Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder by The Owner Breeder

Mar_139_CoverNEW_OwnerBreeder 18/02/2016 16:42 Page 1

£4.95 | March 2016 | Issue 139

Incorporating

Hooray for Henry De Bromhead bidding for more special moments at Cheltenham

Plus • The growing empire of Paul and Clare Rooney • Shade Oak Stud looks to the future with Telescope • Nick Luck on the intense focus of the Festival

9 771745 435006

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

33568_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Mar'16.qxp_33568_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Mar'16 16/02/2016 17:05 Page 1

ter first three years Comparative records af pean crops of runners from Euro WNRS G1 WNRS SIRE

TOTAL £

MASTERCRAFTSMAN Cape Cross Invincible Spirit Pivotal Teofilo Dansili New Approach Dutch Art Exceed And Excel

SWS

7,892,478 19 5,045,699 17 4,952,992 17 6,914,560 17 5,603,473 17 4,376,816 13 4,427,772 12 4,531,783 12 3,867,536 12

3 1 1 1 5 3 3 0 0

12 6 7 11 10 6 7 6 5

Amazing Maria wins the Prix Rothschild Gr.1

motions Ltd.

Statistics supplied by Hyperion Pro

Aidan O Brien’s Even Song scored by 3½ lengths at Leopardstown

“This was impressive” RACING POST

re” “She´s an Oaks filly forONsu OGHUE JOCKEY COLM O´D

• 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 • WAR COMMAND • ZOFFANY •

33568_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Mar'16.qxp_33568_Mastercraftsman_TBOB_Mar'16 16/02/2016 17:06 Page 2

2015 yearlings sold for: €425,000, €290,000, €180,000, €175,000, €170,000, €155,000, €155,000, €150,000 etc.

HUGO LASCELLES, purchaser of his top-priced yearling in 2015 for

€425,000

And his 2015 foals sold for: €180,000, €150,000 etc.

BIG results in New Zealand on 13 February: VALLEY GIRL won Herbie Dyke Stakes-Gr.1 MIME won Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic-Gr.2 Fee: €35,000

(APPROX. £25,000) Contact: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Tel: 353-52-6131298. Fax: 353-52-6131382. Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars or Jason Walsh. Tom Gaffney, David Magnier, Joe Hernon or Cathal Murphy: 353-25-31966/31689. Kevin Buckley (UK Rep.) 44-7827-795156. E-mail: sales@coolmore.ie Web site: www.coolmore.com All stallions nominated to EBF.

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Mar_139_Editors_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:51 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 | March 2016 | Issue 139

Incorporating

Hooray for Henry De Bromhead bidding for more special moments at Cheltenham

Plus • The growing empire of Paul and Clare Rooney • Shade Oak Stud looks to the future with Telescope • Nick Luck on the intense focus of the Festival

9 771745 435006

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

Cover: Grade 1 winner Special Tiara heads a select team of Cheltenham Festival runners for Henry de Bromhead Photo: George Selwyn

EDWARD ROSENTHAL

Stable of star pupils set to show Mullins masterclass W

P Mullins – nine letters that have come to represent a National Hunt stable of phenomenal talent. For trainers and owners competing at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, seeing his name in the racecard might well induce a sense of foreboding. Such is the strength in depth available to the master of Closutton that defeating one of his charges is rarely good enough to scoop the pot. Annie Power’s dramatic exit at the final flight in last year’s OLBG Mares’ Hurdle may have saved the betting industry from a monstrous payout, yet the prize still returned to Bagenalstown courtesy of second string Glens Melody. This season has witnessed more of the same. At Navan on February 14, Black Hercules and Tell Us More crashed out in their respective Grade 2 novice chases, each looking the likely winner. Yet Mullins still claimed victory in both contests, thanks to his back-up team. The previous weekend, the Grade 1 Gain Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown – a signpost for the Triumph Hurdle – saw a Mullins 1-2-3, with Footpad, the longest-priced of his three runners, defeating two better-fancied stablemates. It’s so elementary, apparently. Glancing at the Irish jumps trainers’ table, the challenge facing his colleagues is obvious. At the time of writing, Mullins sits on top of the pile with 150 winners, operating at a stunning strike-rate of 35%, banking €3.2 million. Gordon Elliott, in second, has 99 winners and a 15% strike-rate, with €2m in prize-money. It is a two-horse race. So where has the opposition gone? Of those who finished in the top ten with Mullins a decade ago, only Jessica Harrington is better off in 2015-16. Noel Meade, once Ireland’s dominant force, has 26 victories to his name. Edward O’Grady, Paul Nolan (see View From Ireland), Michael Hourigan, Arthur Moore and Tom Taaffe – all Grade 1-winning trainers – have sent out fewer than 40 winners between them. Charlie Swan, unable to make training pay sufficiently, relinquished his licence last year, while Dessie Hughes passed away in 2014.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

With Rich Ricci’s exclusive patronage providing the Mullins yard with a seemingly steady flow of champions and Graham Wylie putting all his eggs in the Mullins basket, plus massive support from Gigginstown, the juggernaut looks unstoppable. Perhaps Henry de Bromhead, who heads the chasing pack behind Mullins and Elliott, can make further strides in the next few years. The man who guided Sizing Europe to eight top-level successes has a number of arrows to fire at Cheltenham’s Grade 1 contests this year including Supasundae, Special Tiara and Identity Thief. In this month’s Talking To with Tim Richards, de Bromhead says he would like to continue to improve the quality of horses in his care but remains cautious on the subject of a title challenge. “I don’t think a 60-box yard would enable us to compete for a championship,” he says. “In any case, I am a bit of a control freak, so I like to know what’s going on; as the string gets bigger and bigger, that gets harder and harder. I am very happy with our numbers although, of course, we are trying to improve the quality all the time. “You are always tweaking things and you always need to sex things up, but the number we have is just about right. If we can maintain our results for the rest of my career I’d be very happy.” Someone not content with recent results is Paul Rooney, who with wife Clare has quickly established a large string of jumpers plus a number of Flat horses. The owners split from Donald McCain at the start of the current campaign and now have their horses shared around a number of top stables in Britain and Ireland. “Winning is everything,” Paul Rooney tells Julian Muscat (The Big Interview). “I want to be involved in the big races. “Three or four years ago someone asked me what I wanted from racing and I replied I wanted a Grand National winner, a Gold Cup winner and a Derby winner. Why not? I know that to win just one of those would be amazing, but if you’re in this game you’ve got to dream. My dream is to have top horses.”

“Glancing at the

Irish jumps trainers’ table, the challenge facing his colleagues is obvious

”

Mar_139_Contents_Contents 19/02/2016 12:04 Page 6

CONTENTS MARCH 2016

104

NEWS & VIEWS

FEATURES

ROA Leader Appearance money welcome

TBA Leader

At Newbury and Towcester

Helping jump-bred fillies

12 16

Changes Paddy Power Betfair launch

Chris McGrath Importance of racing’s heritage

COVER STORY Talking To... Henry de Bromhead

News National Stud reopens

The Big Picture

The Big Interview Paul and Clare Rooney

Sales Circuit Mixed Flat and jump sales

Caulfield Files The stellar rise of Uncle Mo

100 Dr Statz Need for speed Down Under

104 24 Hours With... Nick Luck

Flat vs Jumps How each code contributes

Howard Wright

Shade Oak Telescope a welcome recruit

Korean courses set example

INTERNATIONAL SCENE 29

View From Ireland Paul Nolan fights back

Continental Tales Norway’s Racing Director retires

Around The Globe Australasian sales thriving

Paul and Clare Rooney have a growing string of Flat and National Hunt horses, which started with Danny Zuko

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Contents_Contents 19/02/2016 12:04 Page 7 B

4:53 pm

Page 3

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FORUM 76

The Thoroughbred Club Launch of exclusive STAR events

ROA Forum Ken McGarrity is the new Scotland Representative

LEADING THE FIELD IN BLOODSTOCK INSURANCE

TBA Forum Breeders’ Incentive Scheme for 2016

Breeder of the Month Wood Farm Stud for Yanworth

TO STAY

Vet Forum The frustrations of bone cysts

DATA BOOK

AHEAD OF THE FIELD

102 NH Graded Races Latest winners over jumps

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

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Mar_139_ROA_Leader_Layout 1 18/02/2016 16:37 Page 9

ROA LEADER

NICHOLAS COOPER President Racehorse Owners Association

Competition for runners a welcome development Paying appearance money will benefit owners, tracks and also bookmakers

t may be a hard act to follow in trying to match the insightful comments of my predecessor Rachel Hood in this monthly column but, as the new ROA President, it is a challenge I look forward to. Since racing is basically about one horse running faster than another, I have quickly realised the business and infrastructure of this industry is amazingly complicated, so much so that trusting one’s instincts is often every bit as important as having a grasp of all the detail. One thing my instincts are now telling me is that appearance money in British racing is a good thing and should be extended. We should therefore applaud the appearance money initiatives put into place by Chester and Musselburgh and give them the recognition they deserve as two racecourses which are right up with the best when it comes to looking after owners generally. As you will know, Chester has recently announced an appearance money scheme for this year whereby no owner of a horse who runs there will go away with less than a £400 payment (less the usual trainer, jockey, stable staff deductions). On top of an 8% increase in their 2016 total prize-money fund, this surely already makes Chester favourite to win the ROA’s best large racecourse award for a second successive year. When we are constantly being told we need more horses in training, an expansion of appearance money would improve the industry’s dire financial model for owners. With nearly 60% of horses in training winning less than £2,500 a year and over one quarter winning nothing, it’s difficult to see how we are going to attract more owners – or discourage existing ones from leaving – when you consider the cost of having a horse in training. Along with appearance money helping to cushion the costs for the small owner of getting a horse to the racecourse, one obvious advantage is that it would help to combat small fields, especially if racecourses worked with

the BHA on the selection of events that should be targeted. Yes, I know racing has been here before and I know one of the arguments against appearance money is that sometimes very moderate horses run just to get the appearance money, but the pluses surely outweigh the minuses. Bookmakers will tell you every time a horse runs, however moderate it might be, it attracts betting turnover. We also know that even the most mediocre of horses can play an important part in increasing field sizes for eachway betting. The scourge of small fields is further in evidence when racecourses receive significantly less money in media rights payments for races with three or four runners – a point made by Musselburgh’s excellent Bill Farnsworth when he talked about their appearance money scheme. It would not be practical, affordable or even desirable to attach appearance money to all races. At least to begin with, it should be targeted at those races at, say, Class 4 and below that look likely to end up with small fields. With racecourses now flush with media rights money, competition between the courses for runners should be much stronger and offering appearance money would be an excellent way of fuelling this competition. There are, of course, a lot of factors that go into deciding where to run a horse, but, all things being equal, the racecourse that is putting on the race that carries appearance money would surely get the nod. The fact that small fields are anathema to both racecourses and bookmakers should put owners in a very strong position – but only if we vote with our feet. Not only must we get behind the initiatives of Chester and Musselburgh to show that their appearance money schemes really work, but we, as an association, must lobby the BHA and racecourses to create a scheme from which everyone benefits.

“We should applaud

Chester and Musselburgh and give them the recognition they deserve

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

G 3 IN 1 LL 20 RO IN EN RN W BO O N IES LL FI

Here come the girls! Great bonuses for winning NH fillies and mares

The NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme Don’t miss out, registration for fillies born in 2013 closes 31st March 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

Mar_139_TBA_Leader_TBA 18/02/2016 16:38 Page 11

TBA LEADER

JULIAN RICHMOND-WATSON Chairman Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

New initiative aims to aid plight of jump-bred fillies Increasing mares’ race programme to provide more opportunities is the goal

HILE all eyes are on Cheltenham, it’s worth focusing on a new initiative that will benefit British jumps breeders across the board. I refer to the NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (MOPS), which has taken time to put together but, thanks to the hard work of all concerned, was launched on January 1. The Levy Board and BHA have been extremely supportive, and the TBA’s ability to highlight the difficult market for jump-bred fillies, through our Economic Impact Study and statistics on British-bred foals, has helped everyone to appreciate the seriousness of the situation and to get behind a scheme that sets out to address the problems. The increase in races for National Hunt fillies and mares, with proposals for further additions, has to be the ultimate goal, as providing more opportunities to run and therefore win races with these horses has to be the best driver of progress. But an extension to the race programme will alter behaviour only over the long term. We needed a scheme that could kick-start the process of change and encourage more breeders and owners to support and race fillies and mares over jumps. MOPS is it, with eligible owners able to earn bonuses of £10,000 in qualifying hurdle races and chases and £5,000 in mares’ NH Flat races. As Princess Zahra Aga Khan pointed out in her keynote speech at the recent Asian Racing Conference, “Success should be confined to the results achieved on the racecourse.” So a pattern emerges: we need the fillies’ and mares’ races in which horses can be tested competitively, and then we need to breed from the best of them. There is no better example of what can be achieved than the support given to fillies and mares in jump racing by the French racing authorities. A process of thorough testing on the racecourse and subsequently breeding from proven performers has produced a standard of runner that

is highly sought-after and is having a profound effect at the top of the sport in Britain. The large number of fancied horses for this month’s Cheltenham Festival that carry the FR suffix proves the point. While we cannot expect to match the financial incentives given in France, we should not shy away from trying to improve the breed and in particular to test our fillies and mares on the racecourse. As we catch up with registrations for MOPS, please be aware that the deadline for filly foals of 2013 is March 31, 2016. Inevitably, jump racing takes centre stage at this time of year, but for breeders, especially Flat breeders aiming for early foals, foaling and covering are of the utmost importance. Those with early foals will be looking to register them, and I very much hope that by the time you read this the registration form carries an agreed declaration on the use of steroids. The TBA wholly supports the BHA’s determination to stamp out the use of anabolic steroids, and to create a robust regime which achieves that objective we have worked hard to agree a form of words that both the TBA and our Irish counterpart the ITBA can recommend to breeders. Different wording or compliance in each country would not make sense, given that so many Irish-breds run in Britain, and I believe we have achieved a sensible position. It is then up to the racing authorities to develop suitable tests to prove that horses bred and born outside Britain and Ireland have not benefited from steroid use at any time. On a personal note, I attended the memorial service for Peter Willett at the end of January, and it was rewarding to see so many old, and not-so-old, faces paying their respects to a man who had a passion for the thoroughbred and all that the breeding and racing of the horse encompasses. We must never forget that, while we work away on projects and schemes to advance the cause of breeders, it is the horse that fascinates and binds us together.

“There can be no better example of what can be achieved than the support given to fillies and mares in France

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

Mar_139_News_Owner 19/02/2016 12:53 Page 12

NEWS Stories from the racing world

National Stud reopens after EHV scare

EMMA BERRY

Covering season begins on time as precautions taken prevent spread of disease

Business as usual at the National Stud stallion yard after self-imposed lockdown ends

he National Stud was forced to close on the eve of the 2016 breeding season following the arrival of a filly infected by neurological herpes virus (EHV).

The infected filly, who had been vaccinated and was not pregnant, was shipped to Newmarket from overseas on January 20 and the stud followed Codes Of Practice protocols

by shutting down the main yard as well as ceasing public tours of the facility. All the animals the infected filly travelled with tested negative for EHV and they remained with her in the Heath Yard Isolation facility, which operates – with its associated paddocks – independently from the main stud, from which it is geographically separated. Five stallions are standing at the National Stud this year – Dick Turpin, Gregorian, Pastoral Pursuits, Roderic O’Connor and Toronado – and they were able to cover as normal when the breeding season began on February 15. As this issue went to press, the isolation facility was set to reopen on February 23. “We’ve tested every week and nothing has spread, and the one animal is making a recovery,” said the stud’s managing director Brian O’Rourke. “Every mare in that yard will foal there and won’t come down to the main yard.”

A 16-strong industry-wide task force in Ireland has produced a report announcing its recommendations for drug control in the sport following the BHA’s Equine AntiDoping policies announced last summer. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) will hand a lifetime ban to any horse found to have illicitly been given banned substances such as anabolic steroids. This compares with a 14-month ban from racing in Britain for horses in a similar position. Whereas the BHA will not allow anabolic steroids to be used at all for medical reasons, the Irish report states that in “the very rare and exceptional circumstances where a horse may need to be administered an anabolic steroid for therapeutic purposes”, the Turf Club Referrals Committee would consider the same suspension period as in Britain. Horse Racing Ireland has approved expenditure of €1.845 million to buy new laboratory equipment to ensure adequate facilities are in place to meet increased challenges. The intention is ultimately to have a laboratory in Ireland approved by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

GEORGE SELWYN

Lifetime bans for horses falling foul of Irish anti-doping rules

Task force was formed in the wake of a three-year drugs ban for trainer Philip Fenton

HRI has also promised to fund a dedicated anti-doping unit in the Turf Club and cover the costs of additional sampling and out-of- competition testing. The Anti-Doping Tasking Force, headed by Turf Club Senior Steward Meta

Osborne, included representatives of HRI, the Turf Club, the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, Weatherbys Ireland and the Irish sales companies.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_News_Owner 19/02/2016 12:53 Page 13

Record prize-money on offer at Crabbie’s Grand National meeting

A statement from the Anti-Doping Task Force commented that: “Illegal performance-enhancing drugs have no place in the Irish racing and breeding industries. In particular, the task force supports the position of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities that the use of anabolic steroids should not be permitted in or out of competition. “Doping is cheating, and cheating is fraud: cheats have no place in our industry. Doping confers an unfair advantage on one individual over another, has the potential to pose serious welfare risks to horses and damages the perception of racing and breeding. “Ultimately it places at risk the valuable trade in Irish bloodstock and the business of betting on Irish racing. The organisations represented on the task force are committed to ensuring that the drugtesting regime in the Irish racing and breeding sectors is one that can meet current and future challenges.” The report also announces that any horse entered for sale at public auction in Ireland could be tested by the Turf Club under its out-of-competition programme. It is also intended that testing methodology is standardised for horses racing, in training or at the sales.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

GEORGE SELWYN

Alongside a £1 million Crabbie’s Grand National, this year’s three-day Aintree April fixture will boast record overall prize-money of £2.9 million, up £105,000 on 2015. The largest increase comes in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle on Grand National Day, with a prize fund of £150,000, a rise of £30,000 on 12 months ago. The meeting runs from April 7 to 9 and for the first time the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase on the opening day will offer a sixfigure purse with £100,000 in prize-money. Weights for the Crabbie’s Grand National were announced at a lunch in London on February 16 and Many Clouds has been allotted 11st 10lb, only 1lb more than when winning last year’s contest. BHA Head of Handicapping Phil Smith commented: “Many Clouds is technically running off a 5lb higher mark although physically he will only be carrying 1lb more but the opposition is tougher.

Extension for 2015 foal registration

Oliver Sherwood: amazed by response

“This is the highest-quality Grand National I have handicapped. There is quantity, quality and depth. There are a record 86 horses rated 140 and above and 55 horses between 140 and 149 – they are the sort of horses I like as they give depth to a handicap. There are also a record 19 horses rated 155 and above.” Many Clouds’s trainer Oliver Sherwood admitted that he was amazed by the global reaction to his stable star’s Grand National success in 2015. “I was staggered by the worldwide response to Many Clouds’s win last year, with interest from everywhere including Japan, America and Australia. I couldn’t believe how much the Grand National means to the rest of the world,” said the Lambourn trainer. Meanwhile, Halewood International, parent company of Crabbie’s, announced that they are in discussions with Aintree about possibly extending the sponsorship after its current three-year term concludes in April. Aintree also revealed that its media centre would be renamed after the late Alan Lee, racing correspondent of The Times and also a regular contributor to Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder, who died in December. John Baker, Regional Director, Jockey Club Racecourses North West, said: “Alan was always first in the media centre at Aintree on the Wednesday before the Grand National and was a great friend to Aintree, both through our bad times and our good times. His support was just fantastic.”

Breeders have been granted a twomonth extension by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to register foals of 2015 that failed to comply with a new rule brought in last year. Alongside its new Equine AntiDoping policy, the BHA announced a rule last summer that stated: “Breeders must submit a complete application to register horses with the General Stud Book within 12 months of their birth”. Racing’s governing body has accepted that – while the vast majority of foals have been registered within the deadline – a handful may have inadvertently failed to comply with the new rule. As a result, for the 2015 foal crop only, foals may be registered within 14 months of their birth to still be admitted to the General Stud Book (GSB). A BHA statement announcing an amendment to Rule (G)1.1.1 and Schedule (B)2 paragraph 4B read: “The BHA has agreed that it is reasonable and pragmatic to grant a two-month extension for the registration to be submitted to the GSB.” The statement also stressed that any horse not registered within 14 months will not be eligible to race in the UK. The rule will be reverted so that all 2016 foals must be registered within 12 months of birth and – as previously announced – will be reduced to six months in 2017. The BHA is writing to those breeders they believe may not have registered a foal.

Foals of 2015 can be registered up to 14 months after their birth

Mar_139_News_Owner 19/02/2016 12:53 Page 14

NEWS

A name synonymous with British racing and breeding for over half a century has disappeared with news that Doncaster Bloodstock Sales (DBS) has been rebranded as Goffs UK. DBS merged with its Irish rival Goffs in 2007 and the two companies subsequently traded as separate entities, both as subsidiaries of Robert J Goff & Co, chaired by Eimear Mulhern. Since the merger, various functions have been combined between the companies including the panel of auctioneers, client accounts and conditions of sales. DBS was founded in Hawick in 1962 by trainers Ken Oliver and Willie Stephenson and Goffs UK will continue to have an office in the Scottish borders town alongside Goffs’ main centre of operation at the sales complex at Kill in Co Kildare. “The merger of Goffs and DBS has proved to be an enormous success from day one as the approach of both companies was always very similar in terms of ethos and customer service,” commented Mulhern. “Goffs’ sales provide a unique, customerfocused service to our clients and these common objectives are set to develop ever more as we work to serve the bloodstock industry to greatest effect. Our key staff can play a vital role on both sides of the Irish Sea and we are looking forward to this new phase of our development with great enthusiasm.” Henry Beeby will remain Managing Director of Goffs UK and Chief Executive of Goffs Ireland and he highlighted the combined strength of the operation last year. “Goffs and DBS have worked in increasing harmony over the last nine years and this brings the two teams closer together at a time when the Goffs Group continues to grow and innovate,” said Beeby.

SARAH FARNSWORTH

Hammer falls on DBS as Goffs UK is born

The DBS brand name will no longer be seen at the Doncaster venue and beyond

“In 2015, we sold nearly 5,000 horses for around €157 million /£121 million across 18 sales and five locations for a wide diversification of vendors from the UK and Ireland, and to buyers from every corner of the globe. “As a brand, Goffs enjoys a superb international reputation which can only strengthen what we offer at our sales in

Doncaster and our international identity, especially as the ethos of industry, integrity and innovation that pervades both auction venues is now identical.” The first sale staged by Goffs UK will be the new National Hunt event after racing at Aintree on April 7 followed by the breeze-up in Doncaster on April 19 and 20, for which a 168-lot catalogue has been published.

ARC boosts Midlands Grand National prize fund Uttoxeter’s Betfred Midlands Grand National, run on March 19, has had a major prize-money boost. Arena Racing Company, Uttoxeter’s parent company, has increased the overall

prize fund to £130,000, up £30,000 on 2015, with prize-money paid down to eighth place. The entire card offers prizemoney of £225,000, representing a rise of £59,000 from last year’s meeting.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Changes2pp_Layout 1 18/02/2016 16:31 Page 16

in association with

Racing’s news in a nutshell PEOPLE AND BUSINESS Darren Egan One time promising apprentice jockey receives 12-year disqualification from the BHA for corrupt and fraudulent practice.

Brown Panther The Curragh will stage Listed race on October 9 in honour of Michael Owen’s late stayer, winner of the 2014 Irish St Leger at the track.

Kristof Fahy Former Chief Marketing Officer at William Hill joins Ladbrokes in same role following a short spell with Telegraph Media Group.

Paddy Power Betfair New company begins life on the London Stock Exchange after completing its merger; Breon Corcoran stays on as Chief Executive.

Eddie O’Leary Gigginstown House Stud boss suffers a broken leg after receiving a kick from a two-year-old.

Danny Mullins Rider set to miss Cheltenham Festival after fracturing a kneecap in a fall from Dicosimo in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

Roger Brookhouse Moves vast majority of string from David Pipe, who trained Western Warhorse to take the 2014 Arkle Trophy for the owner.

Also...

Craven Stakes Newmarket scraps 3lb penalty for runners that previously won at a higher level than Group 3. Leicester Joins the roster of tracks on Racing UK, along with Stratford, when switching from At The Races next year. Jeremy Gask Trainer moves to Ken Cunningham-Brown’s Danebury Stables in Hampshire from Sutton Veny in Wiltshire. Robert Mills Relinquishes licence at Loretta Lodge Stable in Epsom where his father Terry trained. Michael Byrne Jump jockey, 27, quits the saddle after being unable to make the job pay. He was based with trainer Tim Vaughan and rode around 100 winners. George Moore Stalwart of the northern racing scene sends out his last runner; the 63year-old, who trained more than 900 winners, is selling his Warwick Lodge Stables.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Mar_139_Changes2pp_Layout 1 18/02/2016 16:31 Page 18

RACEHORSE AND STALLION MOVEMENTS AND RETIREMENTS Ribbons Daughter of Manduro (black cap), whose biggest success came in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet in 2014, has been sold to continue her career in the US.

Divine Park

Silvaner

Sire of brilliant US turf filly Lady Eli has been sold to continue his stallion career in South Korea, having been at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky.

Group 3 scorer in Germany will begin his stud career at Strzegom in Poland, where he will cover at a fee of about €1,000.

Royal Descent Top-class Australian racemare retired after suffering minor tendon injury and will head to owner-breeder Gerry Harvey's Westbury Stud in New Zealand.

Thewayyouare Sire of Breeders' Cup Classic second Toast Of New York will stand for one season at Gestut Romerhof this year, having served for Coolmore in Ireland.

Zarkar Zarkava’s unraced four-year-old son is sold to Heritage Stud Bloodstock and will take up stallion duties at Haras La Numancia in Argentina.

Intrinsic Talented sprinting son of Oasis Dream, winner of the 2014 Stewards’ Cup, will stand his first season at Hedgeholme Stud in Durham.

Lovely Maria Dual American Grade 1 winner is sold to Japanese interests having previously been owned and raced by Brereton Jones.

PEOPLE OBITUARIES

Also...

Seek Again Grade 1 winner for Juddmonte will shuttle to Haras Carampangue in Argentina from Florida. Pride Of Dubai Three-year-old son of Street Cry, a dual Group 1 winner at two, is retired to Coolmore Australia. Wilshire Boulevard Group 3winning son of Holy Roman Emperor will commence stud duties at York Stud in Denmark. Roderic O’Connor The National Stud recruits Classic-winning son of Galileo from Ireland, with his stud fee increasing to £9,000. Mamool Son of In The Wings, a dual Group 1 winner over 12 furlongs, moves from Germany to Clongiffen Stud in County Meath.

