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Pinatubo And Sergei Prokofiev Head First-Season Sires’ Betting

Paddy Power have had their say on the first-season sires' championship and the betting giants are unable to separate Pinatubo (Ire) and Sergei Prokofiev at the head of the market at odds of 6-4.

It was Blue Point (Ire) who dominated the first-season sires' championship last year in recording 50 individual winners in Europe including two Group 1 scorers. According to Paddy Power, Darley are in a strong position to scoop the prize for the second successive year as, not only can the powerful operation call on joint-favourite Pinatubo, but Earthlight (Ire) is also prominent in the betting at 2-1.

Whitsbury Manor Stud, where Sergei Prokfiev is based, has a good reputation for getting young sires up and running with their first crop and famously landed this prize in 2022 with sire sensation Havana Grey (GB).

The Starfield Stud-based Far Above (Ire) is another stallion that the betting firm seemingly gives a chance to while Mohaather (GB) is frictionally bigger at odds of 10-1. Ballyhane Stud resident Sands Of Mali (Fr), whose stock has caught the attention of trainers Richard Fahey, Johnny Murtagh, Michael Dods and more, is one of the more interesting outsiders at odds of 33-1.

Paddy Power's Paul Binfield commented, “We are unable to separate Pinatubo and Sergei Prokofiev at the front of the market. The former was a revelation as a two-year-old with his National Stakes victory a joy to behold and while he didn't quite live up to expectations during his Classic season, he still won a Group 1 and was placed in three others.”

He added, “While he was never beaten over seven furlongs and was a very decent miler, Sergei Prokofiev brings electrifying speed to the table-he won three times as a juvenile, including a comfortable success in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes, and was a gallant third in the Coventry Stakes over six furlongs.”

Pinatubo won three times at the highest level. His brilliant juvenile campaign culminated with a spellbinding performance in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien S. at the Curragh followed by the Dewhurst at Newmarket while he won the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville as a three-year-old.

He stands at Dalham Hall Stud for £35,000 and, of 49 yearlings sold in Britain and Ireland in 2023, they averaged £146,488 and included a £380,000 colt and a £500,000 filly.

Meanwhile, Sergei Prokofiev stands for just £6,000 and, of the 97 yearlings of his to sell at public auction last year, they averaged £37,203.

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Gokhan Kocakaya, Leading Rider in Turkey, Looking to Make It In New York

Gokhan Kocakaya understood that this would be a challenge. In his native Turkey, he has won 2,910 races, was the leading rider for four straight years starting in 2019. He was riding in all of the major races and making a good living. But here he was on a chilly Monday morning galloping horses at Belmont Park, some 5,000 miles from home and in a place where almost nobody knows who he is.

“I am new here,” the 37-year-old jockey said through an interpreter. “I am not expecting to ride the best horses. I will try my best. But I know I am starting from the bottom. I think I will build my business little by little.”

He doesn't have much to lose. If things don't work out, he can always go back to Turkey. But that's not what he wants. He wants to prove to people that he belongs here and can compete against what is, even in the winter, a very good riding colony at Aqueduct. He's hoping to make New York his new home base.

Kocakaya, who began his career in 2006, got the idea of riding in the U.S. when he came here to visit trainers Ilkay and Mertkan Kantarmaci, brothers who also emigrated from Turkey to New York. He has also ridden in Macau, Dubai, France and Germany.

“I made the decision to come here because I like how the racing is here,” he said. “I think that it's as good as anywhere in the world.”

He said he also wanted his children, who are six and 12, to have the chance to get an education in the U.S.

“I always wanted to raise my kids in a different country and I chose here,” he said. “That has nothing to do with Turkey. I just wanted them to see other parts of the world.”

Kocakaya spent a few weeks here last winter and failed to win a race in from 10 mounts. He returned in December and has gone 1-for-7 since. His win came on Jan 4. with Bustin Shout (Bustin Stones), who is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. Rodriguez's son, Rudy Jr., is Kocakaya's agent. It is believed that he became the first Turkish-born jockey to win a race in the U.S.
“I won around 3,000 races when you include other countries I rode in,” he said. “But I'm new here. No one knows me and I don't get many chances. So I was happy to win that race and am still excited about it. It was a special win.”

