Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder

Sep_145_Cover_OwnerBreeder 19/08/2016 17:59 Page 1

£4.95 | September 2016 | Issue 145

Incorporating

Galileo’s gold in Deauville Millionaire Monceaux filly on top at Arqana

Plus • Luca Cumani rebuilding after high-profile exodus • Progress report from BHA Chairman Steve Harman • Danny Tudhope reaping benefits of O’Meara link

09

9 771745 435006

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

34306_SireTables_TBOB_Sept'16.qxp_TBOB_Sept'16 16/08/2016 12:24 Page 1

Leading 1st Crop Sires in Europe

BY PROGENY EARNINGS WNRS GPW

RK

SIRE

1

POWER

11

1

252,419

TOTAL €

2

Sir Prancealot

14

0

247,862

Leading European 2nd Crop Sires

BY LIFETIME EARNINGS (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE CROPS) SW GPW TOTAL €

RK

SIRE

1

ZOFFANY

9

6

2

Dream Ahead

3

2

1,558,656

3

CANFORD CLIFFS

4

3

1,443,593

4

Wootton Bassett

1

1

1,265,610

2,641,509

Leading European 4th Crop Sires

BY LIFETIME EARNINGS (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE CROPS) GPW TOTAL €

RK

SIRE

1

Sea The Stars

19

13,064,062

2 3

MASTERCRAFTSMAN FASTNET ROCK

14 9

12,839,064 8,225,074

4

Le Havre

6

7,646,594

Leading Sires in Europe

BY PROGENY EARNINGS SW GPW GR1W

RK

SIRE

1

GALILEO

30

21

6

9,793,036

TOTAL €

2 3

Sea The Stars Dubawi

9 15

9 7

2 1

4,414,584 3,512,081

Source: Hyperion Promotions, 10th Aug

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

34306_SireTables_TBOB_Sept'16.qxp_TBOB_Sept'16 16/08/2016 12:25 Page 2

One Foot In Heaven (FASTNET ROCK) Grand Prix de Chantilly-Gr.2

Tattersalls Gold Cup-Gr.1

t

t

Prix Eugene Adam-Gr.2

Fascinating Rock (FASTNET ROCK)

t

t

Heshem (FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND)

t

Sussex Stakes-Gr.1

t

The Gurkha (GALILEO)

Parvaneh (HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR) Schwarzgold-Rennen-Gr.3

Even Song (MASTERCRAFTSMAN) Ribblesdale Stakes-Gr.2

t

Al Jazi (CANFORD CLIFFS)

t

t

Peace Envoy (POWER)

Ventura Storm (ZOFFANY)

Anglesey Stakes-Gr.3

Prix de Reux-Gr.3

The Oak Tree Stakes-Gr.3

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.

Sep_145_Editors_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:58 Page 3

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 9,500* *Based on the period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 Racehorse Owners Association Ltd First Floor, 75 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LS Tel: 020 7152 0200 Fax: 020 7152 0213 info@roa.co.uk www.roa.co.uk Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stanstead House, The Avenue, Newmarket CB8 9AA Tel: 01638 661 321 Fax: 01638 665621 info@thetba.co.uk • www.thetba.co.uk

£4.95 | September 2016 | Issue 145

Incorporating

Galileo’s gold in Deauville Millionaire Monceaux filly on top at Arqana

Plus • Luca Cumani rebuilding after high-profile exodus • Progress report from BHA Chairman Steve Harman • Danny Tudhope reaping benefits of O’Meara link

09

9 771745 435006

www.ownerbreeder.co.uk

Cover: Lot 97 from the Monceaux draft topped the Arqana August Sale Photo: George Selwyn

Follow us on... @OwnerBreeder

EDWARD ROSENTHAL

Danny buoyed by hope of becoming a title contender

O

ne of the stories of recent seasons has been the rise of David O’Meara as a training force.

The former journeyman jump jockey has sent out over 100 winners in each of the last three seasons – and central to that success has been Danny Tudhope, first-choice rider for his stable.

After a promising start as an apprentice with Declan Carroll, Tudhope struggled in the years after losing his claim, to the point that the 2010 season brought just six winners. Yet the old saying about being in the right place at the right time proved spot on and when Silvestre de Sousa got the call to join up with Godolphin, Tudhope was presented with an opportunity to make the number one position with O’Meara his own. Boy has he taken it.

Group 1 wins on G Force and Move In Time have followed and in August the pair teamed up to take the Grade 1 Arlington Million with Galileo’s son Mondialiste, Tudhope riding an ice-cool race and bagging what he describes as “the biggest win of my career” (Talking To, pages 42-46).

Following the changes to the Flat jockeys’ championship, the Ayrshire-born jockey says that one day becoming champion “has to be a possibility”. With O’Meara’s firepower behind him, who would disagree?

Luca Cumani’s career looked briefly in danger of going the other way to Tudhope’s after the decision of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum to remove around 35 horses from his yard. Those horses included Postponed, probably the world’s best racehorse, who extended his winning run to six in the Juddmonte International at York for Roger Varian.

Yet Cumani has been in the game too long to let such events get the better of him. After all, it is not the first time he has been in this position, losing the patronage of the Aga Khan and Sheikh Mohammed for different reasons. As before, the trainer simply dusts himself down and cracks on with the job in hand of training racehorses to win races. Down in numbers and quality

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

he may be, but there is no sense of self-pity.

“Post-Obexit was always going to be as difficult as post-Brexit,” Cumani tells Julian Muscat (The Big Interview, pages 48-52). “But just as I have every faith in Britain to be able to recover from Brexit, I have every faith in myself and my team to be able to recover from Obexit in the longer term.

“We are way down on winners because we just don’t have the numbers. Coupled with that, the very cold spring hit my fillies hard, and there has been a bit of coughing in Newmarket to which we have not been immune.

“However we have got a good spread of owners who have been very supportive and new owners have come on board. It will be business as usual next year provided we can stock up again at the next round of yearling sales in the autumn.”

No doubt Steve Harman, BHA Chairman, will be hoping Cumani and others flock to the autumn yearling sales and help to ensure that the market for British-sold thoroughbreds remains strong in the wake of Brexit and the fall in value of the pound.

Harman’s tenure at the BHA is now into its second term and Howard Wright met up with the former oil and gas industry executive for a progress report on the last three years, which have not all been plain sailing, notably the last few months due to the regulator’s handling of the Jim Best disciplinary case. It has been a trying period.

“I’m completely aware that we are receiving criticism for our approach, and we are listening. Some of that criticism comes from outside the industry, and to minimise it would be arrogant,” Harman explains (pages 54-57).

“I do get why stakeholders and others say we should get out there and say this was a procedural error, a big one, but we’ve apologised and there’s nothing more sinister than that. Although as any decent regulator should, we need to learn from our mistake, which has cost us time and money.”

“With O’Meara’s

firepower behind him, Tudhope could become champion jockey

”

3

Sep_145_Contents_Contents 19/08/2016 17:53 Page 4

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2016

42

10

NEWS & VIEWS

30

Tony Morris

32

Howard Wright

Celebrating Hurry On

7

ROA Leader

9

TBA Leader Fillies must be tested before stud

INTERNATIONAL SCENE

10

News

34

View From Ireland

12

Changes

36

Continental Tales

39

Around The Globe

Owners deserve more in return

Paul Carberry announces retirement

Your news in a nutshell

Luca Cumani, with wife Sara and daughter Francesca, is looking to the future (pages 48-52)

4

Handcuff the Levy Board team

Keatley flying high with Jet

Louis-Philippe Beuzelin opens up

Mark Casse’s fine year

Sep_145_Contents_Contents 19/08/2016 17:53 Page 5

76

112

FEATURES

FORUM

16

The Big Picture

86

The Thoroughbred Club

28

From The Archives

88

ROA Forum

42

Talking To...

96

TBA Forum

101

Breeder of the Month

102

Vet Forum

48 54

From Ascot, Goodwood and York

Fantastic Light v Galileo in 2001

Jockey Danny Tudhope

The Big Interview With trainer Luca Cumani

Steve Harman BHA Chairman in discussion

58

TBA Foal Show

64

Sales Special

76

Sales Circuit

83

Caulfield Files

104

Dr Statz

112

24 Hours With...

Kayf Tara on top

Superb visit to The Royal Studs

National Owners Survey update

Iain Jardine regional day host

The Galileo/War Front nick

Danehill Dancer’s legacy

Photographer Edward Whitaker

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

The risks of travelling horses

DATA BOOK

106

European Pattern

110

Stallion Statistics

Tatts Ireland and Ken Ramsey in focus

Monceaux leads way at Arqana

Bill Gredley for Big Orange

Group victors

Latest standings

Our monthly circulation is certified at

9,500 Can other magazines prove theirs?

5

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09/12/2015 16:41

Sep_145_ROA_Leader_Layout 1 19/08/2016 15:58 Page 7

ROA LEADER

NICHOLAS COOPER President Racehorse Owners Association

Owners deserve every bit of help they can get Argument that ‘hobby’ should not be subsidised is absolute poppycock

P

eople who don’t understand the importance of prize-money to owners and to the sport of horseracing generally sometimes ask why racehorse owners should have their hobby subsidised.

If you own a yacht, so the argument runs, it would be preposterous to expect help with paying for it. So why should owning a racehorse be different?

Even in today’s world, it is surprising how this specious argument is still trotted out. The answer is as simple as the people who pose the question. Racehorses, paid for by owners, provide the foundation stone of this sport and industry.

It is why approaching £11 billion a year is bet on British racing alone. It is why £70m annually is received by the Levy Board to reflect the betting operator’s right to take bets on British horseracing; why well over £100m a year is paid for the rights to televise racing in betting shops and through TV broadcasters; and why six million people attend racecourses annually.

Leaving aside all those arguments about overseas-based betting operators not paying their dues, this is quite enough to illustrate how the racehorse and therefore the people who own the racehorse are at the centre of this world in which we exist. We, as owners, are generating huge sums of money for third parties and, just as a professional footballer is highly paid because of TV rights and the like, so the owner of the racehorse must get as close as possible to seeing a return on his investment.

Of course, for most racehorse owners there is no return on the running costs of their horses and even less so when the capital outlay of the horse has been taken into account. The best we can hope for, across the board, is to minimise our losses and by so doing continue to encourage owners on the lowest rungs of the ladder to retain and even increase their investment in the sport.

It is well-known that British owners receive the worst financial deal among all the developed racing nations,

with, on average, somewhere under 25% of running costs coming back to the owner through prize-money, while the figure in France, for instance, is between 40% and 50%.

Just as well, therefore, that a better return on their investment is not the only motivating factor for most British racehorse owners and that the fun and excitement of owning a horse, or even a leg in a horse, often supersedes the prospect of monetary reward.

The recent ownership survey has confirmed how the ROA plays an important role in stimulating that enthusiasm, with the work of our association and the benefits attached to membership persuading owners to stay in the game much longer than non-members.

Indeed, there is now a general acknowledgement from all sides of racing that the first priority to achieving a successful industry is retention and recruitment of owners, while encouraging syndication to operate as a gateway into the sport.

More owners gives us more horses in training with all the associated improvements. Not only because it provides a greater opportunity for horseracing to accentuate its position as the ultimate betting medium and a wonderful entertainment for racecourse and television audiences, but also because there is a knock-on benefit to racecourses, trainers, jockeys and stable staff, as there is to the rural economy – a message clearly taken on board by the last government.

Never let it be forgotten that every time a horse runs in a race, however moderate the horse, however lowly the race, someone bets on it and someone watches it and someone is making money out of it.

There is no subsidy to racehorse owners. On the contrary, we are the first in line for paying for the sport we love and we should therefore be the first in line to receive the benefits. It is a premise on which the ROA has existed for the past 70 years.

“The owner of the

racehorse must get as close as possible to seeing a return on his investment

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

7

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Sep_145_TBA_Leader_TBA 19/08/2016 15:58 Page 9

TBA LEADER

JULIAN RICHMOND-WATSON Chairman Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

Proven soundness key to future success of the breed Fillies should be thoroughly tested on the track to be worthy of stud place

T

he decision by Ascot to give two free entry badges to the breeder of any runner at the Royal meeting was gratefully received by all those who took advantage of the offer, and the racecourse’s subsequent invitation to a lunch and presentation of a strawberry dish for winning breeders was, I know, greatly appreciated.

York also made available two free badges to those who bred a runner at the Ebor Festival, provided they were TBA members, and for the past two years the Jockey Club has given a reception and made a presentation to breeders of Group-race winners at their racecourses.

Let’s give two and a half cheers for these initiatives. It is a good start, representing excellent progress, which hopefully will encourage other racecourses to support and embrace breeders just as much as they do owners, for whom serious consideration has become much more the norm over recent years.

After all, most breeders are owners as well, and a glance down the table of top 20 winning owners at the halfway stage of the Flat season reveals how the individuals concerned owe much of their success – and in some cases all of their success – to horses they have bred, so they form a pivotal and vital section of the sport.

A healthy and vibrant breeding industry in Britain is so important to racing, international competition and trade.

Yet British breeders have in the past been somewhat reticent in putting forward a case for greater recognition and support by the industry in general and racecourses in particular.

For too long breeders have had to be content with picking up crumbs from the prize-money table. While I wouldn’t necessarily advocate going back to breeders’ prizes, I do believe that at least 10% of prize-money should be used to encourage direct support for the British breeding industry.

Reality dictates that there will never be ‘enough’ prizemoney to go round, but I seriously believe that one of our chief duties in racing is to improve the quality, soundness

and health of the breed – an important part of the BHA’s welfare pillar – which means we must make sure the best incentives are in place to race and test the breed, in particular the females who produce the next generation.

Ways must be found in the future to make much smarter use of prize-money by focusing a reasonable proportion of it in areas where it will really make a difference.

Using bonuses or other mechanisms, we must seriously encourage purchasers to buy yearlings, in particular fillies, and also encourage breeders to race their fillies and mares.

If it is so important to test the breed, the best way to do that is to race them.

One or two exceptions do not make a rule, and breeding from horses that are unsuccessful or do not run must in the long run be detrimental to the breed’s soundness and quality. Therefore incentives have to be great enough to change behaviour, and the Plus 10 and MOPS schemes are starting to achieve this in the limited areas they cover.

There needs to be a strategy to provide more races for schemes such as Plus 10, so that, for instance, they embrace the more stoutly-bred three-year-old, the potential stayer or dam of a potential stayer, and we don’t simply concentrate on the short-term promotion of two-year-olds, helpful though that might be in the current climate.

MOPS also has scope for expansion and enhancement to become a real game-changer for British breeders. The example of France, where a comprehensive programme to encourage the racing and testing of females has proven so successful, is evident virtually every day on our jump courses.

So, thanks to those racecourses that have started to recognise the worth of breeders. We look forward to engaging with them and many more. But also, let’s be bold and step up our efforts to encourage the racing and testing of fillies and mares, and so that we can breed from those that have proved their worth on the track.

“Breeding from horses

that are unsuccessful or do not run must be detrimental to the breed’s soundness and quality

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

”

9

Sep_145_News_Owner 19/08/2016 17:36 Page 10

NEWS Stories from the racing world

Carberry calls time on riding career Outstanding horseman and jockey advised to retire due to longstanding leg injury

P

aul Carberry, one of the most naturally gifted riders of his generation, has been forced into retirement aged 42.

Carberry has hung up his boots on medical advice due to the leg injury that had sidelined him since September 2015. His leg was considered not strong enough to withstand any more punishing falls.

It brings the curtain down on a colourful career punctuated by big-race wins, none more so than the 1999 Grand National victory on Bobbyjo, trained by his father Tommy.

“I saw my surgeon and he advised me to stop,” Carberry said. “My leg’s not strong enough. I feel gutted.”

Carberry’s ice-cold temperament and confidence were particularly suited to holdup horses, though his most famous ride of all, on Harchibald in the 2005 Champion Hurdle, ended in defeat.

Opinion remains divided over whether Carberry can be held responsible for Harchibald failing to overhaul Hardy Eustace, Harchibald having travelled on the bridle until just 50 yards from the line but unable then to get by the leader.

There would be many candidates for Carberry’s best ride, but perhaps the most commonly favoured would be the winning performance on Monbeg Dude in the Welsh Grand National, whom the jockey coaxed home to beat Teaforthree under AP McCoy. That was vintage Carberry, and there were many other examples, including at the Festival on Belvardo, Frenchman’s Creek and Go Native, among numerous others.

Retired Flat champion jockey Richard Hughes was a colleague and rival in the

early days. In his autobiography he wrote: “I can confirm that Paul is as mad as everyone says. You never know what he is going to do next. He is not a mouthy person and tends to prefer doing the wrong thing to saying the wrong thing.”

Carberry’s wrong things included setting fire to a newspaper on board a flight from Spain to Ireland in 2005, for which he was sentenced to two months in jail, reduced to community service on appeal.

In late 2009 he failed a breath test and was suspended for 30 days, missing the chance to win two further Grade 1s on Go Native.

On other occasions he missed rides due to injuries sustained while out hunting – his favourite pursuit – with one such instance producing one of the most amusing reasons ever given for a jockey change: ‘Head-butted in the stomach by a deer’.

Noel Meade was the trainer most closely associated with the mercurial talent and he said: “There have been a few little bumps along the way, but I don’t think there were any major disagreements.

“He’s been a huge part of my life and the yard’s life for a long time. It’s a sad day but I suppose he’s getting out in one piece or almost one piece. He’s been a marvellous jockey and he is a special man.”

Paul Carberry rode Bobbyjo (above, right) to victory in the 1999 Grand National

10

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_News_Owner 19/08/2016 17:37 Page 11

JT McNamara

Musselburgh will stage a new £20,000 juvenile hurdle race on December 14

BHA wants more hurdlers A downturn in the number of juvenile hurdlers has resulted in the BHA inaugurating four £20,000 introductory hurdle races.

The four contests, for horses that have not previously run in more than one hurdle race, will be added to the programme in November and December.

It is hoped the new events will encourage connections to buy juvenile hurdlers at the sales and persuade owners of Flat horses to consider hurdling as a viable option. The BHA development fund contributes £80,000 towards four juvenile handicap hurdles held in the spring, and it is hoped the new races will add further incentive to attract Flat horses and owners into hurdling during the early part of the season.

The Development Fund has approved £8,000 per race to be released towards the four introductory races, which will take place at Newcastle (on November 26), Sandown (December 2), Musselburgh (December 14) and Kempton (December 27).

BHA Chief Operating Officer Richard Wayman said: “The decline in the number of juvenile hurdlers over the past decade is a continuing cause for concern.

“It seems likely that there are a number of factors behind this, not least that as the winter all-weather programme has improved and the demand from overseas buyers remains strong, fewer horses are switching from the Flat to go hurdling.

“These new juvenile hurdle races have been created to provide some valuable earlyseason targets and the aim is that they will encourage the owners of more above-average Flat horses to consider hurdling as an attractive option over the winter.”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

JUVENILE HURDLES Season

Races

Runners

Average field size

2015-16

93

657

7.06

2014-15

91

767

8.43

2013-14

95

738

7.77

2012-13

96

822

8.56

2011-12

106

918

8.66

Upgrades in Ireland Horse Racing Ireland’s Pattern Committee has announced changes to the jumps pattern, including the upgrading of several handicaps, after a strategic review.

A total of 12 handicaps have been upgraded and from January there will be only two categories of National Hunt blacktype handicaps – Grade A and Grade B. All Grade C handicaps will either be raised to Grade B level or deleted from the Pattern.

Three €100,000 contests have been upgraded from Grade B to Grade A: the Leinster National at Naas on March 12 and two two-mile handicap hurdles at Fairyhouse on December 4 and April 18.

Minimum values for the two categories of black-type handicaps will be €100,000 and €50,000, with the values mirroring the situation with premier handicaps on the Flat.

A HRI spokesman said: “We’re attempting to provide a more balanced shape to the Pattern and to improve competition.

“The downgraded races will retain their prize-money values but the lower grades and the resultant penalty structure changes will hopefully encourage more runners in the races involved, increasing field sizes and competitiveness.”

Tributes flowed in late July following the death of former leading amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at the age of 41.

JT, as he was known, widely considered one of the leading amateurs of his or any other time, was paralysed after suffering a broken neck following a fall on Galaxy Rock at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.

It was 15 months before McNamara was able to return home from Southport hospital. He was paralysed from the neck down but gained many admirers for his courage in the face of adversity.

The ride that best epitomised McNamara’s supreme talent came on Rith Dubh in the 2002 National Hunt Chase at the Festival, his judgement and renowned horsemanship to the fore as he cajoled his far-from-straightforward mount into the lead right on the line.

He won the same race ten years later on Teaforthree, the Foxhunter Chase in 2007 on Drombeag and the 2005 Cross Country Chase on Spot Thedifference.

JP McManus, in whose colours Rith Dubh, Drombeag and Spot Thedifference raced, said: “It’s a sad day and my sincere condolences go to his wife Caroline, their children Dylan, Harry and Olivia, his brother Aongus, his extended family and to all those who looked after him and cared for him so well over the past few years.

“I knew him for many years. The more one got to know him, the more one loved him. He was very direct and never used two words when one would do.”

He added: “We enjoyed many successes together on the track. While he was a very forceful rider, he was also excellent at cajoling a horse to produce his best when that was necessary. His winning ride on Rith Dubh was a wonderful example and will be remembered as one of the great Cheltenham Festival rides.”

Jonjo O’Neill, trainer of Rith Dubh and a good friend of McNamara, said: “We are devastated at Jackdaws to hear of the passing of JT, the greatest horseman I’ve ever known. Our thoughts are with Caroline and family.”

11

Sep_145_Changes2pp_Layout 1 19/08/2016 17:01 Page 12

in association with

Racing’s news in a nutshell PEOPLE AND BUSINESS Joe Colliver Conditional jockey is jailed for ten months for lying about a drunken car crash and paying a friend £2,500 to take the blame.

32Red Online firm signs three-year deal to sponsor the Newmarket open weekend, which this year takes place on September 17-18.

Charles Byrnes

Criquette Head-Maarek Al Shaqab Racing takes horses away from the French trainer, citing a virus; she trained Al Shaqab Racing’s Treve to win two Arcs.

Trainer pulls off monster coup at Roscommon with three well-backed winners, all ridden by Davy Russell; a Turf Club investigation finds no wrongdoing.

National Hunt Chase Four-mile Cheltenham Festival contest is upped in status to Grade 2, from Listed, as part of the 2016-17 Pattern race changes.

Paul Carberry

Brian Kavanagh

One of the most gifted jump jockeys of his generation is forced to retire because of injury aged 42.

Will be Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland until at least September 2021 after he was reappointed on a further five-year term.

Juvenile hurdles

Irish Grand National

Four new ‘introductory’ hurdle races are scheduled to encourage owners of three-yearolds to send them hurdling.

Tony Williams Will take up the role of Goffs UK Managing Director on October 7 – from Australia, Williams has worked in the industry for more than 40 years.

Now the most valuable jumps race in Ireland after Boylesports-backed handicap chase has purse raised to €500,000 from €275,000.

Shane Horan Appointed Stallion Nominations Manager at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud having previously worked for Darley and Coolmore.

Ryan Moore Three-time champion jockey is advised to take a “complete rest” to get over niggling injury; he was noted walking with a limp at Glorious Goodwood.

Also...

Paul John, the jockey embroiled in the ongoing Jim Best ‘non-trier’ case is granted an amateur’s permit following his 150-day exclusion period. Adrian Ford, Managing Director of betting shop services provider TurfTV, is leaving the company. Grand National-winning trainer Oliver Sherwood has his first horse for JP McManus in the shape of The Organist, a Listed-winning mare bought from Million In Mind. Black Caviar’s trainer Peter Moody, who was banned for six months for a cobalt offence, will return to the sport as Racing Manager to Rosemont Stud.

Betting exchange Matchbook enters sponsorship deal with Goodwood and becomes latest Authorised Betting Partner of British racing. S’Manga Khumalo, South Africa’s champion jockey, is hit with a 60-day ban for dropping his hands in a race at Port Elizabeth. Charles Barnett is appointed Secretary General of the Large Independent Racecourse Group.

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TWEENHILLS TIMES AN EYE FOR SUCCESS

SEPTEMBER 2016

Tis A Marvellous result for Harbour Watch’s son Harbour Watch, who stands at Tweenhills under the Qatar Bloodstock banner, has recorded a breakthrough Stakes success with his first-crop son Tis Marvellous.

home in the Gr.2 Prix Robert Papin, and, at the time of publishing, was a possible contender for the Gr.1 Prix Morny. He was also Europe’s top-rated two-year-old by a first-season sire.

Trained by Clive Cox for Julie Deadman and Stephen Cox, Tis Marvellous (right), an eight-lengths winner of his maiden, then romped

Bred by Crossfields Bloodstock, Tis Marvellous was sold for 48,000gns as a December Sale foal and then 52,000gns at Goffs UK’s Premier Sale.

Photo: Scoopdyga

staff PROFILE Janelle Maher Yearling preparation From Australia to Gloucestershire I started here in July and plan to stay until after the December Sale. I did a similar stint last year at New England Stud, then went home and spent the first six months of this year leading up at sales. I’m not a fan of the breeding season, so when that started I came back to Britain.

There’s Gold to be mined at yearling sales Members of Havana Gold’s first crop have begun appearing at yearling sales, and there are more to come.

At Goffs’ Orby Sale Lot 60 is a half-brother to Summer Mile winner Fanunalter, Lot 156 is out of a daughter of Group Three winner Miss Anabaa, while Lot 310 is a half-sister to six winners out of speedy Wunders Dream. At Book 1 of Tattersalls’ October Sale he is due to

be represented by Lot 403, a colt out of a sister to smart sprinter and sire Bungle Inthejungle, and Lot 529, a colt from the family of top-grade winners Belmez, Debussy and Red Desire.

Havana Gold also has 12 yearlings catalogued in Tattersalls’ Book 2, 15 in Book 3, 10 in Goffs’ Sportsman’s Sales (Parts 1 & 2), and 12 in Tattersalls Ireland’s September Yearling Sale (Parts 1 & 2).

Photos: Richard Dunwoody/The Adventurists

Are you sure!

I like English weather – it’s not too hot or cold.

The first spark?

My brothers got into racing when I was about ten and that got me interested. They worked as track riders at Lindsay Park, and eventually Chris became a jockey before returning to track work. The other brother, Bryan, is a trainer and breaker of horses at dad’s farm in Victoria.

Why horses?

I love sales, and I particularly like yearlings – you can bond with them, and I like seeing them progress. It’s a very satisfying job, and it’s good experience to travel overseas and learn from different people. I hope to work in America, Ireland and France if the opportunities arise.

Above, David (right), finishes the race, as does Peter (centre), and (right) Sheikh Fahad in action

Mongol Derby unforgettable experience despite THE blood, sweat and tears Tweenhills head David Redvers found gain in pain when completing August’s Mongol Derby, at 1,000km the world’s longest, and toughest, horse race.

Camping out and living on the most basic of food, David covered the distance in eight days, finishing joint-sixth of 43 riders who set out.

The following day he was joined in completing the course by his Qatar Racing team mate Peter Molony and his good friend Gareth Jones, who rode under the same banner. It was also a memorable experience for Sheikh Fahad, Kevin Darley and Chips Broughton, although they pulled out at various stages through injury or sickness.

Competitors stop at 27 Urtuus (camps/horse stations) along the way, mounting a new pony each time. David was full of praise for the remarkable beasts, saying: “The ponies are incredibly tough, and they make the event so special.”

The Qatar Racing team was raising money for injured jockeys, and you can reward their hardship by contributing via their ‘Just Giving’ page at https://www.justgiving. com/fundraising/QatarRacing.

Peter Molony was raising money for Irish Injured Jockeys – https://give.everydayhero. com/ie/mongol-derby-for-the-iijf.

Tweenhills, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, GL19 3BG W: www.tweenhills.com T: + 44 (0) 1452 700177 M: + 44 (0) 7767 436373 E: davidredvers@tweenhills.com

Sep_145_Changes2pp_Layout 1 19/08/2016 17:01 Page 14

RACEHORSE AND STALLION MOVEMENTS AND RETIREMENTS Covert Love Top-class filly for the Hugo Palmer stable and Fomo Syndicate, winning two Group 1s last year, is sold privately to Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm in Japan.

The Gurkha French 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner undergoes surgery for a displaced colon; he will not race again this season.

Jonnie Skull Ten-year-old joins a highly exclusive club when having 200th start of career at Yarmouth.

Kartica Pride Of Dubai Son of Street Cry, a dual Group 1 winner in Australia, will reverse shuttle to Coolmore’s Irish base at Fethard, County Tipperary for the 2017 breeding season.

HORSE OBITUARIES

Mare whose first foal Qemah is one of this season’s star performers, is sold to Shadai Farm.

Illuminate Albany and Duchess of Cambridge Stakes-winning three-year-old is retired to join her owner Prince Faisal Salman’s Denford Stud operation.

Notarised 5 Seven-time winning stayer, notably of the 2015 Old Newton Cup, and thought to be the first equine fatality at the Shergar Cup.

Marito 10

Dalakhani

Colin McBratney’s stable star who was runner-up to On The Fringe in the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Aga Khan Studs stallion is retired from covering duties aged 16; the Arc winner’s best runners included Conduit, Integral and Reliable Man.

Burden Of Proof 24 Son of Fairy King, a Group 2 winner in Ireland for Aidan O’Brien, later a leading sire in India, siring 85 blacktype performers.

Seeking The Gold 31 Leading US stallion based at Claiborne Farm whose best runner was Dubai Millennium; the son of Mr Prospector won two Grade 1s.

PEOPLE OBITUARIES JT McNamara 41

Dan Abbot 83

Much-loved and hugely respected former jockey who was paralysed in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival.

Co-founder of the Lambourn Trainers’ Association and also famous for the bespoke albums he produced for owners and breeders.

Derek Amiss 81 Long-time Travelling Head Lad to trainer Bill Turner who also worked for Fred Rimell and Tim Forster.

Chris Puller 31 South African jockey who rode in Cape Town and partnered over 250 winners in his career.

Howard Joyce 80 Gold-Fun 7 Top Hong Kong sprinter, winner of 11 races and £3,855,961, suffers fatal injuries in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

14

Owner of Pantaquesta Stud in Miskin, south Wales who enjoyed a long career breeding and owning racehorses.

Tim Nelligan 82 Pioneering former Managing Director of United Racecourses and General Manager at Goodwood.

Kunihiko Take 77 Former jockey – he rode 1,163 winners – and trainer, who saddled three Grade 1 winners, and father of legendary jockey Yutaka Take.

Tony Shead 89 Long-standing owner with Barry Hills whose distinctive green and black silks were carried to 2,000 Guineas glory by Tap On Wood.

Robin Gray 83 Former commentator who held many other positions in the racing industry and was a popular and respected figure in the press room.

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Sep_145_Big_Picture_KingGeorge_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:57 Page 16

THE BIG PICTURE

Sep_145_Big_Picture_KingGeorge_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:57 Page 17

ASCOT

HE’S THE REEL DEAL Four-year-olds have an outstanding recent record in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and Highland Reel made it 13 wins from the last 17 renewals for that age group under Ryan Moore.

Wings Of Desire, representing the Classic generation, ran well in second but could only get to within a length and a quarter of the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt Photo George Selwyn

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood4v2_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:56 Page 18

THE BIG PICTURE

GURKHA BRAVE Having chased home Galileo Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in a tactical encounter, The Gurkha (purple) gained his revenge with a neck success over that rival in the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes. Ryan Moore had the son of Galileo positioned behind the leaders in the mile contest and he picked up well inside the distance to defeat Galileo Gold (left) by a neck, with Ribchester running on well in third Photo George Selwyn

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood4v2_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:56 Page 19

Q ATA R G O O D W O O D F E S T I VA L

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood3_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:56 Page 20

THE BIG PICTURE

DUTCH COURAGE Runner-up in the 2015 Qatar Lennox Stakes, Dutch Connection went one better in the Group 2 prize this year. The son of Dutch Art, ridden by Australian-based New Zealander James McDonald for trainer Charlie Hills, travelled well and produced a smart turn of foot to see off fellow Godolphin runner Home Of The Brave by a length and three-quarters Photo George Selwyn

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood3_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:56 Page 21

Q ATA R G O O D W O O D F E S T I VA L

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood2_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:55 Page 22

THE BIG PICTURE

COVER EDGES BLANKET FINISH The Group 2 Qatar King George Stakes produced one of the finishes of the week at the 2016 Qatar Goodwood Festival. It was evergreen nine-year-old Take Cover (nearside), trained by David Griffiths, that came out on top, making every yard of the running under David Allan to bravely see off Washington DC by a neck, with the first five horses home covered by less than a length Photo George Selwyn

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Goodwood2_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:55 Page 23

Q ATA R G O O D W O O D F E S T I VA L

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Postponed_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:58 Page 24

THE BIG PICTURE

Sep_145_Big_Picture_Postponed_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:58 Page 25

YORK

FIRST-CLASS POST Postponed made light work of the drop down in trip and indifferent stable form to record a decisive victory in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York under Andrea Atzeni, defeating King George victor Highland Reel by a length and a quarter. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s five-year-old, trained by Roger Varian, has now won his last six races and will be aimed at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 2 Photo George Selwyn

EBF OB Sept 2016 dps_EBF OB Sept 2016 dps 19/08/2016 09:26 Page 1

Published here is the Provisional List of the stallions registered with the EBF for the 2016 Covering Season. Full eligibility of each stallion’s progeny, CONCEIVED IN 2016 IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, (the foal crop of 2017) MVY ILULÄ[Z \UKLY [OL [LYTZ HUK JVUKP[PVUZ VM [OL ,)- is DEPENDENT UPON RECEIPT OF THE BALANCE OF THE DUE CONTRIBUTION BY 15TH DECEMBER 2016. Late stallion entries for the EBF will be included in the Final List, provided [OL M\SS JVU[YPI\[PVU PZ YLJLP]LK I` [O +LJLTILY

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

BEAT HOLLOW (GB) BIG BAD BOB (IRE) BLACK SAM BELLAMY (IRE) BLEK (FR) BLUE BRESIL (FR) BLUE CANARI (FR) BLUE CORAL (IRE) BLUEPRINT (IRE) BOLLIN ERIC (GB) BOREAL (GER) BORIS DE DEAUVILLE (IRE) BORN TO SEA (IRE) BOTTEGA (USA) BRAZEN BEAU (AUS) BRETIGNY (FR) BRIAN BORU (GB) BRUSCO (GB) BULLY PULPIT (USA) BUNGLE INTHEJUNGLE (GB) C CABLE BAY (IRE) CACIQUE (IRE) CALIFET (FR) CALL ME BIG (GER) CALMING INFLUENCE (IRE) CAMACHO (GB) CAMELOT (GB) CAMERON HIGHLAND (IRE) CAMILL (IRE) CANFORD CLIFFS (IRE) CANYON CREEK (IRE) CAPPELLA SANSERVERO (GB) CAPTAIN CHOP (FR) CAPTAIN GERRARD (IRE) CAPTAIN MARVELOUS (IRE) CARLOTAMIX (FR) CASAMENTO (IRE) CAT JUNIOR (USA) CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) CHARM SPIRIT (IRE) CHICHI CREASY (FR) CHOEUR DU NORD (FR) CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (IRE) CITYSCAPE (GB) CLODOVIL (IRE) CLOUDINGS (IRE) COACH HOUSE (IRE) COCKNEY REBEL (IRE) COKORIKO (FR) CONDUIT (IRE) CONTAT (GER) COURT CAVE (IRE) CURTAIN TIME (IRE) D DABBERS RIDGE (IRE) DABIRSIM (FR) DAHJEE (USA) DALAKHANI (IRE) DANDY MAN (IRE)

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

FIREBREAK (GB) FLAMINGO FANTASY (GER) FLEMENSFIRTH (USA) FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND (GB) FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (IRE) FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS (IRE) FOUR STAR GENERAL (IRE) FRACAS (IRE) FRANKEL (GB) FRANKLINS GARDENS (GB) FREE EAGLE (IRE) FRENCH FIFTEEN (FR) FRENCH NAVY (GB) FROZEN FIRE (GER) FRUITS OF LOVE (USA) FUISSE (FR) FULBRIGHT (GB) G G FORCE (IRE) GALE FORCE TEN (GB) GALILEO (IRE) GALIWAY (GB) GAMUT (IRE) GARSWOOD (GB) GEMIX (FR) GENTLEWAVE (IRE) GEORDIELAND (FR) GEORGE VANCOUVER (USA) GETAWAY (GER) GLENEAGLES (IRE) GLOR NA MARA (IRE) GOLDEN HORN (GB) GOLDEN LARIAT (USA) GOLDEN TORNADO (IRE) GOLDMARK (USA) GOODRICKE (GB) GREEN MOON (IRE) GREGORIAN (IRE) GUTAIFAN (IRE) H HAAFHD (GB) HAATEF (USA) HAIL (IRE) HALLOWED CROWN (AUS) HAMOND (GER) HANNOUMA (IRE) HARBOUR WATCH (IRE) HAVANA GOLD (IRE) HEERAAT (IRE) HELLVELYN (GB) HELMET (AUS) HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (USA) HERETIC (CZE) HIGH ROCK (IRE) HILLSTAR (GB) HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) HONOLULU (IRE) HOT STREAK (IRE) HUNTER’S LIGHT (IRE)

HURRICANE CAT (USA) HURRICANE RUN (IRE) I IFFRAAJ (GB) IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE) INDIAN DAFFODIL (IRE) INDIAN HAVEN (GB) INTELLO (GER) INTENSE FOCUS (USA) INTRINSIC (GB) INVINCIBLE SPIRIT (IRE) IRISH WELLS (FR) IVAWOOD (IRE) J JARN (GB) JET AWAY (GB) JEU IRLANDAIS (FR) JOSHUA TREE (IRE) JUKEBOX JURY (IRE) K KALANISI (IRE) KALATOS (GER) KALLISTO (GER) KAMSIN (GER) KAP ROCK (FR) KAPGARDE (FR) KARGALI (IRE) KAYF TARA (GB) KENDARGENT (FR) KHELEYF (USA) KIER PARK (IRE) KINGMAN (GB) KINGSALSA (USA) KINGSTON HILL (GB) KISSING YOU (ARG) KODIAC (GB) KONIG BERNARD (FR) KONIG TURF (GER) KUTUB (IRE) KYLLACHY (GB) L LAURO (GER) LAVEROCK (IRE) LAWMAN (FR) LE CADRE NOIR (IRE) LE FOU (IRE) LE HAVRE (IRE) LEADING LIGHT (IRE) LEROIDESANIMAUX (BRZ) LETHAL FORCE (IRE) LIBERTARIAN (GB) LIBRANNO (GB) LILBOURNE LAD (IRE) LINDA’S LAD (GB) LITERATO (FR) LIZIO (GB) LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) LORD OF ENGLAND (GER) LOS CRISTIANOS (FR)

LOUP BRETON (IRE) LUCARNO (USA) LUCAYAN (FR) LUCKY SPEED (IRE) M MACHUCAMBO (GB) MAGADAN (IRE) MAHLER (GB) MAIGURI (IRE) MAINSAIL (GB) MAJESTIC MISSILE (IRE) MAJOR CADEAUX (GB) MAKE BELIEVE (GB) MAKFI (GB) MALINAS (GER) MAMOOL (IRE) MANDURO (GER) MARESCA SORRENTO (FR) MARIYDI (IRE) MARSHALL (FR) MARTALINE (GB) MARTILLO (GER) MASKED MARVEL (GB) MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) MASTEROFTHEHORSE (IRE) MASTERSTROKE (USA) MAWATHEEQ (USA) MAXIOS (GB) MAYSON (GB) MEDICEAN (GB) MESHAHEER (USA) MHARADONO (GER) MIDNIGHT LEGEND (GB) MIDSHIPS (USA) MIGHTY (GB) MIKHAIL GLINKA (IRE) MILAN (GB) MISTER FOTIS (USA) MONITOR CLOSELY (IRE) MONSIEUR BOND (IRE) MONTMARTRE (FR) MOOHAAJIM (IRE) MOONJAZ (GB) MORES WELLS (GB) MOROZOV (USA) MORPHEUS (GB) MOST IMPROVED (IRE) MOTIVATOR (GB) MOUNT NELSON (GB) MOURAYAN (IRE) MR MEDICI (IRE) MUBAAREZ (GB) MUHAARAR (GB) MUHTATHIR (GB) MUJAHID (USA) MUKHADRAM (GB) MULLIONMILEANHOUR (IRE) MULTIPLEX (GB) MUSIC MASTER (GB)

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TOBOUGG (IRE) TONI BLUE (FR) TORONADO (IRE) TOUCH OF LAND (FR) TRAJANO (USA) TULLAMORE (USA) TURGEON (USA) U UNIVERSAL (IRE) URBAN POET (USA) V VALE OF YORK (IRE) VALIRANN (FR) VATORI (FR) VERTIGINEUX (FR) VERY NICE NAME (FR) VESPONE (IRE) VIDAYAR (FR) VINNIE ROE (IRE) VISION Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ETAT (FR) VITA ROSA (JPN) VITA VENTURI (IRE) VOCALISED (USA) VOL DE NUIT (GB) W WALK IN THE PARK (IRE) WALLACE (GB) WAR COMMAND (USA) WATAR (IRE) WAY OF LIGHT (USA) WELL CHOSEN (GB) WESTERNER (GB) WHERE OR WHEN (IRE) WHIPPER (USA) WIENER WALZER (GER) WIESENPFAD (FR) WILLYWELL (FR) WINDSOR KNOT (IRE) WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) WORTHADD (IRE) X XTENSION (IRE) Y YEATS (IRE) YORGUNNABELUCKY (USA) YOUMZAIN (IRE) Z ZAMBEZI SUN (GB) ZANZIBARI (USA) ZAZOU (GER) ZEBEDEE (GB) ZIZANY (IRE) ZOFFANY (IRE)

EBF INTERNATIONAL STALLIONS The stallions listed below stood OUTSIDE THE EBF AREA IN 2016 and have been provisionally registered as International Stallions for that year. Full eligibility of each stallionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progeny, CONCEIVED IN 2016, (the foal crop of 2017) MVY ILULÃ&#x201E;[Z \UKLY [OL [LYTZ HUK JVUKP[PVUZ VM [OL EBF, is DEPENDENT UPON RECEIPT OF THE BALANCE OF THE DUE CONTRIBUTION BY 15TH DECEMBER 2016. Late stallion entries for the EBF will be included in the Final List, provided the full contribution is YLJLP]LK I` [O +LJLTILY -\Y[OLY KL[HPSZ MYVT [OL Chief Executive, European Breedersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fund.