HORSE OBITUARIES Arch 21 Top US stallion based at Claiborne Farm, the Grade 1-winning son of Kris S sired Blame, conqueror of Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Batabanoo 27 Twenty-time winner trained by Mary Reveley and owned by Peter Savill, most notably landing the 1994 Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Risk Of Thunder 27 Sir Terry Wogan 77 Legendary BBC broadcaster who had a keen interest in racing and had horses with Nicky Henderson and his Lambourn counterpart Barry Hills.

Roy Bellin 85 Spent more than 25 years as travelling head lad to former trainer Jack Hanson, also working for trainers Tommy Shedden and Eddie Duffy.

Won seven consecutive runnings of the La Touche Cup at the Punchestown festival and ran in the colours of actor Sean Connery.

Somali Lemonade 7 Daughter of Lemon Drop Kid, winner of the Grade 1 Diana Stakes, dies following complications from foaling.

Bianconi 21 Classy sprinter for Coolmore who developed into a useful sire in Australia.

Halling 25 Five-time Group 1 winner who was one of Sheikh Mohammed’s all-time favourite horses; he also became a successful sire.

Flakey Dove 30 Top-class jumps mare for the Richard Price stable, winning the 1994 Champion Hurdle from Oh So Risky; in all she won 14 races.

Storm Flag Flying 16 Outstanding performer in the US, winning four Grade 1 races including the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, dies foaling a Candy Ride filly.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Big_Picture_Newbury_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:12 Page 20

THE BIG PICTURE

Mar_139_Big_Picture_Newbury_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:12 Page 21

NEWBURY

TAKING THEM APART Like his jockey Lizzie Kelly, the mud-loving Agrapartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s star is definitely on the rise as he demonstrated with his convincing win in the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury Photos George Selwyn

Mar_139_BigPic-Towcester_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 09:54 Page 22

THE BIG PICTURE

A TASTE OF TOWCESTER Only the nine runners in the three-mile handicap chase disturb the tranquility of the tree-lined back straight at Towcester as the eventual winner, the Pink Fizz Filliesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cheat The Cheater, moves up to challenge the leader Photo George Selwyn

Mar_139_BigPic-Towcester_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 09:54 Page 23

TOWCESTER

Mar_139_ChrisMcGrath_Owner 19/02/2016 10:04 Page 24

GUEST COLUMNIST COMMENT

Chris McGrath A greater understanding of the Turf’s rich legacy would bestow us with the humility to consider our responsibility as racing’s custodians and not tamper with its precious heritage

ou’re living in the past. To people who like to think of themselves as ‘progressive’, it’s a charge that requires no elaboration. As a domicile, the past is right up there with ivory towers, cloud-cuckoo land and Rochdale. A place, in other words, nobody would cheerfully pronounce his fixed abode. But it’s not as though we have much choice in the matter – especially those of us who live and work on the Turf. “The past is never dead,” William Faulkner says. “It’s not even past.” And it’s true. The past is all around us. Now it is possible that I have been spending rather more time there, just lately, than might strictly be good for me. Researching a social history of the thoroughbred, I have spent a great deal of the last couple of years in the company of the deceased. And, though prised from books so thoroughly sealed against the light of day that sometimes the pages had never even been cut apart, it turns out that dead people often have rather more life about them than we do. Many a time have I reluctantly closed a book at the end of the day, and yearned for my recent companions to be redeemed from their dusty pages to stroll vividly among the humdrum modern crowd – proceeding, with any luck, directly round the corner from the Bodleian Library to the King’s Arms. My round, I think, if it happened to be Henry Mellish, whose debts will presumably endure beyond Domesday. (Forty thousand pounds on a single throw of the dice might be counted a fairly brisk speculation today, never mind 200 years ago.) Horses would barely feature, in most cases. Would you really ask the Earl of Abingdon only Frankel’s race record speaks for itself but too many untried stallions are selected over proven sires

about the breeding of Pot-8-os when you could hear about meeting Voltaire in Switzerland; or the glees he wrote with Haydn; or his celebrity among the American insurgents during the winter of Valley Forge? Would you ask even George Lambton about men and horses he had known, when he could instead summon up his Horner in-laws and their whole “Coterie,” before its beauty and brilliance was annihilated in the trenches? For now, sadly, any such encounter remains contingent on Mr Jacob von Hogflume. (Perhaps you have seen the blue plaque in London? “Inventor of time travel, 1864-1909; lived here in 2189.”) But that does not mean that we lack a living bond to the generations who have preceded our own fleeting passage across the Turf: not just the brilliant horsemen – the Fred Archers and Mat Dawsons; the Frank Buckles and John Scotts – but also all the dandies and plungers, the “legs” and thimble-riggers, the magnates and the mendicants. All these together, by increments, took a hand in moulding the sport we cherish today: they were on the Roodee in 1539, they were running for the Carlisle Bell in 1599, they saw the King himself ride a winner at Newmarket in 1671. The slightest understanding of that legacy would guarantee all due humility in our stewardship of the Turf. As it is, however, its most precious acres are increasingly mown by hands as ignorant as they are arrogant. So it is that we are now supposed to pretend that a rider who happened to win, say, the Lincoln, the Craven, the Abernant, the Feilden, the John Porter and the City and Suburban would have a score of zero in the jockeys’ championship. A single year’s experiment in this transparently ludicrous formula should have been ample for everyone involved to apologise and withdraw in quiet embarrassment. Yet these days it seems that the more risibly mendacious an idea, the more aggressively its doubters are reTHOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_ChrisMcGrath_Owner 19/02/2016 10:04 Page 25

buked for their disloyalty – even though such innovations are almost invariably authored by people who have been in the game for ten minutes, whose ABC does not so much signify Archer, Bentinck and Chifney as marketing demographics. But while this complaint would find most professional horsemen wearily in agreement, a no less culpable brevity of perspective also infects some of their own work. For each and every thoroughbred in itself represents a time capsule, a repository of the genetic combinations calculated and documented over hundreds of years. To study these, equally, is to gain an automatic sense of our limited right, as custodians rather than owners, to tamper with so precious a heritage. Not just because we should respect the great breeders past, but also because their example shows the fallibility even of the best. Many of the breed’s cornerstone stallions were initially rejected by even its most far-sighted architects. Phalaris, the sire of his century, was a wartime handicapper who was very nearly sold to stand abroad by Lord Derby. His grandsire, Cyllene, and great-grandsire, Bona Vista, were exiled to Argentina and Hungary respectively, and it was wholly fortuitous that a British heir had in each case ducked under the wire in time to preserve their genes in the breeding mainstream. Further back, the mother of Birdcatcher, Ireland’s first outstanding stallion, had previously been offered to breed mere hunters but found no buyer at £30. And the dam of The Baron, Birdcatcher’s principal son, was first rejected as a conveyance round his parish by a country priest. All that may make it seem tempting to trust to luck rather than judgement. But it should instead just keep us humble. The thoroughbred has arrived in 2016 by an epic journey, and deserves us to navigate its future direction by as steady a compass as possible. And, unlike the purveyors of marketing “narratives”, we cannot explain our arrogance as a function of ignorance. We all know perfectly well that too many people are breeding to sell, rather than to race; that we are breeding foals in unconscionable quantity, and mostly in the same shallows of the gene pool; that we are choosing untested sires for the value they might confer on yearlings, rather than on the breed. But we seem incapable of renouncing the headlong, heedless pursuit of short-term gain. In Frankel, this season, admittedly, we happen to have a rookie stallion of unusual racetrack qualifications; but how many others are we blindly backing at the expense of hardy, proven sires who have punched far above their weight at stud? How many freshmen will actually live up to their billing sufficiently to match the records of yeoman sires standing at a fraction of the fee? Unsurprisingly, the only breeders prepared to make a stand can generally afford to do so. Cynics will duly respond to Princess Zahra’s recent plea for sanity by mumbling: “That’s easy for you to say…” But that just isn’t good enough. We all know that the energy we save in turning off a single bulb is not going to save the world. But we also know that each individual contribution, however infinitesimal, represents a gesture of trust in the communal conscience. In just the same way, we must recognise a collective responsibility not only to the thoroughbred of the 21st century, but also to its creators in the 18th century. Be in no doubt. If we don’t keep faith with the past, we can forget the future.

“We are choosing untested sires for the value they might confer on yearlings”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_HowardWright_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:45 Page 26

HOWARD WRIGHT COMMENT

If our sport is serious about attracting a more diverse audience it could do far worse than check out recent developments in South Korea

Let’s run with this theme

veryone, in every part of the racing and betting industries, is searching for a bigger audience, especially among the younger generation. Maybe one of the answers can be found in South Korea, not a country that European interests would normally associate with the mainstream sport, but one that is bursting to make an impression on the world stage. Newly opened races, simulcasting overseas, allowing foreigners into the jobs market, eliminating a price cap on imported racehorses, and the introduction of an internationally recognised ratings system: they are all examples of how the Korea Racing Authority is taking steps to make its mark. Yet the impetus came from within, from a development that sounds familiar – falling betting turnover on horseracing. Customers were losing interest and market share was falling against the rise of sports betting, casinos and online gambling. Add the all-pervasive, Asia-centric threat from illegal gambling, which was estimated to have outstripped the legal variety by $11 billion to $7bn a year, and Korean racing officials realised they had reached a watershed. They needed to change people’s negative perception of horseracing, as well as to recapture general interest. Along with taking innovative international measures, one of their answers was to turn Korea’s three racecourses into the equivalent of family theme parks, with the horse as the centerpiece. All three have been rebranded LetsRun Park in a marketing campaign that binds them together. Seoul racecourse, which grew out of the equestrian facility at the 1988 Olympics, has centre-course space for children to ride ponies, as well as horse simulators, a paddling pool in summer that converts to a skating rink in winter, and an equine museum. Busan, the newest of the three, has similar interactive facilities, while Jeju, which runs a programme of pony racing for the native Korean breed, has a garden area where visitors can observe various breeds from Shetlands to Clydesdales. A fourth racecourse, at Yeongcheon, north of Busan, is planned to open in July 2020, and will follow the same horse-park theme. All this has been done because of the crisis in horseracing, the KRA’s Executive Director

Betting turnover in South Korea is on the up after racing’s rebranding campaign

Yang-Tae Park told delegates at the Asian Racing Conference in Mumbai in late-January, as he outlined the strategy. He was also able to report that the initiative is beginning to pay off, with betting turnover starting to climb again, as punters regain their interest and confidence in the sport.

“For male punters,

the equestrian theme park provides a convenient spot to park the family” Senior representatives from Ascot, Goodwood and the Jockey Club were part of the 40-strong British contingent among 650 people who attended the conference. I hope they were taking notes while Mr Park was speaking. A number of British racecourses have dabbled in equestrian themes. Chester has its polo; Aintree has a thriving indoor arena, which was in use on 20 days in January, including for a three-day elite showjumping event. But none

has gone the distance in terms of emulating Korea’s equine parks. The idea might not work as a permanent feature at Ascot or Goodwood, but Jockey Club Racecourses must have options, while others, with wider equestrian-minded executives at the helm, may find it worth considering. Other than co-operation over welfare issues, where the British Horse Industry Confederation does sterling work but still seems constrained by history, there has been a traditional disconnect between horseracing the sport and other equestrian disciplines. Yet the benefits of crosspollination flow across the board for racing. They fit so many of today’s ambitions, especially at BHA level, and are designed to extend the local influence of racecourses. The Korean example encourages families, including the all-important decision-makers of women and children; it develops a community spirit and encourages education about and familiarity with the horse. The growing lack of contact with horses goes much farther back than the millennial generation. Best of all, at least as far as male punters, who are in the majority, are concerned, the equestrian theme park provides a convenient spot to park the family, in safety but close proximity, for an afternoon’s solid, uninterrupted entertainment. What bliss. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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

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Mar_139_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:57 Page 29

VIEW FROM IRELAND By JESSICA LAMB

Nolan ambitious but pragmatic Trainer may lack top-class runners of old yet knows numbers are key to success

“Y

ou cannot run it as a dream,” trainer Paul Nolan said last month, urging his colleagues to be businessmen in the post-recession era of racing in Ireland. Nolan’s yard rocketed through the crash of 2008, enjoying Galway Hurdle victory with Cuan Na Grai in 2007 and Grade 1 successes with staying chaser Joncol throughout 2009 and 2010. However, come 2011 the horses that had been winning throughout that lucrative time began to disappear and the owners who had been hanging on, stopped replacing them. It is a testament to Nolan and his brother James that despite hitting an all-time low two seasons ago, today there is not an empty stable in the 100-plus box yard. “Every box is full,” Nolan confirms. “At the same time though, they’d nearly all be stores. Two-, three- and four-year-olds. But you need those numbers to make the thing viable. “You can’t run it as a dream. You have to have enough money to pay the wages on Friday and the feed bills and bedding bills every month. To do that, you have to sell the premium horses and buy three more for every one of them. “You can’t run them yourself, because you can’t afford to do that. We try to let the business work so that it’s not in debt and to do that we have to be practical about what we keep. We can’t dream.” This is easier for Nolan to do than others; Toberona Stables grew into a racing establishment to keep the family property in the family. It was struggling as a farm and, with James already working in racing in Britain and racing taking off in Ireland in the late 1990s, thoroughbreds seemed the best solution. It continues to work. “It’s a very up and down game, but it was very lucky for us early on,” Nolan explained. “It was very early on that we got the likes of Say Again, Torduff Boy, Cloone River and Accordion Etoile. We were training Grade 1 and Galway Hurdle winners just a few years in. “It kept the place going and it kept us all at home. There’s no way a farm would have done that. That’s the one savage thing about this. Granted, it’s not as good as it was, but it is working and we’ve even been able to put in two new gallops recently – replacing the sand uphill with woodchip and installing a round. There’s no more we can do with regards to facilities here.” THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Paul Nolan (centre), Mark Walsh and JP McManus after Defy Logic’s Grade 1 win

Since 2000, Nolan has achieved eight top-ten placings in the trainers’ table – two of them top five. He has rarely finished out of the top 15, but from his perch at the bottom of the top 20 trainers in Ireland right now he has taken a long, hard look up.

“We’re delighted to

have what we have. But we need the big owners if we are to return to the top ten” “We’re delighted to have what we have, and to have the loyal men that have remained with us,” he said. “But I think if we are to return to that we need the big guys. We need an Alan Potts or Rich Ricci or Graham Wylie. “That’s the one thing all the big yards, that are successful right now, have. They have owners that mean they can buy 40 at the same sale, whereas we’re buying four.” He added: “Jessica Harrington [fourth-placed] is the only one up there without that one big name. Henry de Bromhead has Alan Potts, Gordon Elliott has Gigginstown, Willie Mullins has Rich Ricci – and the rest of them too. “Okay, Jessica has JP, but she doesn’t have the

power they do. It’s impressive and I take my hat off to her for it.” The key element Nolan lacks is a flagbearer. With Joncol retired, it was a monumental blow to lose his last Grade 1 winner Defy Logic to a fatal gallops injury last November. The son of Flemensfirth had been off the track for nearly two years after bursting a blood vessel when as short as 8-1 for the Arkle at Cheltenham, then damaging a suspensory ligament. But he was on the comeback trail last autumn. “It was unbelievable that he came back from what he did,” Nolan said. “To then be warming up to get ready to work, and have his pelvis break causing him to die from internal bleeding was hard. Most of the whole season was mapped around him, and the year that was in it, with the heavy ground, it would have helped us as he would never have had to run on better ground.” It has been mooted that McManus does aim to replace Defy Logic for Nolan, but until that future, he is business-like and philosophical about the present. “There is always something to teach you a lesson,” he said. “When you look at Robbie Mac [McNamara, paralysed], or Jack Tyner [passed away], whatever chance you have about replacing horses, you cannot replace people. Robbie cannot get his legs back, Jack’s family cannot get him back. “There’s fellows always worse off and we are not going to complain while we have a roof over our heads.”

Mar_139_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:57 Page 30

VIEW FROM IRELAND

Psychology could feature in future research by the Anti-Doping Task Force, after newlyinstalled Turf Club Senior Steward Meta Osborne dipped into the science while heading up the taskforce’s first report. Last month, the Anti-Doping Task Force, incorporating stakeholders from every aspect of the industry, published a set of recommendations designed to improve Ireland’s anti-doping strategy. Osborne, a former President of the Veterinary Council of Ireland, chaired the forum and left the floor buoyed and intrigued by two unexpected thoughts. “This is purely a personal view,” she stressed. “But what I think we might look into in the future is why people cheat in this way. What motivates them to bend the rules? “When they looked into it in athletics, they asked athletes if they had taken performance enhancing drugs and, ‘do you know anyone who has taken performance enhancing drugs?’. The rise in positive answers to the second question was phenomenal.” She added: “[Anti-doping] is as much about intelligence and surveillance as it is about testing.” Though it was included in the reading material the task force absorbed, the subject was not included in the final report as Osborne felt it a bit “vague” and “left of field”, but she has opened discussion with University College Dublin about the possibility of a research paper. She said: “A few years ago UCD commissioned an equine welfare report and some of the techniques used were based on social science. It’s a well-recognised part of any research you do now that involves people.

CAROLINE NORRIS

Osborne out to understand cheating

Meta Osborne, pictured with Andrew McNamara, is the Turf Club’s Senior Steward

“I think it’s something we should put money into and I’m talking to UCD in general terms, myself, about whether they have someone who would be interested in it.” Osborne believes that finding out what drives people to break the rules could lead to more innovative rule structures that place an emphasis on prevention rather than enforcement; it’s something she began thinking about when head of the Veterinary Council. “It shouldn’t be a nanny-type situation, where we’re saying you can’t do this and you

In Brief Dundalk knowledge key Familiarity with Dundalk’s new layout has been credited with reducing careless riding inquiries by 25% in 2015. According to the Turf Club’s integrity statistics, there were 71 cases last year. This has been put down to riders becoming used to riding around the false rail at the turn to the straight in Dundalk, a measure that was introduced in 2014.

Golden era for chasers It is officially a golden era in chasing for Ireland as there are now more horses with chase ratings of 140 or greater than ever before. At the end of January there were

100 horses in that rating band, with 38 of those rated higher than 150. With 105 sitting in the 130-139 bracket at the same time last year, it seems a natural progression, though there are more than 120 fewer horses with a chase rating too.

Stud & Stable Staff Awards Nominations closed last month for the Godolphin Irish Stud And Stable Staff Awards. Now in its second year, the event rewards excellence in Irish racing yards with a prize fund of €70,000 spread over nine categories. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 19.

can’t do that,” she said. “They are professionals and should think for themselves.” Osborne’s other thought for the future was to continue the quality of the round-table discussions that produced the report. The group included representatives from all sections of the racing and breeding industries, including HRI, the Turf Club, owners, breeders, trainers, vets and sales companies. “What really pleases me was that we had very robust discussions and there was not a hint of a leak – until the very end, which was a disappointment,” she said. “But you knew going into meetings that what was said would stay there and you could speak freely.” She concluded: “Having this kind of dialogue is important. I think people learnt a lot about what the functions of each part of the industry are and I personally would love to see it continue to discuss topics of importance.” The recommendations laid out by the AntiDoping Task Force’s report included imposing lifetime bans on horses found to have been administered anabolic steroids and introducing education on issue to the racing and breeding sectors (see News, page 13). From those suggestions, Horse Racing Ireland has already approved expenditure of €1.85million to purchase new laboratory equipment and has said it will support the annual cost of additional sampling, higher levels of out-of-competition testing and a dedicated anti-doping unit within the Turf Club, through its integrity budget.

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Mar_139_Continental_Tales_v2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:41 Page 32

CONTINENTAL TALES By JAMES CRISPE, INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU

RW NO AY

Eriksen ends 35-year stay at helm Boost to betting and removal of whip are his biggest achievements

he coming season will mark the end of an era within Norwegian racing as Hans Petter Eriksen steps down from his position as Racing Director after almost 35 years of service.

His successor, who will start work at Ovrevoll racecourse in Oslo on April 1 and then shadow Eriksen until the Norwegian Derby in late August, is Thomas Gjelsås. Recruited from the television industry,

F RA

STEFAN OLSSON/SVENSK GALOPP/HESTEGUIDEN.COM

Hans Petter Eriksen (inset) enjoyed the exploits of classy Bank Of Burden

Serienschock blooms with Rosa

There was a surprise in the first major jump race of the 2016 French season as the former David Pipe inmate, Serienschock, defied odds of almost 26-1 to record a comfortable victory in the Grande Course de Haies at Cagnes-surMer. This was touched upon in last month’s edition during the interview with Terry Neill but is worthy of further coverage given the unlikely identity of the successful trainer. The field for this £58,824 two-and-threequarter-mile Listed hurdle included representatives from some of France’s biggest yards – Francois Cottin, Jean-Paul Gallorini and Yannick Fouin to name but three. Yet the trophy went the way of Alexandra Rosa, a 38year-old permit holder who was saddling her first ever winner over jumps. Rosa will be familiar only to a very select group of the most ardent racing fans for her exploits in the saddle, mostly on the opposite side of the Channel, where she has ridden 15

where he has been closely involved with not only racing coverage but also the Oslo Horse Show and equestrianism at the last three Olympic Games, 42-year-old Gjelsås is already a familiar name in the bloodstock world thanks to his role as an enthusiastic owner and breeder. Eriksen, who will turn 67 in the summer, was brought up close to Ovrevoll and caught the racing bug early – initially riding in Shetland pony races, then, from the age of 14, as a bona fide amateur rider, notching 11 victories. After a spell in the shipping industry, he has been one of Scandinavia’s senior racing administrators since 1982 and has overseen a number of significant changes within the sport. “I regard the introduction of Off Track Betting [in 1983] as my biggest achievement,” Eriksen recounts. “Betting turnover has increased year-on-year right the way through until 2011 and, after a brief period of stagnation, it was up by 2% again in 2015. “The quality of horses here has improved a lot during my time – nowadays Norwegiantrained horses win around three-quarters of

winners, and also for taking part in the big King George Day ladies’ race at Ascot a couple of years back aboard the Harry Dunloptrained Red Seventy. Rosa has just five horses (the maximum allowed under a permit licence) at her Chantilly yard, among them not just Serienschock but also Decoy and Softsong that have been sourced for the British market by her bloodstock agent husband, Hubert Barbe. “Hubert does a lot of business for English clients,” Rosa says. “Occasionally, if they get bored of jump racing in the UK, we bring them back and build up their confidence, sometimes with me riding them in amateur Flat races. “We were quite confident when we sent Serienschock down to Cagnes as we knew that he was a good horse. We had raced him exclusively in Flat races up until that point, we knew that he had the talent but we just needed to build up his happiness and will to race.”

Over the past few years Rosa has split her time between training and running Un Jour Aux Courses [A Day At The Races], the first hospitality and corporate event management company in France to be aimed at the racing market. Its activities include hiring racecourses for private racing-themed events on nonracedays. For instance, last year Rosa oversaw a corporate anniversary party for 400 people at Chantilly that saw the staging of both Flat and trotting racing, using professional jockeys and drivers, specifically for the entertainment of corporate guests. The trotting races had one big advantage in that horses can pull a double sulky, allowing guests to actually take part alongside an experienced driver. “At the moment I see myself as 50% a businesswoman and 50% a trainer,” Rosa says. “But my ambitions lie on the training side so I can see that changing in the future, as I may take out a public licence.” THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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the major races in Sweden and watching the likes of my favourite horse, Bank Of Burden, has been a real privilege. “Other developments have been the introduction of a sand track – it was wood chip when I got here – which is made out of river sand mixed with a little clay and stages 130 of our 300 annual races. “And the switch to racing without whips has been a long-running theme. In 1982, a new national law covering cruelty to animals meant that jockeys could only use the whip for safety reasons to avoid dangerous situations. “Since 2009, carrying a whip has been outlawed altogether in all except two-year-old races and it works perfectly.” Improvements at Ovrevoll racecourse are ongoing with a new jockeys’ room, offices for stewards and doctors, and hospitality suite for owners and sponsors all set to open in May. These have been financed by the Norwegian Jockey Club gaining permission to build 16 flats just outside the racecourse, which were finished last August. “It’s been a lot of fun,” Eriksen concludes. “But don’t expect me to disappear altogether once I retire. I’ll still be around, I’ll certainly be involved in Denmark where I am a board member at Klampenborg racecourse, and I’ll be helping my grandchildren with their ponies.”

NICOLAS GAVET/PANORAMIC

Alexandra Rosa and Ludovic Philipperon with Serienschock

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S RU

Close call in Cyprus

Racing in Cyprus has restarted following a twoweek suspension prompted by a shooting incident through the rear window of a car driven by the recently appointed Senior Steward at Nicosia Race Club, Marcus Weedon. Weedon, 40, a former British Horseracing Authority official whose last job before leaving England in October was as a private handicapper to the Lambourn trainer, Charlie Hills, is the only British national employed in the racing industry in Cyprus. He was unhurt in the incident, which is believed to be linked to a Weedon-inspired corruption crackdown. Stelios Panayides, Chairman of the Cyprus Turf Club, was understandably inhibited about commenting on the matter at any length, pointing out that the shooting was still under investigation by the police. All he would say was that similar “unjustified incidents have happened in the past and will continue to happen in the future.” Panayides was more forthcoming when asked about the history of his organisation. “The Cyprus Turf Club was established in 1892 based on the English Jockey Club model,” he revealed. “Back in those days racing was held for entertainment purposes between British army officers and members of the Cyprus police. “We consider ourselves very fortunate that one British High Commisioner, Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams [1912-14], was a great racing man and horse lover who oversaw the import of a number of thoroughbred stallions from the United Kingdom to mate with local mares.” The organisation of the sport remained largely unchanged after the country achieved independence in 1960 and there was a further attempt to enrich the breeding line in 1975 when 30 thoroughbred mares were imported. This explains why, right to this day, there are races in Cyprus that are restricted to thoroughbred horses of the English breed and others restricted to nonthoroughbred countrybreds as well as mixed races for both breeds. Since the closure of Limassol racecourse over 90 years ago, Cyprus has relied upon a single course, situated in the Ayios Dometios suburb of its capital, Nicosia.

Nicosia: stages all the island’s racing

But that has not stopped it from developing a sizeable racing and breeding industry – in 2014 it staged 1,012 races, almost double the figure of two decades earlier. The biggest race on the calendar is the Cyprus Derby, for three-year-olds only, held every November over an extended one mile and three furlongs, which in 2015 carried a total prize fund of €22,870 (£17,729). Average prize-money throughout the season is just over £5,000 per race. Racing in Nicosia takes place twice a week throughout the year on a left-handed dirt course with each meeting featuring at least ten races. Nicosia racecourse is a seriously busy place – not only is it the permanent home for two-thirds of the nation’s 940 active racehorses, it is also where the remaining 300-plus horses are transported to in order to carry out many of their training activities. Overall, Cyprus can boast 48 licenced trainers, not to mention almost three dozen active thoroughbred stallions housed at numerous different studs, the most famous being Shiacolas Farm, close to Nicosia, which is the property of Constantinos Shiacolas, owner of the 2003 Ascot Gold Cup winner, Mr Dinos. The current champion sire is Takkatamm, a son of Forty Niner who finished fourth to Pennekamp in the 1994 Dewhurst Stakes when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by Maktoum Al Maktoum. Thus far during his career in Cyprus he has produced 212 runners and 137 individual winners of 226 races.

