fell as low as 34 born in 2018, the year in which Claiborne slashed his fee to $12,500, but since then his popularity has rebounded and his fee is back up to $25,000. Today’s market is so

Bloodstock world views

toughness, both attributes which also stood Acclamation in good stead during his day. That much has again been evident throughout the season for Mehmas via his group of hardy, talented two-year-old representatives that sit just below Group 1 level.

Breeze-up graduate Aesterius has won four of seven starts for Archie Watson

brutal that it’s quite possible were Blame in different hands then he might not be in Kentucky today.

Part of that rebound can be attributed to his place as an affordable proven option. His current stud record consists of 50 stakes winners and he’s an effective influence on both dirt and turf. Various operations have also come to use him as a means of tapping into the Roberto sire line, an aspect that has grown further in importance as he’s become a broodmare sire of note.

As a Grade 1-winning son of Arch from the famous Rough Shod family via Special, Blame has long appealed as a likely candidate to develop into an effective broodmare sire, especially in light of the strength of his early books.

Now rising 19-years-old, he has 26 stakes winners to his credit as a damsire, 13 of whom have scored this year. They include top Canadian two-year-old And One Time More, a daughter of Omaha Beach who won the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, and Grade 2 winners Honor D Lady (by Honor Code)

including the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg. Hugo Palmer has also fared well out of Mehmas this season as the trainer of Make You Smile, who made it two from two in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury, and The Waco Kid, whose defeat of Diego Ventura led home a Mehmas one-two in the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at

and Tiny Temper (by Arrogate).

However, arguably the most important member of the group, Switzerland, resides in Australia where his record for the Coolmore partners and Chris Waller includes a win in last month’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. The Snitzel colt, a A$1.5 million Inglis Easter yearling purchase by connections, is out of Grade 3 winner Ms Bad Behaviour, a Blame mare inbred to Kris S sourced by Arrowfield Stud out of the US in 2019. Switzerland, whose wins also include the Group 2 Todman and Roman Consul Stakes, is her first foal.

There’s no doubt that breeders are latching on to Blame’s potential as a broodmare sire. His daughters, for instance, were also responsible for the first two home in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in Forte (by Violence) and Loggins (by Ghostzapper) while in Europe, the Exceed And Excel filly Sacred, out of the Blame mare Sacre Caroline, won the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes for Cheveley Park Stud.

Yet it’s not just all about his daughters.

Newmarket. Diego Ventura also subsequently contributed to a Mehmas quinella in the Listed Doncaster Stakes when chasing home La Bellota, who sold several days later at Tattersalls for 425,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock. The filly Star Of Mehmas also won the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr.

It would be easy to view Mehmas primarily as a two-year-old sire, especially given that he didn’t race beyond his juvenile season himself. However, he has plenty of older horses flying the flag as well; look no further than this season’s high-class sprinter Believing, now rising five, alongside the earlier, older Group/ Grade 1 winners Chez Pierre, Going Global and Minzaal.

Mehmas’ fee was doubled to €50,000 for 2022 and he will stand for a career high of €70,000 in 2025, all of which lends confidence that a continued upward trajectory is on the cards. At the same time, the first runners by his son Supremacy, who stands at Yeomanstown Stud, will shortly turn two. He is the first of five sons of Mehmas to stud in Europe ahead of Minzaal and Persian Force, whose first foals were selling at the winter breeding stock sales at the time of writing. With a number of other sons waiting in the wings for a stud slot when the time comes, it is safe to say that Mehmas is doing his bit to keep Acclamation’s legacy very much alive.

Sons of Blame might be thin on the ground in the US but the foresight of Shadai Farm in pursuing his Grade 1-winning son Nadal for stud duty appears to be already paying off. Injury restricted the strapping colt to just four starts for Bob Baffert in the US but he won on each occasion, notably the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Installed at 4,000,000yen (£20,200) upon his retirement to Shadai Farm, Nadal had at the time of writing sired 21 winners out of his 103-strong first crop and was sitting at the top of the Japanese first-crop sires’ list ahead of fellow Shadai stallion Saturnalia.

Although none of the 21 have so far won black type, there are a number of promising individuals among the group including Federer, who scored on his debut at Kyoto in October, and Quantum Wave, who is unbeaten in two starts.

Once again, it would seem that Japanese breeders are reaping the rewards of patronising this line at the expense of their counterparts in North America.

BILL SELWYN

Vertical Blue (left): Prix Marcel Boussac winner is another feather in the cap for Mehmas

Vet Forum: The Expert View

Equine biosecurity: reducing the risk of infectious diseases

The health and welfare of horses in the thoroughbred industry is paramount. Threats from infectious disease are ever present and equine biosecurity is fundamental in safeguarding horses from infectious diseases, protecting equine businesses and ensuring the long-term viability of the industry. With the ever-increasing global movement of horses and the ongoing threat of emerging diseases, effective biosecurity measures are more important than ever.

What is equine biosecurity?

The exposure of the horse population to infectious disease is largely inevitable, particularly with frequent movement and mixing of horses. This not only impacts horse health and welfare, but can disrupt operations and has the potential to lead to significant financial losses. Equine biosecurity refers to a set of preventative strategies that are designed to reduce the risk of infectious diseases among horses. This includes everything from disease surveillance, vaccination and quarantine procedures to effective hygiene and cleaning.

Consider the risks

For each population the risks of certain diseases will vary, therefore the biosecurity measures should be tailored towards the individual situation. For

Key elements of equine biosecurity

example, the risk of rotavirus infection is an important consideration on a stud farm with foals, but not a training yard

with adult horses.

The route of infection of the relevant diseases must also be considered, with some pathogens being spread via the faecal-oral route, and others by aerosol. Where vector spread is likely, control of insect access to susceptible animals is necessary. The effect of global warming has resulted in the survival of insect vectors in more northerly areas, and with this comes the risk of new outbreaks of exotic infectious diseases, for example West Nile Disease or African Horse Sickness.

Isolation and quarantine protocols

Introduction of disease by a new horse arriving on a yard is a common scenario. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to reduce the introduction of infectious disease is through the quarantine of new arrivals or returning horses. Ideally these horses should be isolated for 14-21 days

and monitored closely for any signs of illness. Quarantine areas should be physically separated from healthy horses, with a separate airspace and ideally separate staff and equipment to prevent cross-contamination.

In an ideal world, the prompt isolation of any horse within the group that has a suspected or confirmed infectious disease is also recommended in order to reduce the potential spread of disease throughout the herd. Where isolation of these cases isn’t possible, barrier nursing (e.g. use of protective clothing and thorough cleaning and hygiene protocols) can be implemented to help to reduce the spread of disease.

Separation of groups

The importance of segregation doesn’t just apply to new arrivals or those with signs of disease. Facilities should be such that animals can be grouped and managed with a degree of separation. This is particularly important on stud farms where, for example, stallions should be kept separately from mares and foals. This allows them to be managed for their individual risks and ensures better control and reduced spread of disease should an outbreak occur.

Mares and foals should be managed as small, consistent groups, with pregnant mares grouped according to due date and foals grouped according to age. In order to successfully segregate groups, adequate staff, equipment and facilities are required. Appropriate hygiene is also essential to avoid the inadvertent spread of pathogens between the groups.

Cleaning and hygiene

Hygiene is a cornerstone of any biosecurity plan and should include both personnel and the environment. Staff can be a huge risk factor for the spread of disease and should all be educated on the importance of handwashing, foot dips, wearing clean clothing, and the correct implementation of cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Biosecurity is also important for their own health with some equine diseases (e.g. salmonella) having the potential to spread to humans.

Regular cleaning and disinfection of stables, equipment, high traffic areas (e.g. stocks) and vehicles used to transport horses can help prevent disease transmission. Additionally, tools like buckets, grooming brushes and tack should not be shared between

By Catriona Mackenzie MRCVS

horses, and if they must be, they should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses. It is also important to note that disinfectants will not work effectively in the presence of organic material (i.e. bedding and manure). Therefore, thorough cleaning is essential prior to disinfection.

Paddock management

Paddock management is a further consideration for environmental control. Clearly, cleaning protocols cannot be implemented in the same way, however steps can still be taken to reduce the spread of disease. Avoiding overstocking and over grazing, allowing sufficient rest periods and considering wildlife/pest control can all help to reduce pathogen load. Some areas should be protected, for example nursery paddocks should be restricted only for use by newborn foals in order to reduce their potential pathogen exposure.

Vaccination

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect horses from common infectious diseases and forms a crucial part of any biosecurity programme. All horses in the UK should be fully vaccinated against equine influenza (EI) and tetanus. It is also recommended

that all horses on stud farms should be vaccinated against equine herpes virus (EHV).

Vaccinations for other diseases such as strangles or lawsonia may be warranted, depending on the specific risks of a particular operation. It is important to note that no vaccine is 100% protective; however, they will reduce morbidities and mortalities in the face of an outbreak and are extremely important in reducing the risks and spread of disease.

