Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder by The Owner Breeder

Feb_138_CoverNEW_OwnerBreeder 22/01/2016 17:43 Page 1

£4.95 | February 2016 | Issue 138

Incorporating

Golden future Derby hero heads a trio of new sires at Dalham Hall Stud

Plus • David Loder relishing return to the training ranks • Terry Neill on why he switched Aintree for Auteuil • Developing Gallic flair pays dividends for James Reveley

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

33328_NewSires_Source_TBOB_DPS_Feb16.qxp_Underwood Review 15/01/2016 16:00 Page 1

GLENEAGLES

Champion 2YO and brilliant miler by GALILEO

KINGSTON HILL

Unbeaten Group 1 winning 2YO by MASTERCRAFTSMAN

IVAWOOD

One of the highest-rated 2YO’s ever from the GREEN DESERT sire line

• AUSTRALIA • CAMELOT • CANFORD CLIFFS • DYLAN THOMAS • EXCELEBRATION • FASTNET ROCK • FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND • GALILEO • GLENEAGLES • HENRYTHENAVIGATOR • • HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR • IVAWOOD • KINGSTON HILL • MASTERCRAFTSMAN • MOST IMPROVED • NO NAY NEVER • POUR MOI • POWER • REQUINTO • ROCK OF GIBRALTAR • • RULER OF THE WORLD • STARSPANGLEDBANNER • THEWAYYOUARE • WAR COMMAND • ZOFFANY •

33328_NewSires_Source_TBOB_DPS_Feb16.qxp_Underwood Review 15/01/2016 16:00 Page 2

2015 Leading Sires in Europe

STALLION

SWS

GWS

EARNINGS €

1 GALILEO 2 Dubawi

35 18

22 12

9,540,725 8,619,734

2015 Leading Sires of 2YO’s in Europe (BY NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL STAKES WINNERS)

STALLION

1 2 3 5 7 -

GALILEO Kodiac ZOFFANY Dark Angel Shamardal Teofilo CANFORD CLIFFS Exceed And Excel

SWS

GWS

9 7 5 5 4 4 3 3

7 4 3 2 3 2 2 3

2015 Leading European Third Crop Sires

(IN ORDER OF WORLDWIDE EARNINGS - EUROPEAN CROPS ONLY ) STALLION

GWS

1 MASTERCRAFTSMAN 2 FASTNET ROCK 3 Sea The Stars

EARNINGS €

7 7 5

4,562,054 4,190,492 3,265,847

2015 Leading European First Crop Sires

(IN ORDER OF WORLDWIDE EARNINGS - EUROPEAN CROP ONLY ) STALLION

1 2 3 4

ZOFFANY Dream Ahead CANFORD CLIFFS Roderic O’Connor

WNRS

SWS

32 18 35 19

5 2 3 2

EARNINGS €

1,073,704 695,677 666,605 563,415

Hyperion Promotions

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

Get Cover Amlin Plus will tailor a policy for your breeding stock to include: - Foal Insurance - Prospective Foal Insurance - Broodmare Insurance - Mare Barrenness - Stallion Permanent Disability Extension Endorsement - Stallion First Season Sub-Fertility Contact an expert

HORSE INSURANCE SPECIALIST Telephone: +44 (0)800 917 9712 | Email: askapl@amlin.com | www.amlinplus.com Amlin Plus is a trading name of Amlin Underwriting Services Limited Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Feb_138_Editors_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 18:03 Page 5

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR Publisher: Michael Harris Editor: Edward Rosenthal Bloodstock Editor: Emma Berry Designed by: Thoroughbred Group Editorial: First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0209 Fax: 020 7152 0213 editor@ownerbreeder.co.uk www.ownerbreeder.co.uk @OwnerBreeder Advertising: Giles Anderson Tel: 01380 816 777 USA: 1 888 218 4430 Fax: 01380 816 778 advertise@anderson-co.com Subscriptions: Keely Brewer Tel: 020 7152 0212 Fax: 020 7152 0213 subscriptions@ownerbreeder.co.uk Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker can be purchased by non-members at the following rates: 1 Year 2 Year UK £55 £90 Europe £66 £105 RoW £99 £154 Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder incorporating Pacemaker is published by a Mutual Trading Company owned jointly by the Racehorse Owners Association and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association is a registered charity No. 1134293 Editorial views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the ROA or TBA ABC Audited Our proven average monthly circulation is certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulation at 9,340* *Based on the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Racehorse Owners Association Ltd First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0200 Fax: 020 7152 0213 info@roa.co.uk www.roa.co.uk Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stanstead House, The Avenue, Newmarket CB8 9AA Tel: 01638 661 321 Fax: 01638 665621 info@thetba.co.uk • www.thetba.co.uk

£4.95 | February 2016 | Issue 138

Incorporating

Golden future Derby hero heads a trio of new sires at Dalham Hall Stud

Plus • David Loder relishing return to the training ranks • Terry Neill on why he switched Aintree for Auteuil • Developing Gallic flair pays dividends for James Reveley

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

Cover: Darley’s new recruit Golden Horn with groom Darren Palmer at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket Photo: George Selwyn

EDWARD ROSENTHAL

ITV viewers must turn on, tune in and not drop out O

f all the news stories to break over the last month, undoubtedly the most significant was the announcement that ITV has been awarded the contract to broadcast terrestrial horseracing from 2017 in a four-year deal. Since the BBC lost the rights to showcase the sport, Channel 4 has been racing’s free-to-air partner since 2013. Unfortunately its coverage has been beset by an alarming and dramatic fall in viewers, including for headline events such as Royal Ascot and the Derby, which in turn has prompted a steady stream of damaging headlines targeting both its production and presentation. Exactly why Channel 4’s racing audience has dwindled so severely is not, on the face of it, an easy question to answer. It can’t all be down to the fact that John Francome – excellent though he was – is no longer on the team. The broadcaster has put a considerable amount of resources into the afternoon show but it has, apparently, failed to resonate with a large number of racing fans, who have decided to go elsewhere. Nearly everyone would accept that Channel 4 never had a hope of recording the kind of numbers achieved by the BBC but in truth that is not the issue here; the fact is, since IMG replaced Highflyer as programme maker, it has failed to match even its own reduced viewing numbers – and there is little sign that this trend can be reversed. So an old friend will return to the fray for the first time since 1985 and the days of the popular ‘ITV Seven’ bet with a simple brief: get more people to switch on and watch racing. Exactly what methods it uses to do that and which presenters it selects – Nick Luck should be big odds-on to land the lead role – will be interesting, but perhaps the best thing in ITV’s favour is that it is not Channel 4. The major concern over the switch in provider concerns the role of ITV4. We have been told that 34 of the biggest days will be shown on ITV1, yet a

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

number of Group/Grade 1 events, important for the racecourses where they are held and the oftenmentioned ‘narrative’ of the season, will feature on its sister channel. Why is this an issue? Aside from the question of how many viewers will ‘find’ ITV4 on their remote control – Howard Wright has his own view on that matter, page 26 – creating a division in the racing ‘product’ could well have repercussions the next time the rights are negotiated. Will we see a situation whereby only the ‘crown jewel’ fixtures are deemed desirable? Time will tell if this is the last deal in which almost 100 days of racing are broadcast on terrestrial television. One suspects it is, however RMG Chief Executive Richard FitzGerald, who led the negotiating team that selected ITV as racing’s new partner from next year, is hopeful that the agreement will prove a boon to the sport. You may well see a horse carrying jockey James Reveley or the red and white silks of owner Terry Neill on Channel 4 this year. However the chances are you would have far better luck catching them on French station Equidia, for both men have found there are more substantial riches to be enjoyed on the other side of the Channel. Neill has enjoyed plenty of big days in Britain under both codes with the likes of Red Evie, Puntal and Gloria Victis, whose star shone all too briefly, however his disenchantment with the cost versus return ratio has seen him curtail his ownership interests at home, as he tells Chris McGrath (pages 50-54). Reveley’s name is synonymous with northern jump racing, yet he has found truth in the saying that fortune favours the brave and is now one of the most in-demand riders around Auteuil and Pau. As he tells Tim Richards (Talking To, pages 44-48), such has been his level of success that he is contemplating a more permanent move, one that could even deliver him the French champion jockey title.

“Channel 4 has put

a considerable amount of resources into the show but it has not worked

”

Feb_138_Contents_Contents 22/01/2016 17:21 Page 6

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2016

NEWS & VIEWS

FEATURES

ROA Leader Courses must back ABP plan

TBA Leader

Card on Cue

Don’t chase a quick return

News Changes

Tony Morris

Howard Wright TV deal begs questions

The Big Interview With owner Terry Neill

A tale of two Turf knights

Talking To... Jump jockey James Reveley

News in a nutshell

David Loder Trainer returns to NH roots

ITV wins racing rights

The Big Picture

COVER STORY Dalham Hall Stud Golden Horn’s new home

Sales Circuit USA and Ireland reports

INTERNATIONAL SCENE 29

View From Ireland Flooding causes Cleary chaos

Continental Tales Simon Stokes’ joy in Germany

Caulfield Files Finding the next star NH sire

Dr Statz Galileo the greatest

104 24 Hours With... Ed Harper

Around The Globe Doug O’Neill back in big time David Loder is enjoying his new venture training jumpers after his years of success on the Flat

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Contents_Contents 22/01/2016 17:21 Page 7 B

4:53 pm

Page 3

BLOODLINES Simply the right policy – without the fuss We are able to provide cover for: All risks of mortality Theft Stallion’s congenital or permanent infertility Broodmare barrenness Prospective foal Foals from 24 hours

Yearlings unsoundness of wind Horses at grass

FORUM 72

The Thoroughbred Club Racing careers to suit all tastes

ROA Forum Cheltenham Festival marquee badges on sale

LEADING THE FIELD IN BLOODSTOCK INSURANCE

TBA Forum Flat Stallion Parade line-up

Breeder of the Month Robin and Scarlett Knipe for Thistlecrack

Vet Forum Guarding against injury

DATA BOOK 98

TO STAY AHEAD OF THE FIELD

NH Graded Races Latest winners over jumps

Our monthly circulation is certified at

9,340 Can other magazines prove theirs? THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

BLOODLINES Marlow House, 1A Lloyd’s Avenue London EC3N 3AA TEL: +44 (0) 207 938 3033 FAX: +44 (0) 207 938 3055 ENQUIRIES@BLOODLINES.CO.UK WWW.BLOODLINES.CO.UK Bloodlines is a trading name of Bloodlines Thoroughbred Insurance Agency Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

CAPE CROSS Gr.1 winner and sire of 102 Stakes Winners

Ouija Board

SEA THE STARS

Champion Racemare; 7 Group 1 wins

European Champion; 6 Group 1 wins. Champion European 2nd crop sire in 2014.

AUSTRALIA Champion 3yo colt; Dual Derby winner. First crop foals 2016

2016 fee: €125,000

GOLDEN HORN Champion 3yo; 4 Group 1 wins, including Derby, Eclipse and Arc de Triomphe First Season 2016 Fee: £60,000

2016 fee: €50,000

SEA THE MOON

Winner at 2 • Champion 3yo • Horse of the Year • Sensational Derby winner by 11 lengths Supported by Europe’s leading breeders in his first season FIRST CROP FOALS 2016 2016 fee: £15,000 (1st October SLF) Also standing: ARCHIPENKO

• AUSSIE RULES • LEROIDESANIMAUX • SIR PERCY

Breeders are welcome to view our stallions during the Tattersalls February Sale on 4th February between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm, and at any other time by appointment. i n fo @ l a n w a d e s . c o m • w w w. l a n w a d e s . c o m • Te l : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 6 3 8 7 5 0 2 2 2 • Fa x : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 6 3 8 7 5 1 1 8 6

LANWADES SeaTheMoon_OwnerBreeder_Feb16.indd 1

The independent option TM

22/01/2016 10:23

Feb_138_ROA_Leader_Layout 1 22/01/2016 15:59 Page 9

ROA LEADER

RACHEL HOOD President Racehorse Owners Association

Sitting on the fence will only make racing splinter Big independent racecourses – Ascot included – must back ABP initiative fully

hile we are delighted Ascot has put a further £1 million into prize-money, the question remains as to why they have taken an equivocal stance on bookmaker sponsorship of races. It is very disappointing our flagship racecourse has not clearly spelt out that they will not take sponsorship from non-Authorised Betting Partner bookmakers. When it is so important that racing shows a united front to combat those bookmakers who refuse to pay racing a fair and sustainable rate on all UK horserace betting, here we have an ambivalent message from our best and most prestigious racecourse. Other major independent racecourses also appear less than emphatic. York falls short of giving total support by saying they will continue to take sponsorship from their existing bookmaker sponsors but not sign new sponsorship deals with any nonABP betting brands, while Goodwood and Newbury remain suspiciously silent on the issue. Surely, all tracks, while acting independently, should realise this is a time when they should be showing the same resolve as Jockey Club Racecourses and Arena Racing Company. The income from bookmaker sponsorship is not, anyway, that significant in the great scheme of things. Certainly, not so significant to Ascot, which – although carrying the burden of a large loan – continues to make very healthy operating profits. We must also view this in the context of British racecourses enjoying huge benefits from growing media rights income, so much so that it has easily overtaken the levy as racing’s main source of funding. The decline of the levy is accelerating as the increasing number of bets placed online are directed overseas and therefore outside of the levy’s jurisdiction. In 2017, gross levy will have fallen to under £50m when only a few years ago it was regularly generating £100m-plus. Racecourses may be content to take a ‘bird in the hand’ approach to the current funding situation, but I believe it is

unhealthy for our sport that media rights income has now overtaken income from betting. The ABP initiative is designed to put racing in a stronger position in the period between now and the setting up of a Racing Right which, with the best will in the world, is likely to take another three years. In that period we cannot sit back and watch racing’s source of central funding get ever-smaller. Notwithstanding the prize-money agreements between horsemen and racecourses, racing is now vulnerable to the whims of betting operators who may one day decide to reduce their media rights costs by cutting back on racing pictures in their betting shops. In a perfect world, racing will get to a point where a base rate is established with betting operators, reflecting the volume of betting on British racing whether the bets are processed here or overseas. Getting to an agreed position on this so-called ‘blended rate’ would achieve a happy medium whereby the percentage currently charged on bets taken domestically was balanced with the percentage on online bets. Racing may already accept that 10.75% on gross profits that is currently the basis of the levy would have to reduce if racing’s income encapsulated all online bets, but the real question is whether we can find mutually acceptable ground for negotiation with the betting industry which, in itself, contains a broad spectrum of business cultures. The BHA is only too well aware of the consequences of getting this rate wrong even for an interim period. Because they know there is a very real danger that we would be saddled with it when the Racing Right is eventually adopted. All of this points to the importance of racing having the strongest possible negotiating hand in the immediate future. It is why we, as owners, applaud JCR, ARC and all the other onside racecourses for the unequivocal support they have given to the ABP initiative. We hope the major independent racecourses will soon show similar resolve.

“We cannot sit back

and watch racing’s share of central funding shrink while the Racing Right is being set up

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

Here come the girls! Win up to £100,000 in bonuses

The NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme Don’t miss out, registration closes 31st January 2016 GB-bred fillies and those sired by British-based stallions only (T&C’s apply)

For more details and an application form, visit thetba.co.uk

thetba.co.uk 01638 661321

Feb_138_TBA_Leader_TBA 22/01/2016 13:34 Page 11

TBA LEADER

JULIAN RICHMOND-WATSON Chairman Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

We should all be going the distance, not speed-dating Mare owners advised to give more consideration to stallions across spectrum

his is the crucial time of year when mare owners are finalising mating plans for the rapidly approaching covering season, with a multitude of stallions to choose from and some very different, special deals to consider as well. For those who have still to make up their minds, a trip to Tattersalls in Newmarket on February 4 will be informative. The TBA’s Flat Stallion Parade, which this year takes place at the slightly earlier time of 9.30am, immediately before the February Sale, was oversubscribed but we have capped the number at a dozen, of whom seven are first-season sires and the rest secondseason stallions, standing at studs around Britain. I wish all owners of stallions and mares well for the coming season, but good wishes come with a plea. On the evidence of the recent yearling and foal sales, where purchasers gave every appearance of being ultra-selective, it seemed more important than ever to have used a so-called fashionable stallion, especially in the business of selling foals. Yet the demand for more and more precociously sprint-bred two-year-olds has, in the end, to be shortsighted. As I have highlighted before, the vast majority of the most prestigious races in Europe and the rest of the world are for horses who stay at least a mile, and very often ten furlongs to a mile and a half. In fact, of the 70 top-rated international races in 2014, more than 60% were over farther than a mile, and that from a smaller pool of races than the rest combined. It is of increasing concern that not only are we adding to the stallion roster a large number of sprint-bred or raced horses who failed to achieve Group I status, which is hardly using racing to improve the breed, but the market is also being flooded with Australian shuttle stallions who were sprinters. Of course, we live in a world of immediacy and expect everything on demand, so that patience is now at a premium, especially when it comes with cost. It is

easy to see why the dream of a quick return and a Royal Ascot two-year old runner is so attractive, when the slower maturing horse is back in the stable eating its head off. But that example is part of the problem. There are only six two-year-old races at Royal Ascot, and one, the Chesham, is restricted to runners by a sire who won at ten furlongs or more, so only the very best go forward to compete at five and six furlongs that early in the season. Moving into July, later maturing two-year-olds get their chance over longer distances and it gets even tougher for the sprint-bred to succeed in races oversubscribed with runners bred to compete over the same distance. There is no magic wand and no special formula that will persuade breeders and owners to think more of milers and middledistance horses as stallions, but the industry – trainers, agents, owners, etc. – should take on board the basic facts about opportunities and where the short-term return will lead. Golden Horn, Frankel, Sea The Stars – these are the horses that excite us. And somehow we have to encourage yearling buyers about their attractiveness, and not leave their production just to owner/breeders. Remember, Golden Horn won four Group 1s worth nearly £4 million, almost four times as much as Muhaarar did in winning the same number of Group 1 races, in 2015. While everyone would be thrilled to own either of these fine animals, the chances of success for those who trade lower down the scale favour the middle-distance runner over the plethora of horses bred to win over shorter distances. In addition, the resale value of the middledistance horse is, in most cases, much greater than the sprinter. Breeding takes time and patience, but I suggest every mare owner looks at stallions across the spectrum and spreads their selection of coverings, so that they are not all chasing the same market.

“The demand for more and more precociously sprint-bred two-yearolds has, in the end, to be shortsighted

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

Feb_138_NewsPrizeMoney_Owner 22/01/2016 17:04 Page 12

NEWS Stories from the racing world

ITV’s ‘short-head’ racing rights win Replacing Channel 4 was a difficult decision says lead negotiator Richard FitzGerald

TV will be the new home of terrestrial horseracing from 2017 after seeing off Channel 4 for the rights to broadcast the sport, signing a four-year deal thought to be worth in the region of £30 million. More than 90 days of live action will be screened next year, split between ITV1, reserved for the biggest days, and ITV4. Since inheriting the BBC’s racing portfolio in 2013, Channel 4’s tenure as racing’s sole TV partner has been beset by an alarming fall in viewers for the headline events such as the Derby and Royal Ascot, with both suffering in excess of a 50% drop in audience. Those involved in the media rights discussions will be hoping ITV can revitalise racing on the box, a sport it has not featured since 1985, the year Channel 4 commenced its three decades of continuous coverage. Richard FitzGerald, Chief Executive of Racecourse Media Group, headed racing’s negotiating team that included representatives from Jockey Club Racecourses, Arena Racing Company, Ascot racecourse, large independent tracks and Great British Racing/British Champions Series. He explains the reasons behind the channel switch and why the decision to select ITV as racing’s preferred partner was not an easy decision.

for the major meetings such as the Derby and Royal Ascot – will see a fairly substantial uplift. It’s an important time for them to drive ITV4 forward and they see racing as one way of doing that, so there’s a big commitment from them. The ability to cross-promote is important and they have the regional aspect too, which we hope can work well. We also think their online digital strategy is impressive. Television is the shop window for racing – keeping it out there in the national psyche is really important.

RMG chief Richard FitzGerald is hoping ITV can attract more viewers to races like the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot (top)

There was surprise when it was announced that ITV had won the rights to broadcast racing from 2017 in a four-year deal, taking over from Channel 4 and ending three decades of coverage on that station. What tipped the balance in ITV’s favour? We engaged with a number of broadcasters but ultimately it came down to driving audiences. The 34 days on ITV1 – particularly

Was it an easy decision to go with ITV? No. It was very close and both ITV and Channel 4 are aware of that. It was a shorthead verdict and there was a lot of debate and discussion over several months. We had interest from other broadcasters but in the end it came down to a straight choice.

Some critics have said ITV4 is a remote outpost for televising racing. Can it bring in more viewers than Channel 4 and what targets have been set? Certainly that is the goal. A lot of work was done on transferable audience and we think a THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_NewsPrizeMoney_Owner 22/01/2016 17:04 Page 13

key part of the Channel 4 audience is transferable. One of the issues is that terrestrial television itself is seeing a decline due to the number of channels available. The world has changed, there are lots of different ways now to view racing and consume media. It’s an inexact science but we are looking for an increase across ITV1 and ITV4. If you look at the top 50 events on ITV4, there are substantial audiences for events like the Rugby World Cup and Tour de France. At the end of the day, ITV is a proven sports broadcaster.

Prize-money up £12m as tracks dig deep It was another record-breaking year for British racing in 2015 as prize-money levels rose above £135 million, an increase of over £12m on 2014, and marked a rise of £41m in the last five years. Despite the announcement of cuts for 2016 and the prospect of a looming levy cliff,

in the last 12 months racecourses have increased their contribution to prize-money by 13%. With many tracks already having pledged to inject further funds into prizemoney over the coming year, it is hoped this will help go some way towards negating the levy shortfall.

Racecourse Performance Table January - December 2015

Did you ask the BBC to tender for the rights to broadcast racing? Everyone was invited. The BBC were engaged but were in a difficult place during discussions, just as they announced their exit from Formula 1. They were interested. But it didn’t get as far as discussing numbers. The BBC has a crown jewel strategy – it won’t show 90-plus days of terrestrial coverage.

What do you make of Channel 4’s performance over the last three years? Channel 4 has done a good job. But they had a tough assignment when they came in. Channel 4 has invested heavily in its production and in terms of audience share it hasn’t done too badly. Clearly [viewing figures for] the Derby and Royal Ascot were disappointing and fell short of what I had hoped for; the Grand National was a great success and exceeded my expectations. However I don’t accept they have fallen short. They have done a credible job. You could say they have made racing more attractive; look at the level of interest this time round. I’m very comfortable with the decision made to select Chanel 4 as racing’s partner in 2012.

Will racing’s media rights negotiating team have input into the new production and broadcasting team on ITV? We will work closely with ITV but at the end of the day it is their decision. They are the experts. We will spend some time with them, though, as racing is quite a complicated sport.

You have said that ITV is at the heart of popular culture. What does that mean for racing? With programmes like Coronation Street, it is part of our culture. Will we have a few more racing stories in Coronation Street? I would hope so. That’s part of the cross-promotion. But to be fair Channel 4 did a good job with documentaries and films that went beyond the core audience. They deserve plenty of credit. • Howard Wright on the ITV deal, page 26 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Ranking (2014 ranking)

Racecourse contribution to prize-money per fixture 2015 (£) 2014 (£)

1. ASCOT (1)

232,433

211,779

2. YORK (2)

188,919

169,619

3. GOODWOOD (3)

168,963

88,884

4. NEWBURY (5)

61,265

50,665

5. JOCKEY CLUB GROUP (4)

58,611

52,447

6. CHESTER/BANGOR GROUP (6)

52,892

49,364

7. CHELMSFORD CITY

37,188

–

8. AYR (9)

35,099

30,774

9. RIPON (8)

34,084

31,611

10. MUSSELBURGH (7)

33,643

33,287

11. PONTEFRACT (10)

33,032

30,367

12. SALISBURY (11)

32,289

27,890

13. KELSO (15)

28,326

24,809

14. PERTH (14)

27,453

25,650

15. HAMILTON PARK (18)

27,399

22,641

16. THIRSK (12)

27,121

27,174

17. LUDLOW (13)

26,249

26,716

18. WETHERBY (17)

26,222

23,838

19. CARTMEL (16)

25,256

24,425

20. BEVERLEY (20)

24,486

22,241

21. STRATFORD (19)

23,882

22,552

22. NEWTON ABBOT (22)

22,239

21,497

23. ARC (23)

22,004

20,650

24. LEICESTER (25)

21,376

17,637

25. FFOS LAS (24)

21,260

20,059

26. FAKENHAM (21)

21,205

22,080

27. REDCAR (28)

19,019

16,378

28. TAUNTON (29)

18,376

14,290

29. CATTERICK BRIDGE (26)

17,261

16,838

30. HEXHAM (27)

17,231

16,447

31. PLUMPTON (30)

13,971

14,060

32. TOWCESTER (31) 11,901 Key to agreement level: GOLD Premier Tier • SILVER Standard Tier • RED Not Signed

10,915

Notes: 1. Racecourse Groups have signed single agreements to cover all of their tracks. Jockey Club group comprises Aintree, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Epsom, Exeter, Haydock, Huntingdon, Kempton, Market Rasen, Newmarket, Nottingham, Sandown, Warwick and Wincanton. ARC comprises Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Fontwell, Lingfield, Newcastle, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Windsor, Wolverhampton, Worcester and Yarmouth. 2. The average racecourse contribution per fixture shows the average amount provided by the racecourse to prize-money at all fixtures during the period including any abandoned fixtures. 3. Comparable prize money statistics for Chelmsford City have not been provided as no fixtures were staged throughout 2014.

Feb_138_News_pg3-4_Owner 22/01/2016 17:07 Page 14

NEWS

Chester, which in December was voted the Racehorse Owners Association’s Large Racecourse of the Year, is to reward owners with a £400 payment each time a horse runs at the track in 2016. An appearance money scheme of this scale is a first for British racing. Chester said that with the cost of sending a horse to the races increasing all the time, the move would reduce the financial burden for owners while at the same time shoring up field sizes at the track. Due to its sharp turns, Chester is vulnerable to horses drawn wide in sprints becoming non-runners, so if connections know they will be taking home £400, regardless of the outcome, they could be more inclined to run. The initiative will work as a minimum payment contribution; owners whose runner fails to win prize-money will receive a payment of £400, those who win prizemoney of less than £400 will have their prize-money topped up to ensure no owner leaves Chester with less than £400 per runner. “We are delighted to launch this scheme,” said Chester Chief Executive Richard Thomas. “As a racecourse that has been voted the ROA’s Large Racecourse of the Year, this scheme is crucial for us to look after a very

GEORGE SELWYN

Owners paid for running at Chester

No owner who sends a runner to Chester will leave with less than £400 in 2016

important group of stakeholders: our owners. “These payments aim to significantly contribute to those operating at the grassroots

Plus 10 prizes for three-year-olds

TATTERSALLS

Three-year-olds will be able to win £10,000 Plus 10 bonuses in Britain and Ireland this year following an expansion of the scheme. More than 60 three-year-old-only races in Britain will feature bonuses, while there will be 26 bonuses available in Ireland. The new bonuses join the expansive twoyear-old programme, taking the total value of the scheme to more than £5.5 million. Plus 10 is an owner and breeder incentive scheme, which applies £10,000

Plus 10: boosted the yearling sales

bonuses to about 550 two- and now threeyear-old races in Britain and Ireland. The first Plus 10 two-year-old races will be held at the end of March and owners have until February 28 to pay the third and final owner registration fee to qualify horses for Plus 10. In 2015, £3.51m in bonus prize-money was paid out to owners, breeders, trainers, riders and stable staff. The value of the scheme was shared between almost 200 owners and more than 210 breeders, while more than 330 individual horses won a bonus. Julian Richmond-Watson, Plus 10 Chairman, said: “The scheme has become a key part of the British and Irish bloodstock and racing landscape, and it has been pleasing to see more horses being registered for the scheme each year, buyers paying more money to buy a Plus 10 horse in the sales ring, and owners and breeders sharing in £10,000 cheques won on the track.”

level of our sport, when often efforts of runners aren’t always rewarded on the track.” Rachel Hood, the outgoing ROA President, said: “Chester has only recently been announced as the ROA’s Large Racecourse of the Year for its exceptional raceday offering for owners. The introduction of an appearance money scheme for all races in 2016 is another excellent initiative. “Owners often incur significant costs when they have a runner, so offering a meaningful payment to offset those charges provides another reason to target races at Chester. “The fact is that racecourses are competing with each other for runners, and we believe this innovation is the exactly the type of thing that will influence owners when making their running plans.” Leading owner Dr Marwan Koukash would not really need an incentive to have runners at Chester, seeing it is his favourite track, but he said: “For some time, Chester have led the way by providing owners with first class facilities and hospitality. “This new fantastic initiative does go a long way towards covering the costs of racing, and I congratulate them for introducing it to British racing. I will have to start sending more horses to Chester!” Prize-money at Chester’s May meeting will increase to £781,000 this year, an 8% increase on 2015, with the Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks rising to £60,000 from £40,000. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_News_pg3-4_Owner 22/01/2016 17:08 Page 16

NEWS

Alan Lee, 1954-2015

GEORGE SELWYN

Crowds soar

journalist, most of all a really good man.” Rob Wright, Racing Editor of The Times, said: “Alan was a joy to work with over the past 16 years. He had a God-given talent for writing and I’ve never known anyone who could match his ability to produce words of such high quality on a breaking story so quickly, so accurately and to perfect length.” A fellow ‘Al’ imbued with a talent for writing, Alastair Down, wrote: “There was nothing aloof or superior about him, he was merely a private man in the finest sense of the word. It was one of the aspects of his makeup that gave his work its undoubted weight and gravitas. And those qualities derive from one thing alone – being a figure of genuine authority.” Edward Rosenthal, Editor of Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder, said: “Alan loved the jumps and when it came to writing about the stories and characters involved in that side of racing, there was no-one better. “He brought articles to life with his intimate understanding and flair for his subject; excellence was standard with Alan and the magazine was always better for containing one of his pieces. “The story he crafted around the relationship between Nick and Jane Williams, published in this magazine in February 2012, remains one of the most outstanding examples of horseracing journalism I have ever read. “Alan’s passing leaves a huge hole in the ranks of racing writers and the sport as a whole. He was always a pleasure to deal with and he will be remembered as one of the very best in his profession.” Lee, who was divorced from his wife Trish, though they remained on good terms, leaves a son, James, and daughter, Vicky.

Attendances Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Aggregate 6,151,243 5,581,615 5,679,941 5,819,970 6,129,433

Average 4,187 4,077 3,972 4,076 4,256

6.1 million went racing in 2015

GEORGE SELWYN

Racing lost one of its most revered writers in December with the sudden death of Alan Lee, the Times reporter who also produced topquality articles for this magazine. Lee, who was 61, died of a suspected heart attack on December 19, having seemingly been on the road to recovery following surgery a month previously. He had been at Ascot the day before and was due back at the Berkshire track on the afternoon of his passing. Lee had been cricket correspondent at The Times for 11 years – almost certainly, it is thought, the only non-Oxbridge cricket correspondent the newspaper had ever employed – when in 1999 his love of horseracing led to him switching sports. He became even more successful in his new role and was voted the Horserace Writers & Photographers Association Racing Journalist of the Year on three occasions, most recently 2014, and was shortlisted for this year’s John Oaksey Trophy for Racing Reporter of the Year. In 2001, he won the Sports Journalists Association Sports Writer of the Year award. Among Lee’s published books were biographies of Richard Johnson, Peter Scudamore, Pat Eddery and Steve Smith Eccles, and from the world of cricket, David Gower, David Lloyd and Bob Willis. A mark of the respect for Lee came in the shape of the plethora of tributes that flowed, not just from fellow hacks but the wider worlds of racing and cricket. Sir Anthony McCoy, Paul Nicholls and Nigel Twiston-Davies – Lee lived in Cheltenham and was an owner at TwistonDavies’s stable – were just three of numerous racing professionals to remember him, with McCoy tweeting: “Very sad news to hear about the death of Alan Lee. Highly respected

Attendances at British tracks in 2015 exceeded the six million mark for the first time since 2011, according to figures released by the Racecourse Association. The total of 6,129,433 was just 21,810 short of the record set five years ago, while the average attendance of 4,256 was the highest since 2007. Last year was the third year in a row that attendances have risen. The RCA said the increase was not due to any one particular factor, but in referencing certain individual tracks’ performances, they cited among other factors intelligent use of social media, strong hospitality sales and themed racedays – ladies’ days in particular – as key drivers of better crowds. RCA Chief Executive Stephen Atkin said: “It’s once again very pleasing to see a significant rise in the total and average attendance at racecourses in 2015. It was a particularly competitive year with the Rugby World Cup and the Ashes, so it is extremely gratifying for racing to have increased its attendance figures and perform well against other sports. “It is reward for the hard work put in by racecourse teams across the country and the vital contribution by horsemen, the BHA and Great British Racing. “It also reflects the very substantial investment by racecourses in customer facilities and other infrastructure. This growth is vital in creating an environment to justify further investment, planned and prospective.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

THE AGA KHAN STUDS Success Breeds Success

Triple Group 1 winner by Invincible Spirit

Charm Spirit €27,500

Fee:

Winner of the: Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Gr.1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat 35% Black Type performers and 61% Black Type producers covered in his first season. “He is a real fighter and warrior. He’s a champion.”

Freddy Head, Trainer

Haras de Bonneval • Georges Rimaud or Amanda Zetterholm +33 2 31 48 18 60 • information@agakhanstuds.com • www.agakhanstuds.com/CharmSpirit Aga_CharmSpirit_OwnerBreeder_Feb_2016.indd 1

22/01/2016 10:27

Feb_138_Changes2pp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:40 Page 18

in association with

Racing’s news in a nutshell PEOPLE AND BUSINESS Lizzie Kelly Becomes the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 over obstacles in Britain or Ireland when landing the Feltham Chase at Kempton on Tea For Two.

Middleham Open Day Event will not take place this year, for the first time in 23 years, with Easter falling very early – it will return on Good Friday in 2017.

Hereford racecourse Arena Racing Company announces that the track will reopen in October, having closed its doors in 2012.

Paul Carberry Injury-prone jockey will miss the Cheltenham Festival after fracturing his left leg following a fall while riding near his home in County Meath.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Record number of Irish-trained entries is recorded – 18 of this year’s 32 possibles hail from Ireland.

Michelle Payne History-making Melbourne Cup-winning rider splits from trainer Darren Weir; her extra commitments played a part.

Darryll Holland Returning to his roots after being revealed as the new stable jockey to Charlie Hills – the nomadic Holland started out as an apprentice with Barry Hills.

Holland House Stables One of Newmarket’s forgotten training yards, once home to Davy Jones of The Monkees, is to be redeveloped after a three-year delay.

Oliver Delloye Appointed Managing Director of France Galop, succeeding Thierry Delegue, with a brief to lead the modernisation of the sport.

John Ferguson Leading jumps trainer set to hand in his licence in order to return to work full-time for Sheikh Mohammed as Godolphin’s Chief Executive.

Also...

UAE’s newest racetrack Al Ain links up with the Curragh, the partnership to include reciprocal promotional racedays. US Triple Crown hero American Pharoah wins the Horse of the Year accolade at the Eclipse Awards and is named Longines World’s Best Racehorse. Betfair’s Chief Executive Breon Corcoran is named Business Person of the Year by The Sunday Times. A report by a 20-strong panel into the wellbeing of jumping produces 41 recommendations, with a focus on the north. Sir Anthony McCoy is reognised with a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List. Punchestown is set for a major facelift with €6.2m redevelopment due to begin in May. Julia Budd will become new Chair of Epsom racecourse when Anthony Cane’s term of office ends in June. The veterans’ chase series is to be renewed having proven very popular with connections and punters. Tony Langham is appointed the new Chairman of Racing Enterprises Ltd, replacing Chris McFadden. Hamilton’s Chief Executive Vivien Kyles joins the BHA board, replacing David Thorpe as the RCA’s member. Brian Toomey joins trainer Richard Newland as assistant but hopes to continue race-riding.

We’ve advised buyers of prime property for over thirty years. It’s all we do. We are your unfair advantage. Unrivalled Access. Astute Advice. Please contact either Robert Fanshawe or Henry Hannon on 01635 813 130

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Changes2pp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:43 Page 20

RACEHORSE AND STALLION MOVEMENTS AND RETIREMENTS Pepite Rose Officially the best jumps mare in training in Britain, with a rating of 155, the ninetime winner is retired aged nine and is set to be covered by Telescope.

Walk In The Park

Nothing But Dreams

Son of Montjeu, sire of exciting Frenchbred jumpers Douvan and Min, is bought by Coolmore to join its National Hunt roster at Grange Stud.

First offspring of Arc heroine Danedream, by champion Frankel, joins Newmarket trainer Roger Varian.

Majestic Missile Group 3-winning son of Royal Applause is purchased to stand at Darhorse Stud in the Czech Republic.

HORSE OBITUARIES

Vancouver Champion two-year-old in Australia joins Aidan O’Brien, with Royal Ascot in mind – the Diamond Jubilee Stakes appears the likely goal.

Also...