STALLION ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (USA) AMERICAIN (USA) CANDY RIDE (ARG) DAAHER (CAN) DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) DEEP IMPACT (JPN) ENGLISH CHANNEL (USA) EPIPHANEIA (JPN) FIRST DEFENCE (USA) GOLD ALLURE (JPN) GREY SWALLOW (IRE) HARBINGER (GB) HEARTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CRY (JPN) HONOR CODE (USA) JUST A WAY (JPN) KARAKONTIE (JPN) KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) KINSHASA NO KISEKI (AUS) KITTENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOY (USA) KIZUNA (JPN) LEMON DROP KID (USA) LIAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MAP (USA) LORD KANALOA (JPN) MIZZEN MAST (USA) MR SPEAKER (USA) MUSKETIER (GER) NATIVE KHAN (FR) NOBLE MISSION (GB) NOVELLIST (IRE) ORFEVRE (JPN) POINT OF ENTRY (USA) QUALITY ROAD (USA) RED ROCKS (IRE) RULERSHIP (JPN) THE FACTOR (USA) TWIRLING CANDY (USA) UNION RAGS (USA) VICTOIRE PISA (JPN) WORKFORCE (GB)

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

Sep_145_FromTheArchive_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:43 Page 28

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The story behind the photo Frankie Dettori recently celebrated his 3,000th winner in Britain aboard Predilection for John Gosden on Newmarket’s July Course.

However one of his most memorable days in the saddle came in Ireland, 15 years ago this month.

The race in question was the Irish Champion Stakes. Dettori’s mount, Godolphin’s Fantastic Light (right), was an international superstar at the peak of his powers aged five, counting the Man O’War Stakes, Hong Kong Cup, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Prince of Wales’s Stakes among his big-race haul for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

His main rival at Leopardstown was outstanding three-year-old Galileo, the dual Derby hero, who six weeks earlier had defeated Fantastic Light by two lengths in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

In an unforgettable encounter, Dettori manoeuvred Fantastic Light up the inside of fellow Godolphin runner Give The Slip on the turn for home, grabbing the rail. Mick Kinane, on Galileo, challenged on the outside and the two then engaged in an epic tussle, both giving absolutely everything for their riders.

At the line, it was the older horse that prevailed by a head, reversing previous form in the ten-furlong contest, though Galileo lost little in defeat, the first of his career.

Galileo ran only once more, failing to give his true running behind Tiznow in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park, before embarking on a new life at stud, going on to become the world’s leading stallion.

Fantastic Light also travelled to that year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting but with more success, taking the Turf, his final outing in a remarkable 25-race career that yielded 12 victories and over £4.2 million in prize-money.

Photo George Selwyn

Sep_145_FromTheArchive_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:44 Page 29

FA N TA S T I C L I G H T SEPTEMBER 8, 2001

Sep_145_Tony_MorrisV2_Owner 19/08/2016 16:34 Page 30

THE MAN YOU CAN’T IGNORE COMMENT

Tony Morris Three colts achieved Triple Crown fame while World War I raged, but the champion of the time came not from that celebrated trio but the St Leger hero of 100 years ago, Hurry On

Hurry On was a magnificent physical specimen, a horse cherished by owner Lord Woolavington (left) and trainer Fred Darling

F

or the duration of World War I all England’s Classic races were staged at Newmarket, and they were notable for the fact that three colts claimed Triple Crown honours – Pommern (1915), Gay Crusader (1917) and Gainsborough (1918). So which of that trio ranked as the champion of that period?

Actually, it was none of them. The best horse to race during the war years was Hurry On, whose only Classic success came in the September Stakes, the substitute version of the St Leger, 100 years ago this month.

When John Randall and I came to analyse the form of all the top runners of the 20th century for our book A Century of Champions we found every justification for respecting the treble scorers. Having examined all the trio’s three-yearold performances, and assessing them on a Timeform-like scale, we reckoned that Pommern deserved a mark of 135, we rated Gainsborough at 137, and we had Gay Crusader on 138, each ranking as the clear best of his year.

But we were so impressed with Hurry On that we felt he merited 139, a figure matched as a three-year-old only by Bayardo (1909) among those who raced earlier in the century. Reputable

30

contemporary opinions backed up our view and we could only wonder what he may have achieved if he had remained sound in 1917. We raised Bayardo to 141 in recognition of his superb four-year-old campaign.

Hurry On wrote his own pedigree; there was nothing very exciting about it until he proved its worth. His sire Marcovil was never destined for top-level competition, winning a maiden at Kempton at three, and becoming a useful handicapper at four, when beaten half a length in the Great Jubilee. What earned him a berth at stud was his victory, as an unconsidered 50-1 shot, in the Cambridgeshire, his only start as a five-year-old. His fee on retirement to Egerton in 1909 was only £25, and, unsurprisingly, he was not favoured with mates of much distinction.

Tout Suite, one of the mares to visit him in 1912, had been sold as a foal, together with her dam, for 80gns the pair. Standing only 14.2hh as a two-year-old, she was deemed too small to be worth putting into training and was covered for the first time as a three-year-old. Just 15hh when she finished growing, she produced Hurry On as her fifth and last foal and died in the year when her only notable product rose to fame.

Hurry On was not built in his dam’s image; far from it. He was big and backward when submitted to the Newmarket July Sales, where he was sold for 500gns to James Buchanan, later Lord Woolavington. The colt was sent to Beckhampton trainer Fred Darling, who wisely decided that such an overgrown, gawky individual was best left alone as a two-year-old.

Boy becomes a man By the spring of his three-year-old season Hurry On had filled to his massive frame and was a magnificent physical specimen, fully 17hh and with nine and a half inches of bone. His strength made him hard to handle, but Darling had him ready for a modest £100 mile maiden at Lingfield in mid-June, when he started second favourite at 4-1. Although nine of his 14 rivals had previous experience, and he showed some greenness, he trounced his field to win by two lengths. Four of his five subsequent runs were at Newmarket’s summer course, where he reappeared early in July for the Stetchworth Plate over a mile and a half, evens favourite against four others who all received 5lb, and a dominant performance brought him another two-length victory.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_Tony_MorrisV2_Owner 19/08/2016 16:35 Page 31

There were only four runners for Hurry On’s next outing over ten furlongs at Newbury in August, when punters favoured 1,000 Guineas heroine Canyon at 6-5, but the filly came back a laboured third, eight lengths behind the colt, who was now being recognised for the champion he was. He started 11-10 favourite for the September Stakes over a mile and three-quarters, opposed once more by Canyon and by 2,000 Guineas victor Clarissimus. Hurry On won in a canter again, by three lengths over Clarissimus, with Canyon tailed off.

The Newmarket St Leger came next, over the same course and distance, with odds of 40-1 laid on him against two negligible rivals. Hurry On was never off the bit, winning as he liked, and when he signed off for the season in November, the new distance of two and a quarter miles and his first experience of heavy ground failed to represent any kind of challenge.

The Jockey Club Cup provided a romp by ten lengths.

Hurry On had not been entered for the Derby, but it would have come too soon for him in any case – run two weeks before his debut in the Lingfield maiden. That Classic was won by the filly Fifinella, who followed up with an Oaks victory two days later. Collateral form indicated that Hurry On was comfortably the better of the two.

In December 1916 Fred Darling was called up for war service in the army, Hurry On being switched from Beckhampton to Peter Gilpin’s stable in Newmarket. Sadly, the colt’s new trainer proved unable to keep him sound at four, probably for reasons relating to his size, and in August 1917 it was announced he would start his second career at Lavington Stud in 1918.

The man who had guided him through his flawless season felt he was never properly tested, either at home or on the track. He remained adamant, even after saddling seven Derby winners and exceptional miler Tudor Minstrel, that Hurry On was the best he had ever trained.

No horse ever made a more propitious start to his stud innings, as the very first mare covered by Hurry On was Bellavista, the outcome of that mating being 1922 Derby hero Captain Cuttle, trained by Darling and carrying the colours of Lord Woolavington. In due course he got two further Derby winners in Coronach and Call Boy, had a season at the top of the sires’ list, and was responsible for a top-class stayer in Precipitation, who won the 1937 Gold Cup, a year after his sire’s death.

Hurry On was a tail-male descendant of the Godolphin Arabian’s influential son, Matchem, a fact that was not particularly remarkable during his lifetime; it was widely assumed he – and others – would help to keep the line secure for many generations to come. But Call Boy proved infertile, Captain Cuttle made only limited impact, and Coronach’s influence soon dwindled. Precipitation’s branch proved more enduring and raised hopes of an extension when Sassafras touched off Nijinsky in the Arc, but those hopes were to be dashed before very long. The line is hanging on by a thread in Europe now, while the American branch, descending via Man o’ War, seems only marginally more secure.

Of course, male lines are not everything, and it is an indisputable fact that the Godolphin Arabian, whose arrival in England might be said to have ‘completed’ the creation of the thoroughbred, is the single most important ancestor of the racehorse of the 21st century.

The Darley Arabian has long been the dominant founding father in the direct male line, and it is interesting to note that its pre-eminence became significantly enhanced by the success of Hurry On’s exact contemporary, Phalaris, and his tail-male descendants.

“Hurry On was

not built in his dam’s image; far from it. He was big and backward”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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Sep_145_HowardWright_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:34 Page 32

HOWARD WRIGHT COMMENT

Staff retention at the Levy Board has never been more important, with the April 2017 date for racing to assume its responsibilities looming large

Wanted: golden handcuffs

G

olden handcuffs, generally defined as “special benefits offered to an employee as an inducement to continue service”, have been around since the mid-1970s, but they have been coloured with a dodgy reputation in recent years, along with all those other City excesses that highlighted the bad not-so-old days. Forget that.

Racing needs golden handcuffs more than ever at the moment. More than in 2008, the last time it was necessary to keep key staff at the Levy Board in the face of the doomed disappearance of the sport’s main funding body.

This time around the threat, reinforced by government pledge and racing’s determination to make it happen, is very real.

Yet the timing remains mired in mystery, for all that April 2017 has been pencilled into many a forward-planning diary.

As BHA Chairman Steve Harman admits later in the magazine (pages 54-57), there is a risk that the fateful date will slip. Interested independent bystanders are even more adamant: the odds that racing will be in a position to take over the Levy Board’s spending responsibilities when the tax year clicks over are probably even longer than Leicester City’s were to win the Premier League title.

Separate talks towards the end of July between the sports minister and representatives of racing and bookmaking confirmed the government’s intention to stick to the April 2017 date, but – and it’s a big ‘but’ – she also recommended the preparation of a levy scheme for 2017-18.

Harman picked up on the advice; whether others around the racing table heard the message but did not listen is not so certain.

They should, because time is short before, in the normal course of events, a decision on the next levy scheme reaches its statutory deadline of midnight on October 31.

A temporary roll-over may be the shortterm answer. Some sort of contingency plan is necessary, because racing cannot afford to be left staring down a huge black hole; there is too much at stake, too many institutions and too many people who rely on funds distributed by the Levy Board for 55 years, and not just to those directly involved in horseracing on a daily basis.

32

By the time there’s racing at the Rowley Mile in 2017, the sport may have changed

The strands of Levy Board spending reach far and wide, even to the farthest reaches of rare breeds of non-thoroughbreds, where relatively small amounts of cash, passed on in the form of grants, has had beneficial effects that disproportionately outstrip their size.

These, and the many other heads of expenditure dealt with by the Levy Board,

“A contingency plan is necessary because racing cannot afford to be left staring down a black hole”

will have to be taken over by the new spending authority being gifted to racing.

Given that ‘racing’ – the generality, not the specific governing body – has never had to spend five bob, never mind fifty million, and the rest, makes it all the more important that the hand-over should be seamless, sensible and sustainable.

Which brings us back to golden handcuffs, back not in fashion but by necessity at the Levy Board, whose Chairman Paul Lee revealed their existence in his statement in the latest annual report placed before parliament in July.

Setting out the landscape, Lee wrote: “I cannot stress too highly the pivotal importance of staff retention if we are to be able to carry out our statutory duties as long as they remain to be carried out by us, and to effect a smooth transition of our functions to new organisations.”

Then came the telling points: “To this end, the board is seeking to put in place appropriate incentives to encourage staff to remain motivated and committed, measures which are common practice in business life. A strong management team will also be necessary as the board navigates a careful path through the difficult financial position with which it is now confronted.”

Motivated and committed: no-one can accuse Levy Board staff of being anything other, but their numbers have already fallen.

Racing – yes, the all-embracing ‘racing’ – cannot sit by idly and allow more to move on, and should do all it can to support those who stay. At this particular time racing needs these people more than they need racing.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:09 Page 34

VIEW FROM IRELAND

By JESSICA LAMB

Keatley confident Jet can lift off Whether Minding runs in Matron Stakes or not, Jet Setting can win says trainer worried about Minding,” he said. “If we were meeting her over longer then I’m sure it would be the other way around.”

He added: “She’s not a mudlark; it doesn’t necessarily have to be soft or heavy for Jet Setting, I’d just be happier going to Leopardstown with an ease in the ground because we know she’s proven on it and many of the others aren’t.”

The hoo-ha of her £1.3 million sale at the Goffs London Sale, weeks after her Irish Classic win, and subsequent run at Royal Ascot in the Coronation Stakes left its mark.

She contracted a respiratory infection and weakened to be just sixth in her Ascot test, forcing Keatley to put her on a midsummer

break. She returned last month at Tipperary and is now on track for the Matron Stakes, with connections attracted by the race’s ‘win and you’re in’ Breeders’ Cup status.

“The plan is the Matron, then the Prix de la Foret on Arc day, and, you never know, she might make it to America,” he said.

“But I wouldn’t like to see her coming back as a four-year-old because she’s not scopey enough.”

A filly excelling at four for Keatley is Millefiori, who landed her fourth win of the year at the Galway festival in July.

The daughter of Mastercraftsman cost £2,500 when bought at the 2015 Tattersalls July Sale from the yard of Hugo Palmer.

CAROLINE NORRIS

M

inding might be likely to run at four, but the only filly to beat her in Group 1 company, Jet Setting, will not.

It has been an enjoyable summer for rookie trainer Adrian Keatley as he has watched the stock of his Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine rise with every victory Minding has secured.

And she is set for a busy autumn, taking in Irish Champions Weekend, Longchamp’s Arc day and possibly the Breeders’ Cup. Yet if Jet Setting’s owners take their trainer’s advice, that will be that for the Richard Hannon cast-off.

“I’ve definitely been enjoying watching Minding,” he laughed. “Not only is Jet Setting one of only three horses to have ever beaten her, but she’s significantly the only one to have beaten her in Group 1 company. If we met her over a mile again I’d be quietly confident that we’d beat her again, too.”

That could happen on Irish Champions Weekend in the Matron Stakes, should Minding’s team switch to that option over the Irish Champions Stakes itself.

With the distance set to suit in the main event, that move seems unlikely, but Keatley is ready if it happens.

“If my filly was in as good a form as she was going into the Curragh, I wouldn’t be that

Rare sight: very few horses have finished in front of Minding, but Jet Setting did that in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, to the joy of Adrian Keatley and Shane Foley

She came to Keatley as an unraced three-year-old and gained experience last autumn, before finding her best distance – a mile to nine furlongs.

“She’s up to 75 now, having started off on 44,” Keatley said. “She’s four wins and a place out of her last five runs and she probably won’t run again until a Listed race we have marked down for her at Baden-Baden on September 4.

“She’s probably 10-15lb below what she should be to be run in a Listed race, but her owners own

Sep_145_View_From_Ireland_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:09 Page 35

VIEW FROM IRELAND

Ballyshannon Stud and the main objective now is to sneak a bit of black type, as she’s already a very well-bred and well-related filly.”

Grand-dam Miss Pinkerton is a Listed winner and great grand-dam Rebecca Sharp won the 1997 Coronation Stakes, her Dubai Destination sibling Fleche d’Or going on to produce 2015 Derby and Arc hero Golden Horn.

“As you can see from her page, to get this black type for her as a racemare would be a job well done for trainer, jockey and owners,” Keatley stressed. “They’ve had loads of fun with her at Ayr and Galway; this would be the icing on the cake.”

Though it looks like both of his stable stars will be retired by the end of this year, their performances have filled Keatley’s new Curragh yard, and not just with Flat horses.

Mountain Rock won a second bumper for the trainer at the Galway festival and is set to continue a bumper campaign into the winter.

“I don’t want to be sitting around all winter waiting for yearlings to come around,” he said.

“I’d love to able to train high quality National Hunt horses and I seem to have a small handful of nice ones at the moment.

“Mountain Rock’s going to go for a winners-of-two bumper at Tipperary and then to Cheltenham in November.

“He’ll get a break midwinter and then we’ll aim him for Cheltenham and Punchestown’s Champion Bumpers.”

Conditions of the Cheltenham race permit horses to run a maximum of four times in bumpers before lining up; completing the planned schedule would mean that Mountain

Rock would turn up with the maximum under his belt, bucking the trend.

Keatley explained: “I want to make sure we have the right product. I’d much rather be at home watching the races on TV than there with a horse that’s making up the numbers.”

That’s his philosophy across the board, and every horse that enters his yard has a deadline to prove themselves.

“As I’m getting in horses, I’m also dispersing of horses that I don’t think are up to winning races,” he said. “It’s not a nice phone call for me to make, or for owners to get, but if I think after six to eight weeks that the horse is not up to winning a race, I don’t tend to keep them.

“Of course, some owners will then take them to another trainer, but honesty is an investment.”

One of Ireland’s most successful grooms, Gail Carlisle, has cited evening racing as a leading cause of burnout for racing staff, as she prepares for a new career in the US. The groom of Hurricane Fly, and champion trainer Willie Mullins’ head girl, last month called time on a nine-year career at Closutton, leaving behind a host of stars, including outstanding Arkle Chase winner Douvan.

She did so to explore pastures new and recharge, but left a message to help the stable staff she is leaving behind.

“In Ireland there are 9pm bumpers at the likes of Ballinrobe, Sligo and Roscommon in the summer,” she said. “That means an awful lot of stable staff aren’t getting back until 2am – and probably later if they win and have to go to the dope test box.

“Now in England they are talking about bringing in a heap more Saturday evening meetings. Are you having a laugh?

“It’s hard enough to get staff, and to get them to go racing, but to have more Saturday evening meetings – to have any Saturday evening meetings – isn’t fair; it’s eating well into people’s weekends off, which are already only a day and a half a fortnight.”

Lack of free time was a key reason for Carlisle’s own decision to head to the US, but plans are fluid as to what she will do there.

“Everyone thought that when Hurricane Fly retired, I would leave, but then I got Douvan,” she smiled. “It’s time now, though. It’s been nine years in that mental, fantastic unit of organised – and sometimes unorganised – chaos, but I’m burnt out. After 20 years of working in racing, I would actually like a bit more free time.”

She added: “It’s ten years since I went to Australia and I’ve been thinking about travelling again all through the last season.

“I’ve a few friends in the US and am going on a holiday visa to start with, so will be freelancing and maybe doing a bit at the Keeneland Yearling Sale. I’m winging it for now.”

The scale of the adjustment means Carlisle is non-committal on the future. She took all of August off to prepare and has had the full support of Mullins and his wife Jacqui, both promising a job at Closutton will always be there for her.

“I don’t know what this is going to be like – I might go away for a month and decide I actually miss it too much,” she said. “Willie and

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

CAROLINE NORRIS

Carlisle winging it as new challenges await

Gail Carlisle and Hurricane Fly – both legends at Closutton

Jackie have said that if I want to take two months off and come back when the season is kicking off again, that’s fine, and even if I just want to come back and do Cheltenham week, I can come back for that, too.

I don’t think I’ll be gone forever, but I am for now.”

Carlisle was Hurricane Fly’s groom throughout his record-breaking career and won the 2013 Irish Stud and Stable Staff Champion Award, among many other accolades.

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Sep_145_Continental_Tales_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:12 Page 36

CONTINENTAL TALES

Beuzelin bids to kickstart career Fortunes on the rise but it’s tough going for former apprentice star

GEORGE SELWYN

F RA N C E

By JAMES CRISPE, INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU

Louis-Philippe Beuzelin’s victory on Aaim To Prosper in the 2012 Cesarewitch remains the jockey’s career highlight to date

L

ouis-Philippe Beuzelin was once the shooting star of the British weighing room. At the age of 17, already with a number of winners under his belt in the West Indies, he became apprentice to his fellow former Barbados resident, Sir Michael Stoute, and was successful on his very first British ride, Spy Eye, on the hallowed turf of Newmarket’s July Course.

The following year, 2009, he was prominent behind Freddie Tylicki and David Probert in the race for the apprentice title, and in October 2010 he landed a massive payday when guiding Brian Meehan’s Aaim To Prosper to glory in the £157,000 Cesarewitch Handicap.

Yet before 2011 had drawn to a close, having been successful on just six of his 150 rides in Britain that year, he made the startling decision to relocate to his native France to ride for Robert Collet.

Despite aiming for – and achieving a certain

36

amount of – financial prosperity, things have not worked out quite how he hoped. Almost five years of toil have added little more than 40 French winners to his tally and Aaim To Prosper’s triumph remains the biggest moment of his career, rivalled only by victory in the 2014 Bangalore Derby, the highlight of two winters riding in India.

“Looking back, it was a big leap to leave Britain,” Beuzelin admits. “I was starting from scratch in a new place without a claim, and, although my godfather, the bloodstock agent Marc-Antoine Berghracht, promised to help me, it was incredibly difficult to make new contacts.

“It’s a decision that I regret every day and I have often thought of going back to Britain.

Mentally it is much tougher over here, you do not get properly recognised for what you do, unlike in Britain where you get clapped and appreciated when you win a race.

“There is much less Flat racing, yet on the

racing television channel it is non-stop, with jumping, trotting and foreign races and often only two minutes between races, so there is no time for interviewing jockeys.

“Jockeys are much lower profile here as no one watches. If you go racing in the week the stands are empty. We are just numbers here in France; we’re expendable.”

Now 25 years old, Beuzelin relates that the most significant words he has heard since his arrival in France came from the five-time Derby-winning trainer Pascal Bary, who told him that for a jockey to survive in France he needs to be ‘a la mode’ [in fashion].

“It is a closed circuit here and if you are not in fashion it’s very difficult,” Beuzelin insists.

“Yet as soon as someone like Andre Fabre starts using a new jockey, everyone will follow him.”

Despite all this, Beuzelin does admit that certain aspects of a jockey’s life across the Channel compare favourably to Britain. He THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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suggests that you can make more money riding around ten winners a year in France than you could for three times that many in England.

“Your travel expenses are paid for here and if you go by road there is nothing like the traffic that you get on the M25,” Beuzelin says.

“I can get from my home in Chantilly to all the Parisian courses in just 45 minutes.

“And you can also get anywhere in France by train, which I use all the time. If I’m riding in Lyon it would take four and a half hours to drive, but it’s just two hours by train followed by a ten-minute taxi ride to the course.”

Beuzelin’s failure to make the impact in Britain that so many expected can in part be put down to bad luck; Stoute was going through his leanest spell for over three decades while Meehan, his other main employer, was also suffering a downturn.

A serious car crash when back in Barbados

“It’s a decision that I regret every day and I have often thought of going back to Britain”

for a holiday in November 2009 – costing him his spleen, eight broken ribs and a punctured lung – didn’t help either.

“I started race-riding again in March 2010 and that was too soon – mentally, rather than physically, I was still not myself,” Beuzelin reveals.

His fortunes do seem to be taking a turn for the better this year, however. A double at Le Touquet in mid-July meant that he had already matched his modest 2015 total of five winners, helped by remaining in France over the winter and employing an agent, Kevin Bouillie, after a long period of booking his own rides.

He is riding out for Bary, John Hammond and Henri-Francois Devin, and has high hopes for Bary’s Mango Tango, a Siyouni filly owned by a syndicate of Bajans headed by Beuzelin’s father, Jean-Louis.

“Mango Tango is exceptionally good,” he says. “She has been unlucky on both of her last two starts [when denied a clear run when fourth in a Group 2 and when racing away from the winner when second in a Group 3].

The big aim for her is the Group 1 Prix Vermeille on September 11.”

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TURKEY Connections of British horses contemplating a raid on the Turkish International Racing Festival at Veliefendi racecourse in Istanbul on the weekend of September 3-4 should not be concerned about potential repercussions from the recent failed military coup in the country.

Everyday life in Istanbul returned to normal within days of the coup’s unsuccessful conclusion on July 16 and visitors are once again able to move freely among the city’s many attractions, such as the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.

“The Turkish racing industry has not been affected at all,” says Ramazan Coskundeniz of the Turkish Jockey Klub. “There has been no decrease in either betting or attendance at race meetings and no meetings have either been cancelled or delayed.

“There are of course more safety precautions, especially at critical locations, such as metro stations and airports, but there is nothing visible or uncomfortable on the streets.”

The delights of one of Europe’s most vibrant cities notwithstanding, the financial lure of the festival is plain for all to see. Its five international thoroughbred races boast combined prizemoney of €1.35 million – which converts to considerably more than £1m now that sterling is worth over 10% less than it was before the Brexit referendum.

British runners have a stupendous record in these races – over the past seven years in the four international races open to older horses, Brits have won no less than 22 of the 28 renewals.

Last year, a two-year-old race, the six-furlong Trakya Trophy, was incorporated in the festival for the first time and its result underlines the relative weakness of the local competition. It was won, by a comfortable length, by the Richard Hannon-trained Orvar, ahead of the home team’s Graystorm.

While Orvar’s subsequent failure to make the top five in any of his three starts in British Group or Listed events may call into question the strength of the form, Graystorm’s ensuing achievements prove that he is the very best of the Turkish thoroughbred crop of 2013.

A son of the Distant Relative stallion Luxor (himself a rare home-trained winner at this festival in 2004), Graystorm has won all five of his other Veliefendi races, including the Turkish 2,000 Guineas and Derby, and will become the first Turkish Triple Crown winner for 15 years if he prevails in the Ankara Stakes (St Leger) on September 24.

GERMANY The German Classic crop of 2016 is shaping up as a pretty moderate vintage. The only one of their first three Classics to escape the clutches of British raiders was the Derby, and that produced a highly suspect result, as it was run on heavy ground and three outsiders were involved in a photo finish.

Just to further muddy the waters, the jockeys of the first two home – Isfahan and Savoir Vivre – contravened the whip regulations, prompting connections of third-placed Dschingis Secret to lodge what seems a highly optimistic appeal against them a few days after the race.

The identity of the best German three-year-old colt of the year remains a matter of some conjecture. The beaten Derby favourite, Boscaccio, could yet prove himself top class once returned to decent ground, but the Andreas Wohler-trained miler Noor Al Hawa, smooth winner of a well-contested Listed race at Deauville on August 2, is an interesting ‘dark horse’.

FRANCE After last month’s interview with Jean-Claude Rouget in this magazine, it is worth reiterating the extent of the Pau handler’s dominance of the 2016 French season. For, unless his only possible rival, Andre Fabre, wins the €5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Rouget is guaranteed his second French trainers’ championship seven years after previously winning the accolade.

Rouget’s superiority amongst this term’s Classic generation is jaw-dropping. Of the dozen French Group 1 or 2 races restricted to three-year-olds run before mid-August, Rouget had won seven of them, with six different horses – and that sextet doesn’t even include the dual Group 1 heroine Qemah, whose biggest victories have come in England (in the Coronation Stakes) and against older fillies (in the Prix Rothschild).

Overall, Rouget has already had an incredible ten individual Group-winning three-yearolds this year, not to mention four more that have prevailed at Listed level.

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Sep_145_AroundtheGlobe_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:14 Page 39

AROUND THE GLOBE THE WORLDWIDE RACING SCENE

NORT H A M E R I CA

by Steve Andersen

Casse cracks it home and away

B

GEORGE SELWYN

efore the summer officially began on June 21, trainer Mark Casse was having a year to remember.

Casse made history on June 14 when Tepin became the first American-trained winner of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That alone was a career-defining highlight. Over the next seven weeks, Casse compiled a diverse list of achievements in North America.

On the weekend of July 2-3, Casse won five stakes races at Churchill Downs, Monmouth Park and Woodbine, including the Grade 1 Union Nation Stakes at Monmouth Park with World Approval.

A week later, the three-year-old filly Catch A Glimpse won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks for the eighth consecutive win of her career.

On August 3, Casse was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Woodbine, outside of Toronto.

There is potential for more notable days in

Tepin (right) defeats Belardo in the Queen Anne Stakes under Julien Leparoux, who left is with Mark Casse and Robert Masterson (centre)

the autumn. Casse, 55, could be in the midst of a record-breaking season.

Tepin, Catch A Glimpse and World Approval, along with the promising juveniles Classic Empire and Thirst For Life, give Casse a team of stakes runners from his stable of more than 100 horses. The team will be expected to play an important role at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita on November 4-5 and the major races prep races in late September and early October.

Tepin’s campaign toward the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita will attract the most attention.

The five-year-old mare won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland and gave Casse a memorable first trip to England with her win in the Royal Ascot opener.

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“I thought the only thing that could surpass Tepin’s win in the Breeders’ Cup would be a win in the Kentucky Derby,” Casse said in early August. “The win at Royal Ascot was a dream come true. Sometimes I don’t know if it really happened!”

There was no doubting the reality of Tepin’s existence that Tuesday in June when she zoomed to the lead a furlong out and beat Belardo by a half a length. Casse, who has not won the Kentucky Derby, had his first European prize.

The Canadian Hall of Fame honour was a reflection on his decades-long success at Woodbine. Casse has been honoured with a Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding trainer eight times, including 2015. In the days before the ceremony, Casse said his wife Tina noticed how much time he spent on his speech. In his remarks, Casse paid tribute to his father, Norman, a co-founder of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales in Florida, who died in March at the age of 79.

“She said, ‘You’re spending a lot longer on this one,’ Casse said. “It entails a lot more

years. This one is a little tougher.”

Typical of many seasons, Casse was on the go each week in early summer. His stable had runners at Saratoga, Woodbine and tracks in Kentucky and Indiana. Through August 3, Casse ranked fourth in North America, with earnings of more than $8.8 million. He is within range of the personal best of $13.6m set last year.

Casse’s stable has grown in prominence with the involvement of owners such as Gary Barber, who campaigns 2014 Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou, and Robert Masterson, who owns Tepin.

Catch A Glimpse, who races for a partnership that includes Barber, may be the stable’s next breakout star. Earlier this year, Casse compared Catch A Glimpse to Tepin, and was criticised in some quarters for his enthusiasm regarding her potential. Her winning streak is starting to change the minds of observers, much to Casse’s delight.

“She’s finally getting her dues,” he said. “I’ve thought the world of her for a long time. In January or March, I referred to her as the next Tepin. I took flack for that. I think after her last win they called her ‘the brilliant’ Catch A Glimpse.”

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AROUND THE GLOBE

AUST R A L I A

by Danny Power

Freedman still up for the Cup Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman turned 60 on August 12 and it’s worth taking the time to look back at Freedman’s career and how he compares with some of Australia’s great trainers.

Freedman is currently breathing rare air as the leading living trainer of Melbourne Cup winners, with five. He took over the mantle following Bart Cummings’ death in August last year; Cummings died with 12 Cups in his amazing career.

Freedman sits equal second with pioneer trainer Etienne de Mestre, who saddled Archer to win the first two Cups in 1861 and 1862.

The next best living Cup-winning trainer is Ireland’s Dermot Weld with two – he is the only other living trainer with multiple Cup wins.

Freedman won his first Cup, aged 33, in 1989 with Tawrrific (he also trained the runnerup Super Impose), followed by Subzero (1992), Doriemus (1995) and the incomparable Makybe Dive in 2004 and 2005.

He has two former German horses in training – in partnership with his brother Anthony – for this year’s Cup, in multiple Group 1 winner Our Ivanhowe, who was luckless in last year’s race, and the lightly raced Shimrano, who won the Group 2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen at Cologne in June last year and is due to make his debut in Australia in September.

Freedman was 26 when he trained his first winner, Blockade at the Gold Coast in 1983, and he was 29 when he won his first Group 1, the Australasian Oaks, with Miss Clipper at Morphettville in 1986.

At 40, Freedman was way ahead of Cummings and the legendary Tommy Smith on performance at the same age: 72 Group 1 wins was nearly three times that of Cummings (on 25). Smith had 16.

Like Cummings, Freedman had won three Melbourne Cups (Smith one), but he’d already won four Golden Slippers (Cummings one, Smith none) and three Caulfield Cups (Cummings one, Smith none).

The next decade remained fruitful for Freedman; 44 Group 1 winners, two Melbourne Cups, a Cox Plate and a Caulfield Cup. However, between 50 and 60 he trained only ten Group 1 winners, including Malaguerra and Our Ivanhowe last season.

The Group 1 record obviously was – and will be – affected by his “retirement” from training in August 2011 when disillusioned and suffering from depression, before he returned to train with Anthony late in 2014 with a considerably reduced number of horses but with a positive

40

Lee Freedman, pictured with Jim Cassidy, has been saddling winners for 33 years

frame of mind and enjoying his “second coming”.

He said: “If you asked me the three best moments I have had in racing, I’d say Makybe Diva’s third Melbourne Cup [in 2005] is top, followed by Miss Andretti winning the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot [in 2007], but quitting in 2011 is third.

“Quitting lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, and I was able to step away and regroup.”

When asked to compare himself now to how he was in his heyday in the 1990s, he said: “I’m training just as well if not better. However, I’m greyer and wiser.”

Weir very amused Darren Weir capped off a wonderful year to win Victoria’s leading trainer premiership with a commonwealth record of winners for the 201516 season that finished on July 31.