Movement restrictions and monitoring

Limiting unnecessary movement of horses is another important biosecurity strategy. The fewer horses are moved in and out of a facility, the lower the risk of introducing a disease. When horses do travel, additional precautions such as pre-movement veterinary checks, health certificates and appropriate disinfecting of transport vehicles are essential. Following their return from travel, horses should ideally be quarantined and should be monitored closely for any signs of disease, for example fever or nasal discharge. During some disease outbreaks, movement of horses on and off the yard should be stopped to help minimise wider spread of infection.

Taking a horse’s temperature

Vet Forum: The Expert View

Disease surveillance

Early detection is key to preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Regular monitoring for signs of illness, such as fever, nasal discharge, or coughing can help to promptly identify sick horses before the disease spreads. In some situations (such as when there is a known outbreak) surveillance may involve specific diagnostic testing in order to identify diseased or ‘at risk’ animals.

Education and training

Education is a key component of any biosecurity strategy. All staff, from grooms to trainers, should be trained on biosecurity practices and understand the importance of their role in preventing disease transmission. Regular training sessions and updates on emerging diseases should be provided to ensure that biosecurity measures are consistently followed. There are a number of useful resources available including the HBLB international Codes of Practice and the National Trainers’ Federation Code of Practice for Infectious Diseases. These codes are also integrated to form the free app, EquiBioSafe, which provides a fantastic resource for biosecurity and infectious disease control.

Responding to outbreaks

Despite all efforts, disease outbreaks can still occur. Having a clear and actionable response in place is crucial for mitigating the impact. This plan should outline steps for isolating affected horses, notifying relevant authorities, and co-ordinating with your veterinary surgeon. A well-prepared response can help contain outbreaks and limit potential impact on the rest of the herd.

Challenges in implementing biosecurity

While the principles of biosecurity are straightforward, implementing them can be challenging and not without significant financial implications. Endemic diseases continue to challenge and emerging diseases are an ever-present threat. The international nature of the thoroughbred industry means that horses frequently travel between regions with varying standards of biosecurity. Additionally, some disease threats, such as equine herpesvirus, can be difficult to control because they can be latent, meaning a horse can be infected but appear healthy. Constant vigilance and a proactive approach are essential in such cases.

Hand-washing stations are crucial

The future of equine biosecurity

“Reduce infection risk by improving pasture management”

As the thoroughbred industry continues to grow and evolve, so too will the need for robust biosecurity practices. Recognising the importance of infection control, understanding basic biosecurity principles and addressing preventable factors such as poor control measures are crucial in reducing the risk of disease transmission in horses. Advances in technology, such as digital health tracking systems, may provide new tools for monitoring and managing horse health. With thoroughbred operations across the world at risk from diseases that can cross borders easily, the importance of effective biosecurity has never been greater. By implementing comprehensive biosecurity protocols, staying vigilant about potential threats, and educating all personnel involved in the care of thoroughbreds, the industry can help reduce the impact of infectious diseases and ensure a healthier, safer future for its horses.

A horse exhibiting nasal discharge

Foot dips containing disinfectant should be at all entrance/exit points of barns/yards

Stallion management and fertility in focus

Words: Laura Steley

The management of stallions is something that often provokes much discussion. The complexity of managing the external pulls, such as meeting the needs of the mare owner and business, as well as ensuring the optimum care for each individual stallion, is not always an easy task. As an industry we put an enormous strain on our stallions during the covering season, even more so for stallions shuttling and covering in both hemispheres. The ultimate aim is to support them in any way we can to hopefully produce quality progeny whilst remaining fit, healthy and content for years to come.

Give them light!

The use of artificial lighting for mares is commonplace within the thoroughbred breeding industry. Stallions, unlike mares, are capable of breeding all year round, however there are significant improvements in reproductive performance associated with the spring and summer months. A study conducted by Dr Barbara Murphy looked into the effects of using a customised LED lighting system providing extended daily, blueenriched polychromatic light and red light at night on testosterone levels and semen parameters in sport horse stallions.

“Year-round daily turnout benefits the stallion nutritionally and mentally”

The lighting system increased testosterone levels in treated stallions compared to age-matched control animals between December and April. Marked increases in total sperm volume and number were observed in treated stallions compared to previous historical data from the same animals. Thus, we can conclude that modifying the method of light exposure may represent a simple management tool for improving fertility parameters in breeding stallions.

Dr Murphy, Associate Professor at University College Dublin and founder

The energy requirements of a breeding stallion are significant

and CSO at Equilume, comments: “Equilume Performance Lighting regulates the daily (circadian) and seasonal (circannual) rhythms for stallions, which positively influences a stallion’s fertility by supporting consistently higher testosterone levels throughout the breeding season, advancing and extending the season of optimum fertility, and facilitating higher sperm production earlier in the season.

“The benefits are not limited to fertility – Equilume Stable Lights will also help maintain coat condition, strengthen the immune system, enhance alertness and mood whilst also accelerating wound healing.”

Nutritional requirements

Liz Bulbrook, Director of Nutrition at Baileys Horse Feeds, says: “With diet playing an important role in the reproductive potential of a stallion, ensuring their nutritional needs are being met throughout the season is crucial.”

Understanding a stallion’s nutritional needs can be complex with many factors to consider, such as age, experience, number of mares, dayto-day management, temperament, climate, forage quality, pre-existing health conditions, exercise regime and body condition. It is hard to put a true value on a stallion’s additional energy requirement, as each individual will be different, however it is thought to be increased by approximately 20% compared to out of season.

Louise Jones, Nutritionist at Connolly’s RED MILLS, comments: “The energy requirements of a breeding stallion are substantially above maintenance.” Kate Hore, Head Nutritionist at NAF, agrees: “One top tip would be to always monitor body condition and ensure to maintain ‘fit not fat’ throughout the season.” Bulbrook continues: “A stallion’s calorie intake can vary hugely from animal to animal, and whilst some stallions will lose condition throughout the breeding season, others will stay on the heavier side. For those prone to losing weight during the season, starting them on the slightly upper end of ideal body condition can be beneficial.”

First and foremost a high-quality forage with increased digestible energy (9.5MK/Kg minimum) and higher protein levels are advised. Bulbrook says: “The breeding stallion requires 2-2.75% of his bodyweight as feed per day (forage and concentrates), but it is important that his forage intake is maintained at about 1.5% of bodyweight to maintain healthy gut function and optimum utilisation of the daily diet.”

Year-round daily turnout is something that not only benefits the stallion nutritionally but also mentally and should be the ultimate stallion management goal. Andy Richardson, Veterinary Director at NAF, comments: “One area that any stallion manager recognises as being negative to sperm quality is that of stress. Stress is closely associated with digestive health, through the gut-brain axis, which provides two-way communication

GEORGE SELWYN

+ Equine Health

between the central nervous system and that of the digestive system. Therefore, NAF’s Fertility for Stallions includes a complex of digestive support from pre and probiotics, and the known mycotoxin binder, bentonite clay, to enhance digestibility and maintain a settled digestive system.”

It is highly unlikely that forage alone will provide a thoroughbred stallion with the nutrition they require during the covering season, therefore the gap must be bridged via a balancer and/or a complete feed.

Energy and protein

A stallion’s increased energy requirement should be met mainly via fibre and oil intake; both are easily digested and provide slow-release energy, which can help prevent over-excitable behaviour. It is a well-proven fact that we are able to feed oil in rather large quantities – 100mls of oil for every 100kg of bodyweight per day. Oil is also a readily available energy source for horses’ muscles and is preferred over a cereal-based diet, which can increase the risk of gastric ulcers and laminitis.

Bulbrook explains: “For those that might be more excitable during the covering season or be prone to ulcers or other digestive upsets, they can benefit from the lower starch performance feeds such as the Baileys Ease & Excel cubes or mix.”

It is important to note that if feeding additional oil in the diet, this must be balanced with an increase in vitamin E, as this is needed to aid utilisation within the body. If not balanced, it can cause oxidative damage. Jones advises “When feeding breeding stallions, it is always a good idea to maintain flexibility by having at least one component of the diet that you can increase or decrease according to the stallion’s energy needs on a day-today basis without messing up the balance of the diet. I often recommend including a small amount of a high-nutrient dense balancer – this allows for flexibility should a stallion’s workload decrease, or you find they are gaining excess weight.”

During the covering season, a stallion will require between 12% and 16% crude protein in their diet. If you are looking after a younger stallion, a three- or fouryear-old for example, then protein levels will be even more important to support their growth and development alongside their stallion duties. Jones adds: “Optimal intake of quality protein is essential for stallions to maintain topline and support muscle function, but essential amino acids such as lysine also play a critical role in promoting sperm health and motility.”

The

quality and type of lighting in stables can impact a stallion’s testosterone levels

Antioxidants

Richardson advises: “The high lipid content of semen leaves them vulnerable to oxidative stress from free radical toxins, and the associated damage to cells and DNA. Therefore, it is important that we provide the stallion with natural antioxidants to support clearance of oxidative stress.” The most vital antioxidants for stallions are vitamin E and selenium. They have both been proven to be heavily involved in supporting fertility via sperm quality/production. Vitamin E has been shown to support not only sperm quality but also increase libido.