Kitten’s Dumplings, a daughter of Kitten’s Joy and winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, is sold privately to go to Japan. Group 3 winner Polish Vulcano is returning home to Gestut Idee in Hamburg for covering duties – he will be the first stallion in the stud’s history. Danetime’s son Bushranger is recruited by the Turkish stallion ranks having stood at Tally-Ho Stud; Oasis Dream’s son Approve also moves from Ireland to Turkey.

Soldier Of Fortune Classic-winning son of Galileo joins the Coolmore National Hunt team after spending the first six years of his stallion career in Normandy.

Gulch 32 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner in 1988, the son of Mr Prospector sired top US performer Thunder Gulch and British star Nayef.

Katday 28

Hillstar

Best known as the dam of three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, she produced five other winners.

Winner of the Grade 1 Canadian International and King Edward VII Stakes is retired and will stand at Garryrichard Stud in County Wexford.

Kingmambo 26 The first foal out of brilliant filly Miesque, the son of Mr Prospector won three Group 1s and sired King’s Best and Henrythenavigator.

Exchange Rate 19 Three Chimneys stallion who was best known in Europe as the sire of dual Group 1 scorer Reckless Abandon and Group 2 winner Bragging.

PEOPLE OBITUARIES Michael Ashton 95 Well-respected vet in southern racing circles throughout the latter part of 20th century – Aldaniti was among the equine stars he looked after.

Heinz Weil 88 Founder of one of the most successful studs in Germany, Gestut Etzean, and closely involved with sales firm BBAG.

Michel Henochsberg 69 Under his Marystead Farm banner he bred Urban Sea, winner of the 1993 Arc and dam of outstanding runners/sires Galileo and Sea The Stars.

St Jovite 27 Trained by Jim Bolger, the son of Pleasant Colony won the 1992 Irish Derby by 12 lengths from Dr Devious, and later landed the King George.

Franco Polidori 86 Betting shop operator in Italy who became a breeder, his Compagnia Generale bred Electrocutionist, winner of the Juddmonte International and the Dubai World Cup.

Bob Bishop 83 Joint-owner with wife Jean of Cue Card, this year’s Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase victor set to contest the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Alan Lee 61 Award-winning and highly respected racing reporter for The Times who also wrote for Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder magazine (see tribute page 16).

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_BigPic-Cue_Card_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 16:36 Page 22

THE BIG PICTURE

Feb_138_BigPic-Cue_Card_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 16:37 Page 23

KING GEORGE VI CHASE

CARD DELIVERS ON CUE Paddy Brennan produces Cue Card (left) with an irresistible challenge to overhaul Vautour and Ruby Walsh on the line in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The winner, whose joint-owner Bob Bishop sadly passed away soon after this victory, will secure a £1 million bonus if he can win the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 18, the final leg of Jockey Club Racecourses’ chase Triple Crown Photo George Selwyn

Feb_138_Tony_Morris3_Owner 22/01/2016 16:22 Page 24

THE MAN YOU CAN’T IGNORE COMMENT

Tony Morris

PA/GEORGE SELWYN

Sir Anthony McCoy richly deserved his knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List, but let’s be clear that his and Sir Gordon Richards’ personal bests do not stand comparison

Sir Gordon Richards and Sir Anthony McCoy: both knights of the Turf, but in branches of the sport that remain very distinct

am not aware that bookmakers offered any prices about recipients of awards in the 2016 New Year’s Honours List, but if they did Tony McCoy must have figured as a long odds-on chance to be granted a knighthood. Having been appointed MBE in 2003 and advanced to OBE in 2010, the Ulsterman was a certainty to become Sir Anthony on his retirement, and by timing that withdrawal from his sport when his 20th consecutive jump jockeys’ title became a formality, assurance was made doubly sure. The award, duly announced at the end of the year, was universally welcomed, and never was such recognition more obviously deserved. However, I feel bound to offer a caveat in that the award should properly have been made for McCoy’s ‘services to National Hunt racing’, rather than for ‘services to racing’. The notion that Flat and jumps are all one and the same is erroneous, that they are two very different sports having at no time in history been more evident. McCoy has often stated he felt his principal achievement was to have beaten Sir Gordon Richards’s record for winners in a season. He

did nothing of the sort, unless we class apples and oranges as the same. The first knight of the saddle rode 269 Flat winners between March 25 and November 22 in 1947, and that record remains intact. McCoy’s record of 289 winners in the 12-month 2001-02 National Hunt season, while extremely laudable, came in a completely different branch of horse sport. It is ludicrous to pretend the pair competed in the same discipline, and while both feats deserve the highest commendation, there is no way they warrant comparison with one another. In the late 1820s a writer in the Sporting Magazine, reviewing the state of racing in Britain, remarked the downfall of Cheltenham could be attributed to the introduction of the steeplechase. The arrival of the Grand National in the late 1830s did not improve the image of jump racing for many, the noted commentator on equine matters Charles James Apperley (who used the pen-name Nimrod) regarding it as an aberration that detracted from hunting, the popular idea of the real cross-country sport. In 1862 Admiral Rous, by then the Dictator of the Turf, made it clear that the Jockey Club wanted

nothing to do with what he called “this extraneous branch of horse racing”, and three years later the National Hunt Committee was founded to govern what the Victorians always referred to as ‘the illegitimate sport’. Inevitably, the two sports developed as separate entities, which, to my mind, they remain. They were certainly recognised as distinct branches when I started to write about them in the 1960s, the Flat being governed by the Jockey Club and jumping by the National Hunt Committee. There was some limited cross-over in memberships, and occasionally there would be an individual who served as a steward on both bodies, but as a general rule the differences were more conspicuous than the similarities. Typically, the Flat season would run from late March to early November, while jumping was conducted from early August to early June. Each had the field to itself for a period. In the mid-1970s the two governing bodies were merged under the title of ‘The Jockey Club (incorporating the National Hunt Committee)’, and that was the first of a host of changes that have led to a 21st century scenario that could THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Tony_Morris3_Owner 22/01/2016 16:22 Page 25

not have been imagined 50 years ago. In came summer jumping, to ensure National Hunt racing was staged throughout the year, and in came all-weather tracks to mean the Flat also ran for 12 months without a break. After 250 years the Jockey Club opted out of the governance of racing to fill a different role, to be succeeded by the BHB, then the BHA. Was there a reason why these two distinct sports were taken under the same umbrella? I imagine that it would suit the government and the betting industry to lump them together, but only a tiny minority of horsemen are involved in both, and the action tends to be played to different audiences. I’ve met plenty of people who follow both codes, but also encountered plenty who have a decided preference, and I don’t doubt the latter amount to a substantial majority, including a number who would not dream of setting foot on a track staging the ‘wrong’ code. I also have a shrewd idea that those with a preference for National Hunt racing are, by and large, the more passionate group. It is not necessary to visit Cheltenham or Aintree to form that view; it comes over strongly in the correspondence columns of the Racing Post, and it is understandable. Jumping is pure spectacle, it involves horses who are often around for years, and fans naturally feel an involvement with them, connecting on the level of old friends. There is an element of that on the Flat, but it is much less marked. What National Hunt racing also enjoys is continuity. It has not suffered the intrusions of the marketing folk, who have, through a want of understanding and reckless abandonment of traditions, meddled with the Flat racing programme in several areas, succeeding only in alienating those who have grown up with a schedule that has stood the test of time for centuries. Where else in the world is the jockeys’ title determined on results that ignore a big chunk of the season? The Racing Post greeted Tony McCoy’s knighthood by calling him the ‘greatest jump jockey the world has ever seen’, an assertion that few would dispute. But let’s not forget what a small world that covers. National Hunt racing thrives famously in Britain and Ireland, and is carried on successfully, but with a somewhat lower profile, in France. In the wider world it exists as a sideshow or not at all. It is rather akin to baseball or American football in terms of its global reach. Flat racing, by contrast, is truly a global sport, and represents the shop window for a hugely competitive global breeding industry. We may justly claim Britain and Ireland are hardly less conspicuous among leaders in that sphere than their counterparts in the field of National Hunt, but they have more rivals to contend with on the Flat. Over jumps the rivalry between Britain and Ireland represents a key factor in the sport’s appeal; in Flat racing the two nations are linked, partners in the same stud book, competing with the rest of the world. Figures suggest racing is the second-best attended sport in Britain, but we were not told how the numbers compared in terms of Flat and National Hunt. And we might be little the wiser if we were given the percentages, because, particularly on the Flat in the summer months, crowds are attracted to racecourses less by the thrill of witnessing horsesport competition than by the attraction provided by pop music acts. I am unaware of any evidence that the provision of such entertainment in recent years has acquired many converts to the habit of racegoing. Indeed, I am inclined to believe that on such occasions it is racing that constitutes the sideshow.

“National Hunt racing has not suffered the intrusions of the marketing folk”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_HowardWright_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 16:23 Page 26

HOWARD WRIGHT COMMENT

Our columnist wasn’t alone in being unfamiliar with ITV4 until racing’s new TV deal was announced – not the best indicator for future viewing figures!

ITV4 not racing’s natural home

“Cold analysis

suggests there was little alternative to the decision to switch TV coverage” C4 was given everything and the BBC nothing, the only surprise was that racing’s representatives in the deal seemed to be taken by surprise when viewing figures fell. There must be a medical reason for the affliction that prevents a huge proportion of TV viewers from adjusting naturally to programme changes. Maybe ‘remote control block’ is the answer. Nothing else can explain why the BBC, at 1 on the old dial or 101 on the Sky planner,

he Channel 4 Express terminates here. Anyone requiring the ITV Flyer, which is not due to arrive in the station until January 1, 2017, must change platforms and await further announcements. Thank you for travelling with C4 Racing, and we wish you a pleasant onward journey. The problem for terrestrial racing viewers wanting to keep up with this train of thought is that in 11 months’ time they will require two tickets. Under the provisional timetable, the mainline service will operate on 34 days but chug down a branch line on 60-plus other days. Cold analysis suggests there was little alternative to the decision to switch TV coverage, given the absolute need for a terrestrial presence, the keenness to escape from C4’s disastrous ratings fall and Sky’s unpalatable demand to take only the sport’s crown jewels. A similar story had been played out over betting shop rights by the same Racecourse Media Group negotiators who did the ITV deal. Once the major bookmakers had signalled they were not prepared to play ball, linking up with SIS was the only option, even though it means ditching RMG’s own Turf TV channel and promoting a service that it has spent seven years trying to blast out of existence, following the move that broke the SIS monopoly. Looking back four years, to the point when

‘The hell I won’t’ – John Wayne when asked if he would be watching racing on ITV4

enjoys a huge preference over ITV, at 3, when events are shown simultaneously or move from channel to channel, and why they command a viewing share five times greater, in the BBC’s case, and three and a half times greater in ITV’s, than C4. With the exception of the Grand National, these discrepancies were highlighted when racing moved to C4 – unless something dramatic happens, they will be repeated, but with even greater impact, with ITV4 coverage. One commentator remarked: “I didn’t know there was an ITV4,” when the deal was revealed. Nor did I, until close inspection, having shaken off remote control block to find channel 268 (or 120 for the HD-privileged) through Sky or 24 on Freeview, uncovered a fascinating scenario. While C4 was delivering the rearranged Welsh National, the service on which the Chepstow meeting will feature next year was showing the 1964 western Cheyenne Autumn, closely followed by another of the same genre, Rio Bravo, made in 1959 to demonstrate John

Wayne’s prowess in the saddle. So much for the weekend on ITV4. The following weekdays offered a stream of Pawn Stars, Minder, The Professionals, Magnum and Alias Smith and Jones, topped off in the evening by a load of Storage Wars and adventure films. ITV4 has drawn creditable viewing figures for one-offs such as the Tour de France, whose avid fanbase would flock to any channel, darts and overseas tennis, but what does the regular programming say about the average audience? It’s not one that would be naturally attracted to horseracing on a two-thirds basis, I suggest. So, while ITV as a commercial company can expect to reap the benefit of advertising from bookmakers geared largely to sports and casino betting, and – dare I say it – mainly based in offshore, non-ABP locations, racing has plenty of work to do to persuade its new broadcaster to direct viewers old and new into the backwaters of the satellite programme guide. This is the year when Great British Racing will earn their corn. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

CC2950 TOB Full Page JAN 2016 (NAYEF)_Layout 1 09/12/2015 12:29 Page 1

NAYEF

Gulch - Height Of Fashion

HEIGHT: 16.2hh - 1.68m STANDING AT: NUNNERY STUD, THETFORD STUD FEE 2014: £5,000 (1st JAN SLF)- Euro fee on application.

Sire of 4 Stakes winners 2015. Sire of 7 stakes winners 2014. 31% Stakes winners/runners (Europe 2015). 49% winners/runners strike rate in 2015. 33% strike rate with 2YOS of 2015. Sire of Group winners & performers from his 1st crop to his current crop:

FORGOTTEN RULES wins the British Champions MUSTAJEEB winner of the Greenlands Stakes Long Distance Cup (Gr.2) at Ascot. October 2014. (Gr.2) at The Curragh. May 2015.

TASADAY Gr.2 winner; and 3rd Yorkshire Oaks (Gr.1) at York. August 2014.

LADY MARIAN - Prix de l’Opera (Gr.1).

TAMAYUZ - Dual Gr.1 winner.

*www.racingpost.com 13-10-15

SNOW SKY dual Gr.2 winner in 2015.

SIRE OF MUSTAJEEB, STANDING AT OVERBURY STUD FOR 2016

Discover more about the Shadwell Stallions at www.shadwellstud.co.uk Or call Richard Lancaster, Johnny Peter-Hoblyn or Rachael Gowland on

01842 755913 Email us at: nominations@shadwellstud.co.uk twitter.com/ShadwellStud www.facebook.com/ShadwellStud

Feb_138_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:52 Page 29

VIEW FROM IRELAND By JESSICA LAMB

Cleary left to clear up again Trainer ships himself and horses out after ‘man-made’ floods overwhelm stables

Scenes from Tom Cleary’s yard in Athlone, which has been badly affected by flood water for the second time in recent years

or more than two months Athlone trainer Tom Cleary’s yard has been under water, but the New Year brings with it new

hope. Back-to-back storms from the Atlantic brought flood waters from the mighty River Shannon into Cleary’s yard in early December, forcing him to relocate horses and himself indefinitely. Flooding devastated vast areas along the entire 360km-long river as waterways also overflowed in Cork and Clare, the flooding spreading to Tipperary and the River Liffey’s banks last month. But it was Athlone that was hardest hit, the waters rising beyond the levels of the last big flood in 2009. Having been flooded that year, Cleary was prepared and knew his fate in plenty of time to evacuate. “The water started to come up fairly rapidly,” he said. “The day before it actually came into the stables though, I had the arrangements made. “I called [Irish Racehorse Trainers Association boss] Michael Grassick and he set me up with stables at the Curragh racecourse. “I didn’t see the sense in bringing all the horses, so the ones that hadn’t been back in long went home and I brought the ten that were in full training up. “Lucky enough, I can stay here for as long as it takes, rent free – I’m only paying to use the gallops. For that, I’m very grateful to the Manager up here Paul Hensey; without his generosity I don’t know where I’d be.” With his yard under an estimated 2.5 feet of water at the height, Cleary sees this as the worst flood he’s ever experienced. In 2009 his horses were moved for three weeks; now they have been at the Curragh for more than a month. He THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

has saved his house, though. “We are keeping water out of the house with pumps and sandbags,” he said. “I go up from Kildare daily to check the pumps are still working. I’m driving 120 miles a day to do that. “It is a huge inconvenience and it’s not our fault, it’s a man-made flood.” Cleary’s words echo that of many others who blame the ESB’s hydroelectric plants and developments on flood plains for the increasing flood dangers.

“I’m driving 120

miles a day to check the pumps that are keeping water out of my house” In order to have enough water to run the hydroelectric plants in drier months, the ESB artificially stops water along the Shannon, keeping levels unnaturally high. When they have to increase flows to counteract that in times of heavy rainfall, it contributes to high river levels. “Insurance companies won’t quote you for any flood damage in my area,” Cleary revealed. “We didn’t have any claim over the years, but at the same time, after 2009, it’s a kind of black area. It’s hard to blame them. “Most of my neighbours have left the area to stay in hotels and the only thing keeping me there is to keep checking the house is okay.”

Such is his plight that Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited his yard personally and has since telephoned to keep updated on the trainer’s situation, as he works with Cabinet members to deliver flood relief and longer-term solutions. “Enda seemed to be determined to get things done,” said Cleary. “He rang me before the Cabinet meeting in January as well to see how things were going. “For the first time in the history of any government, it looks to me like something is going to be done with the Shannon. “They have made a commitment but it’s not going to be a quick fix. It is going to take a long time before my place is safe. There is talk of relocating some people who aren’t covered by the flood relief payouts – they aren’t in the catchment area, like me. I don’t know where they are with that idea but I hope it happens as that would be a dream for us.” Another area hard hit in 2009 and again in December was Bandon in County Cork, but the geography of the town protects countrydwellers. Trainer James Dullea, whose yard is just outside Bandon, explained: “The town itself is the lowest point, all around is higher so the yards and farms are okay as far as I know. “We had to move some mares from lower fields, and I remember a neighbour cutting a hole in a ditch in 2009 that stopped the water getting into his farm then and has done so again this time. “The town is in an awful state, though; 2009 was a disaster and this could be worse again. You really feel for everyone. All we had was a bit of the gallop flooded for a while, but everyone and everything else was fine.”

Feb_138_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:52 Page 30

VIEW FROM IRELAND

Ireland has a new stallion that is reviving the historic Kildare operation of Blackrath Stud. At Arqana’s now famed Breeding Stock Sale in December, the 16-year-old Irishbred Policy Maker was knocked down to Barry Potts and Peter Maher for €25,000. It was a surprise to both to pick up a horse of that calibre for that price, but it was nothing unusual for Maher’s yard when the son of Sadler’s Wells arrived. Nominations Manager Adam Potts, son of trainer Barry, explained: “Back in the 1950s Blackrath Stud stood Vulgan, who sired Grand National winners Foinavon, Team Spirit and Gay Trip, as well as Gold Cup hero The Dikler. “There’s a lot of history there and, having had success with private stallions Elliott and Urban Ocean – Galileo’s tricky half-brother – Peter really wanted to go back to that, so we went to that Arqana sale.” There were 15 stallions on the card, the expected offering almost doubled by a dispersal of seven stallions owned by the IFCE [the French Institute for the Horse and Equestrianism]. It is believed this came about when the local breeders who were leasing the stallions from the IFCE could not agree a price for the renewal of their lease. This produced a rare occurrence of seven top-quality stallions appearing at the same sale, including star lot Network, the sire of two-mile chasing supremo Sprinter Sacre. Potts and Maher did not expect to be involved in Network’s auction; their budget meant they feared they might leave emptyhanded. But they were in luck. “I noticed in the lead up to the sale there was a buzz, but there wasn’t the audience to create that on the day,” Potts recalled. “If it was in Ireland it might have been triple the audience – I think it was the biggest stallion sale in France.

GEORGE SELWYN

Maker set to make mark in new home

Policy Maker: acquired for €25,000 and reported to have settled in well in Kildare

“A lot of the stallions were bought by syndicates and with stallions it can be quite hard to value them. We were very lucky. “The horses he has on the ground now are stars in the making. Velvet Maker ran well behind Douvan in the Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstown at Christmas, and I think he’ll be a better horse on better ground. He’ll definitely be a contender for a Cheltenham novice chase. “There’s also the top French hurdler Roll On Has and Paul Nicholls’s handicap chaser Art Mauresque looks very nice too.”

Policy Maker will stand for €2,000 in his first season at Blackrath and Potts is looking forward to starting him this month. He added: “He’s very youthful looking and has a lovely temperament. He’s adapted very well for a horse of his age and seems to be settled in well. He has the size to be a National Hunt Stallion. “In Ireland, any time I went to the store sales, I always liked Policy Makers. He’s got some nice ones coming through into the store sales this year and hopefully they’ll make good prices. I’ll be doubly interested now.”

New series of student events to kick off at Leopardstown Horse Racing Ireland has built on its Kids Go Racing Club by launching the student version. The Go Racing Student Society will create opportunities for young people to experience racing in more depth, including racehorse ownership, as the society has been made a member of the Gordon Elliott

Racing Club. The first ‘Go Racing Student Society’ event will take place on February 6 at Leopardstown, when student members will have a chance to win a trip to day three of the Cheltenham Festival. There will be at least one society outing per quarter, which will include both

educational and social events. These outings will include trips to trainers’ yards, studs, Irish bloodstock auctions and race meetings around the country. Horse Racing Ireland will also partner with the ITBA Next Generation and arrange joint events for members of both.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Fees 2016 *terms and conditions apply

Invincible Spirit Free Eagle Big Bad Bob Dragon Pulse Gale Force Ten Worthadd Famous Name Elusive Pimpernel Palavicini

€120,000 €20,000 €9,000 €5,000 €5,000 €5,000 €4,000 €1,000 Private

Contact: John Osborne, Gary Swift, Sinéad Hyland or Helen Boyce Tel: +353 (0)45 521251 Gary +353 (0)86 6031979 www.irishnationalstud.ie

Feb_138_Continental_Tales_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:47 Page 32

CONTINENTAL TALES M GER AN

By JAMES CRISPE, INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU

A life that could become a movie

Never a dull moment for Gestüt Fährhof Manager Simon Stokes

F RA

hould Quixote win one of the first black type races of the 2016 Flat season, the Listed Prix Saonois at Cagnes-sur-Mer in France on February 20, it will be another notable achievement in the rich and varied career of his British-born trainer Simon Stokes. Having failed to make the grade as a jockey in England, 55-year-old Stokes has lived and worked in Germany for the last 35 years and is best known as Racing Manager for one of that nation’s top owner/breeders Gestüt Fährhof. But there is more to him than just that. A champion jockey in his own right, he also played a leading role in the murkier pages of the tale of one of Germany’s best ever thoroughbreds, Lomitas, one that could be borrowed from a Dick Francis novel. He has also long been a pioneer of the famed Monty Roberts ‘join-up’ method of breaking in young horses and remains a hands-on participant in the careers of Fährhof progeny, on occasion rehabilitating the difficult or fragile ones, such as Quixote, and getting them back to the racecourse. A native of Chichester in West Sussex, Stokes has no family history in racing. After his parents

involvement with Lomitas, owned and bred by Gestüt Fährhof and the first top class horse of Wohler’s nascent training career. Come 1991 Stokes was both Lomitas’s work rider and Wohler’s assistant when the handsome Niniski colt, already champion twoyear-old and boasting a perfect three-from-three race record, delayed the start of the German 2,000 Guineas by half an hour while refusing to go into the stalls. The horse whisperer, Monty Roberts, then virtually unknown, was summoned across the Atlantic by Fährhof’s owner, the coffee magnate Walther Jacobs, and, as the only man on the spot with fluent English and German, Stokes acted as his translator and right-hand man. Straightened out by the stalls guru, Lomitas won four of his five subsequent three-year-old starts, a shock defeat to Temporal in the Derby put right when he beat that rival by seven lengths in the Grosser Preis von Baden. The plot thickened considerably in the spring of 1992 when Jacobs received a letter threatening to kill Lomitas if a huge blackmail demand was unforthcoming. Round-the-clock security was put in place, and two big race wins

Move pays off for Venn and family

Eighteen months on from relocating from Newmarket to Western France, bloodstock agent Richard Venn is full of praise for wife Kate and children William,Amelie and Jamie,

Richard Venn: left Newmarket in 2014

had split up and he had been sent to the local children’s home, his life was transformed at the age of nine with a chance visit to the local riding school in Hunston and a first pony ride. His imagination further fired by watching racing on TV, after leaving school he found his way to the Surrey yard of trainer Hugh O’Neill while fostering ambitions of a career as a jump jockey. But, following 40 rides and just a solitary success (aboard Allanstown in a selling hurdle at Lingfield in February 1980), he made the decision to take his saddle abroad. So, a month shy of his 20th birthday and armed with two words of German picked up from watching war films, he ventured across Europe to fill the vacant post of jump jockey for Hanover-based handler Horst Steinmetz. The new partnership was sealed when Stokes’s first ride, Corifflora, sprang a 19-1 surprise. Fast forward eight years and Stokes, now based with the Andreas Wohler stable, was crowned Germany’s champion jump jockey, albeit with a relatively modest seasonal tally of 22 victories. A further half-century of winners ensued before fate took a hand through Stokes’s

for making it work. “I was doing more and more business in France and constantly travelling,” Venn says. “Kate was the driving force behind the move from its inception – she spent part of her childhood abroad and was confident of the benefits for us all. “So we rented out our house in the UK and now have a lovely place in the Manche region of Normandy. The countryside is beautiful and we are not far from some great beaches. “We have been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the locals have been. We are surrounded by a mixture of English ex-pats and local farmers and everyone has been incredibly hospitable and helpful. “The children are 11, 9 and 7 now, and at first they found it a struggle. But from their first terrifying day in a huge French school, unable to speak to anyone, they showed great resilience and courage – Kate and I are immensely proud of them. “Now they have made friends, produced good academic results and are chirping away in French like natives!

“The move has definitely helped the business as there are a lot of people looking for French National Hunt horses and I have been lucky enough to buy some good ones, such as La Bague Au Roi, Arzal, Superb Story, Bigmartre and Kasakh Noir. And it is not just horses-in-training people are after, they’re looking at foals, mares, yearlings, two-yearolds and stallions too.” Asked about the amount of time he spends in airports, Venn’s response is surprising. “I hardly flew at all in 2015,” he replies. “I go back to Newmarket, where I am assisted by Josie Eglin, for all the sales, but my preferred mode of transport is the ferry from Cherbourg to Poole. I also drive all over France and to Germany, where I am the UK and Ireland representative for the BBAG sales.” If there is one thing Venn has found difficult about the move, it is learning a new language. “Pascal Noue, owner of Haras de la Hetraie, says I speak French ‘like a Spanish cow’,” he admits. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a compliment!” THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

achieved, but a last-of-five finish in a Dusseldorf Group 1 was accompanied by a second letter, containing a final warning. Soon after establishing that Lomitas had been poisoned in Dusseldorf, Jacobs took dramatic and decisive action. Lomitas was smuggled across the North Sea to Newmarket in the utmost secrecy, with Stokes bringing his career as a jockey to a sudden (and unannounced) close in order to act as his groom. Lodging at Susan Piggott’s Eve Lodge yard under the pseudonym of ‘Pirelli’ (the name of the first pony Stokes rode at the riding school in Hunston), Lomitas convalesced for a month before Stokes accompanied him to America, renewing their acquaintance with Roberts. Nursed back to full health, he continued racing in California for Ron McAnally but, despite winning once and gaining a pair of Grade 2 placings, he never regained peak form before hoof problems that could be traced back to his poisoning forced his retirement. Sadly, no-one was ever arrested in connection with the blackmail case. Lomitas was, however, able to complete a highly successful 15-year term as a stallion and boasts the 2011 Arc winner Danedream as the best of his many top class offspring. “Lomitas has been a hell of a personality in my life and I have a lot to thank him for,” Stokes admits. “Without him I would never

FRANK NOLTING

Feb_138_Continental_Tales_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:47 Page 33

Simon Stokes (left) greets German champion Lomitas and jockey Andreas Boschert

have met Monty Roberts and would probably not have become Fährhof’s Racing Manager.” Married with two daughters, he is now boss of Gestüt Fährhof’s purpose-built 1,000 hectare pre-training centre at Sottrum, near Bremen, home to stallions, mares and weanlings. He breaks in all the yearlings by the join-up method and receives a visit from Roberts every autumn to help with this task. He also makes

regular visits to his old weighing-room colleagues, Wohler and Peter Schiergen, to check on Fährhof’s horses in training. And he keeps a couple of problem horses to train himself, most notably Quixote, a Listed winner for Schiergen before suffering a stifle problem. Stokes won three races with him on the all-weather in 2015 and is now planning the 875-mile drive to get him down to Cagnes.

In contrast to Silvestre de Sousa’s widemargin victory in the British equivalent, the jockeys’ championships in Germany and France both went down to the very last race of the season – and both resulted in deadheats! The first to be decided, at Dortmund on December 29, saw Andrasch Starke partner his 86th winner of the season with a threequarters of a length victory over the other joint champion, Alex Peitsch. For Starke it was an eighth title but Pietsch was notching his first at the ripe old age of 43. Two days later in south-western France, Pierre-Charles Boudot and Christophe Soumillon were locked together on the 178winner mark going into the New Year’s Eve meeting at Pau, which included only two Flat races. A winner apiece meant broad smiles all round and, mirroring Germany, an eighth Cravache d’Or for Soumillon and a first, ten days after his 23rd birthday, for Boudot. Remarkably, there was also a dead-heat for

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

GEORGE SELWYN

Exciting finishes in France and Germany

Pierre-Charles Boudot (left) and Christophe Soumillon shared the French title

the trainers’ championship in Germany, Andreas Wohler and Peter Schiergen agreeing to share the award after Schiergen drew level with three meetings remaining.

The French trainers’ title was more clearcut – Andre Fabre winning for the 27th time. John Gosden was third, having won in Britain and finished fifth in Ireland.

Feb_138_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:53 Page 35

AROUND THE GLOBE THE WORLDWIDE RACING SCENE

NORT H A M E R I CA

by Steve Andersen

O’Neill revival looks set to continue

“You pay $400,000 for a two-year-old in training, you think you have LeBron James”

training, you think you have LeBron James,” Doug O’Neill said, referring to the star American basketball player. “When we started working with him we thought he was special.” Nyquist’s five-win campaign in 2015 helped O’Neill to one of his best seasons. His stable won 115 races and earned more than $7.2 million. The figures are not personal records – the stable won 185 races in 2010 and earned $11.2m in 2006 – but they were substantially higher than the 2014 season, when O’Neill won 82 races and had stable earnings of $4.4m. The trainer had a tumultuous 2014 in which he was suspended by racing authorities THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

GEORGE SELWYN

’ll Have Another all but snuck into the winner’s circle of the 2012 Kentucky Derby. He was unbeaten in two stakes races at Santa Anita in the build-up but was a 15-1 outsider at Churchill Downs. The win marked trainer Doug O’Neill’s first victory in the Classic. This year, O’Neill’s stable is back on the Kentucky Derby trial with a colt at the front of the conversation. Nyquist, the unbeaten winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in October, entered 2016 as the ante-post favourite for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. The cast surrounding Nyquist are the same as I’ll Have Another – owners Paul and Zillah Reddam of California and jockey Mario Gutierrez. Dennis O’Neill, Doug’s brother, bought Nyquist on behalf of the Reddams for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select Sale of two-year-olds in-training last March. Dennis O’Neill picked out I’ll Have Another for $35,000 from a Florida two-year-olds intraining sale in 2011. With Nyquist, expectations were high from the start. “You pay $400,000 for a two-year-old in Doug O’Neill (inset) can boast of Kentucky Derby favourite Nyquist (red noseband)

in California and New York for 45 days following separate medication infractions in those states in 2010 and 2012. The decisions left O’Neill banned from attending races or being present in the stable area. Because the rulings ran concurrently for 19 days, O’Neill was out of action from early October to mid-December that year. When the stable’s Goldencents won the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile under the direction of assistant Leandro Mora, O’Neill watched on television. When he returned to training in late 2014, O’Neill vowed to hold his barn to tighter standards for medication protocols. There were no violations in 2015. Mora, 57, has been with O’Neill since 2001, when the stable was smaller. By the late 2000s, O’Neill had more than 100 horses in his care. This winter, the stable has approximately 80 runners, a mix of stakes calibre and conditional runners, as well as claimers that can come and go. “We’re up in quality,” O’Neill said. “We have a lot of claimers and it gives us action every three weeks or so.” Part of the rise in quality has been a small influx of British and

Irish-based runners. O’Neill defers to bloodstock advisors Steve Rothblum, 64, a former trainer, and Jack Sisterton, 31, a native of Durham, for advice on British and Irish prospects. Rothblum and Sisterton review runners before involving Newmarket-based Alex Elliott in potential acquisitions. The search is often focused on finding milers who want firm ground, the sort of import that can win in California. “Jack knows the guys who will and won’t sell,” O’Neill said. “What we love about the Europeans is they come to us ready-made. Their foundation work is on the straight and going up hills.” In recent years, the stable has acquired Birdlover and Jakaby Jade, who won minor stakes races in California in 2015; Royal Albert Hall, who was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last September; and Imperious One, who was second in a minor stakes event for two-year-olds at Santa Anita in December. Those runners, Nyquist, and the 2015 Grade 1 winners Gomo, Ralis and Sharla Rae give O’Neill a solid roster for 2016 – a year that could be even more productive than the revival in 2015.

Feb_138_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:53 Page 36

AROUND THE GLOBE

AUST R A L I A

by Stephen Howell

Young guns shooting for the stars been labelled “the next Michelle Payne” in that she was Victoria’s rising star among young female jockeys, rather than the postNovember 2015 meaning of lining up to be the second woman to win Australia’s great race, the Melbourne Cup. Now 21-year-old Mallyon has become the second Victorian woman to ride out her claim, after Payne of course. On December 30 she recorded her 80th city success on Miss Cooper at Flemington, losing her 1.5kg advantage, but not until after the January 2 meeting (because she had already been engaged for claiming rides that day), when she had a double at Moonee Valley. All three winners were for her bosses, Flemington training team Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra. Mallyon is one of the good news stories that Australian racing takes into 2016. Aside from Payne’s Cup success on Prince Of Penzance, the season has been dominated by negative publicity from the ongoing cobalt saga that has seen Group 1-winning trainers charged and/or convicted of offences that bring disqualifications of several years. Like Payne, who is almost ten years her senior, Mallyon has fought back from falls, that caused head and spine injuries, to be able to ride with confidence against the country’s best. And Mallyon, like Payne, comes from a family steeped in racing history. Between 1968-74 her famous grandfather Mick Mallyon (now 75) was a winner of three Caulfield Cups, the Group 1 race that is the opening half of Australia’s famous spring Cups double.

“I suppose with pop’s links to the Caulfield Cup, that’s the race I’d love to win more than any other”

Her father Brett and mother Mary (née Divers) were also jockeys. Brother Andrew is a senior rider with more than 600 wins and cousin Jordan has ridden more than 160 winners. Mallyon, who grew up around racehorses and always wanted to be a jockey, said that having achieved her goal of outriding her

COLIN BULL, INSIDE RACING MAGAZINE

For the past few years Katelyn Mallyon has

Katelyn Mallyon: born to be a jockey

Harry Coffey: cutting it despite illness

claim, she would love to ride a Group 1 winner. “Any Group 1 winner,” she said. “But I suppose with pop’s links to the Caulfield Cup, that’s the race I’d love to win more than any other.”

Whereas many originally saw him as a story of a brave young man not letting a disorder thwart career ambitions, his achievements show him to be a talented young horseman. He is apprenticed to his father, Austy Coffey, at Swan Hill, some 350km north of Melbourne. Two or three times a year Coffey goes into hospital for about a week for what he calls a tune-up, or a blitz of antibiotics and physiotherapy, and losing momentum by being out of the public eye as he regains fitness and form can work against him. However, Coffey has ridden more than 220 winners, around a third of them for Weir, a long-time mate of Coffey snr, but a hard taskmaster who grants the young jockey no favours. After the Signoff win, Weir said Coffey had “improved heaps” in the past year. While riding the crest of a summer wave, the young jockey realises he has to take every chance that is offered while his health remains robust; and he realises that, although striking at 17% for Weir, he is just one of a long line of talented jockeys (Brad Rawiller, Dean Yendall and others) that the trainer has at his disposal. Coffey is long odds to retain the ride if Signoff makes it to the Cup later this year. Yet Payne’s success on 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance will be a constant reminder that long odds can pay.