The laconic Weir, who trained Prince Of Penzance to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup, led with 348 winners, 13 more than John Hawkes’ record set in 2001-2002.

Weir won the Victorian metropolitan premiership with 106 winners, four short of Lee Freedman’s record. It was Weir’s third consecutive metro premiership.

Craig Williams was Victoria’s leading metropolitan jockey for the fifth time with 70 winners. Williams was trailing Dwayne Dunn by six winners with a handful of meetings to go, but rode five winners to Dunn’s none at Flemington on July 9, and went on to beat Dunn by four winners.

In Sydney, James McDonald, despite taking a longer than planned sojourn in England, won the title with 90 winners, 21 more than Hugh Bowman, while the Chris Waller juggernaut rolled on with his sixth title, his 169 winners putting him 91 clear of his nearest rival, the Peter and Paul Snowden partnership.

Waller trained 15 Group 1 winners compared to Weir’s six, while Bowman’s ten was the most by a jockey, double that of the next best Glyn Schofield.

In Queensland, 54-year-old Jeff Lloyd, with 70 wins, became the oldest jockey to win that state’s metropolitan title.

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THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:41 Page 43

TALKING TO...

DANNY TUDHOPE

Full of

Danny Tudhope: believes a title chase is not out of the question if progress can be maintained in future seasons

HOPE Danny Tudhope is not the first jockey to have struggled badly after riding out his claim but having joined forces with leading trainer David O’Meara, he is now a multiple Group 1-winning rider with future championship aspirations

By Tim Richards

I

NAOMI TUKKER

n 2010 you rode just six winners.

The following year you joined forces with David O’Meara and have gone on to record two centuries (in 2013 and 2014) and capture two Group 1s. Did you always believe you had the talent to make it to the top – or have you been surprised by your progress?

I did believe I had it in me to make a successful jockey, even though 2009 was a real rubbish year. Before that I had been apprenticed to Declan Carroll and ridden out my claim in two and a half years, which was pretty quick going. My stats at that stage were quite good and I’ll always be grateful to Declan for what he did for me. I just had a couple of bad years after I lost my claim and left Declan. It was probably a lot to do with the fact that I was not in a good place and my personal life wasn’t very stable at the time.

I didn’t have anyone in particular to work for, or give me support and the necessary opportunities. I realised how much I needed an anchor, a solid base from which to try and build a career, though I did keep telling myself I could make it. After all, I had ridden 95 winners in two and a half seasons as an apprentice. You do need a bit of luck in this game. I suppose I have been surprised by my progress after that sticky period – it’s all been down to David O’Meara.

Your confidence looks high now every time you go out to ride – but it can’t always have been the case.

How did you cope when things weren’t going so well?

You have to take the bad with the good and keep your head down, keep going, even if you feel like giving up when things aren’t going well and you’re hardly making a living.

Along the way you do learn just how tough a game racing can be, particularly when you’ve lost your confidence. It is hard when you’re not getting many rides and there aren’t any winners. Nowadays my approach to life is to stick at it and never take things for granted; you have to work for everything.

“I realised how

much I needed an anchor, a solid base from which to try to build a career” The thing that boosted my confidence was being given more opportunities, which led to more rides and more winners. Starting at David’s was the beginning of everything for me. He has gone from strength to strength and carried me with him. Silvestre de Sousa was riding for David when I joined the yard, but he then got the call to ride for Godolphin – that opened the door for me. David said, ‘If you’re not doing anything get yourself in here and don’t be lying around at home.’ I found myself riding out every day and he gave me more and more rides. After that it all fell into place. I think winning the Group

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Sep_145_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:41 Page 44

DANNY TUDHOPE >> 2 Henry II Stakes at Sandown on Blue Bajan

in 2011 cemented the job. It was a huge moment, our first Group winner together.

You missed Mondialiste’s win in the Woodbine Mile but produced a cool ride on him to take the Arlington Million. Did that make the victory extra sweet? Do you get an extra buzz from riding on the international stage?

It wasn’t that I really missed out at Woodbine because I was never going to do the weight at 8st 6lb or 8st 7lb, so Mondialiste wasn’t my ride in that particular race and Fergal Lynch took over and did the job. I have ridden Mondialiste at Sha Tin and finished second on him in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland.

“Winning the

Arlington Million was an amazing feeling.

Now we can target the Breeders’ Cup” Of course it is extra special racing at those big international tracks as you are on show in front of a worldwide audience. They are the big stages we all want to perform on and to win an Arlington Million is an amazing feeling. Every jockey dreams of those prestige races. And when it happens it makes you feel better about yourself and proves that you can perform taking on the best. Yes, an amazing feeling! Now we have the exciting prospect of going back to the States for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in November. Mondialiste seems to enjoy his trips across the Atlantic so much there is even a chance he might have another race in America before the Breeders’ Cup. The Arlington Million is a very valuable prize – £408,000 to the winner. Do you think about the financial rewards when riding?

Of course it’s worth a lot of money and that’s one of the reasons we travel for these big races. But the immediate buzz you get is from the prestige and achievement, that’s what’s in your mind in the immediate aftermath and when you are thinking about the race in the days after. Yes, the money comes in handy, of course it does. But wins like the Arlington Million give you a great sense of accomplishing something you set out to do, and that’s the mark it’s left on me. It’s the biggest win of my career.

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The association between you and David O’Meara has been very profitable. What is the secret to your success together and why does the partnership work so well?

We have a good understanding. He doesn’t tie me down to too many instructions. I ride out there most days when I can and I know the horses, so David leaves it up to me and lets me use my own initiative. It takes a bit of pressure off him because he knows I’ll go out there and hopefully do the right thing, though there are times when he’ll give you specific orders if he wants something doing differently. We have a good relationship.

David will ride out when he wants to and he’s a great rider – probably the best horseman I’ve ever come across. Sometimes he can come up with ideas no one else would consider; he is always thinking differently about how various techniques or stable routine can be improved. I have to say at times it seems he has a strange, unusual way of thinking, but obviously it works and is very successful. He has a good eye for a horse

and knows what he wants out of them. Since his move from Nawton, near Helmsley, to Willow Farm at Upper Helmsley, near York, he has changed his way of training and figured out the new set up. It is different and he has adapted to the layout of the gallops and got his own system working. You can be sure that he’ll get the best out of the place.

We have seen Kieren Fallon’s retirement bring the subject of depression/mental health among jockeys into the spotlight. Do you think more needs to be done to tackle this issue?

I believe there is pressure of varying degrees in any job. I think enough is being done for jockeys at the moment and the many different situations involving health and injury that arise in racing are being dealt with, which is a big step in the right direction.

In my opinion, raising the minimum weight would not make a big difference generally, though it would help me personally because I am a bit heavier than the

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_TalkingTo_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:41 Page 45

DANNY TUDHOPE a new unit and hot tub fitted in my house.

I’ll lose two or three pounds in the bath and when I get to the races I’ll sit in the sauna for a further session. Sometimes I’ll go for a run in a sweatsuit. I play a bit of golf and enjoy a kick around or a six-a-side game of football with the lads. If I’m home in time I try to make my evening meal the main one of the day and have a proper main course of meat and vegetables, perhaps. And as I have a sweet tooth and am not particularly well disciplined I love my puddings too.

HORSEPHOTOS.COM

Have you seen the JETS film ‘Jockey Matters’, explaining how diet and exercise fit into daily routine, as well as the techniques of weight loss? If so, what do you make of it and have you taken advantage of any of the advice?

I think they have done a great job, covered every angle and the film is easy to watch. It will help a lot of jockeys to understand the problems and pitfalls when things aren’t going well. It would certainly have been a big help to me when I was struggling after my apprenticeship. It is something I shall work on and follow the tips, particularly in the diet area. I accept I need to do more to keep my weight in check. The film explains how you can eat more healthy food and lose weight, instead of eating less of the wrong things and not losing as much weight.

What part of being a jockey do you find hardest? And what do you enjoy most?

If I wasn’t looking after my weight I would weigh in at about 10st. So the sweating and

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One in a million: Danny Tudhope secures the biggest win of his career on Mondialiste in the Arlington Million for owners Geoff and Sandra Turnbull and trainer David O’Meara, and right, riding his favourite horse G Force, who provided him with a first Group 1 victory in the 2014 Haydock Sprint Cup

average jockey. It is frustrating more than anything checking my weight every day, but that’s the job. Riding out every morning, getting home and having to lose 3lb, 4lb or 5lb before going racing. It’s a way of life and I’m not complaining. If I didn’t have that regular routine of sweating every day I’d probably feel awkward, maybe even miss it!

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PA

You are 5ft 8in tall and can ride at under 9st. Watching your diet every day must be difficult and take great discipline. What is your mechanism for coping with a jockey’s life?

I come back from riding out and sit in a hot bath for about an hour, though I am having

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DANNY TUDHOPE

GEORGE SELWYN

with them, so having to sit on one on my first day there was very scary.

I was only at the NRC because a career adviser from my school near Irvine had pointed me in that direction after some poor exam results and because I was very small. The right size to be a jockey, I was told. I seemed to learn the ropes pretty quickly. Within a year of moving on to Declan Carroll’s yard he got a licence for me to ride in races. Even then I was still clueless about the racing game, but Declan gave me the chances and pushed me in the right direction. He set my career in motion, even if I wasn’t too sure about it at the time.

Danny Tudhope and trainer David O’Meara have formed a formidable association

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wasting have to be routine in order to ride at about 8st 11lb or 8st 12lb. And that is a pretty tough routine on a daily basis. It goes without saying that the biggest buzz comes from winning. Crossing the line on G Force in the 2014 Haydock Sprint Cup was a very emotional moment and sticks in the mind because it was my first Group 1, and David’s as well. That meant so much to both of us.

And we followed up with a second Group 1 a month later with Move In Time in the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc day at Longchamp.

We have seen Paul Hanagan and Silvestre de Sousa, who both started riding in the north, become champion jockey in recent years. Is this a realistic ambition and what would it mean to you?

I suppose it could be a realistic ambition; it’s not out of the question, anyway. Paul Hanagan had the stable of Richard Fahey behind him and that proved a strong base when he was chasing the championship. Of course, David’s powerful yard is full of the sort of ammunition you need if you’re going to ride over 100 winners in a season.

Both Paul and Silvestre are much lighter than I am and that’s the problem as far as I am concerned – my weight would restrict my choice of rides. That’ll make it harder for me and the main thing is that I need to stay injury-free. But becoming champion jockey has to be a possibility, even if a distant one. I have had a lot of support from Luca Cumani over the last couple of seasons and had a good few winners for him. I am also getting backing from other Newmarket trainers and have had two winners from three rides for Sir Michael Stoute this season.

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“Becoming champion jockey has to be a possibility, even if a distant one. It’s a realistic ambition”

You don’t come from a racing background and gained your first experience of horses at the Northern Racing College. What do you recall about those early days and what made you want to become a jockey?

I was 16 when I left home in Scotland to go to the Northern Racing College and my first experiences were quite frightening. I hadn’t a clue about horses. In fact, I’d barely come across a horse and certainly not had anything to do

Is there one racecourse you enjoy riding more than others, and what makes it special?

York. David likes to have a lot of runners there and, as a result, I always have a very decent book of rides. David has had a good few winners and is one of the most successful trainers on the Knavesmire, and that helps to make my experience of the place very enjoyable.

York is a very fair, flat track and attracts big crowds, which create a good atmosphere. David has been leading trainer there at least a couple of times but I just missed out to Ryan Moore one year as York’s top jockey. William Derby and his team seem to improve the facilities year on year and York’s new weighing room is one of the best anywhere.

You must have a favourite horse.

Which is it and what sets him apart from all the others?

G Force, and if I could have him back I would.

When David first got him I started riding him out every day and got to know him well. He was a lovely horse to deal with and I said to David before his first race at Newcastle that he wouldn’t get beat and would develop into a Group horse. He broke the Newcastle track record that day and I remember telling Tom O’Ryan, the Racing Post reporter, that G Force would be a top- class sprinter. He went on to win his next race at York and of course the Haydock Sprint Cup, which meant so much as our first Group 1. He was very special – we all need those sort of horses.

CLOSE UP AND...

PERSONAL

CLOSE UP AND...

PROFESSIONAL

I am frightened by… failure

My racing hero is… Kieren Fallon

Favourite journey… going home

Toughest opponent in the saddle…

Paul Mulrennan

Four dinner party guests… Joey Essex, Keith Lemon, Bruno Mars and Megan Fox

Best advice I’ve had… never give up

Trait I most deplore in others… big headedness

My ambition is… to do well and be happy

I relax by… watching TV

Alternative career… chef

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_Cumani_v3_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:47 Page 48

THE BIG INTERVIEW LUCA CUMANI

Luca Cumani at home with wife Sara, daughter Francesca and grandson Harry

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Sep_145_Cumani_v3_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:48 Page 49

Survival of the

FITTEST

After the blow of losing Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s string business is returning to whatever passes as normal for a trainer in charge of a bustling stable in Newmarket Words Julian Muscat • Photos George Selwyn

I

t’s a relaxed Luca Cumani who sits in his living room contemplating life without the patronage of owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. He may have lost some horses but he certainly hasn’t lost his touch.

“Post-Obexit was always going to be as difficult as post-Brexit,” Cumani says with a smile. “But just as I have every faith in Britain to be able to recover from Brexit, I have every faith in myself and my team to be able to recover from Obexit in the longer term.”

Cumani remains very much ‘Open for Business’, the advertising slogan he used in response to losing 35 of the sheikh’s horses towards the end of last season. The advert portrayed Cumani and his wife, Sara, standing side by side at their Bedford House Stables, in Newmarket. Both of them bore a facial gesture of welcome.

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LUCA CUMANI >>

If there was one saving grace it was the timing of the spilt, which entered the public domain just before the start of the October Yearling Sales at Tattersalls. The sales season in Newmarket amounts to a gathering of the great and the good, but the Cumanis did not hide.

They couldn’t; they had yearlings from their own Fittocks Stud to sell. But they mingled and chatted and fronted up to the unwelcome development with a sangfroid that struck a chord. When the sales were over they found they had engendered plenty of support.

When faced with a crisis, it has become a cliché in contemporary vernacular to turn negatives into positives. It’s the lingua franca of young Chief Executives who’ve just been fired with seven-figure payoffs as they seek another opportunity. But it’s not so easy to achieve in the twilight of a professional life.

“It would have been

silly to try and sell myself as a two-yearold trainer; the public would have laughed” At 67, Cumani should be reminiscing fondly on his two Derby winners, on Barathea’s brilliant defeat of Lure when the American champion was bidding for a third successive Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1994, or even of the five Group 1 triumphs he cajoled from Falbrav in 2003 (he still swears it should have been seven).

Instead he has had to pick himself up from the floor and start again.

One year on and the job is already half-done.

The communal wave of sympathy for a trainer who had just won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Postponed extended to more than verbal commiserations.

Cumani’s existing owners combined with

Mizzou has been a star for the Cumani stable this season, winning the Sagaro Stakes and then finishing runner-up in the Gold Cup

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LUCA CUMANI

Luca Cumani admits this year has been tough but he hopes come 2017 that Bedford House may again have up to 115 inmates

others new to Bedford House to send him as many yearlings as he would have received from the sheikh. They may have lacked some lustre; Sheikh Obaid owns Dubawi, after all. But the rally around Cumani fortified his confidence.

“We have been very fortunate and that leaves me feeling very hopeful,” he says. “We have now got a good spread of owners who have been very supportive and new owners have come on board. It will be business as usual next year provided we can stock up again at the next round of yearling sales in the autumn.

“We could well be back to where we’ve always been with 110-115 horses,” he continues, “whereas this year we have only about 85 in the yard. The only difficulty is that this had to be a season of transition. We managed to get enough two-year-olds to replace the ones we would have had from Sheikh Obaid, but obviously we couldn’t replace the older horses or three-year-olds.”

This depletion came from the ranks of horses with which Cumani traditionally excels. “We started the season with 24 three-year-olds, none THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

of which had been particularly promising as two-year-olds,” he says. “We knew it was going to be tough.”

And tough it has been. “We are way down on winners because we just don’t have the numbers,” he says. “Coupled with that, the very cold spring hit my fillies hard, and there has been a bit of coughing in Newmarket to which we have not been immune.”

He has also had to contend with the setback suffered by the one three-year-old he had with clear potential. Beautiful Morning, a fair fifth behind Minding in last year’s Fillies’ Mile, threw an inflamed splint soon after she finished runner-up in a Listed race at Newbury on her seasonal reappearance in May. None of this has outwardly affected Cumani’s equilibrium. Nor has it prompted him to recast himself as a trainer of sharp two-year-olds, which is the way the younger generation tend to make their names these days. There would surely have been no harm in him picking up half a dozen precocious types at the yearling sales last autumn.

The suggestion draws an expression of bemusement and amusement from the Italianborn Anglophile. “I’m a great believer that you should stick to what you know best,” he says.

“It would have been silly to try and reinvent myself by buying speedy two-year-olds. You can’t suddenly become like Richard Hannon and Richard Fahey, because they each have 100 of them. Having half a dozen wouldn’t get you very far. It would have been a case of trying to completely reinvent myself and sell myself as a two-year-old trainer to the British public, who I think would have started laughing.”

Fair enough, although one of the first winners Cumani sent out during his debut season as a trainer in 1977 was the Windsor Castle Stakes winner, Sunny Spring. “Yes,” he replies, “but that was when I didn’t know any better. And the horse never won another race!”

This exchange says much about Cumani, who has always sailed his own boat. He brings conviction to everything he does, and he does nothing without weighing up every nuance in advance.

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LUCA CUMANI

Generation game on the box Not long before Luca Cumani’s daughter, Francesca, was confirmed as one of two cohost presenters on ITV’s team to broadcast terrestrial coverage of racing next year, a thirdgeneration Cumani entered the fray. Francesca, who married Australian polo player Rob Archibald in 2014, gave her father his first grandchild, Harry, in April.

Cumani is understandably proud of his daughter’s achievement in landing the plum television role. “I am really thrilled because I know how good she is,” he says. “I have seen her working in Australia and on CNN, and I have no doubt she will be an asset to ITV. It also means we will get to see her and our grandson for six months of the year.”

He continues: “She’s such a natural around horses and people. She swots hard over her homework and she knows what she is talking about, having ridden in races and grown up in a horse environment in Newmarket. She is also very good at thinking before she speaks.”

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As much is evident in his campaigning of Mizzou this season. The five-year-old began by winning the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes, after which he returned to Ascot to chase home Order Of St George in the Gold Cup. He finished more than two lengths ahead of Sheikhzayedroad in third, who in turn had nearly three lengths in hand of Mille Et Mille in fourth.

Mizzou is thus entitled to recognition as the second-best stayer in Europe. At a time when anyone in Cumani’s position would welcome nothing more than a high-profile winner, the temptation to run Mizzou in the Goodwood Cup would have been irresistible to most – especially with Order Of St George an absentee.

The thought crossed Cumani’s mind only for as long as it took him to reject it out of hand.

“Goodwood wouldn’t have suited him. Mizzou would not have appreciated the undulations and the stop-go nature of races there.

“What he likes is a truly-run race over two miles-plus,” he continues. “For the same reason he missed the Lonsdale Stakes at York, because he wants a proper test. So we’re heading instead for the Doncaster Cup, followed by the stayers’ race on Champions Day in October.”

That precludes a tilt at the Melbourne Cup, but again, Cumani is dissuaded by the rhythms of the race. “Mizzou’s owner and I agree that the Melbourne Cup is run in three different stages: they go quick, then slow, then quick,” he says.

“Mizzou ran so well in the Gold Cup because it was a true test from start to finish.”

The Melbourne Cup remains on the Cumani wish-list after he saddled Purple Moon and Bauer to finish second – the latter by a flared nostril – in consecutive years from 2007.

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Much depends on Francesca and her cohost, Ed Chamberlin, reviving racing’s popularity with the British public – although Luca says he isn’t well placed to assess why Channel 4 Racing’s coverage has failed to stimulate popular interest.

“I’m not the sort of viewer the television programme needs to reach out to,” he says.

“And I’m not sufficiently qualified to say why viewing figures have been falling other than to recognise that it seems viewers want to be entertained more.

“If you ask me about Channel 4 Racing, I feel all the people do an excellent job. They know what they are talking about but, apparently, that doesn’t constitute entertainment. That’s the message we’re getting. I hope the new team might be able to reverse the trend and entertain people so they want to watch it.

“On the betting debate, I would say there is too much talk about it. I don’t think people need to be told that 2-1 is good value but 15-

This high-class handicap presents the sort of challenge Cumani relishes, although he says winning the race would be more a delicious hors d’oeuvre than the main course. “I enjoy the Melbourne Cup and would love to win it,” he says, “but I’d rather win another Derby if I could, or an Arc, which I’ve never done.”

Mention of the Arc reminds that Cumani lost a great opportunity to win it when Postponed was switched to Roger Varian in September.

He’d won the Prix Foy and looked cherry-ripe for the big one, yet was denied his chance.

“We have always sold to cover the expenses.

I can’t have Fittocks going broke to support Bedford House”

“That’s life,” Cumani reflects. “There is no point looking back; you have to look forward.

Of course it’s a challenge, but for some strange reason things go in and out of fashion.

“I think one of the most incredible stories of the last 35 years has been the challenges faced

by Henry Candy. He was a Classic trainer, he trained fantastic staying horses, he had King George winners and so on, and then, all of a sudden, he fell out of favour.

“Now he has reinvented himself. Every year he comes up with a very good horse that costs

Francesca is the new face of ITV racing

8 is not; I don’t think that does much for promoting the sport. But betting has to be covered. If you don’t cover it, you lose the idea of why you are watching racing.

“Betting is what brings allegiance into racing because it is so different from other sports. If you watch a tennis match you’re either for Djokovic or Murray, Federer or Nadal. In football, it is Arsenal or Chelsea. But in racing, it’s not Stoute or Gosden, Bin Suroor or Appleby. That’s why you have betting in racing.”

very little, yet he doesn’t get the patronage he deserves. If I was a rich owner he would be at the top of my list to send horses to.”

Cumani may not be a wealthy owner but Sara and he breed horses under their Fittocks Stud banner. Their yearlings are in demand at the sales, primarily on account of the nursery’s reputation as a source of top-class winners.

Yet even here, Cumani resisted the temptation to take in the stud’s most appealing graduates at a time when his string could have done with a lift.

“We have always sold to cover the expenses, which is why we end up offering the best yearlings,” he says. “Of course it would be nice to keep back one or two nice colts to train, but the last thing I can afford is to keep one that doesn’t work out when I could have got, say, 300,000 guineas for it, because the covering sires of our mares would suffer.

“It’s too risky; the potential for a crash is too high. I can’t have Fittocks going broke to support Bedford House. They are two separate businesses.”

Cumani has committed Bedford House to reviving itself on its reputation alone. There is to be no help from other sources, however alluring the prospect.

But if you thought that an ill wind was blowing through the historic stable, you’d be wrong. There is no hint of defeatism in Cumani’s outlook. Horses still look out expectantly from the quad-shaped yard adjacent to his house. The place remains as immaculately maintained as it has always been, right down to the shimmering paintwork on the box doors. The revival is already under way.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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STEVE HARMAN

Working towards

HARMONY Three years on from succeeding Paul Roy, BHA Chairman Steve Harman is encouraged by the cooperative spirit and attitude among industry stakeholders under the Members’ Agreement banner, though he admits that a “good first year” will be followed by bigger tests in 2017

By Howard Wright

S

teve Harman succeeded Paul Roy as Chairman of the British Horseracing Authority in July 2013. He arrived relatively unknown, armed with a vision and the blueprint for a strategy for growth.

Looking back over his first term of office, he sets out the four areas that commanded his immediate attention.

“They were to get a clear, self-help strategy for growth in the industry, because in the context of early 2014 there was a big question over racing’s financial stability and participation levels were not going the right way; to get the appropriate BHA board and executive team in place to help the industry, particularly with a focus on grass roots development; to simplify the governance structure; and to professionalise and make relevant our approach to Westminster.”

We quizzed him on progress so far...

Take the growth strategy – where does that stand three years on?

In the first place I should explain why we needed one – for the simple reason that we didn’t have one, and external influences felt we needed a more self-help approach. All the measures were going the wrong way, so the strategy had three elements – the ‘table stakes’, an American business expression for the basics, the things you just have to get right; then growth levers, and finally enablers.

Taking the table stakes first, we have put equine welfare top of our agenda. We’ve increased research funding; we’re bringing in lifetime monitoring; we’re defining welfare better, putting more focus on Retraining of Racehorses, and by Christmas we’ll have a fresh equine and welfare strategy, with more money going in.

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Another table stake is staffing, which is of huge importance, and here we set up a new team to help the industry recruit, retain and retrain staff, trying to ensure that career propositions are attractive. Already there is progress because we’re getting into universities, equine colleges and schools more aggressively.

People welfare is another important area.

We’re moving towards injury rehabilitation for all stable staff, racing school instructors going outside their areas, there’s been a big push on mental health and nutrition, and we’re moving towards introducing a ground-breaking insurance policy across the whole industry.

owners for seven years, mainly through partnerships and syndicates. In 2015-16 betting on racing grew for the first time since 2011.

The British foal crop rose by 5% in 2015 and continues to rise this year, which is the first time this has happened since 2008. And racecourse attendances are robust, despite a bump in the second quarter, which can probably be put down to poor weather.

The biggest enabler has been the Members’ Agreement between the BHA, racecourses and the horsemen, which has enabled us to operate across the industry with strong support from all constituents.

“By Christmas we’ll

What are the key performance indicators for the other three strands?

We’ve put a really good team together, very much focused on knowledge of the horse and the grass roots, and being committed to people who work in the sport. We changed the board, all bar one, and they work quietly, with humility and supporting all parts of the industry in a practical way. A modern board isn’t just about going to meetings; it’s about helping the industry outside the boardroom.

And it’s not just about the BHA. If you look at other leaders in the industry, there are a lot of really good people. Changing the governance structure and bringing in the Members’ Agreement took longer than I’d hoped, but some other sports now look at this and the Members’ Committee and ask me how they can get there.

It’s still in its early stages, but look at some of the things we’ve had to address already – government policy, getting the fixture list through pretty quickly, looking at the whole welfare agenda for equines and people, big issues around Approved Betting Partners.

have a fresh equine and welfare strategy, with more money going in” On top of that we’re examining how to do more to get the proposition of a career in racing more attractive, so we’re looking at childminding, housing, medical support and so on.

What about growth itself and the enablers – what’s the evidence here?

Growth is all about participation, for which we had four objectives: more horses in training, betting, attendance and new income.

Looking at some of the outcomes, in 2016 we had the first increase in the number of

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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BHA Chairman Steve Harman: preferred to keep news of his second-term ratification under wraps – ‘maybe I got it wrong’ he says of that soft approach

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STEVE HARMAN >>

They’re all meaty subjects, and there’s more crunchy stuff to come, so it will only be properly tested at the end of 2017, but the spirit and atmosphere among the members is very good.

The people on the Members’ Committee and the Executive Committee know the distinction between being a stakeholder and being a representative for the future of the industry. Egos – if there are any – have to be left outside the door and the focus is on working together. The school report would be ‘good first year.’

On the question of Westminster, the general feeling at the end of 2013, with a few exceptions, was that racing was elitist and a ‘hand-out’ industry. We went through a significant programme with members of the Lords and Commons, talking about the industry, its 85,000 jobs, the grass roots, welfare, training, investment, informing people and building a knowledge base that this is a seriously big industry, a grass-roots and rural industry, which touches way more than 85,000 people. I wouldn’t say everything has gone 100%, but it’s gone reasonably well.

How do you rate Nick Rust’s performance as Chief Executive?

I’ve hired about a dozen Chief Executives and Nick is right up there with the best of them. He’s approachable, accessible, passionate, compelling, intelligent, knowledgeable and incredibly trustworthy, with absolutely no side to him. He’s also a great leader. The whole culture he is trying to lead, around transparency, accountability and accessibility, is a very important point.

Looking at your own position, you

seem to have made a seamless transition into a second term but without any formal announcement. Is that a communications failure?

No, it’s humility. My second term was ratified in December/January, a long time ahead. For a chairman’s extension, the shareholders need to ratify it and the stakeholders need to know what’s going on, but making a big song and dance is not my style. Maybe I got it wrong.

“We need to learn

from our mistake [in the Jim Best case], which has cost us time and money” The biggest issue of the moment is levy reform or replacement. Could you be accused of being over-confident about the prospect of the government’s acting in April 2017?

I could be – but you have to remember that the first real impact on levy reform was in 2014, when the DCMS and the government agreed that the levy needed to be reformed and they made some statements along those lines. So the media recognition that came in late 2015 was because it was going to happen quite soon and we knew how it would happen, but the first push was in 2014, which is relevant to my confidence that levy reform will happen. Then

there was George Osborne’s Budget statement in March 2015, so this has been a cross-party, verbal and written commitment for two years.

What are you hoping for from levy reform, and what are the likely risks to achieving them?

There were five things we were looking to achieve. First was for all bookmakers to contribute to the funding of British racing, and levy reform will achieve that. The second was urgently tackling the levy ‘cliff’, the huge loss of levy, and that’s being tackled with the forecast date of April 2017.

The third was to obtain a sustainable solution with long-term certainty, which is part of the government commitment. The fourth was that all funds are controlled by racing, which is there.

And the fifth was that the architecture of the levy rate should ensure that the yield is restored to pre-leakage levels, and that word ‘restored’ has been used in many government communications in the last 12 months.

One of the risks in the next few months is that we hit a bump in Europe over state aid, which we think is unlikely. There’s also a risk of a short delay, it might be six months or 12 months, and there’s a risk that the architecture of the rate is not absolutely top drawer, not what we are really aiming for.

The Members’ Committee is discussing the need for a hybrid rate, based around betting operators’ revenue and gross profits. Having any rate based purely on gross profits would be very bad news for racing, because many bookmakers use racing as a signpost into football or poker, so having a pure rate on gross profits would not be ideal.

In summary, there’s a risk of a small delay and not getting quite as much from the new structure as we’d like, but I am absolutely confident that the levy will be replaced pretty soon, that it will be sustainable, that all participants will pay and that the racing authority will distribute the funds.

Can you explain how racing will distribute the funds?

A racing authority will take over spending from the Levy Board; a working group has been working on the construct for a number of months. It’s another feather in the cap of the Members’ Committee, because you couldn’t have imagined such amicable discussions taking place three years ago. It’s a huge step for racing to decide where the money goes.

Nick Rust – “a great leader” – has been a successful appointment says Harman

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The most contentious issue with bookmakers has been Authorised Betting Partners. Has that concept increased the risk in any areas of ambition for a levy replacement?

ABPs have achieved a number of things. Of the 170 licensed bookmakers, four major retailers are not happy. I understand that. If I was in their

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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STEVE HARMAN

Racing’s relationship with bookmakers – the big retailers at least – has been strained by the Authorised Betting Partner policy

position, I’d probably say the same as they do.

But it’s been a very positive signal to a number of parties, by providing much-needed interim funding, by giving benefits, and demonstrating how racing can move forward together.

If you look at the top 20 bookmakers on revenue, we have extremely strong relationships with the majority. If you focus only on the four retailers who are not ABPs, I would count many of their senior people as my friends. These bookmakers are very highly capitalised and their view is that they are already paying enough to racing. That’s their view and I respect it. I happen not to agree, but our door remains open for discussions.

other sports are asking for our help, because racing has gone through massive issues surrounding such as illegal betting, doping and money-laundering.

These are risks that would destroy a sport, yet the integrity review confirmed that British racing is doing a pretty good job, while the areas that needed improving were such as intensity of activity, like more stringent drug testing or stronger data linkage with online bookmakers.

However the review also highlighted the need to look at the disciplinary and connected processes, such as panels. That work has been accelerated and will be completed this month.

How do you view the BHA’s record on integrity over the last three years?

Integrity and regulation were part of the table stakes we’d identified, where we needed a fresh look at how we manage and lead some of those areas.

When Nick Rust arrived, we brought in Sir Paul Stephenson, one of the best policemen this country has produced, as a BHA director and he and others worked tirelessly on an integrity review since July 2015. There was huge consultation – the review itself was independently reviewed by a panel of experts from outside racing. Those results confirmed there was a good level of integrity across most of British horseracing but also concluded there were areas for improvement.

If you look at the headlines across cricket, football and cycling, for instance, there’s a huge increase in the focus on sports integrity, and

The issue of disciplinary panels and their composition exploded in the wake of the Jim Best case, and the BHA seemed to be backed into a state of silence. What went wrong?

I’m completely aware that we are receiving criticism for our approach, and we are listening.

Some of that criticism comes from outside the industry, and to minimise it would be arrogant.

If I go out and say, ‘This is a technicality which we got wrong and it’s cost us some money and time,’ it sounds like I’m minimising it. The reality is that we’re not burying our heads in the sand. We are committed to full transparency at the right time, when the Best case is resolved.

Many inside and outside the sport believe we’ve been overly cautious; even some barristers have said we should get on the front foot, and there is a level of frustration among some

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

industry stakeholders that we haven’t done that.

Some barristers said we should say nothing.

I do get why stakeholders and others say we should get out there and say this was a procedural error, a big one, but we’ve apologised and there’s nothing more sinister than that, although as any decent regulator should, we need to learn from our mistake, which has cost us time and money.

How do you view the future?

I came into racing as an outsider, and I love the sport and the industry. Contrary to some feedback, I don’t think I have a huge chip on my shoulder, but I do believe the grassroots are front and centre much more than they were, and the growth strategy work will gather pace over the next 12 months. The government is in a good place about the levy replacement, as well as about other things that we can do, such as jobs and investment.

After Brexit, we’re going to have to make sure we get into slick, efficient visa application processes for jobs that we create, and the exchange rate position may help foreign buyers.

In terms of a reduction in discretionary spend, there may be a short-term bump, which affects such as bloodstock sales and racecourse attendances – but probably not betting.

All in all, though, we can build on the early shoots of growth. Despite the fact the BHA has had reputation hits, the reason I’m feeling confident is that I can see things actually happening. There are hard, concrete plans in place, not just views, reviews and ideas about projects. So I’m feeling very positive.

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Sep_145_TBA_Foals_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:28 Page 58

TBA NATIONAL HUNT FOAL SHOW

Future stars

OUT IN FORCE

Sybil Newell’s show champion, a colt by

The TBA’s National Hunt Foal Show is again strongly supported as a son of Kayf Tara is named champion Words Emma Berry • Photos Stephen Davies

I

n just four years, the TBA ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ National Hunt foal show has swiftly become an event not to be missed for all jumps breeders and fans of the winter game.

Unlike the very wet conditions of 2015, the annual fixture at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse was blessed with some sunshine and a great turnout, both from competitors and spectators.

It’s been a truly banner year for Overbury Stud’s Kayf Tara, who was named leading British National Hunt sire for the seventh time, with progeny earnings of more than £2 million and landed two TBA awards. Added to his list of achievements is the fact that he has now sired the foal show champion, with Sybil Newell’s colt out of the Slip Anchor mare Lago d’Oro having claimed top honours in Bangor after winning the class for younger colts. In fact, having been born on May 21, the half-brother to Spirit Of Shankly, who was presented by David and Teresa Futter’s Yorton Farm, was the second-youngest foal of the 51 entered for the show.

It proved to be a red-letter day for Overbury Stud, with Dave Weston’s Schiaparelli colt out of Bissaat (Bahri) finishing runner-up to the Kayf Tara colt in the young colts’ division, while their own first-crop daughter of Dunaden out of the

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dual bumper winner Candello (Supreme Leader) won the older fillies’ class and progressed to be reserve show champion.

From a family which Robert Chugg and the late John Fowler did so well with, Candello has produced two winners to date – Julia Too (King’s Theatre) and Everyday Everyhour (Presenting) – and has recently been a frequent visitor to the ‘home’ stallions with a Sally Aston and her Kayf Tara colt two-year-old filly by Schiaparelli and a yearling colt by Kayf Tara to come.

Richard Kent of Mickley Stud and Newmarket Equine Hospital vet Jennie Henderson were the co-breeders of the runner-up in the older fillies’ class, a daughter of the Mickley stalwart Multiplex out of the King’s Theatre mare Tintera, and thus a fullsister to the Warren Greatrex-trained multiple winner and Grade 2-placed chaser Out Sam, as well as a half-sister to Grade 2 Aintree bumper winner Honest John.

Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes enjoyed success at last year’s show when their Milan colt out of their former star racemare My Petra won his class and was named reserve champion, and the sponsors of the Grade 2 Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival were back for more this time around. In the older colts’ division, they claimed the red rosette with a Flemensfirth colt out of another mare to have >> Robert Chugg of Little Lodge Farm with THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Sep_145_TBA_Foals_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:28 Page 59

Kayf Tara ex Lago dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oro; judges David Minton, Anne-Marie Poirier, George Haine (top right), Emma Lavelle, JD Moore and Harry Fowler

Our man on the microphone, Nick Luck

Lindeman and her winning Flemensfirth colt

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Alasi and her Gentlewave filly with the Swanbridge Bloodstock team and George Stanners

Tintera and her Multiplex filly

A kiss for Tom Symonds from his winner

David Futter, Sally and Richard Aston

Best turned out for Upton Viva Stud

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Sep_145_TBA_Foals_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 17:34 Page 60

T B A N AT I O N A L H U N T F O A L S H O W >> carried their grey silks, Lindeman, a dual-

winning daughter of Presenting. Shown alongside her foal by Robert Chugg’s Little Lodge Farm, Lindeman is out of a half-sister to Denman and has a three-year-old gelding

by Shirocco and a High Chaparral two-yearold colt to run for her.

Kayf Tara made his presence felt in that class, too, when his colt out of the Listedwinning hurdler Whoops A Daisy (Definite Article), bred by Goldford Stud and Nicky Henderson, was named runner-up. Whoops A Daisy has twice visited Presenting and her three-year-old filly by the Glenview Stud resident was bought for £43,000 by Mark Bradstock at the recent May Sale at Goffs UK. Formerly under the DBS banner, Goffs UK has been an ardent supporter of the National Hunt foal show from the early days and the TBA would like to thank them, along with fellow sponsors EBF and Saracen Horse Feeds, as well as the team at Bangor racecourse, for their generous help on the day and with the organisation of the event.