Studies undertaken by Kentucky Equine Research have shown that providing a natural source of vitamin E, as opposed to synthetic, is much more beneficial due to improved bioavailability. Selenium is instrumental in the production of testosterone and normal testicular function. Care must be taken when supplementing selenium, as the range between deficiency and toxicity is relatively small. Jones adds: “A wellbalanced stud feed should provide good levels of dietary antioxidants, although for older stallions, those with busy covering schedules or fertility issues and young unproven stallions, supplementation can be beneficial.”

Vitamin C and L-carnitine may also help to reduce the quantity of abnormal sperm in stallions with low semen quality. L-carnitine supplementation in sub-fertile stallions has been shown to improve characteristics such as sperm motility, count and membrane integrity. The coenzyme Q10 has received attention from nutritionists in recent years; this antioxidant is naturally occurring and is relied on heavily by other antioxidants, such as vitamin E and C. Due to the

widespread use of Q10 within the body, levels can become depleted and a negative effect on sperm quality has been recorded. Please note, Q10 is an approved feed additive in the USA, but not in the UK or Europe.

Jones continues: “Recent studies have found strong evidence that daily oral supplementation with ubiquinol, a bioavailable form of CoQ10, is associated with improved semen quality of stallions. These findings are very compatible with the results of studies of the effects of daily CoQ10 and ubiquinol supplementation on semen quality in men.” Certain trace minerals also have a role to play in fertility support. Zinc is involved with testosterone production and secretion, spermatogenesis and sperm motility. Copper is linked to libido and semen quality.

Omega 3

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both essential to the horse (cannot be synthesised), yet the traditional equine diet tends to provide a skewed ratio of these compounds, minimising the supply of omega 3 and oversupplying omega 6. Grass contains adequate levels of omega 3 and horses living out most or all of the time will usually be provided with the correct ratio.

However, stallions during the covering season will be stabled for many hours of the day, if not all, bar whilst covering and deficiencies are common. Richardson explains: “The use of omega 3 fatty acids, including DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is research-backed, particularly for improving semen quality in fresh and cooled semen. The omega fatty acids contribute to the essential lipids, which are central to sperm quality, as they are an

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“The semen had 30% increased motility. Five Star Fertility worked well and enabled us to get more concentrated semen.”

“The advanced nutrition in Five Star Fertility has been proven to maximise each stallion’s breeding potential. With the thoroughbred stallions covering naturally we have to have them performing at their best to achieve successful coverings. We trust Five Star Fertility to improve, enhance and sustain the performance of each stallion.”

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Adaptogenic herbs

Successful stallions will often continue to cover into their early twenties, although reproductive performance can begin to drop from the late teens. Richardson says: “NAF’s Fertility for Stallions supports healthy natural ageing with the inclusion of the adaptogenic herbs. Adaptogens help the body to adapt to physiological stress, not only from ageing but also performance – including sexual performance. The complex of adaptogens we’ve chosen have been specially selected to support roles in both ageing and virility. While the nutrition for semen quality is recognised, we believe stallion behaviour is also pivotal.”

All reputable feed companies will ensure the correct balance of micronutrients in supplements and complete feeds, with qualified nutritionists on hand to offer guidance throughout the year. Although fertility issues are not usually related directly to a stallion’s nutrition, targeted feeding of the micronutrients we have discussed have been shown to positively influence the maintenance of healthy sperm cells.

Irrelevant of the stallion’s condition, supplementation of the key fertilitysupporting nutrients should begin around mid-December, roughly two months before the start of the covering season. This will help to ensure the stallion’s sperm is in its optimum state. Hore comments: “In the adult stallion, billions of spermatozoa are produced every day, which calculates out at around 70,000 every second! Although thousands of sperm are produced every second, it takes a little longer for them to grow and mature, around 54 to 57 days in most stallions. Researchers found that even small improvements in both sperm motility and morphology, of 2-3%, can make huge differences.”

Preparation and management

Allowing stallions the freedom to exhibit natural behaviour is a pivotal factor in running an efficient and successful covering barn. Mark Dean, Stallion Manager at Shadwell Stud, said: “The positioning of stables within a stallion yard is of the upmost importance, especially for a first-season sire.

“In a natural environment, the horse being ‘promoted’ to stallion will be due to a change of circumstance, such as the loss of the alpha male within the herd. The best horse husbandry aims to replicate nature. Unfortunately, this is difficult in

a stallion unit as we take horses from a training yard where they have been treated as a beta male and we put them in an environment already containing alpha males. If doable, allowing the firstseason sire to be stabled in close but safe proximity to mares for a short period can work well. If not, we can go some way to rectifying this by having stables that do not face each other or overlook the covering barn.

“It has been known for stallions to suffer with poor libido and even firstseason sires refusing to cover as they have felt inferior to a more imposing stallion who is dominating their current environment, just by the cast of an eye.”

Levels of the hormone testosterone are an indicator of stallion fertility and libido, whilst also promoting muscle development. Dean continues: “Encouraging natural stallion behaviour is very important to produce testosterone. Often, a horse leaving training will have spent years supressing their natural instincts as the behaviour associated with this is not conducive to training or racing. Walking the horse past paddocks of mares and routinely taking him into the mare yard to tease will increase his levels of testosterone, helping with the transition from horse to stallion, whilst encouraging him to express natural stallion behaviour.”

Enhancing fertility

Dean advises: “Ultimately, we cannot change a stallion if he is infertile or even sub-fertile. However, we can make small, calculated changes that will slightly improve their fertility statistics for the season. In an industry that demands high covering fees, this could supply the stallion farms with hundreds of thousands in extra income.

“When accepting nominations to a

stallion, the breeding record of the mare should always be considered. When a mare is scanned empty, it is inevitable that the blame is sometimes passed onto the stallion and rumours of fertility issues can ruin a stallion’s career before he has even had runners. A clear, open line of communication with the boarding farm is essential – there is a higher chance of conception when stud farms work together. If a stallion or stud manager knows how a mare has reacted postcover, they may be able to help if a return is needed.”

Stallions nowadays often cover very large books, particularly those at the top of their game. It is easy to overlook the fact that 150 visiting mares does not translate to 150 individual covers – with a proportion of mares requiring two of three services, the numbers can quickly rise. Jones adds: “Natural covering of a mare is a highly physical exercise, requiring high levels of energy and putting strain on the hindlimb joints particularly, especially when delivering multiple covers per day. Stallions experiencing joint issues can become reluctant to mount. To help maintain joint health, feeding a joint supplement such as Foran Equine Ost-OFlex is often wise.”

Dean continues: “Stallion management is all about marginal gains. For example, using semen extender will not suddenly change conception rates from being in the 70% range to the 90% range, but it could take a stallion’s conception rate from 88% to 90%, making the Return of Mares a far more pleasing read to potential clients. It is important to note before starting to extend mares post cover, research is needed to see if the stallion’s semen is compatible and improved with the use of extender.”

Attention to detail cannot be overlooked when caring for stallions and running an efficient covering barn. Dean notes: “Taking daily temperatures are a really helpful management tool. Mares are routinely scanned for pregnancy at 16 days post cover, meaning there is at least 16 days before you know if there has been a problem with the stallion’s fertility or not. Within those 16 days, a popular stallion could have covered 40plus mares, with it being a gamble as to whether they are in-foal or not because of the spike in the stallion’s temperature.

“Knowing that your stallion has had a temperature can help avoid this situation by taking veterinary advice and even in some cases ceasing to cover. Once the stallion has returned to normal health, a collection from the stallion is advisable to check on semen health.”

Covering: a highly physical activity

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ROA Festival marquee returns to the heart of the action

We are delighted to announce that the ROA marquee at the Cheltenham Festival will be returning to its previous location next to the shopping village in 2025. The feedback we received on last year’s venue was that although more spacious, the location was too far away from the heart of the action, which meant getting out to see the races was challenging.

Numbers for the 2025 marquee will be capped for the comfort and safety of everyone in attendance. Members can

book places for themselves and up to three guests on each of the four days, but please note that only daily badges are available. The ROA marquee is always extremely popular, so we would urge you to book as soon as you are able.

There will be hot and cold food on sale, a private bar, Tote facilities and numerous TV screens so you won’t miss any of the action. Seats and tables are available, but please be aware that these cannot be reserved.

We will also be holding a free-to-enter champion tipster competition each day for

Don’t let VAT tax your festivities

With the festive season fast approaching, don’t be one of over 22,000 people who logged on between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day to submit a tax return last year!

It is not too late to appoint the ROA VAT Solution team to submit your outstanding VAT returns for 2024, giving you time to enjoy both the sport that you love and the Christmas period without having to worry about HMRC deadlines.

To instruct ROA VAT Solution as your agent, all we need is a copy of your VAT certificate and previous VAT submission.