Coffey coming up trumps Harry Coffey, 20, is just one of the riders used by Darren Weir, the trainer who put up Payne to win the Melbourne Cup. There is also a Melbourne Cup connection with Coffey’s recent big black-type day at Caulfield on December 26 – one of two Listed wins for Weir was on Signoff, returning after a long injury break. This was the stayer Weir trained to finish fourth in the 2014 Melbourne Cup when ridden by Brazilian ace Joao Moreira and, until the Authorized gelding injured a tendon, was regarded by Weir as much better than Prince Of Penzance. Coffey, needing a handful of winners to ride out his claim in the remaining weeks of his apprenticeship, is a promising rider, excellent horseman – and a great story, having had to work through a debilitating problem to become an apprentice. He has been in the news since he began his apprenticeship because he has cystic fibrosis, an hereditary disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system and makes him more prone to infection.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Al Kazeem TOB-Feb 2016:Oakgrove Stud

12/1/16

17:21

Page 1

THE GREY GATSBY

POSTPONED

FASCINATING ROCK

Al Kazeem bay 2008, 16.1hh by Dubawi - Kazeem (Darshaan) Ë Joint Champion Older Horse in Europe in 2013 (9.5f-10.5f)

Ë Winner of 10 races at 2 to 7 years including 4 Gr.1 races

Ë By DUBAWI – sire of 23 Gr.1 winners including Classic sire MAKFI

Ë From the stallion producing family of IN REALITY, KNOWN FACT and RELAUNCH Ë Timeform rated 128 in three consecutive seasons

Ë “He was a gentleman from the outset, full of class and tough as they come” Roger Charlton

Won 8 Group races and £1,573,596 inc: Won Gr.1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, 10.5f, 2015 Gr.1 Coral-Eclipse, 10f, 2013 Gr.1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, 10f, 2013 Gr.1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, 10.5f, 2013 Gr.2 Qatar Bloodstock Jockey Club Stakes, 12f, 2012 Gr.2 Prix d'Harcourt, 10f, 2015 2nd Gr.1 Qipco Champion Stakes, 10f, 2014 Gr.1 Prix Ganay, 10.5f, 2015 Gr.1 Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes, 10f, 2013 3rd Gr.1 Juddmonte International Stakes, 10.4f, 2013

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

First foals sold for up to 70,000gns

STANDING AT OAKGROVE STUD Oakgrove Estate, St Arvans, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 6EH Tel: 01291 622876 G Fax: 01291 622070 G Email: oakgrovestud@btinternet.com For Nominations Contact: Tim Lane: 07904 231899 G Vannessa Swift: 01291 622876

Feb_138_DavidLoder_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:53 Page 38

DAVID LODER

Loder and

WISER David Loder always had a good feel for National Hunt horses, even in his days of training Sheikh Mohammed’s young bluebloods – now he is a more contented trainer going about his business in a quieter and less stressful way Words & photos Carl Evans

torrenting drain belches water into a Shropshire brook, and David Loder smiles with the satisfaction of a schoolboy who has just undammed a stream. “You cannot believe the water that comes off that gallop,” he says, as we stare at the spew heading downstream in the direction of Bishops Castle. It is evidence that Loder’s carefully designed training ground has subterranean qualities to match its impressive vista above ground. Created within the last two years amidst the rolling-hills landscape that makes this

“I bought my first

horse at 18, for £1,100. I finished second on him and got him away for £1,500” part of Britain so admired for its rural charm, it comprises an unequal triangle of woodchip that offers a pair of uphill gallops of differing distance, and the means of returning to the bottom in a circular motion by going down the other side. “It enables us to keep horses on the move, and when they head into the chute at the top

they know their work is finished,” says Loder, as we walk by his schooling grounds on grass that fills the centre of the triangle – and, of course, for a man who seeks perfection, no ordinary grass. “It’s the Newmarket Heath mix,” he says proudly. “It’s tough and hardy, and goes in at 150 times your normal seeding rate, so it’s far denser than a grass field and gives a better cushion.” The cost of his investment both here and at the 35-box yard he has created on land owned by his father-in-law, Bill Sykes, has been considerable – a seven-figure sum would be a reasonable estimate by a lay man – and yet Loder gains pleasure in recalling that the miles of plastic running rail which hem the woodchip were bought for a bargain price when a Lincolnshire point-to-point course closed. Anyone who has switched off from racing for the past ten years would be surprised to read that Loder is based in Shropshire, let alone that he has schooling grounds, and is now a trainer of jumpers – he gained a licence in the autumn and sent out his first jumps winner in December. Once positioned in Newmarket on the top step of Flat racing’s escalator of youthful training talent – his first winner, Lupescu, came in a Listed race – he is a Classic-winning trainer who handled some of Sheikh Mohammed’s most precious racehorses, including, as a two-year-old, the greatest of them all, Dubai Millennium. Yet his latest venture, on the opposite side

Feb_138_DavidLoder_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:53 Page 39

David Loder, once in charge of Sheikh Mohammedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s juveniles, says he now wants only to be known as a jumps trainer

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_DavidLoder_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:53 Page 40

D AV I D L O D E R >> of England is, in effect, a return to his roots.

He says: “At 18 I went to Ascot and bought my first horse with a view to riding him in point-to-points. He was called King Vince, he cost £1,100, I finished second on him at 50-1, and got him away for £1,500. That was my first trade, but working with horses was all I ever wanted to do. It was in my blood.” Early inspiration had come from several sources, not least the Loder family’s Eyrefield Lodge Stud on the Curragh, which is owned by David’s cousin, Sir Edmund Loder. This time last year, Alan McCabe was training from Loder’s Shropshire premises, but felt there were better opportunities for his Flat interests in Newmarket and has returned there with his family. Loder took on the licence, but unlike McCabe has no desire to handle Flat horses. “It complicates things,” he says. “I still assess yearlings for Sheikh Mohammed – although I’m busy with that work when the jumps is quiet – and don’t want that side of my business to become confused with the set-up here. It’s a long drive to a decent Flat course, but we have jumps tracks close at hand, and I could see the danger that if I tried to train Flat and jumps I would be spreading the butter too thinly. “Besides, I enjoy working with jumpers. I have a yard full of youngsters at present, but as they get older we’ll have more handicap hurdlers and chasers, too. We currently have a couple of older horses, namely Hi Vic, a

David Loder’s wife Angie is an integral part of the Shropshire-based operation

chaser we bought for £7,500 at Ascot with a rating of 96, but is now on a mark of 122, and Old Pride, who started with us off 103 and is now rated 120. “I haven’t gone down the route of trying to buy horses from the Flat – it’s like buying a second-hand car. I prefer to buy unbroken stores because I feel you have a better chance of getting a very good one. For instance, last

year I bought a Ballingarry two-year-old in France and his sister has now won three chases by big margins at Auteuil – he’ll be offered at Doncaster [Loder sells through various consignors], but I won’t be giving him away.” Old Pride is owned by Fitri Hay, while a bumper horse, Boston De La Roque, is a member of Highclere Racing’s small group of jumpers. Loder is a new face on the jumps

Feb_138_DavidLoder_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:53 Page 41

D AV I D L O D E R circuit, but his CV and list of contacts have enabled him to court clients others could not hope to approach. Hi Vic, however, is owned by his mother-in-law, Pamela Sykes, a former permit holder and point-to-point trainer, whose daughter, Angie, married Loder in 2007, and with whom he now has two young daughters. Three years before the wedding, Angie, a bloodstock agent of repute, purchased Derby winner Sir Percy as a yearling. In a large barn several miles from the main yard is another strand of Loder’s operation – inside, living like a gang of adolescents and just as cocky but easily spooked, are a group of unbroken two- and three-year-olds who are turned out in summer. Loder says: “They are sourced from all sorts of sales, then reoffered as unbroken stores, and if they don’t sell for what we think they are worth we bring them home and train them. In the first year we sold one, Criq Rock [bought at Arqana for €16,000, resold at DBS for £40,000], who is trained by Alan King and is now a leading bumper horse – for us that sort of result is as important as having them here. “Last year we sold five, including an Al Namix store bought by Warren Greatrex and a Martaline that went to Venetia Williams – they really caught my eye – and this year we have seven to offer. We want to build a reputation for having nice horses, and by offering them as untried stores there is no

reason why anyone should think we are keeping the best and offering the rest. They are all untried and they are all for sale. “If they don’t make their money or fail to reach a sale for whatever reason, we keep them for owners who want horses in training. We know the background of these horses, and I always keep a share or two in each horse – it’s unfair on your clients to ask them to buy a horse if you are not prepared to put your money where your mouth is.

“What I am doing

now is very different – this is a beautiful place to train, I have a great set-up” “Richard Wilkin, who is an owner here, has put together two syndicates with five horses – he has been a big help, and syndicates work well in sharing the costs. “Similarly, if I buy a young horse I wouldn’t sell it on for at least two months until I’ve got to know it and am sure that what I’ve bought can do the job.”

So with both training and trading, Loder is putting together a business that whets his appetite but is less demanding than that of a 160-horse Flat trainer. That still begs the question, why, having handed in his licence in 2005 – following a virus that he, not his horses, contracted, and which proved hard to shake off while running a full-on business – has he returned to training? “It’s different this time,” he says. “I started in 1992 and saddled 35 Group winners in my first four seasons before getting the job with Godolphin, which eventually took me to France [and an attempt to train from defunct Evry racecourse]. I was pretty ill over there – training is a stressful business, and every time I became stressed it reappeared. It dragged me down. “I came back to Britain and went on for a few more years as a public trainer. Goodricke came along and took the Haydock Sprint Cup, and so I asked myself why was I thinking of packing up when I could still train Group 1 winners, but I had enjoyed a good run and needed a break. When I finished I went to live in Spain for a while. It was very relaxed, the weather is lovely, and the health issues cleared up. “What I am doing now is very different – this is a beautiful place to train, I have a great set-up and believe it will become very successful. I haven’t gone at it like I did when I started training on the Flat, going all out to get as many horses as possible. I look at this

Feb_138_DavidLoder_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:53 Page 42

D AV I D L O D E R

combination of buying young horses, bringing them through and hopefully training some decent winners. “Funnily enough, even in my final year with a Flat licence I started dabbling in trading a few jumpers. I sold a couple of horses to Paul Nicholls for Harry Findlay, namely Desert Quest, who won the County Hurdle, and Herecomesthetruth, who landed the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, which helped to cement in my mind that it was a way I could go. “I’m lucky we have some very nice owners and excellent staff – my head girl, Hannah Henney, has worked with leading sales consignors, while Gareth Thomas and Lois Williams are senior staff who work ride, box drive and look after the stores. Gareth is also responsible for a few pointers we keep in a separate yard. Some young horses are better suited to starting off in points, and point-topointing is popular with a few of our owners. “I’m feeling my way a bit, because I’m dealing with young horses, but working with unraced three-year-olds is not so different from being with two-year-olds. You take them forward the same way you do a twoyear-old and if they are ready to go, you go.” One of his colleagues within the Darley/Godolphin fold, John Ferguson, has already made a name for himself within the ranks of National Hunt trainers, but recently made it known he will close down his yard in the spring to concentrate on a new role as Godolphin Chief Executive. Loder says: “I had dinner with John in London recently and cheekily asked if any of his jumpers were looking for homes. But I think they have other plans for them.” He makes a rueful smile, but is clearly not pining. Those days are behind him, the current model has a better work/life balance, and he is happy. “I love the job,” he says. “You can’t beat looking at horses.

GEORGE SELWYN

>> as a slower burn, and making it into a good

Sheikh Mohammed with Dubai Millennium, whom Loder trained as a juvenile

‘The best I’ve ever dealt with’ David Loder recalls his first conversation with his then-boss Sheikh Mohammed about the youngsters in his care. “I remember Sheikh Mohammed coming to my yard in Newmarket early in 1998 and asking me, out of the blue, which was the best of the two-year-olds. I had 60 in training for him,” Loder explains. “It didn’t cross my mind why he had asked, but I took him to Lujain’s box and said, ‘Sir, this will win the Middle Park Stakes [which he did], and so that must rank him quite high’. However I then took him to another box and said, ‘But this is the best horse I’ve had anything to do with’. He was called Yaazer at the time, but the sheikh turned to me and said, ‘Okay, I am going to change his name to Dubai Millennium’.

“It didn’t register with me initially, but, as ever, Sheikh Mohammed had a plan and it came off. “We were just starting to get the horse going, but the way he went and with his pedigree he ticked every box. We had Desert Prince in the yard at the time, a champion three-year-old, but I knew this two-year-old was going to be better. “To work for Sheikh Mohammed, and for him to have put up with me for as long as he has, it was marvellous to pinpoint a horse that he could call Dubai Millennium and would win the World Cup in the millennium year. “It remains a sadness for the breed that he died so young, and his son, Dubawi, only emphasises what he might have achieved as a stallion.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Profeet-race-A4-15-v2_0 03/08/2015 10:09 Page 1

Best foot forward to the winning post

Photography: www.racingpost.com/photos

PROFEET is easy to feed, palatable and effective, I use PROFEET because it does exactly what it claims! Philip Hobbs

www.naf-equine.eu/uk

For more details please call our Nutritional Advice Line: 0800 373 106 or email info@naf-uk.com

HISTORY

www.naf-equine.eu/uk

YEARS CLEAN

Feb_138_TalkingTo2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:42 Page 44

TALKING TO... JAMES REVELEY

Licence to

THRILL James Reveley takes his cross-Channel commitments seriously, riding a winner at Pau on Christmas day, and his prioritising of France could just make him a champion jockey

ou are the exception to the rule in the weighing room, making regular and successful sorties to ride in France. So how did the ReveleyFrench connection start? When I was 18 and working as a conditional for Nicky Richards he sent me to Guillaume Macaire’s for three weeks’ working holiday experience. I loved it over there, had a couple of rides and a winner. After I’d been back home a week, Mr Macaire phoned to ask me if I’d like to go back because he was short of young lads in the yard and I ended up spending the rest of the summer there. Riding over 50 winners in France in 2015 (at a one-in-three strike rate), which put you fourth in the jockeys’ table, with two Grade 1 triumphs, is testament to your outstanding form. How easy was it to acclimatise to the different tracks and style of racing? French tracks are much more varied than here. It was a fantastic experience when I was young to get to know the contrasting variety of jumps on each track; there are more figure of eights and more twisty crosscountry courses in France. You find you’re rarely going round in a consistent circle like you do in England. The races tend to be a lot more tactical, while most races in England are run at a solid gallop and very often the toughest horse wins. British trainers like to see you being positive on a horse, while the French like you to be more patient and

44 56

finishing in a race. I think that’s why I’ve got on well in France, where they like my style of riding and settling horses. Last year I got a lot more rides outside Mr Macaire’s stable. You are regarded as a real horseman and a sympathetic rider, rather than a jockey known purely for his strength in the saddle. Is this because you come from a showjumping background and how has this helped you across the Channel?

“The French don’t

look at the way a jockey rides a finish but the way he rides throughout the race” Showjumping taught me a lot about presenting horses at a fence, but it’s a completely different way of riding and it took me a while to adapt to the racing style. French race-riding is all about tactics, jumping, rhythm. A lot of us over here would look at a French jockey in a finish and think he was useless, but the French don’t look at the way a jockey rides a finish but the way he

rides throughout the race. I suppose I am a cross between the French and English styles, I ride a bit longer than the French lads. Macaire likes the way I ride and he has helped me to slot in with the other lads. I am regarded as quite aggressive by French standards – but in England I’d be looked upon as a quiet rider. What are the main differences between jump racing in France and England? In France it’s nearly all conditions races, governed by the amount of prize-money won. There might be a couple of handicaps on the card and the rest are conditions races. The big difference is prizemoney, which is at least ten >>

BILL SELWYN

By Tim Richards

Feb_138_TalkingTo2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:42 Page 45

THOR-

Feb_138_TalkingTo2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:43 Page 46

JAMES REVELEY >> times better in France. At Auteuil, with the

Guillaume Macaire is one of your biggest supporters. How timeconsuming is the travelling and how accessible are courses like Pau in south-west France from your home in Saltburn on the Cleveland coast? I have a lot of air miles! Yes, the travelling, particularly driving to and from airports like Manchester and the four hours to Stansted (for Bordeaux), is very time-consuming. But the flying is fine as I can catch up on sleep on the plane.

BILL SELWYN

exception of claiming races, you wouldn’t race for less than €24,000 to the winner. The funding of prize-money via the Pari-Mutuel is clearly more effective than our system of relying on bookmakers. When the French come to race in England they all say the atmosphere on our courses is fantastic compared with theirs. There is far more of a public following here than in France. You can go midweek jumping in France and there is barely anyone on course.

Clockwise from above: enjoying the delights of Chepstow in January; making all the running on the David Pipe-trained Un Temps Pour Tout in the Grade 1 Grand Course de Haies d’Auteuil; with supporter and mentor Guillaume Macaire at Auteuil

What have you learnt from your time with Guillaume Macaire? Dad says Guillaume Macaire’s whole establishment and work ethic was my university. Mr Macaire is a real good teacher of a jockey on a horse; especially young jockeys and young horses. He has this knack of bringing out the best in them. He has his own opinions and makes a lot of sense. When he’s in good form he really is a laugh, but when things aren’t going so well he’s not so easy to talk to.

“Guillaume Macaire is obsessed about the job; he has his own theories and never deviates from them”

He is strict, likes everything to be done just right, and is never afraid to give any of us a bollocking. I suppose he’s obsessed about the whole job with his horses and jockeys; he has his own theories and never deviates from them. He has a very good system and business. He can be fairly unique with his training, using elastic bungees all the time and only taking them off when the horses school. The schooling is really intense. His statistics say it all. Last year he had something like 300 winners and the trainer in second place around 120.

PANORAMIC

Have you considered basing yourself in France and riding there full-time? I am going to focus mainly on the French side THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_TalkingTo2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:43 Page 47

PANORAMIC

JAMES REVELEY

this year and aim to start over there earlier, in March when racing starts at Auteuil, rather than in May. I am getting a French agent, Benoit Gicquel, who used to be second jockey to Macaire and I’ve known all the time I’ve been out there. I want to give it a real go and see how I get on. I have a mobile home over there, which is fine in the summer but I could really do with more substantial accommodation. I am looking.

Mr Macaire have a very good strike-rate but I’ve been able to keep up my own strike-rate when riding for other trainers like Francois Cottin, Emmanuel Clayeux and Guy Cherel. Last autumn I missed a Grade 1 winner, Hippomene, at Auteuil because I was asked at the last minute after I’d been declared to ride at Market Rasen, and I didn’t want to let down trainers here after decs.

Does all the Channel-hopping mean you have to make sacrifices back home, where you ride for your father Keith? Obviously I want to help dad, who is always very organised with his race plans. Basically I have committed to dad in winter and France in the summer. But he has been very understanding when I’ve had a good ride in France. He seems to be able to juggle things, but it’s not ideal because dad’s always been a tremendous support and wants to do what’s best for me. Having said that, I try to ride as many as I can for him when I’m around. You have to remember you’d be better off with one winner in France than with seven rides at a meeting in England. I was riding at Pau on Christmas day [winning on Saying Again for Guy Cherel] and got back for Sedgefield on Boxing Day. I have been very lucky in France because not only does

Your grandmother Mary Reveley was a celebrated dual-purpose Yorkshire trainer. How big a part did she play in your early career? Nan bought all my showjumping ponies for me and was a massive support when I was doing junior competitions. Towards the end of her career she used to come and support me showjumping rather than going racing. When I started riding dad held the licence and always made sure I was going in the right direction, but nan would let me know her opinions and what she thought I should and shouldn’t be doing.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Jump racing in the north has struggled since the days when your grandmother trained 120 horses. What has been the problem? Fashionable trainers like Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson are in the south and it’s very hard for northern trainers to compete. I know

there are good trainers in the north but having horses in the big southern stables seems to be the ‘in’ thing at the moment. It’s frustrating for the northern trainers. The only answer is for wealthy north country owners to have their horses closer to home, as Trevor Hemmings does with a lot of his, and Richard Collins, one of my dad’s owners, who is totally devoted to northern racing. Then we might have a shout in some of the big races at places like Cheltenham. The recent Jump Racing Review’s recommendation that there should be a new training facility in the north for rookie trainers is encouraging. Also the idea of incentives to encourage trainers to set up stables in Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland would be another plus. And, if they’re considering a new high-profile event like Cheltenham and Aintree, why not stage it in the north? Is the poorer quality of horse in the north one of the reasons you have sought further riches in France? Definitely. I ride a lot better quality horse on a day-to-day basis in France than I would in England. Dad has some nice horses but nothing near the standard of those I ride in France. That’s one of the main reasons, along with the big difference in prize-money. Everyone wants to get on good horses and that’s why I am going to France. >>

Feb_138_TalkingTo2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:43 Page 48

JAMES REVELEY

GEORGE SELWYN

from a similar showjumping background and was a top jockey. I always listen to what he has to say but am mindful he is very opinionated. I know a lot of people don’t always agree with him but I was delighted to read his comments. I’d love to challenge for the championship here but realistically can’t see it happening any time soon. Obviously, if I landed a big job it could become a possibility, but I am turning towards France and will be based much more over there. To be champion in France you need to ride about 100 winners… you never know.

Winning the Grand Sefton Chase on Endless Power was a magical day for Reveley

>> You must see a lot of promising young French horses that are bought by the likes of Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson. How could some of that talent be lured to the talented trainers in the north – or is it simply to do with spending power? It’s all about crazy prices. The French can charge what they like for promising young horses and they know they’re going to get paid. The money is in the south and there are very few owners in the north who can or are willing to pay these extortionate amounts. Can you compare the biggest day of your racing life abroad and your biggest day in England? Which did you enjoy the most, and why? Winning the French Champion Hurdle last summer on Un Temps Pour Tout for David Pipe was right up there with the best days in France, while winning the Grand Sefton Chase over the National fences on Endless Power in 2008 and Grand National Trial at Haydock on Rambling Minster for dad would be two of my best days in England. Big winners anywhere mean just as much to me. You normally get a decent crowd for the French Champion Hurdle and there was a good atmosphere at Auteuil, though nothing like you’d find at the Cheltenham Festival. Endless Power was my first ride over the National fences, which was a special thrill, and the family connection with Rambling Minster at Haydock brought extra pleasure.

Four-year-old So French gave you a Grade 1 victory over fences at an age when the majority of British/Irish-bred NH horses have yet to see a racecourse. How does their system produce more precocious animals? The French start their jumpers off a lot earlier than we do because their race programme is set out to attract three and four-year-olds; there are all sorts of hurdles and chases for what we would consider to be immature jumpers. Mr Macaire cracks on with them, schooling yearlings with little saddles in the loose school. Two-year-olds come into training at Macaire’s in October and he prepares them over the big hurdles for the early races in February/March. The progeny of Poliglote and Saint des Saints seem to be more precocious than the Old Vics and Presentings. I suppose the French jumper may be a little bit lighter-framed than ours and built to do well at a younger age, but in fairness we don’t get so many big, old-fashioned chasers in England as we used to. The breed here has become a bit more refined and racey. John Francome once said you were “right up there” with AP McCoy in terms of riding ability. What do you feel when you hear comments like this – would you like to challenge for the championship and big rides in Britain? I was gobsmacked when he said it, because John has always been an idol of mine, definitely one of my racing heroes. Partly because he came

Do you have any exciting rides in the offing for Cheltenham? Is there a northern-trained horse that might be capable of troubling the judge at the Festival? I can’t see anything on the horizon for me at Cheltenham unless Saint Palois, who I’ve ridden for Emmanuel Clayeux, comes over for the Gold Cup. If he does run he wouldn’t be without an each-way chance. But there is so much prize-money on offer at Auteuil these days the French are happier staying at home. Sue Smith’s Wakanda, who won a decent race at Ascot in December, would be worthy of representing the north at the Festival. I managed to get beat on him when he was odds-on for a novice chase at Newcastle! Dad has a nice young horse called Waiting Patiently, who has been second twice and is very green but has huge potential. He is worth keeping an eye on.

CLOSE UP AND... PERSONAL My guiltiest pleasure is… a bottle of Heineken Favourite holiday destination… Las Vegas Actor to play me in a film… Daniel Craig I switch off by… watching a TV series like Walking Dead or Game of Thrones Four dinner party guests… Michelle Keegan, Paddy McGuinness, Jonathan Ross and Keith Lemon

CLOSE UP AND... PROFESSIONAL Rising star of the future… Kilian Dubourg, conditional with Guillaume Macaire I handle defeat by… moving on quickly Favourite racecourse to ride… Auteuil Biggest lesson I’ve learnt… don’t burn your bridges Alternative career… showjumping

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

OVER9343OB page 31JAN16 18/01/2016 13:35 Page 1

EVEN OUR SMALLPRINT MAKES GOOD READING...

All the best deals C L U B B E D together

have special pay-when-you-sell terms for Cityscape. Designed to help breeders feel confident using a third-year stallion, the scheme’s called << B R E E D I N G C O N F I D E N C E >>

Please call for all the finer points. If you’re not planning on selling, your reward for using Cityscape on Oct 1, SLF terms in 2016 is an entirely free nomination to him for 2017.

W W W

M U S TA J E E B is the record-breaking Jersey

Stakes winner and the fastest horse in the Galileo family. His fee ~ £5,000 Oct 1, SLF ~ is notable value in comparison with fellow new stallions who were not the racehorse he was. Our << H A P P Y B R E E D E R >> terms to him offer a lifetime breeding right in return for continued support: call for details. By the way: Mustajeeb is a great-looking horse... a M U S T-see!

OVERBURY Stud

CITYSCAPE

FAST COMPANY

Selkirk ~ Tantina {Distant View} £4,500 Oct 1, SLF

Danehill Dancer ~ Sheezalady {Zafonic} £4,000 Oct 1, SLF

DELEGATOR

NEW MUSTAJEEB

Dansili ~ Indian Love Bird {Efisio} £4,000 Oct 1, SLF

Nayef ~ Rifqah {Elusive Quality} £5,000 Oct 1, SLF

S I M O N S W E E T I N G 07796 174926 (01386) 725552 simon@ovstud.co.uk

DUNADEN

SCHIAPARELLI

J O B R O W N (01386) 725552

Nicobar ~ La Marlia {Kaldounevees} £3,000 Oct 1, SLF

Monsun ~ Sacarina {Old Vic} £2,000 Oct 1, SLF

S A M H O S K I N S 07791 746119

The smallest of the smallprint: Overbury Stud is also home to KAYF TARA, heading for his seventh Championship in 2016...

jo@ovstud.co.uk sam@ovstud.co.uk

*O V S T U D

*C O *U K

Feb_138_TerryNeill2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:45 Page 50

THE BIG INTERVIEW TERRY NEILL

Terry Neill bags a Grade 3 prize with Serienschock in France, where his ownership interests now lie

Feb_138_TerryNeill2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:45 Page 51

Terry’s all

RED

From Anfield to Aintree it’s not always been plain sailing for Terry Neill, but the well-known owner still retains a passion for racing, albeit centred these days across the Channel Words Chris McGrath

t turns out that both the great alphas of Terry Neill’s life, Aintree and Anfield, contained omegas of their own. After years of heady excitement, each seems eventually to have brought him round to an admission of relative deflation and detachment. Not that these are necessarily synonymous with disenchantment, never mind defeat. True, the man whose colours were once made famous by Gloria Victis and Red Evie now has just a single leg of a horse in training in Britain. And yes, the

“I did spend quite a

PANORAMIC

lot of money here. But then I had a lot of money. I’d sold my company. I’d retired” only man he really knows at Anfield nowadays is the security manager. But he professes no regrets. He still has a seat in the directors’ box; and, whisper it, has not yet wholly relinquished the dream of a Grand National winner emerging from the rump of his investment on the Turf, in France. In his heyday, Neill devoted much of his wealth to these twin symbols of a tribal affinity shared by every native of the rough, proud precincts of Liverpool. People always used to ask him which he would cherish more: a National winner in his red and white silks, or a

Champions’ League trophy decorated by red and white ribbons? Even when Neill and an ally between them owned 8% of his hometown club, the answer was always the same – and there was one time, when Dark Stranger started favourite in 2000, when it seemed as though his craving might be satisfied. Unfortunately he discarded Tony McCoy at only the third fence. In the event, when Liverpool rallied from 03 in the famous Istanbul final five years later, Neill was in Las Vegas, helping Martin Pipe to celebrate his 60th birthday. “At least I got to see the comeback,” he says. “At half-time Martin and George Malde, who owned Bonanza Boy, decided to go off for some lunch!” In his time on the ROA Council, including a stint as Vice-President, Neill was a militant presence, agitating for the streamlining of its own structure, and that of the sport overall. And the fact that he is still persevering as an owner in France, albeit on a much smaller scale, might cause his successors to brace themselves for resentment or renunciation as he unspools the memories of his sporting life. But his acknowledged despondency, over the ratio of investment and reward in British racing, is tempered by other factors. Neill is in his seventies now: it is not so easy to get around, after ankle surgery three years ago, while inheritance tax has also been preying on his mind. At the same time, it is unsurprising to learn that this spry, alert figure, seated in the lounge of a Bath hotel, will shortly proceed to his daily swim in the spa. Moreover he is toying with a trip to Cagnes-sur-Mer that same weekend, to see one of four horses he still has in training, over the Channel, in the Grand Course de Haies.

Feb_138_TerryNeill2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:45 Page 52

TERRY NEILL >>

“I did spend quite a lot of money here,” he shrugs. “But then I had a lot of money. I’d sold my company, I’d retired. And you don’t think about it in terms of a return. We had the VAT man round for an inspection once and he said, ‘Where are your figures, where’s your profitand-loss?’ And I said, ‘Don’t be silly! We don’t do things like that. We’d stop pretty soon if we did.’” Yet while an undemonstrative exterior suggests him to be no more sentimental, on the inside, than any other successful businessmen, Neill evidently proved susceptible to the romance and colour of a world he entered without the slightest foreknowledge. He gestures up the hill, above the noble town where he has since made his home, to where it all began almost 40 years ago. “We had a company social at Bath races,” he remembers. “And one of the chaps there asked whether I’d like to go and see a stable. Next day he took me to Andy Turnell’s. I came home to the wife and said, ‘I’ve bought a horse.’ She said,

‘What sort of horse?’ I guess she meant what its breeding was, something like that. ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘It’s a big one with a white face.’” A rueful grin. “It was pretty useless. Had to have a sheep in its box. It didn’t do anything on the track. Then it got sick.” It was almost as though the sirens of the Turf were giving him one last chance to turn back before binding him into their embrace. But then Neill and two friends put five grand apiece into another jumper, with Nick Gaselee. William Anthony’s first run for them was at Folkestone, then Neill’s local track. “He came round for the second lap, went to the front, and won easy,” he recalls. “At 33-1. And that was it. We had only maybe 50 or 100 quid on but I’ll never forget going home with all these bundles of money.” The horse won his next start there as well, but then began to reiterate the frustrations of Neill’s new hobby. Before long the novice owner had learned enough to become intrigued by a ground-breaking trainer in the West Country, and picked up the phone. William Anthony was

among the many horses to discover a new lease of life for Martin Pipe and, despite flirting with the possibility of buying Uplands when Charlie Brooks was there, Neill stayed loyal to Pond House for the next 25 years. Meanwhile his packaging company, specialising in supermarket own brands, so thrived that Neill was able to retire after selling up in 1995. It was then that he made the one move he does regret, allowing himself to get carried away as he opened up a new front on the Flat. “For four or five years I went to sales in Keeneland, Newmarket, everywhere, with Charlie Gordon-Watson and Paul Cole,” he says. “I spent quite a bit of money, but it didn’t turn out well. “I’m not blaming them. I got on really well with Paul, we had some good social times, playing tennis in the West Indies and everything. But if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have bought all those yearlings with so little knowledge. Now I’d tell someone in my shoes first to join a syndicate, ideally of four, rather

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_TerryNeill2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:45 Page 53

TERRY NEILL

GEORGE SELWYN

than dive straight in like I did. Get a bit of experience, get to know all the costs, everything that’s involved.” Even as it was, Neill persevered. As with Cole, he found that there was plenty of fun to be had with Richard Hannon and Michael Bell. And the latter, in the end, would come up trumps with Red Evie – a 58,000-guinea yearling who won seven consecutive races, from maiden to Group 1, in 2006. In the meantime, however, it was Pipe who was keeping Neill in the game. The thoughts of many, indeed, went back to the pair when a novice finally won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last March. At the time, the loss of Gloria Victis – who broke a leg two out in the 2000 running – was seized upon by many who resented Pipe as an unapologetic outsider to the Establishment. The fact remains that this horse had far more experience over fences than did Coneygree, and all the recrimination served only to compound the grief of those closest to him. And to think that it was only the previous

GEORGE SELWYN

Gloria Victis, the best jumper ever to wear Neill’s famous colours (above); Red Evie wins the Lockinge Stakes (left) – she has produced multiple Group 1 winner Found (inset)

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

day that Dark Stranger, Neill’s one Festival winner, had bolted up in the Mildmay of Flete. At first he stood mystified in the unsaddling enclosure, expecting the riderless Gloria Victis to be led back in. After the calamity was disclosed, he went into the weighing room and found the iron man himself, McCoy, sobbing inconsolably. “It still gets mentioned all the time,” Neill says. “I don’t know. It’s just unfortunate. Maybe it would have been better to wait. But the other argument is that if you do wait, things change. You might never have the same chance again.” Despite the tragic denouement, Gloria Victis had shown that Pipe was once again ahead of the curve – this time, by investing in young French stock through Hubert Barbe. “The horse came from nowhere, really,” Neill remembers. “Hubert sent me a Polaroid and I showed it to the chap I was with and said, ‘I’ve just bought this horse.’” Gloria Victis, Dark Stranger and Puntal, who finished sixth in the National, each cost Neill around £50,000. He marvels at the inflation in the French market since. “It was fairly new, then, and better value,” he says. “The couple of times I did spend more like £150,000 or £200,000, hoping for a National horse, it didn’t really work out. “Yet it’s now so competitive that people are paying £200,000 or £300,000 even for a horse that’s won once at somewhere like Fontainebleau. One of my horses finished second there, it wasn’t a very good standard race at all, and somebody paid £200,000 for the winner.”

It was this anomaly – that ever more money was required to import horses so that they could contest smaller prizes – that ultimately caused Neill to revise his strategy. In his British pomp, he typically had around ten horses in training. Since 2009, Flat and jumps, his silks have been carried by a total of just six winners in Britain. His policy instead became to keep his French purchases on their native soil, with Francois Cottin, until they reached sufficient maturity to test the Grand National water across the Channel.

“We had only maybe

50 or 100 quid on but I’ll never forget going home with all these bundles of money” “But a couple of them came over to David Pipe and both developed breathing problems,” Neill says. “They’ve each won €200,000 in France, and when I sent them back they started winning again. I think Paul Nicholls has found this a lot, too. In France, on the heavy ground, they go slow early and sprint at the end. Over here, where the ground is more variable, they go fast all the way. “The other factor is that you really get hammered by the handicapper if you win a novice race. I had one put on such a high rating after winning his first race here that he never won again. He’d won something like £3,000. In France, if your horse can’t win at Auteuil, you

Feb_138_TerryNeill2_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 15:45 Page 54

GEORGE SELWYN

TERRY NEILL

Neill and wife Meryl at Sandown with their 2004 Betfred (now Bet365) Gold Cup winner Puntal, with trainer Martin Pipe

>> can still win decent prize-money at Enghien or

Lyon or Dieppe.” Neill concedes that the financial gulf spanned by the straits of Dover reflects intractable difficulties in the relationship between British racing and betting. But he does feel that the trend to consolidation in one might be profitably emulated by the other. “The bookmakers are streamlining their industry, aren’t they?” he remarks. “In racing they appoint a Chief Executive, and pay him a lot of money, but then he’ll have this 20-man committee behind him. That doesn’t work. It’s the same in rugby and cricket, committees everywhere. But in American Football they have a Commissioner who’s paid big money and they say, ‘Right, you’re running this.’ If he does a good job he carries on, if he doesn’t they get another one.” Another perennial grievance is the renewal of registration fees, which he views as a tax on owners. In France, his horses are even paid a travel allowance. But then there are relative deficiencies there, too, in sociability and heritage. “There’s no atmosphere at all,” Neill accepts. “And while I speak the language okay, I don’t understand it very well. But over the last few years, what I’ve spent there and what I’ve won is probably fairly level and you’d never do that over here. I just got to the stage where I’d seen enough money draining away. What I’m doing now is controllable.” Yet you suspect that the same nostalgic ache lingers, whether at the races or at the football.