Knockhouse Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p_Knockhouse Stud OB Feb 2016 f-p 18/02/2016 12:52 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

Mar_139_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 09:16 Page 35

AROUND THE GLOBE THE WORLDWIDE RACING SCENE

NORT H A M E R I CA

by Steve Andersen

A big state wrestles with big issues

GEORGE SELWYN

n January 30, Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas held its top thoroughbred programme of the year, ten races on an evening featuring a $200,000 turf contest and a $400,000 dirt race for fillies and mares. The racing was a welcome diversion from the legislative setbacks encountered by the Lone Star state’s racing business in the last 12 months. Through much of 2015, Texas horsemen and racecourse executives sought to implement an alternative form of gambling at tracks, through a variation of a slot machine called historical racing. Officials have hoped historical racing machines will boost the bottom line for racecourses and give purses at the state’s three leading tracks a muchneeded boost. This issue has resulted in a long-running dispute between state-appointed racing officials and elected members of the Texas legislature, leading to a brief shutdown of racing for a day last August. In the first weeks of 2016, Texas Racing Commission (TRC) members were debating Lone Star Park: hosted a Breeders’ Cup but is one of three struggling Texas tracks

“Historical racing

machines have become popular in the United States in the last decade” whether to authorise historical racing machines, and, as a result, face further threats of disruption of racing from other government officials, many of whom have taken an anti-gambling stance. State legislators have argued that any expansion of gambling in Texas must go through the legislature and governor – and not through a state agency such as the racing commission. On February 18, the TRC convened an emergency meeting, at which members voted 5-4 to repeal the 2014 legislation created to legalise the slot machines, thereby dashing hopes of boosting purses for racing. Historical racing machines have become popular in the United States in the last THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

decade. The machines allow customers to place bets on a video replay of a race run years ago on terminals with characteristics of Las Vegas-style slot machines. Bettors are unable to identify the races being run, giving the machines a random result. Some states have approved the machines for their racecourses, which have been successful at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and Kentucky Downs, while other states have been unsuccessful in gaining approval. Revenue from historical racing machines has boosted purses for horsemen at some American tracks. Geographically, Texas is in a difficult spot. The surrounding states all have an alternative form of wagering in addition to racecourse pool betting. Tracks in Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma have slot machines and robust circuits that have thrived with alternative gaming in the last 15 to 20 years. Oaklawn Park is the only racecourse in Arkansas and has one of the most prominent thoroughbred meetings in the United States from late January to mid-April. Because those states have increased purses, the Texas breeding industry has suffered considerably, with mares and stallions

relocating to neighbouring states. It is not uncommon for Texas-based owners to focus on running elsewhere. Thoroughbred racing in Texas has never reached the heights expected after a statewide referendum legalised tote wagering in 1987. The first track to open – tiny G Rollie White Downs in Brady in the middle of the state, away from population centres – opened in the fall of 1989. It closed within two months. A circuit of small tracks that catered to quarter horses and lower-level thoroughbreds opened and failed in the following decade. Currently, there are four tracks in the state – Sam Houston opened in 1994, followed by Retama Park, near San Antonio, in 1995, and Lone Star Park, between Dallas and Fort Worth, in 1996. A county fair meeting has been held each summer in Fredericksburg since 1990. Each of the three major tracks has separate quarter horse and thoroughbred meetings through the year, providing nearly year-round circuits. Lone Star Park hosted the Breeders’ Cup meeting in 2004, when British raiders Ouija Board and Wilko captured the Filly & Mare Turf and Juvenile respectively, but has not been considered for subsequent runnings.

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AROUND THE GLOBE

AUST R A L I A

by Danny Power

The southern hemisphere yearling sales season is in full swing, and if there is a global financial downturn, nobody has told the racing and breeding industry “down under”. The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – famous for its “holiday” feel – in January produced extraordinary results pushed along by an ever-increasing and broad international buying bench. The Queensland weather was relatively mild for mid-summer, although shorts remained the chosen attire, even for the lilywhite legs of the Europeans. However, the action was hot inside the sales’ auditorium. Book 1 saw 601 yearlings sold (clearance nearly 90%) at an average of A$194,037 (median $150,000)—up from $170,728 last year. The gross was an impressive $116.6 million, up from $92 million in 2015. “This is the highest grossing yearling sale in the southern hemisphere since 2008,” said Vin Cox, Magic Millions general manager. “The average is up 15% and we had six yearlings top the $1 million mark, which is a record for the sale in its 31st year.” The top price was $1.6 million for a mature, well-built bay colt by hot sire Snitzel (by Redoute’s Choice) from the top-class mare Mirror Mirror, who won the 2006 Magic Millions Classic for her owner/breeder John Singleton, whose farm, Strawberry Hill, consigned the colt. The buyer was no surprise—Snitzel’s former trainer Gerald Ryan, who was acting for Snitzel’s former owner Damion Flower (Jadeskye Racing). While the Snitzels were in great demand, international stallion Exceed And Excel was the leading sire (ranked by average for three of more sold). His 11 lots sold averaged $364,545, followed by Snitzel (48 sold at $329,688), Fastnet Rock (30 sold at $328,333), Street Cry (14 sold at $323,214) and Redoute’s Choice (16 sold at $272,500). Former champion colt and sale graduate, Pierro (by Lonhro), was the leading first-season sire on average (three or more sold) with an average $262,568 (37 sold) ahead of Animal Kindom ($250,000 for three lots) and Black Caviar’s half-brother All Too Hard ($221,842 for 31 lots). However, it was the diverse buying bench that highlighted the sale, specifically the increasing influence of the Chinese and a growing interest in Australian bloodstock from some of the USA’s big farms such as Spendthrift Farm (now with a farm in Victoria) and Stonestreet Farm. Teo Ah Khing’s China Horse Club continues to make a huge impact buying 21 lots for a total

MAGIC MILLIONS

It’s hot at the sales down under

Gerald Ryan faces the press pack after signing for a Snitzel colt at A$1.6 million

of $6.69 million. Gai Waterhouse and agent Julian Blaxland bought 23 for an outlay of $5.945 million.

Stayers in vogue at Karaka Three weeks later, across the ‘ditch’, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Yearling Sale also produced some outstanding results. The New Zealanders are certainly back into the big-time breeding game after a few years in the doldrums. Three years ago, the Kiwi breeders were trudging along with their head down, like an Emperor penguin facing an arctic gale, as the appeal of the New Zealand-bred thoroughbred waned in the face of a flood of established European stayers, that not only took their place in Australia, but also left them wallowing in their wake. The Frankel-Our Echezeaux colt – the first yearling by the unbeaten champion to sell in the southern hemisphere – stole the limelight by selling for $NZ1.3 million. His buyers were representative of the way the Australian-New Zealand racing scene is heading: a syndicate including Tom Magnier from Coolmore Stud, agent Apollo Ng (Hong Kong), Sheikh Khalifa bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Niarchos family. However, Frankel aside, the crux of the sale was no doubt the overall demand for quality staying types by emerging young stallions. This was the first Zabeel-less sale in New Zealand for more than 20 years. Remember that Cambridge Stud’s Zabeel came along as his sire Sir Tristram was in his twilight years, so there was a seamless transition from great to just as great that spanned more than 40 years.

There were many breeders and buyers who wondered if New Zealand’s breeding industry could recover without Zabeel – he retired from stud in 2013 and died last September, aged 29 – and to a lesser extent O’Reilly, who died late in 2014. The new “boys” in demand have added a new depth to the sale. Savabeel, Zabeel’s son who stands at Waikato Stud, has taken a big step to be one of the “in-demand” stallions in Australia. His ability to sire top-class juveniles, Classic contenders and potential Cup horses puts him into rare space. The battle for the best of the Savabeels at Karaka was immense – and from his yearlings off a fee of NZ$40,000 – now $100,000. His progeny grossed more than $11 million, which was 20% of the sale’s takings – 45 yearlings sold at an average of $256,556. Cambridge Stud’s Tavistock, with 14 sold at an average $212,85, is the other stallion that buyers couldn’t get enough of. The son of Montjeu has proven to be a big surprise and another feather in the cap of the already welldecorated Sir Patrick Hogan. Two first-season stallions – Reliable Man and Ocean Park – sold incredibly well and, it is worth noting, both proved stars on the racetrack at the highest level in Australia. The 2011 French Derby winner Reliable Man, by Dalakhani, stands at Westbury Stud and has produced quality individuals who have good bone and walk like athletes. His win, beating It’s A Dundeel, in the 2013 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m, Randwick), resonates clearly in the mind of buyers looking for Classic horse with a turn of foot. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Mar_139_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:48 Page 40

TALKING TO... HENRY DE BROMHEAD

Sizing up

HENRY Henry de Bromhead has established a successful stable – but there’s always room for more quality, says the man chasing Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott in the Irish trainers’ table By Tim Richards

ou had an urge to train racehorses from a very early age. Can you recollect and explain what it was that drove your ambition? Growing up with dad training, I found the whole business fascinating but realised how tough it was. He had a couple of lean years and it soon hit home what a competitive game it is. I used to know the form inside out, aged 12. I remember being on holiday with Jimmy FitzGerald’s daughter, Siobhan, and I used to reel off the form of all her father’s horses. I was just passionate about the whole racing scene, but I have to admit there was a time when I set out on an accountancy course and could have followed another career. I think it’s the only thing I have in common with Jim Bolger, who is a failed accountant as well! Before taking out a licence you spent time with Robert Alner, Sir Mark Prescott and your father Harry, while you worked for Coolmore in Australia and America. What lessons did you learn? I started for Coolmore in Ireland at Kilsheelan Stud, a National Hunt farm. Then I went to Longfields, where we had a lot of the MagnierSangster horses. Demi O’Byrne was very good to me and took me to Saratoga Sales when I was 18. I was also selling nominations at Coolmore; it was so instructive seeing the breeding/business side of the operation. From the training perspective you realised how many various methods got results; there wasn’t one fixed formula that worked. Attention to detail is the one thing that stands out everywhere; another is keeping your horses healthy. With Robert and

Sally [Alner] there was a lot of road and hill work; they were great at freshening up horses. Robert is such a horseman and Sally brilliant with the feeding. Here we focus on the health aspect; if they’re not healthy you can’t run them. How big a part does your wife Heather play in the operation at Knockeen, Waterford, particularly at the sales and sourcing stock? Heather is very involved in all aspects of the business. Like all good marriages, we discuss everything in depth, then we just do what she says! In fairness, she is wise enough to stay out of the day-to-day nitty-gritty with the horses, but she is always around and very good at seeing things I might not. Heather can think outside the box and it is always good to have her more cerebral aspect of things; she has got a different perspective than me and I think we complement each other. We always work together at the sales. It is quite telling when I ring any of the lads to say I’m coming to look at a few stores and they always ask, ‘Is Heather coming?’ I think they know who’s got the better eye! What changes would you like to see to improve Irish racing – and could Britain learn anything from Ireland? In England you see how well the owners, the backbone of the sport, are looked after. From the stable staff, to the jockeys, through to the owners, it is very apparent that their needs are catered for to a higher standard than in Ireland. But there are changes taking place in Ireland, at Leopardstown, for instance, where there are great new facilities for owners and trainers. The owners are the important people, funding so much of the sport; the more we can look after them the better. The bar is being raised all the

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Mar_139_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:49 Page 41

Don’t rain on his parade: Henry de Bromhead is hoping for more success at this year’s Cheltenham Festival

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Mar_139_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:49 Page 42

HENRY DE BROMHEAD

BILL SELWYN

you are competing at the highest level and you guys in England are getting to see it with Willie going over most weekends. We all have to step up and take him on. We can’t complain, now that we are keeping the best and getting more and more quality horses from France. Willie is doing his job to the best of his ability and that makes us raise our game. He is a brilliant trainer and a gentleman from an incredible family.

Special Tiara gets taken out at the last by Sire de Grugy in the Tingle Creek Chase

time over here and the racing is becoming increasingly competitive, but there are more opportunities in England, where it is very professional, particularly from the marketing point of view at the Jockey Club racecourses like Cheltenham and Aintree. I was also impressed on a visit to Stratford, where there was a big crowd at what must be considered one of your smaller courses. You are best known for training Sizing Europe, the outstanding two-mile chaser who was still winning at the top level aged 12. Of all the big days you enjoyed with this horse, which stands out most? It would have to be the 2010 Arkle because it was our first winner at the Cheltenham Festival after a few disappointments. Sizing Europe had been favourite for the Champion Hurdle and flopped, then I thought he was going to run real well in the Champion the following year but he got sick with transit fever. So it was fantastic for him to let everyone know what a talented horse he was. I accept the Champion Chase, which he won the following year, is a more prestigious race, but in the Arkle he told everyone that he had finally arrived. Can you explain the impact Sizing Europe had on the stable and your life in general? He helped to establish the business and gave us a shove up the ladder. They always say you need a Saturday horse for recognition. He had a massive impact on my career and our life in general. He gave us all the exposure any stable needs when trying to get going. In the days of Sizing Europe’s Cheltenham escapades you used to travel to the Festival in the back of the horsebox. Is this still your preferred mode of transport?

Yes, I travelled in the back of the lorry again last year. To be honest, it is quite relaxing after the hectic build-up to the meeting. It gives you a bit of time to yourself – you can read the papers, chill out and enjoy the journey. The reason I started joining Sizing Europe in the back was because he was such a bad traveller. Once off

“Sizing Europe

helped to establish the business and gave us a shove up the ladder” the ferry on the way to the Arkle, we pulled into the side of the road, nipped into this field and gave him a drink and a good lead out. It was strange, really, these four horses having a walk round some field in Wales, but Sizing Europe arrived at Cheltenham in the right frame of mind and did the business. Every year since then, Ffos Las have kindly let us break up each Cheltenham journey on the racecourse. You are currently third in the Irish trainers’ championship behind Willie Mullins, whose domination at home and at the Cheltenham Festival has been a continuing headline story. Do you see such supremacy as a good or bad thing for racing? I think that it’s a good thing. Fifteen years ago we were complaining about all the bumper winners and good young stock being sold and exported overseas. Now they are staying in Ireland. That has got to be encouraging. However,

Can you ever see yourself being in a position to challenge for the title, and is this something you want? You have to have the numbers and I am delighted to be training just under 60 horses. I don’t think a 60-box yard would enable us to compete for a trainers’ championship. In any case, I am a bit of a control freak, so I like to know what’s going on; as the string gets bigger and bigger, that gets harder and harder. I am very happy with our numbers although, of course, we are trying to improve the quality all the time. With the likes of Identity Thief and Special Tiara, you’re not afraid to run your best horses in Britain. Is this something you anticipate doing more of in future, perhaps even to avoid the Mullins runners? Yes, why not? If I’ve got a horse that’s happy travelling, capable of competing for the good races and prefers the better ground generally found on English courses. We are fortunate to have a number of English-

Mar_139_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:50 Page 43

HENRY DE BROMHEAD based owners who enjoy having runners there, as do our Irish owners. They are all so well looked after and it makes for a nice trip away. There are plenty of opportunities and it’s not just a case of avoiding Willie Mullins because there are some fantastic English trainers to take on as well. It’s very tough wherever you race – I am just happy to be able to compete at that level.

Henry de Bromhead, and below his most important horse, Sizing Europe CAROLINE NORRIS

This year’s Tingle Creek Chase saw Special Tiara lose out to Sire de Grugy having been badly hampered at the final fence, a result upheld by the stewards. How did you view it? I made my view pretty clear at the time and feel the best horse on the day was not allowed to win the race. It was clever riding by Jamie Moore. Noel [Fehily] went to go up his right hand side after the second last and you could see Jamie manoeuvre across to force Noel on his left. Jamie had got him where he wanted. In my opinion we were completely taken out at the last. But, we went over there, those are the rules and that’s the way it unfolded, sadly. It does seem somewhat bizarre if the best horse on the day isn’t allowed to win the race, and a lot of people have very strong opinions that the rule is wrong and needs revisiting. That’s my feeling as well. I am told we would have got the race in a lot of other jurisdictions. The ruling on interference has become quite an issue with English racing.

Jonathan Burke, pictured with Heather and Henry de Bromhead, is first jockey to Ann and Alan Potts, whose colours were made famous by outstanding chaser Sizing Europe (left)

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HENRY DE BROMHEAD

CAROLINE NORRIS

are just as much fun. At times Cheltenham does take too much focus away from the rest of the season, but its position at the forefront of the overall sporting arena has got to be good for the exposure of National Hunt racing. Though it can be a bit frustrating when you win a Grade 1 around Christmas time and immediately afterwards you find it’s not really about winning that particular race, as the focus invariably turns straight towards Cheltenham. That takes a bit of the shine off winning a Grade 1.

De Bromhead celebrates a winner with his young children Georgia, Mia and Jack

>> While you have attracted the likes of JP McManus and Gigginstown to your stable, Ann and Alan Potts are easily your biggest owners and clearly have huge faith in your abilities. Why does the relationship work so well? The first season Alan came to me, I had three winners and was going through a bad patch. He arrived to look at a point-to-pointer, formed an opinion on us and took the view that we could do it together. To have a man that successful in business – his company Mining Machinery Development makes mining machines called Mineral Sizers, hence all the ‘Sizing’ names of their horses – was a fantastic boost for us. So Alan and Ann have been huge supporters from the very beginning and, like a lot of our owners, they enjoy having a chasing type and are very happy to give their horses time to develop. Jonathan Burke, who took over as retained rider for the Potts, seems to be a wise head on young shoulders. What are his main attributes as a jump jockey and is he a future champion? He’s a very hard worker, very intelligent rider and a lovely young guy. It all comes very naturally to him; he seems to be in the right place at the right time, he’s very good at judging pace and presents a horse at a fence so well. He is 19 and I believe he will be a champion jockey one day. His father Liam, who saddled My Murphy to win the Thyestes Chase, has moulded Johnny and Ruby Walsh and has also helped him along the way. A lot of younger jockeys don’t get the opportunity to learn how tough this game can be, but Johnny knows, thanks to people like his dad. He appreciates everything he’s getting at the moment. Are there plans to increase the current size of your 60-box yard and even develop a larger string of Flat horses?

You are always tweaking things and you always need to sex things up, but the number we have is just about right. If we can maintain our results for the rest of my career I’d be very happy. As a relatively new project, we have half a dozen Flat horses with a view to jumping. I feel there are opportunities for three- and four-year-old hurdlers and in the past I haven’t really had the right horses for those races. Now I am addressing that situation. You are well known for keeping your owners and followers informed via Twitter and Facebook. Have your daily communications resulted in any new owners or syndicates? We have three syndicates – all with winners – that we run through Facebook. We have a very good man in Michael O’Callaghan, who organises it for us. The first syndicate we set up through Facebook was in 2008. And, as Michael points out, we got 20 people together we had never met before, all keen to be involved during the worst financial crisis Ireland has ever seen. The members, who include English owners, are great supporters of racing and really enthusiastic. We find social media very useful, giving smaller owners a chance to be involved. How much of your schedule is geared around getting your horses to peak at the Festival? Is it now too big, to the detriment of other meetings/races? We try to gear ourselves to all the festivals. We work our way to Christmas at Leopardstown, perhaps with the odd runner at Kempton, and then back off the festival horses before aiming them towards the spring festivals at Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown and Fairyhouse. I love Aintree, which is a superb festival and any owners we have brought there have really enjoyed the whole scene. We all focus on Cheltenham but there are other festivals which

At this stage which are your main hopes for Cheltenham? We’ll probably have a core group for some of the Grade 1 races: Supasundae in the Supreme; Sizing John in the Arkle or JLT; Identity Thief in the Champion Hurdle; Special Tiara in the Champion Chase; Smashing in the Ryanair. Then hopefully Aupcharlie will qualify for the Foxhunter and Buckers Bridge may go for one of the Cheltenham handicaps before the Topham at Aintree. Alisier d’Irlande is a pretty good novice chaser who could join the party, but I wouldn’t attempt to say which is my best prospect. I would be putting everyone wrong! Training racehorses is a full-on, 24/7 existence. How do you switch off? If you ask Heather she would say I don’t switch off! I’m very lucky to work in racing – it’s my passion as well as my job. I enjoy watching the good horses and races, even when I don’t have a runner. The twins Mia and Jack, 6, and Georgia, 4, all ride so we enjoy watching them at Pony Club and shows. Sometimes we’ll go and watch rugby together. They also like coming to the races with us.

CLOSE UP AND... PERSONAL I get away from racing by… spending time with the family My weakness is… chocolate I am annoyed by… inefficiency Favourite film… The Shawshank Redemption My biggest fear is… failure

CLOSE UP AND... PROFESSIONAL My advice to a new trainer… do the job to the best of your ability and be straight with your owners I handle defeat by… going into a race hopeful rather than confident Best horse I’ve seen… Sizing Europe My racing hero is… Vincent O’Brien Race I’d most like to win… Grand National at Aintree

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Mar_139_Rooney2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 12:56 Page 46

THE BIG INTERVIEW PAUL AND CLARE ROONEY

Shooting for

GLORY

Paul and Clare Rooneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blue and yellow silks have rapidly become a familiar sight at British racecourses; a victory in either the Gold Cup, Grand National or Derby would do the Scottish-based owners just fine Words Julian Muscat

Mar_139_Rooney2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 13:12 Page 47

o stand Paul Rooney before a herd of horses is akin to watching a child running riot in a sweet shop. He is happy to admit it. “When I look at horses all I see is that they have four legs, a head and a tail,” he says. “When they look at me back, they all look as though they love me. I don’t think I have ever seen a horse I don’t

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like. And if it’s a chestnut with lots of white about it, there’s a good chance I will buy it.” A very good chance. So much so that Rooney and his wife Clare have advanced from anonymity to owning one of the largest jumping strings in Britain over the last five years. They now have 120 horses in training, spread out among 24 different trainers.

This time last year they had 90 horses, the vast majority with Donald McCain, but following a well-documented split, the Rooneys realigned their interests in a way that leaves them feeling harmonious with their involvement. It was a lesson well learned. The bout of indigestion plaguing the child who looted the sweet shop has passed.

JOHN GROSSICK

Paul and Clare Rooney with horse figures made out of driftwood at their home in the Scottish Borders

Mar_139_Rooney2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 12:56 Page 48

It must have been an uncomfortable time. To read about the schism was to visualise Rooney as the hard-nosed businessman who took his company, the Horsham-based Arun Estates, into the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time last year. To meet him in person is to encounter a profoundly content man, one who has stumbled upon the elixir of racing, and is now profoundly in thrall. Danny Zuko, inevitably a chestnut, started it all. “I paid four grand for one-third of him and he won a couple of races,” Rooney recalls with a broad smile. “We brought him home when he retired [in 2011], and I said to Donald [McCain] that if something came up, we’d be interested in taking a whole horse for ourselves. And the phone never stopped ringing.” Today, Danny Zuko looks rather pleased with himself. He is one of half a dozen Rooneyowned horses enjoying retirement at the couple’s property in the Scottish borders. Every stable door has a brass plaque, but the name etched onto the plaques is the horse’s nickname, rather than his racing name. Now 13, Danny Zuko and his fellow-cohorts attest to the fact that the Rooneys’ love of horses runs more than skin deep. A new stable block was built to accommodate them; another is going up soon to cater for others that will follow. This equine retirement home is really Clare’s territory. Paul, 68, looks on with the air of a benevolent grandfather while Clare darts about attending to the horses’ every whim. It doesn’t take long to recognise people well versed in horses, and it’s no surprise to learn Clare was a keen dressage rider. Also in attendance is Jason Maguire, the jump jockey sidelined by a long-term injury from which he will do well to return to the saddle. During his enforced absence Maguire has become the

FEDERICO PESTELLINI/PANORAMIC

Rooneys’ confidante. He has steered the couple onto a platform from which they can now do what they always aspired to when they got into the game. All they ever wanted was to enjoy it. Both were newcomers to racing. Paul watched the Grand National on television every year and had made a few social visits to the races. “Horses were new to me,” he says. “I once went riding with Clare and my horse ran away with me. I’m not the most balanced, so I said: ‘never again’. But it was Clare’s love of horses that got us into it.” So why racing, rather than dressage, in which Clare was already proficient? “I had a pretty good idea Paul wouldn’t be into dressage,” Clare says. “There is not enough action for him. Racing excited Paul and we wanted something we could do together.” Paul’s passion has since became allconsuming. “It has taken over his life,” Clare says. “Ten years ago we made an agreement. We left Sussex and came up here to get Paul away from all the people who wanted a piece of him. We wanted to get away from the traffic, and slow down. But that hasn’t happened.” Like so many before him, Paul found his early successes intoxicating. He started the 2011 season with three horses, each of which won first time out. “The thrill of winning kicked it all off,” he reflects. Now hooked, Rooney wanted more. In the three subsequent seasons his string swelled to ten, to 35 thereafter, and to 90 beyond that. “I never envisaged having so many in training when we first started,” he says. “When we got up to ten, Clare

GEORGE SELWYN

PA U L A N D C L A R E R O O N E Y

Mar_139_Rooney2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 12:57 Page 49

Kruzhlinin negotiates the Canal Turn in the 2014 Grand National and is set to return to Aintree for this year’s renewal. Opposite: Jason Maguire takes a selfie with Christophe Soumillon after victory with My Dream Boat in the Group 3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud in November

said we should stop. I agreed, but I didn’t say at which multiple of ten. So it went on and on. “We went head over heels into it,” he continues. “We bought some very expensive ones, too, but now we are going to tread water. We have a fairly young string with 15 new stores coming through at the moment. We feel we have some bought some good stock, so this is a very exciting time for us.” As Rooney speaks, it’s tempting to believe he might not have bought so many but for the promptings of others. But that would be to underestimate his passion. When asked if he would do the same if he was starting from scratch tomorrow, he smiles as he lets the question percolate through him. “I think I would be exactly where I am now,” he replies. “The buzz you get from horse racing is amazing.” Indeed, a recent development has seen the Rooneys diversify into breeding horses for the Flat. Although Paul’s heart is with the jumpers, Clare finds it stressful watching them leave the THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ground. “Even if we know our horse has won and are watching a replay, Clare still gets nervous watching the horse and jockey jumping fences,” Paul says.