Why choose the ROA VAT Solution?

• Expertise in the registration scheme for racehorse owners: ROA VAT Solution specialises in the racehorse owners’ scheme. This expertise ensures that clients benefit from a solution designed to address the nuances and complexities of VAT within the context of racehorse ownership.

• Maximising VAT reclaims: ROA VAT Solution optimises VAT returns on behalf of owners, ensuring that eligible expenses are accurately

everyone in the marquee.

Access to the marquee requires Club admission, which is not included in the price of the marquee badge but can be purchased directly from Cheltenham racecourse.

We always sell out well in advance, so if you want to join us, please book early. Marquee badges will not be available to purchase on the day.

The 2025 prices (inclusive of VAT) per day are:

• ROA MEMBERS: £70 members and £80 guests (up to three guests per member)

• RACEGOERS CLUB MEMBERS: £80 members and £90 guests (up to three guests per member)

Tickets will go on sale on Monday, December 9 for ROA members and Monday, December 16 for Racegoers Club members.

Time changes for feature Festival races

The feature contests on each day of the Cheltenham Festival in 2025 – the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle and Gold Cup – will be run as the fifth race on the card at 4pm. The meeting will also start ten minutes earlier, with the first race scheduled off time now 1.20pm.

Terrestrial television viewers will also be treated to an extra race, with ITV Racing expanding its coverage of the meeting to show six of the seven races live each day.

accounted for and included in the VAT reclaim.

• Timely and accurate submissions: ROA VAT Solution provides clients with the necessary support to ensure timely and accurate VAT submissions. This is crucial for avoiding penalties associated with late submissions and maintaining compliance with HMRC regulations.

To appoint ROA VAT Solution as your agent, email vat@roa.co.uk or call 0118 3385685 to speak with Davina, Rebecca or Glen today.

The ROA marquee is always a sell-out at the Cheltenham Festival

Our contact details:

Sladmore Gallery viewing has royal approval

A viewing of exquisite equine sculptures, hosted by Racing Welfare in partnership with the Racehorse Owners Association, was held on the evening of Tuesday, November 5 at the prestigious Sladmore Gallery in London.

The event was attended by Racing Welfare’s President, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, along with a gathering of racehorse owners, ROA representatives and Racing Welfare trustees.

Guests were treated to an intimate and immersive experience, surrounded by stunning sculptures from 16 renowned artists. Among the highlights of the exhibition was Frankel Racing (2015), a bronze by internationally acclaimed wildlife sculptor Mark Coreth.

Coreth is best known in racing circles for his life-size Frankel sculpture unveiled by the Queen at Royal Ascot in 2015. Additionally, four sculptures by leading artist Nic Fiddian Green were displayed, including Copenhagen (2018), which was a special gift from the Ascot Racecourse Authority to King Charles III.

The evening also provided a platform to highlight the vital work of Racing Welfare, the leading charity dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of people

who work within the racing industry. During the event, Nick Bannister, Chairman of Racing Welfare, delivered a heartfelt speech, offering insight into the charity’s ongoing initiatives and the impact of its support for those in need.

Dawn Goodfellow, Racing Welfare Chief Executive, said following the event: “We were delighted to have Her Royal Highness in attendance, and would like to send our express thanks for the dedication shown by The Princess Royal in the role of Racing Welfare President.

“We’d like to thank the ROA and its members for working with us and attending the event, and we look forward to building on the great work we have already achieved together. We’d also like to thank Sladmore, internationally renowned experts in sculpture, who provided the perfect backdrop for the event. We were delighted to be able to enjoy the work of so many celebrated artists in such an exclusive environment.

“We hope that all our guests enjoyed the evening and were able to understand more about the vital work that Racing Welfare does in supporting all of racing’s people. The charity needs continued fundraising support

the ROA

from organisations and individuals to ensure we can continue to support the workforce of British horseracing when they need it most.”

Charlie Parker, ROA President, added: “It was an enormous honour to work with Racing Welfare in supporting this event. It was a wonderful evening with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal engaging with those in attendance, whilst immersing ourselves in the exquisite sculpture collection on display, for which thanks to Sladmore Gallery are due.

“The evening further reminded us of the importance of our partnership and represented what can be achieved to ensure the invaluable work undertaken by Racing Welfare is highlighted.”

Find perfect Christmas gifts

Our Christmas Gift Guide is now up and running online. If you are struggling for ideas for a gift for the racing fan in your life, we may have something of interest!

If you would like to be featured in our daily e-bulletin Inside Track (readership of 5,500 members per day) and on the ROA website Gift Guide, please complete the form on the gift guide page and we will be in touch to discuss the details.

You can find the gift guide at www.roa.co.uk/gifts.

The Princess Royal was in attendance to support the event hosted by Racing Welfare in partnership with

MAGICAL MOMENTS

David Purvis savours a long-range winner with hotshot KDB

Racehorse owners are optimists by nature but few if any would have been expecting much from a runner priced up by bookmakers as a 200-1 no-hoper.

Step forward KDB – that’s Frenchbred gelding Kally Des Bruyeres, not Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne –who defied those dismissive odds when taking a two-mile maiden hurdle at Huntingdon in November under Charlie Todd.

Kally Des Bruyeres runs for The Close Shave Partnership, which consists of trainer David Dennis, who has a leg in the four-year-old son of Cokoriko, and David Purvis, the majority owner who watched the unlikely victory in the vicinity of another racecourse, one in California not Cambridgeshire.

“I’d booked to go to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in June – it was on my

bucket list – so obviously didn’t know then that my horse would be running that day,” explains Purvis, who has spent his working life in the retail sports betting industry, including a five-year term as CEO of Stanleybet International.

“David had sent me four options for KDB and inevitably the most suitable race was the one when I was in the US, so I sent some buddies along to the track.

“I got up at 5.30am San Diego time to watch the race and thought, ‘let’s see how this goes’. It was a shock to the betting market, it was a shock to the people at Huntingdon, and it was a shock to me!

“You can’t start drinking champagne at that time of the morning – I had to wait for the friends I’d travelled over with to get up for breakfast. They thought it was great and asked how

much I’d had on. I told them – nothing!” Purvis is a recent recruit to the ownership ranks, taking the plunge last year with encouragement from his wife, Jo, having declared his intent to get involved.

He says: “My wife and I love horses –

PAUL

Kally Des Bruyeres defied odds of 200-1 to strike for owner David Purvis (inset)

we have horses at home, we both ride, and I’ve done a bit of showjumping at amateur level.

“I turned 60 last year and Jo asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told her I’d love to get into racehorse ownership although I wasn’t sure how to go about it.

“It was always a dream for me to get involved in horseracing. I’ve loved the sport, especially the National Hunt side, since my days working in betting shops.

“It was my vet who introduced me to David [Dennis]. We talked on the phone, he came over to the house and showed me a list of horses he was interested in at the upcoming Goffs UK Spring Sale. That’s how I bought Ballynaheer.”

Former pointer Ballynaheer made steady progress over hurdles last season, providing his owner with his first victory at Huntingdon on April 1.

“That was a wow moment – I felt I’d fulfilled a lifetime dream to own a horse and win a race,” says Purvis, who lives in the village of Newborough in Staffordshire, close to Uttoxeter racecourse.

“After buying Ballynaheer, David asked me if I’d be interested in having another one. We talked money and a few other things, and I said fine – that’s how we set up the partnership for Kally Des Bruyeres.

“David thought KDB was one of the better young horses in the yard because he showed us lots on the gallops.

“He ran in a bumper at Hereford first time out, but it was testing ground and he didn’t settle – Tom Bellamy said he ran his race back to front and finished tired.

“We then went for a maiden hurdle at my local track, Uttoxeter. We wanted him to switch off, get into a rhythm and enjoy his experience.

“It was all going to plan as he turned into the straight, but when Tom gave him a squeeze he made a noise, so he was pulled up. Tom told us to get his wind done and then we’d have a different horse.

“He then had the summer off after my vet did his wind. We took him to Stratford in October for his reappearance, but the runners were well strung out after a couple of hurdles and

there were horses and jockeys on the deck, so we put a line through that run.

“Fast forward to Huntingdon and we had hopes of him being competitive –but we didn’t expect him to win!”

That 200-1 magical moment meant Kally Des Bruyeres became the jointsecond longest-priced winner in Britain and while Purvis wasn’t present – “it was the first time I haven’t been at the track for one of my runners” – the victory was significant beyond his starting price.

He says: “To be honest, I was more pleased for David and the yard than me as an owner because he recommended the horse to me. He had faith in the horse before I bought him and was probably feeling a bit of pressure –thankfully he’s now starting to fulfil his potential.

“I’d like to think that one of the three I’ve got could get to the Festival one day”

“David is the racehorse trainer and I leave the planning to him. If I was going for heart surgery, I wouldn’t tell the cardiologist what to do and how to do it.”

