Jim Crowley: Jockey rides 2,000th winner with Modmin victory at Goodwood
Jim Crowley produced his 2,000th career winner in Britain aboard Modmin - becoming only the fifth current flat jockey to reach the milestone.
Author: News
Mastery’s First Yearlings Gaining Pre-Sale Traction
Since the start of sales season last fall, comments have circulated on how Mastery could be the dark horse in his class of first-crop yearling sires.
There are many unknowns about the son of Candy Ride (Arg), as he may have never reached his full potential on the track when an injury forced him to retire prematurely. But his four-for-four career start had garnered talk of Kentucky Derby favoritism after dominating performances in the GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity and the GII San Felipe S.
Now in the stud barn at Claiborne Farm, he’s gained attention early on in his career. His weanling average of $153,272, with 22 of 28 sold, placed him near the top of his class by weanling averages with a $25,000 stud fee.
His leading weanling, a filly named Shes Bout a Mover, is a half-sister to GIW Nereid (Rock Hard Ten) and sold to agent Andre Lynch at the Keeneland January Sale for $365,000. Earlier in the season, a colt out of Native One (Indian Charlie) and from the same family as GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint Champion Mitole (Eskendereya) sold for $325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
“He’s one of two stallions that stood out to me from the group of first-crop stallions at the sales last year,” said Stonehaven Steadings’ Aidan O’Meara. “The Masterys have a little more frame and size to them than I would have expected with the sire line. He’s a decent-sized horse himself and after what he did in the San Felipe, we never got to see him do a whole lot more, but the raw brilliance was there. He’s been producing the physicals that people are looking for and is putting himself in a good position going forward to be the real deal.”
O’Meara found one Mastery weanling at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale that he couldn’t leave without. Stonehaven Steadings went to $240,000 for a colt out of the stakes-placed Broken Vow mare Janis’s Joy.
“I thought he was one of the top three foals I saw last year,” O’Meara said. “We loved him. He was a big, beautifully-framed foal and looked like a horse with a lot of potential going forward.”
The yearling is now slated for the Keeneland September Sale as Hip 1021.
“He’s developing into the horse you hoped he would,” O’Meara reported. “He’s a big, two-turn colt. He’s a magnificent physical specimen and mentally, he’s solid as a rock. He has that intangible, special way about him that separates your average good-looking horse with something that has legitimate class. He’s probably going to be our top physical at the sale and will be a standout in Book Two.”
An additional 67 Mastery yearlings are catalogued for the Keeneland September Sale. At the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, 14 of his offspring will be featured including Hip 194, a filly out of GIW and stakes producer Last Full Measure (Empire Maker), as well as Hip 350, a filly out of GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Champion Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) and a half-sister to last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing (Speightstown).
Claiborne’s Bernie Sams spoke on the quality he saw in the mares from Mastery’s first books, and how that has reflected onto this first class of yearlings.
“We bred 139 mares to him the first year, and a couple mares that were in there were the dams of Sharing and of Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). So he got good support for a horse that stands for $25,000. I’ve gotten good reports on the yearlings and the few I’ve seen have been really nice. They’ve been very athletic, well-conformed, a good size with plenty of bone to them.”
Sams said that an additional 143 and 137 mares were in Mastery’s next two books.
“He’s been very popular with the breeders,” Sams said. “He’s a good-looking horse, obviously he’s very much Candy Ride. I think people like the pedigree.”
His dam, Steady Course (Old Trieste), was picked up by Arthur Hancock for $20,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale.
“She was barren at the time, but it’s a really good family and she was a big, strong, good-looking mare,” Hancock recalled. “I thought I’d probably have to pay a little more. I actually came to find out Garrett O’Rourke at Juddmonte was going to bid on her, but he got stuck in traffic.”
A few months later, Steady Course’s first foal Clear Sailing (Empire Maker) became a stakes winner, but Hancock didn’t have much luck with the mare in her first few years at Stone Farm until he bred her to Candy Ride in 2013.
Hancock noted, “My dad had a saying, ‘A good bull is half your herd, and a bad bull is all of it. I wanted to breed her to a good bull and Candy Ride is a good stallion. Mastery was a grand-looking foal.”
Mastery sold for $425,000 at the Keeneland September Sale to Cromwell Bloodstock as agent for Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stables.
