It's been a little while since we've updated everyone on Mr. Park and his journey to the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover! As most of you know, the Retired Racehorse Project had to push back the Makeover due to the pandemic, so he will actually be competing against the other 2020 horses in October of 2021. This was a bit of a bummer, but I deeply feel it was the most responsible choice for the competition to make. We support them 100% as we know it was a super difficult decision.
TDN Q&A With Will Douglass
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, Will Douglass answers our questions.
TDN: What was your best yearling purchase over the last few years? And your favourite?
WD: I bought two fillies with Al Wasmiyah Stud called Traisha (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Dhabyah (GB) (Australia {GB}). Traisha has been listed and Group 3-placed and holds an entry in the G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares S. on Champions Day. Dhabyah won her first start and then was just beaten on her second start, but William Haggas had been encouraging about her so I hope she can take another step forward. Al Wasmiyah is owned by two brothers from Qatar, Ali and Mohamed Bin Hamad, and they are developing a strong broodmare band.
My favourite yearling purchase would be Wet Sail (Henrythenavigator) who I bought with Charlie Fellowes in 2013. He was the first horse we bought together in his first year of training. He was pretty good and after winning his maiden was sold to stay in the yard for a new owner and went to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He was a flag bearer early on which got both of our names out there.
I purchased Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) as a horse in training early in my career and he went on to a win a Group 1, multiple group races, be champion sprinter and win over £3.3 million in prize money in Hong Kong. He really helped my business grow over there and put my name on the map.
TDN: Are there any positive you have taken from how the sales have been conducted this year?
WD: I think the market correcting itself is overdue, particularly in the UK. I hope that with the market being down it might encourage people that have otherwise been scared off by the sums of money that yearlings cost to reconsider; perhaps we will get a few new people coming in over the next year or two. We are very lucky to have one of the best resale markets in the world and everyone wants our product, which is a very positive selling point to give to new people. Regardless of the Covid-19 situation that we are faced with people seem to have so much passion for racing and the market has been fairly resilient so far to a level. I think the top level will always hold up, much like it does in the art or property market.
TDN: How has your business adapted?
WD: We have kept in touch with clients as much as possible and already use WhatsApp and Zoom, etc. As we have not been travelling so much we have had more time to look into finding new clients and potential opportunities in the market. It is hard not being able to travel to places and meet people face-to-face which we do a lot of but everyone is in the same boat and it is a situation we all have to make the best of. The online bidding process is something that has to be done in the current climate, but a lot of owners come to the sales for the theatre of it and I fear that will be lost if online takes over and it will be to the detriment of the sales in the long term.
TDN: In general what are your thoughts on the 2020 yearling catalogues? And what new stallions’ progeny are you most looking forward to?
WD: The catalogues this year are as strong as ever and it is probably a fantastic opportunity for someone new into racing and breeding to buy top-level bloodstock. I think the Great British Bonus is a good incentive to buy British-bred fillies and I hope that will help the British breeding industry in the long term.
Postponed (Ire) was a horse Charlie bought as a yearling and I am looking forward to seeing his first yearlings. He was a brilliant horse, who was a very good-looking yearling with substance and power.
I was really impressed with the yearlings by Almanzor (Fr) at Arqana; I thought they were good-looking horses with quality. Profitable (Ire) is another whose yearlings I have liked and being a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), who is proving to be a sire of sires, he would be quite high on my list.
TDN: Did you develop any new interests or hobbies during lockdown?
WD: I very much enjoyed gardening and cooking. I was also lucky enough to be able to play a lot of tennis and have endless walks with my wife, Katie. She works very hard in London normally, so it was very special for us to both be in the same place for more than a few days at a time.
TDN: Who is the most interesting person you know?
WD: Jassim Al Ghazali has been a pretty fascinating person to work for. He was a professional footballer, then has started one of the biggest car dealerships in Qatar whilst taking the racing scene there by storm. He has been champion trainer a number of times. He works so incredibly hard, when he comes over to buy horses to take back to Qatar the work he has done on the sale beforehand is quite staggering. He writes every horse’s form out on their pedigree page in Arabic so he can process it quickly at the sale. It shows how dedicated you have to be to get to the top. On top of this he has a son who rides at Olympic showjumping level in Qatar and presents on their racing channel and a son who is rivaling him in the trainer’s championship. He is Qatar’s version of Aidan O’Brien. He has also been a great client and support to me over the years.