Purvis continues: “He’s a very nice man. He’s great to deal with, nothing’s ever a problem. I get plenty of comms, he calls me on a regular basis, and I like that. It’s not a big yard and I feel part of something.

“I also enjoy going down to the stable, which is a 130-mile round trip, spending a couple of hours with David and the horses. That access to the trainer is important to me – I probably talk to David three or four times a week.”

Having only started his ownership journey in 2023, Purvis is relishing his involvement, especially “the thrill of being in the paddock on raceday and

being part of the racehorse-owning community.”

The level of admin associated with ownership is not quite so much fun, so he is thankful for the assistance of the ROA’s VAT Solution team. “It’s a great service,” Purvis says. “I’ve dealt with Davina – she’s been very communicative and helpful. On my own I wouldn’t know what to do.

“It was David who told me I could reclaim VAT on the purchase price of my horses and training fees. Any time I need guidance, I contact the ROA team.”

With Kally Des Bruyeres having turned a corner and Ballynaheer now embarking on a chasing career, Purvis has plenty to look forward to, while a further investment has been made in an unraced three-year-old by Order Of St George out of Tasmani, dam of Dennis’s former staying star Cyclop.

“I have a half share in the three-yearold, named Georgemani. He’s entered in the Goffs Spring Sale Bumper at Newbury in March,” Purvis says.

“I’ve been to see him work on the gallops and he seems to take everything in his stride – he’s a lovely-looking horse and David thinks he’ll be good.

“As for KDB, David wants to take it slowly, which is fine. For me it’s about the longevity, the sport and looking after the horses.”

He adds: “Genuinely, I feel blessed. I suspect there’s owners who buy their first horse and never get into the winner’s enclosure. I feel very lucky, but I’m with a very good trainer.

“The closest I got to horses growing up was watching westerns on TV! I’m from a council house in Glasgow – I grew up with nothing.

“Mum and dad scraped and scrimped to give me an education. They’ve both passed away now. When I’m sitting there reflecting on things, I wish they’d have been able to come racing with me. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

“I did take my son Jack to the Cheltenham Festival for the first time, and he loved it. Having a runner at the Festival – that would be the dream! I’d like to think that one of the three I’ve got could get there one day.”

ROA Forum

THE RACEGOERS CLUB COLUMN

Tony Wells looks at the racing scene

It’s the time of year where the awards are dished out. So who was your Horse of the Year? Despite his failure in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, for me it has to be City Of Troy. His performances in the Derby and Juddmonte International bore the hallmarks of an above average Classic winner. Is he the best Aidan O’Brien has ever trained? The official ratings say no, but if he had contested the Irish Champions Stakes or the Arc, it’s hard to argue that he wouldn’t have won them and in doing so he may well have produced a performance worthy of being Aidan’s best ever.

City Of Troy won three of the six Group 1s that Sea The Stars scooped in his record-breaking three-year-old season and he skipped the last two to try and win on the dirt at Del Mar. Until a Derby winner manages to do that, we may have to file his attempt under ‘impossible’.

With five winners at the Breeders’ Cup along with nine at the Arc meeting, the performances of the British and Irish runners at the highest level abroad shows no signs of succumbing to the threats of international rivals. What is concerning, though, is the level below. We are seeing more and more horses just below Group class disappearing from our shores to race in Australia, Hong Kong and the US, particularly in the middle-distance and staying categories. When a heritage handicap like the Cesarewitch attracts only 24 runners, is it time to be really worried for the future of our sport?

It is perfectly understandable when an owner decides an offer for his/ her promising three-year-old is too good to turn down. If you’re being offered several times what you paid, then why wouldn’t you sell? It did get me thinking, though, that shared ownership might be a way of keeping more of our emerging talent in this country. If you were in a syndicate with a large enough group, the temptation to cash in would be easier to refuse if your share wasn’t a significant sum and there was the prospect of your horse taking you to the biggest meetings. Maybe it’s just a fanciful

idea, but it’s a nice thought.

Just as the jumps season was getting into full swing, we heard the terribly sad news of Alastair Down’s passing. He was a wonderful writer and will be missed greatly. His love of the Cheltenham Festival was infectious. Alastair’s report of Long Run’s Gold Cup is one of my favourite pieces and I remember reading it each year as part of my Festival preparation. His masterful writing had the ability to transport the reader into the action:

“There they were - Kauto Star and Denman, the 11-year-old box neighbours, hammering away at each other for the lead; two marvellously irresponsible old men out for some mad last hurrah and damned if they were ready to admit that the days of youth were behind them” – wonderful stuff!

I will be reading the article again in that quiet period in the first week of March, when all the trials have been run and us racing fans are counting down the days to the Festival. Nothing puts me in the mood for

Cheltenham more.

Alastair also had the ability to make his readers laugh out loud. In the 80s, his Weekender column was the first page I’d turn to every week. One particular story has stuck in my memory.

He was on his way to Towcester one Saturday morning with his wife, when she suggested they stop at an antiques shop on the way. Time was moving on as his wife ambled around the shop, with Alastair kicking his heels, fearing he was going to miss the first race. He then heard a bloodcurdling sound from the other side of the shop – “Ooh, I like that”, said the familiar voice. He immediately knew it was a sound that was going to prove expensive, which it proved to be in more ways than one.

By the time they got to Towcester, the horse that Alastair was going to back in the first race had already won at a double-figure price!

The wordsmith who gave us Metal Oiseau and so many other great memories will be sadly missed.

City Of Troy couldn’t get competitive on his first try on dirt at the Breeders’ Cup

BILL SELWYN

Bid to Give: stallion nomination and tour of Yorton Farm Stud to be won

This month’s Racing Welfare Bid to Give auction offers members the opportunity to bid for a stallion nomination and private tour at Yorton Farm Stud, one of Britain’s fastestgrowing National Hunt breeding operations.

The winning bidder can choose to nominate to either Ito, a Group 1-winning son of champion German sire Adlerflug, or Pether’s Moon, winner of the 2015 Group 1 Coronation Cup.

The prize also includes a tour of Yorton Farm Stud, a stallion parade and refreshments for two people.

Located in the village of Leighton near Welshpool and set in 300 acres of beautiful Powys countryside, the stud boasts state-of-the-art facilities and is home to an exciting roster of stallions.

The winning bidder must redeem their prize in 2025 and the mare should be a thoroughbred. To be in with a chance of securing this exclusive lot, go to www.bidtogive.co.uk to place your bid before Friday, December 20.

As ever, all funds raised go to Racing Welfare and help to ensure that the charity can continue its vital work in supporting all of racing’s people.

How your support helps Racing Welfare make a difference – David’s

David is Head Person at a stud in Berkshire and has been working with thoroughbreds since leaving school at the age of 16.

He first approached Racing Welfare for support with his return to work following a serious accident which had left him with a broken back and pelvis.

David said: “I had a really bad accident – a horse reared over on top of me and I was out of work for a year with a broken back and pelvis. I was in a bad way. At the time I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to walk, or at least walk normally, again.”

Racing Welfare arranged for David to attend Oaksey House and funded a series of intense physiotherapy sessions, which eventually helped him get back on his feet.

He said: “It was amazing. [The physiotherapy] got me walking probably three months sooner than I’d have managed it by myself.”

Following his treatment, David wanted to explore alternative career options that meant he did not need to rely on being able to work on his feet with horses. Racing Welfare supported him to study for and achieve his HGV Level Two qualification, which opened up a new career pathway should he need it.

story

Since initiating that first contact with the charity several years ago, David has received further support through the Occupational Health Scheme when struggling with an ongoing frozen shoulder.

He summarises: “Whenever I’ve got

a problem, I always approach Racing Welfare first, because they are always really helpful. I regularly encourage other people to get in contact with them if they need help.

“There’s no doubt about it, Racing Welfare have helped me immensely.”

Racing Welfare arranged for David to receive physiotherapy at Oaksey House

A nomination to Ito is up for grabs

Meet the racecourse accreditation assessor –

The search for the 2024 ROA Accreditation Award and Gold Standard Award winners is nearing its conclusion. AA Hotel & Hospitality Services assessors have been travelling the length and breadth of the country, visiting all 60 racecourses (Newmarket Rowley Mile and July courses are assessed separately), providing feedback to the tracks and producing detailed reports.

AA assessor Judy Watson explains a little more about the role and the processes involved.

Did you have any interest in horseracing before being asked to form part of the Racecourse Accreditation team?

I started in the Pony Club at seven years of age. My first job was a groom at the Pytchley Hunt Kennels in Northamptonshire, where l was second horse for Bert Maiden – the huntsman – who rode side saddle because of an amputation. There was me (aged 16!) and 42 Irishmen, running a stable of over 100 horses.   I progressed from there to working with polo ponies for Lord Bathurst in Cirencester. Then in 1966, aged 19, l arrived in Yorkshire, to become a stud groom for Lady Robson and her son James Holt, where I worked for seven years before entering the world of tourism.

How did you become an AA assessor?