“We have 24

trainers now and none has more than seven or eight horses” Her nerves will thus be frayed on April 9, when two horses are likely to represent the couple in the Grand National. Both The Last Samuri, trained by Kim Bailey, and Kruzhlinin, from Philip Hobbs’s stable, are among the

leading fancies for a race in which Kruzhlinin finished a respectable tenth in 2014. It’s fair to say Paul will approach the occasion with greater relish. “I’ll get a big kick from watching it,” he says. “Last time we saw Kruzhlinin in the paddock but it was a bit of a nightmare trying to find a place to watch the race. Clare and I got separated, so we have taken a box this year. I’ll have Clare’s hand squeezing mine during the race, when I’ll be jumping up and down and throwing out a few expletives.” Beyond Aintree, the couple are keenly anticipating a Flat season in which they will campaign around 15 horses. Most are with Clive Cox, who excelled for them last year. My Dream Boat gave Rooney his greatest thrill in racing to date when he won a handicap at York’s Ebor meeting in August. The four-year-old subsequently won a Group 3 race in France. But the real kick from their involvement in Flat racing stems from breeding their own. Their first foal, by Showcasing out of the well-related Sadler’s Wells mare Costa Brava, was born last

Mar_139_Rooney2_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 12:57 Page 50

PA U L A N D C L A R E R O O N E Y >> year, when they were also active in the yearling

The Rooneys with their first racehorse Danny Zuko, now 13 and enjoying his retirement

JOHN GROSSICK

market. They have since added three more broodmares to their portfolio. “Your interest in horse racing keeps developing,” Rooney says. “It keeps moving, keeps taking you in different directions. For me, it’s nice to have a balance.” Despite his earlier assertion, Rooney does not seem as though he is treading water when it comes to buying horses. He says that further broodmare purchases are likely to follow, and when he went to a store horse sale with Maguire recently, two horses interested them – yet they came home with 12. “What can you do?” he asks, once again with a broad smile. “I’m a competitive person by nature, I can’t just take the laid-back approach. I’ll admit I have been a bit surprised by how expensive it is to have horses, but that’s almost a given, isn’t it? “Horse racing just pulls you in,” he continues, “and racing is a very social scene. Sure, it can be frightening when you add it up. We’ve spent around five million, but we thoroughly enjoy it and we’re very lucky to be able to do it. Years ago I was working flat out. I had no time for hobbies, but I do now.” So there you have it. At every turn, in every circumstance, Rooney is bowled over by the majesty of animals that generate frisson within him whenever they compete. And competition is certainly the watchword. As with so many self-made men, Rooney wants to win. “Winning is everything,” he says. “I want to be involved in the big races. Three or four years ago someone asked me what I wanted from racing and I replied I wanted a Grand National winner, a Gold Cup winner and a Derby winner. Why not? I know that to win just one of those would be amazing, but if you’re in this game you’ve got to dream. My dream is to have top horses.” Then follows a curious twist. Although winning means so much, which is hardly surprising for a man whose professional advance in the property sector has been matched by few others, one thing means more still. It all goes back to those retired racehorses at home, who live like kings. “We think of ourselves as considerate owners,” Rooney says. “We’d never push; we don’t want any of our horses to get injured. The instructions to our jockeys before any race are always the same: get yourself and the horse round safely. “Yes we want winners, but not at any cost. Clare hates it when our horses fall, which is why she is now keener on the Flat. We have lost a couple on the racecourse, which was really hard because you always find yourself asking why. “But I do believe they enjoy the job. We’ve seen that for ourselves; some of them decide they have had enough. It’s like humans – none of us feels like it every day of the week. And when they have had enough, we will bring them home.”

An operation in transition Largesse brings with it some unexpected difficulties, and for Paul and Clare Rooney, the decision to move their 70-strong string from Donald McCain’s stables in October generated unwelcome headlines. Having outlined his reasons at length at the time, Paul Rooney is reluctant to discuss it further. The McCain yard was plagued by a virus and the vast majority of Rooney’s horses, which McCain had bought for him, were caught up in it. Rooney decided to spread his horses among a broad raft of trainers to avoid a repeat scenario. Asked whether he understood the implications for any trainer who lost so many horses all at once, Rooney replies: “That wasn’t the way I wanted it to happen.” He wouldn’t elaborate, although it later emerges his original plan was for McCain to keep 30 horses. As relations became strained, however, that plan dissolved. It’s not the sort of chapter welcomed by

anyone whose motive for getting involved was to enjoy it. Indeed, the last five years have been a steep learning curve for the Rooneys, particularly in establishing who they could trust. There even came a point when Paul wondered whether he had done the right thing, although such thoughts are now distant. “Until this season we had too many horses with one trainer,” he reflects. “We won’t make that mistake again. We have 24 trainers now and none has more than seven or eight horses. And with Jason [Maguire] alongside us, we run things a lot more professionally. “We’re much more in tune with things on our side,” he continues, “and that makes me feel very comfortable about what’s going on. This is a transition season for us but we’re still doing well. It should pick up again next year, when I’m sure we will have some really exciting times.”

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Shade Oak Stud OB Mar 2016 f-p version 2_Shade Oak Stud OB Mar 2016 f-p version 2 18/02/2016 12:55 Page 1

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Brother to Champion Sire GALILEO and SEA THE STARS. Recent winners include, BLACK KIT, FLUTE BOWL, BOARD OF TRADE, SAMEDI SOIR, HOLLIES PEARL, GALOP MARIN, SAM'S ADVENTURE, SGT. BRODY, SIR ANTONY BROWNE, SAM SPINNER.

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Mar_139_FlatVJump_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:11 Page 53

FLAT VS NATIONAL HUNT

How level is the PLAYING FIELD? Jump racing provides a high percentage of the biggest betting races and has seen a greater rise in attendances than Flat fixtures but still lags behind in prize-money Words Howard Wright • Photos George Selwyn

wners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff are not the only ones looking forward to a happy return from this month’s Cheltenham Festival. The Jockey Club, which numbers the home of jump racing among its 14 racecourses, has its collective fingers firmly crossed in the hope the sun will shine, metaphorically at least, over Cleeve Hill for four days, after last year’s record attendance of 248,521, up more than 15,000 on 2014, produced healthy revenues. Chief Executive Simon Bazalgette explains: “The Cheltenham Festival is vital to our financial year. It comes early in the year, so if we have a good Cheltenham, there’s an excellent chance that we will have a good year. If not, then we’re playing catch-up. “Cheltenham is definitely not the be-all and

Attendance figures at last year’s Cheltenham Festival improved by more than 15,000 to a record 248,521

“It is generally

accepted that Cheltenham is Jockey Club Racecourses’ biggest profit-maker” end-all for the group’s annual success, because we have the big festivals such as Aintree and the Derby to follow, as well as Newmarket, where we provide the most prize-money, but it’s very important.”

The Jockey Club’s most recently published operating profit, for 2014, was £21.7 million, of which its racecourses provided all but £1m, second only to the figure of £22m in the record year of 2013. Although breakdowns are never revealed in the accounts – nor discussed in public – it is generally accepted that Cheltenham is Jockey Club Racecourses’ biggest profit-maker. In second is Aintree, which staged the first million-pound Grand National last year, and then Kempton, which benefits from a volume of racing that attracts significant media rights payments. The fact that two out of the three are jumps-only courses, while Kempton stages the important Christmas festival, is important. So, all’s well at Cheltenham, where the £45m redevelopment will be fully operational this

Mar_139_FlatVJump_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:11 Page 54

F L AT V S N AT I O N A L H U N T >> year, and Aintree. But what about the rest of jump racing, and its standing with the Flat? Here we examine some of the facts and figures.

BIGGEST BETTING RACES Commercial sensitivity between operators means obtaining details of betting turnover on individual races is notoriously difficult, and accurately interpreting those that are published in raw data form is nigh on impossible. However, Coral is an exception among traditional bookmakers by having produced a list of the most popular races with its retail customers for several years, and comparisons show jump racing in a favourable light. PR Director Simon Clare, who sat on the BHA’s Jump Racing Review Group, says: “There’s no question that as far as the best betting races are concerned jump racing outperforms the Flat. Every year four out of the top five races are over jumps, with the Grand

National always standing head and shoulders above everything else, and last year 18 of the top 40 were at the Cheltenham Festival. “It probably comes down to appeal. There’s a lot of familiarity in jump racing, while it’s an ever-changing scene on the Flat. Jump racing regularly shows itself to be more accessible to the casual racing punter, the recreational and once-a-week customer.” The Levy Board has begun producing monthly and quarterly tables of races by betting turnover, but strict adherence to client confidentiality means they are published without indices. They generally follow the example of Coral’s table, with the Grand National top in 2015, and only the Derby (third) and Scottish Grand National (fourth) interrupting the dominance of the Cheltenham Festival in the top ten for January-June. The striking feature of betting turnover league tables – with the exception of some

Cheltenham’s Foxhunter Chase, won last year by On The Fringe, right, attracted more betting turnover than Trip To Paris’s Ascot Gold Cup

Mar_139_FlatVJump_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:11 Page 55

F L AT V S N AT I O N A L H U N T

Top 20 races in Coral betting shops (2015) Cheltenham Festival races – is the vital importance of terrestrial TV coverage. However, a separate study by the Levy Board, undertaken for this article, has revealed remarkable consistency in per-race turnover in each code. Chief Executive Alan Delmonte reports: “Taking the full 2014 calendar year of data and removing terrestrial TV races, the average turnover for all jump races, Flat turf races and all-weather races is within 1.5% of each other, which is statistically insignificant. “Without going into more detailed analysis, on that basis we would say that what drives turnover higher – a competitive race, a decentsized field, higher rather than lower quality of runners – holds good across the codes.”

Rank (2014)

Race

Race Title

1 (1)

Aintree

Grand National

2 (2)

Cheltenham

Gold Cup

3 (3)

Epsom Downs

Derby

4 (5)

Ayr

Scottish Grand National

5 (7)

Kempton

King George VI Chase

6 (10)

Cheltenham

Champion Chase

7 (6)

Cheltenham

Champion Hurdle

8 (8)

Newmarket

2,000 Guineas

9 (16)

Epsom Downs

Oaks

10 (22)

Cheltenham

Triumph Hurdle

11 (-)

Cheltenham

JLT Novices’ Chase

12 (4)

Cheltenham

World Hurdle

13 (12)

Newbury

Hennessy Gold Cup

14 (23)

Cheltenham

Foxhunter Chase

15 (9)

Cheltenham

Albert Bartlett

16 (13)

Cheltenham

Grand Annual

17 (-)

Newmarket

Cambridgeshire

FIXTURES

18 (-)

Doncaster

Lincoln Handicap

19 (30)

Ascot

Ascot Gold Cup

20 (33)

Cheltenham

Ryanair Chase

While the weather, with its inevitable abandonments, remains among the biggest challenges that successful jump racing faces, the proportion of opportunities balanced against the

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Mar_139_FlatVJump_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:12 Page 56

F L AT V S N AT I O N A L H U N T

Fixtures run in Britain Flat Turf

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

597 (41%)

539 (39%)

578 (40%)

573 (40%)

564 (39%)

Flat AW

301 (20%)

314 (23%)

315 (22%)

310 (22%)

318 (22%)

Jumps

571 (39%)

515 (38%)

538 (38%)

546 (38%)

558 (39%)

Total

1,469

1,368

1,431

1,429

1,440

Total attendance in Britain 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Jump

2,233,733

1,983,604

1,996,588

2,104,963

2,256,348

Flat turf

3,598,309

3,287,385

3,413,438

3,415,641

3,500,162

Flat AW

294,219

284,668

247,417

274,366

365,499

24,982

25,958

22,498

25,000

7,424

Mixed

Average prize-money per race (£) in Britain 2011 Flat

Alan Delmonte says HBLB splits prizemoney for Flat and jumping according to each sector’s levy contribution

>> Flat has stayed remarkably constant, at around

39% of all fixtures staged over the last five years. However, some elements in the pattern of fixtures have changed in the last 12 months, particularly in addressing geographical clashes, and further work will be done during the 2017 allocation process. Racecourse Association Racing Director Claire Sheppard explains: “We made progress last year for 2016, particularly with jump racing in the north, where, for example, there were two fixtures on one day and it was better to split them to benefit the horse population. “Northern jumping will remain a priority and we also have been asked to look at summer jumping, where there are a number of clashes and clusters. “In some cases we’ll have to think about criteria that have been used in the past. We’re looking at new definitions, taking into account where horses are trained and population catchment areas, as well as the distance between courses.”

ATTENDANCES Jump racing more than held its own in helping to push total attendances in Britain in 2015 beyond six million for the first time in five years. While the overall aggregate for the sport rose by 5.3% to 6.129 million, jump racing attendances alone increased by 7.2%, against 2.5% for Flat turf racing. Average jump racing

2012

2013

2014

9,954 (+7.6%) 10,811 (+6.7%) 11,867 (+5.4%) 13,060 (+7.3%)

2015 14,342 (+9.0%)

Jumps 8,120 (-12.2%) 8,971 (-11.5%)

10,219 (-9.2%)

10,695 (-12.1%) 11,209 (-14.8%)

Total

11,258

12,171

9,253

10,136

crowds went up by 4.7%, compared with an overall figure of 4.4% and 3.2% for Flat turf racing. Cheltenham’s increase of 2,093 in average raceday attendance, including a rise of more than 15,000 for the Festival, was second only to Yarmouth’s 2,310, which came as a result of a truncated programme, while among 11 jumps-only courses that had bigger average crowds, Market Rasen (980), Huntingdon (573), Wincanton (516), Worcester (365) and Kelso (330) also featured among the top 14 for improved figures.

PRIZE-MONEY The poorer relation: jump racing’s reputation is founded in fact. While prices at public auction for top-class jumping potential have rocketed in recent years, and total prize-money as a proportion of the overall pot has remained almost the same over the last five seasons, jump racing’s average prize-money continues to lag behind the Flat, and fell ever farther behind in 2015. With the exception of 2013, when jumping experienced many more abandonments in comparison with the Flat, jumpers have raced for a double-figure percentage less in average prize-money than their Flat-only counterparts. And with major injections of cash for festivals such as British Champions Day and the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which have not been matched over jumps, jump racing slipped to its lowest level in five years – almost 15% behind the average, compared with 9% for the Flat – in 2015.

13,161

LEVY BOARD PRIZE-MONEY No-one can accuse the main central funding body, the Levy Board, of failing to provide jump racing with its fair share of prize-money contributions. As Chief Executive Alan Delmonte points out: “The Levy Board’s contribution to prize-money is the most transparent of the lot, since we split Flat and jumps according to what each generates in levy.” Putting current funding into perspective, he adds: “The split of levy generated in 2014 was 60% to the Flat and 40% to jumping, and because we work in advance that drives our prize-money split two years on. In other words, the 2013 figure determines the 2015 contribution, and 2014 determines 2016. “In fact, though, this year’s prize-money allocation is being split 58.4% to the Flat and 41.6% to jumps, compared with 61:39 from 2013-15, with a 1% increase in jump racing relative share to reflect projected abandonments, which affect jumping more than the Flat. “We looked at this subject in the spring of 2015, and took the view that under the original split, jump courses generally would not get all the money they were entitled to, because of abandonments two years down the line. So we decided to make an adjustment for 2016, starting with the 60:40 levy generation figure for 2014 and giving jumping an extra amount that equated to our best guesstimate of possible abandonments. “We were delighted that the BHA’s jump racing review subsequently agreed with THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_FlatVJump_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 10:12 Page 57

F L AT V S N AT I O N A L H U N T us and made that approach one of its recommendations. “There are quite a few other items from the review that we will talk about in the future, although it’s interesting how this and other reviews always tend to focus on central funding, without necessarily addressing other income streams and how they should be utilised. Maybe that’s because we’re so transparent.”

MEDIA RIGHTS The great imponderable: if unearthing detailed betting turnover figures is next door to impossible, solving the mystery of media rights’ payments is the equivalent of finding the Holy Grail. Even some of the sport’s leading administrative bodies admit they are in the dark as to the exact details. Media rights paid by bookmakers, which are estimated to have totalled £175m in 2014, outstripped levy payments long ago, but the breakdown, including the split between jumps and Flat racing, remains a secret to all but the companies involved. The last published accounts for Racecourse Media Group, the umbrella organisation for 34 courses that hold a stake in Racing UK and the betting-shop service TurfTV, noted generating licence fees of £74.4m for its shareholders in 2014 – £24.6m from RMG and £49.8m from TurfTV – a 15% increase on the previous year arising from new deals that came into effect in April 2013. In February, At The Races, which covers 25 British courses but will lose Leicester and Stratford from next year, reported “revenues up 15% across the business and racecourse partners benefiting from a 30% year-on-year increase in media rights’ payments” in 2015 but publicly made no reference to exact figures. Jump racing versus the Flat? Your guess is as good as anyone’s.

FIELD SIZES AND HORSES IN TRAINING The BHA’s Jump Racing Review painted a gloomy overall picture: “Field sizes have decreased by over two runners per race in the past ten years, and currently only 40% of jump races have eight or more runners. The average number of jump horses in training per month decreased by 14.5% in the five years to 2014.” However, last year brought signs of green shoots in a recovery, with BHA Head of Racing Paul Johnson pointing out: “In terms of field sizes, when you drill down into the detail, the biggest increase in 2015 came in chases, where

“Solving the mystery of media rights payments is the equivalent of finding the Holy Grail”

the average was up 4%. This is especially pleasing as this is the area where, arguably most improvement was required. “Alongside general macro-economic factors, one of the reasons for the improvements was the race-planning initiatives we put in place in 2015, and primary among these was the removal of races from ‘pinch point’ periods, namely Flat and jumps in January to March and jumps in September to November, when there were simply too many races for the horse population to fill. “The other significant contributory factor was an increase in the number of horses in training, including a 2% rise in the number of jumpers. Clearly this has contributed to better field sizes, and again chases provide the clearest illustration. “Despite the removal of a large number

of chases, we actually staged more chases than in 2014, one of the reasons being the small number of abandoned fixtures. From this, it is clear that more horses have been participating.”

THE FUTURE THE future standing of jump racing alongside its Flat-race counterpart will largely be determined by the ongoing work resulting from the review undertaken last year on behalf of the BHA, which occupied the attention of a 23strong committee, chaired by former Cheltenham Managing Director Edward Gillespie, and produced a 50-page report that put forward 41 recommendations of varying gravity and feasibility. According to BHA Chairman Steve Harman, the group found a jumping code that “more than punches its weight in terms of its appeal to Britain’s sports fans,” but one that also faces “significant challenges that could lead to a considerable weakening of the grassroots if they are not addressed.” Time-scales vary from one year to up to three years, and in the case of jumps breeding between three and five years. One certainty is that the debate will continue. As Harman points out: “Whilst welcoming the recommendations, the BHA board felt that several key areas outside the scope of the review also warranted deeper review, potentially with some bold interventions required.”

Runners in Britain 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Flat

59,592

58,593

57,526

56,309

56,463

Jump

34,784

31,581

33,310

31,222

31,612

Total

94,376

90,174

90,836

87,531

88,075

Average field sizes in Britain 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Flat

9.50

9.59

8.99

8.93

9.02

Jump

8.97

8.92

8.88

8.22

8.35

All

9.30

9.35

8.95

8.66

8.77

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Simon Bazalgette: Cheltenham vitally important for Jockey Club Racecourses

Mar_139_ShadeOak_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:06 Page 58

SHADE OAK STUD

Changing of THE GUARD With the redoubtable Alflora now in retirement at Shade Oak Stud, the baton passes to newcomer Telescope, who is being well supported in his first season Words Carl Evans • Photos George Selwyn

hile watching the old warrior Alflora in his box at Shade Oak Stud the lyrics of Simon & Garfunkel’s song The Boxer come to mind. ‘In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminders, of every glove that laid . . .’ That particular verse ends ‘But the fighter still remains’. Unquestionably proud and defiant against the passing of time, the 27-year-old pensioned stallion serves as a striking contrast to Telescope, Shade Oak Stud’s new recruit, who is full of youth and virility, but callow. “He’s a

little unstable on his test mares,” stud manager Peter Hockenhull said during late January, ahead of the covering season. If Gunner B was the stallion which put the Shropshire-based stud on the map, and Alflora was there to carry the baton as he aged, so Telescope arrives at a propitious time. “People don’t realise how perilous the situation is,” says Hockenhull. “You have a total mare population of some 800, of which Kayf Tara could take 150 to 200. Another 200 mare owners would like to stay with the local stud, leaving about 400 mares, and if >>

Telescope surveys his new surroundings in Shrophsire. Below, Emma and Peter Hockenhull with Shade Oak stalwart Alflora

Mar_139_ShadeOak_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:06 Page 59

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Mar_139_ShadeOak_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:06 Page 60

SHADE OAK STUD

Emma Hockenhull with the George Strawbridge-bred 2007 St Leger winner Lucarno, whose eldest runners have just turned six

>> Telescope takes 80 to 100 we’re down to 300.

I have to service a massive investment which I’ve gone into to buy this horse, and there’s not a lot to target.” Telescope, a son of Galileo out of a Darshaan half-sister to Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad, was a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed for Sir Michael Stoute, and has generated a raft of interest and some absorbing bookings. He stands alongside the exquisitely bred Black Sam Bellamy – a brother to Galileo and half-brother to Sea The Stars – the St Leger winner Lucarno, and Fair Mix, whose flag has been carried to great heights by Simonsig. When asked about the process that led to Telescope’s purchase from Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, Hockenhull pauses, then says: “I don’t quite believe we managed to do it – I will add that we were short-listed for Brown Panther. Michael Owen visited and all seemed well, but tragically the horse broke a leg a week later. I had already been contacted by Bryan Mayoh, my friend and partner in Telescope, who had said ‘go and see him’. I said ‘we’ve got no chance,’ although my ‘no chances’ in the past have turned out to be lucky. I felt the same about Black Sam Bellamy, who was destined to go to Scarvagh House, but I still went to see him. When Scarvagh closed, and because I was the only other

person who had been to see the horse, we got him. If you don’t do things, nothing happens. “Telescope took two strides out of his box and I was knocked out. You short-list a stallion by pedigree and race record, but they need a bit of wow factor. I wanted a horse to bring me out-and-out quality. “I said to John Warren, ‘I’ve got no chance, I run a British National Hunt stallion stud, but should I put a bid in?’ I was thinking, ‘Kayf

“People don’t realise how perilous the situation is; the total mare population is some 800’”

Tara cannot last forever, there aren’t that many other stallions in this country, this is a chance, now!’ John said, ‘Give us your best bid,’ so we did, and he didn’t throw it out, but said, ‘It’s not quite enough.’ So we negotiated, and John was encouraging, saying ‘Go one more, go one more,’ until a deal was done. The horse had put his Highclere syndicate members in the

winners’ enclosure at Royal Ascot – they owed him a good home. “It’s ironic to think that had he won the King George [VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes], instead of finishing second, he might have followed their other winner of the race, Harbinger, to Japan.” At DBS’s January Sale stallion parade, Telescope made his first public appearance from Shade Oak, and Hockehull says: “I’ve never had a response like it. He stepped off the lorry and within 30 seconds of reaching his box the first person arrived to see him. He must have carried out 50 shows.” By the end of January, Telescope’s book included 26 members of the TBA National Hunt Elite Mares’ Scheme. Hockenhull adds: “It’s a credit to the scheme that elite mares are being covered in this country, which is helping to support the next generation of jumps sires.” Could Telescope bring in mares from Ireland and France? “I’ve got one booked from Italy,” says Hockenhull brightly. “That’s the furthest a mare will have travelled to this stud – I do offer a travel allowance and I have had enquiries from Ireland. Irish purchasers who buy a mare over here will sometimes have her covered by a British stallion before sending her home. It’s nice to get Irish mares because it helps to have progeny dropped in Ireland. “Getting a stallion is easy – people are THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Beechwood Grange OB Feb 2016 f-p_Beechwood Grange OB Feb 2016 f-p 18/02/2016 12:58 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

Mar_139_ShadeOak_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:06 Page 63

SHADE OAK STUD

Peter Hockenhull on… The TBA’s National Hunt Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (MOPS): “I think this is the most important thing we have managed to do within the TBA and the National Hunt committee. This could be an historic turnaround in the way we view jump racing. We haven’t inherited a race programme like they have on the Flat, in which there have been races for colts and fillies for generations, and so fillies and mares have had to race against geldings over jumps. Can MOPS be the answer? It won’t happen overnight, but I hope so, because if we can get more mares into racing we can have more mares’ races, and in turn more elite mares’ races. More elite mares will be created which will put more money into the system, because we will breed from them, and in turn that will lead to better offspring, which will fuel it round again. If we can get trainers to handle more fillies they will get used to training them – we need to encourage trainers who tend not to buy fillies to get involved. “We know geldings are easier, and mares can be demanding, but it is interesting that some of the best trainers are also the best trainers of mares.” Sales: “I sell at all the sales – I have to, because if I put all my stock in one sale my groom Sharon Cushley, who does the preps, would go mad. We’ve slightly gone away from selling foals towards three-year-old stores – the [foal] market is heavily fashion-orientated, and towards Irish sires and proven sires. When it comes to stores you are dealing with trainers, and they often have a horse in their yard by a stallion no one has heard of, which suggests they are not quite so swayed by fashion. “The sales at Cheltenham open up a more diverse market, because anything can win a point-to-point and it gives stallions and mares a chance. I sell in Ireland, and the Irish system of point-to-points gives every horse a chance, which can help my stallions and mares.” Elite mares: “They produce better foals, but they also help British stallions. If we’re not able to find another Kayf Tara we could seriously struggle, although it must be remembered he started in the year of foot and mouth, which restricted travel to Ireland, and mares stayed here, so he got a good book. It was like an Elite Scheme rolled out by foot and mouth. It enabled him to get his foot on the ladder, although he has done it himself since.” Exchange rates: “Anyone can read a board and see the Pound and Euro signs. I don’t think it makes any difference. The only danger is if there is a swing in the Euro in the 28 days before you get paid.”

>> prepared to give you them. Getting the right

stallion is very hard, one that generates enthusiasm and a decent book of mares, which means you have a good crop of foals, which attracts more mares. It’s a spiral that can go one way or the other. “I don’t think we’ll ever see another Midnight Legend – he did not have the mares, he covered minuscule books, but somehow he managed to get racehorses. He is a lottery ticket – there is no other way of working it out. If you look at the model of the larger Irish studs, they cover huge numbers of mares, and if you throw enough darts you will get one or two to stick. Are their elite stallions so much better than the rest, are the worst so inferior? There’s not a lot in it, and while there are THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Peter Hockenhull receives the Horse & Hound Cup from Sue Montgomery on Alflora’s behalf at the 2014 TBA Awards

Point-to-pointing as a platform for mares: “Point-to-pointing is hugely important, because so many social links and ties start for people in pointing and drives them into National Hunt racing later on. If we lost pointing I’d fear for jump racing. I welcome mares’ races at British point-to-points, but it’s a long way from the Irish model. If it developed that way I think it would be a good thing, and it may need to, to maintain itself.” Looking back: “The breakthrough for Shade Oak was Gunner B. First his son Royal Gait won the Champion Hurdle, then along came Red Marauder to win the Grand National. He was an amazing stallion – he started as a Flat sire, and had the audacity to go on covering until he was 28. At 29 he got one mare in foal, and we were going for the world record of a live foal at 30, but he didn’t get there. He paved the way for Alflora – our client base quadrupled after Red Marauder, and Alflora copped the lot!” A grand slam for mares: “It would be great if someone would put up a £1,000,000 bonus for any mare that could win the mares’ bumper at Aintree, the new mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Festival and the David Nicholson mares’ race, also at Cheltenham. That is the triple crown, but we could then add a mares’ novices’ chase to create a grand slam. It would be very hard to win.”