The final class before the championship was the section for fillies born on or after April 15, which was won by trainer-breeder Tom Symonds with his Midnight Legend filly out of Hot Rhythm (Haafhd), a graduate of the great Meon Valley Stud who made two starts for the trainer. It was a terrible blow to David and Kathleen Holmes to have lost Midnight Legend at the age of 25 just a week before the show. A former TBA Award winner and sire of Grade 1-winning hurdler Sizing John among a host of good jumpers,

Bisaat and her Schiaparelli colt, who was runner-up in the younger colts’ division

Midnight Legend is a huge loss to British National Hunt breeders and, as a particularly good sire of fillies and mares, it was fitting that his name should have been on the winners’ board with a filly foal.

Swanbridge Bloodstock’s Gentlewave filly out of the former Paul Webber-trained Grade 2 winner Alasi was the runner-up in the class. Alasi, a daughter of Alflora, has twice been sent to Monsun-line stallions, with her only other offspring to date being a yearling filly by Shirocco named First Romance.

As ever, the astute team of judges hailed from across Europe, with Anne-Marie Poirier representing France, JD Moore and Harry Fowler from Ireland, while Emma Lavelle, David Minton and George

Haine completed the line-up.

During lunch, regular show commentator Nick Luck presented a bottle of Champagne to the best turned-out entry, which was judged by Dinah Nicholson to be the mares and foals representing Robert Waley-Cohen’s Upton Viva Stud and included a Yeats colt out of the Aintree and Cheltenham Festival winner Liberthine (Chamberlin).

Once again, the TBA was delighted to see such support for the show. From an original list of 51 entries, 43 foals were presented on the day, showcasing an excellent selection of the produce of some of Britain’s elite National Hunt mares.

Videos of all entrants are available on the TBA website.

Candello and her reserve show champion filly by Dunaden with Megan Bates, Simon Sweeting, Jo Brown and the judging panel

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Taareef (G3)

Hawkbill (G1)

The Leading Turf Sire in North America for the last 4 years In 2016, 5x Champion Sire Kitten’s Joy is the Sire of 8 Group/Graded Winners including Godolphin’s Hawkbill, who captured his sixth win in a row with a dominant performance in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes, and Sheikh Hamdan’s Taareef who won the Prix Daphnis (G3) at Chantilly.

World Class.

6915 Harrodsburg Road | Nicholasville, KY 40356 (859) 887-3200 | Fax: (859) 885-2666 | www.ramseyfarm.com LGB, LLC 2016

2016 Stud Fee: $100,000 S&N

Sep_145_Bloodstock_Intro_Owner 19/08/2016 15:54 Page 63

BREEDERS’ DIGEST

By EMMA BERRY, Bloodstock Editor

Our bloodstock coverage this month includes:

• Sales Preview: September a key month for Tattersalls Ireland and Keeneland – pages 64-75 • Sales Circuit: European yearling season begins in positive fashion in France – pages 76-80 • Caulfield Files: Examining the emerging cross of War Front and Galileo – pages 83-84 • Dr Statz: The upwardly mobile influence of the now-pensioned Danehill Dancer – page 104

For buyers, it’s a case of stronger together

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

sales in recent seasons. Buying through agents Peter and Ross Doyle, the Mayfair team spent close to 5 million gns at Tattersalls last year and €4.5 million at Arqana in 2014 and 2015, with purchases at the latter including the Group 3-winning Monsun filly The Juliet Rose.

Markus Jooste wasn’t in Deauville this August but was represented by his son Michael and Derek Brugman, who, with the Doyles and MV Magnier, made two purchases within minutes of each other, signing up the top-priced €1.4 million Galileo filly and another daughter of Galileo from the same Ecurie des Monceaux draft for a total outlay of €2.05 million.

The previous week in Saratoga, Magnier had also strengthened other allegiances, appearing in the buyers’ list alongside four different yearlings bought for a collective $3.5 million with three different partners – Stonestreet Stables, China Horse Club and Bridlewood Farm.

through Patricia Boutin of Suprina for 100,000gns from Fittocks Stud, has proved to have been a shrewd acquisition.

In the last two years, the offspring of two of Platonic’s daughters – Pacifique and Prudenzia – have topped Arqana at €2.6 million and €1.4 million with a colt by Dubawi and a Galileo filly.

Prudenzia, who was retained to race by her breeders and won the Listed Prix de la Seine, has become a particularly valuable addition to the Monceaux broodmare ranks. Her five yearlings sold at Arqana thus far, including her Irish Oaks-winning daughter Chicquita, have collectively brought €5.2 million back into the Monceaux coffers.

With another well-made Galileo filly foal at foot this year, it would be no surprise to see a repeat of the names at the top of the Arqana August leader board for 2017, though Prudenzia may have competition from her own mother, whose strapping filly foal of 2016 is likely to be one of the stand-outs from the first crop of Kingman.

Monceaux and co Another operation to deploy these tactics skilfully is Lucien Urano’s Ecurie des Monceaux. When the new Arqana sales company rose from the ashes of Agence Francaise and Goffs France in 2006, the Normandy farm, which is managed by Henri Bozo, had not even started to consign yearlings, but in its seven years as a commercial entity, it has been the leading August vendor for the last five years and has been responsible for the sale-topper for three years in a row.

The stellar draft offered each year has neither happened by accident nor is as a result of leading breeders in France sending their horses to be sold by Monceaux. The consignment includes only yearlings raised on the farm and they are the result of some strategic mare-buying with a variety of key partners over the last 13 years.

The stud’s foundation mare Platonic, bought in partnerhsip with Lady O’Reilly

EMMA BERRY

N

othing lights up an elite yearling sale quite like a good old-fashioned bidding duel between two of racing’s super-powers.

The last proper head-tohead battle was for the 2015 October Book 1 sales-topper, a daughter of Darley’s flagship sire Dubawi from the family of Jude which has served Ballydoyle so well. If any yearling was going to present us with the opportunity to see some financial muscles being flexed it was this one, and she didn’t disappoint onlookers in Tattersalls’ packed amphitheatre when, after a prolonged rally of high-stakes ping pong, she was sold to MV Magnier on behalf of Richard Henry for 2.1 million gns, with John Ferguson as the underbidder.

But these moments of sales-ring drama are becoming few and far between. More of the bigger owners have formed powerful allegiances – such as Qatar Racing and Newsells Park Stud’s collusion in the 1 million-guinea purchase of Purr Along – as a means to spread the risk and not be pushed into paying over the odds for the more desirable lots.

It’s no doubt frustrating for vendors and sales companies alike and, along with John Ferguson’s absence from the buyers’ sheet at Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Yearling Sale and Arqana August, has probably contributed towards a slight fall in aggregate at those two early yearling sales in 2016.

Coolmore started as an alliance between John Magnier and Robert Sangster and has always nurtured such relationships. Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith have been longstanding investors in and beneficiaries of a successful partnership with the team from Tipperary, while along the way Teo Ah Khing and Fitri Hay are among the names to have been added to the list.

South African owner-breeder Markus Jooste, who heads a group of investors known as the Mayfair Speculators, has increasingly made his presence felt at major European

Prudenzia, visited on a wet day last month, with her Galileo filly foal whose yearling sister topped Arqana August

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SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALES

Digging for

GOLD

Tattersalls Ireland’s September Sale has proved more popular than ever with vendors this year, and for buyers it’s a great place to find the offspring of up-and-coming sires, as highlighted by Classic hero Galileo Gold Words John Berry

I

t is generally reckoned that success breeds success, and Tattersalls Ireland’s September Yearling Sale seems to be providing good confirmation of this theory. Buoyant trade at the sale in recent years has seen an ever growing band of vendors keen to sell their horses there, while the tremendous success achieved by some of the sale’s recent graduates should ensure that there will be plenty of buyers making their way to Fairyhouse for this year’s expanded four-day auction (September 20 to 23 inclusive).

Tattersalls Ireland’s Director of Marketing Simon Kerins explained the background to the sale’s extension, saying: “We had a record number of applications for this year’s sale – a record number of applications from Irish vendors, but also from vendors in the UK. The sale has progressed significantly in recent years but the number of entries from the UK took us by surprise somewhat.

“We were intent on keeping the first part of the sale during the first two days to around 500 lots, and by and large we’ve kept to that. Part Two was a one-day sale last year, but we just found that with the large number of applications we had to expand it to two days.

“The sale has progressed every year, but this year has been phenomenal really. Galileo Gold is obviously a great flagship horse, but he’s actually only one of three European Classic winners to have come out of the 2014 sale, alongside Hawksmoor and Conselice. There’s also Viren’s Army, plus some really high-class two-year-olds including Medicine Jack. The sale always throws up plenty of juvenile winners and this year is running true to form: already [at time of writing in the second week of August] almost

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80 two-year-old races this year have been won by graduates of last year’s sale.

“The September Sale has always been about value for money, and we’ve always felt that there’s been a horse there for every budget. You just think about Waady costing €37,000, Dick Turpin €26,000 and Galileo Gold €33,000. We call it Europe’s most progressive yearling sale and we really believe that. It has become a serious sale.”

As any list of the sale’s inexpensively bought stars readily confirms, there can be no shortage of satisfied customers ready to attest to the

“The September Sale

has always been about value for money, there’s a horse for every budget” appeal of the September Sale. Among them, naturally, is Hugo Palmer, trainer of the sale’s current flagbearer Galileo Gold. Palmer has been a regular at Fairyhouse since the outset of his training career, and this year’s 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner is far from the first bargain which he has unearthed there.

The Newmarket-based trainer said: “I went the first year I was training and bought a couple of horses, one of which was a filly called Quick Bite, who was no star but won a couple of races

for me and was 80-rated, which in my first season was very significant. I loved her and vowed to go back. Next year we bought Turning Over for next to nothing (€8,500) and she ended up Listed-placed and beaten the shortest of short heads in the Tattersalls Ireland sales race [which is now run at the Curragh on Longines Irish Champions Weekend, worth €300,000 and with prize-money going down to tenth place] so I’ve always had a bee in my bonnet about trying to win that race.

“Two years ago we left the sales with Hawksmoor, Galileo Gold, They Seek Him Here and Magical Path. I remember thinking to myself that surely between these four we could win the sales race. We didn’t as it turned out, but we bought Hyperfocus there last year and I hope to be aiming him at the race at the Curragh this time around.”

As Palmer warms to his theme, his enthusiasm for the sale becomes ever more apparent, with his appreciation of the opportunities which it provides to find good horses at inexpensive prices clearly the cornerstone of its appeal.

He continues: “The first horse whom Amanda [Skiffington] and I bought was actually at the breeze-up sales, Making Eyes, but she had been bought by Thomond O’Mara at Fairyhouse and she was a daughter of Dansili.

By the time she was in the second year of her training, the thought of a Dansili being found at Fairyhouse was extraordinary, but the stallions are there in their infancy and it’s the same with young mares too, which gives you a chance.

“There are horses you can really take a chance

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GEORGE SELWYN

Galileo Gold has been the flagbearer for Tattersalls Ireland this year and is one of three European Classic winners from the 2014 edition of the sale

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SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALES >> on, like Galileo Gold who was by a far-from-

five-length victory in a two-year-old maiden at Naas before being sold to join Caspar Fownes’ team at Sha Tin, picked him up Fairyhouse for €9,000.

Lucky Nine, who initially raced in Ireland as Luck Or Design, is a classic illustration of Palmer’s point about members of the early crops of subsequent stellar stallions being readily available at Fairyhouse: the super-tough sprinter is a member of the first crop of Dubawi.

While it seems hard to credit that both Lucky Nine and Xtension were picked up at the September Sale for four-figure sums, they certainly have not been the least expensive stars to have emerged in recent years. Sruthan, whose success at the Curragh at the end of June ranked as his fourth black-type triumph, was bought

by Paul Deegan for €1,000 in 2011, while the charismatic Top Notch Tonto, whose earnings currently stand just short of half a million

Other Hannon-trained Group winners to have emerged from the September Sale include Trumpet Major (bought for €20,000), Producer (€14,000) and Great Page (€35,000), while, aside from Xtension, Clive Cox’s other bargains from the sale include champion sprinter Lethal Force. The 2013 Diamond Jubilee Stakes and July Cup hero was bought by his trainer at Fairyhouse for just €8,500.

Xtension ranks as one of the highest-earning horses ever bred in Ireland, his bank balance ultimately standing well in excess of £2.5 million, largely thanks to some magnificent bigrace victories in Hong Kong.

An even greater achiever came out of the 2008 September Sale: Lucky Nine ended his career in Hong Kong at the end of last year with earnings of over £4 million, which is a truly mind-blowing total considering that his first trainer Andy Oliver, for whom he recorded a

GEORGE SELWYN

Coronation Cup winner Pether’s Moon is another high-profile graduate of the sale

EMMA BERRY

established stallion and the first foal of his dam.

“Of course you take all sales very seriously, but there’s also something very jolly about the September Sale in that, in general, you’re not asking a client or your bank manager to stand you hundreds of thousands of euros. Galileo Gold was a fairly average price for the sale at €33,000.”

Palmer’s knack of turning inexpensive youngsters into high-class racehorses has seen many of his purchases there becoming splendid advertisements for what the sale has to offer.

Another trainer who has consistently put Fairyhouse graduates into the spotlight has been Richard Hannon, just as his father did for many years before him.

Generally recruiting their stock in tandem with Peter and Ross Doyle, the Hannons have repeatedly found Fairyhouse a fertile source of stakes winners. Aside from the aforementioned pair of Palmer-trained Classic winners Galileo Gold and Hawksmoor, one of the best graduates of the 2014 September Sale has turned out to be Viren’s Army, who topped the sale when knocked down to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for €115,000. Trained by Richard Hannon for Middleham Park Racing XXX, Viren’s Army established himself as a potential Classic contender this year by landing a blacktype success in the Dee Stakes at the Chester May meeting before being recruited by Godolphin at a price of £700,000.

Past Hannon-trained stars to have emerged from the September Sale include dual Group 1 winner Dick Turpin and 2015 Coronation Cup hero Pether’s Moon. The former was knocked down to Peter Doyle Bloodstock in 2008 for €26,000 before amassing earnings just shy of £1,000,000, while the latter was picked up by the Doyles in 2011 for €52,000. Remarkably, when Dick Turpin registered his biggest victory – in the Prix Jean Prat in 2010, in which he passed the post four lengths clear of runnerup Siyouni – the third horse home was also a September Sale graduate: Xtension, previously a place-getter in the Dewhurst and 2,000 Guineas, had been recruited at Fairyhouse by his trainer Clive Cox for a mere €15,000.

The Wow Signal, now a shuttle stallion, was a €13,000 September yearling

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pounds and who preceded his second place in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in 2013 with black-type strikes at Haydock and Redcar, was knocked down to his original trainer Ian McInnes for €3,000 at the same sale.

The Group 1-placed dual Group 3 winner Jack Naylor only just made it into five figures when passing through the Fairyhouse ring in the September Sale in 2013, when bought by Jessica Harrington for €10,500.

The Wow Signal was slightly more expensive the same year, when changing hands for €13,000, but he proved to be an even greater money-spinner, winning on debut at Ayr the following spring before being the subject of an expensive private purchase by Al Shaqab Racing. He has also gone on to be a great servant for his new owners, winning the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville on his first two starts

GEORGE SELWYN

SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALES

TREVOR JONES

Viren’s Army, left, topped the 2014 sale at €115,000 and later sold for £700,000

Simon Kerins: ‘We believe it’s Europe’s most progressive yearling sale’

in the Al Shaqab livery. He now stands as a stallion at Al Shaqab’s Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy, whence he shuttled last year to Adam Sangster’s Swettenham Stud in Victoria.

Yet another September Sale graduate who has turned out to be a great money-spinner over the past couple of years has been Waady, a son of Approve who was sold by his breeder Knocklong House Stud as a yearling in 2013 for €37,000. This proved to be very good business for his purchaser JC Bloodstock because he changed hands at Tattersalls’ Craven Breeze-Up Sale the following spring for 240,000gns, bought by Angus Gold (himself a regular visitor to Fairyhouse) on behalf of Shadwell Estate Company. At the time of writing, Waady has THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

won five races for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, most notably landing a pair of black-type triumphs at Sandown as a three-year-old, including when justifying favouritism in the Group 3 Coral Charge on Eclipse Stakes day last season.

Like Lucky Nine, Galileo Gold, Lethal Force, The Wow Signal, Dick Turpin, Great Page and Viren’s Army, Waady is a member of the first crop of his sire.

Along with high-class proven stallions such as Dark Angel, High Chaparral, Kodiac, Le Havre, Lope De Vega, Oasis Dream, Rock Of Gibraltar, Sea The Stars, Showcasing and Zoffany, there are 20 first-season sires with offspring in this year’s September Sale.

Palmer will, no doubt, be merely one of many purchasers paying close attention to these horses, trying to find the diamonds which surely lie waiting in the mine. With these unproven sires headed by Classic winners Camelot and Dawn Approach, there is every likelihood that this year’s sale will provide another opportunity to snap up yearlings by top sires of the future before the merit of such stallions has been established.

As Fairyhouse’s roll of honour continues to expand and as more and more satisfied customers are able to testify to the availability of potential bargains at Tattersalls Ireland’s September Sale, it is likely that the sale’s currently burgeoning profile and reputation will continue to grow for years to come.

Goffs’ Orby and Sportsman’s Sales take place on September 27-30 and will feature in our October issue, which will be published in the last week of September

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SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALES

On the beat in Germany and France...

EMMA BERRY

BBAG’s one-day yearling sale in the attractive spa town of Baden-Baden takes place on Friday, September 2. Last year, 152 horses changed hands for €6,345,250, at an average price of €41,745 and median of €30,000, with a top price of €400,000 for a New Approach colt named Woodkid from the Gestut Brummerhof draft.

Soldier Hollow is slowly but surely starting to plug the gap left in German bloodstock by the death of the great Monsun. He was the leading sire by average in 2015, with 15 yearlings sold for €81,300, and this time around he is best represented of any of the stallions with yearlings on offer, with 31 of the 256 horses catalogued being one of his sons or daughters.

Soldier Hollow’s top-rated son Pastorius has his first yearlings on offer, with eight catalogued at Iffezheim, while two young sons of Monsun will also be under the spotlight during the 2016 sales season, with Pastorius’s Gestut Fahrhof companion Maxios, along with Darley’s French-based Masterstroke both with first-crop yearlings to be sold.

Catching the eye in the BBAG catalogue is lot 181, a Maxios half-brother to German champion sprinter Making Trouble out of a half-sister to Coronation Cup winner Ask, from a family which traces back to the Royal Studs.

Gestut Rottgen’s Reliable Man, along with Camelot, Dabirsim, Havana Gold, Lethal Force, Most Improved and Planteur are the other freshman sires with yearlings catalogued.

A decent update has been provided for lot 194, a filly by the young Dynaformer stallion Wiener Walzer, whose Group 3-winning dam Serienhoehe is a half-sister to the recent Group 1 Preis Der Diana (German Oaks) winner Serienholde. She is being offered for sale by her breeder Gestut Wittekindshof.

EMMA BERRY

BBAG Yearling Sale, September 2, Baden-Baden

Osarus’s September Sale takes place at La Teste de Buch racecourse near Bordeaux

The sale gets under way at the BBAG sales complex adjacent to Baden-Baden racecourse at 10am.

Osarus Yearling Sale, September 14 and 15, La Teste de Buch It’s not long ago that this sale was largely overlooked other than by French owners and trainers, but Osarus’s main event has grown in popularity, thanks in part to the support from shareholder Tattersalls, and also as an alternative option to the more highbrow Arqana August Sale.

A trip to La Teste de Buch, about an hour from Bordeaux, is equally pleasurable to spending part of August in Deauville, with the nearby bay of Arcachon and its plentiful supply of oysters a draw for those who appreciate the finer things in life. There are, of course, some rather nice wines to be found, too.

But it’s the yearlings which should be uppermost in the minds of bloodstock professionals, and this two-day auction, which last year turned over just shy of €4 million for

180 horses sold, is not only an easy sale to work but one at which bargains can be found.

The perfect example of this was set by Chesham Stakes winner Suits You, who was bought for €12,000 and subsequently sold for a six-figure sum to race on in Hong Kong after his Royal Ascot victory last year.

All yearlings offered are eligible for French premiums, and last year’s average of €21,128 and median of €18,000 testify to a consistent level of trade at a sale which is becoming increasingly popular with British trainers and agents.

Leading French sires Le Havre (6 lots), Siyouni (4) and Kendargent (4) are among those with yearlings on offer, along with the now-requisite bunch of freshmen, which include George Vancouver (13), Pedro The Great (11), Sri Putra (8), Planteur (7), Dabirsim (6), Style Vendome (6), Reply (6), Penny’s Picnic (4), French Fifteen (4), Shamalgan (3), Saonois (1), Masterstroke (1) and Dawn Approach (1).

The sale takes place at La Teste de Buch racecourse from 12 noon on each day.

The BBAG sales ring at Iffezheim

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THE KITTEN’S JOY STORY

Ode To

JOY

Top-class turf horse Kitten’s Joy has enjoyed an unlikely rise to the top of the American sire ranks and has 71 yearlings catalogued at Keeneland, while he also has an increasing presence at the European sales Words Lucas Marquardt

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G

iven Kitten’s Joy’s vast success in the States, maybe it was inevitable that he’d be given a proper chance in Europe, particularly given his roots there.

His sire El Prado, after all, was a champion juvenile in Ireland, and was himself a son of the great Sadler’s Wells.

There was, however, nothing inevitable about Kitten’s Joy’s success in the States.

Even before he was conceived, the odds were against him.

His dam, the Lear Fan mare Kitten’s First, suffered a fractured hip in a freak gate accident in her second career start. The injury would perennially complicate the foaling process, and after producing the stakes winner Justenuffheart – later the dam of champion Dreaming of Anna – Kitten’s First had three dead foals from her next five matings.

“Finally, they said I couldn’t breed her anymore, that she’s had too many problems

did the would-be buyer. That $5,000 kept Kitten’s Joy in Ramsey’s care.

As Kitten’s Joy began to rack up wins at the track, Ramsey once again came close to selling. “After the horse broke his maiden, [Adena Springs owner] Frank Stronach tried to buy him,” said Ramsey. “I told him $500,000. After Kitten’s Joy won his first stakes, Frank said ok to the half-million. But I said, ‘No, now the price is $750,000.’”

This cat-and-mouse game continued for three more offers, Stronach always missing by a race, until Ramsey stopped entertaining offers. By the time Kitten’s Joy had won the G1 Secretariat Stakes in August of his threeyear-old year, his fifth graded win of the season, it was clear he was a special horse.

He took the G1 Turf Classic in his next against elders, then ran second to Better Talk Now in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf after a troubled stretch drive. Eclipse voters didn’t hold the race against him, and named him Champion Grass Horse.

giving birth,” explained Ken Ramsey, who operates Ramsey Farm in Kentucky with his wife Sarah. He asked veterinarians about the possibility of a cesarean.

“And they said, no, that they didn’t do caesareans on mares,” said Ramsey. “But I said, ‘Look, she’s my mare, and they do caesareans on women all the time. If it can be used on human beings, why can’t it be used on horses?’ So we bred her, and her very first foal after that was Kitten’s Joy.” Ramsey came perilously close to selling Kitten’s Joy before the chestnut even had a chance to show his ability on the track.

Ramsey entered him in the 2003 OBS April Sale of 2-Year-Olds, and bought him back for $95,000.

“Right after the sale, a man called and asked what the reserve was,” said Ramsey, who explained it was $99,000, and that it would take $100,000 to buy the horse. The man offered $95,000. Ramsey stood firm, as

Sarah and Ken Ramsey with Kitten’s Joy, whose naming was inspired by Sarah’s nickname, ‘Kitten’

“In his first year at

HORSEPHOTOS.COM

stud, Kitten’s Joy bred a total of 16 outside mares; the rest were owned by Ramsey”

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Ramsey soon discovered that while race fans appreciated Kitten’s Joy’s toughness and talent, US breeders didn’t share their enthusiasm.

“I had another good horse that year named Roses In May who ran second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the Japanese wanted to buy both of them,” said Ramsey.

“I decided to sell just Roses In May and take the money to start claiming broodmares and get Kitten’s Joy started, because nobody wanted to breed to a long-winded turf horse.”

And by nobody, Ramsey means nobody. In his first year at stud, Kitten’s Joy bred a total of 16 outside mares. The rest were owned by Ramsey – and most were procured through the claim box. That’s not often a route to the top for a stallion.

To make matters worst, a case of the bastard strangles tore through Ramsey’s farm the next year. He lost three Kitten’s Joy foals, and a good percentage of those who survived saw their growth stunted.

The inauspicious run continued unabated

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THE KITTEN’S JOY STORY

Hawkbill struck for his sire on the British turf, landing the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes for Godolphin

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Ken Ramsey, all smiles with his homebred five-time Grade 1 winner Stephanie’s Kitten

housing yearlings. We’re in the racing game, and I think they need to be out there in the fields getting exercise, not standing in a stall. We have big, 40-acre fields, and we run them in one big group, with 40 in a field. They kick, they bite, they’re rearing, and we lose one or two a year, where they’ve gotten kicked or something or other.

And I get a few chips. But they stay out 365 days a year, unless there is an ice storm or something.”

Ramsey credits this way of raising horses with the success of his homebreds. “People think I keep the best ones for myself, and that’s not necessarily true,” he said. “My horses are raised differently from sale horses, and because of it, they stay sound. You don’t see very many breaking down – they’re still running at six, seven, eight years old.”

Ramsey has built up an infrastructure around Kitten’s Joy that includes ‘Kitten’s Spa’, a structure on the farm that features a heated, underwater >> GEORGE SELWYN

off to a fast start when his first crop were two.

Heeding the advice of the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, he sent many from the crop to Wesley Ward, who, according to Ramsey, Frankel called the best trainer of two-year-olds on the planet.

“And my God, it was a disaster,” admitted Ramsey. “We broke down three or four of them trying to get them to sprint 4 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.”

They regrouped, and things turned around for Kitten’s Joy’s second and third crops.

Acknowledging that they indeed had a sire who was going to throw what he himself was – a long-winded turf horse – Ramsey and his team were rewarded with 14 stakes winners from Kitten’s Joy’s second crop (13% stakes winners to foals), and with 11 from his third (12% stakes winners to foals). These crops included such homebred Grade 1 winners as the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Stephanie’s Kitten, Big Blue Kitten and Real Solution.

Ramsey had claimed the dams of the latter two, and his mating strategy was bearing fruit. “Kitten’s Joy matches up really well to mares with Northern Dancer, and I like a little Roberto in there to give them some more turf,” he said. All three of those horses carry Roberto 4x4, as does the Grade I winner Admiral Kitten.

(Hawkbill is inbred 4x5 to the 1972 Epsom Derby winner.)

Ramsey had another thing working for him: an approach to raising horses that was unorthodox in its…orthodoxy. At his Lexington-based operation, he eschews the modern practice separating sale yearlings, lest they injure each other rough-housing in the fields, and he doesn’t bring his yearlings in during the day to prevent a dulling of their coats.

“Our yearlings will come to the sales sunburned, and that’s cost us a lot of money,” he said. “But I don’t believe in hot-

GEORGE SELWYN

>> when Ramsey attempted to get Kitten’s Joy

“I don’t believe in hot-

housing yearlings; we’re in the racing game and they need to be out in the fields” Keeneland September Yearling Sale The world’s largest yearling sale, Keeneland September, takes place in Lexington between September 12 and 25 and comprises 4,479 yearlings selling in six books.

As well as including yearlings by many of America’s leading sires, including Tapit, War Front, Uncle Mo, Speightstown and the recently deceased Scat Daddy and Street Cry, some top European names are also listed, notably Galileo, Frankel and Sea The Stars.

First-season stallions featuring at Keeneland include Animal Kingdom, Camelot, Data Link, Declaration Of War, Orb, Oxbow, Paynter, Point Of Entry and Shanghai Bobby.

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ownerbreeder ad pages 09-2016_OwnerBreeder Ad pages 08-2016 19/08/2016 09:50 Page 73

ANOTHER INVINCIBLE YEAR Invincible Spirit

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Profitable _ King’s Stand Stakes, Royal Ascot; Signs Of Blessing _ Prix Maurice de Gheest, Deauville

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Invincible Spirit is the most significant stallion we’ve ever stood. Outstanding himself, he appears to be passing his prepotent genes through to his sons. His influence will be felt for decades to come, like the rare greats.

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Sep_145_KittensJoy_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:21 Page 75

THE KITTEN’S JOY STORY

farm manager Mark Partridge, a British import, as a key member of the team.

“Mark’s been my farm manager every year except for the first one, and his knowledge is very, very extensive,” said Ramsey. “He handles the stallion and the breeding shed himself, he works with me on the pedigrees, and he’s very good at the sales. He’s my right-hand man, and I’d be in a very difficult situation if I lost Mark Partridge.”

While a strong sampling of all this work will be on offer in Europe this year, buyers will really have a chance to peruse Kitten’s Joy’s wares at the upcoming Keeneland September Sale, where 71 yearlings have been catalogued. They include, from Taylor Made’s consignment, the Ramsey-bred lot 45, a fullbrother to Big Blue Kitten; and lot 127, a colt from the Grade 1 performer Vionnet. Other standouts on paper include lot 196, a son of Zenyatta’s multiple stakes-winning half-sister Balance from Mill Ridge.

It’s probably Kitten’s Joy’s most commercial

PETER MOONEY

>> treadmill and a vibrating plate, and points to

The distinctively-marked Holy Cat impressed on debut for Qatar Racing in Ireland

crop ever, and it has Ramsey feeling bullish about the future.

“Between these horses, and the fact that the

Aga Khan has bred to him, and the sheikhs have bred to him, I think Kitten’s Joy is going to continue his dominance,” he said.

European Joy for Kitten’s progeny Since his first runners hit the track in 2009, Kitten’s Joy has built up an unassailable resume as America’s best turf sire. He’s led the Turf Sires’ List the past four years, topped the General List in 2013, and has sired eight Grade 1 winners. These days, it seems, it’s rare even to find an important grass race in the US without a ‘Kitten’ in it.

Now, Kitten’s Joy is starting to take hold in Europe, and if his owner Ken Ramsey has anything to say about it, the Kentucky-based son of El Prado will soon be a major player overseas, both on the track and in the sales ring.

“Our motto is: have horses, will travel!” laughed Ramsey recently when asked about his, and his stallion’s, international forays.

To underscore his point, Ramsey has sent six yearlings to Europe this year to sell. It’s the third straight year he’s offered horses across the pond, and to be sure, some of his bestbred youngsters have made the trip in 2016.

In Deauville, two Kitten’s Joys set the table at Arqana, with Shadwell going to €130,000 for a colt out of Sweet Harp.

The pedigrees get more fanciful at Goffs, where Ramsey will offer another pair of Kitten’s Joys. They include lot 303, a full-sister to three stakes winners; and lot 428, a fullbrother to three more, including the major Graded winners Bobby’s Kitten and Camelot Kitten. (The former won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, the latter is a three-time graded stakes winner in the US this year, most

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

recently in the G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes).

And two more still will be offered at Tattersalls Book 1. Lot 88 is a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Kitten’s Dumplings and to the stakes winner Granny Mc’s Kitten, while lot 314 is a full-sister to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Sapphire Kitten. Voute Sales is consigning all six.

“We’ve gotten the best mares we’ve ever gotten to him, and we’ve got some pretty good horses to sell,” said Ramsey. “I think you can expect some pretty big things.”

The perfect advertisement If Ramsey was hoping for some pre-sale promotion in Europe for his sales yearlings, it came in the form of the rare Kitten’s Joy he himself didn’t breed, Hawkbill.

The three-year-old colt, bred by Helen Groves, is a confirmed talent for Godolphin after giving Sheikh Mohammed his first G1 Coral-Eclipse victory in 12 years. It was Hawkbill’s sixth straight win, and followed a smart tally in the G3 Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot for Charlie Appleby’s yard.

Hawkbill isn’t the only Kitten’s Joy to blaze a trail in Europe this year. Another three-yearold colt, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Taareef, also appears to be on the rise for the Maktoum family after winning the G3 Prix Daphnis in June for Shadwell. Like Hawkbill, Taareef was bred by someone other than Ramsey: Dixiana Farms.

But Ramsey has been doing well in Europe with his homebreds, too. The aforementioned Bobby’s Kitten won the Cork Sprint Stakes in March for Dermot Weld in his European debut, though unfortunately was later sidelined by injury. And Charming Kitten, another new addition to the Weld stable, was recently third in a Listed event at Down Royal. If all goes to plan, Charming Kitten holds an engagement in the G1 Melbourne Cup. “We like playing on the international stage,” said Ramsey. “We’ve won the Barbados Gold Cup a couple of times, we’ve won the Dubai World Cup, and we won the Queen’s Plate.”

One interesting up-and-comer who was cobred by Ramsey is the two-year-old filly Holy Cat, an eye-catching winner of her first start at Leopardstown on August 11 for Qatar Racing and trainer Michael O’Callaghan.

“At the present time, I have three sheikhs that have won their last races with Kitten’s Joys,” Ramsey said.

These runners are helping Kitten’s Joy to carve out a spot on the Leading Sires’ List in Great Britain and Ireland. As of August 16, he ranked 43rd with £459,672 in earnings. That doesn’t sound particularly impressive, until one considers that he accomplished that with just 48 runs – less than half of the next-lowest of any stallion in the top 50. His 35% clip of winners to starters, meanwhile, puts him in elite company. So yes, European owners and breeders are taking note of this unlikely stallion star.

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Sep_145_Sales_Circuit_Sales 19/08/2016 18:03 Page 76

SALES CIRCUIT

By CARL EVANS

Monceaux top vendor at Arqana for fifth year as Galileo leads way Filly from Lucien Urano’s founding family sells for €1.4m at Deauville opener

The first millionaire yearling of the European season, by Galileo out of Prudenzia

ZUZANNA LUPA

A highlight of the European sales year, this event had a hard act to follow given the record results achieved 12 months ago.

With that in mind it was not a great surprise that turnover for the select first two days dipped by 5% – despite an additional 13 yearlings entering the ring – or that there was a 14% drop in average price, but there was no shortage of buyers from around the globe, and the clearance rate went up to a praiseworthy 81%.

When Part II – which was held on day three – was added to create the event’s overall figures the average had declined 7% and the clearance had settled to 78%, but another indicator of the broad buying base could be seen in a 13% rise in the median figure, which, at €102,500, reached six figures for the first time in the sale’s ten-year history.

Coolmore’s policy of purchasing top-end yearlings in partnership with other leading racing operations is nothing new, but part of a growing trend for shared risk, one that was evident at Fasig Tipton’s Saratoga sale a few weeks earlier. At Deauville it was a partnership between Coolmore and South Africa-based Mayfair Speculators, led by

ZUZANNA LUPA

Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale

Sheikh Hamdan was in Deauville and bought the top-priced Frankel colt at €850,000

76

Markus Jooste, that bought the sale’s top lot, a €1.4 million daughter of Galileo with an outstanding page. Her dam, Prudenzia, had also foaled Irish Oaks winner Chicquita and came from the superb ‘Souk’ family that has produced so many top performers. The partnership also bought another Galileo filly just two lots after the sale-topper went through. The daughter of the Group 3 winner Quetsche sold for €650,000.

Galileo’s son Frankel was all over the topten board, headed by an €850,000 colt whose buyer, Angus Gold of Shadwell, said he would have been cheaper several months earlier before the stallion’s first two-year-old runners made such impact, but one other name was even more dominant, that of Ecurie des Monceaux.

Lucien Urano’s farm, just 30km from THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

>>

ZUZANNA LUPA

Sep_145_Sales_Circuit_Sales 19/08/2016 18:04 Page 77

EMMA BERRY

Carlos and Yann Lerner bought six yearlings, including one with Gerard Augustin Normand

ZUZANNA LUPA

Dr Fukuda of Japan’s North Hills Farm which bought a Dansili filly for €300,000

Guillaume Vitse, manager of Haras de Colleville which is home to Kendargent

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ZUZANNA LUPA

EMMA BERRY

La Cressonniere’s full-brother was bought by Blandford Bloodstock for €520,000

Gerard Wertheimer, with Pierre-Yves Bureau, signed for a pair of Intello yearlings

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Sep_145_Sales_Circuit_Sales 19/08/2016 18:04 Page 78

SALES CIRCUIT

this sale, and maintained its dominance by selling the top four lots, and five of the top six. Of its 32-strong draft, 29 found a buyer, adding €10.4 million to the sale’s aggregate at an average of €361,034. Those figures were down on Monceaux’s 2015 gold rush, but heady nonetheless.

Shadwell was leading buyer with an outlay of just under €3 million, while Jean-Claude Rouget added 21 yearlings to his already sizeable string.

Egyptian-American entrepreneur and owner-breeder Ahmed Zayat made a first successful purchase at Arqana through agent Justin Casse when gaining a son of Frankel for €410,000. He too was offered by Monceaux, which had bought his dam, Manerbe, for $200,000 at Keeneland in 2007.

Other buyers who presented a fresh face included Newmarket trainer George Scott, who teamed up with agent Alex Elliott to gain a son of Invincible Spirit for €420,000, while the catalogue’s sole yearling by Dubawi’s outstanding son Al Kazeem made a handsome €360,000 when offered by Newsells Park Stud and knocked down to Thomas Li, CEO of the Macau Jockey Club.

Al Kazeem was tough and top class, and while he has fertility issues they are being carefully handled by staff at owner John Deer’s Oakgrove Stud in Wales, with the result that he is siring small crops.

Other first-crop sires to make a mark were Intello and Camelot, with the former being the leading freshman at the sale with 15 sold for an average price of €178,000, while 18 members of Camelot’s first crop reaped an average of €149,722.

Arqana Deauville v.2 Yearling Sale Roger Marley, who has enjoyed some superb results as a vendor at Flat and National Hunt sales this year, bought the top lot at this oneday auction.