He has tried Cheltenham this winter, as an ordinary member, and admits to feeling cut off from the action. He follows the Coolmore foals of Red Evie – his one big payday in the game – like any other punter. “I backed Found every time it ran last year,” he says. “It didn’t win until its last race.” If some things will never be the same again,

“I’ve no regrets. I’ve

had some good horses. If a few expensive ones failed, that’s fair enough” others have never changed. Neill will still refer to a horse of his own, no less than Found, as ‘it’. “I’m not a horsey person,” he admits. “I’m a real city type. But there’s that joy just in going racing, and having a winner, and seeing a horse progress.” And how avidly, after all, has this son of a working man embraced the chances he carved out for himself in life. His father was a salesman of hull paint, down at the docks, who used to have a bet every Saturday afternoon. Yet Neill once found himself being sounded out by investors from Dubai, when a bid for Liverpool

was being put together – simply because he was known from the racecourse. As a chemistry student in Hull, Neill would go to Beverley with his pals. One backed a 201 winner. “And the bookie paid him out at only 10-1,” he says. “We complained but didn’t get anywhere.” Does Neill feel himself to have been no less short-changed, as the stakes soared in the years since? “But I enjoyed the experience,” he insists. “I’ve no regrets. I’ve had some good horses. If a few expensive ones failed, that’s fair enough. That’s the risk you take. I always tell people when buying a horse just to write it off, to assume it’s not going to win and you’ve spent the money. You’ve got to be in a situation where you’ve money to lose, really, to do it.” His withdrawal, to be fair, is a much broader one. Today he confines himself to around ten matches a season at Anfield, while his solitary business commitment is as a director of Race Horse Trader. It says everything that his best source of tips, nowadays, is his accountant. (“From Gary Moore’s, mainly, so I’ve been doing well lately…”) Yet a few days later, Neill is on the phone. He just wants to add that he did go out to Cagnes – and that his horse won the big race, at 25-1. True, he had leased Serienschock to a friend for the race. But he cannot help wondering whether the horse might yet be worth bringing to Aintree. “Hubert thinks he might jump a bit low and fast for fences,” Neill admits. A pause, and a chuckle. “But I’m still going to get him schooled and have a look.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ARCHIPENKO

£10,000

(Kingmambo – Bound, by Nijinsky)

•G ROUP ONE winner with an unbeatable pedigree •W on 6 races at 2, 3, 4 and 5 years and over $3 million in prize money •G ROUP ONE sire with his first crop

and a Leading Sire of 2yo’s in Europe 2014 – 2015 (by % winners to runners)

•Y earlings made up to 115,000 gns, 110,000 gns, 100,000 gns in 2015

AUSSIE RULES

£7,000

(Danehill – Last Second, by Alzao)

• C lassic winning miler; dual GROUP ONE winner; by a legendary sire •G ROUP ONE sire (FIESOLANA, Matron Stakes) S • ire of over 100 individual 2yo winners •Y earlings have made up to 210,000 gns

LEROIDESANIMAUX

£14,000

(Candy Stripes – Dissemble, by Ahonoora)

First European crop yearlings 2016

• E clipse Turf CHAMPION and a Leading Sire in USA •W inner of 9 races, including 3 x GROUP ONE’s on Turf & Dirt, at 6 ½ to 8 ½ f S • ire of Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner ANIMAL KINGDOM • S ire of 3 STAKES winning 2yos and 4 other STAKES winners in 2015 lready siring STAKES winners in 2016, MOM’Z LAUGH winner of the $200,000 •A

Sunshine Millions Distaff at Gulfstream Park & STIRABOUT (Gr.2 winner in Saudi Arabia)

SEA THE MOON

£15,000

(Sea The Stars – Sanwa, by Monsun)

• S ensational German Derby winner; CHAMPION 3yo and HORSE OF THE YEAR, 2014

First Foals 2016

•W inner at 2 • F irst sire son of SEA THE STARS – Classic German female family • B OOK FULL 2015 – supported by Europe’s leading breeders

SIR PERCY

£7,000

(Mark of Esteem – Percy’s Lass, by Blakeney)

•U ndefeated CHAMPION 2yo; CHAMPION 3yo and Derby winner S • ire of 31 individual Stakes horses including 5 GROUP winners • S ire of 56 lifetime 2yo winners (18 in 2015) •Y earlings have made up to 260,000 gns; up to 170,000 gns, E150,000 in 2015 •A consistent and proven sire of STAKES winners Breeders are welcome to view our stallions during the Tattersalls February Sale on 4th February between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm, and at any other time by appointment.

info@lanwades.com • www.lanwades.com • Tel: +44 (0)1638 750222 • Fax: +44 (0)1638 751186 All fees 1st October Special Live Foal terms

LANWADES LanwadesRoster_OwnerBreederFeb16.indd 1

The independent option TM

22/01/2016 10:22

National Stud OB DPS Feb 2016_National Stud OB DPS Feb 2016 18/01/2016 12:54 Page 1

National Stud OB DPS Feb 2016_National Stud OB DPS Feb 2016 18/01/2016 12:54 Page 2

Feb_138_Darley_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:01 Page 58

DALHAM HALL STUD

Horn OF PLENTY Golden Horn, Europe’s top-rated racehorse of 2015, may be the flagship signing for Darley this year but Dalham Hall Stud, home to Britain’s leading sire Dubawi, will be welcoming more than one new face this season Words Emma Berry • Photos George Selwyn

nly the Triple Crown winner American Pharoah finished higher than him in the World Thoroughbred Rankings of 2015, so it’s little wonder that the arrival of Golden Horn in the stallion yard at Dalham Hall Stud has been greeted with no small amount of joy. Not only is he a horse whose looks and temperament compare favourably to his record of four Group 1 wins in three different countries, but he, like his fellow Derby and Arc winner Sea The Stars, is a son of the Darley stalwart Cape Cross. Sam Bullard, Darley’s Director of Stallions, has made no secret of his frustration at the bloodstock industry’s somewhat indifferent response over the years to the son of Green Desert, who has spent his entire northern hemisphere stud career at the operation’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland. “Cape Cross has had Group winners year after year but for whatever reason the market turned against him. One of the most frustrating things I’ve found in this business is that you can’t fight against the fickleness of the market,” he says, recounting the fact that Galileo’s dam Urban Sea was sent to Cape Cross and subsequently produced Sea The Stars as a result of Ling Tsui being impressed at the exploits of Ouija Board. That justifiable gripe aside, Bullard is very much a glass-half-full type of person, and with two other new boys joining Golden Horn at Dalham Hall alone this season, not to mention the extraordinary success story that is Dubawi, his glass is currently full to overflowing. The trio of new recruits perfectly illustrate the now-global element of the racing and breeding industry. The Darley homebred Outstrip was born in Britain and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita – a welcome first winner at the highest level for his thenrookie trainer Charlie Appleby. His pedigree

blends north and south as he is a son of the Australian shuttler Exceed And Excel and the French- and American-campaigned, US-bred Grade 1 winner Asi Siempre. Brazen Beau’s branded shoulder clearly depicts his foreign roots and if his sire I Am Invincible is yet to become a familiar name in European breeding, that’s unlikely to remain the case for long. The son of Invincible Spirit has been quick to boost the profile of his Hunter Valley base at Yarraman Park, claiming the Australian freshman sires’ title in 2013-14. Brazen Beau, bought by Darley after his victory in the 2014 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes,

“Thirty breeders from 14 countries have bought what can be described as breeding rights with dividends”

failed by only half a length to become a dualhemisphere Group 1 winner when overhauled by Wesley Ward’s Undrafted in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. In a marketplace where newness is as coveted as proven ability, Bullard and his team have plenty to work with this season. He says: “Golden Horn is the culmination of a wonderful story. It’s fantastic for Mr Oppenheimer to have bred a horse who achieved what he did. Of course we are thrilled that he’s by Cape Cross – that goes without saying. It’s fantastic testament to Sheikh Mohammed that he was prepared to get behind

what we do and buy into the horse, and of course it’s a huge compliment to the staff here that this is where Mr Oppenheimer decided that Golden Horn had the best chance of becoming a stallion.” While Anthony Oppenheimer remains a significant share-holder, aiding him in the quest to ensure a successful secondary career are the 30 breeders from 14 different countries who have purchased shares in Golden Horn. “There are 30 international breeders who have bought what can best be described as ‘breeding rights with dividends’,” Bullard explains. Among the six Group/Grade 1 winners in his key first book are Banks Hill, Casual Look, Grey Lilas and Folk Opera, while 43 Group producers are also lining up, including the dams of Most Improved and Ectot, Lumiere, Sea The Moon and Behkhabad. Golden Horn becomes the third Derby winner on the Darley books, along with Montjeu’s son Authorized, who is holding his own after his move to Haras du Logis in Normandy, and New Approach, one of two sons of Galileo on the roster. “We talk about the commercial aspect – and it’s well known that the early speed horses tend to be the more commercial ones – but I continue to believe that the Derby is the most important race, so of course we want to stand a Derby winner, that’s the jewel in the crown,” offers Bullard. “Equally, we’re fortunate to be able to bring these horses up from Australia where speed is perhaps classier, with the likes of Exceed And Excel, and going back to Danehill himself. They’re not cheap speed, they are quality stallions and serious horses in their own right, so to be able to stand them in Europe at reasonable fees is a big advantage.” Dubawi and Shamardal, from their respective THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Darley_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:02 Page 59

Golden Horn surveys his new surroundings at Darleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dalham Hall Stud

Feb_138_Darley_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:02 Page 60

DALHAM HALL STUD >> bases in England and Ireland, have each played

a significant part in enabling Darley to gain a foothold in the rarefied air near the peak of the stallion table. Galileo’s flag may be planted firmly at the summit, but where once there was Coolmore domination, the Darley stallions Dubawi, Shamardal, Teofilo and Cape Cross all ended last year in the top ten. Hovering just below that mark was Exceed And Excel, a stallion whose cross-hemisphere consistency has aided a more favourable general view towards reverse shuttlers from European breeders. “He’s about to embark on his 23rd consecutive season and that in itself is quite something,” admits Bullard of the stallion who now has four sons on the Darley roster – Helmet, Outstrip, Fulbright and Sidestep – while the top-class miler Excelebration is a member of the Coolmore roster. Both the latter and Helmet have their first runners this season. “In the northern hemisphere, particularly as we’ve never put his fee up very quickly, Exceed And Excel has taken breeders with him and on the whole people have made money out of him. That is hugely important to a stallion’s reputation in the commercial world, if breeders can make money from a horse. He’s really established himself and he has helped us to bring more Australian horses here. This year we’ve brought four new faces – Brazen Beau, Hallowed Crown, Shooting To Win and Sidestep.” Hallowed Crown, a grandson of the much lamented Street Cry, and Shooting To Win, a Caulfield Guineas-winning son of Northern Meteor, whose early death was similarly rued, are both standing at Kildangan, while Sidestep joins fellow newcomer Hunter’s Light in Normandy. “Sidestep is in France as we wanted to have a potentially fast two-year-old producer there so

Farhh, Golden Horn, Outstrip and Dubawi during their daily pre-season exercise

Dubawi is “hugely important to the whole Sheikh Mohammed operation”

he fits the bill,” explains Bullard. It’s not just Exceed And Excel whose sons are proliferating the Darley roster. Shamardal – whose fee is advertised as private for the first time this year – is joined at Kildangan by freshman French Navy, while another son, Casamento, has been relocated to Newmarket. “I’m a huge fan of Shamardal and his sireline; Lope De Vega was very successful in his first season and now we have Casamento at Dalham Hall for the first time,” says Bullard. And then of course there’s Dubawi. Following the premature death of Echo Of Light, he alone was left to carry the torch for Dubai Millennium, whose demise also came woefully early. Bullard says of the Darley lynchpin, whose young in-house stallion representatives are Poet’s Voice, Night Of Thunder and Hunter’s Light: “Dubawi is hugely important to the whole Sheikh Mohammed operation. Dubai Millennium was very important to him THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Bearstone-FOY TOB- FEB 2016:Layout 2

12/1/16

14:54

Page 1

“Fountain of Youth was all speed which is not surprising considering how fast his parents were. His form over 5 furlongs was excellent.” Aidan O’Brien

By European Champion Sprinter and leading sire influence OASIS DREAM Out of European Champion 2YO and five-time Group 1 winner ATTRACTION

“

NEW FOR 2016

“

Strong colt perform : smart er T imeform

Rated 111 by Timeform at 3 years, higher than Oasis Dream’s most successful sire son Showcasing VIEW HIM AT THE TBA STALLION PARADE AT TATTERSALLS Fee: £5,000 Oct 1st Live Foal Free Return

Cost 420,000gns as a yearling

Enquiries: Bearstone Stud, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 4HF, UK Tel: 01630 647197 Mobile: 07974 948755 Email: enquiries@bearstonestud.co.uk www.bearstonestud.co.uk Contact Tina Dawson: Tel: 01832 205116 Mobile: 07776 165854 e-mail: tina.dawson@tdbloodstock.com

Bearstone roster TOB February -16:Layout 2

12/1/16

11:33

Page 1

BEARSTONE STUD Choose a C:C Certified Stallion What is a C:C? Fast, Speedy, Sprint Type Best distance 5f - 1mile ~ www.equinome.com FIREBREAK

FEE: £4,500 Oct 1st LFFR

Group 1 Millionaire Miler - Group 1 Sire G

In 2015 the sire of You’re Fired (3 wins and Listed placed), Fire Ship (Gr.3 and twice Listed placed), Ashpan Sam (winner of the big sprint handicap at Epsom on Derby Day) etc.

G G

Proven and versatile sire of Gr.1 juveniles, Group winning 3yo sprinters and Group winning older milers Since his first runners in 2009, he has produced a higher ratio of Group winners to runners than Dutch Art, Iffraaj, Equiano, Royal Applause and Kyllachy.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

FEE: £5,000 Oct 1st LFFR

NEW FOR 2016 Group Winning Sprinter G G G

Cost 420,000gns as a yearling

Group winning sprinter by Champion sprinter and leading sire influence OASIS DREAM Out of Champion 2yo and Classic winner ATTRACTION Rated 111 by Timeform at 3 years, higher than Oasis Dream’s most successful sire son Showcasing “Fountain of Youth was all speed which is not surprising considering how fast his parents were. His form over 5 furlongs was excellent.” Aidan O’Brien

VIEW HIM AT THE TBA STALLION PARADE AT TATTERSALLS

MAJOR CADEAUX

FEE: £3,500 Oct 1st LFFR

Top class sprinter/miler and multiple Group winner G G

By the oustanding stallion and sire of sires Cadeaux Genereux His first two crops, in 2011 and 2012, have produced 58% winners to runners - superior to Medicean, Mount Nelson, Paco Boy, New Approach and Equiano. His third crop includes promising Group placed juvenile Mr Wizard. Sire of multiple winners Latenightrequest (6 wins SP), Cadmium (5 wins), Divine Law (4 wins), Mythmaker (4 wins), Winning Moment (4 wins), Bishop’s Leap (3 wins in 2015), Margrets Gift (3 wins), Regiment (3 wins), Royal Fortune (3 wins in 2015), Savannah Beau (3 wins), Scarlet Emperor (3 wins).

BEARSTONE STUD Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 4HF, England Tel: 01630 647197 Fax: 01630 647110 Mob: 07974 948755 Email: enquiries@bearstonestud.co.uk www.bearstonestud.co.uk Contact Tina Dawson: Tel: 01832 205116 Mob: 07776 165854 Email: tina.dawson@tdbloodstock.com

Feb_138_Darley_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:02 Page 63

DALHAM HALL STUD >> personally, as everybody knows, and Dubawi

came into the stud as his sole Classic winner with the hope that he could carry Dubai Millennium’s mantle forward. “For him to have done it in the style that he has is better than we could possibly have hoped. It’s everything that Darley and Godolphin set out to do.” The distinction between the Darley and Godolphin operations essentially came to an end with the announcement in December that John Ferguson is to relinquish his training licence to become Chief Executive of the merged companies which will continue to operate under the Godolphin banner. Internally, the Darley staff are now employed by Godolphin and telephones are answered in that name but to the breeding world at large, with Darley continuing to be used as a brand name with which to market the stallions, it is very much business as usual.

Sam Bullard welcomes the merger between Godolphin and Darley

Bullard says of the reshuffle: “It’s a hugely positive change. One of the biggest frustrations in a fantastic job has been the separation

between Godolphin and Darley since I’ve been doing this role. Now to have the racing office and breeding office all under one roof, pushing for the same cause and celebrating the same successes is absolutely fantastic.” Framed charts of the sirelines of Europe are a familiar feature in stud offices around the world and the Darley stallion master indicates to his copy behind his desk as he says: “Sheikh Mohammed wanted Godolphin to be the main name, but notwithstanding that, if you look at that chart there, the Darley Arabian still has a very big say about what is going on in the breeding world. “The Darley Stallions brand is a subsidiary to Godolphin but we always knew that the racing is what Sheikh Mohammed likes: the winners on the track worldwide, that’s the most important thing. And we’re determined that the Darley stallions will keep the Godolphin company name flying.”

BREEDERS KEEN TO BE IN THE CLUB A new scheme, which has been as much a bone of contention for some as it has been welcomed by others, was launched by Darley last autumn. The Darley Club features four stallions – Outstrip in England, Fulbright and French Navy in Ireland, and Hunter’s Light in France. An up-front payment for one single nomination and then a commitment to use the same stallion – at no extra cost – in his second and third seasons grants the client a lifetime breeding right. It’s not the first of its kind – Spendthrift’s ‘Share The Upside’ programme operates along similar lines in America – nor is Darley alone in launching a new incentive this season, with Newsells Park Stud having introduced the ‘Filly+ Scheme’, whereby breeders receive a 50% rebate if their mares produce a filly foal by either Equiano or Mount Nelson. Bullard explains: “We’ve long been searching for a way to offer breeders some

equity in the stallions and this is a huge leap forward. It’s been received well and Outstrip is now closed so it’s a happy position to be in.” With rising foal crops, fears have been raised across the industry regarding a return to overproduction, with some linking this concern to the Darley Club. “We’ve had a lot of feedback – not all of it positive,” Bullard admits, but he points to the fact that standing lower-cost stallions is nothing new for Darley, which aims to have a broad spectrum of sires on its roster. “On the whole the mare owner is delighted to have the opportunity to breed to a nice horse at a reasonable fee knowing that if he or she uses him for three years there is no further payment. That’s a huge benefit for breeders if one of these stallions hits the goal. “Of course there are other stallion farms who want to stand horses at that end of the market who are critical. I fail to understand why we shouldn’t be allowed to stand horses

Breeders’ Cup winner Outstrip is one of four stallion in the new Darley Club

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

at the lower end of the spectrum; we’ve always said we’ll have a stallion for everybody’s pocket and we’ve never deviated away from that. The fact that we’re making it slightly more attractive for the breeder may mean that there’s slightly less meat on the bones for other stallion farms.” Answering the scheme’s critics, he adds, “We’ve been accused by some of inciting overbreeding. I don’t think it’s our job to dictate whether or not breeders can mate their mare. If we say, ‘we don’t have a stallion to suit that mare’, then they will go somewhere else. It’s not for us to be the judge and jury as to who should breed what, but we will try to ensure that our higher-end stallions get the best possible book of mares – that’s no secret. “The market decides whether there are too many mares being bred and, ultimately, it comes down to the fact that we need more people to put colours on racehorses – we need more owners. Whichever way you dress it up, we need to have a more attractive product for the end-user.” Whatever criticism has been levelled at the Darley Club, its creators can take heart from the fact that it has found favour enough to ensure the four new stallions have been strongly backed by breeders. Bullard concludes: “We all have people in the industry who we respect and there are some very influential senior figures who I look up to who have said to me quietly, ‘It’s a fantastic idea, go for it.’ When you get the goahead from some wise heads it gives you the confidence to press on, and when you press on you’ve got to do it properly.”

Where Science meets Nurture MARE-CARE

is a high spec mix for broodmares, providing extra nutritional support to meet the specific nutrient requirements during late pregnancy, through foaling and early lactation. ● Features a boosted level of Vitamin E to optimise antibody transfer from mare to foal & aid fertility in mares.

BROODMARES & FOALS Mares supplemented with Vitamin E have shown optimum passive transfer of antibodies to foals, which ensures the strength of the neonatal immune system. The antibody and colostrum concentrations of foals reflect those of their dams, with foals of supplemented mares showing increased levels in research studies. Mares known to have poor quality colostrum, or to be poor milkers, should be supplemented for a month pre and post foaling.

● Provides a balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for colostrum quality CAN BE INTRODUCED 30 DAYS BEFORE MARE’S DUE DATE

FEED THE DIFFERENCE

Mares can be supplemented with Nano-E leading up to covering, as evidence has shown that Vitamin E supplementation may aid fertility. Newborn foals may also benefit - this natural form is retained in tissues for longer periods of time, so can be used strategically during the breeding season.

Call a member of our dedicated specialist Thoroughbred team. POLLY BONNOR Tel: +44 7973 802 210 CLARE ROBERTS Tel: +44 7714 768 250 or contact the Thoroughbred Office Tel: +44 (0) 1488 73 456 or visit www.saracenhorsefeeds.com/thoroughbred

working with

A4 Nano E advert + Mare_careV2.indd 1

26/01/2016 16:29

Feb_138_Bloodstock_Intro_Owner 22/01/2016 14:35 Page 65

BREEDERS’ DIGEST By EMMA BERRY, Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes:

• Sales Circuit: The last of the Leigh dispersal makes headlines at Keeneland – pages 66-67 • Caulfield Files: Up-and-coming young jump sires in France and beyond – pages 69-70 • Dr Statz: Galileo’s ability to improve mares of any class make him a true great – page 96

Baffert approach a boon for race fans A

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

horse. It was only once the furore subsided after American Pharoah’s career-sealing Breeders’ Cup Classic win and subsequent permanent residency in Kentucky that emotion took hold. Baffert admitted during his first visit to London in January, “There was a little bit of down time. It was sort of sad that he wasn’t around. We were used to having people there every day, coming to see him, so when he left it was like sending your child away to school for the next 20 years. I kept wondering, ‘Is he okay, does he miss us?’ We became so attached to him and there was a lot of emptiness when we got back.” It’s long been my belief that horses become the best not only through supreme athleticism but also by possessing a temperament which allows that ability to flourish. This certainly appears to have been true for American Pharoah, according to his trainer, who added, “He was such a kind animal – so many people touched that horse, it was incredible. I wanted to share him with people. I was his trainer but also his fan.”

The best – by more than a mile It’s an admirable stance to take when so much is at stake and Baffert, who had three previous attempts on the Triple Crown with Kentucky

EMMA BERRY

merican Pharoah and Golden Horn. Depending on which side of the Atlantic you live, you’re likely to have a favourite but few fans of racing will deny that each was a champion in his own right. American Pharoah had already been named Horse of the Year in his own country just a few days before his owner/breeder, trainer and jockey all flew to London to receive wider acknowledgement when their hero was named Longines World’s Best Racehorse. He topped the World Thoroughbred Rankings on a mark of 134, 6lb shy of Frankel’s best in 2012 when he was crowned world champion for the second time. Golden Horn, Europe’s top galloper, was given a mark of 130. It was Bob Baffert – his loquaciousness at the awards ceremony should be held up as a lesson in communication to all trainers on this side of the water – who offered up a side of racing not often considered in the public eye. At some stage, every racehorse, whether good, bad or indifferent, will retire. Very few will subsequently reside in the luxurious stallion barns of Coolmore or Darley, as is the case for American Pharoah and Golden Horn, but plenty will be missed when they go by their trainers and the staff who looked after them in their racing days. The access granted to American Pharoah during his stellar season for both the media and general public alike was unprecedented. With the colt’s stallion career having already been secured by Coolmore before he became the Triple Crown winner, most trainers would have suffered a nervous breakdown at the clamour surrounding such a valuable horse while continuing to try to prepare him for major races which, if won, could only enhance that value. Not Baffert. His response was to enjoy every minute of the public pandemonium, allowing access to the barn and washdown areas so that fan after fan could gain smartphone footage of the history-making

Bob Baffert shared his star with fans

Derby/Preakness Stakes winner Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem, gained his just reward by finally claiming the most coveted prize in American racing. Coolmore, too, now has its own Triple Crown winner having come so agonisingly close to winning the English version in 2012 with Camelot. One of the great deterrents on these shores for connections to set their colts for the Triple Crown is the perceived dent in the stallion value of a St Leger winner, notwithstanding the fact that to achieve that special trio of victories, the colt in question would need the requisite speed and precocity to win a 2,000 Guineas in May. Camelot’s attempt has apparently done him no harm. The son of Montjeu was one of the busiest Flat stallions in 2015, covering 198 mares at Coolmore, while the 2014 Derby winner, Australia, covered 178. The Blue Riband-winning half-brothers Galileo and Sea The Stars were sent 181 and 159 mares. There is, however, a noticeable leaning towards the shorter-distance stallions, certainly from more commercial breeders, and when one peruses the foal and yearling sale results, it’s easy to see why. The proliferation of pinhookers hoping to offer sharp-looking yearlings or breeze-up horses means that youngsters whose pedigrees suggest that a more patient approach will be required are often overlooked. But, as outlined in this month’s TBA Leader (page 11), this can be a short-term view. The Longines awards also included a World’s Best Horserace, judged by average ratings over the last three years. Of the top ten races around the world – in France, America, England, Ireland, Japan and Hong Kong – only one was run at a mile, the rest all being ten- or 12-furlong races, with the inaugural award going to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. It should follow, then, that in attempting to uphold the old mantra of breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best, mating plans should include some bloodlines with stamina and aspire towards the progressive rather than the flash-in-the-pan.

Feb_138_Sales_Circuit_Sales 22/01/2016 16:07 Page 66

SALES CIRCUIT By CARL EVANS

Payson leads the way at Keeneland as the final act of the Leigh dispersal draws interest Extended edition of the January sale sees turnover climb but other sectors decline

Keeneland January Sale

KEENELAND

Ladies who lunch became ladies who spend substantial sums on bloodstock at this mixed sale. Virginia Kraft Payson and Evelyn Benoit were key diners at this particular feast, adding choice bloodlines to their current broodmare bands – in Kraft Payson’s case that meant hunting down and securing stock derived from the genius of famous British breeder Gerald Leigh. He died in 2002, followed, in August last year, by his daughter Sarah, a theatrical agent who had continued producing from her father’s legacy. Her death had led to a dispersal, and Payson, famous in Europe as the owner/breeder of runaway Irish Derby winner St Jovite in 1992, was on hand to invest. She did so claiming she had raced against Gerald Leigh on many occasions and was determined to gain one of his families. Her $1.7 million haul gained her the top lot, Summer Solo, a five-year-old carrying a first foal by Ghostzapper, her two-year-old half-sister Summer Sweet and a yearling filly by Arch. It was, said the successful buyer, the first time she had personally bid on a horse

KEENELAND

A cold but bright start to the 2016 sales season at Keeneland’s mixed sale in January

Virginia Kraft Payson’s friendly rivalry with Gerald Leigh led to major purchases

in 30 years. Craig Bandoroff’s Denali Stud acted as consignor. Benoit was no less determined, although she had her own stallion, Louisiana-based Star Guitar, in mind when sinking $500,000 into turnover to secure Roan Inish, one of three mares she bought for a total of $1m. Nine-year-old Roan Inish, winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Oaks and carrying to Arch, was offered as part of a dispersal by Robert Costigan, whose daughter, Carolyn, trained the mare. The top-priced ‘short’ yearling – an Americanism for a foal who has just become a yearling – was a son of War Front who had been sent into sales battle early to fulfil the

requirements of a dispersal from Jerre Paxton’s Northwest Farm which had started at Keeneland in September. A bid of $450,000 by Gatewood Bell secured this early May foal. Among European buyers who invested, albeit at relatively low levels, were Al Shaqab, BBA Ireland, Emerald Bloodstock and Marco Bozzi, as breeders took advantage of a chance to buy breeding stock ahead of the new covering season. A bigger catalogue forced Keeneland to add a session to this sale – making five in all, although it has been up to seven in the past – with the result that an additional 92 horses found new homes and helped turnover creep THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Sales_Circuit_Sales 22/01/2016 16:08 Page 67

Keeneland January Sale

KEENELAND

Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Summer Solo (Arch – Summer Solstice)

Denali Stud

Price ($) 700,000

Buyer Payson Stud

Summer Sweet (More Than Ready – Summer Solstice)

Denali Stud

550,000

Payson Stud

Roan Inish (Elusive Quality – Inish Glora)

Mill Ridge Sales

500,000

Star Guitar

Veracity (Distorted Humor – Yell)

Buck Pond Farm

460,000

Fifth Avenue B/s

C War Front – Exogenetic (Unbridled’s Song)

Greenfield Farm

450,000

Cromwell B/s

F Arch – Seeking Atlantis (Seeking The Gold)

Denali Stud

450,000

Virginia Kraft Payson

Conquest Harlanate (Harlan’s Holiday – Allison’s Pride)

Lane's End

450,000

Shimokobe Farm

Paris Bikini (Bernardini – Lacadena)

Bluewater Sales

425,000

WinStar Farm

Mother Ruth (Speightstown – Seven Four Seven)

Lane's End

420,000

Highland Yard

My Limit (Wagon Limit – Piney Woodsl)

Bill Murphy

350,000

Castleton Lyons

Five-year tale Craig Bandoroff and Sarah Whitney oversaw the Leigh dispersal in the US

slightly above last year’s total. However, the average fell 8% and the median declined by 31%. Payson was the sale’s leading buyer, while Taylor Made Sales Agency led consignors for the third consecutive year, and 14th time since 2001, selling 92 horses (no less!) for $4,359,500.

Tattersalls Ireland December Sale, Cheltenham There was a sense of relief from Tattersalls Ireland executives after this event brought the curtain down on the European sales season. Handed the keys to Cheltenham’s sales venue by Brightwells just ahead of the November Sale, the new team had to fashion a seamless transition and get in the swim – not easy when the deep end comes first and the wave machine is on max. Outwardly, it was business as usual, albeit with different branding, but technical issues behind the scenes kept those executives busy. Maintaining vendor and buyer contentment was the first goal, and in that respect the figures suggest that was achieved. A top price of £120,000 was underwhelming, but the buyer was Roger Brookhouse, a major investor at Cheltenham in previous years, and dipping his toe back in just as 2015 was about to close. Saying he had not seen much he fancied at auctions held since the January Sale, he came back to the well and bought four-year-old Irish point-to-point winner Clondaw Cracker from Michael Goff’s stable. This transaction highlighted an advantage that Tattersalls Ireland has over its predecessor in being able to generate alliances with customers through selling jumping foals and stores in addition to the jumping breezers and horses-inTHOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Year

Sold

Agg ($)

Avg ($)

Mdn ($)

2016

1040

35,463,000

34,099

11,000

Top Price ($) 700,000

2015

948

35,305,500

37,242

16,000

2,200,000

2014

1027

41,025,700

39,947

20,000

775,000

2013

1105

45,207,300

40,912

15,000

1,450,000

2012

1003

37,991,900

37,878

15,000

1,400,000

Tattersalls Ireland December Sale, Cheltenham Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Clondaw Cracker (Court Cave – Twelve Pence)

Moate Stables

Price (£) 120,000

Buyer

Keeper Hill (Westerner – You Take Caree)

Willow Farm

110,000

Highflyer/Warren Greatrex

Minella Beau (King’s Theatre – Ney Will)

Milestone Stables

100,000

Highflyer Bloodstock

G Al Namix – Nouvelle Donne (Sleeping Car)

Brown Island Stables

90,000

Tom Malone Bloodstock

Dalkadam (Martaline – Cadoudame)

La Bas Du Bourg

90,000

John Jenkins (P/S)

Minella Fair (Flemensfirth – Bell Walks Run)

John Nallen

72,000

Margaret O'Toole

Shrewd Tactics (Broadway Flyer – Taking My Time)

Meadowview Stables

70,000

Evan Williams

Dance In The Dust (Scorpion – Samotracia)

Lingstown Stables

70,000

Aiden Murphy

R Brookhouse

Kagney (Kalanisi – Clondalee)

Meadowview Stables

62,000

Margaret O'Toole

Crank Em Up (Royal Anthem – Carrawaystick)

Yellowford Racing

62,000

David Dennis

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Mdn (£)

Avg (£)

Top Price (£)

2015

1,636,000

43,053

31,500

120,000

2014

1,799,500

45,500

35,000

150,000

2013

1,569,000

50,613

30,000

290,000

2012

1,818,600

46,631

26,500

165,000

2011

1,672,000

30,400

25,000

75,000

training it now offers at Cheltenham. Clondaw Cracker had been a €25,000 purchase by Goff at the company’s 2014 August Sale. Another high could be gleaned from the sale of a £90,000 breeze-up horse, namely an Al Namix three-year-old gelding from John Collins’ Brown Island Stables. He was knocked down to Tom Malone on behalf of champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls, but the market for this sector remained choosy,

and just eight of 20 breezers changed hands in the ring. Despite that drag, the overall clearance rate was up from a disappointing 59% last year to 68%. A smaller catalogue – 56 offered, compared to 68 in 2014 – probably helped to reduce buy-backs, but it would also have been a factor in the 11% drop in turnover. The average slipped 6% to £42,256, though that figure would have meant a profit for most vendors, while the median fell 10%.

ownerbreeder ad pages 02-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 21/01/2016 10:10 Page 68

NEW FOR 2016

ANJAAL Ch. Colt, 2011, 16 h.h.

by Bahamian Bounty ex Ballymore Celebre

Fee €5,000 1st Oct. Terms

(Peintre Celebre)

Breeding Rights Available

Winner of July Stakes (6f) Gr.2 - Newmarket placed in Dewhurst Stakes (7f) Gr.1 - Newmarket and Lennox Stakes (7f) Gr.2 - Goodwood

£105,000 yearling to Richard Hannon / Peter and Ross Doyle / Shadwell 1st Dam Ballymore Celebre (IRE), won 2 races at 3 years in France; Dam of four winners from five runners ANJAAL (GB) (2011 c. by Bahamian Bounty (G.B.)), won 2 races at 2 years and €124,000 including July Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2, placed in Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1 and in Lennox Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2. She has a 2014 colt by Exceed And Excel, which realised 600,000gns to Shadwell at yearling sales 2015, in training with John Gosden. 2015 filly by Bahamian Bounty. In foal to Lope de Vega. Visits Muhaarar in 2016.

“Anjaal was a lovely yearling. He was a medium sized, strong and correct colt, a good walker with good bone and a nice length of rein. He was a proper two year old type which he showed when winning the Gr.2 July Stakes at Newmarket.” - ROSS DOYLE of Doyle Racing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT MAURICE OR MADELINE BURNS: Rathasker Stud, Kilcullen Road, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland. T 00 353 (0)45 876940 F 00 353 (0)45 897410 M 00 353 (0)86 2500687 E madeline@rathaskerstud.ie E info@rathaskerstud.ie W www.rathaskerstud.com

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 13:36 Page 69

CAULFIELD FILES ANDREW CAULFIELD REPORTS ON THE BLOODSTOCK WORLD

On the hunt for the next star jumps sire Soldier Of Fortune and Coastal Path have impressed with first few French crops

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

EMMA BERRY

nstead of a crystal ball, I am turning to France-Galop’s stallion statistics in an attempt to pinpoint the next French stallions likely to make an impact on the British jumping scene. Conveniently, these statistics include a column which gives the year that each stallion covered his first mares. The final table for 2015 reveals that two stallions – Coastal Path and Soldier Of Fortune – managed to reach the top 25, even though they covered their first mares as recently as 2010. That start date means that they had only two crops old enough to race over jumps in 2015. The higher ranked of the two was Coastal Path, a Juddmonte-bred who ran out of stamina when strongly backed to end Yeats’s run of Gold Cup successes in 2008. Prior to that defeat Coastal Path had won all six of his starts in France, including four consecutive Group races at around 15 furlongs. Although kept in training as a five-year-old in 2009, the son of Halling was injured after only two starts and was retired. Fortunately, Coastal Path also had the attraction of being an imposing, good-looking member of a flourishing family. His second dam Bahamian is also the second dam of such celebrities as Oasis Dream, Beat Hollow and Zenda (now the dam of Kingman), but Coastal Path’s branch of the family is renowned for its stamina. His dam Coraline visited Linamix to produce those talented brothers Martaline and Reefscape, the former a Group 2 winner over a mile and three-quarters and the latter a winner of the Group 1 Prix du Cadran over two and a half miles. Sadly Reefscape’s stallion career was severely blighted by fertility issues, but his handful of runners included L’Unique, a Grade 1 winner over hurdles at Aintree. Martaline, of course, has had no such problems and has done so well at the Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu in Normandy that he finished second to Poliglote on France’s 2015 list of leading sires of jumpers. His fee is now as high as €10,000. He may be best known in Britain for his topnotch Cheltenham Festival winners Dynaste and Very Wood, but he has also been very ably represented in France by such as Chimere du

Soldier Of Fortune: has now joined Coolmore’s roster of National Hunt stallions

Berlais (Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies des 3 Ans in November 2015) and Kotkikova (a very smart chaser who won nine of her first 12 starts over jumps). Coastal Path will do well to match Martaline’s achievements, but he is in with a chance. Starting out at a fee of €3,500 at Haras de SaintVoir in 2010, he is standing the 2016 season alongside such as Rail Link, Fuisse and Saddler Maker at Haras de Cercy – his base since 2013 – at a price of €2,800. He has been covering a mixture of thoroughbreds and AQPS mares, and has received reasonably strong numerical support by French standards. He has 43 firstcrop foals born in 2011, followed by 44

reported foals in his second crop, 32 in his third, 68 in his fourth and 52 in his fifth in 2015, giving him a total of 239. He had 37 runners over jumps in 2015, for 13 winners of 19 races, and among them were Bosseur, a middle-distance Flat winner who won the Listed Prix Rohan on his debut over hurdles. Bosseur was later placed in several Graded races, notably taking second place in the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil. Coastal Path’s other Listed winner over hurdles was the filly Coastal Beach (Prix Wild Monarch at Auteuil). Another filly with plenty of talent is Buche de Noel, who won her last four completed races over hurdles and fences.