He was sent to Bob Baffert and burst onto the scene when he broke his maiden on debut by over four lengths in October of his 2-year-old season. He continued on by taking three consecutive graded stakes wins in the GIII Bob Hope S., the GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity and the GII San Felipe S. by over a combined 15 lengths.
“He became a really good racehorse,” Hancock said. “I think Baffert thought he had a big shot to win the Derby until he got an injury and went to stud after that. And now, we wait and see what happens.”
While it won’t be a long wait before Mastery’s progeny have the opportunity to prove their worth on the track, Hancock patiently monitors the development of Mastery’s full-brother who was born in late May this year.
“He’s a really nice colt and his looks speak for themselves.” Hancock nods to the rolling pasture of his Stone Farm and said, “He’s always running around out there and who knows? These fields here, not me but these fields, have raised three Kentucky Derby winners, two others who were second and seven who were in the Derby. If I stay out of his way, maybe he’ll develop into something.”
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New Approach’s Telecaster Dominates the Grand Prix de Deauville
Patience has long been a particular virtue of Hughie Morrison and Sunday’s G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville was testament to his ability to play the waiting game as Castle Down Racing’s Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) fully came of age. Sent straight to the front by Christophe Soumillon, the 13-10 favourite whose previous foray to France had resulted in a four-length success in ParisLongchamp’s G3 La Coupe June 25 was always content untroubled at the head of affairs on this deep surface. Setting down for his plunge up the straight, the bay was on his own at the end of this 12 1/2-furlong feature as he powered to a 6 1/2-length verdict over last year’s runner-up Soft Light (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}), who edged out last year’s winner Ziyad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) by 3/4 of a length.
“There were doubts beforehand as to whether he would stay this distance or not, as he had run a moderate race over it in the Derby, and also about the ground but going down to the start he gave me a lot of confidence,” Soumillon commented. “He was very relaxed, so I decided to go on and he handled that very well–it was no effort for him. Turning for home, I had them covered and he quickened very nicely. Hughie Morrison is very good at handling older horses, which boosted my confidence.”
First coming to prominence when beating Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) on good-to-firm in York’s G2 Dante S. last May, Telecaster was last of the 13 to run in the Derby and beat only one rival on his only subsequent 3-year-old outing in Sandown’s G1 Eclipse S. Returning with an encouraging third behind the subsequent G1 Prince of Wales’s S. hero Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the June 7 G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Haydock, he stayed at that 10-furlong trip to gain a perfect confidence-booster in the La Coupe before finishing fourth in the July 25 G2 York S.
Morrison was not ruling out a tilt at the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and said, “He was very raw mentally and physically last year and anything after the Dante was always going to a big step. He needed putting away for next year and thanks to the patience of Mark Weinfeld and his sister Helena we were able to do that. He’s always been a very exciting horse, but we were concerned that the ground might be too deep for him. Christophe says he can go on any ground, but he’s more comfortable with a bit of cut. The Arc has exceptionals horses in it this year and he would have to improve to feature–I’m not saying he can’t or won’t, but it’s exciting to think he can be considered in the same bracket as them.”
Telecaster is out of the stable’s talented but free-going Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), who was runner-up in both the G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks, as well as the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. when it held group 2 status and was also third in the G1 Pretty Polly S. Her 2017 foal is Godolphin’s classy 3-year-old Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who recently took the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. having finished runner-up in the G3 Autumn S. and third in the G3 Solario S. last term. The fourth dam Hyabella (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), one of four black-type winners out of the G2 Prix de l’Opera heroine Bella Colora (GB) (Bellypha {Ire}), produced the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. winner Poet (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) who relished testing ground. Bella Colora is kin to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine and excellent producer Colorspin (GB) (High Top {Ire}) and the G1 Champion S. hero Cezanne (GB) (Ajdal) from the immediate dam line of the great matriarch Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}). Also connected to the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up and G3 Tetrarch S.-winning sire France (GB) (Desert Prince {Ire}), the dam has a filly foal by Frankel (GB) to come.
Sunday, Deauville, France
LUCIEN BARRIERE GRAND PRIX DE DEAUVILLE-G2, €140,000, Deauville, 8-30, 3yo/up, 12 1/2fT, 2:48.29, hy.