Yorkshire-based Marley was working with fellow trader John Cullinan when investing €125,000 in the sale-topper – a son of Siyouni who went down on the buyers’ list to agent Mags O’Toole – and he later said the new recruit would be prepped at Cullinan’s County Wicklow-based Horse Park Stud before returning to Arqana’s breeze-up sale next year.

Also bound for a trip to Ireland then back to France was another son of Siyouni – a resident at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval – who made €105,000 to a bid from Gaybrook Lodge Stud’s Jim McCartan, another exponent of the breeze-up sales.

Siyouni therefore gained the bragging rights but Declaration Of War could boast of the most

78

GEORGE SELWYN

>> Deauville, has become the go-to consignor at

France’s leading trainer Jean-Claude Rouget bought 21 yearlings at the August Sale

Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

Price (€)

Buyer

F Galileo — Prudenzia (Dansili)

Monceaux

1,400,000

Doyle/Magnier/Mayfair

C Frankel — Pertinence (Fasliyev)

Monceaux

850,000

Shadwell

C Invincible Spirit — L’enjoleuse (Montjeu)

Monceaux

650,000

David Redvers

F Galileo — Quetsche (Gone West)

Monceaux

650,000

Doyle/Magnier/Mayfair

F Dark Angel — Larceny (Cape Cross)

Louviere

600,000

Broadhurst Agency

F Frankel — Sasuela (Dashing Blade)

Monceaux

600,000

Kenji Ryotokuji

C Frankel — Restiadargent (Kendargent)

Colleville

520,000

Pascal Bary

C Le Havre — Absolute Lady (Galileo)

Coulonces Consignment

520,000

Blandford Bloodstock

F Teofilo — Tres Ravi (Monsun)

Chevotel

500,000

Shadwell

F Lope De Vega — Biswa (Kafwain)

Monceaux

500,000

Blandford Bloodstock

F Redoute’s Choice — Chanterelle (Trempolino)

Mezeray

500,000

Shadwell

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

Top Price (€)

2016

268

40,188,000

149,955

102,500

1,400,000

2015

265

43,105,000

162,660

95,000

2,600,000

2014

269

39,227,000

145,825

90,000

1,200,000

2013

265

34,804,000

131,336

77,000

1,500,000

2012

321

29,711,000

92,558

60,000

1,200,000

Arqana Deauville v.2 Yearling Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

C Siyouni — Ponte Di Legno (Sinndar)

Ellon

Price (€) 125,000

Buyer Mags O’Toole

C Siyouni — Zanatiya (Sinndar)

Etreham

105,000

MC Bloodstock

C Declaration Of War — Super Pie (Pivotal)

Capucines

100,000

Jean-Claude Rouget

F Panis — Zanada (Sinndar)

Faunes

90,000

Sylvain Vidal

C Le Havre — Eviane (American Post)

La Motteraye Consignment 85,000

Sylvain Vidal

C Dabirsim — Calahorra (Soave)

Montaigu

85,000

Mandore International

C Kendargent — Full Snow Moon (Vindication)

Etreham

80,000

Jean-Louis Bouchard

F Rajsaman — Hermanville (Hurricane Run)

Capucines

75,000

Sylvain Vidal

C Motivator — Folle Biche (Take Risks)

Gisloterie

70,000

Tina Rau/Nicolas Clement

70,000

Jeremy Brummitt

F Wootton Bassett — Ciranna (Peintre Celebre) Buff

Four-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€)

Mdn (€)

2016

88

3,482,000

39,568

34,500

Top Price (€) 125,000

2015

90

3,080,000

34,222

30,000

150,000

2014

104

3,770,000

36,250

28,000

90,000

2013

86

2,364,500

27,494

19,500

115,000

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Sep_145_Sales_Circuit_Sales 19/08/2016 18:04 Page 79

SALES CIRCUIT

Goffs UK August Sale

SARAH FARNSWORTH/GOFFS UK

valuable yearling by a first-crop sire after one of his colts made €100,000 to a bid from top French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

With the big buyers having left Deauville after three days of the Arqana August Sale the floor was clear for traders, trainers and pinhookers to buy horses with lesser pedigrees, but sound prospects of future returns, and the results suggest the goods on show were popular, and the market happy to invest.

The sales company wants v.2, which is now four years old, to become known for offering fast, precocious types, and it seems to be establishing that image.

From a similar-sized catalogue to last year, turnover went up by 14% and there were gains of 17% and 10% in the average and median figures.

Jockey Noel Fehily is the racing manager for Jared Sullivan’s Potensis Bloodstock

Moved by DBS in 2014 to a date in September, and now reinstated as a one-day sale by Goffs UK, which has retained September’s two-day Top lots event, there was more than a hint of déjà vu Name/Breeding Vendor Price (£) Buyer about the risen phoenix.

Jessber’s Dream (Milan — Maddy’s Supreme) Potensis 190,000 Malone/Ditcheat T’breds When last held in 2013 it was dominated by Crin Au Vent (Laveron — Tentative) Potensis 120,000 Paul Nicholls horses from a partnership-breaking dispersal Activial Lord Du Sud — Kissmirial) Potensis 80,000 CDS B/s/Neil Mulholland of jumpers owned by Jared Sullivan and Chris Global Stage (Multiplex — Tintera) Potensis 72,000 Fergal O’Brien Giles. Resuming three years later it was Sullivan Long Call (Authorized — Gacequita) Godolphin 60,000 Fleming Bloodstock again at the forefront of trade, as he cleared Creep Desbois (Great Pretender — Brigade Mondaine) Rhonehurst Stables 50,000 Highflyer Bloodstock stock, this time when selling under the name of his Potensis Ltd recruitment agency.

Robin Deuz Pois (Robin Des Champs — Native Wood) Monbeg Stables 47,000 Paul Webber Had the 11-time Grade 1 winners Silviniaco All Yours (Halling — Fontaine Riant) Potensis 46,000 Gary Moore Racing Conti and Zarkandar turned up at Doncaster Deise Diamond (Scorpion — Lakeshore Lodge) Saunderscourt Stables 46,000 Neil King as part of Sullivan’s cull it would have been Five-year tale some story, but the pair were sold privately to Year Sold Agg (£) Avg (£) Mdn (£) Top Price (£) stay with trainer Paul Nicholls. Instead it was Sullivan’s Harry Fry-trained six-year-old mare 2016 233 2,624,000 11,262 6,000 190,000 Jessber’s Dream who headed proceedings with 2015 No Sale a valuation of £190,000, which was £15,000 2014 No Sale more than For Non Stop had made when he 2013 266 2,685,875 10,097 5,750 175,000 became top lot at the Sullivan/Giles clear out 2012 219 1,804,700 8,240 4,500 140,000 at this auction three years ago.

Jessber’s Dream had won a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle and made the places in a Grade 1 event, and she will race on from the yard of Fry’s former boss, Nicholls, who will handle her for a new syndicate headed by racehorse owner Ian Fogg.

Nicholls also found the finances to ensure the Potensis-owned Crin Au Vent, whom he trained, returned to his yard to continue racing in new, undisclosed, colours.

An 80% clearance rate, and higher average and median figures compared to the previous running of the event in 2013, suggest that Goffs UK was not wrong in reinstigating an August Sale, and MD Henry Beeby said it would be back next year.

The Potensis horses were clearly a handy ally on this occasion, but Beeby pointed out that consignments from Shadwell, Godolphin and the Aga Khan Studs – among others – had ensured it was no one-draft wonder. >> Six-year-old mare Jessber’s Dream, a treble winner, topped Goffs UK’s August Sale THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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SARAH FARNSWORTH/GOFFS UK

Goffs UK August Sale

Sep_145_Sales_Circuit_Sales 19/08/2016 18:04 Page 80

SALES CIRCUIT >> Tattersalls

Ireland

August Sale After two years as a three-day auction this sale of stores was reduced in size to two sessions, albeit the numbers were on the cusp and trade continued until 9pm each evening.

An in-training section was removed – as it had been from the company’s flagship Derby Sale – although the sales company was able to redirect those horses to its Ascot venue and sales in July and August. Gains at both those sales were further indicators that Tattersalls Ireland is making progress in lifting Ascot’s image as a bargain bucket event.

However, the figures from this sale were not so rosy, and suggest demand in the lowerto-middle area of the store market is patchy.

The clearance rate – down from 77% in 2014 to 69% last year and 67% at this edition – underlined that point. The Derby Sale in June – the premier one of its kind and offering the cream of the store crop – had created record trade, but its Part II session had also seen a drop in figures.

Tattersalls Ireland’s MD, Roger Casey, referred to a “challenging marketplace” and the “selective nature of the market”. It seems there is still demand for the best, but the rest still struggle to find buyers.

Turnover fell 18%, although a catalogue that was smaller by 87 horses (38 fewer eventually walked the ring) was a factor.

However, despite fewer horses, the average and median marks fell 10% and 11%.

Any store by Overbury Stud stallion Kayf Tara – now 22, but the one British-based stallion who consistently puts it up to the many excellent Irish jumping sires – will attract interest, and it was one of his sons who headed trade with a valuation of €75,000. He was offered from Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House Stud – a front-runner in the preparation and supply of stores to the market – and knocked down to Ireland’s highly progressive jumps trainer, Gordon Elliott.

Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale A trend for shared investment by major racehorse owners in high-value yearlings continued at this two-day sale where turnover reached nearly $46 million.

As Michael Wallace of the China Horse Club pointed out, a quarter-share in a colt who becomes a stallion is “a more than adequate position to hold”. Another benefit for the relatively youthful China Horse Club, the brainchild of Teo Ah Khing, is the experience it can tap into when teaming up with a colossus such as Coolmore, which it did when buying a $650,000 Uncle Mo colt

80

Tattersalls Ireland August Sale Top lots Sex/Breeding

Vendor

G Kayf Tara — Ryme Bere (Until Sundown)

Ballincurrig House Stud

Price (€) Buyer

G Doyen — Afdala (Hernando)

Sunnyhill Stud

62,000 Aiden Murphy

G Westerner — Cash And New (Supreme Leader)

Gaynestown Stud

62,000 Aidan O’Ryan

G Kapgarde — Idee Recue (Sicyos)

Mocklershill Stables

52,000 Gerry Griffin

G Beat Hollow — Sambre (Turgeon)

Limekiln Stud

42,000 John Andrews

G Beneficial — Constant Approach (Pistolet Bleu)

Mount Brown Farm

40,000 Aidan O’Ryan/Gordon Elliot

G Milan — Pretty Impressive (Presenting)

Ballyvalloo Stud

75,000 Gordon Elliott

38,000 Tom Malone

G Marienbard — Smashing Leader (Supreme Leader) Woodwalk Stables

38,000 Stroud Coleman/Neil King

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg (€)

Avg (€

Mdn (€)

2016

365

3,026,200

8,291

5,000

Top Price (€) 75,000

2015

401

3,697,400

9,220

5,700

75,000

2014

481

4,752,000

9,879

6,000

80,000

2013

365

2,731,950

7,485

4,800

80,000

2012

327

1,897,400

5,802

3,750

52,000

Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale Top lots Price ($)

Buyer

F Medaglia D’oro — Whisper To Me (Thunder Gulch) Denali Stud

Sex/Breeding

Vendor

1,450,000

Whisper Hill Farm

C Tapit — Rote (Tiznow)

Stonestreet Stables/M V Magnier

Gainesway

1,250,000

C Pioneerof The Nile — Ocean Goddess (Stormy Atlantic) Gainesway

950,000

Stonestreet Stables/M V Magnier

F Ghostzapper — Ivanavinalot (West Acre)

Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales

800,000

PTK

C Tapit — Storm Dixie (Catienus)

Hunter Valley Farm 800,000

China Horse Club

C Tapit — Fashion Cat (Forest Wildcat)

Top Line Sales

750,000

China Horse Club

F Tapit — Super Espresso (Medaglia D’oro)

Bluewater Sales

750,000

Sallusto & Albina

F War Front — City Sister (Carson City)

Eaton Sales

700,000

Casse & Casse

Five-year tale Year

Sold

Agg ($)

Avg ($)

Mdn ($)

2016

156

45,570,000

292,115

237,500

Top Price ($) 1,450,000

2015

145

46,755,000

322,448

250,000

2,000,000

2014

114

33,284,000

291,965

237,500

1,250,000

2013

108

31,870,000

295,093

250,000

1,225,000

2012

108

32,110,000

297,315

220,000

1,575,000

who figured on the top-ten board.

China Horse Club also bought five other yearlings and ended the sale as leading buyer, a sign of its growing interest in US racing and bloodstock.

Coolmore’s MV Magnier was present for the sale, as was Godolphin’s John Ferguson, who had been the leading buyer in each of the previous two years, but was not an investor on this occasion. Magnier was clearly happy to join in the shared approach, for he also bought top-end yearlings with Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables and John and Leslie Malone’s Bridlewood Farm.

However, all this buddying up has a downside for sales company’s and impartial ring observers, who love the drama, not to mention the marketing opportunities that arise, when two giants slug it out across the

ring and drive a horse’s price into the stratosphere. If leading buyers are sharing the risks those moments will be rarer, and can impact on the average price, which fell 9% at this sale – the median was down 5%.

Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm has yet to buy a Green Monkey or Snaafi Dancer, but she certainly makes ring watchers sit up with her preference for trading at the top end.

Pope, whose family fortune has been derived from discount retail stores, bought the top lot when investing in a Medaglio d’Oro filly offered by breeder Josephine Abercrombie, who could part with the gem because she retains the stakes-winning dam and two other daughters.

Turnover was very slightly down on the 2015 sale, while the clearance rate achieved 77%, down from 85% last year.

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Ditcheat Thoroughbreds Owner and Breeder Magazine 210x297mm.indd 1

16/08/2016 14:58

Sep_145_Caulfield_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 14:56 Page 83

CAULFIELD FILES ANDREW CAULFIELD REPORTS ON THE BLOODSTOCK WORLD

Nicking the limelight The baton has been passed from Sadler’s Wells and Danzig to Galileo and War Front

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

EMMA BERRY

A

fter the recent exploits of Highland Reel, Minding and The Gurkha, you’ll hardly need me to tell you that Galileo’s stellar career as a stallion has become highly dependent on his progeny out of mares

by Danzig’s son Danehill and by Danehill’s son Danehill Dancer. The extent to which these twin nicks are dominating the picture is made clear by the fact that they jointly account for more than 300 of Galileo’s 2,340 foals of racing age.

We therefore shouldn’t be surprised that Danzig-line stallions have represented the first line of attack for many of the breeders lucky enough to own a broodmare daughter of Galileo (including more than 160 daughters registered with the Australian Stud Book). No fewer than 15 of the 20 stallions with the most foals out of Galileo mares are members of the Danzig line, with Danehill’s sons being especially prominent.

Fastnet Rock has 74 foals (including Oaks winner Quality) and then come Duke Of Marmalade (43), Holy Roman Emperor (29), Danehill Dancer (21), Dylan Thomas (21), Rock Of Gibraltar (21), Oratorio (17), Redoute’s Choice (16), Dansili (16) and Exceed And Excel (15). Danehill Dancer’s son Mastercraftsman is another popular choice, with 18 foals.

The Green Desert branch also figures prominently, thanks to Oasis Dream (34 foals), Invincible Spirit (31), Lawman (23) and Cape Cross (20). No doubt the one to watch from this line is Green Desert’s grandson Paco Boy, whose five foals feature Galileo Gold and the useful Imperial Aviator.

There is every chance, though, that the Danzig-line horse destined to hit the headlines with his progeny out of Galileo mares is War Front, who has developed into Danzig’s rightful heir at Claiborne Farm.

This War Front-Galileo cross is still in its infancy, with only five foals of racing age, all

War Front is proving to be a useful mate for Coolmore’s vast array of mares by Galileo

two-year-olds of 2016. The first to race was Roly Poly, a daughter of the excellent Misty For Me, who recorded four Group 1 successes at up to a mile and a quarter. Roly Poly has so far raced only over five and six furlongs, winning three of her six starts including the Group 3 Grangecon Stud Stakes and Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

The next to appear was the colt Leo Minor, whose dam, Kissed, was a Listed winner over a mile and a quarter. After being beaten over seven furlongs on his first two starts, Leo Minor was dropped back to six at Naas at the start of August, where he held on to record his first success.

Leo Minor’s rider Seamie Heffernan made some post-race comments which may prove to be significant.

He said: “I must tell him [Aidan O’Brien] that he was running over the wrong trip! He’s come

forward from his two runs, and speed will be his game. It’s unusual for one out of a Galileo mare to show that much speed.”

An ability to inject extra speed must, of course, look like the gold at the end of the rainbow when Galileo’s mature progeny have an average winning distance as high as 11.3 furlongs.

There are three more War Front two-yearolds out of Galileo mares. Shadwell splashed out $1,450,000 for one of them as a yearling.

Named Intisaar, this filly is out of the useful Betterbetterbetter, a close relative of those fine fillies Yesterday and Quarter Moon. Intisaar has gone into training with John Gosden.

Another of the five is Upfront. This filly out of the Group 2 winner Up was sold for $800,000 as a yearling at Keeneland’s 2015 January Sale. Her dam was sold for $2,200,000 at the same sale, back in foal to

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War Front. The quintet of two-year-olds is completed by Old Time Waltz, of whom more later.

There will be more chances in the coming years to see whether this cross can build on its promising start. It will be a major setback to the various Coolmore partners if it doesn’t prove a fertile source of important winners, as they have invested heavily in committing many of Galileo’s most talented daughters to War Front.

War Front’s fee rose to $150,000 in 2014 and 2015, before reaching $200,000 this year – a figure bettered in the US only by Tapit.

Here is a lengthy (but not complete) summary of future flagbearers for the War Front-Galileo cross. Roly Poly has a yearling brother and weanling sister, whereas Leo Minor has a yearling sister and a weanling brother.

Misty For Me and Kissed were also returned to War Front in 2016. Another visitor was the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Marvellous, whose first foal is a 2016 War Front filly, and War Front was also selected as the first mate for Galileo’s Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry (whose foal will be inbred 2 x 4 to Danzig).

Together, winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keynesian, is another Galileo mare regularly beating a path to War Front’s door. She already has three foals by him, the eldest being the two-year-old Old Time Waltz. Together visited him again in 2016, as did the maiden Together Forever, winner of the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile. Wedding Vow, runner-up in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, was another maiden covered by War Front in 2016, as were Magician’s Group 1-placed sister Outstanding and The Gurkha’s sister Queen Nefertiti.

This recurring theme continues among the Galileo broodmares which became Group winners for Aidan O’Brien. Oaks winner Was has a yearling filly, a weanling colt and was bred back in 2016. Magical Dream, a Group 3-winning sister to the high-class Found, has also visited three times, with the first resulting in a yearling colt. Other three-time visitors are Say, a Group 3 winner in Ireland, and Moth, who was third in the 1,000 Guineas and fourth in the Oaks.

Aloof, a Group 3 winner out of that high-class sprinter Airwave, was sold for $3,900,000 in November 2014 while carrying her first foal, a filly by War Front. Her new owners immediately returned her to War Front and got another filly.

Before leaving the topic, it mustn’t be forgotten that it is by no means essential to follow the Danzig route in the quest to produce a smart winner from a Galileo mare. Le Havre sired this year’s dual French Classic winner La Cressonniere from one and Dubawi has also enjoyed Classic success, siring Night Of Thunder. Dubawi’s 16 foals also include the very smart Dartmouth, and there have also been good winners by First Samurai, Shamardal, Street Cry and Monsun, so breeders should be careful not to develop tunnel vision.

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GEORGE SELWYN

CAULFIELD FILES

Mehmas, a grandson of Royal Applause whose juveniles fare well at Goodwood

Genetics plays a part in course specialists The concept of horses for courses has long been accepted, and the latest edition of Glorious Goodwood raised the possibility that such preferences can be passed down through the generations.

Few races at Glorious Goodwood have ever provided a greater shock than that supplied by the 1979 Stewards’ Cup. A three-year-old colt who had yet to hit the first three that season was ignored at 50-1 in the betting.

However, that three-year-old – Ahonoora – exploded from the stalls to lead every step of the way under his light weight of 8st, his nearest pursuers being his fellow three-yearolds Double Form (9st 5lb) and Vaigly Great (8st 7lb). Remarkably, all three of these colts were to rank among the leading sprinters of 1979, with Ahonoora’s finest moment arguably coming when he returned to Glorious Goodwood to take the Group 3 King George Stakes. Perhaps history is set to repeat itself with this year’s winner, Dancing Star.

Ahonoora, of course, went on to become one of the sire sensations of the 1980s and 1990s, attracting Coolmore’s attention after starting out at only £2,250. He did so well that he commanded a fee of 45,000 Irish guineas by the age of 13 in 1988. Tragically, Ahonoora was to die in 1989, after breaking a near-hind pastern in Australia, but he left a terrific legacy – including at Glorious Goodwood.

His progeny included winners of the Group 3 Vintage Stakes (the future Classic winners Don’t Forget Me and Dr Devious), Group 1 Nassau Stakes (Park Express and the dual winner Ruby Tiger) and the Group 3 King George Stakes (Statoblest). We also saw one of his fastest sons, Indian Ridge, gain his first success at Goodwood (though not at the main meeting) and one of his fastest daughters, Princess Athena, reach the first three in consecutive editions of the King George Stakes.

Princess Athena’s best effort as a broodmare was Acclamation, her son by champion sprinter Royal Applause. Although Royal

Applause never raced at Goodwood, his twoyear-old progeny also enjoyed significant success at the main meeting, winning the Group 2 Richmond Stakes and two editions of the Group 3 Molecomb.

Acclamation was another who never made it to Glorious Goodwood, but he visited the West Sussex track to win the Starlit Stakes as a prelude to his win in the Group 2 Diadem Stakes. Now he too has been exerting a strong influence – both directly and indirectly – at the main meeting.

Past seasons have seen the Rathbarry stallion represented by two winners of the Group 2 Richmond Stakes, in the shape of Harbour Watch in 2011 and Saayerr in 2013.

He therefore completed a notable hat-trick when his tough son Mehmas used all his experience to get the better of the odds-on Blue Point in the latest edition.

There has been a tendency for fast twoyear-olds like Mehmas to be retired at the end of their first season (though the introduction of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup may help reverse the trend). One of the trend setters was Acclamation’s son Dark Angel, who is out of Machiavellian’s daughter Midnight Angel.

Mehmas’ appeal as a potential stallion can only be increased by the fact that he too is out of a daughter of Machiavellian (broodmare sire also of those very successful stallions Shamardal and Zoffany).

Mehmas’ prospects won’t be harmed, either,

by Acclamation’s overall record as a sire of sires. The dual King’s Stand Stakes winner Equiano has 2016 Group/Graded winners from each of his first three crops and the Richmond Stakes winner Harbour Watch is making an eye-catching start. His first-crop son Tis Marvellous side-stepped the Richmond Stakes in favour of the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin four days earlier and proved much too good for a field which included the Queen Mary runner-up Al Johrah and the Norfolk Stakes winner Prince Of Lir.

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By Lydia Symonds

RACINGFOTOS.COM

The Royal Studs: where it starts for Her Majesty’s racehorses

Estimate was top class on track and is now part of the Queen’s broodmare band

T

he sun shone brightly on the fourth TTC Star event of the year at The Royal Studs in Sandringham on Saturday, August 6.

Members were given an exclusive tour of the Queen’s main stud by Assistant Manager Daniel Filtness and his team, who took members through the various parts of the stud, which covers mares in utero through to breaking in and rehabilitation.

Before the tour started, members were given a potted history of the stud, which was purchased in 1856 by Queen Victoria and is the oldest stud in the world.

The first destination was the foaling unit, which this year foaled 64 mares, with over half being owned by Her Majesty. Filtness said of the foaling: “It is a natural process

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“First destination was the foaling unit, which this year foaled 64 mares, with over half owned by the Queen”

and you shouldn’t be too involved if you don’t have to be. You need to keep everything as natural as possible.”

Members were then shown the covering shed, where the process of getting a mare

in foal was explained, including dates for scanning, before moving onto the stallion yard and getting to see Royal Applause, who is still going strong at the age of 23.

Amongst The Royal Stud’s broodmare band this year was Group 1 Gold Cup winner Estimate and newcomer Sweet Idea, a star in her native Australia, who was acquired privately last autumn.

Filtness said: “We are constantly pushing forward, looking to develop the set of mares we have. We are looking to use the best [stallions] and although we are the oldest stud we are not stuck in the old ways of doing things.”

A walk across the stud to a field of weanlings followed, where a pair of them were brought out of the field and shown to members. Both progeny of Danehill Dancer mares, but by different sires and with different physical attributes, Filtness went through the conformation of the foals and what he expects to happen when they develop. Having been weaned at Sandringham, the foals will head down to Polhampton, just outside Newbury, until they return to be broken next year.

The process of breaking in yearlings, which takes place on Commodore yard, is set out like a traditional racing yard, with walker, stalls, plenty of turn out and lunge pits, with high sides. “Little and often” is the process used, as Filtness further explained, saying: “Before they come here and when they are down at Polhampton, they are groomed, handled and driven.

“After two weeks of being here they will go on the walker and become accustomed to being a racehorse. We are wanting to build confidence in them and they need to go to their trainer in a state where they can achieve their maximum. Their experience of being here is about building trust and confidence.”

After building up an appetite, members were treated to a lunchtime BBQ, which provided the ideal opportunity for them to talk to the various staff members and to discuss what they had seen.

The final Star event of the year for the TTC comes on September 10, when members will be afforded the chance of visiting Dan Skelton’s Lodge Hill base in Warwickshire.

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Sep_145_ThoroughbredClubV2_Owner 19/08/2016 17:29 Page 87

www.thetho ro ug hb re d clu b . co . u k •

TTC BROODMARES UPDATE

@T T C_ GB

DIARY DATES & REMINDERS Saturday, September 10: Dan Skelton Racing tour, Warwickshire September 17-18: Newmarket Open Weekend September 22-24: Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting TTC Discounted Tickets Available October 7-8: Newmarket Dubai Future Champions Festival TTC Discounted Tickets Available October 15: QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot TTC Full Members Free Admission November 14-15: TTC Careers Course, Newmarket

Shatabdi and her foal ‘Shara’ are a picture of contentment

TTC mares have been enjoying the summer in the field with their foals, but the time has come where each foal must be weaned.

Both Upton Viva and Whitsbury Manor will be using the ‘Pied Piper’ method to wean the foals, which Jayne Bushby from Upton Viva explained by saying: “We leave all mares and foals together in a big group and take a mare or two out over a period of weeks depending on foal age. We have an aged mare who we leave with the foals as a nanny over the winter – she helps to teach the babies some manners and respect for other horses.”

Sacre Coeur’s filly foal has already successfully left her mother. Ed Harper said: “The filly foal was weaned from Sacre Coeur on July 27 and she was the third mare to be removed from the weaning paddock.

“Her filly was a little more upset than some of her friends but after 24 hours of

squeaking she has now settled down.”

Shatabdi’s filly foal, known as ‘Shara’ has yet to be weaned, a process that will take place over the next few weeks.

Bushby said: “Shara is developing into a lovely filly, well grown and well in proportion. She has a lovely temperament and is very easy to deal with. She stands quite happily to have her feet trimmed, something some foals find quite alarming to start with! She recently had a small cut on her left hind and was quite unperturbed when it was washed and sprayed.”

Both mares are in foal. Sacre Coeur was covered by last season’s champion sprinter Muhaarar and in late September she will have her last pregnancy scan and, if all is fine, they will be invoiced for the covering.

TTC’s other mare, Blue Waltz, is doing well and is successfully in foal to Oasis Dream. She is enjoying her new life as a broodmare.

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

QIPCO British Champions Day offer TTC Full Members will be offered a free ticket to attend QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday, October 15 at Ascot. The opportunity for TTC members to attend the day has been generously supported by sponsor QIPCO. The first 50 members to register for tickets will also receive admission to the

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exclusive Racing Lounge on the day.

The private area, located near the parade ring, will have access to a bar with big screens showing all the action on the track. To secure your ticket for the day, please email Tallulah Lewis, tallulah.lewis@thethoroughbredclub.co.uk.

Tickets will be offered on a first come first served basis.

• Limited TTC events access • Limited TTC website access

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

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

Survey will help shape future policy

F

ollowing the findings of the National Racehorse Owners Survey last month, conducted on behalf of the ROA and BHA by sports marketing agency Two Circles, there are a number of implications and actions for the key groups within racing to discuss.

Syndicates The survey highlighted the importance of syndicates as a way of introducing people into ownership. Great British Racing (GBR) is currently building a new website that will become a hub for syndicates and will create more information online for prospective owners. This will be complimented with the launch of a nationwide campaign to promote the thrill of ownership through syndicates.

A key challenge will also be to ensure syndicates are accommodated and looked after on the racecourse without it adversely affecting the experience of sole owners.

With the predicted growth in the number of syndicates, it is vital that owners are protected.

Through the Ownership Pillar the BHA and ROA will be creating a set of guidelines for syndicate managers.

Experience Inconsistent racecourse experience and poor trainer experiences were the main reasons that owners leave the sport. The racecourse experience is improving thanks to the RCA’s Raceday Experience Group and RCA Showcase.

Improvements to the PASS system should ensure the accreditation of owners and their guests is

seamless and adds to their special day.

The changes to the ROA’s Gold Standard Awards has created friendly competition amongst racecourses and owners (and their raceday experiences) are proving to be the benefactors. Importantly many owners in the survey claimed winning is an important bonus but not essential; this again stresses the importance of the experience on course.

If ROA members stay owners for longer, how can more owners join? Awareness of the relevance of the ROA to smaller-share owners needs to be improved, along with the benefits these owners would enjoy. The ROA is already working on boosting its benefits for these members including extending free racecourse admission. The ROA is working with trainers to improve their awareness of the ROA by creating trainer information packs for each yard. These are expected to be dispatched in the autumn.

The BHA is working on simplifying the new owner registration process as well as simplifying the registration fees owners pay.

Research must be undertaken to better understand the life cycle of an owner, with particular regard to sensitive phases or triggers that cause them to leave and initiatives to extend their tenure.

Prize-money & expense of racing Predictably owners raised the cost of keeping a horse in training and insufficient prize-money as reasons for leaving. The ROA will continue to work with the industry to deliver more prizemoney at the middle and lower tiers of the programme book.

The survey findings have clearly shown owners’ views and feelings and we will deliver regular updates on progress in the coming months. The in-depth survey findings of over 2,200 owners can be found online in the Resources section of the ROA website. Funding for the survey was secured through the British Horseracing Grant Scheme, administered by the BHA on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

Deauville days Around 30 members enjoyed the benefit of a reciprocal arrangement enabling access into the Jardin des Proprietaires (owners’ garden lounge) over 13 racedays during Deauville’s August festival.

All arrangements worked smoothly, with access into the racecourse and owners’ garden lounge facility, and members made the most of the facilities available. We are very grateful to our friends at France Galop and Deauville racecourse for looking after our visiting members so well.

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www.roa.co.uk

Minella Rocco (left) wins this year’s National Hunt Chase

Upgrade for National Hunt Chase at the Festival In early August the BHA’s Jump Racing Pattern Committee revealed a number of upgrades to British National Hunt races for the 2016/17 season. A total of four races have received a change of status, the most prominent of which is the National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, which will now be a

Grade 2 race, having held Listed status previously.

The remaining beneficiaries are the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle run at Cheltenham on New Years’ Day (granted Listed status), Sandown’s Finale Day bet365 Select Hurdle (up to Grade 2 from Listed), and the British

Stallions Future Champions EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle run at Perth in midApril (granted Listed status).

There are also four new introductory hurdle races, to help persuade some owners to keep a young horse for hurdling, the number of runners in juvenile hurdles having dipped in the past few years.

Once again members enjoyed exclusive access to both the Horsewalk Restaurant and to the Richmond Enclosure during an excellent five days on the downs during the Qatar Glorious Goodwood Festival.

Members who had booked entry on the Tuesday of the meeting were also treated to a new innovation this year, with pre-and postracing drinks in a facility in Car Park 4. The area proved extremely popular, with over 50 guests attending throughout the day, enjoying a champagne reception and canapés during the morning, and afternoon tea post-racing.

The double chocolate brownies proved especially popular!

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KEELY BREWER

NAOMI TUKKER

Goodwood simply glorious again

There was plenty for ROA members to indulge in on and off the track

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ROA FORUM

TRACK TALK

The latest news from the UK’s racecourses

Haydock: evidence of improved experience for owners through the results of the Jockey Club Racecourses’ e-survey

JCR acts on consumer views In July last year the Jockey Club commissioned an e-survey of racehorse owners through the ROA. The objective was to follow up a survey conducted in 2012, reviewing the experience for owners at racecourses, and specifically the Jockey Club’s own racecourses to a similar sample profile.

Almost 350 completed surveys were received.

When asked about the importance of different aspects of the racecourse experience, the following seven factors were considered critical, in order of importance: • Prize-money and owners’ dedicated facilities • Allocation of badges and treatment of winning owners • Food and beverage • Arrival and owners’ viewing facilities There were noticeable improvements in overall satisfaction with experiences across most Jockey Club Courses, and noticeable improvements were noted at Aintree, Cheltenham, Haydock Park and Nottingham.

There were improved perceptions of JCR’s pre-raceday communications, making owners feel valued and providing all necessary details for the day.

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All JCR tracks made owners feel special on arrival, and improvements were noticeable at Haydock Park, Huntingdon, Kempton Park, Nottingham and Warwick. Haydock was also responsible for providing the best owners’ facilities across the group, as well as the most positive winning experience – although nearly all of the group’s racecourses had improved in this area.

The survey showed a strong correlation between those courses awarded the ROA Gold Standard Award and owner satisfaction, with the strongest-performing JCR courses being Cheltenham among the large racecourses, and Market Rasen from the small racecourse pool.

When asked about the most improved racecourse experience for owners, Jockey Club Racecourses had improved greatly from the 2013 survey, and now featured in three of the top six spots – allotted to Cheltenham, Nottingham and Market Rasen.

The survey highlighted that positive steps had indeed been taken following the results of the 2012 survey, which was reflected in the latest results, as Stephen Wallis, Group Director of International and Racing Relations for the Jockey Club, explained, saying: “The research in 2012 was really helpful in shaping

some of the improvements that we believe we have made across the group. It was important to benchmark those enhancements not only against owners’ expectations but also against owners’ views of how we compare to other racecourses.”

Wallis continued: “The 2015 research identified that the Jockey Club has improved the owners’ experience it offers significantly, and that other courses have also improved, which is great for owners overall. Compared to some racecourses we need to look for more wow factors – the icing on the cake.

“However much we have been told we’ve improved, we can’t rest on our laurels and we need to improve further. An example of the latter has been the recent introduction of the TVinaCard for winning owners, which has certainly addressed one area of wow factor.

“The survey also highlighted the growing importance of syndicates and the challenges that racecourses face in looking after the owners’ experience for sole owners at the same time as the experience for large groups and syndicates. Both are really important but not necessarily compatible. The Jockey Club will work with both the ROA and RSA (Racing Syndicates Association) to find solutions that benefit all types of owner.”

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

In Brief

Rebecca Bowtell: ROA recruit

ROA new starter

Bath has been transformed, with owners not forgotten in the developments

We are pleased to announce that Rebecca Bowtell has joined the ROA as an intern.

Rebecca has just finished a degree in equine management and also worked in a yard for several years during this time.

More recently Rebecca has worked for Jockey Club Racecourses at Cheltenham on a five-month placement. As well as having owned showjumpers herself, her parents have horses in training with Tim Vaughan so she has an excellent understanding of ownership issues.

Birthday fizz giveaway We reach our 71st birthday in September. We’d like you to celebrate with us, so we’re giving away six bottles of Corney & Barrow champagne. If you’re an ROA member and you’d like a chance of winning one, email competitions@roa.co.uk with ‘Birthday Fizz Giveaway’ in the subject. Our usual ROA competition rules apply. Cheers!

Ayr regional meeting

Bath open for business July 20 saw the much-anticipated opening of Bath’s multi-million pound Langridge Stand, which completed the refurbishment work at the racecourse. Owners’ facilities at the course were also upgraded in the development, with a new, larger owners’ bar positioned adjacent to the paddock, and a discount for owners wishing to dine in the new Royal Crescent restaurant, which can seat up to 300 people.

Ayr Gold Cup prize boost Some of the fastest handicap sprinters look set to compete for one of the biggest handicap prizes with the news that this year’s Ayr Gold THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Cup has been boosted in value from £180,000 to £200,000.

Feedback draw winner All ROA members submitting feedback regarding their owners’ raceday experience via the quick and easy questionnaire on the ROA website are entered into a monthly prize draw.

This month’s lucky winner of £50 Love to Shop vouchers is a regular feedback provider – David Abbott, who owns horses in several syndicates including Foxtrot Racing.

Congratulations to him, and, to our future winners – could it be your name drawn out next month?

Members are invited to attend the latest in the ROA’s series of regional meetings, which will be held at Ayr racecourse on Thursday, October 6.

Guests will be given the opportunity to express their views and to chat to members of the ROA team, including Chief Executive Charlie Liverton, about topical issues facing the industry and racehorse ownership.

There will also be an update on the current activities of the ROA. Guests are encouraged to stay for lunch and to make use of the box for the rest of the day’s racing.

To book places please contact the ROA office on 020 7152 0200 or email info@roa.co.uk

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ROA FORUM

M AGICAL M OM E NT S with ROA member George Materna

George Materna with wife Anne-Marie after Open The Red’s win at Goodwood

Fifty years ago not only did England win the World Cup, but a passion for racing was fostered in George Materna, a passion that endures to this day.

“My father was interested in horseracing and enjoyed a flutter and allowed me sixpence each-way when I was 13 in 1966,” he says.

“We watched the race on our 9” black and white Bush TV and the horse, Hadrian, came second at 20-1. I was on board! On the same TV we watched England win the World Cup.” For most of those intervening years Materna had dreamed of winning a race at Glorious Goodwood. He has been attending for 40 years, been a member for 30 years, and taken a box for 15 years, and this summer finally cracked it when the Amanda Perretttrained You’re Hired landed the opening £50,000 handicap on Ladies’ Day. “When I was in my twenties I used to look up at the boxes and hope one day it might be me,” he says.