I started in tourism aged 26 via renting hunters out to American tourists. This lasted into my early 30s when l worked in a tourist information centre, which eventually led me into the ‘quality’ unit of the Yorkshire Tourist Board. After a couple of years, l headed the quality assurance unit for the North of England on behalf of the English Tourist Board. This experience led to my firm belief that to deliver top-class service you need a quality product and enthusiastic and committed staff, resulting in customers receiving results that exceed expectations.

As the regional tourist boards began to be disbanded, the Visitor

Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) was born, taken back inhouse by the English Tourist Board. The main quality element was the star schemes for accommodation, and this was where the AA became involved as the largest assurance service of accommodation.

My background has always been a mixture of equestrian and quality.

What does the AA assessor training look like?

All the assessors who complete the racecourse assessments have previous experience in assessing for the AA, whether it be for accommodation (hotels, B&Bs etc) and restaurants (as part of our AA rosette scheme) or for the many visitor attractions we assess, so the team already have a good knowledge of assessing beforehand.  Specifically for the ROA assessments we would carry out

“I’ve seen how racecourses have improved their customer care”

an online training session at the start of each scheme year (for all the assessors) to run through any amends to the scoring criteria and any other relevant information, including anything of note from our end-of-year review with the ROA team which would be relevant.

For any new assessors taking on ROA visits, they would have in addition to this an accompanied assessment visit with an experienced ROA assessor before they would carry out any solo assessments.

How many assessors are there on the team and how do they get allocated a particular racecourse?

For the 2024 scheme year we had 12 assessors taking on the assessment visits. This included

Judy Watson

five who were new to the ROA assessments but experienced AA assessors. In terms of allocating visits, the locality is key for us in terms of proximity to the racecourse itself, but we would also look at how many times an assessor has carried out a particular assessment and allocate someone different where necessary.

How have you seen standards change since the ROA Racecourse Accreditation scheme was introduced?

I have seen and felt how racecourses have improved their customer care since the scheme started and this is demonstrated by the scoring.

An assessor is there to help and advise on how a product can be improved – critical comment is positive and constructive, given from an experienced knowledge base.

They are a fresh pair of eyes, looking at the facility from a different viewpoint. They talk to owners and hear their sometimesnegative comments but take into account that views can be influenced by the success or failure of the running of their horse!

Although I have now retired (to a yacht in Trinidad and Tobago!) I look forward to seeing the results revealed soon. I expect to see many courses will have upped their game again from 2023.

Judy Watson: started in Pony Club

Elite NH Mares’ Scheme 2025: apply now TBA Forum

With previous graduates including Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well, applications are being taken for the HBLB/TBA Elite NH Mares’ Scheme and will be accepted until the end of January. The TBA is grateful to the Levy Board for increasing its funding earlier in the year and as such several enhancements to the scheme in 2025 have been made.

Open to TBA members who own mares rated 130+ or who have produced a runner of a defined performance level (see below), subsidised nominations are available to British-based stallions who are eligible and have been nominated by their managers under the terms of the scheme.

Created to highlight to breeders the quality of National Hunt stallions standing in Great Britain, so far 24 eligible stallions have been made available.

Scheme details

Category 1a

Mares that achieved a peak Official Rating of 150+

Category 1b

Mares who have produced a NH horse officially rated 150+ (mare) OR 160+ (gelding), in Great Britain, Ireland or France

Category 2a

Mares that achieved a peak Official Rating of between 140-149

Category 2b

Mares who have produced a NH horse officially rated 140-149 (mare) OR 150159 (gelding), in Great Britain, Ireland or France

Category 3a

Mares that achieved a peak Official Rating of between 130-139

Category 3b

Mares who have produced a NH horse officially rated 130-139 (mare) OR 140149 (gelding), in Great Britain, Ireland or France

Winners of black-type races over obstacles in Great Britain, Ireland and France will be treated as having the following minimum ratings, if these are above those actually awarded:

MaresGeldings

Postponed: one of 24 nominated stallions to the scheme for 2025

A mare that qualifies for the scheme by satisfying multiple criteria (either as a racemare and producer, or as producer of more than one qualifying horse) will be regarded as having achieved an Official Rating increased by 10lb for every additional qualification.

Grants

Owners of mares nominated for the scheme will receive a grant entitling them to a discount on the nomination fees of any of the stallions that are included in the scheme. The grant value is determined on the category of the mare:

• Category 1a/1b: £4,500

• Category 2a/2b: £3,500

• Category 3a/3b: £2,500

These grants, which are paid direct to the stallion owner on receipt by the TBA office of a positive October 1 pregnancy certificate, apply to the 2024 breeding season only and cannot be carried forward to any future season.

Changes

for 2025

• Each category has seen an increase to its grant value

• More proven mares (category b) can access the scheme following change to rating eligibility

• No mare older than 22 is eligible for the scheme (born 2002 or before)

What to do next?

For a full list of eligible mares visit the Elite Mares’ Scheme page on the TBA website (www.thetba.co.uk) where an online application form can also be found. If you have any further questions, please contact Rob Davey at rob.davey@thetba.co.uk.

Grade 1 winners or winners of three Grade 2 WFA races

Winners of Grade 2 WFA races

Grade 3 or Listed WFA winners

A winner of an additional race as specified above will be treated as having achieved a rating 5lb above that defined by the single win, e.g. two x Listed/Grade 3 WFA wins = OR 140 = Grade 2 WFA win.

When these measures are applied, a horse relying on winning a race that is confined to three-year-olds or four-year-olds only will be treated as having achieved a rating 5lb below that derived as above.

Stallions in 2025 Elite Mares’ Scheme

2024 Budget: what it means for stud farm owners

On October 30, the Chancellor’s announcements introduced significant tax changes affecting family-owned businesses, including stud farms, writes Jennie Brown, Tax Partner at Streets These changes mark a shift in how tax costs will impact succession planning, particularly in relation to inheritance tax. Whereas family businesses were previously able to pass ownership down through generations with limited tax implications, the revised inheritance tax framework will impose new financial challenges.

Inheritance tax: new caps on relief

Beginning April 6, 2026, agricultural and business property will continue to benefit from 100% inheritance tax relief. However, a new £1 million cap will apply to this relief. Property exceeding this threshold will qualify for only 50% relief, meaning a 20% inheritance tax rate will apply to the value above the cap. This adjustment will likely create funding challenges for those owning family-owned stud farms who must now plan to cover additional tax costs.

A grace period for planning

The good news is that these inheritance tax changes are postponed until April

2026, providing families with a two-year window to revisit their succession and tax planning strategies. This delay allows families to consider various planning options that could help mitigate future tax costs. The applicability of specific strategies will depend on individual circumstances, including the type of agricultural and business property held.

National Insurance changes

The government is also introducing four major adjustments to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs), effective from April 6, 2025. Two of these changes represent substantial increases:

• Employer NIC threshold reduction: The threshold for secondary Class 1 NICs (employer contributions) will drop from £9,100 to £5,000 annually until April 6, 2028, and then increase it by reference to the Consumer Price Index thereafter.

• NIC rate increase: The main rate for secondary Class 1 NICs will increase from 13.8% to 15%, with corresponding rate increases for Class 1A and Class 1B NICs on taxable benefits-in-kind.

To offset some of these increased costs, the government is expanding the Employment Allowance:

Breeding in Britain series

The TBA, in association with GBRI, has launched a six-part series – Be A Part Of It – aimed at showcasing Britain’s world-leading thoroughbred breeding operations, its thriving stallion market and highlighting why many of the world’s most prolific owner-breeders have chosen Britain as the headquarters

for their bloodstock interests.

Released over the course of six weeks, the series featured Lanwades Stud, Tweenhills, Hazelwood Bloodstock, Watership Down Stud, The National Stud and Shadwell Stud.

The series this year follows on from a successful campaign in 2023 that

• Wider eligibility: All employers will now qualify for the Employment Allowance, eliminating the previous restriction for employers with NIC liabilities under £100,000.

• Increased allowance: The maximum amount that can be claimed will rise from £5,000 to £10,500.

Additionally, the Class 1 Lower Earnings Limit for employees will increase for the 2024–2025 tax year, meaning employees will begin paying NICs at a higher threshold.

Strategic planning needed

The changes outlined in the 2024 budget will require careful planning for stud farm owners and family businesses. With both the inheritance tax adjustments and NIC increases on the horizon, it is essential to review existing tax strategies and consider options to alleviate the financial impact. The delay until 2026 offers a critical opportunity for families to assess and prepare for the new inheritance tax environment, ensuring continuity and financial stability for future generations.

featured Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Farm, Blue Diamond Stud, Dalham Hall Stud, Newsells Park Stud and Whitsbury Manor Stud.

Each episode is available on both GBRI and TBA social media channels, as well as on the GBRI website at greatbritishracinginternational.com.

Jennie Brown: 'significant changes due'

Family-owned businesses such as stud farms will be impacted by the new tax rules

TBA Forum

Memorable October for Juddmonte

Two Group 1-winning fillies made for a fantastic October for Juddmonte. Supplemented for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on the back of her Prix Vermeille victory, Bluestocking overcame Aventure for the second time in three weeks, this time extending her advantage over her younger rival to a length and a quarter.

