September, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

TDN Q&A With Alex Elliott

With the yearling sales now in full swing, TDN quizzes industry figures on past purchases, life during lockdown and their perspective on the sales over the next few weeks. Today, Alex Elliott answers our questions.

TDN: What was your best yearling purchase over the last few years? And your favourite?

AE: Group 2 winner New Mandate (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is a horse that has quickly become both one of my favourite and best purchases. He was bought at last year’s Arqana August Yearling Sale for €35,000 and was the first horse I bought for ‘Lucra’, a new trading syndicate founded by myself and trainer Ralph Beckett. The premise is to buy five yearlings with middle-distance pedigrees, with a view to trading them before the end of their 3-year-old careers, either privately or at public auction. Ralph and I have enjoyed much success with such purchases and we thought it was about time we had some skin in the game. We imagined this year was going to be a slow burner for investors considering the portfolio of pedigrees that we had put together, but New Mandate has managed to make sure ‘Lucra I’ will end in profit, as he was sold after his maiden win at Sandown and immediately rewarded his new owner with a win in the Listed Flying Scotsman at Doncaster. He is now rated 111 after winning the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket on Saturday.

Jamie McCalmont was kind enough to give me my first job in bloodstock when I returned home from the U.S. in 2012 and he bought New Mandate for his new owner, Marc Chan. I have plenty to thank both Jamie and Ralph for and it is fantastic that we can all enjoy New Mandate’s progress together.

TDN: Are there any positive you have taken from how the sales have been conducted this year?

AE: I think sales companies, vendors, buyers and staff have moved mountains to make this sales season happen and everyone should be very proud of what they have achieved. Arqana put on flights to and from their premier yearling sale and they should be highly commended on the service that they provided. The knock-on effect of sales not happening does not bear thinking about.

Looking ahead I hope that I may be able to pick up more business as people may not be able to travel. I have had calls from Australia and America from people who will not be travelling to European sales this year, so there could be some opportunity to strengthen both old and new alliances.

I and some fellow agents are more than a little concerned as to how online bidding is going to affect us. I don’t think it is necessary for yearling sales to have online bidding, as this is where my opinion is most valid, but it is here to stay and I’ll just have to make sure I have matters in place to make sure the middle man is not made redundant.

TDN: How has your business adapted?

AE: I am lucky in that I have very few overheads as I don’t employ anybody full time and I have my office at home, so costs have been kept low. As long as I have internet, a mobile phone and a car my business can run relatively smoothly.

This is the first time in eight years that I have missed the Keeneland September Sale. It was very strange watching Irish Champions Weekend from home, rather than the Northern Dancer bar, and is not something I want to experience again.

TDN: In general what are your thoughts on the 2020 yearling catalogues? And what new stallions’ progeny are you most looking forward to?

AE: I rather enjoyed the Arqana Sale being put back a month as it gave those yearlings another month to develop. The August Sale is very early in a yearling’s life and that extra month made a big difference to them. It is a difference I would like to see maintained.

So far the first-season sires to have impressed me are Almanzor (Fr), El Kabeir and Postponed (Ire).

TDN: Did you develop any new interests or hobbies during lockdown?

AE: Enjoying endless time with our newborn baby girl Esme, cooking and road cycling were three activities that really blossomed during lockdown; unfortunately they have all taken a backseat since the rat race returned. That said, not going to Keeneland has given me some downtime between sales and I definitely need to get back on the bike after the weiner schnitzel in Baden-Baden and the baguettes in Deauville.

TDN: What’s one mistake (if any) you made in your career, and what did you learn from it?

AE: ‘You never get a second chance to make a good first impression’ is one of the truest sayings going. I started off as an agent very young, too young and definitely thought I could run before I could walk. With that in mind I feel as though I definitely rubbed a few people the wrong way and that is something that I very much regret.

Life as an agent operating on your own can be the most satisfying job in the world but the flip side of that is that it can be a very lonely place when things are going bad. I would advise anyone entering into the profession to gain as much experience, under a respected agent/agency, before branching out and to work closely with as many other people and teams as possible.

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Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: Embracing the Unexpected

If the last six months have taught me anything, it’s to embrace the unexpected, to avoid becoming too attached to plans, and to continually alter my course, finding joy within the chaos. As you are aware, the Thoroughbred Makeover itself is the latest part of our journey to change. In light of COVID-19 concerns, and with a goal to give competitors the experience they hoped for, the decision was made to postpone the 2020 Makeover and run it at the same time as the 2021 Makeover.