Feb_138_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 13:36 Page 70

CAULFIELD FILES Significantly, Buche de Noel has now been transferred to England, to Jamie Snowden’s yard. Willie Mullins also seems to like Coastal Path’s progeny, as Bello Conti won comfortably at Clonmel on his hurdling debut and Bacardys, a winning point-to-pointer, won a Leopardstown bumper at the end of 2015. Soldier Of Fortune is interesting, partly because he’s a son of the great Galileo. As there is almost a surfeit of Group-winning entire sons by the perennial champion sire, only those with the most fashionable pedigrees – and the most speed – are likely to be chosen for a stallion career on the Flat. Coolmore’s National Hunt team already included three of Galileo’s Groupwinning sons, with the St Leger second Mahler now the most expensive of them at €5,000. Coolmore recently purchased Montjeu’s son Walk In The Park, responsible for exciting Irish jumpers Douvan and Min, from France. Only €2,500 is required to access Imperial Monarch, winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, and Sans Frontieres, winner of the Group 1 Irish St Leger. Having started his career at Haras du Logis St Germain, Soldier Of Fortune has been repatriated to Ireland and will continue his career at Grange Stud for a fee of €5,000. Shade Oak Stud must be delighted to have added Telescope to its roster. With Galileo as his sire and Darshaan as his broodmare sire,

Telescope represents the best middle-distance bloodlines. Although a Group 1 win eluded him, Telescope had the talent to match his bloodlines, as he demonstrated with his sevenlength success in the Hardwicke Stakes and his second to Taghrooda in the King George. Another of Galileo’s Group-winning stayers, the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy winner Shantaram, is available for only €1,000 at Coolagown Stud. Spare a thought, too, for Libertarian, whose efforts helped Galileo’s Derby-winning son New Approach make such an eye-catching start. After winning the Dante, Libertarian was second in the Derby and fourth in the St Leger. Another with a dam by Darshaan, Libertarian is another deemed to have too much stamina for a Flat stallion, but this big horse should have a bright future at Knockhouse Stud, former home of the highly successful Roselier. To return to Soldier Of Fortune, this winner of the Irish Derby and Coronation Cup hasn’t made a dream start as a sire of Flat performers; although he has a Grade 1 winner in South America, there’s been nothing better than a few Listed winners from his first three French crops (one is smart all-weather horse Fire Fighting). It promises to be a different story over jumps. Soldier Of Fortune had 13 winners over jumps in France during 2015, including the Auteuil Listed winner Carlita du Berlais. Three others

were placed at Graded or Listed level. Soldier Of Fortune has every right to excel as a sire of jumpers. The grandsires of his dam, the Flat Listed winner Affianced, are Busted and Lord Gayle, two stallions whose descendants have made a major impact on the National Hunt world. Then there’s the fact that Soldier Of Fortune is bred along similar lines to Sholokhov (a half-brother to Soldier Of Fortune’s dam, sired by Galileo’s sire Sadler’s Wells). Sholokhov, of course, has been represented by jumpers of the calibre of Don Cossack in Ireland and Esmondo in France. Before leaving the topic of up-and-coming jumping sires in France, the 2015 top ten features the highly accomplished Irish chaser Nickname in a very creditable sixth. Nickname died in 2011 and his early death looks all the more unfortunate after the 2015 exploits of the likes of Corscia, As d’Estruval and Mon Nickson in France and Le Mercurey, Gwencily Berbas and Aurore d’Estruval in Britain and Ireland. French breeders have his half-brother No Risk At All standing with Martaline at Haras de Montaigu. Unlike Nickname, No Risk At All never faced obstacles but he earned a Timeform rating of 121 at five, when he won two Group 3s over ten furlongs. His appeal as a potential sire of jumpers is heightened by the fact his sire, My Risk, is also responsible for Sire de Grugy.

French blood recruited for Ireland In response to the onslaught by Frenchbred jumpers, several National Hunt stud owners in Britain and Ireland have understandably adopted the attitude that if you can’t beat them, join them. For example, Boardsmill Stud – an establishment which in the past did very well with Furry Glen and Orchestra – added the French-bred Califet to its stallion team in 2014. Califet isn’t one of the French stallions which proved themselves over jumps, but he had been good enough to finish a close fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – a race in which his sire Freedom Cry finished second. Boardsmill has every right to be delighted with their French import. Califet attracted 128 thoroughbred mares in 2014 and 165 in 2015, so appears to have overcome the natural caution often shown by breeders to horses that raced elsewhere. Perhaps more importantly, Califet ranked as high as seventh among France’s top sires of jumpers in 2015, having finished tenth in 2014. He was very ably represented by the then-four-year-old gelding Blue Dragon, who was unbeaten in six starts over hurdles, notably taking the Grade 1 Prix

GEORGE SELWYN

Clarcam has been a good advert for Califet outside of his native France

Alain du Breil by six lengths and the Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier (Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans) by 15. His other Graded successes were gained by margins of ten lengths and 30 lengths, so he has every chance of developing into an invaluable

ambassador for his 18-year-old sire. Califet has also shown that his progeny can shine outside France, with Clarcam winning top-level novice chases at Leopardstown and Aintree, and Analifet a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_ThoroughbredClub_v2_Owner 22/01/2016 16:19 Page 72

From jockeys to journalists: an insight into a career in racing orseracing is a unique and diverse sport, awash with such a wide variety of employment opportunities that any young person with a passion for the game can find their niche and start to carve a successful career within it. We have spoken to some of the brightest stars from every corner of the industry in order to give members a feel for what it is like to work in horseracing. For more information on current vacancies within the sport, see careersinracing.com or @careersinracing.

TOM MARQUAND

KATHERINE FIDLER

Champion Apprentice Jockey

Racing Post Features Editor Why are you working in racing? I believe if you have the opportunity you should work in a field you’re passionate about. We spend a huge part of our lives working, so try and combine it with something you enjoy. I know that’s a luxury, however, and I feel very lucky doing what I’m doing.

Why are you working in racing? I don’t have a background in racing, just did riding lessons once a week. Through that I got into pony racing and did a lot through the British Racing School. What lies ahead for you in 2016? I’ve just spent a month in Australia with David Hayes. I’m looking forward to the season here now . What is your biggest ambition? To be champion jockey. What can young people bring to the horseracing industry? I think it’s important to have youth in this very specialist industry and if you don’t have people coming in at a young age it is only going to go downhill – it’s important to have an influx of young people to keep it growing. If you were telling someone why they should be involved in racing what would you say? The thrill of winners! Whether you are riding them, looking after them or training them, winning always means a lot and you get a great kick out of it.

What lies ahead for you in 2016? I’ve just stepped into the role of Features Editor, so my main focus will be to continue the excellent work of my predecessor and make sure our top team of writers are assigned engaging and relevant features for our readers. That, and plenty of racing! What is your biggest ambition? To win a Pulitzer Prize! What can young people bring to the horseracing industry? Aside from the enthusiasm and fresh perspective that every new generation brings, millennials will help racing’s transition into a digital age. While it’s a traditional sport with a wonderful history to be cherished, the world is changing and racing must keep up if it is to continue attracting new fans. However, it is important this is not done at the expense of the current audience, nor professionalism. If you were telling someone why they should be involved in racing, what would you say? I can’t tell someone they should do something when it comes to their career, but I can say that working in racing can be hugely rewarding. There’s never a dull day and you often get to meet your heroes, which is never a bad thing. But if you need more evidence, just look at the people who have spent their entire lives immersed in the sport who have the same passion for it as they did 60 years ago. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_ThoroughbredClub_v2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:47 Page 73

www.thetho ro ug hb re d clu b . co . u k • LUCY WORTHINGTON Pupil Assistant, Nicky Henderson Why are you working in racing? While I always wanted to be a vet and graduated in 2014, I also really wanted to work in racing so went to Nigel Twiston-Davies. I did go back to Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn, but when the job at Nicky’s became available it was something I couldn’t turn down. What lies ahead for you in 2016? It is all about Cheltenham right now, which is very exciting. Then in the summer I think I will be back into the pure veterinary environment for eight weeks. What is your biggest ambition? To become a trainer. What can young people bring to the horseracing industry? Racing is all-consuming and I think that young people are the best to keep up the excitement and fresh enthusiasm. If you were telling someone why they should be involved in racing what would you say? I think it’s a very exciting sport when things are going well, but then when things don’t go the way you expected that equally can teach you a lot and you will learn from that. It’s a great leveller!

BETH DOWSWELL Stud Hand, Watership Down Stud Why are you working in racing? While I was at university I did various placements in bloodstock and then after I graduated I got the job at Watership Down stud. I have always liked working with young horses and love the foaling. What lies ahead for you in 2016? There are a few two-yearolds I prepped last year that I will be keeping an eye on. What is your biggest ambition? I would love to get on to the Darley Flying Start programme, then hopefully work in nominations at a big stud. I’m really interested in the international side, so even if I don’t get on to the programme I would definitely like to work abroad. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

@ T T C_ GB

What can young people bring to the horseracing industry? Enthusiasm and passion: having the drive and ambition for the sport is what the industry needs. If you were telling someone why they should be involved in racing what would you say? Variety: every day is different. If you love it, it is extremely rewarding and satisfying.

CAREY BUCKLER Regional Sponsorship Manager, Cheltenham Racecourse Why are you working in racing? During my university holidays I was lucky enough to work at Sandown as the sponsorship assistant. I enjoyed my time there and learnt a great deal about a side of the racing industry that I did not have experience in. I particularly enjoy meeting people, forming relationships with commercial businesses and bringing their vision to life through sponsorship. What lies ahead for you in 2016? My big focus for this year has been the Festival and it will be even more exciting with the Princess Royal Stand in place. We have some new sponsors going forward, and I’m really keen to ensure that each sponsor delivers their brand to the racegoers through all the different mediums available to them. What is your biggest ambition? I’d love to see more brands using the sport as a viable marketing platform, after all we had just under two million people visit a Jockey Club racecourse in 2015. What can young people bring to the horseracing industry? Young people work across so many different mediums and share experiences faster than ever before. They can bring a different approach and this can only help the sport become more accessible to a wider audience. If you were telling someone why they should be involved in racing what would you say? Racing is infectious as it is full of enthusiastic people. They have so much pride in their sport, whether you are working at a racecourse, an owner, punter, jockey, trainer – they all want you to enjoy their sport as much as they do.

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

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 74

ROA FORUM The special section for ROA members

Trainers’ Code of Conduct update From January, the BHA Rules of Racing saw an update with an addition to the Trainers’ Code of Conduct in dealings with owners. The new wording in Trainer manual C, schedule 4, part 2, follows: 8.5 When a licensed trainer acts in relation to the sale of a horse trained or likely to be trained by him to an existing or intended owner in his yard then, irrespective of the capacity in which the trainer so acts, he must: 8.5.1 Advise the buyer that the horse may be examined before purchase by a veterinary surgeon appointed by the buyer; and 8.5.2 Disclose to the buyer, to the extent that it may be applicable to the horse in question, that the horse has been seen to weave, box-walk, windsuck or crib bite and/or any veterinary condition known to the licensed trainer which might affect performance and/or any surgery that the horse has undergone to the licensed trainer’s knowledge. The ROA facility is a comfortable base from which to enjoy the Festival action

Cheltenham marquee magic The ROA marquee has become one of the great traditions of the Cheltenham Festival, always popular with members, many of whom re-book year on year. Daily and weekly tickets are now on sale for next month’s Festival, which runs from Tuesday, March 15 to Friday, March 18. Located just a short walk from the paddock and viewing areas, the marquee is well placed to refresh and recharge with fellow owners during the frenetic four days. Last year total attendance for the Festival reached a record figure of 248,521. The facility offers a private cash bar, unreserved seating, hot and cold food available to purchase, Tote betting facilities and numerous TV screens so members won’t miss any of the on-course action. ROA members will be able to book places for up to three guests each day. A free popular champion tipster competition will be run on each afternoon, in which all guests can

participate, with a prize awarded to each day’s winner. We are delighted to be able to hold the price of our marquee badges at the same rates as recent years and these are: members daily £30/weekly £85; guests daily £40/weekly £125. ROA marquee badges admit to the marquee only, and guests are required to have Club or Tattersalls admission badges to access the marquee location. Marquee badges can be ordered online at the Events section at roa.co.uk or by calling the ROA office on 020 7152 0200. To order admission tickets for the Cheltenham Festival please visit cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co.uk or call Cheltenham’s Booking Hotline on 0344 579 3003. A reduced booking rate applies for orders placed by January 30, and thereafter March 7. Details of upcoming Festival preview evenings can be found in the Events section at roa.co.uk

The ROA recommends that owners have any prospective purchase independently vetted. Further details on what may be included in the vetting process, and buying racehorses generally, can be found in the ROA’s online Guide to Racehorse Ownership, which can be accessed at roa.co.uk. The Rules of Racing can be viewed online at rules.britishhorseracing.com

Win Festival tickets for two! We have a prize draw for a pair of FREE admission tickets to the Cheltenham Festival, including entry to the ROA marquee for each of the four days. To enter simply log in to the ROA website and visit the members’ area, where the prize draw entry details will be available. In the event that any winning entry drawn is in the name of a member who has booked marquee badges already, we would be happy to reimburse the price of racecourse admission and marquee entry for two. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 75

www.roa.co.uk

Free racedays for ROA members in 2016 (with the exception of two dates in 2016: July 16, Weatherbys Super Sprint Day, and November 26, Hennessy Gold Cup), Sandown Park and Windsor. The JCR Admission Scheme can be enjoyed by members with up to 50% ownership of a horse in training, who can order one or two badges for participating fixtures at the 15 Jockey Club Racecourses. Members must book badges in advance via the Members Area of the ROA website. Here are some of the Saturday highlights that members can enjoy during February: Sandown Park, February 6 Betfred Masters Day featuring the Grade 1 Betfred TV Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase. Warwick, February 13 Gentlemen’s Kingmaker Chase Day. Who will follow in the illustrious hoofprints of previous winners such as Long Run, Finian’s Rainbow and last year’s victor Vibrato Valtat?

Gitane du Berlais wins last year’s Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown

Members with 50% ownership or more of a horse in training who are on the Racecourse Badge Scheme for Owners can find Outlook and Google versions of the participating fixtures in the Member area of the ROA website. This enables members to sync the dates into their electronic calendars.

The scheme provides admission to all fixtures at 37 courses. Members on the scheme receive a monthly e-bulletin of upcoming participating fixtures. We are delighted to report that the following racecourses offer a guest badge, so admission is for two: Epsom, Hamilton Park, Newbury

Haydock and Wincanton, February 20 Three Graded races are up for grabs at Haydock’s Betfred Grand National Trial Day. At Wincanton several Cheltenham Festival hopefuls are likely to line up in the Grade 1 Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle. Kempton, February 27 BetBright Chase Day features a host of topclass action with a Grade 3 and three Grade 2 races on the card. Visit roa.co.uk to see the full list of available fixtures in 2016.

Cooper to be Acting President The ROA has announced that Nicholas Cooper will become its Acting President in February. His appointment follows Rachel Hood’s retirement as the organisation’s President after four and half years in the role. Cooper, who joined the ROA in 1995, currently has horses in training with Harry Fry. He was co-opted by the ROA in July 2014 and had been nominated as Hood’s successor earlier this year. However, as a result of a technicality relating to the timing of his appointment as a director, the ROA membership supported a special resolution to extend Hood’s term as President.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

The ROA subsequently undertook a detailed review of its Articles of Association, resulting in the adoption of a new set of Articles following an Extraordinary General Meeting in November. The Board has unanimously nominated Cooper as the ROA’s Acting President, to hold office from the ROA’s first board meeting of 2016 on February 4. The ROA’s membership will be invited to ratify Cooper’s nomination at its Annual General Meeting on June 28, following which his three year term as President would commence.

Nicholas Cooper: new ROA role

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 76

ROA FORUM

TRACK TALK

The latest news from the UK’s racecourses

Royal Ascot prize-money hits new record Ascot has announced that prize-money at the Royal meeting has been increased by £1 million (18% increase on 2015) this year, bringing total prize-money on offer to a record £6,580,000 over the week. For the first time, each of the five days at Royal Ascot, which runs from Tuesday, June 14 to Saturday, June 18, will offer prizemoney of at least £1m and none of the 30 races will be run for less than £80,000 (£60,000 in 2015). The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is now worth £750,000 (from £525,000), the Queen Anne Stakes £600,000 (from £375,000) and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes £600,000 (from £525,0000). The remaining five Group 1 races all increase in value by £25,000 to £400,000. Ascot has also unveiled plans for a new unsaddling enclosure, a £700,000 project that began in early January and will see a new, purpose built area in operation in time for the Flat season. The new oval lawn will merge seamlessly into the landscaping of the pre-parade ring layout, creating another attractive equine area within the surrounding hospitality lawns, which will be reshaped to ensure that horses and their connections return to the most suitable environment post-race. Guy Henderson, Chief Executive at

Ascot’s new unsaddling area: improving the raceday experience for connections

Ascot, said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to our race programme and facilities, we are very pleased to be able to announce what is cumulatively a £1.7m additional investment in racing activities. “In making £1m more prize-money available at Royal Ascot, over and above last year’s total prize fund, we are acting to remain as competitive as we can both at home and overseas. It is very important to

Festival fund tops £4m for first time Prize-money at the Cheltenham Festival will surpass £4 million for the first time, with a total of £4,115,000 on offer over the four days. In addition to the already-announced increase for the feature Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, worth a record £575,000 in 2016, there are significant increases in prize-money for the National Hunt Chase (to £100,000) and the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (to £70,000). Nine of the ten handicaps at the Festival also have higher prize funds in 2016, with rises ranging from 8% to 20%. The total boost to prize-money at this year’s Festival is £215,000, with new

race, the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices Hurdle, worth £75,000. The full list of race value increases is available at cheltenham.co.uk and through Twitter @CheltenhamRaces.

make sure that we keep increasing the minimum threshold for race values at the Royal meeting and, equally, we need to keep developing our international showpiece events to continue to attract runners from all over the world. “The new unsaddling area recognises that the old area needed improvement. This will provide a much better end to races for connections.”

JCR’s record contribution Jockey Club Racecourses has announced it is making a record contribution to prizemoney across its 15 tracks of £20.9 million in 2016, prior to any fixture abandonments. This is an increase of £1 million on the previous year and represents the largest ever commitment by a racecourse group in Britain. By the end of 2016 Jockey Club Racecourses will have grown its prize-money contribution by 61% since 2010, when it injected a then-industry-record £13m into the sport.

Extra badges at Chelmsford

Timico Gold Cup: worth £575,000

Chelmsford racecourse has increased its allocation of owners’ badges by two for sole owners and partnerships to six and eight badges respectively.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 77

w w w. r o a . c o . u k

Sectional timing of All-weather Championships ARC’s all-weather racecourses at Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell will have sectional timing provided exclusively by Total Performance Data (TPD) throughout the remainder of the all-weather season. Coverage began at Lingfield Park in December, with Wolverhampton and Southwell racecourses following in the new year. In addition to sectional timing, TPD are also providing live data feeds for use in third party betting applications. Post-race the data will be available at www.awchampionships.co.uk. In due course the data will be available live on At The Races and attheraces.com. This announcement heralds the first European racecourse group to deploy a system that needs only GPS tracking boxes to time each runner. TPD provides market-leading satellite tracking, designed specifically for racehorses by Gmax Technology Ltd. The pioneering system calculates split times and distance run, and transmits live positions, all within fractions of a second. The All-Weather Championships Blog publishes fortnightly blog posts from sectional timing expert Simon Rowlands of Timeform at awchampionships.co.uk/categorylatest -news/

NH racing has been spared funding cuts due to its performance in generating levy

‘£1m windfall’ for jumping Cuts in the Levy Board’s contribution to prize-money are hitting owners of horses on the Flat most keenly, as the central funding body outlined the savings it will be making this year as a result of falling levy yield. However, the £3.3 million fall does not necessarily mean total prize-money levels for this year will drop below the record £130m forecast for 2015, as racecourses’ executive contributions could make up the shortfall. Arena Racing Company has already announced it will be increasing funds from its own resources, from £11.3m to £14m. Levy Board expenditure on prize-money will fall to £48.9m from £52.2m, but jump racing’s allocation will remain virtually

News in Brief...

Feedback winner

False start trial

We encourage members who have been racing with a runner to let us know how they find their raceday experience as an owner. Comments are considered by the ROA Raceday Committee and as part of their liaison with racecourses. An online feedback form can be found in the Raceday section at roa.co.uk. As a thank you, each month we pick a prize-draw winner who receives £50 of John Lewis vouchers. The winner of the December draw was Sara Biggins from Taunton. Congratulations Sara!

Kempton Park began a trial of an automated false-start system in January. The use of advanced flag operators is continuing during the two-month trial of the system, used in many other countries, which comprises a siren and light situated on a tripod, sited on the course infield around one furlong ahead of the starting stalls.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

unchanged at £20.4m. Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of the Levy Board, said: “It is the combination of jumping’s good performance in levy generation, coupled with the re-introduced allowance for abandonments, that has sheltered it from any reductions in 2016. This could be seen as a windfall of more than £1m in prize-money for jumping that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred.” The Levy Board’s remaining cuts have been to the fixture incentive fund (down £100,000), veterinary science and education (down £250,000) and all £350,000 of the contribution to Great British Racing International.

Replacement fixtures Arena Racing Company has confirmed that six of Yarmouth’s turf fixtures in April

and May have been cancelled. The BHA has therefore programmed the following additional fixtures: April 25 Chelmsford City, April 26 Lingfield Park (Evening), May 11 Lingfield Park, May 17 Lingfield Park, May 26 Chelmsford City, May 27 Bath.

Jump Racing Review The BHA’s Jump Racing Review, containing a number of objectives and recommendations, which was published in late December, can be viewed online at britishhorseracing.com.

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 78

ROA FORUM

MAGICAL MOMENTS with ROA member Lee Morris

Members of The Cheapskates celebrate Cannon Fodder’s win at Plumpton – they have subsequently done likewise at Kempton

tiny mare who cost £1,000 owned by a syndicate called the Cheapskates and named in connection with a Brighton pub is not the type you would normally expect to see winning at Kempton on Channel 4 over Christmas. Which made the typically gutsy victory of Cannon Fodder – whose name, while a bit weird, is undeniably one to raise an eyebrow or smile – all the more noticeable. It was not, however, the first magical moment the ten partners in the Sheena Westtrained mare have enjoyed. Far from it. For while Cannon Fodder’s four runs prior to Kempton had been at her local stomping grounds of Fontwell and Plumpton, she has also taken her owners to the likes of Cheltenham, Ascot and Newbury. Lee Morris, an ROA member since 2013, is one of the partners thrilled to be on board for the ride, the merry band led by organiser Lenny Brakes and which has as its social focal point the Golden Cannon pub in Brighton, run by Phil Reeves, previously landlord of ‘racing pub of the year’ The Engineer, likewise in Brighton. It was Reeves’ army background that proved the inspiration for Cannon Fodder’s name, the daughter of Nomadic Way having been sold to the partnership by a trainer very cheaply on account of her diminutive stature – she is said to be just 14.3hh. Lewes-based handler West couldn’t at first believe how small her new recruit was, and after some uninspiring work initially doubted

whether she would make a racehorse. However, the more Cannon Fodder was pushed, the more she tried, and West was able to tell the owners it was game on. From her debut three years ago she has been a steady earner for the Cheapskates, and not just at grassroots tracks but the premier venues. Not surprisingly, it is those experiences that have particularly endeared her to her owners, who were even able to buy

“She’s the smallest

horse I’ve ever been involved in, but it’s paid dividends and been phenomenal” a second horse, Unidexter – since sold after winning for the partners under Richard Hughes at Brighton and then West’s stable jockey Marc Goldstein at Plumpton – thanks to Cannon Fodder’s exploits. “I’ve only ever belonged to ordinary pub syndicates, and you expect to be at the likes of Fontwell and Plumpton, but to go to Doncaster, Newbury, Ascot, etc, it’s just mad,” says Morris. “I wasn’t at Kempton over Christmas – I was on holiday but managed to get the local

bar owner to put the racing on – but she had finished second to Mickley in the same race two years before, so the form was there. “She’s without doubt the smallest horse I’ve been involved in, but it’s paid dividends and been phenomenal. We’ve certainly had some magical days. “Doncaster, when a group of 25 of us went up there for the weekend and she was second in a Listed race, was one of the best, Kempton two years ago has got to be another highlight, and then to top it all came the recent win at Kempton. I missed that but it still ranks as a great day.” West comes in for plenty of praise from Morris and Brakes with her handling of Cannon Fodder amid the ups and downs of handicap marks, while also pleasing to Morris is the simple pleasure that comes from standing in the parade ring with his trainer, jockey and fellow owners as the horse circles them. “For me personally that’s one of the best things about owning a horse, a real buzz,” he says. Business for keen punter Morris – who granted a wish for 2016 would not be impartial to nailing a six- or eight-horse accumulator! – is his flooring company in Brighton. Does it interfere with watching his horses? “No,” he replies quickly, “I always make plans to go to the races!” Except when he’s on holiday, of course. If Cannon Fodder continues to fire, maybe they’ll have to take a back seat too.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 79

w w w. r o a . c o . u k

ROA members can gain free entry to the opening day of the Crabbie’s Grand National festival on April 7

Don’t miss Aintree’s opening day offer We are delighted to announce that Aintree is again offering ROA members free admission to the Grand Opening Day of the Crabbie’s Grand National festival on Thursday, April 7. Any ROA member who would like to go racing at Aintree but does not have a runner will be issued with a free complimentary Tattersalls ticket, with any guests being able to purchase a ticket at face value. These are currently priced at £26 online at thejockeyclub.co.uk. Grand Opening Day is the curtain raiser to the Crabbie’s Grand National festival, with a feast of racing including four Grade 1 contests. ROA members can take advantage of this offer on production of a valid Horseracing Privilege Photocard at the owners’ and trainers’ reception. Due to the number of runners and also the fact that the racecourse issue owners and trainers’ badges only to those who actually have runners on the day, Aintree are unable to provide access to the owners’ and trainers’ pavilion under this offer. We hope it will be possible to arrange parking labels for members wishing to drive. Please contact Sadie Evans in the ROA office if you wish to take up this option, or email sevans@roa.co.uk.

and Tanya Stevenson will co-host a panel of leading figures from horseracing, sport and business, focussing on gender balance and diversity in sport from participation to corporate and board level. Delegates will be treated to an exclusive course walk around the iconic Grand National track with Irish Grand National-winning jockey Katie Walsh. The North West region of Jockey Club Racecourses and Women in Racing have agreed a new partnership that will involve events across the region’s three racecourses, including the Grand Women’s Summit at Aintree, Haydock Park and Carlisle’s ladies-only jockey fixture in August. Women in Racing is a network supporting the careers of women within horseracing in the

UK from participation to executive and board level. It offers a successful mentoring scheme and bursary fund alongside a busy calendar of educational and social events. Tickets for the Grand Women’s Summit are priced at £89. There is a reduced price of £75 for Women in Racing members and an earlybird discount for WiR members of £70, available until February 12. A ticket includes entrance on Ladies’ Day, a private facility in the Red Rum Lawn all day, the Grand National course walk by Walsh, a champagne breakfast and the summit itself. For more information on the Grand Women’s Summit and to buy tickets for the event, please visit thecrabbiesgrandnational.co.uk or womeninracing.co.uk/Events. Alternatively, call 0344 579 3001.

Grand Women’s Summit The Grand Women’s Summit will return on Ladies’ Day of the Crabbie’s Grand National festival at Aintree on Friday, April 8. Hailed a huge success by over 115 delegates who attended the first event of its kind in 2015, the Grand Women’s Summit will celebrate women in horseracing, sport and business, and provide guests with an informative educational, career and networking opportunity, whilst experiencing one of the largest horseracing festivals in the world. Channel 4 Racing presenters Gina Harding THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Those attending the Grand Women’s Summit can again walk the famous course

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 80

ROA FORUM

w w w. r o a . c o . u k

February bonuses to chase A bonus of £2,000 is on the table for any ROA-owned horse that wins a weekly Owners Jackpot race. There are four ROA Owners Jackpot races this month: February 3 February 9 February 18 February 26

Leicester Market Rasen Fontwell Exeter

0-100 1m 7 1/2f handicap hurdle 0-120 2m 3f novices limited handicap steeple chase 0-115 2m 1½ furlong handicap steeple chase 0-120 2m 7f handicap hurdle

Entries close January 28 Entries close February 3 Entries close February 12 Entries close February 20

To be eligible to win an Owners Jackpot, horses must be owned by ROA members. Where a horse is in joint ownership, the horse must be registered at least 51% in the ownership of ROA members. Where the horse is owned by a Racing Partnership (syndicate), both nominated partners need to be members of the ROA. Don’t miss out on bagging a bonus. Contact the ROA office if you wish to check whether your horse is eligible. Details of upcoming races can be found at roa.co.uk and are highlighted with the Owners Jackpot logo on the Racing Admin website, racingadmin.co.uk

Diary dates and reminders FEBRUARY 9 ROA Regional meeting at Market Rasen and Owners Jackpot race Invitations have been sent to owners who live locally to an ROA regional meeting before racing. Any members interested in attending can contact the ROA on 020 7152 0200 or email info@roa.co.uk

MARCH 15-18 ROA Marquee at the Cheltenham Festival Badges for the ROA marquee are now on sale for all four days.

APRIL 7 Crabbie’s Grand National festival Free entry for ROA members on day one of the Crabbie’s Grand National festival.

LOOKING AHEAD... June 14-18 Hospitality package, Royal Ascot

A case of Corney & Barrow wine headed to Bristol and ROA member John Lee

June 28 ROA AGM, London

‘Good treble’ for prize-draw winner

July 26-30 Badge service and hospitality package, Glorious Goodwood

Members who voted for their selections in the ROA Horseracing Awards, sponsored by Weatherbys last December, were included in a prize-draw to win a mixed case of selected Corney & Barrow wine. The winning entry drawn was from John Lee, of Bristol. He was duly sent his prize and commented: “What a smashing early

Christmas present! I am not currently an active owner but I really value my membership of the ROA and you play an excellent part in maintaining my interest in the sport. “So your case of wine is going to someone who loves racing, enjoys the ROA and loves wine. That strikes me as a good treble!”

October 15 British Champions Day, Ascot December 1 ROA Horseracing Awards Booking for all ROA events can be made online at roa.co.uk or by calling the ROA on 020 7152 0200.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 02-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 21/01/2016 10:16 Page 81

Mullionmileanhour

Native Ruler

B. 2006 MULL OF KINTYRE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LADY LUCIA by ROYAL APPLAUSE

B. 2006 CAPE CROSS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LOVE DIVINE by DIESIS

Fee:

Â£1,250

(1st October terms)

TWO-YEAR-OLD WINNER WITH GROUP CLASS FORM Winner at 2, and was placed 3 times from only 5 starts: WON Maiden, 5f, Kempton Park on debut, by 3 lengths.

Won at 3 years, 12f, Â£31,006, placed 4 times from 7 starts

By the sire of SEA THE STARS, GOLDEN HORN and OUIJA BOARD

BY A GROUP WINNING 2-Y-O AND GR.1 SIRE

Sire CAPE CROSS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Champion and Multiple Champion sire of 90 Stakes winners.

Sire: MULL OF KINTYRE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; won Gr.2 Gimcrack Stakes at 2. Dam: LADY LUCIA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by ROYAL APPLAUSE.

Dam LOVE DIVINE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Won 2 races, Gr.1 Oaks S, LR Lupe S: dam of 5 winners.

BATSFORD STUD Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9QF â&#x20AC;¢ Enquiries to ALAN VAREY: Tel/Fax: 01608 651890 Mobile: 078 99 957355 â&#x20AC;¢ email: alanvarey@batsfordstud.co.uk â&#x20AC;¢ www.batsfordstud.co.uk â&#x20AC;¢ twitter: @batsfordstud

2016 YEARLINGS SYNDICATE SHARES AVAILABLE

Lilbourne Lad Colt Out of Common Rumpus $PTU b QFS 4IBSF

including...

EDEN RACING GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RACE BOTH SIDES OF THE CHANNEL WITH EXCITING 2YO EQUIANO COLT

UNIQUELY ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL PRIZE MONEY IN BOTH FRANCE & UK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FRENCH PREMIUMS & PLUS 10 BONUSES Pastoral Pursuits Filly Out of Rouge Dancer $PTU b QFS 4IBSF

â&#x20AC;¢ All-inclusive VAT Free training GFFT BU KVTU b QN QFS TIBSF â&#x20AC;¢ 0UIFS 4ZOEJDBUF IPSTFT BWBJMBCMF on request

THE WINNING FORMULA pmracing 115 runs with 15% winners, JO mSTU JO mSTU

1/10TH SHARES AVAILABLE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OTHER SHARES & OUR EDEN RACING CLUB PLEASE CONTACT

Trainer Charlie McBride 486 runs (4 years). XJOOFST mSTU JO mSTU

For further information call Phil Pateman

T: 07825 133344 e: phil@pmracing.co.uk www.pmracing.co.uk

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

dawn@johnsonhoughton.com www.johnsonhoughton.com

Feb_138_ROA_Forum_2_Owner 22/01/2016 17:33 Page 82

ROA FORUM

w w w. r o a . c o . u k

Flat Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

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

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

Figures for period January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2013-14 (£)

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

388,619 188,919 168,936 136,791 105,410 86,530 68,579 66,008 57,439 49,896 39,867 37,188 36,465 34,084 33,032 32,289 32,205 31,129 27,399 27,121 26,159 25,473 24,486 24,323 23,878 23,318 22,888 21,099 20,435 19,876 19,019 18,539 17,669 16,184 14,759 12,104 47,826

139,472 101,606 93,300 79,482 82,238 44,190 66,664 55,763 51,919 45,355 24,136 17.083 34,194 25,913 32,988 28,809 9,725 26,003 19,217 19,250 21,961 16,869 21,890 23,200 21,290 21,304 13,170 20,085 14,305 31,117 19,872 18,609 14,793 19,970 16,181 23,185 33,834

238,948 109,663 60,270 92,702 99,302 10,164 34,603 31,454 23,148 18,729 5,796 4,298 10,857 4,816 3,724 5,354 4,508 4,357 3,776 5,533 6,892 4,389 3,076 5,054 4,273 5,764 3,391 4,872 3,089 6,084 11,276 2,707 3,162 3,035 2,556 2,385 19,882

767,040 401,012 322,506 308,975 287,001 141,217 170,290 153,485 132,880 115,047 69,799 58,612 81,634 64,813 69,744 66,577 47,250 61,488 50,392 51,904 55,449 46,731 49,702 52,827 49,510 50,626 39,449 46,333 38,019 57,077 50,167 40,105 36,249 39,232 33,496 37,674 101,692

18 17 19 11 39 15 18 24 16 23 17 58 17 16 16 16 4 85 18 16 16 13 20 21 58 23 7 28 21 3 18 17 16 98 21 39 862

13,806,712 6,817,200 6,127,610 3,398,725 11,193,049 2,118,260 3,065,213 3,683,650 2,126,088 2,695,379 1,186,591 3,339,505 1,387,783 1,037,000 1,115,902 1,065,238 189,000 5,226,501 907,050 830,468 887,184 607,500 994,030 1,109,365 2,871579 1,164,399 276,140 1,297,325 798,400 171,230 903,000 681,788 579,982 3,844,739 703,416 1,469,303 89,736,302

360,861 169,619 88,884 118,711 91,930 81,446 55,785 64,832 54,675 47,465 39,444 0 30,759 31,611 30,775 27,442 0 27,858 22,641 27,174 23,350 21,234 21,852 20,104 21,089 19,898 24,490 19,707 17,760 16,478 16,378 16,912 13,169 16,857 12,786 10,894 40,931

Up/ down

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲

Jumps Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

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

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

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2013-14 (£)

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

242,694 225,291 140,718 95,606 87,916 50,294 50,104 34,003 28,326 27,061 26,929 26,747 25,289 25,256 24,552 24,315 24,218 23,882 23,222 23,155 22,554 21,205 20,755 20,544 20,291 20,106 19,326 19,014 18,376 17,947 16,382 16,249 15,526 15,439 15,327 15,017 14,741 14,112 13,971 11,901 34,893

129,888 111,531 84,088 79,011 76,942 67,733 59,000 38,558 32,654 42,000 31,537 29,726 30,720 21,388 26,506 32,544 26,114 18,206 27,195 24,028 26,096 22,115 30,321 28,107 22,237 27,935 22,607 22,051 21,950 22,444 26,899 18,618 21,434 18,925 22,946 27,055 21,230 19,624 24,700 18,430 33,354

66,846 56,327 17,433 17,216 14,999 18,174 9,910 10,449 3,187 7,048 4,870 4,440 4,315 4,528 4,721 6,442 2,439 3,700 0 4,406 5,245 0 4,970 4,513 3,865 4,915 4,660 4,139 4,231 4,899 4,319 2,897 3,113 3,351 3,141 2,776 3,615 2,888 3,372 3,359 7,439

439,615 393,149 245,989 195,167 181,490 137,868 119,014 84,160 64,706 77,654 63,479 60,913 60,974 51,171 55,886 63,302 52,772 45,787 50,418 51,818 53,894 43,320 57,701 53,580 46,392 53,432 46,593 45,203 44,556 45,550 47,599 37,929 40,073 37,970 41,414 44,848 39,701 37,087 42,043 33,890 76,072

8 16 8 9 9 12 13 12 13 11 16 16 10 8 14 10 14 18 17 21 15 13 16 12 13 17 14 16 16 25 10 14 21 20 7 9 20 19 16 10 558

3,516,918 6,290,381 1,967,910 1,756,502 1,555,629 1,654,420 1,547,188 1,009,917 841,176 854,189 1,015,668 974,600 609,737 409,368 782,405 633,016 738,803 824,172 857,102 1,088,185 808,415 563,166 923,219 642,963 603,100 908,350 652,304 723,252 712,903 1,138,761 475,992 531,000 841,530 759,400 289,900 403,633 794,014 704,660 672,687 338,900 42,415,435

248,442 220,192 124,639 105,703 99,361 42,753 48,004 30,796 25,891 25,505 25,640 24,969 22,819 24,425 23,838 22,226 25,650 22,552 21,497 21,892 26,187 22,080 22,741 20,340 18,348 19,244 17,364 19,967 13,903 18,576 13,091 16,447 15,609 13,511 13,127 16,368 14,083 12,803 14,692 11,341 33,748

Up/ down

▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▲

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

OWNERSHIP KEY JCR Jockey Club Racecourses

ARC Arena Racing Company

I Independently owned racecourse Gold Standard Award

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

CC2871 TBPhoto TOB (A4)_Layout 1 20/01/2016 11:00 Page 1

Thoroughbred Photography Ltd.