Explaining his background in ownership, Materna, a Hull-born child of Britishnaturalised Czechoslovak parents who escaped in 1948 when the Communists confiscated any wealth they possessed, recalls: “A few years after setting up my recruitment business in 1984 I was having a pint in Southampton with an industry friend Phil Anders and we discussed owning racehorses if and when we could ever afford it. We both were excited and driven by the thought.

“By 1994 we were in a position to have a small go with one horse. I telephoned the BBA for some advice, and Teddy Beckett answered – his life before Prince Khalid Abdullah!

“He was brilliant and held our hand through everything in those early days,

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including providing a choice of trainers after listening to our wishlist.”

After three colourful but winless years with Mick Channon, Materna turned to James Toller, and the then-Whitsbury-based trainer provided him with his first winner, Pagan King, at Brighton in 1998.

“We enjoyed success through various Pagan horses with James, and Lisa Jones was a very lucky rider for us,” he says.

Materna and Anders formed The Gap (taken from their first names) Partnership from 1994 to 2009, during which time there

“In my twenties I

used to look up at the boxes and hope one day it might be me” were 24 winners from 242 runners, the pick being Pagan Dance, Pagan Sky, Pagan Prince and the aforementioned Pagan King.

Some of Materna’s magical moments arrived during that time.

“These included that first winner – thank you James Toller and Royston Ffrench – Pagan Dance when he was second in the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot in 2004, Pagan Prince winning the Mail on Sunday Final in 2003 – Lisa Jones was brilliant – Pagan Sky winning at 20-1 at Pontefract and then 14-1 at Sandown, and Pagan Prince winning the Aunt Bessie’s Handicap at my hometown track Beverley in 2002,” says Materna.

Under his own name since 2005, Materna has matched The Gap Partnership’s 24 winners, from 286 runners. His best horses have included Eye Of The Storm, Glaring, You’re Hired, Deeds Not Words, Czech it Out, Truism, Open The Red and Tigerwolf – Materna, a Hull fan, owns the last-named with his oldest friend Roger Badley, a Wolves fan.

Materna currently has six with Perrett, whom he holds in very high regard along with her husband Mark and has been with since 2000, two with Channon, whose regime “appears chaotic but is passionate and very effective”, while a recent jumping recruit is with Simon Hodgson.

So what does he enjoy about being an owner?

“Lots of things,” he answers. “The anticipation, the adrenalin of a raceday, the build-up and excitement before a race. Also an appreciation of knowing that so many things have to fall in place just to get the horse to the races. Then of course there’s the celebration of a winner or placed horse; it’s fantastic fun as a group. When You’re Hired won at Goodwood all 14 people in our box jumped up at the same time, as did two or three boxes around us.

“That first Glorious Goodwood winner was certainly a magical moment. It was a fantastic day, with so many congratulations and good wishes all washed down by some exceptional Chateau Margaux.

“There have been other great days at Goodwood too. Truism showed such heart when running at Goodwood on the Tuesday and Saturday of the festival for two years on the spin, placing each time.

And it was very exciting to have a runner in last year’s Goodwood Cup, Eye Of The Storm, a one-eyed horse bought from Coolmore at the 2014 Horses in Training sale.

“Away from Goodwood, Deeds Not Words winning a valuable Newmarket race on softish ground he didn’t like – well done Charlie Bishop, great ride! – was a brilliant day, and he chalked up a hat-trick in September 2013.”

The 63-year-old, who with wife AnneMarie has five daughters, was a prop for Southampton rugby club for a decade and is looking forward to following the British & Irish Lions to New Zealand next year.

“The downside is we fly out on the first day of Royal Ascot,” says Materna.

The upside is it doesn’t clash with Glorious Goodwood!

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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

Diary dates and reminders More help for owners looking to find a new career path for their former racehorse

Source A Horse launched Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), British horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing, recently launched the RoR Source A Horse website.

The site has been created to offer a platform to advertise for free, to sell, buy or loan racehorses directly out of a racehorse trainer’s yard and racehorses that have been out of training for a period of time.

Di Arbuthnot, the Chief Executive of RoR, said: “As demand grows it is important that

there are more and varied options for people to acquire former racehorses.

“We want to make it easier for owners and trainers to find suitable new homes for horses leaving racing, and we also want it understood that, on account of their versatility, former racehorses increasingly have a value.”

Whatever their level of retraining, the RoR resources enables owners and trainers to find a new life after racing for their horses, regardless of ability on the racecourse.

SEPTEMBER 6 Visit to Cheveley Park and Banstead Manor Studs

SEPTEMBER 7 Ownership matters roadshow In Bristol

SEPTEMBER 13 Ownership matters roadshow In Harrogate

SEPTEMBER 30 Visit to National Heritage Centre for Horseracing + optional gallops/stable Visit to the yard of Hugo Palmer

OCTOBER 6 Regional meeting

Owners Jackpot in September

At Ayr

OCTOBER 15 Each week Racehorse Owners Association members have the chance to win a bonus of £2,000 on top of win prize-money when they run their horse in an Owners Jackpot race.

The bonus is directed at races Class 4 and below, to help boost the return to owners with runners in those races.

To qualify, horses must be owned at least 51% by ROA members. In the case of a partnership, both nominated partners need to be members of the ROA. This month’s races are listed alongside, and further information about how to ensure your horse is qualified can be found online at roa.co.uk

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

ROA OWNERS JACKPOT RACES THIS MONTH

September 7 Kempton Park 1m4f Class 5 3yo 0-75 Handicap September 15 Pontefract 2m1f Class 5 0-75 3yo+ Handicap

British Champions Day At Ascot

NOVEMBER 4 Regional meeting At Warwick

NOVEMBER 15 Nichola Eddery private view

September 23 Worcester 2m4f Class 4 4yo+ Novices’ Hurdle September 29 Brighton 5f Class 6 2yo 0-60 Handicap Future race details online at roa.co.uk

Osborne Studio Gallery

DECEMBER 1 ROA Horseracing Awards Further details and how to book for ROA events can be found at roa.co.uk, by emailing info@roa.co.uk or by calling the office on 020 7152 0200

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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 Chelmsford City Newcastle Musselburgh Ayr Ripon Pontefract Salisbury Wetherby Lingfield Park Hamilton Park Thirsk Beverley Carlisle Nottingham Kempton Park Leicester Windsor Bath Ffos Las Yarmouth Redcar Chepstow Catterick Bridge Wolverhampton Brighton Southwell Total

Figures for period August 1, 2015 to July 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 2014-15 (£)

Up/ down

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

435,560 199,413 189,746 139,123 111,820 81,251 76,217 68,441 61,958 53,274 41,390 40,887 40,863 37,765 36,093 34,448 34,239 32,066 32,021 29,123 28,661 28,052 26,043 25,525 24,663 24,660 24,343 23,857 22,908 21,524 20,143 20,118 19,959 18,742 16,617 10,521 51,763

129,963 96,156 93,402 70,422 76,070 42,952 57,139 54,461 46,461 41,459 19,210 23,143 16,559 34,545 22,742 30,924 27,167 0 24,228 19,802 19,054 20,075 16,210 19,742 20,966 21,741 19,384 13,883 12,627 21,401 18,909 14,991 18,401 19,877 15,581 25,095 32,298

251,249 111,091 78,853 114,315 96,943 10,710 36,940 31,382 28,964 18,629 4,939 9,081 5,362 10,624 4,803 3,909 5,652 4,185 4,146 4,003 5,746 4,015 4,554 5,561 4,326 5,233 5,032 3,868 3,429 4,470 11,713 3,595 2,807 3,399 2,785 2,490 21,080

816,771 407,367 362,001 323,860 284,833 134,912 171,202 154,434 137,758 114,024 65,539 73,110 62,784 83,100 63,639 69,281 67,183 36,250 60,481 52,928 53,460 52,142 46,808 51,046 49,990 51,634 48,893 41,608 38,964 47,395 50,764 38,704 41,167 42,059 34,983 38,105 105,230

18 17 20 11 40 16 16 25 16 23 61 13 17 18 17 16 16 2 88 19 16 20 13 23 57 20 28 22 7 11 18 16 18 91 22 38 890

14,701,886 6,925,240 7,240,014 3,562,460 11,393,312 2,158,591 2,739,238 3,860,846 2,204,130 2,671,425 3,997,892 950,434 1,067,332 1,495,800 1,081,860 1,108,495 1,074,935 72,500 5,322,310 1,005,633 855,366 1,042,836 608,500 1,174,048 2,849,449 1,032,679 1,368,995 915,385 272,750 521,342 913,750 619,256 741,000 3,827,354 769,630 1,448,000 93,594,670

400,164 173,695 150,183 136,469 89,084 89,331 64,773 64,934 56,237 48,829 38,131 24,212 40,290 35,969 33,316 32,069 30,128 32,205 30,605 25,688 27,895 23,050 24,390 21,469 22,119 23,024 20,835 21,236 24,130 19,124 18,473 15,764 18,277 15,863 13,938 10,253 45,358

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

Up/ down

Jumps Racecourse League Table Ptn Racecourse

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

94

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

Ownership

Avg racecourse spend per fixture (£)

Avg HBLB spend per fixture (£)

Avg owner spend per fixture (£)

Avg prizemoney per fixture (£)

Total no. of fixtures

Total prize-money (£)

Avg racecourse spend per fixture 2014-15 (£)

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

249,064 234,698 139,862 94,827 89,392 56,101 48,608 41,260 33,912 33,371 30,263 30,154 30,101 29,800 28,588 28,035 27,967 27,808 24,976 23,619 23,094 22,971 22,635 21,650 20,678 20,074 19,976 19,925 19,528 18,171 16,838 16,835 16,722 16,543 16,059 15,855 15,689 14,889 14,186 13,936 37,287

131,882 115,233 86,051 86,945 78,929 78,430 59,635 38,295 41,652 27,037 17,345 44,404 28,801 38,554 31,574 22,214 18,765 27,175 26,602 22,098 33,896 23,721 25,134 27,022 20,091 30,072 27,123 22,259 29,770 26,219 24,111 23,571 20,278 18,281 23,148 26,864 25,998 20,842 23,146 21,039 34,665

70,590 61,573 19,014 16,507 16,784 20,946 10,140 12,896 8,416 2,908 5,069 8,385 0 8,277 5,310 3,354 4,234 4,791 4,652 4,305 5,136 0 5,339 6,661 4,640 5,573 4,204 4,543 5,185 4,546 4,012 3,375 3,948 2,962 4,242 3,348 2,917 3,142 3,350 3,551 8,235

451,723 411,504 247,427 200,500 191,405 157,477 119,537 92,452 83,980 63,816 52,678 83,360 58,902 76,631 65,636 53,603 50,966 59,773 56,330 50,022 62,776 46,692 53,107 55,604 45,409 57,414 52,557 47,005 55,420 48,936 44,960 43,781 41,064 37,971 43,702 46,067 44,834 39,427 40,681 38,692 80,643

8 16 8 9 9 10 13 11 8 13 9 12 16 14 14 16 15 15 15 24 10 12 13 24 14 17 13 18 16 10 10 21 20 14 19 6 10 20 15 9 546

3,613,784 6,584,067 1,979,413 1,804,503 1,640,613 1,574,775 1,553,978 1,016,973 671,839 829,606 474,100 1,000,318 942,428 1,072,828 918,910 857,648 764,492 896,600 844,950 1,200,528 627,762 560,310 690,392 1,334,502 635,732 976,038 683,238 846,084 886,722 489,356 449,600 919,409 821,275 531,600 830,333 276,400 448,339 788,541 610,221 348,231 43,996,435

244,870 223,142 135,525 96,862 98,706 45,631 50,823 31,902 21,606 29,390 23,887 27,022 20,951 25,177 26,585 24,159 22,988 26,487 24,479 22,844 26,507 25,040 15,750 18,082 18,561 21,988 20,352 19,749 20,007 12,844 17,707 15,719 12,115 17,684 14,742 13,076 15,602 13,773 14,044 11,532 34,261

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

EXPLANATION The tables set out the average prize-money at each fixture staged by a racecourse over the last 12 months. They show how this is made up of the three sources of prizemoney: 1. Racecourses’ contribution 2. Levy Board (HBLB) 3. Owners The tables also confirm the number of fixtures staged and the total amount of prize-money paid out by each racecourse throughout this period.

The racecourses are ordered by the average amount of their own contribution to prizemoney at each fixture. This contribution originates from various sources including media rights, admission revenues and racecourse sponsors.

If a racecourse has increased its average contribution at each fixture compared with the previous 12 months, it receives a green ‘up’ arrow. If its average contribution has fallen, however, it receives a red ‘down’ arrow.

As these tables are based on the prize-money paid out by each racecourse, the abandonment of a major fixture could distort a racecourse’s performance.

OWNERSHIP KEY JCR Jockey Club Racecourses

ARC Arena Racing Company

I Independently owned racecourse Gold Standard Award

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

TOP-NOTCH BENEFITS FOR OWNERS ROA membership is the equivalent of just 63p* a day but the benefits are immense l

SIS sponsorship (worth an average of £4,000 against ownership costs alone – annually per horse)

l

Free racecourse admission and priority car parking (worth over £200 a year)

l

Automatic third-party insurance (worth £290 a year)

l

BHA 20% fee discounts (worth £55 on average)

l

Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder magazine (worth £55 for 12 issues)

Plus much more

Join over 7,500 owners today. Call 020 7152 0200 or visit roa.co.uk *£230/365 days - £0.63 Terms and conditions may apply to benefits

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TBA FORUM T he spec i al section for TBA members

Iain Jardine hosts Scottish Regional Day

A

record crowd for the Scotland Regional day of TBA members met in early August at Iain Jardine’s training establishment at Hetland Hill Farm, Carrutherstown. On a lovely sunny morning we were welcomed by Iain and his assistant Val Renwick, who plied us with plenty of coffee and Buck’s fizz. After the welcoming reception we started on our tour around the grounds, owned and in the past made famous

by Lenny Lungo.

Iain moved into the yard last October, having previously trained a small string near Jedburgh in the Borders, and he has already built up a team of around 50 horses and trained over 35 winners under both codes.

The tour started with a visit to the vast indoor school which was used for breaking and assembling the horses for second lot. It was here that Iain gave instructions to the 14 riders, who were to head out to the most impressive all-weather gallop followed by the keen spectators.

Iain’s gallop is a seven-furlong horseshoe running in conjunction with a large grass gallop nearby, all set in the most spectacular views of the Solway Firth and over the water to Cumbria. The horses worked on the allweather gallop and were an impressive sight coming up and round from the bottom to the top of Hetland Hill, which was quite a climb.

Luckily we were able to see them from start to finish with our host doing the commentary.

After watching the horses on the gallop, we then walked back to the yard, where we were shown each of the horses in their stables, with

Horses warm up for exercise in front of the stunning views of the Solway Firth

Iain doing a full and impressive talk about each one. Already two of his barns are full and it won’t be long before another one is needed.

For those of us that wanted to see more, we were able to see a young horse being brokenin in the indoor school; then it was back to more coffee and Buck’s fizz and a chat with several members of Iain’s staff, who were kind enough to spend some time with us even though they had been working all morning.

It was great to get the chance to have been in the yard in full swing of a normal day’s work and to have the opportunity to get a real inside view of how the yard works, from mucking out, to the preparation of a runner

Horses work up the seven-furlong all-weather gallop to the top of Hetland Hill

96

Members observe the string in action at Iain Jardine’s picturesque yard

at Carlisle races later on that evening.

We then proceeded to the Hetland Hall Hotel for refreshments, which was conveniently located right next to the yard.

While in the comfortable surroundings of the hotel, we were given the most interesting talk from Karen Sharp, an almoner for the Injured Jockeys’ Fund. She told us about the important charity, from its beginnings right up to the present time, including the wonderful facilities now on offer to jockeys at Jack Berry House.

We’d like to extend our thanks to Karen for coming to talk to us, despite her daughter having her first ride on the Flat at Carlisle that day. A sincere thank you also from the TBA to Iain, Val and all their staff for making the day possible, and to TBA representative Tim Finch for his wonderful account of the day.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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www.thetba.co.uk

TBA diary dates TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 North Regional Day

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 TBA Bonus for the EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series Finale At Newmarket

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 National Hunt Stallion Parade At Cheltenham

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 TBA Stud Farming Course Lynda Ormandy receives her award from Philip Newton at Ascot on King George day

Lynda Ormandy takes runnerup prize in annual TBA award Each year the TBA presents an Annual Stud Staff Award and a runner-up prize, both generously sponsored by New England Stud.

The runner-up prize for 2016 has been awarded to Lynda Ormandy, Senior Stud Hand at Juddmonte Farms Wargrave. Lynda has worked at Wargrave since 1972, first employed there by Gerald Leigh and then by Juddmonte Farms when they took the farm over in 1980.

Over the years she has undertaken a variety

of roles, from stud work to breaking yearlings, and is now responsible for transporting Juddmonte bloodstock around the UK and Europe. This may entail long journeys, sometimes with delays, but Lynda always puts her horses first and ensures their wellbeing and safe passage.

At the stud she acts as a mentor to new and young staff, and can be relied on in emergencies for her calm and reasoned

British Racing School, Newmarket

NEW TBA MEMBERS Mrs Melanie Rowley, Shropshire Mr Paddy Fleming, Suffolk Mr Adrian O’Brien, Suffolk Mr Roger Vicarage, Bedfordshire

approach. Her employers cite her dedication, commitment and attention to detail as second to none, and her colleagues describe her as a hard-working professional who commands respect throughout the Juddmonte Group.

For all of these reasons Lynda was judged to be a very worthy winner of this award, which she received from TBA Board member Philip Newton at Ascot on King George day, by kind permission of Ascot racecourse.

New HBLB Codes of Practice App launched at TBA Seminar at Haydock Park Breeders and trainers now have reliable advice on equine disease control at their fingertips thanks to a new, free App launched by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) at the TBA’s North West Seminar in July. EquiBioSafe covers all the key elements of contagious disease prevention and control based on the important HBLB Codes of Practice for the breeding industry.

Outbreaks of contagious disease can have devastating consequences, as has been demonstrated during 2016 when incidences of EHV1-4 disrupted the breeding season for a number of stud farms. Early diagnosis and prompt implementation of biosecurity measures are essential to reduce risk of the spread of infectious disease, and over the years the HBLB Codes of Practice have provided guiding principles to protect the industry. To improve ease of access, the EquiBioSafe App has been designed by vets with support from HBLB, to ensure that reliable advice on equine disease control is always available.

EquiBioSafe is a portable, user-friendly and interactive synopsis of both the HBLB Disease Control Codes of Practice for Breeders and the National Trainers Federation (NTF) Codes of Practice for racehorse

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

trainers. The essential disease information and advice is accessible and relevant to the owners and keepers of any breed of horse or pony. The comprehensive biosecurity section covers all the important contagious diseases. It explains how to minimise contagious disease risk with practical advice on management of horses, staff, visitors and the environment and checklists for dealing with sick horses.

Clinical conditions and techniques are illustrated with video and stills. The app allows breeders to calculate CEM disease risk for individual broodmares and stallions and will also help breeders find the nearest Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office. Automatic updates ensure that users always have the latest version, with additional advantage that emergency updates can be issued very quickly in the face of any new disease threats.

The free EquiBioSafe App is available now for iPhones and iPads from iTunes at http://apple.co/29DGtyQ and an android version is also available on Google Play store. The full Codes of Practice will continue to be available online in PDF, print ready format. The TBA will also distribute a hard copy of the 2017 Codes of Practice at the end of 2016.

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TBA FORUM

TBA Northern Seminar at Haydock Park racecourse

ADAM SMYTH

As part of the TBA’s commitment to deliver more accessible educational events, a one-day seminar took place at Haydock Park racecourse in mid-July, which was generously sponsored

by Saracen Horse Feeds. The programme was similar to that offered last year at Newbury and Newmarket, with Kentucky Equine Research President Dr Joe Pagan and agronomist Roger Allman of the Farm Clinic speaking again, together with compere Lee Hall from Hallway Feeds, who kept speakers to time while simultaneously entertaining delegates with jokes and anecdotes.

Dr Pagan provided the opening and closing presentations of the day, starting with a statistical analysis demonstrating the seasonal and yearly differences in growth patterns among foals and yearlings, and ending with an evidence-based presentation on how environment affects bone growth in young horses. A key message was that while it is not possible to affect the maximum size a horse will grow to, factors such as environment and nutrition can alter growth rate.

Dr Pagan highlighted the importance of optimal growth rate – not too fast to avoid developmental problems and not too slow or they will not reach their full potential. He also stressed that exercise is vital to developing bone strength, and that conversely thoroughbreds confined for long periods due to illness and injury are particularly vulnerable to bone demineralisation that may predispose them to fractures, whether they be horses in training

ADAM SMYTH

Polly Bonnor from Saracen Horse Feeds and Roger Allman from the Farm Clinic

Dr Joe Pagan from Kentucky Equine Research

98

returning to work, or foals recuperating from orthopaedic surgery.

Charles Cooke spoke on the now-familiar issue of drug resistance in parasites, reminding delegates that it is a serious problem for the industry which needs attention. Cooke highlighted the unique position of stud farms, which have a wide age-range of stock from neonates to older mares, high numbers of horses on site at certain times of year, which are a mixture of visiting and resident animals, and the historic overuse of anthelmintics on a ‘just in case’ basis.

He proposed a number of strategies to manage the problem, such as appropriate druguse based on need, careful paddock management including rigorous dropping picking, and care when introducing new arrivals. In conclusion, Cooke stated the importance of collaboration between vets and stud personnel to tackle the problem.

Allman and Polly Bonnor presented together on how to balance nutrition and pasture management to the best effect, advising how to achieve optimum nutritional composition of pasture through soil analysis and use of fertiliser, selection of grasses, and mechanical means of improving pasture. Allman described soil as “a bank account that the plants, and ultimately the horses, draw upon, and which needs to be regularly inspected and replenished according to soil tests.”

Both cited the importance of stock rotation to control parasites and encourage a healthy sward, and of high-quality pasture to enable

feed to perform to maximum benefit for the horse.

Another issue facing breeders this season has been infectious disease, particularly EHV1-4.

Fyrnwy clinic’s Matthew Robin gave a clear and comprehensive explanation of how contagious and non-contagious disease spreads, and provided some useful pointers on biosecurity measures, in particular in relation to control of herpes virus infection. He also touched on those scourges of the breeding season, rotavirus and rhodococcus, as well as highlighting the deleterious effect of Lawsonia on weanlings, which, while not affecting race performance, may have an effect on sale price.

The day ended with a fascinating presentation from farrier Simon Curtis, currently in the final stages of a PhD in equine biomechanics and physiology. His presentation on ‘Development of the hoof from foetus to maturity’ examined hoof development, growth and renewal, hoof shape, deformities and loading, with some excellent and enlightening photographic and video evidence. Curtis concluded that his findings will help farriers gain a clearer understanding of hoof growth and hoof wall structure and development, which will improve hoof care. Knowing about hoof renewal times will improve predications of healing, and knowledge of hoof compression will lead to improved treatments.

Our thanks go to our sponsors Saracen Horse Feeds for enabling us to put the day on, and to our speakers who generously gave their time to attend the seminar.

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

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ASCOT RACECOURSE

ASCOT RACECOURSE

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

Barbara Prendergast and Lady Zara Napier

The successful 2016 Royal Ascot breeders gather in the winner’s enclosure

small, towards thoroughbred racing as a whole, and it is via this type of recognition that the TBA, in association with racecourses across Britain, hopes to encourage our current and future thoroughbred breeders to continue in the industry.

Our thanks to Nick Smith and the team for giving us such a memorable day.

Lesley and Russell Field

ASCOT RACECOURSE

TBA Chief Executive Louise Kemble and Membership Executive Annette Bell were fortunate to be invited along with breeders to attend a special winning breeders’ lunch by the kind invitation of Ascot racecourse at the King George VI meeting on Friday, July 22.

This followed on from the fresh initiative

by Ascot, which had offered all breeders with a runner tickets to attend and see their progeny run at the Royal meeting. This offer was met with great enthusiasm by breeders from near and far.

In celebration and recognition of their success, all winning breeders were invited to attend a delicious lunch in the Authority Box, where they were not only wined and dined in great style, but each received a special memento of their success in the form of a personally engraved silver strawberry dish.

Guy Henderson, the CEO of Ascot racecourse, was keen to acknowledge the contribution made by breeders, large and

ASCOT RACECOURSE

Royal Ascot breeders’ lunch

Breeders enjoy lunch in the Authority Box at Ascot racecourse

Summer regional seminar at Exeter racecourse Thanks to some funding from the Racing Foundation, the TBA and the National Stud were able to collaborate in offering breeders another opportunity to attend a seminar outside Newmarket.

Exeter racecourse was the venue for a day aimed at breeders in the south-west, from Cornwall to Gloucestershire. Three speakers covered four topics, the first being nutrition for the broodmare delivered by Lizzie Drury of Saracen Horse feeds. This was followed by a session on latest techniques in parasite control, delivered by Simon Joyner of the Western Counties

THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

Equine Hospital and which echoed the message given at Haydock regarding strategic use of drugs and parasite control on stud farms.

A short session on Equine First aid was also delivered by Joyner, which offered some extremely useful take-home messages for those unexpected situations where the right response can make a crucial difference to recovery from an accident.

The afternoon session was a doubleheader from Charlie Pinkham of Pinkham Equine Veterinary Services, who gave a comprehensive reminder to all of how to

prepare a mare for the covering season and then moved on to cover biosecurity on the stud farm, much of which is based on the HBLB Codes of Practice, which act as a vital protection for our industry.

The day was well received by delegates, who welcomed the provision of a local course, and we extend our thanks to the Racing Foundation for its support of the day, as well as thanking the speakers who made such a valuable contribution.

Slides from the seminar at Haydock and the regional course at Exeter are available on the TBA website.

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TBA FORUM

Book your places for the popular three-day TBA Stud Farming Course

One of the highlights for last year’s stud farming course delegates was meeting Frankel during a tour of Banstead Manor Stud

During the small window between the end of the sales and start of the breeding season, the Annual TBA Stud Farming Course takes place in early December at the British Racing School.

Held over three days, breeders and stud staff have the opportunity to learn about the latest stud management topics from leading veterinary and industry experts. The course also allows delegates to network informally with breeders large and small, exchanging ideas and good practice.

Day one of the course covers management of the broodmare starting with conception, including managing problem mares, pregnancy diagnosis, pregnancy loss, parasite control, paddock management and disease prevention and biosecurity measures. The second day deals with skin disease, infectious disease, transport, nutrition, pedigrees, sales preparation and stallion management. The course concludes with a day looking at foaling, foal care, diseases of the yearling, and management of growth

Don’t Miss Out North Regional Day – September 6 Tour of yard and gallops at David O’Meara’s stables, followed by lunch at the Old Lodge Hotel and a visit to Jack Berry House.

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defects and angular limb deformities, including interventions made by the farrier. Delegates will have the opportunity to get to know each other better over a course dinner, and external visits provide an opportunity for a change of scene.

There will be opportunities to question lecturers throughout the three days, and a comprehensive handbook of course notes is provided as a useful reference source. The course is aimed at those who want to build on

their practical experience and knowledge of stud work.

The fee for 2016 is £395 for TBA members (discounts are available for studs sending four or more delegates) and £495 for non-members (including dinner on the first night, lunches and refreshments, but not accommodation or other meals). For further information, contact Melissa Parris at the TBA on 01638 661321 or email Melissa.parris@thetba.co.uk.

New Regional Representative Nick Alexander The TBA welcomes Nick Alexander as a new Regional Representative, providing extra support for our members in Scotland.

Nick is a long-standing owner, breeder and National Hunt trainer based at Kinneston, 25 miles north of Edinburgh.

Married to Rose, he is the father of successful jockey Lucy Alexander and leading amateur Kit Alexander and their younger siblings Clare and Johnny.

He has trained many homebred winners and after a brief sabbatical this year sent his homebred mare Spinning Away to Gentlewave at Yorton Farm. Next year he hopes to develop his breeding operation by sending his multiple-winning homebred Little Glenshee to a British-based stallion.

Nick is delighted to become more

Scottish regional representative, National Hunt trainer Nick Alexander

actively involved with the TBA and promote the interests of the British breeder.

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Sep_145_BreederOfTheMonth_Owner 19/08/2016 15:00 Page 101

BREEDER OF THE MONTH

www.thetba.co.uk

Words Alan Yuill Walker Sponsored by

Manufacturers of

another homebred, Call To Arms, was just beaten for the Dewhurst Stakes – at the time his sire North Briton was the teaser at Stetchworth.

The principal stallion then was Hadeer, who once again illustrates Gredley’s innovative style. He had bought this chesnut as a three-yearold out of Michael Stoute’s stable for 13,000gns in 1985 and he proceeded to win three Group races the ensuing season.

SPECIAL MERIT – July 2016

EMMA BERRY

Crossfields Bloodstock

Big Orange: a double double at Newmarket and Goodwood

BREEDER OF THE MONTH – July 2016

Stetchworth Park and Middle Park Studs The resurgence of Bill Gredley’s distinctive yellow and black colours is shared with his son Tim. At Goodwood they recorded a magnificent double with the Michael Bell-trained pair Big Orange in the Goodwood Cup and Franklin D, the best backed horse of the entire week, in the Betfred Mile.

However, it is Big Orange who deserves the most plaudits as this homebred was posting a unique double double, as the five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding has now claimed back to back victories in both the Goodwood Cup and the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.

Last season this earned the Gredleys’ Stetchworth Park and Middle Park Studs, which are situated on the periphery of Newmarket, the Special Merit award for July, and now the equivalent Breeder of the Month award.

There has been quite a time lapse in the Gredley fortunes since the halcyon days of Environment Friend (1991 Eclipse Stakes) and User Friendly (1992 Oaks, St Leger, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks), both of whom largely disappointed at stud.

At one stage Gredley installed a private trainer at Middle Park, where Environment Friend reverted from stallion duties to becoming a racehorse again, very nearly winning the 1993 Coronation Cup. Four years earlier

Prix Robert Papin hero Tis Marvellous was bred and reared at Bearstone Stud from a family synonymous with Terry Holdcroft’s Shropshire nursery – however, the colt’s breeders are Mike Bullock, a chartered accountant, and his wife Tina, who trade as Crossfields Bloodstock.

Tis Marvellous is a great grandson of the Danehill mare My First Romance. She was procured for 20,000gns by Bearstone as a three-yearold from her breeder, Jerry Sung, out of Michael Jarvis’s stable at the 1995 Newmarket July Sales.

My First Romance died aged 23 last year. Appropriately her last offspring is called Final Chapter, a two-year-old Nathaniel colt in training with Tim Easterby. “They always say that foals from old mares tend to be small,” observes Stud Manager Mark Pennell, “but he was much the biggest of all her 16 progeny.”

My First Romance is responsible for 13 individual winners from her first 14 runners. Remarkably three of her first four offspring scored at Royal Ascot. In 2000 Romantic Myth won the Queen Mary Stakes, a feat emulated by Romantic Liason two years later when their half-brother Zargus won the Balmoral Handicap.

Romantic Myth, who belongs to the first crop of the former Bearstone resident Mind Games (his sire Puissance also stood there), has not proved as regular a breeder as her dam. It is her daughter Mythicism (by Oasis Dream) who is responsible for Tis Marvellous.

The Bullocks bought Mythicism as a yearling at Doncaster for 40,000gns and, after scoring as a juvenile for Bryan Smart, she returned to the Bearstone paddocks. Tis Marvellous is her fourth progeny and fourth winner. Tis Marvellous realised 48,000gns as a foal and £52,000 as a yearling.

Mythicism’s latest yearling, a Lethal Force filly, featured as lot 320 at the recent Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster. Maintaining a 100% breeding record, she also has a colt foal by Dark Angel and has been tested in foal to Sepoy.

CALPHORMIN

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Sep_145_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:01 Page 102

VET FORUM: THE EXPERT VIEW

By DEIDRE CARSON BVSc MRCVS

Get set before joining the jet set The risk of spreading infectious diseases means that horses flying across the globe are subjected to stringent testing prior to being allowed to travel

Read the small print I am going to stick in a disclaimer here: this is not an article specifically listing the import/export requirements for horses travelling abroad. I advise anyone considering exporting horses from the UK or importing from or to another country to liaise with a reputable equine shipping agent and their recommended veterinary practice(s) to ensure there are no unexpected surprises!

The country of destination (for simplicity, I am going to call this the ‘importing’ country) sets out its own requirements for horses

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BBA SHIPPING

I

nternational travel is now commonplace for humans but also increasingly for horses and other animals. A growing number of thoroughbreds are sent abroad either temporarily to race or breed, or permanently having been sold or simply moved by owners to race or breed in another country. The movement of horses for international events, such as showjumping, dressage and eventing competitions or endurance races, is also increasing year on year. With the Rio Olympics having just taken place, the logistics of getting team and individual competitors’ horses from a vast number of countries to the venue safely has to have been in the planning for several years.

All of this equine movement increases the risk of the spread of disease from infected or carrier horses to naïve or vulnerable populations. In an attempt to reduce this risk, unlike human travellers, horses must undergo tests and/or vaccinations, and sometimes a period of isolation in the UK before departure.

Occasionally more tests and/or quarantine must be undertaken upon arrival in the country of destination.

Sometimes the risk of disease spread is considered so high that the export of horses from a particular country or part of that country is banned. A good example of this is the current situation in South Africa where ongoing cases of African Horse Sickness has a profound negative effect on the ability of that country to export horses. Movement of horses within the EU is relatively straightforward compared to movements between third countries (countries outside the EU) but that all might change in the future following the ‘Brexit’ result of the recent referendum.

America, Australia, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Japan and India are among the countries that will not allow entry to horses testing positive to Piroplasmosis

travelling there, depending on the country of origin (the ‘exporting’ country) and the diseases the importing country is wishing to avoid being introduced. There is plenty of room for error when reading the requirements and it is important to either use an

“It gets more

complicated when we consider that there might be more than one test for a disease” experienced shipping agent or make sure that you have read the small print – preferably several times – before attempting to prepare a horse yourself. There are different diseases to test for and also there might be different tests for the same disease, different intervals between tests and/or entry into quarantine or

before the horse can leave the country.

For example, before a horse can be imported into Dubai, it must be tested for Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), Dourine and Glanders, and colts also must be also tested for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA). These tests must be done within 30 days of export and the samples must be sent to the APHA. The horses must also have previously had a primary course of the same flu vaccines 21 to 42 days apart (which is different to our BHA vaccine requirements, which are that the second vaccine must be given 21 to 90 days after the first), and to have received regular annual boosters. It must then have a flu booster between 14 and 60 days before export. The horse will also be put into quarantine on arrival.

Other countries might require testing for different diseases, e.g. Australia requires testing for Piroplasmosis and also genital swabs for Contagious Equine Metritis Organism (CEMO) in addition to tests for EIA, EVA and Glanders. These horses also have a period of pre-export quarantine in the UK and post-import quarantine in Australia.

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BBA SHIPPING

Sep_145_Vet_Forum_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 15:01 Page 103

Testing and quarantine requirements vary hugely for different countries

To confuse the vaccination issue, the Australian authorities allow the primary course of flu vaccine to have been given 21 to 90 days apart. Annual boosters must have been given or a new course started. For Hong Kong, the primary course of flu vaccines must have been given 28 to 42 days apart. While this might cause a time delay if the horse has to start a new course of injections, imagine the muddle if the horse has had a new course of vaccine in accordance with the requirements for import to Australia and it is then to go on to Dubai but it had its second vaccine at 45 days (too late), or it is meant to go to Hong Kong but had its second at 25 days (too early).

It would have to start and complete a second new course to do either.

The swabs that are routinely taken, depending on the importing country, are usually genital swabs for CEMO or nasopharyngeal swabs for strangles. The CEMO swabs might be needed from two, three or four different sites and might have to be taken on one, two or three occasions over one week or at weekly intervals. These all have to be submitted to the APHA for culture over six or seven days as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is not permitted for export CEMO tests.

The strangles test which looks for strep equi DNA can be completed within 24 hours.

It gets more complicated when we consider that there might be more than one test for a disease. Testing CEMO swabs is pretty straightforward â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the swabs are swiped over agar plates and incubated under special conditions to see if the CEMO bacteria grow on the plates. In this instance, as with strangles PCR, we are looking for direct THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER

evidence of infection or presence of bacteria even if there are no clinical signs of disease.

On the other hand, most blood tests can really only look for indirect evidence of infection because they look for antibodies that the body has produced in response to infection with a particular organism (i.e. they are serological tests). For example, a horse which has been infected with EVA will have a positive EVA antibody titre (test result).

However, the positive EVA test result in a stallion might also be due to previous vaccination against EVA. Most serological tests are not 100% accurate so it is possible to have false positives and false negatives. There is a time lag between infection and the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to produce a measurable antibody level.

If two tests are required they are usually taken two weeks apart to allow for this.

Piroplasmosis One disease which causes considerable trouble when it comes to interpretation of

A blood smear showing Piroplasmosiscausing organisms in red blood cells

results is Piroplasmosis. Piroplasmosis is a parasitic disease transmitted by ticks or contaminated instruments, etc, i.e. by direct transfer of contaminated blood. There are two different but related organisms which cause the disease. The two main tests which are used to try to determine the Piroplasmosis status of a horse are the IFAT and the cELISA. A horse which tests positive for Piroplasmosis will not be allowed to enter the USA, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia or India, among other places. However, there is variability between laboratories as to the results they can obtain, even when blood from the same horse is tested. This can sometimes (rarely in the UK) be due to the disease status of the horse changing between samples, e.g. the horse had only just been exposed at the time of the first sample and had managed to mount an immune response in time for the second. More commonly, inconsistencies appear to be due to the different laboratories using different reagents (substances that react with the specific Piroplasmosis antibodies in the blood to give the result) as well as to the test used.

If a horse is being exported to the USA, blood tests are usually done in the USA before the horse leaves the UK to try to be sure the results will be negative when the horse arrives.