It is Rodriguez's job to find him mounts. He will get some from his father and will ride for the Kantarmaci brothers. He also picked up a mount from John Kimmel.
“It has been tough, especially because we're here in New York, one of the premier jockey colonies in country,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “It's definitely not easy. People have been very kind to him. They want him to work horses in the morning. I do understand there are some issues, including him still learning English. He's trying. He's taking English courses. I think he's starting to gain people's trust.”

Over the last five years, Kocakaya has averaged 246 winners a year in Turkey, tops among all riders.

There's very little chance he'll reach those numbers here in the U.S. But his goals are far more modest. He just wants to be given a chance.

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Little Lodge Stud Offers Top Colts at Goffs UK January Sale

A pair of colts led the proceedings with £68,000 final bids at Tuesday's Goffs UK January Sale in Doncaster. Little Lodge Farm was responsible for the leading colts, headed by lot 91, a May 17 foal by Vadamos (Fr) out of Banjaxed Girl (GB) (King's Theatre). Purchased by Brook Lodge Farm, the bay is a half-brother to Grade 3-winner Le Milos (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) and listed scorer and graded-placed Kid Commando (GB) (Robin des Champs {Fr}). Later in the session, Rathmore Stud also offered £68,000 for lot 140, a colt by Walk In The Park (Ire). The Apr. 23 foal is out of unraced Native Sunrise (Ire) (Definite Article), who is also responsible for Grade 2 winner Guard Your Dreams (GB) (Fame And Glory {GB}).

At the conclusion of Tuesday's session, a total of 81 head sold for a total of £1,183,300. During the opening session last season, 115 head realized £1,584,500. The average was up from £13,779 in 2023 to £14,609 this term, while the median held steady at £7,000 from one year ago.

For complete results, click here.

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Havana Grey Tops Profitability Index Calculated By Weatherbys

Havana Grey (GB) was the most profitable British- and Irish-based yearling sire of 2023 according to the newly-published Weatherbys Bloodstock Sales Review.

Havana Grey topped the standings with a profitability index of 10.75, comfortably ahead of the next best stallion, Sioux Nation, on 6.61. Those figures were calculated by dividing each sire's 2023 yearling average by their covering fee of 2021, when the offspring in question were conceived.

It was another hugely successful year on the racecourse for the progeny of Havana Grey, with the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Vandeek (GB) emerging as the star of his second crop of two-year-olds. The sire's burgeoning reputation was later reflected at the sales where his 65 yearlings sold for an average of 90,951gns/€107,914, a significant return on their investment for any breeders who sent mares to him in 2021 when his fee was just £6,000. His fee has been increased to £55,000 (from £18,500 in 2023) for his sixth season at Whitsbury Manor Stud in 2024.

Sioux Nation has also been given a fee increase by Coolmore (from €17,500 to €27,500) having built on the success of his juveniles in 2022 when he was second only to Havana Grey among that year's first-season sires. Several members of that crop became Group winners in 2023, headed by G2 Challenge S. heroine Matilda Picotte (Ire), and those who invested in one of his 30 yearlings to sell last year will be hoping for more of the same. They made an average of 55,676gns/€66,060 having been conceived at a fee of just €10,000.

Cotai Glory (GB) and Twilight Son (GB) both operated at basement fees in 2021–€5,000 and £5,000 respectively–and there was certainly value to be had for those breeders who took advantage. Tally Ho Stud resident Cotai Glory had a 2023 yearling average of 25,914gns/€30,747 from 54 lots, giving him a profitability index of 6.15, while Cheveley Park Stud's Twilight Son wasn't far behind on 6.00 having seen his 25 yearlings make an average of 28,595gns/€33,928.

The top five was completed by Sergei Prokofiev (Can), who joined Havana Grey at Whitsbury Manor at a fee of £6,500 in 2021 and will be represented by his first runners in 2024. Those two-year-olds shouldn't be underestimated if the way they performed at the sales last year is anything to go by, making an average of 34,624gns/€41,081 from 84 lots sold.

With a profitability index of 5.59, Sergei Prokofiev was one of only two first-season sires to make the top ten along with Ghaiyyath (Ire) on 4.68, the multiple Group 1 winner who stood at the much higher fee of €30,000 when covering his first mares at Kildangan Stud in 2021. Big things are expected from his first runners in 2024 after his 65 lots caught the eye in a big way at the yearling sales, fetching an average of 118,457gns/€140,549.

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