Trevor Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unique collection is just a click away. 40 years of Trevor Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; iconic thoroughbred images are now all available online.

Search for them at Racingfotos.com

www.racingfotos.com pictures@racingfotos.com +44 (0)1234 771085 +44 (0)7812 559856

Feb_138_TBA_Forum_Owner 22/01/2016 14:05 Page 84

TBA FORUM The special section for TBA members

Annual Stud Farming Course is big hit with delegates once again

One of the highlights of the course for many attendees was meeting the great Frankel during a tour of Banstead Manor Stud

Each year the TBA holds its three-day Stud Farming Course in December, which breeders, stud staff and enthusiasts attend to learn about the management of breeding stock on stud farms. The 2015 course attracted 36 delegates, including visitors from Ireland, Germany and Sweden. Held at the British Racing School, the course comprised 24 lectures, starting on day one with reproductive management of the mare, bio-security and disease prevention and paddock management. The second day covered preventative medicine on the stud farm, transport, parasite control, nutrition, sales preparation and genetics, and day three focused on foaling and

care of the foal and yearling, including management of acquired and congenital growth defects, farrier treatment of the foal and care of the foot. Delegates heard from 22 different lecturers, including veterinary experts from the Newmarket Equine Hospital, Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons, The Animal Health Trust and Royal Veterinary College. Industry specialists included representatives from BBA Shipping, Newsells Park Stud, Whitsbury Manor Stud and TopSpec Nutrition, as well grassland expert Paul Overton, renowned farrier Simon Curtis and sales prep expert Charlie Oakshott. All willingly shared their knowledge and

there was plenty of opportunity to ask questions at every turn. Visits to the Rossdales Equine Hospital and Banstead Manor Stud and an early morning tour of the British Racing School gave delegates the chance to have a break from the lecture theatre and they were able to relax and get to know each other over dinner at the Granary Barns on the first evening of the course. The course was highly praised by delegates, which included Isabel Shields of Copgrove Hall Stud, who said: “The course was of great benefit to me; I learnt a huge amount, enjoyed meeting new people and thoroughly enjoyed myself.” This year’s course takes place from December 7-9 at the British Racing School.

Notes for employers The first quarterly Employment Law update is now available online at www.thetba.co.uk. The update includes the latest information on shared parental leave, zero-hours contracts and the new Fit for Work support service, a free occupational health scheme to which employers can refer an employee once that employee has been off work for four weeks.

In addition, employers should note the introduction of the National Living Wage rate which will be payable to all employees over 25 years old from April 1, 2016. Detailed information is available in the Quarterly Update. Changes have also been made to the following Employment Law Factsheets and sample policies, which are available online.

All previous copies of these documents should be destroyed and replaced with the new version: • Maternity rights and shared parental leave • Redundancy • Flexible working • Sample contract of employment

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_TBA_Forum_Owner 22/01/2016 14:05 Page 85

www.thetba.co.uk

TBA diary dates SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 EBF/TBA Mares-only Novices’ Chase At Uttoxeter.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 EBF/TBA Mares-only Novices’ Chase At Bangor.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 TBA Mares-only Club Race At Vine & Craven point-to-point.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 TBA Mares-only Club Race At Waveney Harriers point-to-point.

Gregorian returns to the parade ahead of his second season at the National Stud

Stallions all set for date at Tattersalls Twelve first- and second-season stallions will feature in the TBA Flat Stallion Parade on Thursday, February 4 at Tattersalls, Newmarket. This year the parade will take place in the sales ring at the earlier time of 9.30am, immediately preceding the February Sale. The TBA is pleased to confirm the line-up for the day: CABLE BAY, Highclere Stud COACH HOUSE, Bucklands Farm & Stud DUE DILIGENCE, Whitsbury Manor Stud DUNADEN, Overbury Stud FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, Bearstone Stud GARSWOOD, Cheveley Park Stud GREGORIAN, The National Stud HEERAAT, Mickley Stud INTRINSIC, Hedgeholme Stud MUSTAJEEB, Overbury Stud

MUSIC MASTER, Throckmorton Court Stud SUPPLICANT, Petches Farm This popular event gives breeders the unique opportunity to view a number of stallions from around the country at one venue. Each horse will be shown individually in the sales ring with commentary provided by Gina Harding and Matt Prior. Following the parade, breeders are invited to inspect the stallions in Left Yard, and speak with the stallions’ connections about their 2016 season mating plans. Refreshments will be available in the Sale Ring Bar during the morning for members and guests, where the TBA team will be on hand to help with any enquiries. The TBA wishes to thank Tattersalls for its continuing support of this annual event.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 EBF/TBA Mares-only Novices’ Chase At Wetherby.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 TBA Mares-only Club Race At New Forest point-to-point.

NEW TBA MEMBERS V A Bingham, East Sussex Louise Collinson, Suffolk Michael G Green Esq, Powys Rebecca Howard, Wiltshire P G Jacobs Esq, Oxfordshire Miss Julia Jeffery, North Devon David Loder Esq, Shropshire Miss Sally Marler, East Sussex Alan E Peterson, Cardiff Ben Powell, Oxfordshire David Roberts, Merseyside Mr Gregory Staniek, Gloucestershire Mrs Diana Whateley, Worcestershire

Doncaster racecourse’s Commercial Manager, Rebecca Burton (right), receives the ‘Mares-only Racecourse Award’ in recognition of their support of mares’ races from TBA representative Charlotte Lovatt

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_TBA_Forum_Owner 22/01/2016 14:06 Page 86

TBA FORUM

Reminder: NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme The NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme is accepting nominations up until January 31 for fillies born in 2012 that were either bred in Great Britain or produced by Britishdomiciled stallions. The NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NH

MOPS) launched on January 1, 2016 with the first eligible race run for four-year-olds at Sandown Park on the second day of the new year. Owners’ prizes will not be back-dated, but eligible stock will still be able to be registered

for the 2016 scheme until the end of January. Please contact the TBA office for an application form or visit the NH MOPS page of the TBA website for further information: www.thetba.co.uk/nh-mare-owners-prizescheme.

NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme – Eligible Races (Jan & Feb 2016) The awards are; £10,000 for wins in mares-only class 1-2 open races, class 1-4 novice chases & hurdles. £5,000 for wins in mares-only NH Flat races. Prizes reduced by 50% for fields with fewer than eight runners. T&Cs apply Course Name SANDOWN PARK LUDLOW HUNTINGDON NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE WETHERBY FFOS LAS MUSSELBURGH NEWBURY ASCOT FONTWELL PARK LEICESTER WARWICK DONCASTER DONCASTER LINGFIELD PARK LINGFIELD PARK TOWCESTER WINCANTON WETHERBY CARLISLE HUNTINGDON WARWICK PLUMPTON AYR FAKENHAM SANDOWN PARK ASCOT MARKET RASEN LINGFIELD PARK TAUNTON WETHERBY EXETER WARWICK NEWCASTLE

Race Date Class Type 02/01/2016 1 04/01/2016 5 06/01/2016 4 07/01/2016 4 07/01/2016 6 16/01/2016 6 18/01/2016 6 20/01/2016 4 20/01/2016 4 23/01/2016 1 24/01/2016 4 26/01/2016 3 28/01/2016 4 30/01/2016 1 30/01/2016 6 02/02/2016 4 02/02/2016 6 04/02/2016 4 04/02/2016 4 06/02/2016 4 10/02/2016 4 11/02/2016 6 13/02/2016 1 15/02/2016 4 16/02/2016 6 19/02/2016 5 19/02/2016 1 20/02/2016 4 21/02/2016 4 22/02/2016 4 23/02/2016 4 23/02/2016 6 26/02/2016 4 26/02/2016 6 27/02/2016 4

Race Name 32RED.COM MARES’ HURDLE £210 Annual Membership Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race TurfTV Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Straightline Construction/EBF Breeding Winning Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Collingwood Insurance/EBF Stallions Sponsor Mares’ Std Open National Hunt Flat Race wetherbyracing.co.uk Fillies’ “Junior” Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Kronenbourg EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Cosmic Case Mares-only Novices’ Hurdle Betfred ‘January Sale’ British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle OLBG.COM WARFIELD MARES’ HURDLE British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle OLBG.COM DONCASTER MARES’ HURDLE British Stallions EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Cortaflex Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle lingfieldpark.co.uk Mares’ Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat Race Morton Pinkney Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle European Breeders’ Fund Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle Wilmot-Smith Memorial Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle Huntingdon EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (E.B.F.) OLBG.COM MARES’ HURDLE At The Races Virgin 534 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Ayr Racecourse Intermediate Open Mares’ National Hunt Flat Race EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race WEATHERBYS GSB JANE SEYMOUR MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE Neptune Investment Management Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race EPDS Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Equine America Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle Join The Racing UK Club Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Kenton Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle British Stallion Studs EBF Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

Please note that race details are subject to alteration. The TBA cannot accept responsibility for changes, errors, omissions or abandonments. The TBA & HBLB reserve the right to amend the list of eligible races at any time.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_TBA_Forum_Owner 22/01/2016 14:06 Page 87

w w w. t h e t b a . c o . u k

TBA Statistical Awards for the Flat Covering the calendar year of 2015 and relating to racing in GB and Ireland only

The Queen’s Silver Cup

DARLEY Sheikh Mohammed has made an astonishing commitment to bloodstock over the last three decades and the impact of his vast empire encompasses the globe. The rivalry of the Al Thani family from Qatar would appear to have galvanised his cohorts into ever greater efforts. The 66-year-old Emir of Dubai increased his enormous property portfolio in Newmarket with the acquisition of the late Sir Henry Cecil’s Warren Place yard, sandwiched atop Warren Hill between his own palatial dwelling and the major training facility of Moulton Paddocks. Since acquiring Dalham Hall in October 1981, the stud has expanded out of all recognition with all the many adjoining studs coming under its umbrella. Just how many mares are involved is a matter of conjecture, but it runs into many hundreds. The Darley phenomenon is manifest with all four of the TBA’s statistical awards for 2015. Yet, despite heading the earnings table as a breeder with a commanding £3.6 million, Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Lumiere was the sole Group 1 winner in Great Britain and Ireland. The filly raced in the green and red colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s son Hamdan.

BBA Silver Cigar Box

DARLEY In tandem with Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley operation, which has now headed the list of British-based breeders for the last three years, his Dalham Hall resident Dubawi is leading sire for a third consecutive time with progeny earnings of over £3.8m. As a stallion with such a high international profile, a tally of only domestic winners hardly does him justice. His Group 1 winners in Great Britain during 2015 comprised Postponed (King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes), Al Kazeem (Tattersalls’ Gold Cup), Night Of Thunder (Lockinge Stakes) and Arabian Queen (International Stakes). Night Of Thunder embarks on his stallion career at Darley’s Kildangan Stud. Dubawi is by Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite racehorse, the ill-fated Dubai Millennium. Previously the sheikh had won THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

High-flying Dubawi claimed the BBA Silver Cigar Box for the third consecutive year

this award with Machiavellian, Halling, Mark Of Esteem and Exceed And Excel.

Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup

season, while his sons Helmet and Outstrip are both standing at Dalham Hall Stud, the latter being a Darley homebred Breeders’ Cup winner for Godolphin.

Tattersalls’ Silver Salver

EXCEED AND EXCEL

POET’S VOICE

For the second year running, Dubawi occupies second place for individual winners in Great Britain and Ireland with a tally of 82, compared to the 92 attributed to his Darley compatriot Exceed And Excel. Having started covering in 2004 at Darley Australia in New South Wales, Exceed And Excel actually spent his first and third seasons in the northern hemisphere at Kildangan Stud, before an uninterrupted spell at Dalham Hall. As this award is for a British-based stallion, the four of those 92 winners conceived in Ireland should be deducted. A handful of Australian horses have come to stand in Newmarket over the year. Few have made much of an impact, but then few were such smart racehorses. A champion sprinter in his native country, he is a proven shuttle sire to both hemispheres. Amongst his multitude of winners in Britain during 2015 was the fully exposed Coventry Stakes hero Buratino. At the moment Exceed And Excel is at Kildangan, having been transferred there last

Completing the Darley whitewash, Poet’s Voice follows both his sire and his grandsire in winning this award as the leading Britishbased first-season sire. Whereas Dubai Millennium is out of a mare that Sheikh Mohammed purchased as a yearling for 200,000gns and Dubawi is from a mare bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Bright Tiara, the dam of Poet’s Verse, was acquired as a broodmare in the USA for $3m. Poet’s Voice helped to get Dubawi off to a good start, winning the Champagne Stakes at two and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Goodwood Mile at three. Dubai Millennium also won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, a race in which Dubawi had been a controversial runner-up. Poet’s Voice is the sire of Darley-bred Whitman (Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy, Ripon). Two other notables (but nonqualifiers here) are Paeta Diletto and Voice Of Love, who finished first and second (separated by a nose) in a Group 3 in Italy.

Feb_138_TBA_Forum_Owner 22/01/2016 14:06 Page 88

TBA FORUM

January Stud Staff Award for Lynda Ormanby The TBA’s January Stud Staff Award goes to Lynda Ormanby, a stalwart of Juddmonte Farms’ Wargrave stud for 35 years. Ormanby was already working at Wargrave when it was taken over by Juddmonte in 1980, having worked there for Gerald Leigh since 1972 when the stud was known as Cayton Park. Initially responsible for breaking and backing Juddmonte yearlings, Ormanby then achieved her HGV licence and took on the role of transporting horses around the UK and Europe. Always on call to conduct emergency trips to the vet, when not travelling, she is a key member of the Wargrave stud team, and is highly regarded by her employers as a mentor for new staff and a calm and reasoned port of call in emergencies. Stud Manager David Tomkins describes Ormanby as “reliable, dedicated and committed, demonstrating tremendous attention to detail and always putting her horses first when travelling in difficult conditions”. He adds: “Lynda takes great pride in her job, which is evident in her enthusiasm towards the horses and the staff she works with. She is a loyal and valuable member of staff, we are proud of her achievements and are fortunate to have her on the team.”

Ormanby gets her award from TBA Regional Representative Derek Christopher

Breeders’ Prizes National Hunt HBLB Breeders’ Prizes worth £1,000 or more Breeder

Mrs P G Lewin

Prize (£)

2,000

Horse

Sire

Dam

Tea For Two

Kayf Tara

One For Me

Based on date money was paid

Date

Course

04/12/15

Exeter

Brian J Griffiths and John Nicholson

4,000

Don Poli

Poliglote

Dalamine

05/12/15

Aintree

Fiona Avice Evans

1,500

Seeyouatmidnight

Midnight Legend

Morsky Baloo

06/12/15

Kelso

Mrs M D W Morrison

2,000

Blaklion

Kayf Tara

Franciscaine

11/12/15

Cheltenham

Mr R J Smith

5,000

Unowhatimeanharry

Sir Harry Lewis

Red Nose Lady

12/12/15

Cheltenham

Mrs Angela Yeoman

6,000

Southfield Royale

Presenting

Chamoss Royale

12/12/15

Doncaster

M J Mcmahon

2,500

Kylemore Lough

Revoque

One of The Last

17/12/15

Exeter

R J and S A Carter

1,500

Bitofapuzzle

Tamure

Gaelic Gold

17/12/15

Exeter

Wood Farm Stud

5,000

Yanworth

Norse Dancer

Yota

18/12/15

Ascot

R F and S D Knipe

8,000

Thistlecrack

Kayf Tara

Ardstown

19/12/15

Ascot

W B Mactaggart

2,500

Royal Regatta

King's Theatre

Friendly Craic

19/12/15

Ascot

Cue Card

King's Theatre

Wicked Crack

26/12/15

Kempton Park

Tea For Two

Kayf Tara

One For Me

26/12/15

Kempton Park

R T Crellin Mrs P G Lewin

10,000 8,000

The above table displays Breeders’ Prizes to the end of 2015

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_BreederOfTheMonth_Owner 22/01/2016 17:26 Page 90

BREEDER OF THE MONTH

www.thetba.co.uk

Words Alan Yuill Walker Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

NH BREEDER OF THE MONTH – December 2015 As Cue Card’s breeder Ronald Crellin won this award for November, the horse’s King George VI Chase victory was immaterial so far as the December award was concerned. How remarkable that it should be won instead by his stable companion Thistlecrack. In winning the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, the now eightyear-old son of Kayf Tara is yet another celebrity for breeders Robin and Scarlett Knipe of Cobhall Court Stud in Herefordshire, stalwarts from both sides of the fence when it comes to breeding jumpers. Britain’s leading jumps sire Kayf Tara was a dual winner of the Gold Cup, a race that Thistlecrack’s damsire Ardross also won. “Thistlecrack’s pedigree is all about stamina,” says Robin Crellin. Previously he also stood another Royal Ascot celebrity in Celtic Cone, winner of the Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra Stakes. Colin Tizzard’s cows seem to have come in for an inordinate amount of publicity recently. Conversely, the Knipes disposed of their entire milking herd to fund the purchase of Celtic Cone, who became the Kayf Tara of his day. “Everyone thought we were mad at the time,” reflects Crellin. Should Thistlecrack go on to further glory in the World Hurdle, victory at the Cheltenham Festival will be nothing new for Cobhall Court, where the 1995 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Master Oats (by Oats) was bred and conceived. A more recent flag-bearer for them is that old favourite Wishfull Thinking. He gained two successes at Grade 2 level last season in the Old Roan Chase and the Peterborough Chase. Thistlecrack was also successful at last season’s Grand National meeting in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. His owners John and Heather Snook acquired him for €43,000 as a three-year-old at Fairyhouse in August 2011; he had been sold there by the Knipes as a foal for €32,000. Before Thistlecrack won his first race, the Snooks bought his threeyear-old half-brother by Westerner for £10,000 at Doncaster in August 2013. Named West Approach, he was saddled by Colin Tizzard to finish third in December in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. “We originally bought their dam Ardstown, who was successful four times over fences, out of a field,” says Crellin. Later they bought out a partner when paying 45,000gns for her as

GEORGE SELWYN

Robin and Scarlett Knipe

Thistlecrack’s sire and damsire both won the Ascot Gold Cup

a ten-year-old at Ascot in December 2001. Long gone are the days when the Knipes stood stallions. Instead they are regular foal vendors at Tattersalls’ December Sales. In 2015, they consigned five lots, all the progeny of winning mares, with a Shirocco half-brother to Wishfull Thinking realising top price of 36,000gns. “Now we concentrate on breeding foals for the Flat,” says Crellin. “We still have three well-bred National Hunt mares, but Ardstown died foaling a Kayf Tara sister to Thistlecrack in 2012 – she is running around at Cobhall Court as I speak.” Cobhall Court’s involvement with the Flat has centred around Lindfield Belle and Owdbetts. The former is dam of the full-brothers Baltic King and Domingues, while the latter is the dam of Ratio. Lindfield Belle’s final offspring, Fulbright, won the 2012 Challenge Stakes and is about to cover his first book of mares at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland. Back in the mid-1980s the Knipes were involved with a very special weanling. They bought a Lord Gayle colt foal for 15,000gns, selling him on as a yearling for 32,000gns. This was Carroll House, hero of the 1989 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. One way and another the Knipes seem to have done it all. In their youth, both were proficient amateur riders, Scarlett being the daughter of celebrated jumps trainer Fred Rimell. She had her colours carried to victory on New Year’s Day by homebred Gayebury at Exeter.

CALPHORMIN

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Knockhouse Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p_Knockhouse Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p 21/01/2016 10:00 Page 1

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

First Foals 2016

Covered an exceptional book of mares in his first season

Race record from only 6 starts: 1st Maiden Stakes, 1m2f, Pontefract, on debut. 1st Gr.2 Dante Stakes, 1m2½f, York, beating Trading Leather. 2nd Gr.1 Investec Derby, 1m4f, Epsom Downs, behind Ruler Of The World and beating Battle Of Marengo and Ocovango. 4th Gr.1 Ladbrokes St Leger, 1m6½f, Doncaster, behind Leading Light. Stunning looking son of NEW APPROACH Bred on the classic NEW APPROACH/DARSHAAN cross From the same family as HALLING Second son of NEW APPROACH to go to stud

“With any pace in the race, he'd have won.” KARL RICHARD BURKE, AFTER THE EPSOM DERBY-GR.1 Also standing: Notnowcato, Touch Of Land & Prince Flori

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

ownerbreeder ad pages 02-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 21/01/2016 10:26 Page 92

Heeraat F I R S T F OA L S 2 0 1 6

Bay 2009, 16.1hh (1.65m) DARK ANGEL – THAWRAH (GREEN DESERT)

THE LOOKS A 140,000gns yearling (the top priced of his sire’s crop).

THE SPEED

Covered a full book of over 100 mares in his first season

GROUP WINNING SPRINTER OF 5 RACES, and 11 LENGTH WINNER of his maiden at 2.

The fastest winner of the Hackwood Stakes since 2001

THE PEDIGREE By DARK ANGEL out of a half sister to the Gr.1 winning sprinter and Gr.1 sire

(faster than INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and 5 other Gr.1 winners of the race).

MALHUB.

Family of DANDY MAN, ANTHEM ALEXANDER, SUDIRMAN, GENTILDONNA, etc.

Gr.3 Hackwood Stakes, 6f, Newbury, 2013, in the fastest time since 2001, beating Gr.1 winner KRYPTON FACTOR. Won Maiden Stakes, 6f, Pontefract, at 2, by an easy 11 lengths. 2nd (nk) Gr.3 Hackwood Stakes, 6f, Newbury, 2014, beating Gr.2 winner ES QUE LOVE (at levels). 2nd (nk) LR City Walls Stakes, 5f, York, to Gr.1 winner JWALA, beating two other Gr.1 winners and Gr.2 winner STEPPER POINT.

The same DARK ANGEL – GREEN DESERT cross as LETHAL FORCE

Defeated 43 Black Type winners (5 Gr.1 winners) Rated 5lbs superior to DARK ANGEL by Racehorses of 2013

Half brother to LR winner AMBIANCE, out of a half sister to Gr.1 winning sprinter MALHUB and full sister to the dam of multiple Group winner YELLOW ROSEBUD, etc.

Won

MICKLEY STUD in 2016 at a fee of £4,000 SLF Enquiries: Richard Kent, MICKLEY STUD, Ternhill, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 3QW Telephone: 01630 638840 or 01630 685220 (h) • Mobile: 079 73 315722 • mickleystud@btconnect.com Or: John Walsh Bloodstock Telephone: +353 (0)45 875244 • Mobile: +353 (0)86 2558945

EAST LYNCH STUD

FRANKLINS GARDENS Halling – Woodbeck (Terimon) High class Gr 2 and 3 Winner of 3 races, incl. Gr 2 Yorkshire Cup. A tenacious racehorse with an outstanding pedigree for a dual-purpose Sire; 3 parts brother to successful hurdler ‘Rayvin Black’ (Halling – Optimistic). Promising runners under NH Rules and in Point-to-Points, including FLASHYFRANK, GARDEN WHISPER, PEACEFUL GARDENS, etc. Young horses in training with, Philip Hobbs, Jeremy Scott, John Ryall etc. His stock are correct, good movers and have excellent temperaments. Stud Fee: £1,250 (1st October Terms)

Want to find out which stallions are making waves? For the very latest sire lists go to www.ownerbreeder.co.uk Tables updated every day

BABODANA ch. 2000, 16.1 hh

Bahamian Bounty – Daanat Nawal (Machiavellian) Tough and durable high-class miler Won 3 races (including the Lincoln Handicap in 2004) Winnings £222,083. Retired sound. An impressive individual combining bone and quality with an exceptional temperament, suitable sire for any equestrian sphere. Concession for NONTB Mare. Stud Fee: £1,000 (1st October Terms)

Enquiries to: – Derrick Scott

EAST LYNCH STUD, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8SS Tel/Fax: 01643 702430 • info@eastlynchstud.co.uk

www.eastlynchstud.co.uk 92

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:25 Page 93

VET FORUM: THE EXPERT VIEW By DEIDRE CARSON BVSc MRCVS

It does happen to a vet Examining and treating horses can put those on the ground at risk but precautions can be taken through sensible handling and protective wear

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

COURTESY OF KEWIS SMITH/ROSSDALES LLP

orses are, by nature, flight animals. Their size, speed and unpredictable nature provide some of their unquestionable appeal and challenge but also present risk of serious injury and even death for those people who choose to work with them. Given the choice when faced with an unpleasant, painful or frightening situation, most will turn and run or at least whip round, jump sideways, run backwards or lunge forwards into any available open space. In the process they might kick out or run into or over anyone or anything in their way. In circumstances where they cannot escape, many will react in an uncontrolled and unpredictable way. These reactions can easily result in injury to themselves or the people around them. If well handled, older horses have usually learned to temper their reactions based on their training and trust in the humans around them, as well as familiarity with the procedure being undertaken. Some horses, however, never seem to understand how we would like them to behave. Foals and yearlings usually tend to react instinctively to any threat or fright and some stallions can remain aggressive and more difficult to handle throughout their lives. Any horse at any time can behave in a way that is hazardous to humans. Unfortunately for horse vets, we are often performing procedures which cause pain or are outside the horse’s previous experiences. The owner/handler may be inexperienced or simply not physically capable of preventing the horse’s unwanted behaviour and the vet is more vulnerable because he/she is concentrating on the job at hand or in a ‘compromising’ position, for example bending down to look or work underneath the abdomen or having to stand behind the horse. There is some information available on injuries to people working with horses but most of this relates to riders rather than people on the ground. Injuries to riders include a significant proportion of head injuries, although the number of significant head injuries has decreased since the improvement in the safety standards in riding hats and increase in their use. Other frequently seen injuries include fractures, bruises and internal injuries. Of the injuries seen in hospitals, head injuries are the most common – about 20% of the total. A

Treating a wound on a hindlimb can put the vet in a precarious position

report from the 1980s suggested that horseriding is 20 times more dangerous than motorcycling. In 2013, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) commissioned a survey on injuries within the profession, conducted by leading professionals at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow. The results of over 600 responses were included in a report entitled ‘Work related injuries in Equine Practitioners’, by Judith Brown and co-authors. I won’t bore you with too many figures or tables but the results were quite sobering, particularly for an equine vet! According to the authors, being a horse vet in the UK carries the highest risk of injury of any civilian occupation. Over a 30-year working life, equine vets can expect to sustain seven to eight injuries of variable severity. Most common were bruises, fractures and lacerations and most were caused by a kick with a hindlimb, a strike with a front leg or a crush injury. Eighty per cent of those who replied had been injured at least once and 45% of those had suffered a head injury. Obviously, anyone who might have died as a result of such an injury was not included in the survey, but some of these injuries were life changing or career limiting, with 8% having had to take alternative work as a result of their

injuries. Almost a third of vets also said they suffered chronic illness or injuries as a result of their work. The activities that were most likely to result in a serious injury (fracture, hospitalisation, concussion, unconsciousness and head trauma) included lower limb nerve block or intraarticular (joint) medication, minor surgical procedures, female reproductive procedures/foaling examinations and endoscopy or gastroscopy. Most of the horses were being held by owners at the time of the vet’s injury but around a third had been sedated for the procedure. These results have been compared to those for other industries and professions, and one health and safety consultant said to a meeting of BEVA members that in any other field of activity, anything that was as dangerous as a horse would be banned! Those of us who love horses cannot imagine a world where people can’t work in close proximity to them, but we do need to pay more attention to the risks associated with working with horses – not only so that we don’t lose more good equine vets to work-related injuries, but to keep everyone associated with horses safer and healthier and able to enjoy a life centred around, or at least involving, horses. A vet friend has told me that he took one

Feb_138_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:25 Page 94

VET FORUM

safety as an equine vet and that is to avoid working at yearling sales any more! Unfortunately, that is not an option for many horse vets. Difficulties arise because horses are horses. They bite, kick, lunge, barge, strike out, rear, head-butt, lean, stand on feet and hands, cow kick and metaphorically explode. We can’t prevent these behaviours but we can handle and educate horses in a way that reduces the incidence of these behaviours. I am not an equine behavioural specialist but I regularly see people mishandle and mistreat horses through ignorance, fear or temper. There are horses out there that are born with a predisposition to be difficult or nasty – I have seen a foal of only a couple of days of age put her ears back and kick out at an experienced stud groom and she remained a total witch to handle up to the day she went to the sales as a yearling. I have also seen nervous horses remain frightened of their own shadow into old age, despite good handling. The public sales provide an absolute cauldron of ingredients to produce high risk of injury: young horses, well fed and underexercised in a strange environment with lots going on around them. They are pulled into and out of their stables, taken for x-ray and possibly scoped. The situation is almost as bad at store horse sales – and these animals are bigger and stronger and often require a full five-stage pre-purchase examination prior to sale. Kick and strike injuries, back injuries and those due to the horse panicking or barging are very common in vets working at sales and their support staff, not to mention the stud and stable staff working on site. However, we do work with horses – and most wouldn’t have it any other way – and there are jobs that need to be done on a daily basis as we are working. We can all be less complacent and more careful without becoming precious or overcautious. There is without doubt a place for using stocks for many procedures – especially

COURTESY OF KEWIS SMITH/ROSSDALES LLP

>> single significant step towards improving his

A handler sensibly wearing a riding helmet while a horse in training is scoped

female reproductive examinations – but there are definitely some horses that ‘freak out’ in stocks and these can be more dangerous in stocks than standing loose. Owners must be more willing to allow their horses to be sedated and to accept that in some horses certain procedures such as hindlimb nerve blocks are just not going to be possible. In the latter cases, it might be necessary to arrange for referral to a centre where there are more facilities and less invasive imaging/diagnostic equipment, such as MRI, CT or nuclear scintigraphy. There have been enormous advances in understanding equine behaviour and learning processes and there are experts who are available to offer help and advice both with difficult horses and with training to avoid problems. Gemma Pearson from Edinburgh University has produced for BEVA members a webinar outlining basic ‘re-education’ for certain difficult behaviours. These techniques can be adopted and used by anyone working with horses.

More and more people are wearing protective hard hats when working on the ground with horses, for example in covering barns, microchipping foals and lungeing. Many of the head injuries which are seen in people working on the ground with horses would not have been prevented by wearing a cap, but shouldn’t vets and handlers at least consider wearing them when scoping or holding for dental treatment? Many foot injuries occur in people wearing inappropriate footwear, although this is less common in the thoroughbred industry than in other equestrian activities. Sensible use of protective equipment is not being ‘soft’. It is simply common sense. Do you criticise your farrier for wearing leather chaps? Improving health and safety for those working with horses, including vets, involves education and training of horses and people, the use of appropriate protective equipment and effecting a change in attitude away from the view that taking appropriate precautions is simply not cool!

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Grove Court Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p_Grove Court Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p 21/01/2016 10:02 Page 1

Grove Court Stud

CAMERON HIGHLAND 16.0hh, 2009 Galileo – Landmark by Arch

BY WORLD CHAMPION GALILEO His mother’s full sister, ARRAVALE, won 5 races at 2 & 3 years and £632,660. CAMERON HIGHLAND has won 5 races at 3 & 4 years amounting to a total of £107,462. He has won the August Stakes (Listed) at Royal Windsor in 2 successive years, beating GOLDINI by 41⁄2 lengths & the favourite SONGCRAFT by 71⁄2 lengths in 2012. In 2013 he beat SHIROCCO STAR also favourite by 3 lengths. He was 2nd to MICHELANGELO in the Newmarket Tatts Millions. He then won 2 races at Epsom in August 2012 & 2013. Half sister SUPPOSING, was sold in Book 1 2012 for 525,000gns. His full sister was sold in Book 1 2014 for 420,000gns to Qatar Racing while a further full sister was sold in Book 1 2015 for 500,000gns to Al Shaqab Racing. CAMERON HIGHLAND won on going from Good to Firm to Soft. He has excellent conformation and temperament. He is a very easy horse to handle and had 100% fertility in 2015.

Stud Fee 2016:

£2,000 Concessions

Llanarth, Raglan, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 2NA, UK Tel: +44 (0)1873 840494 • Mob Zoe: +44 (0)7974 096252 Mob Mervyn: +44 (0)7830 258494 enquiries@grovecourtstud.com • www.grovecourtstud.uk

Feb_138_DrStatz_Owner Breeder 22/01/2016 14:36 Page 96

DR STAT JOHN BOYCE CRACKS THE CODE

Galileo among the elite stallions who can improve the best mares Strong stamina influence can aid fast families to excel in the top middle-distance contests

he great Galileo has done it yet again. And what’s more it’s a double double in 2015. Not only did he head both the British and Irish general and two-year-old rankings by earnings, he also topped the same tables for Europe. It’s the seventh British and Irish sires’ title for the Coolmore giant, the last six achieved consecutively. Needless to say the quantity and quality of his runners were not surpassed in 2015. Here are some of his numbers: 40 stakes winners, 25 Group/Graded winners and ten Group/Grade 1 winners – all comfortably the best scores in their categories. But what makes this son of Sadler’s Wells such a great sire? It is his ability to get more out of most of the mares he covers, regardless of their class. We know that only very good stallions can do this. And we also know that only the elite stallions can improve on the very best mares. Galileo does this year in and year out. His lifetime percentage of stakes winners to foals in the northern hemisphere stands at 11%, which is outstanding in this day of large books of mares. Other sires have produced 7% stakes winners to foals from the same mares. This improvement is so hard to achieve that it marks Galileo down as one of the true greats. As you can see from our table of top Northern Dancer-line stallions, had he stood in the 40mare book era, that percentage of stakes winners to foals is a remarkable 18%, as good as Northern Dancer’s best sons Danzig and Nijinsky. Dubawi, Galileo’s arch rival, also achieves this

Major Northern Dancer-line sires ranked by % northern hemisphere-foaled black-type winners Sire

BTW

MOR %

Av crop size

Northern Dancer

146

Danzig

198

*Galileo

Nijinsky

156

Nureyev

133

Lyphard

112

Sadler’s Wells

292

Galileo

178

138

*Data for Galileo’s 40 best-bred foals per crop

remarkable ratio with his best-bred 40 foals from each crop. Galileo is the archetypical Classic sire in that the aptitude of his best runners make them ideal candidates for the top juvenile events at seven furlongs and above, as well as the Guineas and all the top middle-distance races. That said, he is a strong stamina influence and is likely to aid a fast family to produce a runner that can stay much further than would have been expected. The average winning distance of his stock aged three and older is 11 furlongs, all of 1.6 furlongs longer than that of his runners’ siblings by other sires. It is no surprise to learn that his top ten runners by Timeform ratings feature six that have won at up to 12 furlongs and nine that have won at up to or beyond 10.5. The odd man out is Gleneagles and he too probably would have found ten furlongs within his compass. The same top ten have an average Timeform rating of 132, easily the best of any British or Irish sire since Timeform began compiling their famous ratings. In 2015, the son of Sadler’s Wells had three Group 1-winning juveniles in Ballydoyle, Minding and Johannes Vermeer, five top-flight three-year-olds in Gleneagles, Highland Reel, Order Of St George, Found and Curvy, plus the older horses Photo Call and Mondialiste. It’s a rare feat Gleneagles is the only one of Galileo’s top ten runners never to have won beyond a mile

to sire ten Group 1 winners in a calendar year. In fact only Danehill had managed it previously. Mention of Danehill prompts me to remark on the growing relationship between Galileo and Danehill mares. Remarkably, no fewer than 164 runners exhibit this cross and they include 33 stakes winners, headed by the great Frankel and ten other Group 1 winners. That amounts to 20%, which is better than Galileo’s career percentage of stakes winners to runners. Other broodmare sires with a better-than-average ratio of stakes winners include Danehill Dancer, Storm Cat, Indian Ridge and Darshaan. Galileo may have scaled the heights as a stallion, but it is still early days in the search for a dominant successor. So far, only two sires, the Darley pair Teofilo and New Approach, have sired ten or more stakes winners. Teofilo has 48, including eight at the highest level, while New Approach, sire of top-notcher Dawn Approach, is on 23. That said, there are many more Galileos waiting in the wings to test their stallion credentials, and there will be others down the line too. All he needs is two or three top-class stallion sons to earn a reputation as an elite sire of sires. His daughters have also begun to make their mark at stud, with five Group 1 winners thus far: La Collina, Lea, Magicool, Night Of Thunder and Qualify. Significantly, two – Magicool and Qualify – are by Danehill’s son Fastnet Rock. Could it be, just as Danehill’s daughters are contributing to Galileo’s success as a stallion, that his sons will come to Galileo’s aid as a broodmare sire? THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Beechwood Grange OB Feb 2016 f-p_Beechwood Grange OB Feb 2016 f-p 21/01/2016 11:19 Page 1

Desideratum Bay, 2002, (16.11⁄2 hh) by DARSHAAN - DESIRED (RAINBOW QUEST)

FEE:

£1,250

Group Winner from a Star-Studded Stallion Family Desideratum won 4 races, £152,677, at 3 years, and was placed 3 times, all his starts. Won Gr.3 Prix du Lys, 12f. Longchamp, “totally outclassed his three rivals” Raceform Won LR Prix de l'Avre, 12f, Longchamp, by 21⁄2 lengths, beating Kendor Dine (Gr.3), etc. 2nd Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris, 12f, Longchamp, beating Plea Bargain (Gr.2), Bellamy Cay (Gr.2), Laverock (Gr.1), Musketier (Gr.3), etc. 4th Gr.2 Prix Noailles, 11f, Longchamp. Racehorses of 2005: 118 (same rating as Gr.1 winner Laverock)

Sire of Bumper winners and point to point including Desilvano - 3 wins rated 133 & Rhymers Stone - 3 wins

Haafhd

European Champion 3yo Rated 115+ at 2 • Rated 129 at 3

Ch. 2001 15.3 h.h. (1.59m) by ALHAARTH – AL BAHATHRI (BLUSHING GROOM)

FEE:

£3,000

Won 5 races at 2 and 3 years, 6-10f, £492,288, and was placed 3 times, all but one of his starts. Won Gr.1 2,000 Guineas Stakes, 8f, Newmarket by 1¾ lengths, beating Gr.1 winners Azamour, Grey Swallow, Whipper, Bachelor Duke, etc. Won Gr.1 Champion Stakes, 10f, Newmarket by 2½ lengths, beating Gr.1 winners Chorist, Azamour, Refuse To Bend, Doyen, etc. Won Gr.3 Craven Stakes, 8f, Newmarket, by 5 lengths, beating Three Valleys. Won LR

Washington Singer Stakes, 7f, Newbury, at 2 years

3rd Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes, 7f, Newmarket 3rd Gr.2 Champagne Stakes, 7f, Doncaster.