However, sometimes this is still no guarantee. The potential problems that arise can be exemplified by a case where a horse tested negative before being exported to the USA, tested negative in quarantine on arrival but then tested positive in the state of its final destination. It was returned to the UK with the owner having spent thousands on transportation and quarantine fees to no avail.

In recent years, shippers and some owners have chosen to have samples tested at a laboratory in Germany, where the results seem to be more in line with those achieved when the horse arrives in the USA. The APHA has said that it is hoping to work with the German lab to try to ensure that their results are consistent and repeatable in both labs.

While the stud season and big international race meetings bring about a considerable level of international horse transport, it is the yearling, horses in training and breeding stock sales that create the largest number of exports from the UK. We must not underestimate the work involved in the smooth running of this valuable aspect of our industry nor the importance of remaining vigilant to prevent the importation of disease. The tests might seem to be an unnecessary expense, but compared to the cost of an outbreak of disease, the testing of internationally travelling horses is peanuts.

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Sep_145_DrStatz_Owner Breeder 19/08/2016 16:33 Page 104

DR STAT JOHN BOYCE CRACKS THE CODE

Dancer ratios underline excellence In black-type winners to runners and upgrading of mares, Danehill Dancer has few peers

T

he recent impressive victories of Qemah in the Coronation Stakes and Prix Rothschild, plus the ever increasing haul of Group 1 victories by Minding, The Gurkha and Alice Springs has shone the light yet again on the incredible influence of Danehill Dancer.

He is the sire of Qemah and broodmare sire of Minding, The Gurkha and Alice Springs.

Danehill Dancer was a prolific two-year-old, winning both the Phoenix Stakes and National Stakes in the colours of Michael Tabor for trainer Neville Callaghan. But he was then soundly beaten in the Dewhurst by champion two-yearold Alhaarth, and although he returned at three to take the Greenham, he never won again, despite running some good races, most notably when finishing third to the great sprinter Anabaa in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Timeform awarded him a 117 rating, which is way below the level expected of the best stallion prospects of the modern era.

Nonetheless, a low rating did nothing to stop Danehill Dancer thriving as a stallion at Coolmore alongside his illustrious father Danehill. He’s been both hot and lukewarm throughout his time at stud and in the last six years of his career, his fee fell from €115,000 to €25,000 (he retired from stud duties in 2014).

Because of his fluctuating popularity, Danehill Dancer has covered a wide variety of mares, but he has managed to maintain very respectable ratios of black-type winners to runners.

In the northern hemisphere, his 123 blacktype winners make up 9.6% of his runners, and his 72 Group winners account for 5.6% of them. These are very impressive ratios and point to him being an excellent sire. Even more impressive is the fact that the comparable ratios posted when the dams of his runners visited all other sires are some way inferior. As a group, other sires have managed only 7.2% black-type winners from his mares and 3.6% Group winners. So we can say that Danehill Dancer The exciting Qemah has kept Danehill Dancer’s name in lights

DANEHILL DANCER’S TOP-RATED RUNNERS TFR

Horse

Broodmare Sire

Best Form

129 126 126 125 124 124 123 122 122 122 121 121 121

Mastercraftsman Choisir Fast Company Light Fantastic Planteur Where Or When Esoterique Here Comes When Jeremy Legatissimo Hillstar One World Snaefell

Black Tie Affair Lunchtime Zafonic Kendor Giant’s Causeway Super Concorde Dancing Brave Spinning World Arazi Montjeu Mark Of Esteem Hurricane Sky Standaan

G1w G1w G3wG1p G1w G1w G1w G1w G2w G2wG1p G1w G1w LRwG1p G3w

passed that all important test of upgrading his mares with flying colours.

Shrewd breeders probably ignored his fall in fee, which was influenced first and foremost by his sales results. When we examine his returns from elite mares that account for about half of his runners, the results are even more impressive. Danehill Dancer sires 14.8% blacktype winners and 9.5% Group winners from his best mares, numbers that demonstrate his full potential as a stallion. There would not be too many sires ranked above based on elite mares.

Galileo and Dubawi are among the best at present with scores of 18% black-type winners from their elite mares.

Generally speaking, Danehill Dancer has been an influence for speed. That is not to say he sires only sprinters. Far from it, after all, his elite runners Mastercraftsman, Planteur and Legatissimo were all at their best over ten furlongs. But the average winning distance of his progeny aged three and older is 8.3 furlongs. Yet his mares’ other

runners averaged a winning distance of 8.8 furlongs. The difference of 0.5 furlongs is significant in the grand scheme of things. After all, the great Galileo adds 1.7 furlongs on average to mares that normally produce winners at around nine furlongs.

It is no surprise to see Danehill Dancer mares being crossed with Galileo – his sire Danehill and Galileo have become one of the most potent combinations in Europe. There are 39 blacktype winners and 12 Group 1 winners by Galileo out of Danehill mares so far, headed by Frankel. And now there are three northern hemisphere Group 1 winners by Galileo from Danehill Dancer mares and all are three-yearolds of 2016. It’s a cross sure to feature in the pedigrees of many more top-class racehorses.

Danehill Dancer’s influence is also exerted through his sons at stud. There are 13 stallion sons that have already sired black-type winners.

The 126-rated sprinter Choisir, sire of Olympic Glory and Starspangledbanner, leads the way from the 129-rated Mastercraftsman, sire of The Grey Gatsby, Kingston Hill and Amazing Maria, while Fast Company, rated 126 by Timeform, has also enjoyed some big moments in 2016. Significantly, all three comprise his top-rated runners on the racecourse.

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DATA BOOK ANALYSIS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD

European Pattern 166 TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH STAKES G1 NEWMARKET. Jul 8. 3yo+f. 8f.

1. ALICE SPRINGS (IRE) 3 8-12 £113,420 ch f by Galileo - Aleagueoftheirown (Danehill Dancer) O-Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith B-Lynch - Bages & Longfield Stud TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Very Special (IRE) 4 9-7 £43,000 ch f by Lope de Vega - Danielli (Danehill) O-Godolphin B-Ballylinch Stud TR-Saeed bin Suroor 3. Always Smile (IRE) 4 9-7 £21,520 b f by Cape Cross - Eastern Joy (Dubai Destination) O-Godolphin B-Darley TR-Saeed bin Suroor Margins 2.25, Nose. Time 1:34.40. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 13

Wins 3

Places 7

Earned £545,261

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 241 Stakes winners. In 2016 ALICE SPRINGS Danehill Dancer G1, DEAUVILLE Danehill G1, HIGHLAND REEL Danehill G1, MINDING Danehill Dancer G1, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Johannesburg G1, THE GURKHA Danehill Dancer G1, THE UNITED STATES Pivotal G1, SWORD FIGHTER Grand Lodge G2, BEACON ROCK Danehill Dancer G3, BEST IN THE WORLD Intikhab G3, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, CHURCHILL Storm Cat G3, DECORATED KNIGHT Storm Cat G3, FAUFILER Celtic Swing G3, FOUND Intikhab G3, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT Dixieland Band G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, PHOTO CALL Rock of Gibraltar G3, PRETTY PERFECT Danehill G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE Danehill G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON Danehill G3, ULYSSES Kingmambo G3, US ARMY RANGER Dalakhani G3.

1st Dam: Aleagueoftheirown by Danehill Dancer.

Winner at 3, 2nd IrishStall.Farms EBF Sweet Mimosa S LR. Dam of 4 winners: 2010: Kingston Jamaica (c Galileo) Winner at 2, 3rd Korean Racing Authority Tyros S G3.

2011: Criteria (f Galileo) Winner at 3, 2nd Betfred Oaks Trial S LR, Newsells Park Stud Aphrodite S LR, 3rd DFS Park Hill S G2, Ribblesdale S G2.

2012: CROCODILE ROCK (g Galileo) 2 wins.

2013: ALICE SPRINGS (f Galileo) Sold 550,000gns yearling at TAOC1. 3 wins at 2 and 3, Tattersalls Falmouth S G1, 2nd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf G1, Turkey Jockey Club Silver Flash S G3, 3rd Coronation S G1, Moyglare Stud S G1, Qipco 1000 Guineas G1, Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial S G3.

2015: (f Galileo) 2nd Dam: Golden Coral by Slew O’ Gold. ran 3 times at 3. Own sister to GOLDEN OPINION. Dam of Aleagueoftheirown (f Danehill Dancer, see above) Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of the dams of 60 Stakes winners. In 2016 - ALICE SPRINGS Galileo G1, MINDING Galileo G1, MUSIC MAGNATE Written Tycoon G1, THE GURKHA Galileo G1, HAWKSMOOR Azamour G2.

The Galileo/Danehill Dancer cross has produced: ALICE SPRINGS G1, MINDING G1, THE GURKHA G1, WEDDING VOW G1, BEACON ROCK G2, QUEST FOR PEACE G2, Criteria G2, Lahinch Classics G2, BE MY GAL G3, KISSED BY ANGELS G3, RECORDER G3, Kingston Jamaica G3, Noble Galileo G3, Queen Nefertiti G3, INDIAN MAHARAJA LR, KIND OF MAGIC LR, Facade LR, Felix Mendelssohn LR, Seussical LR.

ALICE SPRINGS ch f 2013 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge GALILEO b 98 Miswaki Urban Sea Allegretta Danehill Danehill Dancer Mira Adonde ALEAGUEOFTHEIROWN b 04 Slew O’ Gold Golden Coral Optimistic Lass

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Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal Lombard Anatevka Danzig Razyana Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour Seattle Slew Alluvial Mr Prospector Loveliest

When Alice Springs forged clear of Very Special to land the Falmouth Stakes, she followed the Classic winners Minding and The Gurkha as the third Gr1 winner of 2016 to represent the flourishing partnership between Galileo and daughters of Danehill Dancer. And, like The Gurkha, Alice Springs has a second dam by Slew o’Gold.

This cross currently has 69 foals of racing age, of which 11 – nearly 16% – have become black-type winners.

Remarkably, this figure is very close to that achieved by Galileo’s famous partnership with mares by Danehill.

However, with nine of its 11 winning at Group level, the Danehill Dancer team is even out-performing the Danehill contingent, achieving 13% Group winners, compared to nearly 11% for Team Danehill.

What makes these statistics even more remarkable is the fact that Alice Springs, Minding and The Gurkha are the only northern hemisphere Gr1 winners that any stallion has sired from Danehill Dancer mares.

Alice Springs’ dam, the Listedplaced winner Aleagueoftheirown, has been a constant visitor to Galileo.

Alice Springs is her fourth Galileo foal and fourth winner, and there is also a yearling filly by him.

Her older sister Criteria was a close third in the Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes before finishing third in the Gr2 Park Hill Stakes, so she clearly stayed well.

Alice Springs, though, has never tackled more than a mile, no doubt because Aleagueoftheirown spent most of her career over six and seven furlongs, despite having gained her only win over an extended mile.

Alice Springs is the second Gr1 winner of 2016 from her female line.

Her fourth dam, the Tibaldo mare Loveliest, also ranks as the third dam of My Dream Boat, a surprise winner of the Gr1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Loveliest was best known as the dam of Optimistic Lass, a very smart Mr Prospector filly who stayed well enough to win the Musidora and Nassau Stakes.

Although not short of stamina, Optimistic Lass produced a speedier type in Golden Opinion, a sister to Alice Springs’ lightly-raced second dam, Golden Coral. Even though Golden Opinion’s sire, Slew o’Gold, was a dual Gr1 winner over a mile and a half, Golden Opinion won the Gr1 Coronation Stakes over a mile before dropping down to six furlongs to finish runner-up in the Gr1 July Cup. 167 DARLEY JULY CUP G1 NEWMARKET. Jul 9. 3yo+. 6f.

1. LIMATO (IRE) 4 9-6 £302,690 b g by Tagula - Come April (Singspiel) O-Mr Paul G. Jacobs B-S. Phelan TR-Henry Candy 2. Suedois (FR) 5 9-6 £114,756 b g by Le Havre - Cup Cake (Singspiel) O-Mr George Turner B-Mme E. Vidal TR-David O’Meara 3. Quiet Reflection (GB) 3 8-11 £57,432 b f by Showcasing - My Delirium (Haafhd)

O-Ontoawinner, Strecker & Burke B-Springcombe Park Stud TR-K. R. Burke Margins 2, Head. Time 1:09.90. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-4

Starts 11

Wins 7

Places 4

Earned £723,678

Sire: TAGULA. Sire of 18 Stakes winners. In 2016 LIMATO Singspiel G1, HUMPHREY BOGART Kahyasi LR. 1st Dam: COME APRIL by Singspiel. Winner at 3.

Dam of 1 winner: 2011: (c Tagula). died as a yearling.

2012: LIMATO (g Tagula) Sold 39,047gns yearling at DNPRM. 7 wins at 2 to 4, Darley July Cup G1, Saint Gobain Weber Park S G2, Merribelle Stable Pavilion S G3, Compton Estates Rose Bowl S LR, Totepool Two Year Old Trophy LR, 2nd Commonwealth Cup G1, Qatar Prix de la Foret G1, 888sport Sandy Lane S G2.

2013: Limonata (f Bushranger) in training.

2014: Limoncino (f Arcano) unraced to date.

2015: (c Arcano) Broodmare Sire: SINGSPIEL. Sire of the dams of 49 Stakes winners. In 2016 - LIMATO Tagula G1, SINHALITE Deep Impact G1, OLD BUNCH Not For Sale G2, PLEUVEN Turtle Bowl G2, SAMARA DANCER Hinchinbrook G2.

LIMATO b g 2012 Stop The Music Taufan Stolen Date TAGULA b 93 Standaan Twin Island Jolly Widow In The Wings Singspiel Glorious Song COME APRIL b 04 Suave Dancer So Admirable Sumoto

Hail To Reason Bebopper Sadair Stolen Hour Zeddaan Castania Busted Veuve Joyeuse Sadler’s Wells High Hawk Halo Ballade Green Dancer Suavite Mtoto Soemba

Judging by Limato’s 11-race record, which features only one appearance beyond seven furlongs, it seems that trainer Henry Candy didn’t need to resort to gene testing to know that the gelding is a natural sprinter.

Candy could have been excused for thinking otherwise. His impressive July Cup winner – now successful in seven of his 11 races – has plenty of stamina in the bottom half of his pedigree, with his first three dams being daughters of Singspiel, Suave Dancer and Mtoto.

For the record, Singspiel gained all his stakes victories from ten to 12 furlongs, and both Suave Dancer and Mtoto did all their winning at those distances. Limato’s dam Come April won over a mile and a quarter and his second dam, So Admirable, had the distinction of being a sister to Compton Admiral, winner of the Gr1 Coral-Eclipse.

So Admirable was also a half-sister to Summoner, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and to Twyla Tharp, a mare who found fame as the dam of that top-class middle-distance mare The Fugue.

It is worth mentioning that Limato was chased home in the July Cup by Suedois, another with a dam by Singspiel, and Singspiel also ranks as the broodmare sire of such comparatively speedy types as Helmet, Caspar Netscher and Libranno.

Singspiel also sired Take Cover, a fine sprinter who is still winning at the age of nine, while another son, Solow, excelled at around a mile, having been tried at up to nearly twice that distance.

Limato, though, surely owes his speed primarily to his sire Tagula. This July Stakes and Prix Morny winner was previously best known as the sire of Canford Cliffs, a Coventry Stakes winner who developed into a top miler.

Limato too was tried over a mile in the 2016 Lockinge Stakes, finishing a reasonable fourth as favourite.

168 PRIX JEAN PRAT G1 CHANTILLY. Jul 10. 3yoc&f. 1600m.

1. ZELZAL (FR) 9-2 £168,059 b c by Sea The Stars - Olga Prekrasa (Kingmambo) O-Al Shaqab Racing B-Viktor Timoshenko TR-Jean Claude Rouget 2. Stormy Antarctic (GB) 9-2 £67,235 ch c by Stormy Atlantic - Bea Remembered (Doyen) O-Mr P. K. Siu B-East Bloodstock Limited TR-Ed Walker 3. Spectre (FR) 8-13 £33,618 ch f by Siyouni - Inez (Dai Jin) O-mm racing B-M Munch TR-Markus Munch Margins 2, Short Neck. Time 1:34.48. Going Good.

Age 3

Starts 5

Wins 4

Places 0

Earned £219,162

Sire: SEA THE STARS. Sire of 30 Stakes winners. In 2016 - HARZAND Xaar G1, ZELZAL Kingmambo G1, ACROSS THE STARS Mark of Esteem G2, CLOTH OF STARS Kingmambo G2, ENDLESS TIME Fantastic Light G2, MEKHTAAL Silver Hawk G2, MUTAKAYYEF Pivotal G2, ASTRONEREUS Surako G3, STELLAR MASS Danehill G3.

1st Dam: OLGA PREKRASA by Kingmambo. Winner at 3 in France. Dam of 1 winner: 2012: Vejer (f Dalakhani) ran on the flat in France.

2013: ZELZAL (c Sea The Stars) Sold 142,857gns yearling at AROCT. 4 wins at 3 in France, Prix Jean Prat G1, Prix Paul de Moussac G3.

2014: (f Redoute’s Choice) 2nd Dam: Opera Aida by Sadler’s Wells. ran on the flat in USA at 4. Grandam of Ice Cave.

Broodmare Sire: KINGMAMBO. Sire of the dams of 106 Stakes winners. In 2016 - BIG ARTHUR Sakura Bakushin O G1, SWEET SORREL Star Dabbler G1, ZELZAL Sea The Stars G1, CLOTH OF STARS Sea The Stars G2, GLANZEND Neo Universe G3, HAVANA COOLER Hurricane Run G3, TULLIUS Le Vie Dei Colori G3, ULYSSES Galileo G3, WITCHCRAFT Kahal G3.

The Sea The Stars/Kingmambo cross has produced: CLOTH OF STARS G1, ZELZAL G1, Migwar G2, SIVOLIERE G3, Chemical Charge G3.

ZELZAL b c 2013 Green Desert Cape Cross Park Appeal SEA THE STARS b 06 Miswaki Urban Sea Allegretta Mr Prospector Kingmambo Miesque OLGA PREKRASA b 07 Sadler’s Wells Opera Aida State Crystal

Danzig Foreign Courier Ahonoora Balidaress Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal Lombard Anatevka Raise A Native Gold Digger Nureyev Pasadoble Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge High Estate Crystal Spray

Several of Sea The Stars’ yearlings from his third crop sold for substantial amounts in 2014. For example, the future Gr2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Across The Stars cost 600,000gns, the dual Gr2 winner

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Caulfield on Mont Ormel: “He sprang a considerable surprise when he won the Grand Prix de Paris. Part of the surprise was that he should prove so well suited to the mile and a half”

Cloth Of Stars was a 400,000-guinea purchase and the Gr2 Prix Hocquart winner Mekhtaal cost €300,000.

However, a colt out of Olga Prekrasa was much lower down the pecking order at €180,000 – well below the stallion’s average of over 250,000gns.

Named Zelzal, he has proved a bargain for Al Shaqab and was winning for the fourth time in five starts when he finished strongly to take the Gr1 Prix Jean Prat.

Many of Sea The Stars’ progeny are suited by a mile and a half, but Zelzal has so far raced only at around a mile. I will be surprised, though, if he doesn’t eventually shine over a mile and a quarter.

His yearling price probably reflects the fact that this April 23 foal was offered at Arqana’s October sale, rather than in August. His pedigree is a bit light under his first two dams. He is the second foal of Olga Prekrasa, a daughter of Kingmambo whose only win, over a mile at three, was gained at the provincial track at Moulins.

The next dam, Opera Aida, ran once and has yet to make much of an impact as a broodmare. However, this daughter of Sadler’s Wells comes from a family which shone for Michael Poland.

Her dam State Crystal won the Gr3 Lancashire Oaks, in the process becoming one of four Group winners produced by the highly successful Crystal Spray.

Another of the four, the Gr3 John Porter Stakes winner Dubai Success, was by Sadler’s Wells, and Crystal Spray also shone with Sadler’s Wells’s close relative Nureyev, sire of her Gr1 Fillies’ Mile winner Crystal Music.

169 IDEE DEUTSCHES DERBY G1 HAMBURG. Jul 10. 3yoc&f. 2400m.

1. ISFAHAN (GER) 9-2 £286,765 b c by Lord of England - Independent Miss (Polar Falcon) O-Darius Racing B-Rennstall Wohler TR- A Wohler 2. Savoir Vivre (IRE) 9-2 £95,588 ch c by Adlerflug - Soudaine (Monsun) O- Stall Ullmann B-G Baron Von Ullman TR- Jean-Pierre Carvalho 3. Dschingis Secret (GER) 9-2 £57,353 b c by Soldier Hollow - Divya (Platini) O-Horst Pudwill B-Gestut Park Wiedingen TR- Markus Klug Margins Head, Neck. Time 2:45.97. Going Heavy.

Age 2-3

Starts 6

Wins 3

Places 1

Earned £376,418

Sire: LORD OF ENGLAND. Sire of 10 Stakes winners.

In 2016 - ISFAHAN Polar Falcon G1, NEAR ENGLAND Galileo G3, OLORDA Desert King G3.

1st Dam: Independent Miss by Polar Falcon. unraced.

Dam of 4 winners: 2005: Il Divo (c Dashing Blade) 3 wins at 3 and 4 in Germany, 2nd German Tote Bavarian Classic G3.

2007: IL PRESIDENTE (g Royal Dragon) 2 wins.

2009: Il Comandante (c Sholokhov) unraced.

2012: INCANTATOR (c Areion) 3 wins at 2 and 3 in Germany, P. BBAG Hengstparade Wurttemberg Trophy G3.

2013: ISFAHAN (c Lord of England) Sold 27,777gns yearling at BBAGS. Jt Champion 2yr old colt in Germany in 2015. 3 wins at 2 and 3 in Germany, IDEE Deutsches Derby G1, pferdewetten.de Bavarian Classic G3, Preis des Winterfavoriten G3.

Grosser Freiberger Premium-Preis LR) Broodmare Sire: POLAR FALCON. Sire of the dams of 35 Stakes winners. In 2016 - ALWAYS IN CHARGE Captain Al G1, FASCINATING ROCK Fastnet Rock G1, ISFAHAN Lord of England G1.

ISFAHAN b c 2013 Elegant Air Dashing Blade Sharp Castan LORD OF ENGLAND ch 03 Los Santos Loveria Liranga Nureyev Polar Falcon Marie d’Argonne INDEPENDENT MISS ch 00 Sanglamore Indiaca Indica

Shirley Heights Elegant Tern Sharpen Up Sultry One Caracol Loanda Literat Love In Northern Dancer Special Jefferson Mohair Sharpen Up Ballinderry Athenagoras Insulinde

Dashing Bade, winner of the Dewhurst Stakes in 1989, developed into a considerable asset to the German breeding industry. In addition to becoming champion sire, the former Gestut Etzean resident became a notable sire of broodmares.

Dashing Blade died in 2013, but by then he had been joined at Etzean by one of his best sons, Lord Of England.

An Etzean homebred, Lord Of England raced in Italy at two, winning at Listed level, before switching his attentions to his homeland at three.

His finest performance was his victory in the Gr1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen over a mile and a quarter.

In common with many other German stallions, Lord Of England doesn’t cover nearly as many mares as his British and Irish equivalents.

Consequently, his first seven crops averaged 40 foals per crop, but he has still managed to sire a creditable eight Group winners from the 242 foals in his first six crops.

More significantly, he has sired a winner of the Preis der Diana, thanks to the Etzean-bred Feodora in 2014, and now the Deutsches Derby, with Isfahan taking the latest edition by a head.

Isfahan cost only €35,000 as a yearling at Baden-Baden, but his sale came a year before his half-brother Incantator became a Gr3 winner over a mile and a quarter. However his dam, the Polar Falcon mare Independent Miss, had already shown that she could produce a talented performer, as her Dashing Blade colt Il Divo had been placed in several Group races and had contested the 2008 Deutsches Derby.

Isfahan’s second dam, Indiaca, was a winning daughter of Indica, a prolific middle-distance Group winner whose victories included the Gr1 Idee Hansa-Preis. The fact that these family members have names beginning with ‘I’ is a reminder that the female line traces to Ischia, ancestress of plenty of other good German horses, including Ivanhowe.

170 JUDDMONTE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS G1 SAINT-CLOUD. Jul 14. 3yoc&f. 2400m.

2nd Dam: INDIACA by Sanglamore. 1 win at 3 in Germany. Dam of Invincible Hero (c Lomitas: 2nd

1. MONT ORMEL (FR) 9-2 £252,088 b c by Air Chief Marshal - Lidana (King’s Best)

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O-Gerard Augustin-Normand B-Franklin Finance S.A. TR-Mme Pia Brandt 2. Red Verdon (USA) 9-2 £100,853 ch c by Lemon Drop Kid - Porto Marmay (Choisir) O-The Hon R J Arculli B-Liberty Road Stables TR-Ed Dunlop 3. Cloth of Stars (IRE) 9-2 £50,426 b c by Sea The Stars - Strawberry Fledge (Kingmambo) O-Godolphin S.N.C. B-Mr P. Anastasiou TR-A. Fabre Margins 1.25, Neck. Time 2:29.56. Going Good to Soft.

Age 2-3

Starts 7

Wins 3

Places 3

Earned £294,722

Sire: AIR CHIEF MARSHAL. Sire of 2 Stakes winners.

1st Dam: LIDANA by King’s Best. Winner at 2. Dam of 3 winners: 2010: LILLEBONNE (f Danehill Dancer) 2 wins at 2 in France. Broodmare.

2011: LA PYLE (f Le Havre) 2 wins at 3 in France.

2013: MONT ORMEL (c Air Chief Marshal) 3 wins at 2 and 3 in France, Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris G1, Prix Ridgway LR, 3rd Prix Omnium II LR. 2014: Normandel (f Le Havre) unraced to date.

2015: Hocquigny (f Rajsaman) 2nd Dam: LIDAKIYA by Kahyasi. 3 wins at 3. Dam of LINNGARI (c Indian Ridge: Premio Vittorio di Capua G1, Grosser Dallmayr Bayerisches Zuchtrennen G1, 2nd P. de la Foret Casino Barriere Biarritz G1, Dubai Duty Free S G1, 3rd Emirates Airline Champion S G1, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup G1) Broodmare Sire: KING’S BEST. Sire of the dams of 32 Stakes winners. In 2016 - MONT ORMEL Air Chief Marshal G1, QUEEN CATRINE Acclamation G3, SWORD OF LIGHT New Approach G3, CHARTREUSE Lawman LR, DOHA DREAM Shamardal LR, FIREGLOW Teofilo LR, SHERYL Multidimensional LR, SKIFFLE Dubawi LR.

MONT ORMEL b c 2013 Danehill Danehill Dancer Mira Adonde AIR CHIEF MARSHAL b 07 Warning Hawala Halawa Kingmambo King’s Best Allegretta LIDANA b 05 Kahyasi Lidakiya Lilissa

Danzig Razyana Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour Known Fact Slightly Dangerous Dancing Brave Hanzala Mr Prospector Miesque Lombard Anatevka Ile de Bourbon Kadissya Doyoun Lisana

As his odds of 33-1 indicate, Mont Ormel sprang a considerable surprise when he won the Grand Prix de Paris.

Part of the surprise was that he should prove so well suited by the mile and a half when he is by Air Chief Marshal.

By Danehill Dancer out of a Warning mare, Air Chief Marshal was bred to be suited by distances of a mile or under and all three of his wins came over seven furlongs. One of his best efforts was his half-length second in the Gr1 Phoenix Stakes.

However, Danehill Dancer occasionally also sired Gr1-winning middle-distance performers, such as Dancing Rain (Oaks), Legatissimo (Nassau Stakes and a close second in the Oaks) and Planteur (Prix Ganay).

Mont Ormel follows Harzand and Almanzor as the third major threeyear-old winner of 2016 produced by fillies or mares culled from the Aga Khan’s studs. His dam, the King’s Best mare Lidana, was sold as a three-year-old for €38,000 at Goffs’ 2008 November Sale.

Lidana stayed an extended mile and a quarter, having gained her only win over seven furlongs at two. She is a half-sister to the very versatile Linngari, winner of the Gr1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen over a mile and a quarter, even though he was by the sprinter Indian Ridge.

Mont Ormel probably has his second dam, Lidakiya, to thank for his stamina. A useful winner at up to a mile and a half, Lidakiya shared the same sire – Kahyasi – as winners of the Ascot Gold Cup (Enzeli) and Prix du Cadran (Kasbah Bliss).

Kahyasi made a considerable name for himself as a sire of broodmares, and his broodmare daughters worked particularly well with the Danehill line.

Hasili produced five Group winners – Dansili, Banks Hill, Intercontinental, Cacique and Champs Elysees – to Danehill, who also sired the Gr1 winner Promising Lead from a sister to Hasili.

Danehill Dancer sired the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Again from another daughter of Kahyasi. With Kahyasi as her sire and Doyoun as her broodmare sire, Lidakiya was bred to the same pattern as Zarkasha, dam of the brilliant Zarkava.

Mont Ormel’s fifth dam, Licara, was a half-sister to three major winners in Acamas, Akiyda and Akarad. Acamas won the Prix du Jockey-Club, while Akiyda landed the Arc and Akarad the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

171 DARLEY IRISH OAKS G1 CURRAGH. Jul 16. 3yof. 12f.

1. SEVENTH HEAVEN (IRE) 9-0 £167,647 b f by Galileo - La Traviata (Johannesburg) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-La Traviata Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Architecture (IRE) 9-0 £55,882 b f by Zoffany - Brigayev (Fasliyev) O-Lael Stable B-Mr M. Passamonti TR-Hugo Palmer 3. Harlequeen (GB) 9-0 £26,471 b f by Canford Cliffs - Aurelia (Rainbow Quest) O-Mrs S. Brandt B-Richard Moses Bloodstock TR-Mick Channon Margins 2.75, 1.25. Time 2:34.53. Going Good.

Age 2-3

Starts 6

Wins 3

Places 1

Earned £202,103

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 241 Stakes winners. In 2016 ALICE SPRINGS Danehill Dancer G1, DEAUVILLE Danehill G1, HIGHLAND REEL Danehill G1, MINDING Danehill Dancer G1, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Johannesburg G1, THE GURKHA Danehill Dancer G1, THE UNITED STATES Pivotal G1, SWORD FIGHTER Grand Lodge G2, BEACON ROCK Danehill Dancer G3, BEST IN THE WORLD Intikhab G3, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, CHURCHILL Storm Cat G3, DECORATED KNIGHT Storm Cat G3, FAUFILER Celtic Swing G3, FOUND Intikhab G3, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT Dixieland Band G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, PHOTO CALL Rock of Gibraltar G3, PRETTY PERFECT Danehill G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE Danehill G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON Danehill G3, ULYSSES Kingmambo G3, US ARMY RANGER Dalakhani G3.

1st Dam: LA TRAVIATA by Johannesburg. 3 wins at 3 in USA, Victory Ride S G3. Dam of 4 winners: 2009: CRUSADE (c Mr Greeley) 2 wins at 2, Emaar Middle Park S G1.

2010: Cristoforo Colombo (c Henrythenavigator) 2 wins at 2 and 3, 2nd Dubai Duty Free Railway S G2.

2011: Ms Cha Cha (f Henrythenavigator) unraced.

Broodmare.

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DATA BOOK STAKES RESULTS

European Pattern 2012:

SIR HENRY RAEBURN (g Henrythenavigator) Winner at 3.

SEVENTH HEAVEN (f Galileo) 2 wins at 3, Darley Irish Oaks G1, Betfred Oaks Trial S LR. Kiss Me Not (f Galileo) in training. (c Galileo)

2013: 2014: 2015:

Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled.

Piedras Negras’ half-brother Jack Sullivan, by the sprinter Belong To Me, was a smart all-weather and turf performer at up to nine furlongs in Europe and Dubai.

2nd Dam: Piedras Negras by Unbridled. unraced. Dam of LA TRAVIATA (f Johannesburg, see above) Broodmare Sire: JOHANNESBURG. Sire of the dams of 15 Stakes winners. In 2016 - JET SETTING Fast Company G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Galileo G1, COLLECTED City Zip G3, ROYAL TITHE Show A Heart G3, COOL CHAP High Chaparral LR, VERO DA VINCI Peintre Celebre LR, ZARANTZ Choisir LR.

SEVENTH HEAVEN b f 2013 Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge GALILEO b 98 Miswaki Urban Sea Allegretta Hennessy Johannesburg Myth LA TRAVIATA b/br 04 Unbridled Piedras Negras Provisions

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal Lombard Anatevka Storm Cat Island Kitty Ogygian Yarn Fappiano Gana Facil Devil’s Bag Atzimba

In the past we have seen the extraordinary Galileo sire Gr1 mileand-a-half winners from a wide variety of mares, including speedy daughters of such as Danehill, Danehill Dancer, Mozart and Presidium.

His ability to impart stamina to non-stayers was again in evidence when Seventh Heaven followed the example of another Galileo filly, Great Heavens, in winning the Irish Oaks.

In the process Seventh Heaven accounted for Architecture and Harlequeen, who had finished well ahead of her when she disappointed behind stablemate Minding in the Epsom Oaks. Seventh Heaven had also narrowly beaten Architecture when she landed the Oaks Trial at Lingfield.

Seventh Heaven’s success makes her the second Gr1 winner for her 12-year-old dam La Traviata, the first being the Middle Park Stakes winner Crusade. After selling for only $75,000 as a weanling and $112,000 as a yearling, La Traviata drew a bid of $1,100,000 from Demi O’Byrne when she was re-offered at Fasig-Tipton’s Calder select sale of two-year-olds in 2006.

La Traviata was unraced at two before winning her first three starts.

One of her successes came in the Post Deb Stakes over 5.5 furlongs and she was highly impressive in cruising home more than nine lengths ahead in the Gr3 Victory Ride Stakes.

These efforts earned the daughter of Johannesburg the position of favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint but she could finish only sixth and never raced again.

Johannesburg, of course, was a remarkably tough and successful twoyear-old and he ended his career back at a sprint distance having failed in his bid to win the Kentucky Derby.

Seventh Heaven’s second dam, the unraced Piedras Negras, was by the

108

172 KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES G1 ASCOT. Jul 23. 3yo+. 12f.

1. HIGHLAND REEL (IRE) 4 9-7 £689,027 b c by Galileo - Hveger (Danehill) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Hveger Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Wings of Desire (GB) 3 8-9 £261,225 ch c by Pivotal - Gull Wing (In The Wings) O-Lady Bamford B-Lady Bamford TR-John Gosden 3. Dartmouth (GB) 4 9-7 £130,734 b c by Dubawi - Galatee (Galileo) O-The Queen B-Darley TR-Sir Michael Stoute Margins 1.25, 2.75. Time 2:28.90. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-4

Starts 15

Wins 6

Places Earned 5 £2,421,420

FORTUNE G1, BONDI BEACH G1, CIMA DE TRIOMPHE G1, CUIS GHAIRE G1, DEAUVILLE G1, FIELDS OF ATHENRY G1, FRANKEL G1, GOLDEN LILAC G1, HIGHLAND REEL G1, INTELLO G1, MAYBE G1, NOBLE MISSION G1, ORCHESTRA G1, RODERIC O’CONNOR G1, ROMANTICA G1, SCINTILLULA G1, SECRET GESTURE G1, TAPESTRY G1, TEOFILO G1, Galileo’s Destiny G1, Gile Na Greine G1, Idaho G1, Mars G1, The Assayer G1, GRETCHEN G2, REEM G2, CRYSTAL GAL G3, DAZZLING G3, GALIWAY G3, JOHN F KENNEDY G3, LAGALP G3, MEKONG RIVER G3, PRETTY PERFECT G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE G3, SAYANA G3, SIDERA G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON G3, THE CORSICAN G3, THE MAJOR GENERAL G3, WONDERFULLY G3, Brightest G3, Circling G3, Claiomh Solais G3, Grey Lion G3, Impulsive Moment G3, Marksmanship G3, CUFF LR, ILTEMAS LR, MISS GALILEI LR, Acteur Celebre LR, Amerique LR, Benkei LR, Provenance LR, Via Galilei LR.

HIGHLAND REEL b c 2012 Sadler’s Wells

Northern Dancer Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Mr Prospector Miswaki Hopespringseternal Lombard Allegretta Anatevka Northern Dancer Danzig Pas de Nom His Majesty Razyana Spring Adieu Biscay Marscay Heart of Market Zamazaan Olympic Aim Gold Vink Fairy Bridge

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 241 Stakes winners. In 2016 ALICE SPRINGS Danehill Dancer G1, DEAUVILLE Danehill G1, HIGHLAND REEL Danehill G1, MINDING Danehill Dancer G1, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Johannesburg G1, THE GURKHA Danehill Dancer G1, THE UNITED STATES Pivotal G1, SWORD FIGHTER Grand Lodge G2, BEACON ROCK Danehill Dancer G3, BEST IN THE WORLD Intikhab G3, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, CHURCHILL Storm Cat G3, DECORATED KNIGHT Storm Cat G3, FAUFILER Celtic Swing G3, FOUND Intikhab G3, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT Dixieland Band G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, PHOTO CALL Rock of Gibraltar G3, PRETTY PERFECT Danehill G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE Danehill G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON Danehill G3, ULYSSES Kingmambo G3, US ARMY RANGER Dalakhani G3.

1st Dam: Hveger by Danehill. Winner in Australia, 2nd Feltex Carpets South Australia Oaks G2, 3rd Schweppes Australasian Oaks G1. Own sister to ELVSTROEM. Dam of 3 winners: 2006: Valdemoro (f Encosta de Lago) 2 wins in Australia, 2nd Vinery Stud Storm Queen S G1, Crown Victoria Oaks G1. Broodmare.

2007: Nakata (g Fusaichi Pegasus) 2011: Rings of Saturn (g Galileo) ran on the flat in Singapore.

2012: HIGHLAND REEL (c Galileo) Sold 460,000gns yearling at TAOC1. 6 wins at 2 to 4 at home, Hong Kong, USA, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S G1, Secretariat S G1, Longines Hong Kong Vase G1, Veuve Clicquot Vintage S G2, Neptune Investment Gordon S G3, 2nd Prix du Jockey Club G1, Hardwicke S G2, 3rd William Hill WS Cox Plate G1.