“Gunner B was an

amazing stallion – he started as a Flat sire and went on covering until he was 28” freaks like Midnight Legend, it generally comes down to the mares covered.” Hockenhull is unequivocal in saying, “I love National Hunt racing,” but admits, “My son,

Sam, who is 20 and studying at Bristol University, probably loves it more than me, but I’m not encouraging him to come back to the stud. It’s a great way of life and I enjoy getting up in the morning, but it’s in a fragile way. If he said ‘I want to come back,’ I would support him, but there are many other avenues in racing and I would urge him to explore those. With Telescope the stud is on a good footing for the next ten to 15 years, but we’ll see. “I reaped my father’s hard work and I was very fortuitous that at the time I came back here it was suddenly going forward after he had put in 15 to 20 years of hard graft. It had taken him a long time to get established and make contacts with breeders.”

ownerbreeder ad pages 03-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 18/02/2016 13:09 Page 64

HEDGEHOLME STUD

INTRINSIC

WESTLAKE

2009, by EXCEED AND EXCEL – NIDHAAL by OBSERVATORY

2010, by SADLER’S WELLS – RAINBOW LAKE by RAINBOW QUEST

Half brother to KIND, the dam of FRANKEL. Amazing value at either

£600 October 1st or pay £1,000 live colt foal, or just £300 a live filly foal.

MR MEDICI

Out of a 2yo Stakes winner, from a Classic family

2005, by MEDICEAN – WAY FOR LIFE by PLATINI

New for 2016

Winner of the 2014 Stewards Cup beating numerous Group / Stakes winners. An exceptionally well bred son of the great OASIS DREAM at a realistic price.

Millionaire son of MEDICEAN, Group One winner in heavy ground over 12 furlongs, from a tough German family. First foals in 2016 hence only

£500 October 1st

£1750 October 1st terms

REALISTIC KEEP FEES

WINSTON, DARLINGTON, CO. DURHAM DL2 3RS. Enquiries: ANDREW SPALDING • Telephone: 01325 730209 • Mobile: 079 90 518751 • Fax: 01325 730769 e-mail: andrew@hedgeholmestud.co.uk • www.hedgeholmestud.co.uk

A Happy Valentine’s weekend for

MULTIPLEX ✘✘✘✘ A MULTI-TALENTED SIRE WHO IS PROVEN UNDER BOTH RULES

✘ OUT SAM

(right) runs out the easy winner of a novice chase at Newbury. “He’s a very interesting contender for the RSA Chase” – RACING POST

LADY VALEUR ✘ ✘ PRIDE OF LECALE ✘ ROYAL MARSKELL ✘ POSITIVELY DYLAN Don’t you just love him?

The 3yo filly wins a mile Stakes race by 51⁄4 lengths at Santa Anita.

hammers the opposition by 14 lengths in a Bumper at Chepstow.

scores his 8th victory to date in the Coral Handicap at Lingfield. follows up his Chepstow success with a fine 2nd in a Listed Bumper at Newbury.

Fee:

£2,750 SLF

✓

MICKLEY STUD

Enquiries: Richard Kent, Ternhill, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 3QW T: 01630 638840 • M: 079 73 315722 • E: mickleystud@btconnect.com • W: www.mickleystud.com or William Huntingdon • M: 07836 793581 • E: whuntingdon@bigpond.com

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Bloodstock_Intro_Owner 18/02/2016 16:28 Page 65

BREEDERS’ DIGEST By EMMA BERRY, Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes:

• Sales Circuit: Mixed fortunes for the mixed sales as DBS hosts its final auction – pages 66-70 • Caulfield Files: Uncle Mo a trailblazer among the young American stallions – pages 73-74 • Dr Statz: A turn of foot really is all important for sires to thrive in Australasia – page 100

Big year for Dansili as four follow Zoffany

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

his first crop also offered strength in depth and Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s Foundation will bid to become his first Classic winner after landing the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes and finishing third to Marcel in the Racing Post Trophy. In France, the team at Haras de la Cauvinière will be hoping that lightning can strike twice when Rajsaman bids to emulate Le Havre’s great start at stud. As the last son of Linamix to retire to the stallion ranks, Rajsaman was well supported by breeders and will be an interesting young sire to follow.

All Power to Annie Before we start to think about the bright young things, there’s the Cheltenham Festival to look forward to first. The build-up to Cheltenham wouldn’t be complete without dramatic defections of hot favourites and the injury to reigning Champion Hurdler Faugheen is a major blow. It does, however, open up the intriguing possibility that his stable-mate Annie Power will eschew the OLBG David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle for the Stan James Champion Hurdle, and the towering eight-year-old was swiftly made favourite after Faugheen’s withdrawal from the picture despite not actually holding an entry for the race. Should Annie Power prevail, she will

become only the fourth mare to win the Champion Hurdle in its near 90-year history and the first to line up since 2009 when Whiteoak, winner of the inuagural mares’ hurdle the previous year, finished 12th. Those bemoaning the dominance of the Willie Mullins/Rich Ricci pairing may not appreciate the transplanting of one pink-andgreen-spotted runner for another at the head of the Champion Hurdle betting, but victory for Annie Power would provide an important reminder to owners and trainers alike not to overlook National Hunt fillies at the sales. It would also be a fitting result coming so soon after the passing of the last mare to be crowned Champion Hurdler, Flakey Dove, who died in February at the age of 30. The Price family’s homebred was properly tested on the racecourse, winning 14 of her 44 starts in five seasons of racing and joining African Sister (1939) and Dawn Run (1984) on the Champion Hurdle roll of honour in 1994. It’s fair to say she didn’t soar to the same heights as a broodmare but with several of her daughters having followed her to the paddocks, Flakey Dove could be represented at the Festival by her grand-daughter Fairytale Theatre, a dual winner for Paul Nicholls who is now in the hands of Dan Skelton and has an entry in the OLBG David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.

GEORGE SELWYN

rom the end of March, almost 30 young stallions in Europe will have their credentials put to the sword in the harshest test of all: first runners on the racecourse. A percentage of their offspring have already been judged in the sales ring and, to a certain extent, opinions will have been formed as to their perceived merits or otherwise. Two of the most successful stallions currently standing in Europe, Galileo and Dubawi, have delivered ample proof that forming opinions too early can be dangerous, and Galileo’s slowish start with his first twoyear-olds is worth bearing in mind when it comes to runners for his sons Frankel and Nathaniel. In the clamour around earlyseason juvenile winners for stallions, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that it’s the Group races and longer-distance maidens in the second half of the season that are most informative when it comes to assessing the horses who will figure prominently in their Classic seasons – at least for those that are actually given the chance to stay in training at three. The first chance many of us will have to see a Frankel two-year-old at a racecourse could well be during Tattersalls’ Craven Breeze-up on April 11, when a half-brother to the blacktype runners After and Temps Au Temps takes to the Rowley Mile as part of Malcolm Bastard’s six-strong consignment. After a major breakthrough with the 2015 champion freshman sire Zoffany, it’s another big year for Dansili, whose credentials as a sire of sires will be further tested through runners for four of his sons – Bated Breath, Delegator, Famous Name and Requinto. A top-class Group 1-winning juvenile who was out as early as the third week of the season himself at two, Zoffany had plenty of early types in 2015, including a hat-trick of Royal Ascot winners in Waterloo Bridge (Norfolk Stakes), Illuminate (Albany Stakes) and Washington DC (Windsor Castle Stakes). But

Flakey Dove, the last mare to win the Champion Hurdle; could Annie Power be next?

Mar_139_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 19/02/2016 11:54 Page 66

SALES CIRCUIT By CARL EVANS

January Sale marks the end of an era for DBS with satisfying results for mixed stock Goffs UK will be the new name on the door at the inaugural Aintree sale in April

SARAH FARNSWORTH/DBS

Kayf Tara’s sale-topping yearling colt with Grace Logan of Overbury Stud

DBS January Sale Top lots

DBS January Sale The name Doncaster Bloodstock Sales passed into history in early February, with the result that this relatively humble, one-day mixed auction made history. It will be remembered as the final one under the name of DBS – which was set up in 1962 – and rebranding to Goffs UK will have taken place at the Doncaster complex before the Spring Sale. The move followed the merger in 2007 of Goffs and DBS. It may take some time before the new company is recognised by all as a British/Irish business, rather than an Irish one, but DBS’s £38,000 final sale topper was an example of trade between the two countries. A yearling colt by Britain’s leading jumps sire Kayf Tara, he was consigned by Gloucestershire’s

Sex/Breeding

Vendor

C Kayf Tara – Molly Flight (Saint Cyrien)

Overbury Stud

Price (£) Buyer

C Walk In The Park – Mandchou (Mansonnien)

Haras de Faydeau

35,000 Tom Malone

Katmai (Bob Back – Katday)

Trickledown Stud

35,000 Kieran Cotter

Land Of Vic (Old Vic – Land Of Glory)

Worthen Hall Stables

32,000 Peter Bowen

Vole Au Vent (Sleeping Car – La Brindille)

Selwood Bloodstock

30,000 Guy Petit

C Kayf Tara – Alina Rheinberg (Waky Nao)

Poplar Stud

29,000 Richard Frisby

Gaye Memories (Overbury – Gaye Memory)

Poplar Stud

28,000 Bobby McCarthy

Hatton Bank (Flemensfirth – Persian Walk)

Cottage Stables

25,000 Guy Petit

C Milan – Pearl Buttons (Alflora)

Mill House Stud

25,000 Gleadhill House Stud

Blue Buttons (King´s Theatre – Babet)

Manor Farm Stables

25,000 Swanbridge Bloodstock

38,000 Brendan Bashford Bloodstock

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (£)

Avg (£)

Mdn (£)

2016

173

1,427,350

8,251

5,000

Top Price (£) 38,000

2015

142

1,162,500

8,187

5,000

50,000

2014

153

1,177,550

7,696

5,000

65,000

2013

516,350

5,435

3,200

35,000

2012

392,800

5,168

3,350

30,000

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 19/02/2016 11:54 Page 67

LAURA GREEN/TATTERSALLS

Overbury Stud and sold to Brendan Bashford on behalf of Ireland’s Timmy Hyde, who said his purchase could be kept to race or returned as a pinhook. Kayf Tara has Thistlecrack among others as a Cheltenham Festival flag-bearer, while Walk In The Park can call upon Douvan and Min. An AQPS-bred son of Walk In The Park – who recently relocated from France to Ireland’s Grange Stud – made sure a long drive from France paid off for expatriates George and Lune Vergette when they traded him for £35,000 to Tom Malone. Away from National Hunt yearlings, the pick on price was a half-sister to Best Mate called Katmai, a 12-year-old mare whose Kayf Tara foal need only arrive with good legs and proportions to return her purchase price of £35,000. She joins Kieran Cotter’s County Waterford-based broodmare band. Turnover rose by 21%, but that was helped in part by an extra 19 lots through the ring. The average crept up by 2% to £8,251, while the £5,000 median held steady. The clearance rate of 75% was up on last year and was good in the context of mixed sales. Doldrums returns to America, where she was born, to be covered by Empire Maker

Tattersalls February Sale A batch of mares from Godolphin – which would have been sold under the name of

Darley before Sheikh Mohammed’s merger of his racing and breeding operations – gave the year’s opener at Tattersalls some glitter. The group included a 145,000gns

Tattersalls February Sale Top lots Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Doldrums (Bernardini – Appealing Storm)

Godolphin

Price (gns)

High Luminosity (Elusive Quality – Denebola)

Highclere Stud

95,000

Highclere Stud

Soofiah (King´s Best – Anaamil)

Godolphin

95,000

Hadden Bloodstock

Emirates Joy (Street Cry – Zofzig)

Godolphin

92,000

Margaret O’Toole

Don´t Forget Faith (Victory Gallop – Contredance)

Highclere Stud

70,000

Houghton Bloodstock

Desert Sunrise (Green Desert – Dorothea Brooke)

Godolphin

62,000

MAB Agency

Aleator (Blame – Alma Mater)

Heath House Stables

50,000

Voute Sales

Shkhara (Dubawi – Mount Elbrus)

Godolphin

50,000

Blandford Bloodstock

145,000

Buyer Marco Bozzi Bloodstock

Signed Sealed (Giant’s Causeway – Latice)

Clarehaven Stables

46,000

Voute Sales

Elltaaf (Invincible Spirit – Qasirah)

Godolphin

45,000

BBA Ireland

Floweret (Street Cry – Nawaiet)

Godolphin

45,000

Tina Rau Bloodstock

The Steward (Street Cry – Candlelight)

Heath House Stables

45,000

Bobby O’Ryan

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (gns)

Mdn (gns)

Avg (gns)

Top Price (gns)

2016

251

2,718,800

10,832

5,000

145,000

2015

211

2,586,100

12,256

7,000

80,000

2014

172

2,166,600

12,597

6,750

145,000

2013

190

1,747,600

9,198

5,000

100,000

2012

179

1,641,100

9,168

3,500

110,000

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

headline act by the name of Doldrums, a six-year-old Bernardini mare with an Exceed And Excel cover and strong links to America. And indeed the US will be her next home after she was bought by agent Marco Bozzi, who said she would be heading to Brendan and Olive Gallagher’s Frankfort Park Farm in Kentucky under the ownership of a syndicate and is to be covered by Empire Maker. One- or two-day mixed sales of this type are common around Europe at this time of year, and provide a late chance to secure a mare as the breeding season opens. There is far greater choice at end-of-year breeding stock sales, but buyers in February often voice the opinion their purchase would have cost more in December. These New Year sales also offer stallion masters an opportunity to gain a few extra mares to support their sires, and at least two bought at this sale were destined for a date with Highclere Stud’s freshman, Cable Bay, including High Luminosity, who was knocked down to Linda Sadler for 95,000gns on behalf of the Warren family. The mare had been consigned by Highclere Stud to dissolve a partnership. Cable Bay was among 11 sires who took part in the TBA’s annual stallion parade before the auction, but when they were followed into the ring by 306 horses for sale it became another very long day at Park Paddocks, involving 12 hours of selling. >>

Mar_139_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 19/02/2016 11:54 Page 68

SALES CIRCUIT >> No fewer than 66 additional lots came to the

ring compared to the same sale last year, and while turnover rose by 5%, the clearance rate dropped back from 88% to 82%. The median and average figures also dropped, by 29% and 12% respectively. This is currently a one-day sale, but a fractional increase in the catalogue could lead to an extra session.

Tattersalls Ireland February Top lots

Tattersalls Ireland February A number of superb jump sires and successful mares make Ireland the place to shop for prospective hurdlers and chasers. Yet those who intend to buy today to sell in two years’ time are highly selective – they have to be – and their reluctance to take a chance resulted in a clearance rate of just 58% at this one-day auction. It had been 70% at the same sale in 2015. Tattersalls Ireland’s managing director, Roger Casey, reflected on this in his closing statement, concluding the number of buybacks “underscores an increasingly selective market, especially for National Hunt fillies”. That is a salutary reminder of the battles ahead for those working hard to promote fillies through a female-friendlier jumps race programme and such schemes as MOPS and the ITBA NH Fillies’ Bonus. In time the message could get through, but filly foals would get an immediate boost of sorts if Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag score at the Cheltenham Festival and make the difference between Willie Mullins winning and losing the British trainers’ title. For the time being, the colt foal remains

Name/Sex/Breeding

Vendor

C Robin Des Champs – Amber Light (Anshan)

Kenilworth House Stud

67,000

Kevin Ross Bloodstock

C Oscar – Park Wave (Supreme Leader)

Limekiln Stud

60,000

Ballyregan Stables

C Milan – Dotchenka (Astarabad)

Norrismount Stud

36,000

Aiden Murphy

C Presenting – Tizzy Blue (Oscar)

Oliver Loughlin

36,000

Aiden Murphy

C Fame And Glory – Etoile Margot (Garde Royale)

Coolamurray Stud

34,000

Bickerton Bloodstock

C Getaway – What A Mewsment (Persian Mews)

Railstown Stud

31,000

Ballyreddin Stud

C Yeats – Knar Mardy (Erhaab)

Yellowford Farm

30,000

Denis Cusack

C Sholokhov – Native Monk (Be My Native)

Rathbarry Stud

30,000

Pat McCarthy

F Kayf Tara – R De Rien Sivola (Robin Des Champs)

Clanville Stud

26,000

Simon Sweeting

C Robin Des Champs – Just Eile (Presenting)

Rathbarry Stud

25,000

Keepthe Faith Syndicate

Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Mdn (€)

Avg (€)

Top Price (€)

2016

159

1,472,350

9,260

5,800

67,000

2015

173

1,493,900

8,635

6,200

65,000

2014

127

1,009,250

7,947

5,000

65,000

2013

113

720,850

6,379

4,500

60,000

2012

119

883,950

7,428

3,800

100,000

king, although British breeders will note the sole filly to reach the top-ten board at this one-day sale was by Overbury Stud’s Kayf Tara, the only active British-based jump sire who can really put it up to his Irish rivals. Simon Sweeting, the head of Overbury Stud, bought the filly in question, while Anna Ross of Kevin Ross Bloodstock secured the top prize, a son of Robin Des Champs, whose limited crops meant the yearling under offer had some rarity value. He was offered

Top lots Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

Sans Rien (Poliglote – Sans Tune)

Maulepaire

45,000

Paul Nataf

Plaisanciere (Astronomer Royal – Princesse Jasmine)

Tourgeville

42,000

Agence FIPS

C Le Havre – Elzebieta (Monsun)

La Motteraye Consignment 38,000

Sylvain Vidal

Elusive Dancer (Elusive City – Snake Dancer)

Clement

36,000

Stephane Cerulis

Havaianas (Elusive Quality – Flip Flop)

Thenney

31,000

Canirola Bloodstock

Starsic (Sageburg – L’hommee)

Nicolay

28,000

Sylvain Vidal

Nouvelle Chance (Dr Fong – Nouvelle Reve)

Thenney

28,000

European Bstk Mgt

Le Navaro (Naaqoos – Romantic Pearl)

Botti

27,000

Meridian International

Aldeburgh Music (In The Wings – Zibilene)

La Motteraye

26,000

Hugo Merry

Anchise Echo Of Light – Gal O Gal (Manlove)

Grand Lys

26,000

Zied Romdhane

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Mdn (€)

Avg (€)

Top Price (€)

2016

237

1,786,500

7,538

4,500

45,000

2015

240

1,913,500

7,973

4,500

80,000

2014

240

2,430,000

10,125

6,000

74,000

2013

187

1,487,000

7,952

4,500

200,000

2012

193

1,214,000

6,290

4,500

85,000

Buyer

Five-year tale

Arqana February Sale Name/Breeding

Price (€)

through Joerg and Diana Vasicek’s Kenilworth House Stud. The turnover of €1,472,350 was similar to last year, the average rose by 6% while the median fell by the same percentage.

Arqana February Sale Returned to a one-day event after experimenting with a two-day format last year, this sale offered a smaller catalogue with the result that turnover went down, too. An 81% clearance rate was something to smile about, and up from 73% last year, but the excellent results gained at this event in 2014 are beginning to resemble a blip. The average price, not helped by a catalogue that was short of star potential, dipped another 3%, but the median was unchanged. A total of 53 fewer horses entered the ring, leaving a top-heavy 297 to clear, but in his final sale as Managing Director, Olivier Delloye praised his auctioneers for clearing 30 lots an hour. After ten years with Arqana, Delloye becomes Director General at France Galop. Fillies and mares dominated trade, with 12-year-old Sans Rien, carrying to the popular stallion Martaline and offered by Haras de Maulepaire, heading trade. Buyer Paul Nataf said he was acting for a partnership between Xavier Kepa and Gheorghe Codre, while a private sale by Sylvain Vidal resulted in the leading price for a yearling colt – this son of Le Havre was out of a winning Monsun mare and was bred by Richard Kent of Mickley Stud. >> THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 03-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 18/02/2016 13:11 Page 69

BEECH TREE STUD

Royal Anthem

Geordieland

Saddler’s Rock

Bay, 1995 (16.3hh) Theatrical x In Neon (Ack Ack)

Grey 2001, 16.3 hh. (1.70), Johann Quatz x Aerdee (Highest Honor)

Bay 2008, 16.0hh (1.62m), Sadler’s Wells – Grecian Bride (Groom Dancer)

A prolific racehorse at the highest level

Multiple Group and Stakes winner

Triple Group 1 winner of 6 races winning over £1.3million (3-5yrs)

Won 7 races from 3-8 yrs, 9-16 furlongs and was placed 20 times

Dual Group 2 winner and classically placed son of sire of sires SADLERS WELLS

Turf champion Group sire under both rules

First crop are now 3yr olds, all good strong types with plenty of bone.

TIMEFORM RATING 135

Consistently rated over 120

NEW

£1500

Stud fee (1st Oct terms)

£1500

Stud fee (1st Oct terms)

Wins include Doncaster Cup (Group 2) and Goodwood Cup (Group 2) TIMEFORM RATING 120 First foals due 2016

£1500

Stud fee (1st Oct terms)

UPTON NOBLE, SHEPTON MALLET, SOMERSET, BA4 6AX Contact: ALLAN MUNNIS • tel: 01749 850786 • mob: 07711 072362 • email: judyandallan@gmail.com

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0800 015 8482 69

Mar_139_Sales_Circuit2_Sales 19/02/2016 11:54 Page 70

PETER MOONEY

SALES CIRCUIT

PETER MOONEY

The top-priced Camelot yearling filly

Marc-Antoine Berghgracht

Dubai Prince’s sister Umniyah was sold by Godolphin to be covered by Sea The Stars

Goffs February

downbeat moments too. Goffs’ Chief Executive Henry Beeby picked up on the clearance rate of just 66% – which had fallen from 81% the previous year – and warned: “There is no doubt that all of us need to think hard as we plan for the coming 12 months and ensure we do not forget the lessons learned in 2009/10.” The buy-back rate was not alone in going

>> Godolphin’s

influence as a vendor at Tattersalls’ February Sale did not have quite the same depth at this two-day affair, but it resulted in the sale topper. Four-year-old Umniyah, whose only race was a juvenile maiden at Newmarket in which she finished fourth, was knocked down for €165,000 to John Clarke on behalf of the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holding, bound for a date with their stallion Sea The Stars. This, and the sale of six-year-old Xaloc – a half-sister to one of last year’s leading juveniles, Foundation, and carrying to his sire Zoffany – for €120,000 to Richard Fitzsimons of BBA Ireland and Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock were the highlights of this two-day sale, but there were some

into reverse, with turnover falling 18%, while the average and median marks were down 8% and 20% respectively. A filly by Camelot proved best of the yearlings on offer during the first session, making €80,000 to an offer from agent Hamish Alexander. He had a syndicate in mind, and plans to return the youngster to the ring at the Orby Sale.

Goffs February Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

Umniyah (Shamardal – Desert Frolic)

Godolphin

165,000

Sunderland Holding

Xaloc (Shirocco – Roystonea)

Oak Leaf Stud

120,000

Howson/Houldsworth/BBA Ireland

Hoe Hoe (Dylan Thomas – Bella Vitessa)

Old Mew Stable

90,000

Ebadan (Holy Roman Emperor – Ebareva)

Aga Khan Studs

85,000

MAB Agency/Shawn Dugan B/s

On Location (Street Cry – Film Maker)

Baroda & Colbinstown Studs

85,000

BBA Ireland

Across The Galaxy (Cape Cross – Galaxy Highflyer) Kilcarn Park

85,000

Jill Lamb Bloodstock

F Camelot – Stravina (Platini)

Abbeville & Meadow Court

80,000

Hamish Alexander

C Raven´s Pass – Livius Lady (Titus Livius)

Clonagh Stables

68,000

Julie Lynch

F Kodiac – Excel Yourself (Exceed And Excel)

Springwell Stud

64,000

Tally-Ho Stud

Ginx Johnson (Montjeu – Guarded)

Coulonces Consignment

58,000

Hugo Merry Bloodstock

BBA Ireland

PETER MOONEY

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Mdn (€)

Avg (€)

Top Price (€)

2016

289

4,333,250

2015

322

5,238,900

14,994

8,000

165,000

16,270

10,000

2014

256

4,218,100

220,000

16,477

7,000

975,000

2013

290

2,873,200

9,907

5,500

100,000

2012

288

3,746,000

13,006

5,100,

500,000

Hamish Alexander in pinhooking action

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:02 Page 73

CAULFIELD FILES ANDREW CAULFIELD REPORTS ON THE BLOODSTOCK WORLD

Uncle Mo top of the class

EMMA BERRY

America’s champion sire of two-year-olds heads list of Triple Crown nominees and Experimental Free Handicap qualifiers with his first-crop three-year-olds

Uncle Mo at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud: part of his appeal is that he has no Mr Prospector, Storm Cat, A.P. Indy or Unbridled blood

ccording to one report on the Powerball USA lottery in midJanuary, the odds against winning the mammoth jackpot were 292,200,000 to one. Even so, three people earned the right to share a winners’ prize of $1,586,000,000. The odds are also quite considerable against anyone producing a top-class stallion prospect with an outcross pedigree. However, the increasingly urgent need for new bloodlines at the top end of the market

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

means that such a stallion would virtually also have a licence to print money. The early signs are that the syndicate which owns Uncle Mo is in that enviable position. No doubt some would argue that a horse with three lines of Northern Dancer isn’t exactly an outcross, but only one is as close as Uncle Mo’s fourth generation. His sire is Indian Charlie, his grandsires are In Excess and Arch and his great-grandsires are Siberian Express, Leo Castelli, Kris S. and

Dixieland Band, so he doesn’t create close duplications with the vast majority of mares. From an American viewpoint, breeders must love the fact that Uncle Mo has no Mr Prospector, Storm Cat, A.P. Indy or Unbridled blood. And for any European brave enough to use a dirt horse, he has no Sadler’s Wells/Galileo and no Danehill or Green Desert (though Danzig appears in the fifth generation of Uncle Mo’s foals). In typical Ashford Stud manner, Uncle Mo

Mar_139_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:02 Page 74

CAULFIELD FILES >> had numbers on his side when his first crop

reached the track in 2015, with the American Jockey Club crediting him with 167 live foals from 211 mares covered in 2012. Even so, he has made a tremendous start, coming out top in three different measures of class. At one stage it looked as though Scat Daddy was uncatchable in the race to become America’s champion sire of two-yearolds. He had, after all, been represented by six individual juvenile Graded stakes winners by early October and had earned himself a rise in fee from $35,000 to $100,000 (only to die in December at the age of 11). However, Uncle Mo was able to cut him down with a late flourish which took his total of stakes winners to seven, including three at Graded level. The telling blow came when Uncle Mo’s unbeaten son Nyquist followed in his sire’s footsteps to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. This eye-catching start resulted in Uncle Mo’s fee soaring to $75,000. He had spent his first two years at $35,000, his third at $27,500 and his fourth at $25,000. The next indication of Uncle Mo’s potential came towards the end of January, when the entries for America’s Triple Crown events were published. With 19 nominees, Uncle Mo topped the list, his nearest pursuer, on a mark of 16, being the 300,000-dollar Tapit. The only others to achieve double figures were Bernardini (13), Candy Ride (12), the deceased Smart Strike (11) and Flatter (10). Next came the publication of the official two-year-old rankings, the Experimental Free Handicap. Once again Uncle Mo proved to be the most prolific sire of qualifiers, with a total of ten. His nearest pursuers, with eight, were Scat Daddy and Tapit, with Bernardini next with a figure of six. It could be argued that Tapit at least shared the honours, as seven of his eight qualifiers, including the exciting Mohaymen, were rated 110 or higher. However, six of Uncle Mo’s representatives also reached that level, with Nyquist on top with 126. The others were Gomo (118), Mo Tom (115), Thrilled (113), Mokat (111) and Uncle Vinny (110).