1–TELECASTER (GB), 130, c, 4, by New Approach (Ire)
   1st Dam: Shirocco Star (GB) (MG1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng & GSP-Fr, $485,970), by Shirocco (Ger)
   2nd Dam: Spectral Star (GB), by Unfuwain
   3rd Dam: Hyperspectra (GB), by Rainbow Quest
(180,000gns RNA Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-Castle Down Racing; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-Hugh Morrison; J-Christophe Soumillon. €79,800. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 9-4-1-1, €225,996. *1/2 Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Soft Light (Fr), 130, c, 4, Authorized (Ire)–Light Saber (Fr), by Kendor (Fr). (€40,000 Ylg ’17 AROCT). O-Claudio Marzocco; B-SARL Jedburgh Stud & Mme Isabelle Corbani (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €30,800.
3–Ziyad (GB), 130, g, 5, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)–Arme Ancienne (GB) (SP-Fr), by Sillery. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (GB); T-Carlos Laffon-Parias. €14,700.
Margins: 6HF, 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.30, 7.80, 2.20.
Also Ran: Red Verdon, Deacon (GB), Subway Dancer (Ire), Styledargent (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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Doncaster To Offer Early Market Clues
The start of the racing season, and in fact the yearling sales season itself, may have been badly impeded by the coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop Goffs UK’s Premier Yearling Sale graduates from getting off to a flying start once things finally did get underway. One of the fastest from the gate was The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}), whose debut victory three days after racing’s resumption on June 3 led to a private deal with Qatar Racing and a subsequent victory in the G2 Norfolk S. 16 days later. It was the second straight year that a Premier graduate had taken that Royal Ascot feature, following on from A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) in 2019, and it was the first of the sale’s two title defenses of the meeting, with Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) taking the mantel from Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup an hour later.
The Lir Jet would go on to finish second to fellow Premier graduate Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G2 Prix Robert Papin and was runner-up again in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S.
Such is the quality of last year’s Premier Sale intake, however, that it could be someone other than The Lir Jet or Ventura Tormenta who winds up top of the heap. Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) proved to be well-named with a four-length score in the G2 Richmond S. on July 30 that earned him a rating of 115. Method (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) looked a smart type when taking the Listed Rose Bowl S. at second asking in July, and the filly he had beaten by 4 1/4 lengths on debut, Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), came roaring back to take the Listed Star S. and last weekend won the G2 Prix du Calvados. These are among nine graduates of last year’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale to have already won stakes, and they set a strong precedent for the 423 yearlings set to go under the hammer at this year’s edition of the sale at Doncaster on Sept. 1 and 2.
“It’s been a wonderful year on the track and we have a wonderful bunch of horses,” said Goffs UK’s Managing Director Tim Kent. “If we were in a normal year we’d be very confident we’d have a wonderful sale but it’s difficult to know what to expect with the way everything is going, but the market has held up remarkably well in Europe up until now. The breeze-up sales went better than anyone expected and the horses in training sales have had plenty of demand. So we have to hope that continues. We’re confident we have a nice draft of horses and the stallion index is reading well. There have been a lot of photos on social media and videos online and just looking at those you think ‘blimey, that’s a nice horse…that’s a nice horse…’ and they’re by the right stallions and from some good farms, so we’re hopeful it will all come together.”
Three of the sale’s likely heavyweights will come on day two, beginning with a Starspangledbanner (Aus) half-brother to Ventura Tormenta (lot 313) from Baroda Stud. Given the Group 2 update supplied by his elder brother, that one is likely to provide a hefty return on the €40,000 paid by the Tweenhills team Redwall Bloodstock at Goffs November last year.
Just a few lots later Salcey Forest Stud’s Cotai Glory half-sister to A’Ali (lot 322) will grace the ring (see Monday’s TDN for more on her). And the very last horse through the ring is likely to ensure that bidders stick around; he is a full-brother to the 2016 sale topper and G3 Hackwood S. winner Yafta (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (lot 423) offered by Highclere Stud, the same draft that sold Yafta as well as Golden Horde here. Others that appeal on paper include a No Nay Never daughter of the G3 Round Tower S. scorer Dingle View (Ire) (Mujadil) (lot 170); an Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt out of G3 Firth Of Clyde S. winner Distinctive (GB) (Tobougg) (lot 173); a Kodiac (GB) filly out of a half-sister to Equiano (Fr) (lot 195); a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of a full-sister to champion sprinter Fleeting Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (f2lot 346); a Siyouni (Fr) filly out of a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf victress Queen’s Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 361); and a Lope De Vega (Ire) son of the Group 3-placed Royal Empress (Ire) (lot 380).