Two weeks later and it was the turn of Kalpana to show herself off in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot. Always to the fore, the three-year-old swiftly went away from her rivals in the home straight with a sharp turn of foot to become the maiden Group 1 winner for her sire Study Of Man.

There were Group wins for fellow Juddmonte-breds Lead Artist (Dubawi) in the Darley Stakes and for Showcasing’s son Future History in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley.

Arc de Triomphe day was a successful venture for another pair of British homebreds. Phoebe and Jeffrey Hobby’s Brightwalton Stud were left celebrating after their five-year-old Makarova put everything together to take the Prix de l’Abbaye, whilst later on the card, George Strawbridge’s homebred Friendly Soul, a daughter of Kingman, continued her improvement to capture the Prix de l’Opera.

British Champions Day witnessed some notable performances, including that of Kind Of Blue in the British Champions Sprint Stakes. Bred by Mike and Michelle Morris with Peter and Jan Hopper, the

three-year-old proved too good for 19 rivals. He was emulating his uncles Deacon Blues and The Tin Man, winners of the race in 2011 and 2016 respectively.

The day previously and the Godolphin homebred Shadow Of Light won the Dewhurst Stakes. He became only the 11th horse to win both the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst.

On the undercard, the Southcourt Studbred Starzintheireyes won the Zetland Stakes in good fashion. He is trained by Ralph Beckett, who the previous day on the Rowley Mile had sent out Lady Boba to win the Pride Stakes. The four-year-old was bred by Fortescue Bloodstock.

Imad Al Sagar’s Blue Diamond Stud has had a productive year, and the Too Darn Hot colt Hotazhell capped off the fine season with a battling win in the final Group 1 of the British season, the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster.

Down in Australia, Group races were plentiful, and a number were snared by expat, or soon to be expat, British-breds.

The Lady Bamford-bred Herman Hesse, a son of Frankel, won the Herbert Power Stakes, whilst the Coongy Cup went to the Kirsten Rausing-bred Kingswood, a son of the late Roaring Lion. Mighty Ulysses, a son of Ulysses, won the Moonga Stakes and was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud – as was Italian Listed scorer Not Afraid

.

The Highclere Stud-bred Sea King secured his position in the Melbourne Cup – he finished 14th – with a win in the

Bendigo Cup for Newmarket trainer Harry Eustace.

On the first weekend of the month, the Chasemore Farm-bred Uncle Bryn was victorious at Flemington in the Paris Lane Stakes.

Group-placed in his youth, Apollo One landed his fifth and most important victory to date for breeder Peter Charalambous, who trains the gelding with James Clutterbuck, in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot.

The same day, Cheveley Park Stud’s homebred Sunfall (Twilight Son) captured the October Stakes and the Whitsbury Manor Stud-bred Rumstar, a son of Havana Grey, took the Rous Stakes.

Sparks Fly has been a dream mare for the Lowe family, making giant strides last season up the handicap ranks to become a stakes winner, and she gained two new stakes wins in October. She took the Prix Coronation at Saint-Cloud before adding the Robin Hood Stakes at Nottingham on the second last day of the month, later making it three wins in a row in the Listed Prix Isola Bella back at Saint-Cloud on November 10.

The William Tinkler-bred Grey’s Monument (Territories) toughed out victory in the Guisborough Stakes at Redcar, the same day that Candy, a daughter of Ardad bred by the Exors of the late WC Wragg, won the Two-Year-Old Trophy.

The Cool Silk Partnership’s homebred Ellaria Sand won the Radley Stakes at Newbury.

In Ireland, the Navigation Stakes was won by the Shadwell-bred Mutasarref, whilst the Knockaire Stakes went to Flaxman Stables homebred Norwalk Havoc, a son of Showcasing.

There were a pair of Listed scorers in France – the Al Shaqab-bred Doha captured the Prix Dahlia at Saint-Cloud and the Al Asayl-bred Map Of Stars returned to form when winning the Grand Prix du Nord at Chantilly.

Across the pond in America and Lammas, a son of Heeraat, added the Bull Dog Stakes at Fresno to his record. On the final day of the month at Del Mar, the Tweenhills-bred King Of Gosford, a son of Zoustar, won the Let It Ride Stakes.

The jumps season swung into gear in October and the Listed Robert Mottram Memorial Novices’ Chase at Chepstow was won in decent style by the John Westonbred Springwell Bay, a son of Kayf Tara.

Across the Irish Sea, the Wertheimer et Frere-bred Gaucher (Frankel) won a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Tipperary.

Results up to and including October 31. Produced in association with GBRI.

Kalpana proved her class in the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day

BILL SELWYN

New course launched on TB-Ed

Follow the development of a filly foal over 18 months on the TBA's online platform

A new video-based short course documenting the 18-month physical development journey of a filly foal born in the UK has been released exclusively to TB-Ed.

Watching the growth of young stock is often rewarding and inspiring, and courtesy of ‘Bella’, this course

News in brief

Check out the TBA website

The TBA website (www.thetba.co.uk) has full details on the extensive list of benefits aimed at helping breeders every step of the way.

One of the most frequently visited sections on the website, Advice and Information, houses a wealth of documentation designed to assist employers and breeders. The Breeder Support tab holds documents such as boarding stud agreements and foalsharing guidance notes. Employment law fact sheets can also be found here along with employers’ policies and procedures covering topics such as contracts of employment, disciplinary procedures and safeguarding.

The updated Bloodstock Tax Guide 2024, which offers an overview of tax

documents the month-by-month development of a filly from her spring birth to the yearling sales ring.

TB-Ed is the TBA’s online education hub where people can access the course – ‘From Birth to Yearling Sales: A Monthly Journey’. Written by industry consultant Joe Grimwade, the course

aims to support people’s understanding of what to look out for and observe as foals develop through weaning and on to sales preparation.

Accompanied by a downloadable resource on what to look for when observing young thoroughbreds, this short course will help people build the knowledge required to support the development of young stock and ensure the best welfare standards.

“Watching these incredible animals develop from wobbly foals to supreme athletes is one of the great pleasures of bloodstock breeding,” says Grimwade. “With very kind permission of her owners and the considerable support of the wonderful team at The National Stud, the TBA provide an insight into this great journey with guidance on specific aspects to monitor along the way.”

Available on TB-Ed now, the course is free of charge to anyone registered to TB-Ed. TBA members/ACCESS subscribers can also access all the content on TB-Ed free of charge as part of their membership package.

To visit TB-Ed and access the course, visit tb-ed.co.uk.

issues that may affect breeders, can also be found along with a section on the Lycetts third-party insurance policy that is included in in the full membership package.

For further information on all our benefits please scan the QR code.

Sign up for the Racecourse Badge Scheme for Breeders

The TBA, in conjunction with the RCA and Weatherbys, offers members the opportunity to watch the horses they have bred, and may no longer own, run at over 1,000 fixtures in Great Britain. Signing up to the scheme also allows you to receive automatic text/email alerts, enabling you to keep track of any horse you may have bred and where they are entered or declared to run.

If you are already signed up to the scheme but have joined a new breeding entity or partnership, please email alix. jones@thetba.co.uk with the details to

ensure you are kept updated at all times. Alix can also be contacted for the joining form for new users.

Stud Farming Course: last chance to book your place

This year’s TBA Stud Farming Course will take place between December 10-12 at the British Racing School in Newmarket – and places are running out.

Featuring seminars and discussions from some of the leading industry experts from Newmarket Equine Hospital, Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons and the Royal Veterinary College, there are also a couple of behind-the-scenes visits to Rossdales and Beech House Stud during the three days.

The course fee is £450 (inc VAT) for TBA members or £582 (inc VAT) for non-members.

For more information contact Melissa Rose at melissa.rose@thetba.co.uk or phone the office on 01638 661321.

Breeder of the Month

Words: Tom Peacock

BRIGHTWALTON STUD

Jeffrey Hobby’s most important memento of a week which might very well end up feeling like a dream is the one that nearly stares him in the face each day.

Makarova, the first homebred Group 1 winner from Brightwalton Stud after her victory in the Prix de l’Abbaye in early October, has just recently travelled the handful of miles back home from Ed Walker’s Lambourn stable.

“By the house we have a ha-ha and she’s right by it, pride of place,” Hobby explains. “It’s lovely, I can sit eating my breakfast and look at her, or walk my dogs last thing at night and she’s in the field there next to me.”

The daughter of Acclamation was pretty much retired on the spot as a five-time winner, including the Group 3 Coral Charge at Sandown. Hobby explains that a quality which should serve her well in her new career as a broodmare was not always her strongest asset on the track.

“She’s a sweetie, just very chilled and I think you can see that from when she was racing,” he says. “She’d be very relaxed in the parade ring and used to sometimes lose her races because she wouldn’t get going quick enough, it was only later we managed to get her a bit more wound up.