Can Mo’s momentum continue? The question now is whether Uncle Mo can maintain his progress. After all, his own second season proved a little anti-climactic for a colt who had been good enough to top the Experimental by as much as 5lb (his weight of 128lb was the highest awarded since 1997). Not that Uncle Mo’s second season was a disaster, even though it was seriously interrupted by illness. The compilers of the World Thoroughbred Rankings still considered him the jointsecond best American three-year-old. On one occasion he went down by only a nose to the

sprint specialist Caleb’s Posse in the sevenfurlong Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes after an absence of 20 weeks. On another he landed the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap over a mile in very fast time. One question left unanswered was whether he would have stayed well enough to win any of the Triple Crown events, had he been well enough to contest them. The very early signs are that Uncle Mo’s progeny will continue to shine at three, with Mo Tom becoming his fourth Graded winner in the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes. Indeed Uncle Mo isn’t a neat, quick-maturing sort. He stands 16.2 hands and his pedigree contains several other big individuals. His sire Indian Charlie was 16.3, his grandsire In Excess was 16.2 and his great-grandsire, the French 2,000 Guineas winner Siberian Express, was a 16.2 ½-hand son of the 16.3hands Caro. The gulf between dirt and turf has become so deep that it is tempting for Europeans to dismiss Uncle Mo as a specialist dirt horse with limited chances of succeeding in Europe. But is there any justification for such a knee-jerk reaction, with hardly any racecourse evidence in Europe?

“Uncle Mo’s unbeaten son Nyquist followed in his sire’s footsteps to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile”

There are a few straws to be grasped at. His sire Indian Charlie was given very few opportunities to prove himself in Europe, but his son Western Reserve – out of a smart Oasis Dream mare - showed very useful form on turf and all-weather in England last year. Don’t forget, either, that Uncle Mo’s grandsire In Excess was a European import to the US. In Excess arrived in the States in 1990, having won three of his six starts at up to seven furlongs. He continued in fine form on turf as a three-year-old, winning a pair of Grade 3s over a mile and an eighth. Bearing in mind that his dam Kantado and broodmare sire Saulingo had raced almost exclusively over five furlongs, his stamina came as a bit of a surprise. Even more surprising was In Excess’s successful transition to dirt racing as a four-year-old. He became a quadruple Grade 1 winner from a mile to a mile and a quarter (over which he set a track record in the Suburban Handicap). This ability to shine on dirt could

perhaps be attributed to the champion American two-year-old Warfare, sire of the dam of Siberian Express. There is also some encouragement to be drawn from the records in Europe of the first three stallions in the bottom half of Uncle Mo’s pedigree. Despite having raced exclusively on dirt, Arch made his mark via the likes of Les Arcs (Diamond Jubilee and July Cup), Pomology, Arch Swing, Arch Rebel, Montgomery’s Arch and Waterway Run. Similarly, Arch’s sire Kris S. – another dirt horse – did very well with his sons Kris Kin (Derby), Dr Fong (St James’s Palace Stakes) and Lucky Story. Dixieland Band, who gained all eight of his wins on dirt, also had a pleasing record with his runners in Europe. He enjoyed Group 1 success with Drum Taps, Egyptband and Menhoubah and also sired several Groupwinning European two-year-olds.

Early turf form pointers In the circumstances we shouldn’t be too surprised that several members of Uncle Mo’s first crop have already earned black type on turf. His daughter Thrilled failed by only a nose to win the Grade 3 Miss Grillo; his son Uncle Brennie won the Sunday Silence Stakes; his daughter Mokat failed by only half a length to win the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes; and Little Mo was a close third in a well-contested Kitten’s Joy Stakes. It would be very convenient if Uncle Mo’s first Australian crop were to provide further evidence that he can shine as a sire of turf horses. Unfortunately it appears that Australian breeders were somewhat wary of him in his first three seasons. After he covered 80 mares at a fee of AUS$24,200, his fee was reduced to AUS$16,500 and he next covered books of 95 and 103. However, his bright start in America didn’t go unnoticed in the second half of 2015, when he covered 193 mares in his fourth Australian season. With 63 live foals in his first crop in Australia, Uncle Mo will find it much harder to impress there than in his homeland. At the time of writing he had had just four runners, but two of them – both out of grand-daughters of Danehill – had won. Of course there can be a considerable difference between turf courses in Europe and America, where races are usually transferred to dirt when the ground comes up soft. That said, there is enough encouragement in Uncle Mo’s pedigree to suggest that he could sire smart turf performers from European mares – given the chance. But even if no-one is brave enough to gamble on this possibility, Uncle Mo should continue to shine in the US. His second crop yearlings averaged over $117,000 and sold for up to $700,000. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ownerbreeder ad pages 03-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 02-2016 18/02/2016 13:16 Page 75

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)

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

PROVEN STALLIONS STANDING AT

NUNSTAINTON STUD

TRANS ISLAND

MILLENARY

Br. 16hh by Selkirk ex. Khubza (Green Desert)

B. 16.2hh by Rainbow Quest ex. Ballerina (Dancing Brave)

Listed winner at 2yrs and winner of a further Listed race, a Gr.2 and Gr.3 at 2-5yrs.

The winner of 11 Group races inc. The St.Leger, Doncaster Cup (twice) and Yorkshire Cup.

Retired sound and running until he was 8. A tough, scopey individual and sire of many winners inc. Sire of WINNERS under BOTH codes inc. • NEARLY NAMA’D • TYCOON PRINCE (143 rated winning chaser) (Triple bumper winner and • LAST GOODBYE Grade 2 placed hurdler) (winner of 2 bumpers and a • WOODFORD ISLAND hurdle from 4 starts) • TRANSIENT BAY • WALDORF SALAD • INTRANSIGENT • SUNSETSTORISE (listed placed sprinter) “tough, genuine and high-class miler, fair record with 2yos” – RACING POST

Also Standing DAPPER - Bay 16.2 by Hernando ex. Alouette (Darshaan)

Contact Chris Dawson 07796

530084 www.nunstaintonstud.co.uk

THE

WP MULLINS COLLECTION +353 86 384 2327

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INFO@PCRACEWEAR.IE

PCRACEWEAR.IE

Mar_139_ThoroughbredClub_Owner 19/02/2016 13:45 Page 76

GEORGE SELWYN

Golden opportunity for TTC member thanks to star events

Derby hero Golden Horn is one of the most exciting stallion recruits of recent years; members can see him at Dalham Hall Stud

espite only retiring last October, Golden Horn has already been heralded as one of this century’s greats, and along with a number of other behind-the-scenes events, a visit to see the Derby and Arc hero is just one of the opportunities on offer to The Thoroughbred Club (TTC) members, thanks to this year’s STAR events programme. Through five exclusive STAR events, TTC will be throwing open the doors to the breeding and racing industry. Not only will the occasions offer a fantastic chance for members to network and learn from some of the sport’s leading

lights, but they will also grant unrivalled access to some of horseracing’s most famous venues, including our opening destination, Dalham Hall Stud.

DALHAM HALL STUD, MARCH 12 Members can enjoy a visit to Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding operation at Dalham Hall Stud, home to the Darley stallions. The trip offers the chance to see five-time Group 1 winner and one of the most exciting horses in recent times, Golden Horn, as well as many other big names in the world of bloodstock,

including Dubawi, one of the world’s best stallions. The day will offer a rare opportunity to experience life on a stud farm and members will see the stallions return from exercise before enjoying a tour of the famous grounds, with the chance to ask questions and learn from the staff who work there. Following the tour of Dalham Hall Stud, members will move on to enjoy some live action with a visit to Godolphin’s pre-training facilities on Hamilton Hill. This is an opportunity not to be missed. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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www.thetho ro ug hb re d clu b . co . u k • racing and is perfect for everyone who wants to widen their knowledge of the sport or perhaps carve a career within the industry. The seminar will take place in London and will be hosted by Hayley Turner, the most successful female jockey in British racing history.

THE ROYAL STUDS, AUGUST 6

Enjoy lunch in a hospitality box at York during the John Smith’s Cup meeting

JOHN SMITH’S CUP, YORK RACECOURSE, JULY 8 The John Smith’s Cup is one of the most exciting handicaps of the summer calendar and, on the opening day of the meeting, members will be walking the course with the York racecourse team before enjoying a fantastic day’s racing with lunch in a private hospitality box.

OVERVIEW OF BRITISH RACING SEMINAR, JULY 22 This one-day seminar will give members a valuable insight into the world of

Her Majesty The Queen’s enthusiasm for racing is no secret; not only has she owned winners at the biggest meetings in Britain, but her passion for bloodstock is also renowned. Members will be granted access to Her Majesty’s broodmare band and their young stock when they visit her private stud on the Sandringham Estate. The visit will provide each member with an insight into how a stud is run and highlight the dedication required to succeed in the breeding industry, all while simultaneously perusing the worldfamous grounds.

DAN SKELTON STABLE TOUR, SEPTEMBER 10 As we wave goodbye to what promises to be an exciting Flat season, the club will be welcoming back National Hunt racing with a visit to the yard of one of Britain’s most up-and-coming young trainers, Dan Skelton. This is an unmissable opportunity for members to ask Dan questions about his time with champion trainer Paul Nicholls, as well as hearing his views on how to set up a successful training yard and run a flourishing business within the industry.

@T T C_ GB

Alongside TTC’s STAR event programme, a range of regional occasions will be organised to give members across the UK the opportunity to engage with the club and get the most from their membership. These events will be announced regularly throughout the year on TTC website, thethoroughbredclub.co.uk, but for the most up to date event news follow @TTC_GB on twitter.

BOOK NOW TTC Full Members have priority access to all our events and can book a place now via the Events page on the website. There will be limited places for TTC Associate Members so, to ensure your place, upgrade to full membership via our website.

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

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

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

HOW TO JOIN • Visit thethoroughbredclub.co.uk to sign up • If you would like to discuss membership options please contact Tallulah Lewis at info@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk TTC members have the chance to see Her Majesty The Queen’s mares and foals

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ROA FORUM The special section for ROA members

All change in Scotland

he ROA bids a fond farewell to Alan Guthrie, who for the past 12 years has served the ROA as Scotland Representative. Alan was appointed as a coopted member of the Council in 2003, and was a driving force in creating ROA Scotland in 2004. Since that time, Alan’s contribution to the ROA has been unstinting. He has attended monthly Council meetings in London at his own cost and worked tirelessly with the five Scottish racecourses in his role on the ROA Raceday Committee. Alan’s efforts in securing the Scottish Racing Admission Scheme have ensured added value for owners with involvement in a horse in training north of the border, and quickly helped to boost ROA membership in Scotland. Alan will be sorely missed by the ROA, its members and the Scottish racecourses that he represented so well. The role of Scotland Representative will be filled by Edinburgh-based Ken McGarrity, an owner with Linda Perratt and Keith Dalgleish. Ken also becomes the Scottish representative on the ROA Raceday Committee. Sarah Holton, ROA Racecourse Relations Executive, spoke to Ken McGarrity about his involvement in racing and ownership...

How did you get into racing? I had a day out at Ayr races in 2005 and heard Linda Perratt being interviewed. She made owning a racehorse seem like great fun. I joined the ROA and soon took a share in my first horse Grey Outlook, who gave me my first winner at Newcastle in October 2006. Over the last decade I have owned or had shares in 30 horses on the Flat, including Wicked Daze, the enigmatic Berbice and my evergreen 11-year-old, Silver Rime.

Who is your favourite racehorse ever? Frankel was just awesome and was the horse that put racing back on the sports pages again. Over jumps, I was a great fan of Grey Abbey. I was at Ayr in 2004 when he won the Scottish National from the front. His owners only had two horses I believe, which also made owning a successful racehorse less of a forlorn dream.

Tell us about the horses you have in training at the moment? I have five horses in training. All of my horses to date have been trained by Linda Perratt but, after ten years, I decided this year to

change things around and Jammy Moment (5-y-o) and Little Belter (4-y-o) are now with Keith Dalgleish. Linda has the remainder, Beijing Star (4-y-o) New Colours (5-y-o) and Silver Rime. He is such a striking grey, everyone loves him. He helped give me my finest day in racing in July 2010 when he won the Beeswing Handicap at Newcastle, which was followed 30 minutes later by Wicked Daze winning a two-mile handicap at York. Silver Rime has also won the main race on Lady Jockeys’ Night (which I support) at Carlisle for the past two seasons, ridden by Shergar Cup Silver Saddle winner, Sammy Jo Bell. I hope they can do the treble this year. Ken McGarrity: ROA role in Scotland

You are a director of Nairn’s Oatcakes and also at Musselburgh racecourse – are there any similarities between the two roles? As one of the four owners of the Nairn’s Oatcakes group of companies, I have had a pivotal role along with my colleagues, developing the business over the last 20 years, although I will be retiring later this year. At Musselburgh, I am much more in the background but pleased to be involved in a very well managed racecourse, which is a tribute to the efforts of our excellent General Manager, Bill Farnsworth. The main link between the two organisations is that Nairn’s Oatcakes sponsors the owners’ & trainers’ facility at the racecourse.

As part of the ROA Raceday Committee, in which direction would you like to help take owners’ raceday experience? On The Morning Line recently, I listened with interest to Rich Ricci compliment Flemington on the treatment of owners at the Melbourne Cup, and while every racecourse cannot hope to compete with Flemington, they should do their upmost to making your day out as pleasurable as possible. Many courses already offer complimentary food and wine and I feel this needs to be encouraged to be the norm, as owning a racehorse is an expensive business and you want to be well treated when you follow your horse to the races.

What are your feelings about the health of British racing? Clearly the debate about the future funding of racing is crucial going forward. Betting is an integral part of our sport but we need to ensure that the betting industry contributes

its fair share, so I am fully behind the ABP initiative and the move towards a Racing Right. I would also like to see more prizemoney going into the lower levels of the fixture list to encourage the ‘smaller’ owner to stay in the sport, and encourage others to participate for the first time.

How do you intend to engage with owners in Scotland? It is my intention to attend as many race meetings in Scotland as possible during 2016 and meet up with as many local owners as possible. I also plan to contact many of the trainers based in Scotland and visit their stables, particularly National Hunt trainers, whose owners may not know me as well as those on the Flat. Finally, let me say a big thank you to Alan Guthrie, who has given me a lot of assistance so far and will be helping to ensure a smooth handover over the next few months.

Scottish Racing Admission Scheme ROA members who hold a Horseracing Privilege Photocard and own at least a 5% share in a horse trained in Scotland can apply for the Scottish Racing Admission Scheme. This scheme allows free admission to almost every fixture held at Ayr, Hamilton Park, Kelso, Musselburgh and Perth racecourses. The only exception this year is Musselburgh, Scottish Sprint Cup day on June 18. To apply for this scheme please contact the ROA team with your membership number and the name of your horse(s).

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www.roa.co.uk

Bespoke dining for members at Royal Ascot The ROA is delighted to announce an exclusive discounted package for ROA members wishing to enjoy a fine dining experience in the Carriages Restaurant during the five days of Royal Ascot (June 14-18). Carriages Restaurant is a stately restaurant on the upper floor of a luxurious two-floor marquee. Located in the Queen Anne Enclosure (formerly Grandstand) it is also conveniently positioned just past the winning post, and close to the Royal Enclosure. A spacious decked balcony offers the perfect space to entertain friends or colleagues, with spectacular head-on Tuesday June 14

The Carriages Restaurant offer will enable members to enjoy Royal Ascot in style

views down the finishing straight. Tables will be arranged so members are seated together on shared tables of ten within an area of the restaurant, arranged according to numbers on each day. The bespoke package includes a champagne reception, four-course Wednesday Thursday June 15 June 16

Friday June 17

Saturday June 18

Hospitality package including Queen Anne admission

£550 pp

£620 pp

£590 pp

£500 pp

Package without admission

£490 pp

£550 pp

£520 pp

£475 pp

luncheon, afternoon tea, and a complimentary bar throughout the day, which includes champagne. Guests will also receive one car park label per two places booked, racecards and racing papers. The packages give the option to either include Queen Anne admission, or not, so those who have already purchased Royal Enclosure badges, or expect to have runners on the day, can avail themselves of this offer. We hope members will take up this special offer for what will be a memorable week. To book, please visit the Events section of the ROA website at roa.co.uk, email sholton@roa.co.uk or call the office on 020 7152 0200.

Bag a £2,000 bonus in March A tasty £2,000 bonus is on offer at each of four ROA Owners Jackpot races during March. The weekly bonus can be won by qualifying ROA-owned winners, in addition to win prize-money. March 2 March 10 March 16 March 23

Bangor-On-Dee Carlisle Huntingdon Haydock Park

0-110 3m 5 1/2f handicap chase 0-120 2m1f handicap hurdle 0-100 2m 3f 189y handicap chase 0-110 1m 7f 144y handicap Hurdle

Entries close February 25 Entries close March 4 Entries close March 10 Entries close March 17

To qualify for a bonus, 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. For syndicate owners, both nominated partners must be members of the ROA. Giovanni Di Bicci’s win at Kempton secured a bonus for the Epsom Equine Spa Partnership

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ROA FORUM

TRACK TALK

The latest news from the UK’s racecourses

Veterans’ series renewed for second year February saw the first two of a series of ten qualifying races in the popular Veterans’ Chase Series, first trialled in 2015. The series, worth £400,000 in total, was programmed by the BHA to generate opportunities for ten–year-old-plus chasers that may have found winning opportunities limited in other valuable races. Eight of the races provide a competitive centrepiece on Sunday cards. The 2015 Chase Series was well received, delivering competitive qualifiers and a thrilling final. Average field sizes across the 11 races reached nine runners, well above the average field size for chase races that was around 7.25 in 2015. The average starting price of the favourite across the 11 races was just over 7/2. The series will again culminate in a final at Sandown Park. Each of the ten qualifying races have a minimum total prize fund of £30,000 with the final offering £100,000 in prize-money. Any horse that takes part in one of the qualifying races will be eligible to enter the final. The series is part-funded by the remaining money from the Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) made by bookmakers in 2014 and distributed primarily in 2015. Of the £4.5m contribution around £650,000 remains to be distributed and £200,000 of this will be used to fund the Veterans’ Chase Series. Discussions are ongoing as to how the remaining £450,000 will be spent.

Finals Day at Lingfield Park Lingfield Park will play host to Finals Day of the All-Weather Championships on Good Friday, March 25. Finals Day is the culmination of five months of action, covering 150 fixtures and 1,200 Flat races at Kempton Park, Lingfield Park, Southwell, Wolverhampton and Chelmsford City, with

Soll and Tom Scudamore claimed the veterans’ chase final at Sandown in January

Remaining qualifying races and final of 2016 Veterans’ Chase Series March 5 Newbury Leg 3 (0-150) March 20 Carlisle Leg 4 (0-150) April 3 Ascot Leg 5 (0-150) October 9 Chepstow Leg 6 (0-150) October 23 Aintree Leg 7 (0-150) November 6 Sandown Park Leg 8 (0-150) November 27 Leicester Leg 9 (0-150) December 4 Kelso Leg 10 (0-150) January 2017 Sandown Park Final (Open)

£1.1m on offer. Further details can be found at www.awchampionships.co.uk.

Ascot enclosures renamed Ascot has renamed two of its enclosures to recognise the patronage of monarchs over its 300-plus year history. From April, Ascot’s Premier Admission will be known as the King Edward VII Enclosure. The Queen Anne Enclosure will replace Grandstand Enclosure at Royal Ascot and Grandstand Admission at all other racedays. At Royal Ascot, the Silver Ring will be renamed the Windsor Enclosure, as a nod to the racecourse’s location within Windsor Forest. The new enclosure names will be used for the first time at Ascot’s opening Flat meeting, the Discover Ascot Free Raceday on Wednesday, April 27 where admission to the Queen Anne Enclosure will be free.

Investec Derby boost Epsom has announced that 2017’s Investec Derby will boast prize-money of £1.5m, an increase of over £100,000 on the 2016 version (prior to any supplementary entries). Yearling entries for the 238th running have now closed, but the additional entry stages are on April 4, 2017 (cost £9,000) and May 29, 2017 (cost £85,000).

Sussex National Plumpton have rescued the At The Races Sussex National, following its abandonment in January. The 3m4.5f race will now have a Spring feel to it, when it is run on Easter Sunday, March 27. The card will also feature the Totepool Sussex Champion Hurdle, and will be the richest day’s racing ever staged at the Sussex track, with nearly £80,000 in prizemoney up for grabs.

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New Cheltenham handicaps restriction

In a move announced last month, connections will not be able to declare horses to run in Cheltenham’s Festival handicaps on successive days. The decision follows consultation between the racecourse, NTF and BHA and is designed to ensure horses that are declared for the ten handicaps are intended, rather than possible participants, and to maximise opportunities to run. Any horse whose entry is confirmed will not be permitted to declare to run if at the time of declaration they have been declared to run in any other handicap yet to take place. With 24-hour declarations at the Festival, horses could still appear in two handicaps at the meeting.

Leicester food provision

Sir Peter O’Sullevan private view on offer for members Members are invited to a private view of The Collection of the late Sir Peter O'Sullevan at the Osborne Studio Gallery on the evening of Wednesday, March 30. The collection celebrates the life of the ‘Voice of Racing’, a dedicated art collector and former chairman of the gallery, and includes paintings, sculpture, photographs and ephemera from his private collection. The retrospective has been put together by O’Sullevan’s close friends Geoffrey Hughes,

The collection of Sir Peter O’Sullevan features the work of many celebrated artists

Diary dates and reminders

Owners with a runner at Leicester will be pleased at news of an improved food offering. Subsidised hot baguettes are now available in the owners’ and trainers’ bar, as well as a £5 discount in the restaurant for those wanting a more substantial meal.

MARCH 30

Raceday feedback winner

Grand Opening Day at Aintree

Despite the weather playing havoc with the fixture list, ROA member-owned horses have still been getting to the track, and we would like to thank those owners who have been continuing to leave raceday feedback via the ROA website. It is only a short questionnaire, but the results are vitally important to the ROA Raceday Committee, which is why we reward one randomly-selected member each month with a £50 John Lewis voucher. This month’s winner is George Godsman of Perth.

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Gallery Director, and Sean Magee, racing journalist. Some works have been borrowed, while other items are for sale, with proceeds going to The Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust. The gallery is located in Belgravia, London and the exhibition will run from March 9 to April 1. Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis for the viewing on March 30. To book, please contact Sadie Evans on 020 7152 0200 or email sevans@roa.co.uk.

Private view of the Late Sir Peter O’Sullevan Collection An exhibition to celebrate the life of ‘The Voice of Racing’ at Osborne Studio Gallery.

APRIL 7 ROA members can enjoy free admission on the opening day of the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival on production of their Horseracing Privilege Photocard. Parking labels are available on request by contacting Sadie Evans at the ROA on 020 7152 0200 or sevans@roa.co.uk

APRIL 26-APRIL 30 Punchestown festival ROA members can enjoy privileged access to the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners Members Marquee.

LOOKING AHEAD June 14-18 Hospitality package, Royal Ascot

June 26, Pretty Polly Stakes Day at the Curragh, admission and access to the Curragh rooms

June 28, ROA AGM, London

July 25, 26, 27, 29, 30 Galway Festival – access to AIRO members’ marquee

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

October 15 British Champions Day, Ascot

December 1 ROA Horseracing Awards, London Booking for all ROA events can be made online at roa.co.uk or by calling the ROA on 020 7152 0200

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ROA FORUM

MAGICAL MOMENTS with ROA member Heather Snook

f there is such a thing as a British banker at this month’s Willie Mullins-dominated Cheltenham Festival, Thistlecrack has to be it. Kept over hurdles this season, with connections believing the World Hurdle looked wide open, the eight-year-old has gone from strength to strength and polished off his Festival preparations with a commanding success at the course on trials day in the Cleeve Hurdle. His proud owners are John and Heather Snook, who found time to communicate with the magazine amid TB-testing cattle at their farm near Yeovil. “It’s the bane of our lives, not fun – but that’s why we go racing, for a change of scenery,” says Heather Snook. There is no better scenery for jumping enthusiasts than the Cheltenham Festival, and through Thistlecrack the Snooks head into the meeting with understandable excitement. It has been a slow burn, however, the Snooks having been involved in ownership throughout this century. Detailing their journey, Heather Snook says: “We farm in south Somerset but have always gone National Hunt racing at local tracks as well as Cheltenham. “I come from a hunting, point-to-point family, and John has always raced. It seemed like a good idea to go into ownership after the foot and mouth crisis had shut us down for most of the year and John joined cattle auctioneers Terry Hamlin and Martin Dare in a syndicate with three horses. “They had a very good pointing mare, What A Mover, with Ollie Cann, and Manawanui was trained by Robert Alner. They had a lot of success with Mister Quasimodo, trained by Colin Tizzard, and by then we’d gone into ownership on our own. The syndicate has been together 15 years and is still going strong.” She continues: “John has bought and sold cattle at auctions all his life, so he especially enjoys the atmosphere of the horse sales ring. We usually try to buy our own horses at the Doncaster Spring Sale or the Irish Derby Sale, choosing sires we like and family lines that appeal, often from old, proven NH families. “Supreme Leader was a favourite sire and we’ve followed Kayf Tara horses for years. We’ve attended the Derby Sale for 11 years, along with Colin and Pauline Tizzard, where a number of horses have been bought – not all winners! It’s a great social event, too. “We are really old fashioned in our approach. Horses are given a complete education when

Thistlecrack scored a decisive victory in the Cleeve Hurdle (top) for owners Heather and John Snook, pictured with Colin Tizzard (left) and Tom Scudamore after his earlier success in the Grade 1 JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot

young and most go on to have a good career in other spheres after racing, especially if they don’t make the grade as racehorses.” The classy Flight Leader gave the Snooks their first taste of success, the quirky Russian Song scored at Newbury, while Classic Clover got them off the mark at local track Wincanton. He won four of his six races there and was placed more than 20 times in 60-plus contests. “You don’t get a better horse than that,” affirms Heather Snook. She continues: “We bought Thistlecrack’s full-brother at the Derby Store Sales in 2008. He was very impressive, so we went back to buy Thistlecrack at the November Foal Sale, but were outbid. A year later the elder brother broke a leg on the gallops, which made us more determined to buy Thistlecrack when he came

to the August Sales in 2011. John managed to buy him, and my brother Nigel and his son, amateur jockey Michael Legg, broke him in. “He took a long time to mature into the horse he is today and spent quite a bit of time doing basic flat work and showjumping with Renee Nichols near Beaminster. When he was finally ready Michael rode him to win a bumper in a very fast time, then his first hurdle race, both at Wincanton. “He does his pre-training with Fiona Shaw at her Dorchester farm and goes back to Colin’s yard hard and strong enough for his successful training regime. “We decided to stay hurdling this season because he came out top of the novice staying hurdlers last season and the World Hurdle route looked tempting. He has a relentlessly

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Visit Golden Horn at Dalham Hall

beautiful galloping rhythm, which my 93year-old father, Douglas Legg, a perceptive horseman and dedicated hunting and pointto-point rider in his day, describes as ‘gathering up the ground and spreading it out behind him’. “Colin also trains West Approach, Thistlecrack’s half-brother who won his first bumper, and Molineaux, who made his debut in February. They run in John’s black and orange colours – he supports Wolves!” The Snooks also have horses with Fiona Shaw, Michael Legg, Anthony Honeyball, Harry Fry and Jack Barber, and Heather Snook says: “There is a rich choice of trainers in this area, and we especially enjoy the camaraderie between the owners. Whenever you go racing, everyone has a common interest: to appreciate the racehorse and have a good day out.”