With the consequences of Britain’s low prizemoney levels being increasingly felt, it is perhaps more important now than ever to provide owners with incentive to get in or stay in the game, and races like the £180,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes open to all graduates of this sale can go some distance towards that. The winner of this year’s contest at York on Aug. 20 was the Dandy Man (Ire) filly Happy Romance (Ire), who cost £25,000 at Doncaster a year ago and is the first horse owned by the McMurray family. It is likely no mistake, either, that trainer Richard Hannon targets the race so heavily, and Happy Romance gave him his fourth win in it in the past five years. Happy Romance was scratched from Saturday’s G3 Prestige S. but will doubtless get her shot at black-type soon.
The Premier Yearling Sale S. has not only been taken by some quality fillies, but also by three of the best colts to ever come from the sale: Wootton Bassett (GB), Acclamation (GB) and his son Dark Angel (Ire). That triumvirate sits atop a burgeoning group of successful sires to have emanated from this sale.
Acclamation was a £33,000 purchase by his trainer Gerald Cottrell in 2000 under this sale’s former guise as the St Leger sale and was a member of the first crop of his sire Royal Applause (GB). Acclamation capped a productive juvenile campaign the following year with a victory in the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes. After an interrupted 3-year-old campaign he blossomed to take the Listed Starlit S. and the G2 Diadem S. at four, but it was in the breeding shed where his legacy was truly cemented. While his best runner was the superstar sprinting filly Marsha (GB), he has left behind a stacked roster of colts to carry on his line, thus far led by Dark Angel and Equiano (Fr) and with this year’s first-season sensation Mehmas (Ire) potentially poised to join them. He can also lay claim to the very useful sires Lilbourne Lad (Ire) and Harbour Watch (Ire), the latter of whom is responsible for this season’s impressive G2 King Edward II S. and G2 Great Voltigeur S. scorer Pyledriver (GB). And with young horses like Aclaim (GB) and Expert Eye (GB) still to have their first runners, the Acclamation sireline looks likely to continue to thrive.
Dark Angel, meanwhile, has already firmly established his own branch of the Acclamation line. Like Acclamation was, Dark Angel was a member of the first crop of his own sire and was a £61,000 purchase from the 2006 St Leger sale. He won the sales race for trainer Barry Hills in 2007 before going on to take the G2 Mill Reef S. and G1 Middle Park S. before retiring upon the conclusion of his 2-year-old campaign. Dark Angel’s first crop, interestingly, would include the G1 Diamond Jubilee and G1 July Cup S. winner Lethal Force (Ire), the sire of current Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale poster boy Golden Horde. Dark Angel looks in these early days to be making a similar mark on the breed to his sire, with Gutaifan (Ire) proving his prowess in his second year with runners and with Estidhkaar (Ire) and Markaz (Ire) each having gotten off to a promising start with his first runners this season. And while his best runner to date, Battaash (Ire), will not get the chance to pass on his genes as a gelding, Dark Angel still has the Goffs UK graduate and champion sprinter Harry Angel (Ire) waiting in the wings with his first foals this year. Another Group 1-winning sprinter to come from the sale with a chance to make his mark as a sire is the Phoenix S., Commonwealth Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest scorer Advertise (GB), a £60,000 graduate who covered his first book at the National Stud this year.
Already a sire on the rise, Wootton Bassett is set to enter a different stratosphere, having been purchased by Coolmore just prior to getting his second Group 1 winner in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet victress Audarya (Fr). A £46,000 graduate of 2009, Wootton Bassett won the sales race midway through a perfect 2-year-old career which was capped by a G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere score and French champion 2-year-old honours. With Coolmore having pledged the support of its impeccable broodmare band and with Wootton Bassett’s best son Almanzor (Fr) set to have his first runners next year, there looks to be plenty more to come in the Wootton Bassett story.
With such opportunities on the line, the shrewdest buyers will not miss this week’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. And as the first yearling sale during this pandemic-stricken season, all eyes will be on the figures as an indication of what is to come.
“The big thing for us will be clearance rate,” said Kent. “People have brought these horses here to sell and we’re providing an opportunity for that to happen. The way we’ll measure the sale is going to be different; the normal metrics will go out the window and it will be very much about clearance rate and feel. If vendors are happy with what they’re achieving and purchasers are saying they can’t buy horses, for us that’s a good feel for this sale. We’re normally worried about comparative metrics-average, turnover, median, that sort of thing. It’ll be less about that this year and more about clearance rate and the ability to get horses sold.”
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