Foal Cloned From 40-Year-Old Genetic Material Offers Hope For Endangered Species

On Aug. 6, the world's first cloned Przewalski horse was born, giving hope to conservationists of the endangered breed. To create the colt, scientists used genetic material that had been cryopreserved 40 years ago at the San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG) Frozen Zoo.

“Kurt” was born to a domestic surrogate mother. His birth revives genetic diversity that was believed to have been lost decades ago. Dr. Bob Wiese, chief life sciences officer at San Diego Zoo Global, is hopeful that the colt will bring back genetic variation imperative for the future survival of the Przewalski breed.

The Przewalski horse is a wild horse breed from the steppes of central Asia; native populations declined dramatically after World War II because of hunting, severe winters and competition with livestock. The last sighting of a wild Przewalski horse was in 1969.

A captive breeding program was begun in 1899 and included 12 horses; these 12 animals were the foundation for the nearly 2,000 Przewalski horses alive today. However, with such low genetic diversity, these 2,000 individuals are less able to adapt to environmental changes or stressors, and are at risk of inbreeding, which can result in a plethora of unwanted traits.

“Kuporovic” was a captive bred Przewalski horse with a genome that had ancestry to two wild horse founders. Because he had so much genetic variation, scientists preserved his genome in the San Diego Zoo's Frozen Zoo in 1980.

The Zoo partnered with wildlife conservation group Revive & Restore and pet cloning company ViaGen Equine to produce Kurt, who is Kuporovic's exact genetic replica. The tiny foal represents long-term viability of preserved genetic material, offering hope for the survival of all endangered species.

Bated Breath’s Makaloun Has Conde Rivals For Lunch

Fresh from victory in last month’s Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage going one mile at Deauville, His Highness The Aga Khan’s Makaloun (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}) was in no mood to relinquish his perfect record and dominated all seven rivals in Monday lunchtime’s G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly. He had debuted with a June 12 seven-furlong tally at Toulouse and doubled up over the same trip in a July 15 conditions heat at Mont-de-Marsan in his penultimate start. Breaking well to lead after the initial strides of this nine-furlong slog in deep mud, the 11-10 pick was never in danger on the front end and glided clear under mild coaxing inside the final quarter mile to easily outpoint Anasia (GB) (Intello {Ger}) by an impressive five lengths for a first pattern-race score. Kergrist (Fr) (Milanais {Fr}) was best of the rest and an additional four lengths adrift in third.

“This is a nice one, a real nice one,” proclaimed trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. “He has so many qualities and has showed speed earlier, that he stays and that he handles all types of ground. You can also make the running with him or adopt waiting tactics, he is the real deal. Today was very deep and he displayed a lovely fluent action. It’s nice to have a talented juvenile undefeated in four starts and, if all is well, he will have one more run this year in the [G1] Criterium de Saint Cloud.”

Makaloun is the latest of four foals and one of three winners from as many runners out of a dual-winning half-sister to Listed Prix Omnium II victor Markazi (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}). The May-foaled homebred’s fourth dam Mariyada (Diesis {GB}), from the immediate family of G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Riverqueen (Fr) (Luthier {Fr}), is kin to G3 Prix d’Hedouville winner and G2 Prix Niel runner-up Malakim (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and also the granddam of Listed Fleur de Lys S. victress Mayonga (Ire) (Dr Fong).

Monday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE CONDE-G3, €56,000, Chantilly, 9-28, 2yo, 9fT, 1:56.53, hy.
1–MAKALOUN (FR), 125, c, 2, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Makana (Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Marasima (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Miralaya (Ire), by Shernazar (Ire)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan’s Studs SC (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Cristian Demuro. €28,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, €88,500. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Anasia (GB), 121, f, 2, Intello (Ger)–Sosia (Ger), by Shamardal. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €11,200.
3–Kergrist (Fr), 125, g, 2, Milanais (Fr)–Kayl (Fr), by Vangelis. O-Mme Baudouin de la Motte Saint-Pierre & Bruno de Montzey; B-Mme Baudouin de la Motte Saint-Pierre & Michel-Marie Hardy (FR); T-Bruno de Montzey. €8,400.
Margins: 5, 4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 5.40, 10.00.
Also Ran: Salonlove (Ger), Magna Mater (Ire), Shut The Box (Fr), Areen, Aspirante (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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