“Everyone dreams

of seeing their horse coming up the Cheltenham hill in front” When Thistlecrack wins a major race, of course, a perfect day off becomes simply a perfect day. Heather Snook says: “We made a list of the races Big Buck’s won on the way to the World Hurdle and that became our plan! We have got used to Thistlecrack’s amazing automated motion, but when he wins we have to pinch ourselves to believe it. “He’s won twice at Ascot; the Long Walk win in December was stunning, but the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham was the dream; everyone dreams of seeing their horse coming up the Cheltenham hill in front. Flight Leader did it on the wettest day possible, so the Cleeve win on a sunny January afternoon was a real treat. He and Tom Scudamore were poetry in motion.” She adds: “The Festival target is now within sight. We try not to think about it too much – but that’s not easy because, for the last 40 years, every March our life has revolved around being there, with or without a runner. This year is extra special!”

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Last year Golden Horn wowed us all with his fabulous Group 1 haul throughout the summer months, culminating in a scintillating Arc victory. The ROA Horseracing Awards Horse of the Year has now embarked on his second career at stud – and ROA members are being offered the Golden Horn: new career

fantastic opportunity to take a behind-thescenes peek at his new home. Dalham Hall Stud has graciously agreed to host 50 ROA members and their guests on the morning of Wednesday, April 13. Meeting at the Newmarket Rowley Mile annual members car park, attendees will then be transported by coach to the stud, for light refreshments followed by a guided tour of the facilities, and the chance to see Golden Horn and some of his fellow stallions, which include Dubawi. Should guests wish to extend their day, there is also racing in the afternoon at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, where the card features the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes. This is both an RBSO and a ROA/JCR Admission Scheme day, so complimentary tickets for racing can be arranged for any ROA members wishing to enjoy the afternoon’s racing. To book a place for the visit, contact Sarah Holton at the ROA office on 020 7152 0200 or email sholton@roa.co.uk

News in Brief... Awards fundraising We are grateful to all owners who participated in our fundraising initiatives at the ROA Horseracing Awards evening in December. Funds were raised via a silent auction, grand auction, donations and by owners including their racing colours in the event brochure. These initiatives will see Racing Welfare receive £26,975 and the National Horseracing Museum receive £19,500. We are most grateful to all members and donors for their generous support of the evening. SIS owner-sponsorship scheme The ROA’s SIS owner-sponsorship scheme enables owners with a horse in training to register for and reclaim their VAT on ownership costs. The scheme is simple to join, and owners receive a payment to carry the SIS logo on the chest and colour of their silks. The ROA runs four 12-month schemes throughout the year and the next scheme will begin on March 1. Applications can be made online at roa.co.uk or by contacting Sarah Holton at the ROA on 020 7152 0200 or email sholton@roa.co.uk. Volume 2 fixtures Full fixture details for Volume 2 of the Programme Book covering the three-month

period from April to June were released in early February on the Racing Admin website. Owners can access this information if they have a login (available on request). There is a charge of £2 per day for owners to access this information. For those interested in fixtures at Cheltenham, Exeter, Warwick and Wincanton, Jockey Club South West Region publish an online programme book, free to access at www.weatherbys.net. Appearance Money Scheme The qualification criteria and payments for the Appearance Money Scheme are unchanged for 2016. Qualifying horses that start in any race run on a Sunday will earn connections a payment of £100 (plus VAT where applicable). Terms and exclusions are specified in Schedule (F)11 of the online Rules of Racing. Do we have your email address? Earlier this year all ROA members on our e-bulletin list and those who submitted their email address were entered into a prize draw to win £100 of John Lewis vouchers. We are delighted to report the winner was Russell Bridgeman of Milton Keynes. To receive our bulletins with details of all ROA news, offers and member discounts, send your name or membership number to info@roa.co.uk.

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Racing Post offers to members The ROA has teamed up with the Racing Post to offer its members two really special offers on two essential Racing Post products – Members’ Club and the iPad Daily Edition. Racing Post is the go-to place for racing information, and the iPad Daily Edition brings news, cards, features, tipping and columnists straight to your iPad, wherever you are in the world. Racecards

can be customised to your preferred view, and the organiser function makes it easy to track favourite horses and ones to follow. Racing Post Members’ Club provides access to a package of 20 features, including full ratings, comments with pre-race and post-race analysis, results, stats and pedigree information to provide an online suite of data. Arjan Stulen, Racing Post’s Head of Online Marketing, said: “Owners are an important group of customers to the Racing Post, many features of our digital products were produced with individuals like them in mind. We know that owners often use our products to get more from their ownership experience.” The ROA discounts are as follows: Members’ Club (Ultimate) – 12 months for the price of 9 (£195 save £65) The last word in racing information. With news, ratings, stats, tipping and great offers this invaluable racing resource is a must for any owner. Drill into a horse’s form, pedigree, results analysis and much more. Racing Post Daily Edition (iPad) - 12 months for the price of 9 - (£269.91 save £89.97) Like your Racing Post newspaper but much more, available from 8pm the day before the paper’s published. This beautiful app gives you the best bits of the paper as well as useful tools such as Horse

Would you like to stand for Council? The ROA Council currently comprises 13 members. Council members are elected through an annual ballot amongst all ROA members in June. This year there are three places available and we are now inviting applications from members who may be interested in standing for election. The Council meets monthly, and meeting agendas involve the finances and politics of British horseracing, reports from various committees on which the ROA is represented, and a range of topics relating to membership services and package of benefits. Elected Council members serve a three-year term after which they can stand for re-election. To qualify to stand for election, members must have been an owner during the 12month period immediately preceding joining

the Council, and either alone or with an associate, spouse or civil partner, own not less than 100% of one racehorse or interests in more than one racehorse which add up to at least 100%. Their racehorse/s in question are required to be trained in Great Britain and either in training, being prepared for training or temporarily out of training. Relevant ownership of a leasehold interest qualifies for this purpose. Members will receive a letter inviting them to stand with further information about the role of a Council member. In the meantime, expressions of interest should be made to Charlie Liverton, ROA Chief Executive at cliverton@roa.co.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday, April 1.

Tracker so you’ll never miss your horse running. Log in to the Members’ Area of the ROA website at www.roa.co.uk to learn how to redeem these generous discounts. Offers do not apply to existing Racing Post members or subscribers. Terms and conditions apply, see members’ area of ROA website for details.

Top action at Punchestown The Punchestown festival is a highlight of the Irish sporting and social calendar, offering a special combination of thrilling racing, entertainment and hospitality, which can be enjoyed either dressed for glamour or comfort due to its unique atmosphere. Considered the home of Irish National Hunt racing, the Kildare venue attracts top class horses, trainers and jockeys from both sides of the Irish Sea. The quality of racing is guaranteed, with 12 Grade 1 contests staged over the festival. ROA members can once again this year enjoy access to the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners Members Marquee, on production of their Horseracing Privilege Photocard. The AIRO Marquee is located in the Reserved Enclosure with complimentary refreshments. This offer applies over the five days of the festival, and members may be accompanied by up to three guests in the facility. Please note that racecourse admission does need to be purchased in advance via www.punchestown.com or by calling 00 353 (0)45 897704. Our grateful thanks are extended to our counterparts at the AIRO for this access to their facility, which is much appreciated.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Flat Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

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

Ascot York Goodwood Epsom Downs Newmarket Chester 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 February 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016

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 39,310 36,465 34,084 33,032 32,289 32,205 31,257 27,399 27,121 26,159 25,473 24,486 24,323 24,182 23,318 22,888 21,099 20,435 19,876 19,019 18,539 17,669 16,440 14,759 12,766 48,087

139,472 101,606 93,300 79,482 82,238 44,190 66,664 55,763 51,919 45,355 24,136 15,764 34,194 25,913 32,988 28,809 9,725 25,243 19,217 19,250 21,961 16,869 21,890 23,200 20,798 21,304 13,170 20,085 14,305 31,117 19,872 18,609 14,793 20,044 16,181 22,645 33,519

238,948 109,663 60,270 92,702 99,302 10,164 34,603 31,454 23,148 18,729 5,796 4,273 10,857 4,816 3,724 5,354 4,508 4,239 3,776 5,533 6,892 4,389 3,076 5,054 4,254 5,764 3,391 4,872 3,089 6,084 11,276 2,707 3,162 3,101 2,556 2,425 19,795

767,040 401,012 322,506 308,975 287,001 141,217 170,290 153,485 132,880 115,047 69,799 59,385 81,634 64,813 69,744 66,577 47,250 60,738 50,392 51,904 55,449 46,731 49,702 52,827 49,302 50,626 39,449 46,333 38,019 57,077 50,167 40,105 36,249 39,629 33,496 37,835 101,551

18 17 19 11 39 15 18 24 16 23 17 65 17 16 16 16 4 86 18 16 16 13 20 21 59 23 7 28 21 3 18 17 16 95 21 38 887

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 3,860,005 1,387,783 1,037,000 1,115,902 1,065,238 189,000 5,223,467 907,050 830,468 887,184 607,500 994,030 1,109,365 2,908,829 1,164,399 276,140 1,297,325 798,400 171,230 903,000 681,788 579,982 3,764,721 703,416 1,437,735 90,119,433

360,861 169,619 88,884 118,711 91,930 81,446 55,785 64,832 54,675 47,465 39,444 39,098 30,759 31,611 30,775 27,442 0 27,897 22,641 27,174 23,350 21,234 21,852 20,104 21,319 19,898 24,490 19,707 17,760 16,478 16,378 16,912 13,169 16,625 12,786 10,922 41,096

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 Chepstow Newcastle Ludlow Wincanton Cartmel Musselburgh Wetherby Perth Stratford-on-Avon Newton Abbot Market Rasen Fakenham Warwick Carlisle Taunton Exeter Huntingdon Bangor-on-Dee Uttoxeter Ffos Las Leicester Hexham Fontwell Park Southwell Catterick Bridge Worcester Sedgefield Plumpton Lingfield Park 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 ARC ARC I JCR I I I I I I JCR I JCR JCR I JCR JCR I ARC I I I ARC ARC I ARC ARC I ARC I

242,694 226,234 140,405 93,109 87,792 53,935 47,962 36,459 28,939 28,558 28,086 27,499 27,472 27,234 25,256 25,153 24,388 24,218 23,882 23,222 23,202 21,346 20,650 20,544 19,868 19,652 19,634 18,398 18,043 17,971 17,519 16,249 15,526 15,439 15,067 14,741 13,546 13,253 13,214 12,797 35,430

129,888 112,432 84,082 84,594 76,260 71,607 55,034 40,847 32,050 44,566 32,246 35,784 29,417 30,323 21,388 30,814 25,489 26,114 18,206 27,195 24,433 23,858 30,129 28,107 22,109 29,496 21,901 24,346 22,482 19,907 26,182 18,618 21,434 18,925 27,005 21,230 20,635 24,422 26,770 18,249 33,877

66,846 56,670 17,906 17,445 15,231 19,496 9,489 11,601 3,276 7,917 7,243 7,295 4,417 4,805 4,528 4,757 4,527 2,439 3,700 0 4,440 0 5,247 4,513 4,416 4,931 4,293 4,703 4,885 3,314 4,331 2,897 3,113 3,351 2,877 3,615 2,922 3,345 3,333 3,244 7,657

439,615 395,336 246,143 198,898 180,916 146,856 113,556 89,817 64,848 82,131 67,574 70,577 61,307 62,526 51,171 61,374 54,520 52,772 45,787 50,418 52,304 45,204 57,682 53,580 46,394 54,584 45,829 47,446 45,670 41,191 48,031 37,929 40,073 37,970 44,949 39,701 37,592 41,021 43,317 34,490 77,373

8 16 8 8 9 11 14 11 12 11 15 8 15 14 8 10 13 14 18 17 21 12 16 12 15 16 18 13 25 11 9 14 21 20 9 20 18 15 6 10 541

3,516,918 6,325,381 1,969,147 1,591,182 1,550,713 1,615,420 1,589,788 987,990 778,176 903,446 1,013,615 564,616 919,600 875,368 409,368 613,737 708,755 738,803 824,172 857,102 1,098,385 542,452 922,911 642,963 695,903 873,350 824,920 616,804 1,141,761 453,100 432,281 531,000 841,530 759,400 404,539 794,014 676,660 615,310 259,900 344,900 41,825,379

248,442 220,359 131,352 104,595 99,675 43,140 50,130 29,987 25,512 26,957 25,309 22,504 25,390 25,566 24,425 24,987 24,387 25,650 22,552 21,497 21,817 21,229 23,205 20,340 15,313 19,277 18,808 18,366 18,468 19,938 12,790 16,447 15,609 11,866 15,996 14,083 13,772 14,184 15,607 10,971 33,978

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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

Mar_139_TBA_Forum_Owner 19/02/2016 13:00 Page 86

TBA FORUM The special section for TBA members

Young stars on parade

he earlier start time of 9.30am did nothing to deter the crowd from gathering around the sales ring at Tattersalls to see the start of the 2016 TBA Stallion Parade. Gina Harding and Matt Prior shared the commentary duties for the 11 firstand second-season sires that paraded prior to the commencement of the February Sale. Following the parade, TBA members and broodmare owners were invited to view the stallions at closer quarters in the Left Yard, where stud representatives were available to discuss matings enquiries. Members and their guests were also welcomed to the sales ring bar for light refreshments where the TBA team were on hand to answer members queries. The TBA would like to thank all who supported the parade, with special recognition to the stallion handlers and the stud farms, Tattersalls, Weatherbys, Gina Harding and Matt Prior.

Coach House of Bucklands Farm & Stud

furlong maiden by seven-lengths, he followed up with another easy victory in the Listed Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh. In his next start he was narrowly beaten by No Nay Never in an extremely quick running of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, where both horses broke the five-furlong track record. Coach House stands at Bucklands Farm & Stud in Gloucestershire for a fee of £3,000 October 1, LFFR terms.

CABLE BAY Invincible Spirit ex Rose De France (Diktat) New to Highclere Stud in 2016 is Cable Bay. A consistent performer on the track having won or been placed in nine Group races, Cable Bay’s wins include the Group 2 Challenge Stakes and the Group 3 Jury Stakes. His notable performances as a twoyear-old include finishing second in the Dewhurst Stakes, Richmond Stakes and Somerville Tattersalls Stakes. The five-yearold son of Invincible Spirit retired for his first season at stud for a fee of £6,500, October 1 terms.

DUE DILIGENCE War Front ex Bema (Pulpit) Due Diligence is the five-year-old son of leading American sire War Front. Following an impressive eight-length win on his track debut at Saratoga, Due Diligence was

Three-time Group 1 winner Dunaden

DUNADEN Nicobar ex La Marlia (Kaldounevees) Dunaden retired from the racecourse a winner of ten races with over £5 million in prizemoney. The consistent international campaigner recorded an impressive three wins at the highest level, including the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Hong Kong Vase. Timeform rated him 130 and he is the first Melbourne Cup winner since Carbine to stand at stud in Britain. Dunaden stands at Overbury Stud in Gloucestershire for £3,000 October 1, SLF terms where he has proved popular with breeders, having covered 99 mares in his first season in 2015.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Oasis Dream ex Attraction (Efisio) New to stud in 2016 is the son of two exceptionally fast horses: Oasis Dream and European Champion two-year-old Attraction. Fountain Of Youth won his maiden by an easy four lengths on only his second start, followed by an impressive run in the Listed Windsor Forest Stakes in which he was beaten less than a length. At three, he won the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes over five furlongs in a time of just 59 seconds. He stands his first season at Bearstone Stud in Shropshire for a fee of £5,000 October 1, LFFR terms.

War Front’s young son Due Diligence

Highclere Stud newcomer Cable Bay

COACH HOUSE Oasis Dream ex Lesson In Humility (Mujadil) Coach House is a son of Juddmonte’s leading sire Oasis Dream. The five-year-old retired to stud in 2015 and covered an impressive 110 mares in his first season. After winning a five

transferred to Ireland for his three-year-old campaign. He then landed the Listed Lacken Stakes at Naas by an easy five lengths before heading to Royal Ascot to face older horses for the first time. Narrowly defeated by Slade Power in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Due Diligence was awarded a Timeform rating of 120. He stands at Whitsbury Manor Stud in Hampshire for a fee of £6,500 October 1, SLF terms.

Fountain Of Youth is new to Bearstone

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www.thetba.co.uk

Music Master stands at Throckmorton

MUSTAJEEB

Cheveley Park Stud stallion Garswood has first foals on the ground this season

Nayef ex Rifqah (Elusive Quality) Mustajeeb stands his first season at Overbury Stud at £5,000 October 1, SLF terms. He was the record-breaking winner of the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Ascot in 2014. On official ratings, only Muhaarar and Slade Power were ranked higher than him over six and seven furlongs in 2014 and 2015. He retired the winner of four races which also included the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes and Group 3 Amethyst Stakes.

GARSWOOD Dutch Art ex Penchant (Kyllachy) Garswood stands at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket. He retired the winner of four races from five to seven furlongs including the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in 2014. The Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, Listed European Free Handicap and Listed Rosebery Stakes were his other significant victories on the racecourse. He is by leading young sire Dutch Art and stands for a fee of £5,000 October 1, SLF terms, and has his first foals in 2016.

HEERAAT Dark Angel ex Thawrah (Green Desert) Heeraat retired to stud in 2015 the winner of five races, breaking his maiden tag at two on only his second outing by an outstanding 11 lengths. Rising through the ratings, he secured three further victories before landing the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in 2013, beating Group-winning sprinters Hamza and Krypton Factor in the process. Heeraat covered 103 mares last year and stands at Mickley Stud for £4,000 October 1, SLF.

Heeraat: well supported with first book

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Hedgeholme Stud’s new boy Intrinsic Mustajeeb joins the Overbury roster

INTRINSIC Oasis Dream ex Infallible (Pivotal) Intrinsic retired the winner of four races over six furlongs at three and four years. He won the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood in 2014 beating several Group and Stakes performers, including multiple winner Borderlescott and Gimcrack winner Blaine. Intrinsic is another young son of Oasis Dream and is out of the Group 3 winner Infallible. He stands at Hedgeholme Stud in Co. Durham for £1,750 October 1 terms.

SUPPLICANT Kyllachy ex Pious (Bishop Of Cashel) New to Petches Farm in 2016 is Kyllachy’s five-year-old son, Supplicant. The winner of four races from five to six furlongs and £91,752 in prize-money, Supplicant made a winning debut at Beverley as a juvenile, before recording back-to-back wins in the Listed Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy and the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes. He stands at £3,000 October 1 terms.

MUSIC MASTER Piccolo ex Twilight Mistress (Bin Ajwaad) New to stud in 2016 is the Group 3 winner Music Master. The son of Piccolo won his first outing at three in a seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket. In the same season he filled the runner-up position in both the Group 3 Bengough Stakes and the Listed King Charles II Stakes. Music Master went on to win the competitive Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in 2014. He stands at Throckmorton Court Stud in Worcestershire for a fee of £4,000, October 1 terms.

Supplicant, a speedy son of Kyllachy

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TBA FORUM

Changes To NH breeding initiatives: Breeders’ Incentive Scheme for 2016 The Breeders’ Incentive Scheme is the umbrella term for three initiatives designed to support the domestic National Hunt breeding and racing industries. Both the National Hunt MOPS and Elite Mares’ Voucher Scheme launched at the start of the year and updates on these are available in the relevant sub-sections of this article. The Breeders’ Voucher Scheme for 2016 has now been finalised and are set out below.

NEW: Breeders’ Voucher Scheme 2016 Towards the end of last year, the Breeders’ Prize Scheme was reviewed to ensure that it continues to support domestic NH breeders and also channel funds back into the NH racing industry. Cash prizes previously distributed by the Breeders’ Prize Scheme will, with effect from 2016, take the form of vouchers giving discounted nominations to British stallions which are deemed suitable for NH

UPDATE: TBA/HBLB NH Elite Mares Scheme 2016 The National Hunt Elite Mares Scheme, funded by the HBLB and now in its sixth year, continues to provide financial incentives for the owners of the best NH race and broodmares, encouraging them to upgrade their broodmare bands with good quality race mares and send them to highclass British-based sires. In November, the TBA publicised the names of the 263 mares eligible for the scheme and contacted their owners inviting them to submit an application for a voucher of up to £4,000 dependent upon the mare’s official rating, or that of her NH runners to a defined level. As expected, a good proportion of race mares will stay in training, however, from the initial group, the owners of 96 mares have taken up the offer and the allocations to 19 British-based NH stallions have been made.

Breeders’ Incentive Scheme

NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NH MOPS)

Elite Mares’ Voucher Scheme

production. This is a much simplified approach and whilst limited funding prevents awards up to £10,000 for wins in Grade 1 races, many of the vouchers awarded will carry a higher value than would be earned by the 2015 Breeders’ Prize Scheme. The new vouchers will be awarded to the breeder of successful British-bred NH horses as follows: Class 1: £4,000 voucher (vs current NH BPS £2,500 to £10,000) Class 2: £3,000 voucher (vs current NH BPS £1,500 to £2,500) Class 3: Novice/NHF: £2,000 voucher (vs current NH BPS £1,000 to £1,500). These awards can be used for any mares owned by the successful breeder (pro-rata for

NEW Breeders’ Voucher Scheme

mares owned in partnership). This revision will reinforce previous efforts to ensure that inactive breeders do not receive prizes for wins by horses that they produced in the past, whilst also providing direct encouragement to support British-based stallions as the vouchers will only be redeemable against these stallions and cannot be traded. The Breeders’ Voucher Scheme will be open to members and non-members of the TBA. However an administration fee for non-members wishing to redeem a voucher will apply. Full details of the scheme will be available on the TBA website and upon request. Winning breeders will be contacted via Weatherbys regarding their vouchers and will receive full instructions as to how to redeem them.

UPDATE: NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme (NH Mops) The National Hunt Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme is accepting nominations for fillies that were either bred in Britain or produced by British-domiciled stallions and born in 2013 until March 31, 2016. NH MOPS was launched for four-year-olds (fillies born in 2012) on January 1, 2016 with the first eligible race run at Sandown Park on the second day of the new year. Woolstone One became the first winner of the scheme on January 16 at Wetherby. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enrol your filly for the chance to win cash bonuses in qualifying races. Contact the TBA office for an application form or visit the NH MOPS page within the NH Racing section of the TBA website for further information.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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NH Mare Owners’ Prize Scheme – Eligible Races (March & April 2016) The awards are; £10,000 for wins in mares-only class 1-2 open races, class 1-4 novice chases and 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

Race Date

Class Type

Race Name

DONCASTER

04/03/2016

BetBright.com EBF Stallions Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ (NH) Novices’ Hurdle

DONCASTER

05/03/2016

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL FUND MARES’ NOVICE HURDLE

NEWBURY

04/03/2016

Rickety Bridge Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

EXETER

08/03/2016

EBF Stallions Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle

CATTERICK BRIDGE

09/03/2016

racinguk.com Mares’ Novice Hurdle

CATTERICK BRIDGE

09/03/2016

Flat Season Next Mares’ Standard NH Flat Race

SANDOWN PARK

11/03/2016

Anne Boleyn Mares’ Novice Hurdle

SANDOWN PARK

12/03/2016

EBF STALLIONS/TBA MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NH FLAT RACE

TAUNTON

14/03/2016

Staff Away Day Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

SEDGEFIELD

15/03/2016

Betfred Mares’ (Betfred Hurdle Series Qual.) Novice Hurdle

SEDGEFIELD

15/03/2016

Queen Mother Tips Now Live @ bookies.com Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

CHELTENHAM

15/03/2016

OLBG DAVID NICHOLSON MARES’ (P1.F.) HURDLE

CHELTENHAM

17/03/2016

TRULL HOUSE STUD DAWN RUN MARES’ NOVICE HURDLE

HEXHAM

17/03/2016

Woodlawn ‘National Hunt’ Mares’ (NH) Novice Hurdle

FONTWELL PARK

19/03/2016

EBF Stallions Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ (NH) Novices’ Hurdle

KELSO

21/03/2016

Till Mares’ Novice Hurdle

SOUTHWELL

21/03/2016

Southwell Mares’ Standard NH Flat Race

HAYDOCK PARK

23/03/2016

ApolloBet Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ (NH) Novice Hurdle

CHEPSTOW

24/03/2016

ECIC Mares’ Novice Hurdle

CHEPSTOW

24/03/2016

ICB Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

LUDLOW

24/03/2016

Ludlow Racing Partnership Mares’ Novice Hurdle

CARLISLE

26/03/2016

mytotepool.com Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

HAYDOCK PARK

26/03/2016

CHALLENGER MARES’ HURDLE SERIES FINAL

CHEPSTOW

28/03/2016

Green & Co Accountants Mares’ Novice Hurdle

FAKENHAM

28/03/2016

Happy Easter Mares’ Maiden Open NH Flat Race

SOUTHWELL

29/03/2016

Southwell Mares’ Novice Hurdle

BANGOR-ON-DEE

31/03/2016

Six Nations Mares’ Maiden Open NH Flat Race

NEWBURY

02/04/2016

EBF & TBA MARES’ ‘NATIONAL HUNT’ NOVICES’ HURDLE FINALE

UTTOXETER

02/04/2016

Betfred ‘Keep It Fun’ Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

WINCANTON

04/04/2016

Download The winner.co.uk App Now Mares’ Novice Hurdle

LUDLOW

05/04/2016

G C Rickards Ltd Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

AINTREE

09/04/2016

PINSENT MASONS NICKEL COIN MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NH FLAT RACE

MARKET RASEN

10/04/2016

Next Meeting Friday 8th May Mares’ Maiden Open NH Flat Race

CHELTENHAM

14/04/2016

APRIL MARES’ HURDLE

CHELTENHAM

14/04/2016

THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION MARES’ NOVICE HURDLE

CHELTENHAM

14/04/2016

Spreadex Sports And Financial Betting Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

AYR

15/04/2016

CORAL.CO.UK MARES’ HURDLE

NEWTON ABBOT

18/04/2016

Royal British Legion, Newton Abbot Mares’ Novice Hurdle

KEMPTON PARK

19/04/2016

Racing UK Anywhere Mares’ Novice Hurdle

TAUNTON

20/04/2016

Lewden Palazzoli Mares’ Novice Hurdle

PERTH

22/04/2016

Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer ‘National Hunt’ Mares’ (NH) Novice Hurdle

TOWCESTER

28/04/2016

Bet toteswinger Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race

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

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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TBA FORUM

TBA members at the Regional Day in Newmarket with Marco Botti last year

TBA diary dates SATURDAY, MARCH 12 EBF/TBA Mares-only NH Flat Race (Listed), Sandown

SUNDAY, MARCH 13 - EBF/TBA Mares-only Novices’ Chase, Warwick

SATURDAY, MARCH 19 TBA Mares-only Club Race, Belvoir Point-to-Point

SUNDAY, MARCH 20 TBA Mares-only Club Race, South Herefordshire Point-to-Point

Some great days out in store The planning of this year’s Regional Days across the TBA regions is now in full swing and, as in past years, we will have an interesting array of events for members to enjoy. Our Regional Representatives are busy making arrangements for these very popular outings which give an insight into a variety of establishments. Among those who have kindly agreed to host us this year are Lady Bamford at Daylesford Stud, near Kingham, Gloucestershire; Philip Hobbs at Sandhill Racing Stables, Somerset, and Iain Jardine Racing in Dumfriesshire. These days prove to

be immensely popular and in 2015 almost 300 members attended one of these events. Application forms with full details of each Regional Day will be sent out to all members and places will be allocated on a first-comefirst-served basis, so please ensure you register your interest as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We hope you will take the opportunity to join your Regional Representatives and fellow members on one of these very enjoyable and informative days. Further details will be published in next month’s Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder magazine.