“If you’re trailing out the back at the end of two furlongs, it’s a big ask to get back to the front over five. She’d work at home like a 90-horse but Ed got her engaged and sharpened.”

The story of Hobby and wife Phoebe’s development of Brightwalton from an old dairy farm over the last 15 years was documented in the November issue of Owner Breeder

Hobby had liked the Cheveley Park Stud family of Makarova’s dam, Vesnina, and bought her for 68,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2015.

While a broodmare band of around 15 is operated along commercial lines, the family clearly get great enjoyment out of racing their fillies.

His reflections of the hours following the Abbaye provide the perfect flavour of what it meant.

“The day itself was hysterical, just madness,” Hobby says.

“I ran around in circles screaming for a bit very excited. When you breed a Group 1 winner, having built the farm from scratch, it’s what you dream of, and we’re not that far in really.”

He continues: “We got taken off to interviews and after having some champagne, the lovely thing in France is you can just go into the stable yard so I ended up standing outside the box having a chat with her.

“I had to go back to Newmarket that night as Book 1 was starting and we went to The Three Blackbirds for dinner. It wasn’t that late when we got back but Ed had to go and look at horses in the morning.

“My wife had gone home with the kids and I sat there in my room, just buzzing. I asked for a whisky then thought, ‘This is too sad, I can’t sit on my own in my bedroom after winning a Group 1’.

“Willie Carson was next door, so I banged on his door. I think he was sitting in bed watching Match Of The Day but I barged in and sat there talking to him for a while. It was quite surreal really.”

The following week at Tattersalls would see another Brightwalton Stud graduate, a Lope De Vega colt, make 750,000gns while Fernando, the first foal out of Makarova’s useful half-sister Nina Bailarina, also reached the winner’s enclosure.

At some stage soon, Hobby hopes to arrange a party for both the Brightwalton staff and those at Walker’s so that special memories can be shared.

“Ed’s team has been a huge part of it,” he explains. “I’ve had a few horses with him and I go there a lot. We’re all Lambourn locals and it’s a real Lambourn story; she was bred just outside there, trained in Lambourn and is coming back to the same farm. It’s all pretty cool.”

Hobby reports that he has been asked many times about Makarova’s first cover and he is continuing to bide his time.

“Everyone’s chasing me but it’s not only her, it’s her mum, a sister and a few other nice mares. Sea Of Thieves [the Prix Maurice Zilber winner] is also coming back from France. There are lots of nice plans and decisions to make.”

Jeffrey Hobby: his Brightwalton Stud recently celebrated its first homebred Group 1 winner in Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Makarova

The gift that keeps on giving

1st July

GBBPLUS is announced ofering further incentivisation and reward to staying fllies and chasing mares from January 2025.

17th October

FLUORESCENCE wins a £20,000 bonus on debut, pushing the total of bonuses won since June 2020 to £17 million.

More than 300 bonuses paid out in 2024 –in excess of £4 million.

27th-28th August

GBB fllies punched above their weight in the Gofs Premier Sale where GBB fllies made up 13% of yearlings sold and represented 15% of turnover. The average value of a GBB flly was £44,627, against the sale’s average of £39,495. Median value of a GBB flly was £33,000, versus the sale’s median of £30,000.

19th January

KALPANA wins a GBB bonus on debut and would go on to win the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes.

12th April

KATEIRA wins 5th GBB bonus, bringing her total bonus earnings to £80,000.

A huge thank you to the HBLB for its generous funding, to all our brilliant breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staf for your unwavering support and, of course, to our fabulous fllies –the true stars of the show!

Total print readership exceeds 20,000 per month – Europe’s most widely read monthly horseracing magazine A proven, tried and trusted publication with advertising packages available from just £305 per month

Our jury answers the big questions: Looking ahead to 2025 what would be top of your Christmas wish list for racing?

Stephen Appelbee

ROA Board member and owner

“

This is an easy question to answer and what I am about to say would be echoed by racehorse owners up and down the country – we want higher levels of prize-money!

I have been a racehorse owner for 34 years, starting in clubs and syndicates, and since 1999 in partnerships and in my own right. In that time, I have had the pleasure of speaking to many owners, particularly since I was elected to the ROA Board last year by my fellow members. As I said at that time, my most successful horse jumped to nine victories in 45 races in an eight-year career yet didn’t come close to paying his way. Placed horses

Grace Muir Founder and CEO of charity HEROS

“

I could write a book about my wishes for racing in 2025! I started to think about what would make the most difference to the thoroughbred horses, who are the heart of the racing industry, and about what might make the most difference to them. Why? Because the sport would end without the horses, and because we know that all horses bred for racing will always be an industry responsibility.

Of course, I also fear that some in the non-racing world see our sport as wasteful and uncaring. And when I know and see daily that so many vulnerable and unwanted horses need help when their racing days are over, I sometimes find it hard to disagree. Our future, like that of the horses, sits on a precipice.

My most heartfelt wish for the

New Year is for the industry to pull together in a united quest to deliver a sustainable and secure aftercare provision for all horses bred for the sport, from breeders to racegoers, trainers, jockeys, employees, and the owners who enjoy the sport as part of their daily lives. Because the need is enormous. I know that we require a sustainable, financially secure safety net for those horses, better knowledge and support for the people who take them on, and robust systems in place to deliver effective aftercare.

My wish for 2025 is that we all pull together and make it happen so these wonderful animals, who give us all so much, have access to a well-deserved, protected and sustainable future. Let’s stop talking and be responsible before it’s too late.

should, at a minimum, cover their costs.

A couple of months ago I was flicking through the racecard at a meeting when the name of the race rang a bell. When I got home, I found out that my horse had actually won that race 20 years ago and earned roughly the same amount of money! In a recent edition of the Racing Post Weekender, I found that I was not alone when leading trainer Alan King reported that his horse had won a race which he had also won 16 years previously for 12% more prize-money than the latest renewal!

Owners are the only large group in racing that invests its own money into the sport we love – and we want and deserve more back. ”

Think Tank

Ed Chamberlin ITV Racing host

“

One thing Great Britain does particularly well is festivals. Aintree, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and York remain the envy of the racing world. They are all special but there is something extra special about the Cheltenham Festival. No sport has a better crescendo to a season as all jump racing roads lead to Prestbury Park in March.

Everyone in the sport – owners, trainers, grooms and jockeys – want to win there more than anywhere else. Britain v Ireland. The Guinness Village. Tweed mixing with trackies. All in the best amphitheatre in sport, wrapped in the arms of Cleeve Hill. There’s nothing else like it. Yet somehow Cheltenham is the festival currently under the most pressure and scrutiny.

None of that pressure comes from ITV as the last couple of years have seen record numbers watching at home and sports fans continue to love those four days in March. However, racing fans feared it was losing its competitive edge with too many options for horses. Cheltenham have listened and tinkered with the programme to try and funnel the best horses into the best races.

Cost is a constant complaint. Crowd numbers were down last year. Again, Cheltenham has listened. Better value options are available alongside efforts to make accommodation cheaper and travel easier. The racegoer experience needed to improve and let’s hope these measures work.

I wrote last year that Cheltenham had alarming similarities to Manchester United, where the Glazers sat back and let the money roll in but took their eye off the product. United and INEOS now face a long period playing catch up on and off the pitch. Cheltenham deserve credit for acting quickly. My wish for 2025 is for a sold out, spectacular Cheltenham Festival on and off the track.

Sarah Guest

Assistant

trainer

Employee

“

to John O’Shea and 2023 Thoroughbred Industry

Awards Employee of the Year

The horseracing industry relies heavily on a dedicated workforce who, despite long hours and not the highest of pay, remain committed to both the horses and the sport itself. However, the growth opportunities and developmental support offered to racing employees often falls short, potentially limiting their career potential. It’s time to address this issue and implement changes to ensure a brighter future for those who contribute to our beloved sport.

If I could wave a magic wand, my Christmas wish for racing would be to boost prize-money for owners and control the weather! But my true focus is on the unsung heroes of the sport: stable staff. I dream of a future where training is more accessible, offering opportunities for personal development and upskilling, especially for those in rural areas. For someone like myself who lives in a rural location and has to travel four hours to get to the British Racing School or the National Horseracing College, it can be a challenge.

Imagine if further education colleges and equine institutions could collaborate with racing bodies to provide additional training courses in more remote locations. This would empower stable staff to hone their skills, stay in the industry longer, and contribute even more to the sport we love. Online learning is a great start, but nothing beats hands-on experience.

By investing in our people and expanding their horizons, we can create a brighter future for racing, where everyone has a chance to thrive within our industry.

Beyond the track, I want to shine a spotlight on the diverse range of careers available in racing – there are countless opportunities for individuals with various skills and interests. Our challenge in 2025 is to open up the world of racing careers so that through local development and upskilling we create opportunities for the existing staff and attract a new diverse workforce who can see a long-term career in the sport.

Look...

At Dalham Hall Stud, UK

At Kildangan Stud, Ireland