A Multiple Stakes sire in 2014 of 31 individual winners of 57 races

Sleeping Indian Bay, 2001, (16hh) by INDIAN RIDGE – LAS FLORES (SADLER’S WELLS)

FEE:

Timeform rating: 122

£3,000

Won 6 races, £252,417, 7-8f, from 3 to 5 years, and placed three times, from 12 starts Won Gr.2 Challenge Stakes, 7f, Newmarket, beating Gr.1 winner Somnus and 11 other Group winners Won Gr.3 Hungerford Stakes, 7f, Newbury, beating Gr.1 winner Attraction and 2 other Group winners Won LR Dubai Duty Free Cup, 7f, Newbury, beating Gr.1 winner Spinning Queen and 8 other Group winners Won LR Ben Marshall Stakes, 7f, beating Gr.1 winner Tout Seul and 3 other Group winners Won LR John O’Gaunt Stakes, 7f, Haydock Park, beating 3 Group winners 2nd Gr.2 Park Stakes, 7f, Doncaster, beating Gr.1 winner Court Masterpiece and 5 other Group winners 2nd Gr.2 Challenge Stakes, 7f, Newmarket, beating Gr.1 winners Somnus and Peeress, and 4 other Group winners

Consistently siring stakes horses like the unbeaten 2yo Group 3 winner CRAZY HORSE

Apply: STEVE KNOWLES, BEECHWOOD GRANGE STUD, Malton Road, York YO32 9TH. Tel: 01904 424573 • Mobile: 07786 260 904 E-mail: steve@beechwoodgrangestud.com • Website: www.beechwoodgrangestud.com

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:53 Page 98

DATA BOOK ANALYSIS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD

National Hunt Grade 1s 80 BETFAIR TINGLE CREEK CHASE G1

e m

SANDOWN PARK. Dec 5. 4yo+. 15f 110yds.

1. SIRE DE GRUGY (FR) 9 11-7 £85,425 ch g by My Risk - Hirlish (Passing Sale) O-The Preston Family & Friends Ltd B-La Grugerie TR-Gary Moore 2. Special Tiara (GB) 8 11-7 £32,055 b g by Kayf Tara - Special Choice (Bob Back) O-Mrs S. Rowley-Williams B-D. E. M. Young TR-Henry de Bromhead 3. Vibrato Valtat (FR) 6 11-7 £16,050 gr g by Voix du Nord - La Tosca Valtat (Dom Alco) O-Axom XLIII B-Mme C. Duperret & Mlle A-M. Duperret TR-Paul Nicholls Margins 0.75, 7. Time 3:53.90. Going Good to Soft. Age 4-9

Starts 32

Wins 16

Places 11

Hirlish, the dam of Sire de Grugy, is an unraced selle français. However, her sire Passing Sale had been a high-class middle-distance performer, winner of the Gr1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club in Italy. Hirlish has previously produced the winning English hurdler/chaser Magot de Grugy to Tzar Rodney and the Listedplaced chaser Nassor de Grugy to Assessor. The next dam, Tara Kane II, won three cross country races during a 30-race career and also produced Orlando Magic, a Listed winner over fences in France.

Earned £752,674

Sire: MY RISK. Sire of 5 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - SIRE DE GRUGY Passing Sale G1, NOB HILL Lost World LR. 1st Dam: Hirlish by Passing Sale. unraced. Dam of 4 winners: 2000: MAGOT DE GRUGY (g Tzar Rodney) 7 wins. 2001: Nassor de Grugy (g Assessor) 2 wins over jumps in France, 3rd P. Alain du Breil Grand Spring H. Chase LR. 2005: REVE DE GRUGY (g Maresca Sorrento) Winner over jumps in France. 2006: SIRE DE GRUGY (g My Risk) 16 wins, williamhill.com Dovecote Nov. Hurdle G2, 3rd John Smith’s Top Novices’ Hurdle G2, Paddy Power Imperial Cup H. Hurdle LR, BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase G1, BetVictor Tingle Creek Chase G1 (twice), Sodexo Clarence House Chase G1, bet365.com Celebration Chase G1, bet365.com Celebration Chase G2, williamhill.com Desert Orchid Chase G2, 2nd Race Post Arkle Trial November Nov.Chase G2, Shloer Chase LR. 2007: Texas de Grugy (g Roli Abi) ran on the flat in France. 2011: Blue Sire (g Day Flight) unraced. Broodmare Sire: PASSING SALE. Sire of the dams of 7 Stakes winners.

81 RACING POST HENRY VIII NOVICE CHASE G1 SANDOWN PARK. Dec 5. 4yo+. 15f 110yds.

1. AR MAD (FR) 5 11-2 £25,748 b g by Tiger Groom - Omelia (April Night) O-Mr Ashley Head B-M. Le Meur TR-Gary Moore 2. Bristol de Mai (FR) 4 10-10 £9,737 gr g by Saddler Maker - La Bole Night (April Night) O-Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede B-Mr J. Touzaint TR-Nigel Twiston-Davies 3. As de Mee (FR) 5 11-2 £4,936 b/br g by Kapgarde - Koeur de Mee (Video Rock) O-The Stewart Family & Judi Dench B-A. M. Pommerai & Marcelle Pommerai TR-Paul Nicholls Margins 10, 11. Time 3:48.60. Going Good to Soft. Age 4-5

Starts 11

Wins 4

Places 4

Earned £61,641

82 JOHN DURKAN MEMORIAL PUNCHESTOWN CHASE G1 PUNCHESTOWN. Dec 6. 5yo+. 20f.

Broodmare Sire: APRIL NIGHT. Sire of the dams of 6 Stakes winners.

1. DJAKADAM (FR) 6 11-10 £39,535 b g by Saint des Saints - Rainbow Crest (Baryshnikov) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Mr R. Corveller TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Valseur Lido (FR) 6 11-10 £12,519 b g by Anzillero - Libido Rock (Video Rock) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-M. Contignon & Mme N. Contignon TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Gilgamboa (IRE) 7 11-10 £5,930 b g by Westerner - Hi Native (Be My Native) O-Mr John P. McManus B-K. McManus TR-Enda Bolger Margins 12, 1.25. Time 5:14.90. Going Heavy.

AR MAD b g 2010

Age 3-6

Sire: TIGER GROOM. Sire of 3 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: Omelia by April Night. unraced. Dam of 1 winner: 2010: AR MAD (g Tiger Groom) 3 wins, Racing Post Henry VIII Novice Chase G1. 2011: Breizh Mad (f Axxos) 2012: Calett Mad (g Axxos) 3rd Prix Fifrelet H. Hurdle LR.

SIRE DE GRUGY ch g 2006 Kenmare High River Be My Guest Baino Bluff Rapids Lyphard Vacarme Virunga Bon Sang Miss Mood Missy Northfields No Pass No Sale No Disgrace Reachout And Touch Youth Everything Nice Green Dancer Chamberlin On The Wing Alfaro Laida Dariga

including 44 times over jumps. His ten victories included the Swiss Derby and a pair of Gr3 hurdle races at Auteuil at the start of his four-yearold season. He was also beaten only a short head in the Gr1 Prix Renaud du Vivier (Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans) and a length in the Gr1 Grand Prix d’Automne over three miles. Ar Mad has won over an extended two and a half miles, but his bold style may result in two miles being his optimum distance. Ar Mad follows the high-class chaser Un de Sceaux, the smart chaser Trifolium and the Henry VIII runner-up Bristol de Mai as the fourth British or Irish Gr1 winner out of a mare by April Night. April Night was another tough and versatile performer who scored at up to 15 furlongs in winning 18 times. Ar Mad is the first foal of Omelia, a winner of steeplechases at the ages of four and five. Her third foal, the Axxios filly Calett Maid, has already been Listedplaced over hurdles at Auteuil.

Starts 14

Wins 6

Places 5

Earned £285,935

Highest Honor

Take Risks MY RISK b 99 Miss Pat

Passing Sale HIRLISH b 95 Tara Kane II

The 2015 Tingle Creek Chase produced a welcome return to form for Sire de Grugy, a former winner of the race who had been hard to beat at around two miles during the 2013-14 season. Since then, though, he had been sidelined for over nine months on one occasion and had struggled to recover his very best form. His close second to Sprinter Sacre after his Tingle Creek success suggests his recovery is complete. Sire de Gruchy’s grandsire Take Risks had a few notable sons. One of his Group winners on the Flat was Tac de Boistron, winner of the Gr1 Prix Royal-Oak, and another was My Risk, the stallion responsible for Sire de Grugy. Take Risks and My Risk were both prolific Gr3 winners over a mile, which helps explain why Sire de Grugy races mainly at around two miles.

Arazi TIGER GROOM b 97 Rifada

April Night OMELIA b 02 Garvina

Blushing Groom Red God Runaway Bride Danseur Fabuleux Northern Dancer Fabuleux Jane Pitcairn Ela-Mana-Mou Rose Bertin St Paddy Rilasa Sarila Caro Kaldoun Katana Chaparral My Destiny Carmelite Djakao Djarvis Buena Vista Over Tirana Evenieres

The purchase of Ar Mad after three races in France bordered on the inspired. Fourth of six against other non-thoroughbreds over Pornichet’s all-weather track on debut, he then came home tenth of 12 in a valuable event at Craon before finishing third on his hurdling debut at Nantes. To be fair, he was beaten less than five lengths on each occasion, but who would have guessed that he would become a Gr1 winner only 14 months after his final start in his homeland? That Gr1 success came when he led throughout to take the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase by ten lengths and this bold-jumping gelding followed up later in December with a Gr2 victory at Kempton. Ar Mad’s sire Tiger Groom lacked nothing on the score of toughness. This son of Arazi raced 73 times,

Sire: SAINT DES SAINTS. Sire of 39 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - DJAKADAM Baryshnikov G1, BANDITO CONTI Pistolet Bleu G3, KOBROUK Subotica G3, SAINT FIRMIN Villez G3, BETE A BON DIEU Royal Charter LR, CALLIA D’OUDAIRIES Network LR. 1st Dam: Rainbow Crest by Baryshnikov. Dam of 4 winners: 2004: Merci Jandrer (f Trempolino) unraced. Broodmare. 2005: Cimboldo (g Turgeon) unraced. 2007: RAINBOWLINE (f Martaline) 6 wins over jumps in France. 2009: DJAKADAM (g Saint des Saints) 6 wins, 2nd Weatherbys Ireland GSB Hurdle G3, Goffs Thyestes H. Chase G1, John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase G1, boylesports.com Killiney Novice Chase G2, 2nd Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase G1, Bibby Punchestown Gold Cup Chase G1. 2010: SAMBREMONT (g Saint des Saints) Winner over hurdles at 5. 2012: ARKALINE (f Martaline) Winner over jumps at 3 in France. 2013: Nikodam (c Sholokhov) unraced to date. 2014: Belladame (f Saint des Saints) 2nd Dam: Rainbow Rainbow by Vision. Dam of SUN STORM (g Subotica: Prix Congress Chase G2, 2nd P.Maurice Gillois 4yo Grand Steeplechase G1), ROCHEFLAMME (f Snurge: Prix Wild Monarch Hurdle (fillies) LR), Tamarindo (g Galetto: 3rd Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase LR, Prix Fleuret Chase LR, Prix La Perichole Steeplechase LR), Ravna (f Nikos: 2nd Prix Wild Monarch Hurdle (fillies) LR). Grandam of ROCK OF CASHEL, RAJASTHAN, ROCKAWANGO, RASANGO, Monita des Bois. Broodmare Sire: BARYSHNIKOV. Sire of the dams of 6 Stakes winners.

DJAKADAM b g 2009 Green Dancer Cadoudal Come To Sea SAINT DES SAINTS b 98 Pharly Chamisene Tuneria Kenmare Baryshnikov Lady Giselle RAINBOW CREST b 99 Vision Rainbow Rainbow Ivory North

Nijinsky Green Valley Sea Hawk II Camarilla Lyphard Comely Tanerko Torrefranca Kalamoun Belle of Ireland Nureyev Valderna Nijinsky Foreseer Sir Ivor Alma North

With his fee set at €12,000 in 2016, Saint des Saints is one of Europe’s highest-priced jumping stallions, and this distinction has been well earned. He finished third behind Poliglote and Martaline among France’s top sires of jumpers in 2015, having topped the table in 2014. He also finished runner-up to Poliglote in 2012 and 2013. With luck, he will add significantly to these achievements in the coming years, as he is still ‘only’ 18 in 2016 and he is by Cadoudal, the pre-eminent French jumping sire who was 26 when he sired his last foals. Saint des Saints owes his continued success to the likes of Djakadam, Days Of Heaven (Gr2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle), Irish Saint (Gr2 Pendil Novices’ Chase), Kobrouk (Gr3 Prix Orcada Chase), Saint Firmin (Gr3 Prix Carmarthen Hurdle and Gr3 Prix de Compiegne), Bandito Conti (Gr3 Prix Edmond Barrachin Chase) and Saint Pistol (Gr3 Prix de President de la Republique Chase). The Haras d’Etreham stallion has enjoyed previous success in Britain and Ireland with the likes of Quito de la Roque, Quel Esprit, Lyreen Legend, Salut Flo and Sametegal. In common with many other successful French stallions, Saint des Saints also shone over jumps, compiling a record of seven wins, four seconds and a third from 13 completed starts. Saint des Saints’ victories included four Graded successes at up to nearly two and a half miles over hurdles, but his son Djakadam stays very well – well enough to finish second in Coneygree’s Gold Cup. He is sufficiently versatile, though, to become a Gr1 winner over two and a half miles in the Punchestown Chase. His broodmare sire, Kenmare’s son Baryshnikov, possessed plenty of speed, as he showed in winning the Gr1 Australian Guineas over a mile. Djakadam’s dam Rainbow Crest raced 17 times without success, once being beaten only a short head over hurdles at Auteuil. Djakadam is her best effort as a broodmare but her 2012 Martaline filly Arkaline won over hurdles on her debut and Djakadam’s brother Sambremont is a promising winner over hurdles and fences in Ireland, where he scored by 16 lengths on New Year’s Day. She also has a 2014 sister to Djakadam called Belladame. Rainbow Crest is a halfsister to Sun Storm, a winner at Gr2 and Gr3 levels over fences in France.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:53 Page 99

Caulfield on Tea For Two: “He enjoyed success in bumpers and over hurdles, but it is as a chaser that he promises to reach his full potential. He has won both his starts in good style”

83 JLT LONG WALK HURDLE G1 ASCOT. Dec 19. 4yo+. 0f 110yds.

1. THISTLECRACK (GB) 7 11-7 £56,950 b g by Kayf Tara - Ardstown (Ardross) O-John and Heather Snook B-Mr & Mrs R. F. Knipe TR-Colin Tizzard 2. Reve de Sivola (FR) 10 11-7 £21,370 b g by Assessor - Eva de Chalamont (Iron Duke) O-Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership B-G. Trapenard & Thomas Trapenard TR-Nick Williams 3. Deputy Dan (IRE) 7 11-7 £10,700 b g by Westerner - Louisas Dream (Supreme Leader) O-Tim Syder B-Conna Stud TR-Oliver Sherwood Margins 8, 12. Time 6:05.30. Going Good to Soft. Age 5-7

Starts 11

Wins 6

Places 2

Earned £170,577

Sire: KAYF TARA. Sire of 36 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - IDENTITY THIEF Flemensfirth G1, TEA FOR TWO Tragic Role G1, THISTLECRACK Ardross G1, WAR SOUND Gunner B G3, BALLYANDY Karinga Bay LR, COPPER KAY Presenting LR, RONS DREAM Emperor Jones LR. 1st Dam: ARDSTOWN by Ardross. 4 wins over fences. Dam of 3 winners: 2003: KENNEL BRIDGE (g Classic Cliche) 3 wins. 2005: Quick Approach (g Kayf Tara) unraced. 2007: Tiger Country (g Westerner) unraced. 2008: THISTLECRACK (g Kayf Tara) 6 wins, JLT Long Walk Hurdle G1, Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle G1, Bet365 Long Distance Hurdle G2, 2nd Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle G1. 2010: West Approach (g Westerner) Winner of a N.H. Flat Race at 5, 3rd Albert Bartlett Bristol Novices’ Hurdle G2. 2013: (f Kayf Tara) Broodmare Sire: ARDROSS. Sire of the dams of 29 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - THISTLECRACK Kayf Tara G1, ANNACOTTY Beneficial G3. The Kayf Tara/Ardross cross has produced: THISTLECRACK G1, THE PACKAGE G3.

THISTLECRACK b g 2008 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge KAYF TARA b 94 High Top Colorspin Reprocolor Run The Gantlet Ardross Le Melody ARDSTOWN b 91 Master Owen Booterstown Vulgan’s Rose

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Derring-Do Camenae Jimmy Reppin Blue Queen Tom Rolfe First Feather Levmoss Arctic Melody Owen Tudor Miss Maisie Vulgan Nevada Rose

Patience is paying off in tremendous style with Kayf Tara’s son Thistlecrack, who was sold for €43,000 as an unbroken three-year-old. It was as a once-raced six-year-old that he finally won a Wincanton bumper in 2014 and he had made only three starts by the time he turned seven in 2015. Since then he has won five of his eight starts, notching up Gr1 successes in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle and now the Long Walk Hurdle. In winning the latter, he handed an eight-length defeat to Reve de Sivola, a three-time previous winner of the Long Walk. Thistlecrack is thriving over three miles, which is hardly surprising in view of his stamina-packed bloodlines. His sire Kayf Tara triumphed in two editions of the Gold

Cup, a race that was also won twice by Thistlecrack’s broodmare sire, Ardross. Ardross also ranks as the grandsire of 2015’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree. Thistlecrack’s dam Ardstown won three times at around three miles in hunter chases before taking a handicap chase over the same distance at Newbury. She is also dam of Kennel Bridge, a short-lived but talented hurdler. Thistlecrack’s next two dams were daughters of Master Owen, a stallion responsible for jumpers of the calibre of The Mighty Mac, Master Monday, Master H, Master Spy and Artifice, not to mention Vulgan, who found lasting fame as the sire of three Grand National winners. 84 KAUTO STAR N. CLARK FELTHAM NOV CHASE G1 KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 24f.

1. TEA FOR TWO (GB) 6 11-7 £39,865 b g by Kayf Tara - One For Me (Tragic Role) O-Mrs Jane Williams & Mr Len Jakeman B-Mrs P. G. Lewin TR-Nick Williams 2. Southfield Royale (GB) 5 11-7 £14,959 b g by Presenting - Chamoss Royale (Garde Royale) O-Mrs Angela Yeoman B-Mrs A. B. Yeoman TR-Neil Mulholland 3. Native River (IRE) 5 11-7 £7,490 ch g by Indian River - Native Mo (Be My Native) O-Brocade Racing B-F. Mackey TR-Colin Tizzard Margins 4, 3.75. Time 6:10.00. Going Good to Soft. Age 4-6

Starts 14

Wins 7

Places 4

Earned £108,600

Sire: KAYF TARA. Sire of 36 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - IDENTITY THIEF Flemensfirth G1, TEA FOR TWO Tragic Role G1, THISTLECRACK Ardross G1, WAR SOUND Gunner B G3, BALLYANDY Karinga Bay LR, COPPER KAY Presenting LR, RONS DREAM Emperor Jones LR. 1st Dam: ONE FOR ME by Tragic Role. 6 wins. Dam of 4 winners: 2006: SECOND TO NUN (f Bishop of Cashel) Winner at 3. 2007: KATCHMORE (g Catcher In The Rye) 4 wins over hurdles. 2008: Simmons (f Spartacus) ran a few times and ran over hurdles. 2009: TEA FOR TWO (g Kayf Tara) 7 wins, 2nd Betfair Bumper Standard Open NH Race LR, William Hill Lanzarote H. Hurdle LR, Kauto Star N. Clark Feltham Nov Chase G1. 2011: ACT FOR ME (c Act One) Winner over jumps at 4 in France. 2012: Montmore (c Montmartre) ran on the flat in France and over jumps in France. Broodmare Sire: TRAGIC ROLE. Sire of the dams of 3 Stakes winners.

TEA FOR TWO b g 2009 Sadler’s Wells KAYF TARA b 94 Colorspin

Tragic Role ONE FOR ME br 98 Chantallee’s Pride

Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Fairy Bridge Special Derring-Do High Top Camenae Jimmy Reppin Reprocolor Blue Queen Northern Dancer Nureyev Special Graustark Don’t Sulk Dinner Partner Thatching Mansooj Senta’s Girl Sandy Creek Russell Creek Silent Sail

Kayf Tara, the leading British-based National Hunt stallion, has reached veteran status at the age of 22 in 2016, but he is credited with

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

covering 130 mares at the age of 20 and 187 in 2015. He remains a very attractive proposition at his fee of £5,000, especially when his representatives in the 2015-16 season include the likes of Thistlecrack, Identity Thief, Special Tiara, Tea For Two and War Sound. Tea For Two enjoyed success in bumpers and over hurdles, but it is as a chaser that he promises to reach his full potential. He has won both his starts over fences in good style, notably taking the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over three miles in the hands of Lizzie Kelly. Tea For Two’s dam One For Me is another reminder that a busy time on the racecourse need not detract from a successful broodmare career. This daughter of Tragic Role raced a total of 33 times in a career divided fairly equally between the Flat and National Hunt. Although she won on the Flat on all-weather, she was at her most successful over hurdles, winning five times at up to nearly two and threequarter miles. Tragic Role didn’t display the same durability. A wellconnected son of Nureyev, he looked as though he might justify his 525,000gns yearling price when he won over 12 furlongs at Longchamp on his debut, but that proved to be his only race. He went on to sire Shadow Leader (Gr1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 1997 Cheltenham Festival) and Trafford Lad (a Gr1 winner over two and a half miles over hurdles and fences). Tea For Two clearly stays well, no doubt thanks principally to his stamina-packed sire. However, his unraced second dam, Chantallee’s Pride, was by Mansooj, a fast and precocious son of the top sprinter Thatching. 85 WILLIAM HILL KING GEORGE VI CHASE G1 KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 24f.

1. CUE CARD (GB) 9 11-10 £114,436 b g by King’s Theatre - Wicked Crack (King’s Ride) O-Mrs Jean R. Bishop B-Mr R. T. Crellin TR-Colin Tizzard 2. Vautour (FR) 6 11-10 £43,276 b g by Robin des Champs - Gazelle de Mai (Dom Pasquini) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Haras de Saint Voir & P. Joubert TR-W. P. Mullins 3. Al Ferof (FR) 10 11-10 £21,936 gr g by Dom Alco - Maralta (Altayan) O-Mr J. Hales B-Mr J. Rauch & Mr G. Chenu TR-Dan Skelton Margins Head, 13. Time 6:03.50. Going Good to Soft. Age 4-9

Starts 28

Wins 13

Places 12

Earned £989,218

2003: 2004: 2006:

2007: 2008: 2013: 2014: 2015:

(c Definite Article) HIDDEN CRACK (g Lahib) 5 wins. CUE CARD (g King’s Theatre) Sold 48,261gns yearling at TIFEB. 13 wins, Weatherbys Champion Bumper NH Flat Race G1, Cheltenham Collection Sharp Nov. Hurdle G2, 2nd stanjames.com International Hurdle G2, John Smith’s Mersey Novices Hurdle G2, William Hill King George VI Chase G1, Betfair Ascot Chase G1, Ryanair Festival Trophy Chase G1, Betfair Lancashire Chase G1 (twice), Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase G2, Sportingbet Haldon Gold Cup H. Chase G2, 2nd Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase G1, William Hill King George VI Chase G1, John Smith’s Melling Chase G1 (twice), Fullers London Pride Berkshire Nov Chase G2, 3rd BetVictor Haldon Gold Cup H. Chase G2. For A Laugh (g Westerner) unraced. The Wicked Kipper (f King’s Theatre). Broodmare. (c Beneficial) (c Gold Well) (f Milan)

Broodmare Sire: KING’S RIDE. Sire of the dams of 16 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - CUE CARD King’s Theatre G1, TULSA JACK Urban Ocean G2.

CUE CARD b g 2006 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge KING’S THEATRE b 91 Princely Native Regal Beauty Dennis Belle Rarity King’s Ride Ride WICKED CRACK b 93 Deep Run Mighty Crack Treize

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Raise A Native Charlo Crafty Admiral Evasion Hethersett Who Can Tell Sovereign Path Turf Pampered King Trial By Fire Thirteen of Diamonds Clear Bay

See race 42 in the January issue 86 WILLIAMHILL.COM CHRISTMAS HURDLE G1 KEMPTON PARK. Dec 26. 4yo+. 16f.

1. FAUGHEEN (IRE) 7 11-7 £56,950 b g by Germany - Miss Pickering (Accordion) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-Dr J. Waldron TR-W. P. Mullins 2. The New One (IRE) 7 11-7 £21,370 b g by King’s Theatre - Thuringe (Turgeon) O-S Such & CG Paletta B-R. Brown & Ballylinch Stud TR-Nigel Twiston-Davies 3. Hargam (FR) 4 11-7 £10,700 gr g by Sinndar - Horasana (Galileo) O-Mr John P. McManus B-S.C.E.A. Haras de Son Altesse L’Aga Khan TR-Nicky Henderson Margins 7, 0.75. Time 3:47.70. Going Good to Soft. Age 4-7

Starts 13

Wins 12

Places 1

Earned £647,128

Sire: GERMANY. Sire of 8 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: Miss Pickering by Accordion. unraced. Dam of 1 winner: 2006: Molly’s Mate (f Goldmark) unraced. Broodmare. 2007: Shedaka (f Lahib) unraced. 2008: FAUGHEEN (g Germany) 11 wins, Stan James Champion Chall.Trophy Hurdle G1, Neptune Investment Bingham Nov Hurdle G1, williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle G1 (twice), Herald Champion Novice Hurdle G1, Queally Punchestown Champion Hurdle G1, Coral Ascot Hurdle G2, Liberty Ins. Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle G3, 2nd stanjames.com Morgiana Hurdle G1. 2009: (c Germany) 2010: Telmadela (g Definite Article) unraced. 2013: (c Fracas) 2015: (f Shirocco) Broodmare Sire: ACCORDION. Sire of the dams of 7 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - FAUGHEEN Germany G1, AUGUSTA KATE Yeats LR.

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:53 Page 100

DATA BOOK

National Hunt Grade 1s FAUGHEEN b g 2008 Atan Rocchetta Trempolino Viceregal Trephine Quiriquina GERMANY b 91 Herbager Big Spruce Silver Sari Inca Princess Hail To Reason Inca Queen Silver Spoon Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge Accordion Successor Sound of Success Belle Musique MISS PICKERING b 01 Sham Creative Plan Another Treat Make Me An Island Ballymoss Bali Near The Line Sharpen Up

Sadly Faugheen’s unbeaten record was lost when he failed by half a length to wear down his stablemate Nichols Canyon in the Morgiana Hurdle, but that defeat promises to be just a blip in an otherwise remarkable record. The son of Germany had won all 11 of his starts prior to the Morgiana (including a point-to-point) and he bounced back in style in the Gr1 Christmas Hurdle, easily defeating The New One. Faugheen had also won the 2014 Christmas Hurdle and his tally of Gr1 wins already stands at six. Faugheen’s sire Germany (USA) was a Gr1 winner over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half in Germany. Germany, who died at the age of 22 in 2013, was a son of the Arc winner Trempolino. Although Germany’s stallion career wasn’t straightforward, he eventually made quite an impact on the jumping sector. He also enjoyed Gr1 success with his sons Captain Cee Bee (2008 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and 2010 Ryanair Novice Chase) and Conna Castle (2008 Powers Gold Cup Chase). Another son, Free Expression, has several recent placings at Gr1 level. Faugheen’s dam Miss Pickering never raced and neither did her sire Accordion. However, Accordion’s brother Sonus won the Goodwood Cup and was placed in the Ascot Gold Cup, so it isn’t surprising that Faugheen has won over three miles both in the point-to-point field and under rules. However, he is now being campaigned mainly at around two miles. Faugheen’s second dam Make Me An Island, a winner at up to two and a half miles over hurdles and fences, was by Creative Plan, an unexceptional American dirt performer. Faugheen’s broodmare sire Accordion is shaping up well in this role, as other daughters are responsible for Captain Cutter (Gr1 Challow Hurdle) and Monbeg Dude (Welsh National). 87 RACING POST CHRISTMAS NOVICE CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 26. 4yo+. 17f.

1. DOUVAN (FR) 5 11-12 £42,558 b g by Walk In The Park - Star Face (Saint des Saints) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-S.A.R.L. Haras de La Faisanderie TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Sizing John (GB) 5 11-12 £13,953 b g by Midnight Legend - La Perrotine (Northern Crystal) O-Ann & Alan Potts Partnership B-Dr B. & S. Mayoh TR-Henry de Bromhead

100

3. Velvet Maker (FR) 6 11-12 £6,977 b g by Policy Maker - Evasion de L’Orne (Beyssac) O-Mr Barry Connell B-P. Bellayer et al TR-A. J. Martin Margins 18, 46. Time 4:29.10. Going Heavy. Age 4-5

Starts 8

Wins 7

Places 1

Earned £203,574

Sire: WALK IN THE PARK. Sire of 3 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - DOUVAN Saint des Saints G1, MIN Saint Estephe G2. 1st Dam: Star Face by Saint des Saints. ran over jumps in France. Dam of 1 winner: 2010: DOUVAN (g Walk In The Park) 7 wins, Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle G1, Herald Champion Novice Hurdle G1, sportinglife.com Moscow Flyer Nov.Hurdle G2, Racing Post Christmas Novice Chase G1. 2011: Ribostar (c Epalo) unraced. 2013: Kalimama (f Charming Groom) unraced to date.

raced daughter of that excellent jumping stallion Saint des Saints and her dam is the winning jumper Folie Star Gate. Douvan’s third dam, Miss French, was a sister to the smart French hurdler Discover d’Auteuil. Star Face has a 2013 filly called Kalmama by Charming Groom. 88 PADDY POWER CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 27. 5yo+. 17f.

Broodmare Sire: SAINT DES SAINTS. Sire of the dams of 3 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - DOUVAN Walk In The Park G1, ADRIEN DU PONT Califet LR.

1. FLEMENSTAR (IRE) 10 11-12 £46,512 b g by Flemensfirth - Different Dee (Beau Sher) O-Stephen Curran B-D. Barnwell TR-A. J. Martin 2. Simply Ned (IRE) 8 11-12 £14,729 ch g by Fruits of Love - Bishops Lass (Marju) O-David & Nicky Robinson B-Miss I. Hatton TR-Nicky Richards 3. Hidden Cyclone (IRE) 10 11-12 £6,977 b g by Stowaway - Hurricane Debbie (Shahanndeh) O-Mrs A. F. Mee & David Mee B-R. O’Neill TR-John Joseph Hanlon Margins 1, 20. Time 4:21.20. Going Heavy.

DOUVAN b g 2010

Age 5-10 Sadler’s Wells

Montjeu Floripedes WALK IN THE PARK b 02 Robellino Classic Park Wanton Cadoudal Saint des Saints Chamisene STAR FACE b 04 Saint Preuil Folie Star Gate Miss French

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Top Ville Toute Cy Roberto Isobelline Kris Brazen Faced Green Dancer Come To Sea Pharly Tuneria Dom Pasquini Montecha Mistigri Lise Belle

For the seventh successive time, nothing came close to beating Douvan when this son of Walk In The Park landed the Gr1 Racing Post Novice Chase, his winning margin this time being 18 lengths. Coincidentally his nearest rival was Sizing John, who had also chased Douvan home in another of the gelding’s three Gr1 successes, in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. Still only six, Douvan looks destined to add many more Gr1 successes to his tally. Perhaps one day he will come close to matching the magnificent total of 22 achieved by Hurricane Fly, another Mullins star who shares the same sire – Montjeu – as Walk In The Park. Incidentally, Willie Mullins is also harvesting a rich crop of Gr1 successes with Nichols Canyon, a son of another Montjeu stallion in Authorized. Authorized is one of four sons of Montjeu to have won the Derby – a race in which Walk In The Park produced a career-best performance in finishing second to Motivator. Walk In The Park, who is out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Classic Park, had only around 120 foals in his first four crops. His 2013, 2014 and 2015 crops are also small but he has been moved to the Calvados region for 2016, so should receive stronger support. His best representative on the Flat has been Dance In The Park, a Group-placed Listed winner. Douvan was bred with a jumping career in mind. He is the first foal of Star Face, who was sold for only €2,000 in 2012. Star Face is a once-

Starts 22

Wins 11

Places 8

Earned £331,833

Sire: FLEMENSFIRTH. Sire of 48 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - FLEMENSTAR Beau Sher G1, PRINCE OF SCARS Supreme Leader G1, THREE MUSKETEERS Mister Lord G2, ENJOY RESPONSIBLY Mandalus G3, HIGHLAND LODGE Presenting G3, EMILY GRAY Jupiter Island LR. 1st Dam: Different Dee by Beau Sher. unraced. Dam of 4 winners: 2000: DECEMBER SUN (g Shahrastani) Winner over hurdles. 2001: Killeen Vic (g Old Vic) 2002: Godlylady (f Old Vic) unraced. Broodmare. 2004: Barafundle (g Flemensfirth) 6 wins, 2nd Betfair Fixed Brush H. Hurdle LR. 2005: FLEMENSTAR (g Flemensfirth) Sold 7,224gns yearling at TIFEB, 26,272gns yearling at TINO1. 10 wins, Frank Ward Arkle Challenge Cup Nov.Chase G1, Powers Gold Cup Chase G1, John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase G1, Paddy Power Chase G1, Irish Form Book Fortria Chase G2 (twice), Naas Directors Plate Novice Chase G3, 2nd Hennessy Gold Cup Chase G1, 3rd Lexus Chase G1, John Smith’s Melling Chase G1, thetote.com Fortria Chase G2. 2007: CLOUDINGSTAR (g Cloudings) 2 wins. 2009: Dorton Lad (g Craigsteel) ran 3 times in N.H. Flat Races. 2010: Craig Star (g Craigsteel) ran once over hurdles. 2012: Flirt And Flee (f Flemensfirth) unraced. Broodmare Sire: BEAU SHER. Sire of the dams of 4 Stakes winners. The Flemensfirth/Beau Sher cross has produced: FLEMENSTAR G1, Barafundle LR.

FLEMENSTAR b g 2005 Hoist The Flag Alleged Princess Pout FLEMENSFIRTH b 92 Diesis Etheldreda Royal Bund Ile de Bourbon Beau Sher Mai Pussy DIFFERENT DEE ch 94 Quayside White’s Quay Ann Advancer

Tom Rolfe Wavy Navy Prince John Determined Lady Sharpen Up Doubly Sure Royal Coinage Nato Nijinsky Roseliere Realm Broad River London Gazette Wong Even Money Princess Pontet

Even allowing for the fact that the long-odds-on Un de Sceaux fell while in the lead, Flemenstar’s win in the Paddy Power Chase ranks as one of the most notable comebacks of 2015. This Gr1 win, achieved just days before his official 11th birthday, came more than two years after his last

success at any level and three years after his last Gr1 success, in the 2012 Punchestown Chase. The son of Flemensfirth had made a great start to his chasing career, his Punchestown Chase win being his seventh in eight starts over fences and his third at Gr1 level. As so often happens, soundness issues soon intervened, with Flemenstar being off the course from November 2013 to March 2015. Flemenstar wasn’t beaten far when placed in two Gr1 chases over three miles, but he is clearly considered better suited by shorter distances. This is understandable, as his sire Flemensfirth raced mainly at around a mile and a quarter, winning the Prix Lupin and Premio Roma. Flemenstar’s broodmare sire Beau Sher was a smart miler. Flemenstar’s second dam, the unraced White’s Quay, was a halfsister to Suir Valley, dam of the outstanding chaser Carvill’s Hill. Two other half-sisters to White’s Quay also produced notable chasers, with Annie Buskins being the dam of the Grand National third Samlee and Ann’s Cap being the dam of the Gr1 winner Alcapone. 89 PADDY POWER FUTURE CHMPIONS NOV. HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 27. 4yo+. 16f.