2013: Idaho (c Galileo) Winner at 2, 2nd Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby G1, 3rd Investec Derby S G1.

2014: Cercle de La Vie (f Galileo) unraced to date.

2015: (f Galileo) 2nd Dam: CIRCLES OF GOLD by Marscay. 6 wins in Australia AJC Oaks G1, 2nd Foster’s Caulfield Cup G1, Queensland Oaks G1, Eat More Fruit ‘n’ Veg S G1, 3rd C F Orr S G1. Own sister to Modern Era and Rings of Gold. Dam of ELVSTROEM (c Danehill: Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup G1, C F Orr S G1, Emirates Airline Underwood S G1, Victoria Derby G1, Dubai Duty Free G1, 2nd Prix d’Ispahan G1, 3rd Prince of Wales’s S G1, Australian Cup G1, Rosehill Guineas G1), HARADASUN (c Fusaichi Pegasus: Queen Anne S G1, Doncaster H G1, Cathay Pacific George Ryder S G1, 2nd Bigpond Queen Elizabeth S G1, 3rd Turnbull S G1, Tattersall’s WS Cox Plate G1), Hveger (f Danehill, see above), Altius (c Redoute’s Choice: 2nd Henry Bucks Best Dressed Exford S LR). Grandam of DECIRCLES, King Raedwald, Raffles Knight, Hybrid.

Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL. Sire of the dams of 332 Stakes winners. In 2016 - BELARDO Lope de Vega G1, DEAUVILLE Galileo G1, HIGHLAND REEL Galileo G1, PRIZED ICON More Than Ready G1, TURN ME LOOSE Iffraaj G1.

The Galileo/Danehill cross has produced: BANC DE

GALILEO b 98 Urban Sea

Danehill HVEGER b 01 Circles of Gold

For the second time in six years, the 2001 King George winner Galileo was responsible for the winner of this prestigious Ascot event. And each of those winners – Nathaniel and Highland Reel – embodies a common trait in Galileo’s progeny; a tendency to sweat freely.

Interestingly, Timeform’s essay on Galileo in Racehorses of 2001 included the following observation: “The game and genuine Galileo acted on any going. He was equipped with a crossed noseband in his races and tended to sweat, though he did not get anything like so warm as usual before the Irish Champion…”

Incidentally, the Irish Champion was the race in which Galileo suffered the first defeat of his career.

There are good grounds for thinking that a tendency to sweat can be hereditary. In its analysis of Nathaniel’s King Edward VII Stakes victory, the Racing Post commented that “while he got edgy and warm in the preliminaries, his trainer was unconcerned (apparently it’s a trait of the family) and it clearly didn’t have any effect on the way he ran.”

In the Daily Telegraph’s report on Highland Reel’s King George victory, Aidan O’Brien commented that: “He’s a complete free sweater. Everything goes through him very quickly. He’ll have gone back to the stables and drunk four buckets of water by now.”

Now a Gr1 winner in the USA, Hong Kong and Britain, the freerunning Highland Reel is a true international performer. He has an international pedigree, too, with an Irish sire, Galileo, and an Australian dam, the Danehill mare Hveger.

Hveger also has another highly talented son by Galileo in the Irish Derby runner-up Idaho.

Hveger’s best efforts included a third in the Gr1 Schweppes Oaks over a mile and a quarter and a second in the Gr1 South Australian Oaks over an extended mile and a half.

Hveger’s year-older brother Elvstroem did even better. A Gr1 winner at the ages of three, four and five, the versatile Elvstroem won the CF Orr Stakes over seven furlongs, the Underwood Stakes over nine and both the Victoria Derby and Caulfield Cup at around a mile and a half. He also landed the Dubai Duty Free over a distance just short of nine furlongs.

Circles Of Gold, the dam of Hveger and Elvstroem, stayed pretty well, winning the Gr1 AJC Australian Oaks.

The mare’s broodmare sire, the French import Zamazaan, once finished a close second in the Prix du Cadran over two and a half miles.

Another international aspect of Highland Reel’s family is that Hveger’s half-brother Haradasun travelled from Australia to Royal Ascot to win the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes.

This female line also enjoyed Royal Ascot success with another Australian champion when Starspangledbanner won the Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Starspangledbanner’s second dam National Song was a half-sister to Circles Of Gold.

173 QATAR SUSSEX STAKES G1 GOODWOOD. Jul 27. 3yo+. 8f.

1. THE GURKHA (IRE) 3 9-0 £560,200 b c by Galileo - Chintz (Danehill Dancer) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Chintz Syndicate TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Galileo Gold (GB) 3 9-0 £213,300 ch c by Paco Boy - Galicuix (Galileo) O-Al Shaqab Racing B-Mr B. O’Rourke TR-Hugo Palmer 3. Ribchester (IRE) 3 9-0 £106,800 b c by Iffraaj - Mujarah (Marju) O-Godolphin B-A. Thompson & M. O’Brien TR-Richard Fahey Margins Neck, Short Head. Time 1:37.30. Going Good to Firm.

Age 3

Starts 6

Wins 3

Places 3

Earned £996,216

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 241 Stakes winners. In 2016 ALICE SPRINGS Danehill Dancer G1, DEAUVILLE Danehill G1, HIGHLAND REEL Danehill G1, MINDING Danehill Dancer G1, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Johannesburg G1, THE GURKHA Danehill Dancer G1, THE UNITED STATES Pivotal G1, SWORD FIGHTER Grand Lodge G2, BEACON ROCK Danehill Dancer G3, BEST IN THE WORLD Intikhab G3, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, CHURCHILL Storm Cat G3, DECORATED KNIGHT Storm Cat G3, FAUFILER Celtic Swing G3, FOUND Intikhab G3, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT Dixieland Band G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, PHOTO CALL Rock of Gibraltar G3, PRETTY PERFECT Danehill G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE Danehill G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON Danehill G3, ULYSSES Kingmambo G3, US ARMY RANGER Dalakhani G3.

1st Dam: CHINTZ by Danehill Dancer. 2 wins at 2, C L Weld Park S G3. Dam of 3 winners: 2011: ILLINOIS (c Galileo) Winner at 2.

2012: Queen Nefertiti (f Galileo) Winner at 2, 3rd Irish Stall. Farms EBF Brownstown S G3.

2013: THE GURKHA (c Galileo) 3 wins at 3 at home, France, Qatar Sussex S G1, Poule d’Essai des Poulains G1, 2nd Coral Eclipse S G1, St James’s Palace S G1.

2015: (f Galileo)

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Caulfield on Seventh Heaven: “Her success made her the second Group 1 winner for her 12-year-old dam La Traviata, the first being the Middle Park Stakes winner Crusade”

Age 2-3

Starts 7

Wins 4

Places 3

Earned £463,751 2005:

Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of 175 Stakes winners. In 2016 - QEMAH Rainbow Quest G1, OVIDIO Red Ransom G2, TUSCAN SLING Kenny’s Best Pal G3, DREAMTIME DANCER Galileo LR, SMUGGLER’S MOON Dubai Destination LR.

2009: 2010:

Class act: Minding wins the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood 2nd Dam: GOLD DODGER by Slew O’ Gold. 2 wins at 3 and 4 in France Prix de la Pepiniere LR. Dam of CHINTZ (f Danehill Dancer, see above). Grandam of DUPLICITY. Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of the dams of 60 Stakes winners. In 2016 - ALICE SPRINGS Galileo G1, MINDING Galileo G1, MUSIC MAGNATE Written Tycoon G1, THE GURKHA Galileo G1, HAWKSMOOR Azamour G2.

The Galileo/Danehill Dancer cross has produced: ALICE SPRINGS G1, MINDING G1, THE GURKHA G1, WEDDING VOW G1, BEACON ROCK G2, QUEST FOR PEACE G2, Criteria G2, Lahinch Classics G2, BE MY GAL G3, KISSED BY ANGELS G3, RECORDER G3, Kingston Jamaica G3, Noble Galileo G3, Queen Nefertiti G3, INDIAN MAHARAJA LR, KIND OF MAGIC LR, Facade LR, Felix Mendelssohn LR, Seussical LR.

THE GURKHA b c 2013 Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Fairy Bridge Special Mr Prospector Miswaki Hopespringseternal Lombard Allegretta Anatevka Danzig Danehill Razyana Sharpen Up Mira Adonde Lettre d’Amour Seattle Slew Slew O’ Gold Alluvial Brooklyn’s Dance Shirley Heights Vallee Dansante Northern Dancer

Sadler’s Wells GALILEO b 98 Urban Sea

Danehill Dancer CHINTZ b 06 Gold Dodger

See race 46 in the July issue 174 QATAR NASSAU STAKES G1 GOODWOOD. Jul 30. 3yo+f. 9f 110yds.

1. MINDING (IRE) 3 8-11 £340,260 b f by Galileo - Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer) O-Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt TR-Aidan O’Brien 2. Queen’s Trust (GB) 3 8-11 £129,000 b f by Dansili - Queen’s Best (King’s Best) O-Cheveley Park Stud B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited TR-Sir Michael Stoute 3. Jemayel (IRE) 3 8-11 £64,560 ch f by Lope de Vega - Nawal (Homme de Loi) O-Al Shaqab Racing B-S. F. Bloodstock LLC TR-Jean Claude Rouget Margins 1.25, 1.25. Time 2:05.00. Going Good to Firm.

Age 2-3

Starts 10

Wins 7

Places Earned 3 £1,522,589

Sire: GALILEO. Sire of 241 Stakes winners. In 2016 ALICE SPRINGS Danehill Dancer G1, DEAUVILLE Danehill G1, HIGHLAND REEL Danehill G1, MINDING Danehill Dancer G1, ORDER OF ST GEORGE Gone West G1, SEVENTH HEAVEN Johannesburg G1, THE GURKHA Danehill Dancer G1, THE UNITED STATES Pivotal G1, SWORD FIGHTER Grand Lodge G2, BEACON ROCK Danehill Dancer G3, BEST IN THE WORLD Intikhab G3, BONDI BEACH Danehill G3, CHURCHILL Storm Cat G3, DECORATED KNIGHT Storm Cat G3, FAUFILER Celtic Swing G3, FOUND Intikhab G3, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT Dixieland Band G3, MIDTERM Oasis Dream G3, MIZZOU Darshaan G3, PHOTO CALL Rock of Gibraltar G3, PRETTY PERFECT Danehill G3, PROMISE TO BE TRUE

Danehill G3, SIR ISAAC NEWTON Danehill G3, ULYSSES Kingmambo G3, US ARMY RANGER Dalakhani G3.

1st Dam: LILLIE LANGTRY by Danehill Dancer. 5 wins at 2 and 3, Coronation S G1, Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron S G1, 3rd Moyglare Stud S G1. Dam of 2 winners: 2012: KISSED BY ANGELS (f Galileo) Winner at 3, Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial G3.

2013: MINDING (f Galileo) Champion 2yr old filly in Europe in 2015. 7 wins at 2 and 3, Dubai Fillies’ Mile S G1, Moyglare Stud S G1, Qatar Nassau S G1, Investec Oaks S G1, Qipco 1000 Guineas G1, Sea the Stars Pretty Polly S G1, 2nd Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas G1, Breast Cancer Research Debutante S G2.

2014: How (f Galileo) 2015: (f Galileo) 2nd Dam: Hoity Toity by Darshaan. unraced. Dam of LILLIE LANGTRY (f Danehill Dancer, see above), COUNT OF LIMONADE (c Duke of Marmalade: Dubai Duty Free Celebration S LR, 3rd Jebel Ali Anglesey S G3, Airlie Stud Gallinule S G3). Grandam of MASTER APPRENTICE.

1st Dam: Kartica by Rainbow Quest. Winner at 2 in France, 3rd Prix Fille de l’Air G3. Dam of 1 winner: 2013: QEMAH (f Danehill Dancer) Sold 158,730gns yearling at ARAU1. 4 wins at 2 and 3 at home, France, Coronation S G1, Prix Rothschild G1, Prix de la Grotte G3, 3rd Total Prix Marcel Boussac G1, Prix Poule d’Essai des Pouliches G1.

2014: Niedziela (f Henrythenavigator) unraced to date.

2015: (c Lawman) 2016: (c Charm Spirit) 2nd Dam: CAYMAN SUNSET by Night Shift. 3 wins at 3 to 5 at home, USA Directa Parseal Dahlia S LR, 3rd Canadian H G2. Own sister to Tarfaa. Dam of Kartica (f Rainbow Quest, see above), Lady Gorgeous (f Compton Place: 3rd Investec Surrey S LR) Broodmare Sire: RAINBOW QUEST. Sire of the dams of 179 Stakes winners. In 2016 - QEMAH Danehill Dancer G1, CYLINDER BEACH Showcasing G3, APEX KING Kodiac LR, FREEDOM BEEL Pour Moi LR, RAY Rock of Gibraltar LR, SPIRIT QUARTZ Invincible Spirit LR, TENERIFE SONG Fastnet Rock LR. The Danehill Dancer/Rainbow Quest cross has produced: BEATRICE AURORE G1, QEMAH G1, Oracle G1, HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE LR.

The Galileo/Danehill Dancer cross has produced: ALICE SPRINGS G1, MINDING G1, THE GURKHA G1, WEDDING VOW G1, BEACON ROCK G2, QUEST FOR PEACE G2, Criteria G2, Lahinch Classics G2, BE MY GAL G3, KISSED BY ANGELS G3, RECORDER G3, Kingston Jamaica G3, Noble Galileo G3, Queen Nefertiti G3, INDIAN MAHARAJA LR, KIND OF MAGIC LR, Facade LR, Felix Mendelssohn LR, Seussical LR.

Northern Dancer Sadler’s Wells Fairy Bridge GALILEO b 98 Miswaki Urban Sea Allegretta Danehill Danehill Dancer Mira Adonde LILLIE LANGTRY b/br 07 Darshaan Hoity Toity Hiwaayati

Nearctic Natalma Bold Reason Special Mr Prospector Hopespringseternal Lombard Anatevka Danzig Razyana Sharpen Up Lettre d’Amour Shirley Heights Delsy Shadeed Alathea

See race 40 in the June issue 175 PRIX ROTHSCHILD G1 DEAUVILLE. Jul 31. 3yo+f. 1600m.

1. QEMAH (IRE) 3 8-9 £126,044 b f by Danehill Dancer - Kartica (Rainbow Quest) O-Al Shaqab Racing B-Ecurie Cadran, SCEA Bissons & SAS IEI TR-Jean Claude Rouget 2. Volta (FR) 3 8-9 £50,426 b f by Siyouni - Persian Belle (Machiavellian) O-Ecurie Salabi B-T, Mme D & A De La Heronniere TR-Francis-Henri Graffard 3. Steip Amach (IRE) 4 9-3 £25,213 b f by Vocalised - Ceist Eile (Noverre) O-Mrs J. S. Bolger B-J. S. Bolger TR-J. S. Bolger Margins 1.25, 2.5. Time 1:38.90. Going Good.

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2nd Dam: GREEN FIELD PARK by Akarad. 2 wins at 3 in France. Dam of WEDDING NIGHT (f Valanour: Prix Caravelle-Haras des Granges LR), Uryale (f Kendor, see above). Grandam of CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT, Yorktown, Dragonera, SUPERB STORY. Broodmare Sire: KENDOR. Sire of the dams of 50 Stakes winners.

ELLIPTIQUE br h 2011 Sadler’s Wells Galileo Urban Sea NEW APPROACH ch 05 Ahonoora Park Express Matcher

Kendor Belle Mecene

Danehill Razyana DANEHILL DANCER b 93 Sharpen Up Mira Adonde Lettre d’Amour Blushing Groom Rainbow Quest I Will Follow KARTICA b 07 Night Shift Cayman Sunset Robinia

Northern Dancer Pas de Nom His Majesty Spring Adieu Atan Rocchetta Caro Lianga Red God Runaway Bride Herbager Where You Lead Northern Dancer Ciboulette Roberto Royal Graustark

See race 123 in the August issue 176 GROSSER DALLMAYR BAYERISCHES ZUCHTRENNEN G1

MINDING b f 2013

2012:

Kenmare

QEMAH b f 2013 Danzig

Broodmare Sire: DANEHILL DANCER. Sire of the dams of 60 Stakes winners. In 2016 - ALICE SPRINGS Galileo G1, MINDING Galileo G1, MUSIC MAGNATE Written Tycoon G1, THE GURKHA Galileo G1, HAWKSMOOR Azamour G2.

2011:

Princess Elizabeth S G3, Prix des Reservoirs G3, Prix Perth G3. Broodmare.

MIRYALE (f Anabaa) Winner at 3 in France.

Broodmare. Dam of Le Vagabond (g Footstepsinthesand: 5 wins, 3rd Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle G3) UPPER HOUSE (c Barathea) 4 wins at 3, 4 and 7 in France.

LOWER EAST SIDE (c Teofilo) 2 wins at 3 and 4 in France.

ELLIPTIQUE (c New Approach) 6 wins at 2 to 5, 2016 in France, Grosser Dallmayr Bayerisches Zuchtrennen G1, Grand Prix de Vichy G3, Prix de Conde G3, 2nd La Coupe G3, Prix des Chenes G3, 3rd La Coupe G3, Criterium du Fonds Europeen de L’Elevage LR, Prix Jacques Laffitte LR. UMBERTO (c Lawman) Winner at 3 in France.

MUNICH. Jul 31. 3yo+. 2000m.

1. ELLIPTIQUE (IRE) 5 9-6 £73,529 br h by New Approach - Uryale (Kendor) O-Rothschild Family B-Societe Civile Famille Rothschild TR-A Fabre 2. Royal Solitaire (IRE) 4 9-3 £22,059 b f by Shamardal - Reverie Solitaire (Nashwan) O- Gestut Ammerland B-Janus Bloodstock Inc. & Stilvi Compania Financiera TR-P Schiergen 3. Potemkin (GER) 5 9-6 £11,029 b/br h by New Approach - Praia (Big Shuffle) O-Klaus Allofs & Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof B-Siftung Gestut Fahrhof TR-A Wohler Margins 0.5, 0.5. Time 2:07.83. Going Good.

Age 2-5

Starts 18

Wins 6

Places 7

Earned £197,936

Sire: NEW APPROACH. Sire of 29 Stakes winners. In 2016 - ELLIPTIQUE Kendor G1, BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE Cape Cross G2, NEW PREDATOR Fastnet Rock G2, POTEMKIN Big Shuffle G3, SWORD OF LIGHT King’s Best G3, CHARLEVOIX Red Ransom LR, MOUNT LOGAN Distant View LR, NEARLY CAUGHT Danehill LR, ROYAL RUMBLE French Deputy LR. 1st Dam: Uryale by Kendor. 3 wins at 2 in France, 3rd Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles LR. Dam of 6 winners: 2004: CICEROLE (f Barathea) 4 wins at 2 to 4 in France, Prix Coronation LR, Prix de LieureyShadwell LR, Prix de Montretout LR, 2nd

URYALE br 98 Akarad Green Field Park Green Rosy

Northern Dancer Fairy Bridge Miswaki Allegretta Lorenzaccio Helen Nichols Match II Lachine Kalamoun Belle of Ireland Gay Mecene Djaka Belle Labus Licata Green Dancer Round The Rosie

It was in 2012 that New Approach made a spectacular start as a stallion, with Dawn Approach leading a crop that also included Oaks winner Talent, Nassau Stakes heroine Sultanina and Derby second Libertarian. Their exploits helped boost the stallion’s fee from £22,500 to £50,000 in 2013 and £80,000 in 2014.

Consequently, New Approach’s highest-priced progeny are still largely untried and he is currently reliant on the three- and four-year-olds from his cheapest crops. This helps explain why the 2008 Derby winner has been comparatively quiet for much of 2016.

His only Group winner in Britain or Ireland was Beautiful Romance (Gr2 Middleton Stakes), but he has fared better in Germany, thanks to Potemkin and Elliptique – two members of his second crop. They took first and third in the Gr1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, with victory going to Elliptique.

A Gr3 winner at two and four in France, Elliptique has raced mainly at around ten furlongs since his respectable fourth in the 2014 Prix Niel. His dam Uryale, a speedy Kendor mare, won three times over sprint distances as a juvenile. Uryale’s best previous effort was her Barathea filly Cicerole, a triple Listed winner over a mile. The next dam Green Field Park, a winner at up to 10.5 furlongs, was a half-sister to the French Gr2 mile-and-a-half winners America and Majorien – America was the dam of Melbourne Cup winner Americain.

109

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DATA BOOK STAKES RESULTS

Group 2 & 3 Races Date 05/07 07/07 07/07 07/07 08/07 08/07 09/07 09/07 09/07 10/07 10/07 12/07 14/07 14/07 16/07 16/07 16/07 17/07 17/07 17/07 17/07 17/07 21/07 21/07 23/07 23/07 24/07 26/07 26/07 27/07 27/07 27/07 28/07 28/07 28/07 29/07 29/07 29/07 29/07 30/07 31/07

Grade G3 G2 G2 G3 G2 G3 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G3 G2 G3 G2 G3 G3 G2 G2 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G3 G2 G2 G2 G3 G3 G3 G2 G2 G3 G2 G3 G3 G3 G3 G3

Race (course) Sparkasse Holstein Cup Flieger Trophy (Hamburg) Arqana July Stakes (Newmarket) Arqana Princess of Wales’s Stakes (Newmarket) Bahrain Trophy (Newmarket) I.C. Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (Newmarket) 188Bet Summer Stakes (York) F.Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes (Ascot) bet365 Superlative Stakes (Newmarket) Nutan Rennen Hamburger Stuten Preis (Hamburg) Prix Chloe (Chantilly) Irish Stall. Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes (Fairyhouse) Maxios Hamburg Trophy (Hannover) Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Saint-Cloud) Icon Meld Stakes (Leopardstown) Kilfrush Stud Sapphire Stakes (Curragh) Jebel Ali Anglesey Stakes (Curragh) bet365 Hackwood Stakes (Newbury) Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes (Curragh) Kilboy Estate Stakes (Curragh) Aengevelt Meilen Trophy (Dusseldorf) P.Eugene Adam (G.P.de Maisons-Laffitte) (Maisons-Laffitte) Prix Messidor (Maisons-Laffitte) Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes (Leopardstown) Turkey Jockey Club Silver Flash Stakes (Leopardstown) Sky Bet York Stakes (York) Juddmonte Princess Margaret Stakes (Ascot) Prix Robert Papin (Maisons-Laffitte) Qatar Lennox Stakes (Goodwood) Qatar Vintage Stakes (Goodwood) Beringice Gordon Stakes (Goodwood) Victoria Racing Club Molecomb Stakes (Goodwood) Grand Prix de Vichy (Vichy) Qatar Goodwood Cup (Goodwood) Qatar Richmond Stakes (Goodwood) Markel Insurance Lillie Langtry Stakes (Goodwood) Qatar King George Stakes (Goodwood) Betfred Glorious Stakes (Goodwood) Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Goodwood) L’Ormarins Queens Plate Oak Tree Stakes (Goodwood) Prix de Psyche Morocco Cup by Sorec (Deauville) Prix de Cabourg (Deauville)

Dist 6f 6f 12f 13f 6f 6f 8f 7f 11f 9f 7f 10f 14f 9f 5f 6f 6f 7f 9f 8f 10f 8f 7f 7f 10f 6f 6.5f 7f 7f 12f 5f 10f 16f 6f 14f 5f 12f 8f 7f 10f 6f

Horse Schang (GER) Mehmas (IRE) Big Orange (GB) Housesofparliament (IRE) Roly Poly (USA) Ridge Ranger (IRE) Mutakayyef (GB) Boynton (USA) Near England (IRE) War Flag (USA) Queen Catrine (IRE) Articus (FR) Candarliya (FR) Decorated Knight (GB) Mecca’s Angel (IRE) Peace Envoy (FR) The Tin Man (GB) Gordon Lord Byron (IRE) Bocca Baciata (IRE) Kaspersky (IRE) Heshem (IRE) Vadamos (FR) Churchill (IRE) Promise To Be True (IRE) Time Test (GB) Fair Eva (GB) Tis Marvellous (GB) Dutch Connection (GB) War Decree (USA) Ulysses (IRE) Yalta (IRE) Night Wish (GER) Big Orange (GB) Mehmas (IRE) California (IRE) Take Cover (GB) Kings Fete (GB) Thikriyaat (IRE) Al Jazi (IRE) Left Hand (GB) Alrahma (GB)

Age 3 2 5 3 2 5 5 2 3 3 5 4 4 4 5 2 4 8 4 5 3 5 2 2 4 2 2 4 2 3 2 6 5 2 4 9 5 3 3 3 2

Sex C C G C F M G C F F M C F C M C G G F H C H C F C F C C C C C H G C F G G G F F F

Sire Contat Acclamation Duke of Marmalade Galileo War Front Bushranger Sea The Stars More Than Ready Lord of England War Front Acclamation Areion Dalakhani Galileo Dark Angel Power Equiano Byron Big Bad Bob Footstepsinthesand Footstepsinthesand Monsun Galileo Galileo Dubawi Frankel Harbour Watch Dutch Art War Front Galileo Exceed And Excel Sholokhov Duke of Marmalade Acclamation Azamour Singspiel King’s Best Azamour Canford Cliffs Dubawi Shamardal

Dam Shaheen Lucina Miss Brown To You Sharp Lisa Misty For Me Dani Ridge Infallible Baffled Near Galante Black Speck Kahira Almerita Candara Pearling Folga Hoh My Darling Persario Boa Estrela Sovana Croanda Doohulla Celebre Vadala Meow Sumora Passage of Time African Rose Mythicism Endless Love Royal Decree Light Shift Lacily Night Woman Miss Brown To You Lucina Maskaya Enchanted Village Fete Malaspina Rainbow Crossing Balladeuse Albaraah

Broodmare Sire Tertullian Machiavellian Fasliyev Dixieland Band Galileo Indian Ridge Pivotal Distorted Humor Galileo Arch King’s Best Medicean Barathea Storm Cat Atraf Dansili Bishop of Cashel Intikhab Desert King Grand Lodge Stravinsky Peintre Celebre Storm Cat Danehill Dansili Observatory Oasis Dream Dubai Destination Street Cry Kingmambo Elusive Quality Monsun Fasliyev Machiavellian Machiavellian Magic Ring Singspiel Whipper Cape Cross Singspiel Oasis Dream

Index 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217

Leading sires 2016 by percentage of stakes winners to runners Name

War Front Galileo Dubawi Monsun Kitten's Joy Sea The Stars Shamardal Bernstein Dalakhani Mount Nelson Dai Jin Mountain Cat Lope de Vega New Approach Zoffany Dark Angel Wootton Bassett Fastnet Rock Showcasing Dansili Tagula Invincible Spirit Dutch Art Zamindar Le Havre Bushranger Azamour Siyouni Manduro Soldier Hollow Teofilo Tamayuz Cape Cross Luxor Areion Fast Company

YOF

2002 1998 2002 1990 2001 2006 2002 1997 2000 2004 2000 1990 2007 2005 2008 2005 2008 2001 2007 1996 1993 1997 2004 1994 2006 2006 2001 2007 2002 2000 2004 2005 1994 2000 1995 2005 Duke Of Marmalade 2004 Unaccounted For 1991 King's Best 1997 Danehill Dancer 1993 Nayef 1998 Lord Of England 2003 Kodiac 2001 Kyllachy 1998 Rock Of Gibraltar 1999 Perfect Storm 2000 Pivotal 1993 Lord Shanakill 2006 Footstepsinthesand 2002 Iffraaj 2001 Aussie Rules 2003 Champs Elysees 2003 Whipper 2001 Myboycharlie 2005 Mastercraftsman 2006 Acclamation 1999 Makfi 2007 Equiano 2005 Kendargent 2003 Rip Van Winkle 2006 Statistics to August 9

110

Sire

Rnrs

Wnrs

%WR

Danzig Sadler's Wells Dubai Millennium Königsstuhl El Prado Cape Cross Giant's Causeway Storm Cat Darshaan Rock Of Gibraltar Peintre Celebre Storm Cat Shamardal Galileo Dansili Acclamation Iffraaj Danehill Oasis Dream Danehill Taufan Green Desert Medicean Gone West Noverre Danetime Night Shift Pivotal Monsun In The Wings Galileo Nayef Green Desert Distant Relative Big Shuffle Danehill Dancer Danehill Private Account Kingmambo Danehill Gulch Dashing Blade Danehill Pivotal Danehill Hennessy Polar Falcon Speightstown Giant's Causeway Zafonic Danehill Danehill Miesque's Son Danetime Danehill Dancer Royal Applause Dubawi Acclamation Kendor Galileo

52 233 153 52 34 107 182 16 82 99 44 89 116 120 124 250 25 153 103 142 59 184 156 95 128 192 98 109 110 76 153 77 155 78 118 120 161 81 122 87 87 92 238 192 192 48 153 52 166 169 114 115 115 115 175 249 126 126 128 132

26 104 73 20 13 56 80 8 24 34 18 27 40 39 37 90 9 65 37 54 15 70 61 38 42 72 38 40 39 29 57 28 67 28 53 33 55 46 37 30 33 30 90 76 64 20 57 16 79 65 33 40 40 33 61 95 55 48 43 39

50.00 44.64 47.71 38.46 38.24 52.34 43.96 50.00 29.27 34.34 40.91 30.34 34.48 32.50 29.84 36.00 36.00 42.48 35.92 38.03 25.42 38.04 39.10 40.00 32.81 37.50 38.78 36.70 35.45 38.16 37.25 36.36 43.23 35.90 44.92 27.50 34.16 56.79 30.33 34.48 37.93 32.61 37.82 39.58 33.33 41.67 37.25 30.77 47.59 38.46 28.95 34.78 34.78 28.70 34.86 38.15 43.65 38.10 33.59 29.55

Races

AWD

Earnings (£)

SH

36 142 100 29 18 84 114 12 35 48 34 53 55 51 47 119 10 91 52 73 22 98 76 51 55 109 52 48 49 41 77 45 100 45 79 48 82 85 45 43 49 37 126 102 89 37 80 25 110 85 46 59 53 38 79 131 76 66 62 47

7.3 11 9.7 10.6 9 10.5 8.1 9.3 11.4 9.6 9.3 7.5 8 9.1 7.9 8.1 8.6 9 6.9 9.4 6.6 7.4 7.7 9 9.4 7.3 10.2 7.7 10.4 9.8 10.1 9.2 9.7 7.4 8 7.2 10.5 8.4 10 8.3 9.1 9.4 6.7 6.9 9.6 7.7 8 9.2 8.4 8.2 10 11.5 9.1 7.6 10.2 6.9 9.3 6.4 8.8 8.7

881,155 7,411,498 2,641,842 485,168 644,756 3,414,155 1,942,999 478,077 795,726 756,380 604,884 1,059,932 1,580,956 879,036 1,127,043 1,749,231 828,859 1,365,460 837,027 1,185,277 575,762 1,898,545 979,891 561,598 1,651,945 1,154,620 853,805 1,090,116 603,952 865,918 1,277,397 567,848 1,196,088 1,177,299 622,423 659,068 951,072 1,268,726 633,515 979,125 514,394 710,364 1,609,385 1,327,494 1,079,336 541,567 1,631,484 691,076 1,483,365 1,177,517 490,680 745,023 700,511 627,629 1,183,081 1,643,654 900,070 644,894 1,096,236 600,664

13 46 27 9 5 19 19 1 9 12 2 6 18 7 10 14 2 16 5 13 2 16 10 5 8 7 8 6 7 9 13 5 7 4 6 4 11 4 7 8 2 3 15 8 8 1 12 1 7 6 4 9 5 3 13 9 6 2 11 4

%

25 19.74 17.65 17.31 14.71 17.76 10.44 6.25 10.98 12.12 4.55 6.74 15.52 5.83 8.06 5.6 8 10.46 4.85 9.15 3.39 8.7 6.41 5.26 6.25 3.65 8.16 5.5 6.36 11.84 8.5 6.49 4.52 5.13 5.08 3.33 6.83 4.94 5.74 9.2 2.3 3.26 6.3 4.17 4.17 2.08 7.84 1.92 4.22 3.55 3.51 7.83 4.35 2.61 7.43 3.61 4.76 1.59 8.59 3.03

SW

%

7 30 15 5 3 9 12 1 5 5 2 4 5 5 5 10 1 6 4 5 2 6 5 3 4 6 3 3 3 2 4 2 4 2 3 3 4 2 3 2 2 2 5 4 4 1 3 1 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 4 2 2 2 2

13.46 12.88 9.80 9.62 8.82 8.41 6.59 6.25 6.10 5.05 4.55 4.49 4.31 4.17 4.03 4.00 4.00 3.92 3.88 3.52 3.39 3.26 3.21 3.16 3.13 3.13 3.06 2.75 2.73 2.63 2.61 2.60 2.58 2.56 2.54 2.50 2.48 2.47 2.46 2.30 2.30 2.17 2.10 2.08 2.08 2.08 1.96 1.92 1.81 1.78 1.75 1.74 1.74 1.74 1.71 1.61 1.59 1.59 1.56 1.52

War in front thanks to seven stakes hits Galileo is out of sight in the earnings list but he has been overtaken by War Front in the stakes table.

Granted, with only 52 runners, almost all cherry-picked, War Front has things slanted in his favour, but a tally of 13 stakes horses and seven stakes winners is impressive.

War Front’s success at Claiborne Farm has been remarkable. His initial fee was $12,500. This year he stood at $200,000.

By Danzig, War Front was a good but not exceptional sprinter whose impact with his juveniles in particular has been profound. Brave Anna, Roly Poly and War Decree are all Group winners this year, following such as Air Force Blue, Hit It A Bomb and War Command.

He won over 8.5 furlongs and does get middle-distance performers, notably Royal Artillery and War Flag this season and 2013 Juddmonte International winner Declaration Of War. Galileo’s 30 stakes winners are twice the number of the next in the list, Dubawi. He had four Group 1 winners, Highland Reel, Minding, Seventh Heaven and The Gurkha.

It is good to see now-retired Dalakhani in the top ten.

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111

Sep_145_24Hours_Owner 19/08/2016 15:05 Page 112

24 HOURS WITH… EDWARD WHITAKER

112

GEORGE SELWYN

M

y early mornings are governed by the light. In summer when the sun’s coming up, my body reacts and I can find myself wandering around well before six. As a natural early riser I am normally up between 6-6.30.

I must have a coffee straight away. I’m fussy about coffee and have an old-fashioned Bialetti coffee machine. One strong cup followed by a second with cereal, fruit and toast for breakfast.

Once I’ve got myself together I’m out for a run or off to the gym in Chiswick, unless I have a particularly early start for a stable visit or a long journey to the races.

The exercise helps my back, which has suffered from perpetually lugging heavy cameras and sitting for long periods in the car. After I’ve been doing pilates-type workouts and weights I feel cleansed, physically and mentally.

I’ll know the day’s plans following conversations with the Racing Post picture desk – whether I’m racing or working on a feature with portraiture photography, of which I am doing more and more for RP Sunday. The new supplement is picture-led and I really enjoy providing a wide variety of photos for it.

I have been with the Racing Post since 1987. My father, James, was royal correspondent for the tabloids on Fleet Street but tried to steer me away from journalism because he didn’t think I was cut out to be a “hard-nosed bastard”.

He took me to polo matches, three-day eventing, point-to-pointing, the Derby and Royal Ascot. I had my biggest bet on Shergar – £10 to win £4 – when he won the King George, so you can tell I’m not a punter. I was just interested in what the photographers were doing. I

EDWARD WHITAKER is a dual Sports Photographer of the Year and six-times winner of the Horserace Writers’ award who admires racehorses but is “slightly nervous” of them after a childhood fall loved playing with cameras.

At the 1978 Badminton Horse Trials I was lent a camera by the royal photographer Tim Graham, who asked me to shoot black and white at the water jump where Princess Anne happened to fall off. I captured this great sequence of pictures and Tim paid me 50 quid. I thought if I can make money doing this, then that’s me!

In the days before auto focus and digital photography there was a real skill in taking quality racing action pictures.

It was thanks to the Racing Post’s photographer of the time, Alan Johnson, and Trevor Jones of Allsport, who taught me how to follow focus and compose a picture.

Your own George Selwyn was an inspiration to me in my

early days working in racing.

Technology has changed massively from the old days of manually focusing, searching for the correct exposure and getting the film processed before it reached the newspaper. Now the digital world enables us to take a picture, edit it on a laptop and transmit it via the internet to the picture desk.

For me, the perfect scenario is a crisp, sunny winter’s day, which is ideal for photographing horses jumping at places like Huntingdon, Cheltenham and Ascot. My favourite foreign trip is to the Dubai World Cup. I have to admit that if I went to the races without a camera it would be like going out without my trousers on. If I was forced to go camera-less I would choose the Tuesday of

Royal Ascot or possibly Arc day.

I admire the horses – Sea The Stars more than any other – but have to admit I am slightly nervous of them.

When I was five I fell off and that was it. I can’t understand why Sea The Stars was never afforded the same accolades as Frankel. For me, he achieved more from the Guineas through to the Arc as a three-year-old.

Desert Orchid was a favourite when I started out and I loved clicking him. If I have to choose a picture I personally like, it’s Danehill being washed down at Coolmore.

I need food at lunchtime and if I’m on the racecourse something is provided in the press room. If I’m not racing I’ll stop off at Marks & Spencer for a sandwich or salad.

Away from racing I love tennis and have covered the last 13 Wimbledons for the Racing Post. It makes for a good break from the horses and Andy Murray’s first title in 2013 was the most amazing sporting event I have ever attended.

I have produced three books, In The Frame, Beyond The Frame and McCoy In The Frame. I keep being asked when the next photo book is coming out.

Preparing food and cooking is one of my great relaxations and I enjoy doing Asian-type stir fries, curries and Italian recipes. The evening meal depends on what time my fiancée Fiona Harris arrives back from work, though we like to try to eat between 7.30-8pm.

My new favourite author is William Boyd, whose beautifully written Waiting For Sunrise I have just finished.

But I don’t take a book to bed. I usually watch the 10 o’clock news and go to sleep.

Interview by Tim Richards

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G1 winner at three over both six and seven furlongs.

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