NEW MEMBERS Lena Theonies Adrian Stewart, Hertfordshire William Hill, London Ms Katy Mowat, East Lothian N A Twiston-Davies, Gloucestershire Philip Harney, Cheshire Mrs Jane Evans, Worcestershire John Bryan, Worcestershire George Charlton, Northumberland Araobak Bloodstock, Greater Manchester Nick Bannerman, Roxburghshire

Upgraded members’ area on TBA website As you may have seen, there have been some recent developments to the members’ area of the TBA website. In order to deliver further valuable content to TBA members, the home page has been redesigned to make finding news articles, veterinary information, reference guides and reports much simpler and easy to use. Over the coming weeks you

will see more veterinary articles and new exclusive members’ news added in this section of the website. To gain admission to this area, you will require a username and password. Please contact Annette.Bell@thetba.co.uk should you need assistance with a log-in account or passwords. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Mar_139_TBA_Forum_Owner 19/02/2016 13:01 Page 91

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

Mares’ series rolls on to Tiverton

TIM HOLT

Whenharrymetsally won the TBA Maresonly Club race at the Tiverton point-to-point at Chipley Park on January 24. The eight-year-old mare beat favourite Posh Totty by a comfortable two-length victory under rider Matt Hampton. The Tiverton point-to-point was the second in the 12-race series.

Forthcoming events in 2016 We have been busy planning the year ahead so can now share with you some important dates for 2016. Details of each event will be circulated in due course but please find below the confirmed dates for your diary:

• May 16 – National Hunt Awards Dinner, Doncaster • July 5 – The TBA AGM, Newmarket • July 5 – The TBA Annual Awards Evening, Newmarket • November 11 – The National Hunt Stallion Parade, Cheltenham • July - TBA Annual Seminar, Newmarket • July - TBA Annual Seminar, North West

TBA representative Anthea Gibson Fleming, left, presents trophies to owner Hannah Broggio, right, and jockey Matt Hampton

Health and Safety ‘Red Book’ Seminars 2016 Run by the British Racing School on behalf of the BHA, these seminars are based on the Industry Health and Safety Manual – also known as the ‘Red Book’. The aim of each seminar is to explain the contents of the manual, enabling those with responsibility for Health and Safety to apply the contents in a practical manner. They are ideal for anyone who needs to understand Health and Safety requirements for studs and yards. Dates for 2016 are: Tuesday, March 1 – Oaksey House, Lambourn Tuesday, August 16 – Jack Berry House, Malton Tuesday, December 13 – British Racing School, Newmarket For more information or to book a place contact Clare Kingston on 01638 675907 or email clare@brs.org.uk Copies of the ‘Red Book’ are available from Stanstead House should TBA members wish to acquire one.

The annual TBA Awards dinner will take place this year in Newmarket on July 5

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Mar_139_BreederOfTheMonth_Owner 19/02/2016 09:18 Page 92

BREEDER OF THE MONTH

www.thetba.co.uk

Words Alan Yuill Walker Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

NH BREEDER OF THE MONTH – January 2016 Yanworth’s sire Norse Dancer is now in his third season at David Futter’s Yorton Farm Stud in Powys and in advertising the stallion for 2016, Futter was quick to quote trainer Alan King, who said: “Yanworth has come back bigger and stronger this year, he’s showing even more pace. He’s one of my best novice hurdling prospects for this season.” On Festival Trials’ Day at Cheltenham on January 30, Yanworth proved the point by securing a sensational treble for Alan King when romping away with the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. Unbeaten in four starts this season, he had previously won another Grade 2 event, the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot. Initially, Norse Dancer, who never gained the elusive Group 1 victory that he so richly deserved, stood at his owner Jeff Smith’s Littleton Stud. Now that his stallion career is focused on jumping it is worth noting that he belongs to the same ‘Hollingsworth’ family as 2002 Grand National hero, Bindaree. Yorton Farm Stud is now a major National Hunt stallion stud, as was Wood Farm Stud in Shropshire where Yanworth was bred by Bill Bromley. Nowadays, it is a base for Trevor Hemmings’s English-based bloodstock and is supervised by his son, Philip. Bill’s son Anthony says: “When Dad sold the stud, there was a batch of young horses running about the place and Yanworth was one of them. Dad did a bit of a deal and Philip consigned him as a three-year-old to the Doncaster Spring Sale in 2013 where I bought him for £16,000 for Alan King.” The master of Barbury Castle acquired the gelding on spec and he scored on his debut in a bumper at Wincanton before being sold to JP McManus. Wood Farm Stud had been started by Bill’s father Cecil, whose stallion Space King won the TBA’s inaugural Whitbread Trophy for the 1981-82 season. In due course Bill took over the running of the stud, which diversified into Flat stallions. During the 1990s he stood three horses simultaneously for Cheveley Park Stud, where, incidentally, Space King was bred. Subsequently the emphasis reverted to jumping stallions with the likes of Classic Cliche and Sir Harry Lewis. Anthony, whose sister Anna is married to Toby Watson of Manor Farm Stud in Rutland, says that there was never any question of him becoming the third generation of Bromleys to preside over Wood Farm; instead he became joint-founder with his great friend David Minton (another

GEORGE SELWYN

Wood Farm Stud

Yanworth an exciting young prospect for his sire Norse Dancer

Shropshire lad) of Highflyer Bloodstock based in Newmarket. Many of Anthony’s most high-profile acquisitions have come from France (Kauto Star for one), and this is where he sourced Yanworth’s dam Yota in 2006. A winner on the Flat and over jumps, she was carrying to Poliglote. Yanworth’s success is a posthumous affair for her as she died in October 2011 when he was a yearling. “Dad and I were looking for a few mares at the time,” Anthony recalls. “I knew the family well. It had produced two good multiple winners in Jarro and Latran.” Yanworth was conceived when his sire stood for an interim period at Wood Farm and in fact his dam never left her adopted home. Preceding Yanworth were two Erhaab brothers including Trust Thomas. Trained by Ann Hamilton, he has scored over hurdles and fences. In retirement, Bill Bromley confines his involvement in racing to the homebred Billy Dutton, a ten-year-old by Sir Harry Lewis gelding in training with Chris Down at Cullompton. Another lifelong passion has been cricket. Captain of Shrewsbury for many years, he is the recently elected President of Shropshire County Cricket Club.

Correction The editorial preference for using surnames rather than Christian names resulted in an error in our previous Breeder of the Month article. We apologise to Robin and Scarlett Knipe for any confusion caused.

CALPHORMIN

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Smith & Williamson OB Mar 2016 dps_Smith & Williamson OB Mar 2016 dps 10/02/2016 10:09 Page 1

Business property relief and the thoroughbred industry A suitable business structure can ensure your breeding operations attract the appropriate tax reliefs on death. Provided the breeding business is run commercially, selling progeny on a regular basis, it may be eligible for Inheritance Tax (IHT) relief.

Agricultural Property Relief (APR) Breeding horses is classed as agriculture for IHT purposes and the legislation is clear; where land is owned and occupied by the breeder, it will be considered agricultural property. Consequently, the land, buildings and potentially the farmhouse should qualify for APR on the agricultural value of the land (i.e. the value as though the land could never be used for any other purpose). It is important to remember that APR is only available on land and buildings but not the value of any bloodstock.

Business Property Relief (BPR) BPR can encompass more than APR as it can apply to the entire value of the business, including the assets used less any liabilities. For relief to be given on the value of the breeding stock, the business must be run commercially and not just be operating as a hobby. Regular sales of youngstock are a good indicator of commercial activity. BPR is given at either 100% or 50% depending on the level of an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement.

%ULHĂ \ WKH UDWH LV JLYHQ ZKHUH there is an interest in a partnership, a sole trade or shares in a qualifying company. The 50% rate is available to the owners of property used in a partnership of which they are a partner or a in a company of which they have control. APR limits relief to agricultural value but BPR can potentially provide relief for the full open market value of the property. This is particularly important where there may be some development value in the land.

Horses in training Problems can arise when all the good youngstock are transferred into training and raced in the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. HMRC may take the view that the breeding side is simply a mechanism to cost effectively provide racehorses for an owner and as such will not be eligible for BPR. As a generality, the value of horses in training will be treated as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;exceptedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assets and so are unlikely to attract BPR on the death of the owner. There are arguments that Ă&#x20AC;OOLHV RU FROWV SXW LQWR WUDLQLQJ WR get â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;black typeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; before coming back to the stud should be included as business assets. However, these situations need to be reviewed on a case by case basis.

(VWDEOLVKLQJ DQ HIĂ&#x20AC;FLHQW VWUXFWXUH FDQ EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W \RX DQG your business for years to come.

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Successful breeding One of the attractions of BPR is it is available to owners of mares who board them, as opposed to owners who occupy their own property for the purposes of the business. Where relief is sought for the value of the mares, and youngstock, it is important that the business model stands up to scrutiny as you have to be able to demonstrate a commercial enterprise and that the business is not merely a hobby. It is established that many breeding businesses do QRW PDNH D SURĂ&#x20AC;W HYHU\ \HDU EXW WKH business must be capable of making D SURĂ&#x20AC;W DW VRPH WLPH LQ WKH IXWXUH When considering whether BPR applies, the old story that breeding from mares no-one else wants will produce foals which do not attract strong bids generally holds true. There are of course notable exceptions, such as Plaid Maid (mother of Carruthers,

Coneygree and Flintham) whose famous children have won more than ÂŁ800,000 to date. Generally breeding from mares with sound conformation, strong pedigrees and whose relatives have attracted good prices goes some way WR HQVXULQJ D SURĂ&#x20AC;WDEOH RSHUDWLRQ It should also provide additional evidence when demonstrating to HMRC that your breeding program is being run as a business. A successful breeding business will recognise that a mare might abort, or a foal will be born with a twisted front leg, and will have factored these risks in to make sure the business can withstand the bad years to take advantage of the good years.

Each individual is different Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs are two wide subjects which are largely determined by the situation. It is important to view each on a case by case basis and seek expert advice where appropriate. (VWDEOLVKLQJ DQ HIĂ&#x20AC;FLHQW VWUXFWXUH FDQ EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W \RX DQG \RXU EXVLQHVV for years to come.

Penelope Lang Private client tax services partner W 01722 431064 H penelope.lang@smith.williamson.co.uk

6PLWK :LOOLDPVRQ LV DQ LQGHSHQGHQWO\ RZQHG SURIHVVLRQDO DQG Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO VHUYLFHV JURXS ZLWK RYHU SHRSOH 7KH JURXS LV D OHDGLQJ SURYLGHU RI LQYHVWPHQW PDQDJHPHQW Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO DGYLVRU\ DQG DFFRXQWDQF\ VHUYLFHV WR SULYDWH FOLHQWV SURIHVVLRQDO practices and mid-to-large corporates. The team advises on business, accounting and taxation issues for clients across the equestrian sector from thoroughbred breeders, trainers and owners to those working in eventing, dressage and show jumping.

smith.williamson.co.uk 2IĂ&#x20AC;FHV London, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cheltenham, Dublin (City and Sandyford), Glasgow, Guildford, Jersey, Manchester, Salisbury and Southampton. %\ QHFHVVLW\ WKLV EULHĂ&#x20AC;QJ FDQ RQO\ SURYLGH D VKRUW RYHUYLHZ DQG LW LV HVVHQWLDO WR VHHN SURIHVVLRQDO DGYLFH EHIRUH DSSO\LQJ WKH FRQWHQWV RI WKLV DUWLFOH 1R UHVSRQVLELOLW\ FDQ EH taken for any loss arising from action taken or refrained from on the basis of this publication. Details correct at time of writing. The tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. Smith & Williamson LLP 5HJXODWHG E\ WKH ,QVWLWXWH RI &KDUWHUHG $FFRXQWDQWV LQ (QJODQG DQG :DOHV IRU D UDQJH RI LQYHVWPHQW EXVLQHVV DFWLYLWLHV $ PHPEHU RI 1H[LD International. The word partner is used to refer to members of Smith & Williamson LLP.

Mar_139_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:00 Page 96

VET FORUM: THE EXPERT VIEW By ROB PILSWORTH MRCVS

Bone cysts – a continuing enigma Their cause and treatment remain constant sources of frustration to vets and the unpredictability of their development present problems for breeders

The truth is we actually don’t know what subchondral bone cysts are or how they occur for sure, though we have some ideas. In essence they are a ‘hole’ in the end of the bone which forms one side of a joint. The joints have a very friction-free motion to help maintain their integrity, and having a large defect like this on the surface doesn’t help that at all. Experimentally it has been shown by Wayne McIllwraith’s group at the University of Colorado that traumatic damage to the cartilage and subchondral bone plate in the stifle, produced by simply punching the joint surface with the equivalent of a blunt chisel, will lead to the development of a bone cyst in many horses. It’s thought likely that the bone cysts we encounter naturally are produced as a result of focal overload of the bone beneath the cartilage surface either because of a conformational defect, innate weakness in the structure of the bone itself, or a single traumatic episode. In the stifle, the cyst is often very apparent radiographically and is in many cases surrounded and ‘walled off’ by an area of increased bone density which we call sclerosis on a radiograph (see Fig 1). Many of

Where do they occur? Bone cysts can occur in almost any joint but in the racehorse are most commonly encountered in the medial condyle of the distal femur (the long bone which runs from the hip to the stifle), in the fetlock and pastern joint and more rarely in the small bones which make up the knee. Racehorses are very prone to a back condition known as ‘kissing spines’, more properly termed impingement of the dorsal spinous processes. Some studies estimate the prevalence of overly-close dorsal spinous processes as 70% in the racehorse, which in

Fig 1 The typical site and appearance of a subchondral bone cyst in the medial femoral condyle of a lame yearling (black arrow). Cysts can vary in size and shape and often show ‘walling off’ by a surrounding rim of sclerotic bone (grey arrows)

Fig 2a The appearance at arthroscopy of a subchondral bone cyst in the joint surface of the medial condyle of the femur. Note the deranged and irregular orientation of the cartilage (arrows) in comparison to the smooth surface of the remainder of the joint

COURTESY MATT SMITH, NEH

What are bone cysts?

these cysts communicate with the joint itself via a neck or ‘cloaca’. Some of them sit in isolation apparently unconnected to the joint but very often at surgery there is an area of deranged cartilage and weak wax-like bone which is easily indented into the cyst with pressure (Figs 2a and 2b). It is thought that bone cysts may be part of the continuum of disease represented by osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), an abnormality involving the development of cartilage in joints, and in some sites in the horse’s skeleton the radiographic appearance of the two often seem to merge into each other.

COURTESY MATT SMITH, NEH

or the vet looking after racehorses, one of the most frustrating conditions to deal with is the subchondral bone cyst (now more correctly called osseous cyst like lesion – or OCLL). In a yard of, say, 100 horses, one can expect to see a yearling relatively fresh from the sales affected with a stifle bone cyst causing lameness during breaking and training approximately once every one to two years. Pre-sale radiographic screening has reduced the frequency that these come into the yard in the higher-priced yearling, but in horses of lower value which have not been subjected to radiography they can still pop up to bite you. One of the biggest problems we have is prognosticating for this lesion, in that some horses can carry relatively large bone cysts without them causing apparent lameness. Other horses with seemingly identical lesions can be lame to the point of precluding training, and can even be completely unresponsive to medical or surgical treatment.

Fig 2b Following surgery all of the uneven cartilage has been removed down to healthy bone (black arrows). This exposed-bone will grow a layer of fibrocartilage which may well be of good enough quality to support the horse through training and racing

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Fig 3 ‘Kissing spines’ in a horse’s back. Here the space between the dorsal spinous processes of the backbone (grey arrows) has become narrowed as they approach the back end of the horse (left-hand side of the image). Where severe impingement occurs, cystic cavitations such as the one shown (black arrow) often form

statistical terms effectively makes it normal. Whilst many horses do seem to be able to cope and compete without problems carrying impingement of the dorsal spinous processes, some horses are clinically affected with back pain, and in many of these when radiographs of the back are taken, cyst-like lesions will have developed in adjacent dorsal spinous processes, again indicating a response to trauma and excessive bone loading (see Fig 3). In the knee (carpus), bone cysts are regularly encountered in the ulnar carpal bone but rarely are responsible for disease (Fig 4a). Similarly, occasionally bone cysts are seen in other sites in the knee, such as the accessory carpal bone (Fig 4b), unassociated with lameness. The same radiological appearance in other

Fig 5 A large subchondral bone cyst in the articular surface of the scapula in the shoulder joint (black arrows). Cysts in this location are difficult to treat surgically and can be poorly responsive to medical treatment

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COURTESY MARCUS HEAD- ROSSDALES

Mar_139_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:00 Page 97

Fig 4a A bone cyst in the ulnar carpal bone in the knee, apparently not connected to the joint surface, and usually considered by clinicians to be of no significance

Fig 4b A similar bone cyst this time in the accessory carpal bone of the knee, also considered an incidental finding

sites, like the shoulder joint, can in contrast be associated profound lameness which is difficult to resolve (see Fig 5). This is what makes the bone cyst such a frustrating condition to deal with, as the clinician is often asked to prognosticate on the future of the horse with a condition of which it is very difficult to predict the outcome.

on to develop a fully-fledged osseous cyst-like lesion which is associated with lameness and interrupts the career. This becomes something of a gamble at the sales in that nobody can guarantee which way these horses are going to progress. Having said that, by far the majority never progress to anything.

Yearling radiographs

Importance during sales in the older horse

The unpredictable behaviour of bone cysts makes them a breeder’s nightmare when presenting horses for sale. Once a bone cyst has been diagnosed, should one withdraw the horse from the sale or send it to the sale with a veterinary certificate and, if so, what can one expect the stud’s veterinary surgeon to say on that certificate, given the uncertainty over future development? The ‘rumour mill’ in the large sales company complex will often disseminate the news of the presence of a cyst in a well-bred horse more rapidly than any announcement on social media! Many potentially good horses have been significantly devalued by the presence of these lesions, and there are well known examples of the lesion never bothering the horse in its training career subsequently. Sometimes, which can be even worse, the horse does not carry a full-blown stifle bone cyst but a small irregularity in the joint surface often termed ‘dimples’ (see Fig 6). Dimples can be encountered regularly when taking pre-purchase radiographs for a horse to go the United States or Hong Kong which has had an active and successful race career and has no obvious lameness, so that we know that they can be present as incidental findings only. However, we also experience the very occasional case where a horse with a ‘dimple’ in the medial femoral condyle goes

Horses which have had a successful race career in the UK but not of the level of ability that rewards them with a career at stud are often offered internationally to continue racing in other racing jurisdictions such as the

Fig 6 The appearance of a ‘dimple’ in the weight-bearing surface of the condyle of the femur (grey arrow). These lesions present a real dilemma, in that the vast majority of them never go on to produce lameness, but occasionally one will develop into a fully formed cyst associated with lameness which may or may not be curable

Mar_139_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 19/02/2016 11:00 Page 98

VET FORUM

have carried bone cysts throughout their career without them causing any clinical problem, which might lead one to think that the examining veterinary surgeon could be confident that these cysts are now dormant. The Hong Kong Jockey Club used to have a blanket ‘ban’ on allowing purchase of any racehorse with a stifle cyst, but a more pragmatic view has emerged in recent years. They will now allow purchase of horses with these cysts, as long as the horse is over three, has no signs of arthritis in the joint, no lameness present, and a proven race record. This has served them well to date but unfortunately, even here the bone cyst has a final twist in its tail, in that it can become clinically significant at any stage. I have personal experience of stifle bone cysts becoming clinically relevant in stallions at stud which had a full racing career and have been happily covering mares for several years only to suddenly go lame because of an active recrudescence of the cyst. This would most often be true of cysts in the stifle but cysts in other areas of the body which crop up on routine radiographs at the time of re-sale are always going to present difficulties, and it’s up to the examining veterinary surgeon and potential purchaser to discuss in detail the likelihood of these cysts producing clinical problems further down the line. Bone cysts on the fetlock and pastern joint can present particular difficulties in this respect.

Why do they hurt? Although one can imagine a defect in the joint surface might lead to arthritis, and that arthritis may be painful, the character and degree of lameness associated with bone cysts suggests that something else is involved. They punch way above their weight, in that some horses are profoundly lame, with relatively small lesions. Not only that, but the degree of lameness will vary greatly from day to day, or even within a day. This has suggested to some that the pain may derive from intra-osseous fluid pressure, as the normal joint fluid is squeezed up through the neck into the cyst during weight bearing. Certainly when blocking these lesions with local anaesthetic, the most one hopes for is an improvement in lameness, they rarely block totally sound. This knocks on into possible methods of treatment which have been tried in the past, and may be developed in the future.

Treatment There is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for the bone cyst. Treatment will be dictated by the age of the horse, the severity of the lameness, the site of the bone cyst and its ease of access through surgery. Treatment methods range from simply medicating the joint, ultrasonographic or arthroscopically guided

COURTESY MARCUS HEAD- ROSSDALES

>> US or Hong Kong. Some of these horses will

Fig 7 Ultrasound guided injection of a medial femoral condyle bone cyst. The needle to enable injection can be visualised with ultrasound as it traverses the stifle joint and approaches the surface of the femur (black arrows). Entry is made through the obvious gap at the site of the cyst in the articular surface of the femoral condyle (white arrows) and multiple injections of corticosteroid are made into the cyst lining (yellow arrows). This minimally invasive approach leaves virtually no scarring and can result in complete resolution of lameness in certain cases

“Some horses have

carried bone cysts through their careers without them causing any clinical problem” direct injection of the cyst itself, through its communication with the joint (see Fig 7), or major surgery in which the cyst is opened and its lining scraped out. Which method is pursued will be dictated to a large degree by the size and shape of the cyst and whether or not it has a distinct ‘walled off’ appearance on the radiographs as we’ve previously described. Our early attempts at surgical treatment by drilling small bone cysts, which were not fully mature, often ended in significant enlargement of the size of the cyst and a permanently lame horse. Similarly, packing the cyst cavity with cancellous bone graft, which was a ‘fad’ at one time, did not seem to result in increased return to soundness as case numbers accumulated, and fell out of favour.

In the early part of my career, a long period of stable rest was often the suggested line of treatment, and this did in fact eventually return approximately 60-70% of these horses to clinical soundness. This still leaves a third though which are untrainable, and it is this large group of horses that remain lame which continuously drives forward the development of new surgical approaches. In some joints like the shoulder joint, surgical access is extremely difficult. Cysts in the distal articular surface of the shoulder blade (scapula) are very difficult to access surgically (see Fig 5, previous page). These can develop in the older horse, and may be the result of trauma to the joint or, the delayed progression of a defect present for a long time but dormant. Treatment in these cases will be limited to intra-articular injection of corticosteroid solutions, but these are effective in returning some of these horses to clinical soundness, or at least usability, for variable periods of time. Novel methods of treating bone cysts will no doubt continue to emerge. There may well be a role for the newer agents of regenerative medicine such as stem-cells and other types of bone grafts to be used in the treatment of this problematic condition in the future, but for now sadly there is still no 100% effective treatment for this often frustrating condition. THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Mar_139_DrStatz_Owner Breeder 18/02/2016 16:36 Page 100

DR STAT JOHN BOYCE CRACKS THE CODE

Need for speed crucial when it comes to Australasian stallions If the progeny of a sire lack a turn of foot in sprints on fast ground, he is likely to struggle

ith Australia’s autumn carnival almost upon us, it’s an opportune time to remind ourselves of the stallion hierarchy down under. The table accompanying this article contains sires active in Australia and New Zealand with 100 or more runners arranged by percentage of winners to runners. It lists the average winning distance of each sire’s progeny and it is this figure alone that perhaps gives us the best insight into what Australian racing is all about. In a nutshell, if a stallion’s progeny cannot accelerate in the last three furlongs to win at distances short of a mile on fast ground, then he’s pretty much doomed to failure. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but only the great Zabeel in recent years has an average winning distance above a mile and his stock pretty much dominated the middle-distance and Cup races in Australia and New Zealand, where he stood. Not even a stallion as talented as Galileo had the right strings to his bow to survive in a land that exalts speed the way they do in Australia. There are no prizes for guessing that Danehill’s son Redoute’s Choice is the leader both in terms of actual number and percentage of Group winners and stakes winners. Nearly 12% stakes winners and 8% Group winners are very high watermarks. In fact, they are world class. Had our rankings also included active stallions that had stood at some stage in Australia, then second and third places would be occupied by two stallions that are now considered too valuable to make the long journey southwards. On the evidence of their ratios of stakes winners, both Dubawi (10.6%) and Shamardal (9.7%) would be most welcome back in the Hunter Valley. The remarkable thing about the Australianbred Dubawis is that when they’re good, they’re very good. His 20 stakes winners feature 13 Group winners and six Group 1 winners, including miler Secret Admirer and top sprinters Tiger Tees, Shamal Wind and Srikandi. Shamardal, who has become a private stallion in 2016, produced arguably his best-ever runner, Able Friend, in Australia as well as four other Group 1 winners. The racing programme in Australia is ideal for our second-placed sire Exceed And Excel, whose progeny get ready early and love the

100

Leading active Aus-NZ sires by % BTW to runners (100+) Stallion

Rnrs

Wnrs

AWD

BTH

BTW

Redoute’s Choice

1,056

798

75.6

7.1

217

20.5

123

11.6

Exceed And Excel

706

503

71.2

6.0

109

15.4

9.5

Savabeel

503

327

65.0

7.9

14.7

9.3

Fastnet Rock

867

618

71.3

6.9

139

16.0

8.8

Medaglia d’Oro

114

53.5

7.1

14.9

7.9