1. LONG DOG (GB) 5 11-10 £39,535 b g by Notnowcato - Latanazul (Sakhee) O-Mrs S. Ricci B-G. B. Turnbull Ltd TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Tombstone (IRE) 5 11-10 £12,519 ch g by Robin des Champs - Connaught Hall (Un Desperado) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-K. O’Brien TR-Gordon Elliott 3. Petit Mouchoir (FR) 4 11-7 £5,930 gr g by Al Namix - Arnette (Denham Red) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mr P. Gueret TR-W. P. Mullins Margins 0.75, 0.75. Time 4:08.40. Going Heavy. Age 3-5

Starts 8

Wins 7

Places 1

Earned £128,198

Sire: NOTNOWCATO. Sire of 7 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - LONG DOG Sakhee G1, OLD GUARD Marchand de Sable G2. 1st Dam: LATANAZUL by Sakhee. Winner at 3. Dam of 2 winners: 2009: ARTLANA (f Dutch Art) Winner at 2. 2010: LONG DOG (g Notnowcato) Sold 2,500gns yearling at TAOC3. 7 wins, Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle G1, Paddy Power Future Chmpions Nov. Hurdle G1, Shannon Airport Greenmount Pk Nov.Hurdle G3. 2nd Dam: Karamah by Unfuwain. Dam of Kareeming (g Nadeem: 2nd TAB Cranbourne Cup LR) Broodmare Sire: SAKHEE. Sire of the dams of 1 Stakes winner.

LONG DOG b g 2010 Lorenzaccio Helen Nichols Lomond Inchmurrin On Show Cadeaux Genereux Young Generation Smarten Up Blushing Groom Blush Rambler Nikitina Riverman Bahri Wasnah Sadler’s Wells Thawakib Tobira Celeste Northern Dancer Unfuwain Height of Fashion Mr Prospector Azdihaar Desirable Ahonoora

Inchinor NOTNOWCATO ch 02 Rambling Rose

Sakhee LATANAZUL b 04 Karamah

See race 46 in the January issue

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:54 Page 101

Caulfield on Faugheen: “The Champion Hurdler’s broodmare sire Accordion is shaping up well in this role, as other daughters are responsible for Captain Cutter and Monbeg Dude”

90 LEXUS CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 28. 5yo+. 24f.

1. DON POLI (IRE) 6 11-10 £69,767 b g by Poliglote - Dalamine (Sillery) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Brian J Griffiths & John Nicholson TR-W. P. Mullins 2. First Lieutenant (IRE) 10 11-10 £22,093 ch g by Presenting - Fourstargale (Fourstars Allstar) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mrs M. O’Connor TR-M. F. Morris 3. Foxrock (IRE) 7 11-10 £10,465 b g by Flemensfirth - Midnight Light (Roselier) O-Mr Barry Connell B-G. Thompson TR-T. M. Walsh Margins 0.5, 0.5. Time 6:35.90. Going Heavy. Age 4-6

Starts 12

Wins 8

Places 3

Earned £308,280

Sire: POLIGLOTE. Sire of 80 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - DON POLI Sillery G1, SO FRENCH Mansonnien G1, DEVICE Mansonnien G2, CAPELAND Cyborg LR, CARESSE D’ESTRUVAL Nikos LR, KICK ON Night Shift LR, MOCALACATO HAS Dernier Empereur LR, PASSWORD Volochine LR.

performers as Hinterland, Wonderful Charm, Spirit Son and Top Notch. In grittily securing the Lexus Chase by half a length, the stamina-packed Don Poli improved his record over fences to five victories from six outings. Don Poli’s dam, the Sillery mare Dalamine, gained her only success over two miles on the level at Le Croise-Laroche. Her 2012 Kayf Tara filly – a threeparts-sister to Don Poli – sold for €105,000 at the 2015 Derby Sale. Dalamine also had a few outings over hurdles, no doubt because her brother Multipass had won the Gr1 Prix Georges de Talhouet-Roy at Auteuil as a three-year-old. Dalamine’s half-sister Dalina was also above average over hurdles, after winning on the Flat. 91 SQUARED FINANCIAL CHRISTMAS HURDLE G1

1st Dam: DALAMINE by Sillery. Winner at 4 in France. Dam of 3 winners: 2007: DALINO (c Trempolino) 2 wins over jumps in France. 2008: DO YOU JUMP (c Trempolino) 3 wins over jumps in France. 2009: DON POLI (g Poliglote) 8 wins, Surehaul Mercedes Powerstown Nov. Hurdle G3, 2nd Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle G1, RSA Chase G1, Lexus Chase G1, Topaz Fort Leney Novice Chase G1, Betfred Chase LR. 2010: Mad About The Boy (g Robin des Pres) 2011: Debece (g Kayf Tara) 2012: Alighting (f Kayf Tara) unraced. 2014: (f Beat Hollow)

1. PRINCE OF SCARS (IRE) 5 11-10 £39,535 b g by Flemensfirth - Spirit Leader (Supreme Leader) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mr E. Salmon TR-Gordon Elliott 2. Alpha des Obeaux (FR) 5 11-10 £12,519 b g by Saddler Maker - Omega des Obeaux (Saint Preuil) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Marie Devilder & Stephanie Fasquelle TR-M. F. Morris 3. Martello Tower (IRE) 7 11-10 £5,930 b g by Milan - Johnsalice (Zaffaran) O-Mr Barry Connell B-M. Cullinane TR-Mrs Margaret Mullins Margins 4, 5.5. Time 6:22.20. Going Heavy.

Broodmare Sire: SILLERY. Sire of the dams of 20 Stakes winners.

Age 4-5

The Poliglote/Sillery cross has produced: DON POLI G1, ROI DES FRANCS G3.

DON POLI b g 2009 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge POLIGLOTE b 92 Val de L’Orne Alexandrie Apachee Blushing Groom Sillery Silvermine DALAMINE b 00 Lou Piguet Dalyane Dannes

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Val de Loir Aglae Sir Gaylord Americaine Red God Runaway Bride Bellypha Sevres Habitat Tuneria Mourne Dulzetta

Sadler’s Wells was the grand age of 26 when he sired his last foals and his veteran son Poliglote is still plying his trade at the age of 24 in 2016, when his fee is €10,000 at Haras d’Etreham. There will surely still be plenty of demand for Poliglote’s services, as he was again France’s champion sire of jumpers in 2015. This was his fourth championship (the others being in 2010, 2012 and 2013) and he was also France’s champion sire on the Flat in 2012, thanks largely to Solemia’s victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Poliglote’s jumping progeny have also made their mark in Britain and Ireland, with Don Poli leading a team which also features such talented

LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 28. 4yo+. 24f.

Starts 8

Wins 4

Places 1

Earned £74,050

1st Dam: SPIRIT LEADER by Supreme Leader. 5 wins, 3rd paddypower.com Champion INH Flat Race G1, Tote Gold Trophy H. Hurdle G3, Vincent O’Brien County H. Hurdle G3, 2nd Bewleys Hotels Festival December Hurdle G1. Dam of 3 winners: 2005: FULL OF SPIRIT (f Exit To Nowhere) Winner of a N.H. Flat Race. Broodmare. 2006: (g Old Vic) 2007: FOLSOM BLUE (g Old Vic) 4 wins, Surehaul Mercedes Powerstown Nov Hurdle LR, 2nd boylesports.com M.Purcell Mem.Nov Hurdle G2, racinguk.com Gd. National Trial H Chase G3, 2nd Woodlands Pk Club Nas Na Riogh Nov Chase G2. 2008: Letmeknow (f Oscar) unraced. 2009: Drop of Spirit (f Westerner) unraced. Broodmare. 2010: PRINCE OF SCARS (g Flemensfirth) 4 wins over hurdles at 5, Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle G1, Proudstown H. Hurdle G3, 2nd Irish Racing Writer Kingfurze Nov.Hurdle LR. 2012: (f Westerner) 2013: (f Beneficial) 2015: (c Court Cave) Broodmare Sire: SUPREME LEADER. Sire of the dams of 56 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - PRINCE OF SCARS Flemensfirth G1, OUTLANDER Stowaway G2, FETHARD PLAYER King’s Theatre G3, OSCAR ROCK Oscar LR. The Flemensfirth/Supreme Leader cross has produced: PRINCE OF SCARS G1, DRUMBALOO G2, Beckwith Star G2, Imperial Leader G2, Not Before Eight G3.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

PRINCE OF SCARS b g 2010 Hoist The Flag Alleged Princess Pout FLEMENSFIRTH b 92 Diesis Etheldreda Royal Bund Bustino Supreme Leader Princess Zena SPIRIT LEADER b/br 96 Mandalus That’s The Spirit Flynn’s Field

Tom Rolfe Wavy Navy Prince John Determined Lady Sharpen Up Doubly Sure Royal Coinage Nato Busted Ship Yard Habitat Guiding Light Mandamus Laminate The Parson Russian Queen

The 2002/03 season was one to remember for the connections of Spirit Leader. This daughter of multiple champion sire Supreme Leader contested five of the season’s hottest handicap hurdles and succeeded in winning three of them, including the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury and the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. She was also second at Gr1 level the following season, before becoming a broodmare. Spirit Leader has also thrived in this second career, her first good winner being her Old Vic gelding Folsom Blue, winner of the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over three and a half miles. Now her Flemensfirth gelding Prince Of Scars – a €175,000 purchase at the 2013 Derby Sale – has developed into a Gr1 winner in the three-mile Christmas Hurdle. Prince Of Scars has now won four of his seven starts over hurdles, showing plenty of stamina, so this six-year-old ought to develop into a smart staying chaser in time. Spirit Leader had a distinguished half-brother in That’s My Man, winner of the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle during an unbeaten campaign over hurdles, before suffering a fatal injury. Spirit Leader’s half-sister That’s The Bonus has also done well as a broodmare, as has That’s The Bonus’s daughter Gilt Ridden, dam of the smart chaser Johns Spirit and the promising novice chaser The Game Changer, a triple Gr3 winner in 2015. 92 NEVILLE HOTELS FORT LENEY NOVICE CHASE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 29. 4yo+. 24f.

1. NO MORE HEROES (IRE) 6 11-10 £39,535 br g by Presenting - What A Breeze (Naheez) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-P. Downes TR-Gordon Elliott 2. Rule The World (GB) 8 11-10 £12,519 b g by Sulamani - Elaine Tully (Persian Bold) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-Mrs P. G. Wilkins & R. J. McAlpine TR-M. F. Morris 3. Monksland (IRE) 8 11-10 £5,930 b g by Beneficial - Cush Jewel (Executive Perk) O-Mrs Patricia Hunt B-C. Troy TR-Noel Meade Margins 9, 18. Time 6:45.10. Going Heavy. Age 4-6

Starts 13

Wins 7

Places 2

Earned £99,829

OVATION Good Thyne LR. 1st Dam: What A Breeze by Naheez. unraced. Dam of 3 winners: 2005: ESCUDERO (g Snurge) 2 wins over hurdles. 2006: BALDING BANKER (g Accordion) 4 wins. 2008: (c Heron Island) 2009: NO MORE HEROES (g Presenting) Sold 40,454gns yearling at TINO1. 6 wins, Navan Novice Hurdle G2, 3rd Albert Bartlett Spa Novices’ Hurdle G1, Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase G1, Neville Hotels Fort Leney Novice Chase G1. 2010: Grand Introduction (g Robin des Pres) 2011: Are You Bidding (g Presenting) unraced. 2012: (f Kalanisi) 2014: (f Presenting) 2015: (f Shirocco) Broodmare Sire: NAHEEZ. Sire of the dams of 1 Stakes winner.

NO MORE HEROES br g 2009 Busted Mtoto Amazer PRESENTING br 92 Persian Bold D’Azy Belle Viking Critique Naheez Academic World WHAT A BREEZE ch 00 King’s Ride What A Queen What A Honey

Crepello Sans Le Sou Mincio Alzara Bold Lad Relkarunner Riverman Vallarta Roberto Cambrienne Arts And Letters Perhaps So Rarity Ride Vulgan What A Daisy

See race 44 in the January issue 93 RYANAIR DECEMBER HURDLE G1 LEOPARDSTOWN. Dec 29. 4yo+. 16f.

1. NICHOLS CANYON (GB) 5 11-10 £46,512 b g by Authorized - Zam Zoom (Dalakhani) O-Andrea & Graham Wylie B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Identity Thief (IRE) 5 11-10 £14,729 b g by Kayf Tara - Miss Arteea (Flemensfirth) O-Gigginstown House Stud B-C. Ennis TR-Henry de Bromhead 3. Plinth (IRE) 5 11-10 £6,977 b g by Montjeu - Crazy Volume (Machiavellian) O-Mr John P. McManus B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Samac Ltd TR-Aidan O’Brien Margins 2, 16. Time 4:13.20. Going Heavy. Age 2-5

Starts 18

Wins 9

Places 6

Earned £292,220

Sire: AUTHORIZED. Sire of 30 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - NICHOLS CANYON Dalakhani G1, STERNRUBIN Samum G3. 1st Dam: Zam Zoom by Dalakhani. unraced. Dam of 3 winners: 2010: NICHOLS CANYON (g Authorized) Sold 48,000gns yearling at TAOC3. 9 wins, Ascot Underwriting Noel Murless S LR, Prix Denisy LR, 2nd Worthington’s St Simon S G3, Tattersalls Ireland Champion Nov. Hurdle G1, stanjames.com Morgiana Hurdle G1, World Famous Just Eat Mersey Nov.Hurdle G1, Ryanair December Hurdle G1, Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle G1, Deloitte Novice Hurdle G1, 3rd Neptune Investment Bingham Nov Hurdle G1. 2011: Bright Approach (f New Approach) Winner at 3, 3rd Weatherbys Private Banking Cheshire Oaks LR. 2012: ZAMANI (f Teofilo) Winner at 3. 2014: Fujaira Prince (c Pivotal) unraced to date. 2nd Dam: Mantesera by In The Wings. unraced. Own sister to CLOUD CASTLE. Dam of NIDEEB (c Exceed And Excel: Sportingbet Supports Heros Winter Derby G3), Suegioo (g Manduro: 3rd Socialites Cigarettes Doncaster Cup G2) Broodmare Sire: DALAKHANI. Sire of the dams of 11 Stakes winners.

101

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:54 Page 102

DATA BOOK

National Hunt Grade 1s NICHOLS CANYON b g 2010 Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Top Ville Floripedes Toute Cy Rainbow Quest Saumarez Fiesta Fun Lyphard Vallee Dansante Green Valley Shirley Heights Darshaan Delsy Miswaki Daltawa Damana Sadler’s Wells In The Wings High Hawk Lucayan Princess High Line Gay France Sadler’s Wells

Montjeu AUTHORIZED b 04 Funsie

Dalakhani ZAM ZOOM gr 05 Mantesera

See race 41 in the January issue 94 BETFRED CHALLOW NOVICES’ HURDLE G1 NEWBURY. Dec 29. 4yo+. 20f 110yds.

1. BARTERS HILL (IRE) 5 11-7 £22,780 b g by Kalanisi - Circle The Wagons (Commanche Run) O-Circle Of Friends B-Exors of the Late Lady J. E. Fowler TR-Ben Pauling 2. Politologue (FR) 4 11-7 £8,548 gr g by Poliglote - Scarlet Row (Turgeon) O-Mr J. Hales B-Mme H. Devin TR-Paul Nicholls 3. Label des Obeaux (FR) 4 11-7 £4,280 b g by Saddler Maker - La Bessiere (Loup Solitaire) O-David Sewell & Terry Warner B-N. Devilder, H, Delloye & S. Fasquelle TR-Alan King Margins 12, 0.75. Time 5:20.10. Going Soft. Age 4-5

Starts 6

Wins 6

Places 0

Earned £58,070

Sire: KALANISI. Sire of 12 Stakes winners. 1st Dam: Circle The Wagons by Commanche Run. unraced. Dam of 1 winner: 2002: Knight of Ards (g Simply Great) ran twice in N.H. Flat Races. 2003: Sunny Island (g Turtle Island) unraced. 2005: (f Turtle Island) 2007: Commanche Vic (g Old Vic) 2010: BARTERS HILL (g Kalanisi) 6 wins, Weatherbys Champion Open NH. Flat Race G2, Betfair Bumper Standard Open NH Race LR, Betfred Challow Novices’ Hurdle G1. 2012: (g Kalanisi) Broodmare Sire: COMMANCHE RUN. Sire of the dams of 19 Stakes winners.

BARTERS HILL b g 2010 Mill Reef Doyoun Dumka KALANISI b/br 96 Green Dancer Kalamba Kareena Run The Gantlet Commanche Run Volley CIRCLE THE WAGONS ch 96 Strong Gale Run For Shelter Falcade

Never Bend Milan Mill Kashmir II Faizebad Nijinsky Green Valley Riverman Kermiya Tom Rolfe First Feather Ratification Mitrailleuse Lord Gayle Sterntau Falcon Perpelia

For a top-draw horse whose exploits included victories in the Queen Anne Stakes, Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf, Kalanisi proved extremely disappointing as a Flat stallion at Gilltown Stud, siring nothing better than a handful of Listed winners. However, several of his Flat-bred sons, such as Barizan, Alaivan and Simarian, shone over jumps, none more so than his first-crop son Katchit. Winner of the 2007 Triumph Hurdle, Katchit went on to take the

102

Champion Hurdle in 2008, by which time Kalanisi was resident at Boardsmill Stud. Consequently his first purpose-bred jumpers are seven years old in 2016 and they are beginning to thrive. His best advertisement is the unbeaten six-year-old Barters Hill. Winner of the Gr2 Champion Bumper at Aintree on the last of his four starts in bumpers, Barters Hill has now won his first two starts over hurdles by substantial margins, including the Gr1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle by 12 lengths after making all. Barters Hill has a pedigree to match his performances. His dam Circle The Wagons is an unraced halfsister, by Commanche Run, to Fundamentalist, a winning point-topointer who took the Gr1 Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle on only his third appearance over hurdles. Fundamentalist went on to win five times over fences, including the Gr2 November Novices’ Chase over two miles. Barters Hill’s second dam, the Strong Gale mare Run For Shelter, also had a very distinguished halfbrother in Badsworth Boy, who became one of the star attractions of the Cheltenham Festival. After finishing tenth in the Champion Hurdle of 1981, this Flat-bred gelding (twice a winner as a two-year-old) progressed to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1983, 1984 and 1985 before finishing sixth in 1986. Run For Shelter’s half-sister Aplomb also did well, becoming the dam of Our Bid, winner of the Gr1 Paddy Power Bookmakers Champion Flat Race at Punchestown. 95 32RED TOLWORTH NOVICES’ HURDLE G1 SANDOWN PARK. Jan 2. 4yo+. 15f 110yds.

1. YORKHILL (IRE) 6 11-7 £23,048 ch g by Presenting - Lightning Breeze (Saddlers’ Hall) O-Andrea & Graham Wylie B-P. Keating TR-W. P. Mullins 2. O O Seven (IRE) 6 11-7 £8,816 b g by Flemensfirth - Kestral Heights (Eagle Eyed) O-Triermore Stud B-R. McCarthy TR-Nicky Henderson 3. Agrapart (FR) 5 11-7 £4,548 b/br g by Martaline - Afragha (Darshaan) O-The Gascoigne Brookes Partnership III B-Jean-Marc Lucas TR-Nick Williams Margins 2.25, 8. Time 4:11.40. Going Heavy. Age 4-6

Starts 6

Wins 5

Places 0

Earned £40,700

Sire: PRESENTING. Sire of 61 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - NO MORE HEROES Naheez G1, ROGUE ANGEL Luso G1, YORKHILL Saddlers’ Hall G1, RIVERSIDE CITY Beneficial G2, SOUTHFIELD ROYALE Garde Royale G2, UP FOR REVIEW Good Thyne G2, LORD SCOUNDREL Dahar G3, TRIANA DU BERLAIS Mansonnien G3, DAISY’S GIFT Dr Massini LR, MYSKA Zaffaran LR, STANDING OVATION Good Thyne LR. 1st Dam: Lightning Breeze by Saddlers’ Hall. unraced. Dam of 1 winner: 2009: Hear The Thunder (f Presenting) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race. 2010: YORKHILL (g Presenting) 4 wins, 32Red Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle G1. 2011: (f Flemensfirth) 2013: Ocean Breeze (f Presenting) unraced to date.

96 LAWLOR’S HOTEL SLANEY NOVICE HURDLE G1

Broodmare Sire: SADDLERS’ HALL. Sire of the dams of 10 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - YORKHILL Presenting G1, THREE STARS Westerner G3.

NAAS. Jan 3. 5yo+. 20f.

YORKHILL ch g 2010 Busted Mtoto Amazer PRESENTING br 92 Persian Bold D’Azy Belle Viking Sadler’s Wells Saddlers’ Hall Sunny Valley LIGHTNING BREEZE b 04 Strong Gale Park Breeze Park Delight

Crepello Sans Le Sou Mincio Alzara Bold Lad Relkarunner Riverman Vallarta Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Val de Loir Sunland Lord Gayle Sterntau Saint Denys Lover’s Delight

When a National Hunt-bred foal makes €41,000, you can be sure that the youngster has an excellent pedigree. Presenting’s son Yorkhill did exactly that and the now six-year-old has added to his illustrious family’s achievements with a sequence of five victories, comprising a point-to-point, two bumpers and two races over hurdles. His dam, the Saddlers’ Hall mare Lightning Breeze, never raced and neither did his second dam, the Strong Gale mare Park Breeze. However, Park Breeze developed into one of the most successful National Hunt broodmares of recent times, with five high quality winners. Two of them, the chasers Offshore Account and Dooneys Gate, were by Sadler’s Wells’s son Oscar and were therefore three-parts-brothers to Lightning Breeze. Offshore Account landed the Gr1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown. Park Breeze also excelled with the staying chasers Distant Thunder (a Phardante gelding whose wins included the Gr2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase), Fork Lightning (a Roselier gelding who won the National Hunt Handicap Chase) and The Listener (the Roselier gelding who notched up four Gr1 successes over fences, including in the Lexus Chase, Punchestown Chase and the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup). Park Breeze was a sister to Risk Of Thunder, the veteran who built up such a remarkable record in the La Touche Cup over Punchestown’s cross-country course. Risk Of Thunder, who was owned by the actor Sean Connery, was also second in the 1999 Velka Pardubicka and fourth in the Irish Grand National. It was back in the 2010-11 season that Yorkhill’s sire Presenting recorded the fourth of his sires’ championships. He continues to do very well, though, and was runner-up in 201415 and was again second on the 2015-16 list after Yorkhill’s Gr1 success. He also owes his recent resurgence to the likes of No More Heroes, First Lieutenant, On His Own, Radjhani Express, Southfield Royale, Soll, Rogue Angel, Goonyella and Thunder And Roses.

1. BELLSHILL (IRE) 6 11-10 £39,706 b g by King’s Theatre - Fairy Native (Be My Native) O-Andrea & Graham Wylie B-F. Motherway TR-W. P. Mullins 2. Last Encounter (IRE) 6 11-10 £12,574 b g by Beneficial - Last Campaign (Saddlers’ Hall) O-Ms Mary Mullins B-G. Mullins TR-Ms Mary Mullins 3. Anibale Fly (FR) 6 11-10 £5,956 b g by Assessor - Nouba Fly (Chamberlin) O-Mr John P. McManus B-EARL Baty, Mr V. Baty, Mr F. Lemercier TR-A. J. Martin Margins 5, 1.25. Time 5:05.90. Going Heavy. Age 4-6

Starts 9

Wins 5

Places 3

Earned £123,674

Sire: KING’S THEATRE. Sire of 82 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - BELLSHILL Be My Native G1, CUE CARD King’s Ride G1, JUNCTION FOURTEEN Roselier G2, MINELLA FORU Topanoora G2, FETHARD PLAYER Supreme Leader G3, BLUE BUTTONS Mujadil LR, MORELLO ROYALE Alderbrook LR, SHUIL ROYALE Phardante LR, THE NEW ONE Turgeon LR. 1st Dam: Fairy Native by Be My Native. ran twice in N.H. Flat Races and ran once over hurdles. Dam of 4 winners: 2003: Havajar (g Supreme Leader) unraced. 2004: IN THE ZONE (g Bob Back) 3 wins. 2005: Up And Away (g Saddlers’ Hall) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race and ran twice over hurdles. 2006: FOXBRIDGE (g King’s Theatre) 4 wins. 2007: Bella Venezia (f Milan) ran once in a N.H. Flat Race and ran a few times over hurdles. Broodmare. 2009: CHIEFTAIN’S CHOICE (g King’s Theatre) 3 wins. 2010: BELLSHILL (g King’s Theatre) 5 wins, attheraces.com Champion INH Flat Race G1, 2nd Weatherbys Champion Open NH. Flat Race G2, Lawlor’s Hotel Slaney Novice Hurdle G1, Navan Novice Hurdle G2. 2011: Fairy Theatre (f King’s Theatre) 2013: (f Presenting) 2014: (f Stowaway) 2015: (f Stowaway) Broodmare Sire: BE MY NATIVE. Sire of the dams of 48 Stakes winners. NH in 2015/16 - BELLSHILL King’s Theatre G1, FELIX YONGER Oscar G2, NATIVE RIVER Indian River G2, PAIROFBROWNEYES Luso G2, ROADIE JOE Golan G2. The King’s Theatre/Be My Native cross has produced: BELLSHILL G1, MORNING RUN G3, Stephanie Kate G3, Dorabelle LR.

BELLSHILL b g 2010 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge KING’S THEATRE b 91 Princely Native Regal Beauty Dennis Belle Our Native Be My Native Witchy Woman FAIRY NATIVE b 98 The Parson Amy Fairy Copp On

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Raise A Native Charlo Crafty Admiral Evasion Exclusive Native Our Jackie Strate Stuff Witchy Norma Aureole Bracey Bridge Menelek Stroll On

When Bellshill’s pedigree was reviewed here following his victory in the Champion INH Flat Race at the Punchestown festival, the commentary ended with: “A background of this quality suggests that Bellshill will have every chance of transferring his smart form to hurdles and eventually fences.” The first part of the prophecy has quickly come to pass, with the son of

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Feb_138_DataBook_Layout 1 22/01/2016 17:54 Page 103

Caulfield on Bellshill: “In an era of French domination in the jumping sector, he has a reassuringly traditional Irish National Hunt pedigree. His first four dams are by Be My Native”

King’s Theatre winning his first three races over hurdles, including a Gr2 event by 12 lengths and the Gr1 Lawlor’s Hotels Novice Hurdle by five. In the process, the gelding helped King’s Theatre – sire also of Cue Card – extend his lead in the race for the 2015-16 sires’ championship. In an era of French domination in the jumping sector, Bellshill has a

reassuringly traditional Irish National Hunt pedigree. His first four dams are daughters of the highly successful jumping stallions Be My Native, The Parson, Menelek and Vulgan. His dam Fairy Native never won during a brief career but Bellshill is her third winner by King’s Theatre, another being the staying chaser Foxbridge. Her 2015 filly by Stowaway sold for €24,000.

Bellshill’s second dam, Amy Fairy, was a fairly useful hurdler who went on to win twice at up to two and a half miles over fences. Amy Fairy’s halfsister Steal On had the distinction of being the dam of One Man. This outstanding chaser numbered the Queen Mother Champion Chase and two editions of the King George VI Chase among his numerous victories.

Bellshill’s third dam Copp On was a sister to Persian Wanderer, a winner of the Power Gold Cup, and his fourth dam, Stroll On, was a half-sister to Royal Alliance, dam of the high-class chaser Royal Bond and top hunterchaser Matchboard. Matchboard in turn became the second dam of the Champion Hurdle winners Morley Street and Granville Again.

National Hunt Graded Races Date 04/12 05/12 06/12 11/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 12/12 13/12 13/12 13/12 13/12 14/12 14/12 18/12 18/12 19/12 19/12 19/12 26/12 27/12 27/12 27/12 27/12 27/12 29/12 01/01 01/01 01/01

Grade G2 G3 G2 G3 G2 G2 G2 G2 G3 G2 G3 GrB GrC G2 G3 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G2 G2 G2 GrB GrB G3 G2 G2 G3

Race (course) Neptune Investment Winter Novices Hurdle (Sandown Park) Betfred Becher Handicap Chase (Aintree) Betfred Peterborough Chase (Huntingdon) Ryman Stationery December Hcp Chase (Cheltenham) Albert Bartlett Bristol Novices’ Hurdle (Cheltenham) stanjames.com International Hurdle (Cheltenham) bet365 RSA Trial December Novices’ Chase (Doncaster) bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle (Doncaster) Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Cheltenham) Navan Novice Hurdle (Navan) Irish Farms EBF Klairon Davis Nov.Chase (Navan) Tara Handicap Hurdle (Navan) Foxrock Handicap Chase (Navan) Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase (Navan) Kerry Group EBF Mares Novice Chase (Navan) Mitie Noel Novices’ Chase (Ascot) Sky Supreme Trial Kennel Gate Nov.Hurdle (Ascot) Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle (Ascot) Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle (Ascot) Kerry Group Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle (Fairyhouse) Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (Leopardstown) williamhill.com Desert Orchid Chase (Kempton Park) williamhill.com Wayward Lad Nov. Chase (Kempton Park) Shannon Airport Greenmount Nov. Chase (Limerick) Paddy Power Handicap Chase (Leopardstown) Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase (Limerick) Willis EBF Mares Hurdle (Leopardstown) BetBright Dipper Novices’ Chase (Cheltenham) Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle (Cheltenham) BetBright Fairlawne Handicap Chase (Cheltenham)

Dist 20f 26f 20f 26f 24f 17f 24f 16.5f 21f 20f 17f 20f 20f 17f 17f 21f 15.5f 15.5f 15.5f 24f 16f 16f 16f 19.5f 24f 19.5f 20f 20.5f 20f 20.5f

Horse Label des Obeaux (FR) Highland Lodge (IRE) Al Ferof (FR) Aachen (GB) Unowhatimeanharry (GB) Old Guard (GB) Southfield Royale (GB) Who Dares Wins (IRE) Village Vic (IRE) Bellshill (IRE) Ttebbob (IRE) Rossvoss (GB) Fine Rightly (IRE) Felix Yonger (IRE) Queens Wild (IRE) Le Mercurey (FR) Yanworth (GB) Jolly’s Cracked It (FR) Sternrubin (GER) Gangster (FR) Apple’s Jade (FR) Sprinter Sacre (FR) Ar Mad (FR) Outlander (IRE) Minella Foru (IRE) Pairofbrowneyes (IRE) Keppols Queen (IRE) Seeyouatmidnight (GB) Camping Ground (FR) Village Vic (IRE)

Age 4 9 10 11 7 4 5 3 8 5 6 7 7 9 5 5 5 6 4 5 3 9 5 7 6 6 7 8 6 9

Sex G G G G G G G G G G G G G G M G G G G G F G G G G G M G G G

Sire Saddler Maker Flemensfirth Dom Alco Rainbow Quest Sir Harry Lewis Notnowcato Presenting Jeremy Old Vic King’s Theatre Milan Medicean Alflora Oscar Westerner Nickname Norse Dancer Astarabad Authorized Green Tune Saddler Maker Network Tiger Groom Stowaway King’s Theatre Luso Indian River Midnight Legend Goldneyev Old Vic

Dam La Bessiere Supreme Von Pres Maralta Anna of Saxony Red Nose Lady Dolma Chamoss Royale Savignano Etoile Margot Fairy Native Our Dream Dixielake Bealtaine Marble Sound Pepsi Starlet Feroe Yota Jolly Harbour Sworn Mum Dahlia’s Krissy Apple’s For Ever Fatima III Omelia Western Whisper Shannon Rose Frankly Native Keppols Princess Morsky Baloo Camomille Etoile Margot

Broodmare Sire Loup Solitaire Presenting Altayan Ela-Mana-Mou Teenoso Marchand de Sable Garde Royale Polish Precedent Garde Royale Be My Native Bob Back Lake Coniston Zaffaran Be My Native Heavenly Manna Bulington Galetto Rudimentary Samum Kris S Nkosi Bayolidaan April Night Supreme Leader Topanoora Be My Native Soviet Lad Morpeth Pennekamp Garde Royale

Index 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125

The TBA is delighted to introduce

Race badges* Hospitality at key fixtures* Member events Yard tours

JUST £50 FOR TBA MEMBERS

thetba.co.uk 01638 661321 *T&Cs available upon request. Subject to availability.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

103

Feb_138_24Hours_Owner 22/01/2016 17:23 Page 104

24 HOURS WITH… ED HARPER

’m more of an evening worker than a morning worker so I tend to arrive at the stud at 8am which, in the season, is the first covering slot of the day. I pop my head into the covering shed to see how things are going and during the foaling season I’ll call in to the foaling barn first thing. We have a full 24-hour rota including night watch staff and three on-call foaling staff during the season, and it’s always good to see any newborns in the morning. If it’s not one of our own foals I’ll make an assessment to pass on to the breeder. I then join Carole Steel, our stud secretary of more than 40 years, in the office to have a look at the covering board and see what’s in store. We have four different time slots for mares to visit our four stallions – 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 9pm – and generally our clients are very good at being on time, but as we’re slightly off the beaten track we sometimes have to be a bit flexible. We like to have the stallions turned out as much as possible and we’re lucky that they each have access to a paddock through the back door of their stables. Swiss Spirit seems to be able to tell the time as he brings himself back into his box about ten minutes before each covering slot – he’s as keen a stallion as we’ve had! For the last two seasons Showcasing has been fully booked by the end of November. During January I’ll be in the latter stages of filling the other stallions’ books. We’ve also been getting our new boy, Due Diligence, used to covering a few retired mares. Come the middle of this month he’ll be very busy with plenty of young maiden mares coming to him early on, so it’s good to be able to hit the ground

104

He professes to being “not so much of a morning person”, but Whitsbury Manor Stud Director ED HARPER is still at work by 8am, while during sales season life revolves around phone and laptop running after a few practice jumps in January. We weigh the stallions on a fairly regular basis; we have to be careful with Showcasing, who seems to be able to get fat on fresh air. The non-shuttle stallions, Swiss Spirit and Due Diligence, will have a fair amount of hand-walking and lungeing to get them fit for the season. They’ll be busy this year, covering around 120 mares each, so it’s important that they are ready to cope with it. We have 65 of our own mares at

Whitsbury and another 20 permanent boarders and around two-thirds go to our own stallions – we’ll be sending 22 to Due Diligence this year. I try to get out to chat to our resident vet Charlie Pinkham and Stud Manager Phil Haworth during the daily vetting sessions to find out about any issues Charlie is dealing with. It’s also a great time to see the young foals. I look after the sales side of things – the nominations and cataloguing – so in the season I spend 95% of my

time either on the computer or on the telephone. I’m able to do that as we have such a great team outside, led by Phil and including Joe Grimwade as our Broodmare Manager, while Carole deals with the vast majority of the day-to-day admin for visiting mares and bookkeeping. After university I spent three years qualifying as a chartered surveyor, then did a stud season in New Zealand before taking over the business about three years ago. Initially that meant that any outside interests were put on hold. It’s not just the stud – we also have the arable farm and the property side of our racing stables that are used by Marcus Tregoning and Paul Henderson and which are really at the heart of Whitsbury village. For the first time in quite a few years, I managed to fit in a brief skiing holiday in January as the stallions are going so well. If there’s any sale coming up I’ll usually spend the evenings with the catalogue on my lap and I learn plenty from trying to go through it in as much detail as possible. Although we have the TV on in the office, I record the Flat racing through the day and in the evening I’ll watch any race from ten furlongs down. Our knowledge of the industry becomes redundant very quickly if we’re not keeping abreast of events on the racecourse. Obviously we follow all our stallions’ stock and those of our clients, while I like to get away from the stud when I can to visit clients, especially to see any first foals they have by our stallions. By the time I’ve gone through all this I turn in about 11.30pm, which is probably why I’m not so much of a morning person!

Interview by Emma Berry

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

DAR8869 OB page Shuttlers 18 JAN16 copy 15/01/2016 17:01 Page 1

You beauties! Fantastic on paper, stunning in the flesh: introducing our four new reverse shuttlers

BRAZEN BEAU The Champion sprinter

HALLOWED CROWN The leading miler

I Am Invincible – Sansadee (Snaadee) £10,000 Stands at Dalham Hall Stud, Britain

Street Sense – Crowned Glory (Danehill) €7,000 Stands at Kildangan Hall Stud, Ireland

SHOOTING TO WIN The Guineas hero

SIDESTEP The Champion juvenile

Northern Meteor – Listen Here (Elusive Quality) €7,000 Stands at Kildangan Hall Stud, Ireland

Exceed And Excel – Dextrous (Quest For Fame) €4,000 Stands at Haras du Logis , France All terms: Oct 1, SLF

See them win and study their pedigrees on www.darleystallions.com then call the studs to arrange to see them: they’re all stunning! Dalham Hall Stud +44 (0)1638 730070 Kidangan Stud +353 (0)45 527600 Haras du Logis +33 (0)2 33 36 21 20, +33 (0)6 03 52 05 64, +33 (0)6 16 87 35 84 or +44 (0)7436 283583

Darley