TDN: What’s one mistake (if any) you made in your career, and what did you learn from it?
WD: I have probably made more than one mistake. I did bid on the wrong horse once at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. It was late in the day and I was bidding on two horses very close together; there were withdrawals between the two lots and having bought the first one and signing the ticket I slightly lost track. Without looking I panicked thinking I was going to miss my next one and started bidding. Luckily I realised my error before it was too late. Lesson learned and I now always double and triple check my catalogue to the board before I bid.
I think the key for someone young is to have a client that puts confidence and trust in you and listens to your judgement and gives you some free rein. Working that way I feel is one of the best ways to have success and it teaches you a lot in a short space of time.
The post TDN Q&A With Will Douglass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Bingo Rooms
Bingo rooms are the hubs of the online bingo game. This is where all the action and fun happens.
Bingo rooms on most online bingo sites are themed to the sites appearance. Some rooms are designed in 3-D to resemble real bingo rooms, but most sites are kept simple and take the format of a game screen with a chat window included. Chat windows are usually found on the left hand side of the room, the bingo board is generally at the top in the centre of the screen and the cards the player buys are shown in the centre of the screen. Additional information such as current jackpots and patterns are generally indicated on the right hand side.
The majority of online bingo games have a main or general room for beginners and less serious players, and a room for players wanting to play for higher stakes. One of the most popular bingo sites, Bingodrome, has a Main Room and a High Rollers Room. Games in the Main Room are mostly standard games and promotions, and also feature jackpots, special offers and progressive jackpots. The themes include Hollywood, Summer Garden, Summer Garden, Baby’s Room, Oceans of Dreams and Pina Colada.
The High Rollers Room has all the features that are found in the Main Room as well as bigger jackpots. The games are often more challenging in this room, which features a blackout pattern as the jackpot pattern. Cards prices are higher in the High Rollers Room, and the minimum number of cards for purchase is higher. Bingodrom’s High Rollers Room has an Imperial Palace theme and a Tycoon theme.
Chat features are an integral part of bingo rooms. Players are able to socialize with Chat Leaders and fellow players while they play, which makes the game more entertaining and fun. Card buying features such as Schedule Buy at Bingodrome make it easy for players to pre-book games and buy cards, allowing them to spend time chatting to other players while they watch their games. Chat brings a strong sense of community to bingo rooms, making it a similarly social event to the experience of playing bingo in land based bingo rooms. Bingodrome maximizes this sense of community with player focused features and benefits. Players, known as ‘Roomies’ at Bingodrome, have the benefit of a Roomie Gallery and weekly newsletters that make them feel like part of the Bingodrome family.
Respect for fellow players and Chat Leaders is always expected in any online bingo room. Players are encouraged to support and respect one another, and players who are consistently rude, aggressive or uncooperative are warned. If they persist in their behavior, players can be banned from a bingo room.
Consideration is important to gain the maximum benefit of bingo rooms. Treat fellow players are you would be treated and you will have a rewarding experience. Roomies at Bingodrome are like one big family!
Steady Trade Produces $500,000 Karakontie Colt On Tuesday At Keeneland September Sale
Marsha Naify paid $500,000 for a colt by Karakontie to top a day of active commerce during Tuesday's ninth day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale
Naify also acquired two fillies, one by Jimmy Creed for $35,000 and the other from the first crop of Gormley for $30,000. She the session's leading buyer with a total of three purchases for $565,000.
The $500,000 colt, consigned by Gainesway, agent, is the first foal out of the Speightstown mare Untouch, a half-sister to recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve third-place finisher Mr. Big News. The colt is from the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Glorious Song, Eclipse Award winner Devil's Bag and Grade 2 winner Saint Ballado.
Gainesway sold a total of 29 horses for $1,337,000 to lead consignors on Tuesday.
A total of 253 yearlings sold for $6,484,100 during the session, for an average of $25,629 and a median of $15,000. With three days remaining in the 12-day sale, Keeneland has sold a total of 1,773 horses for $230,574,800, for an average of $130,048 and a median of $60,000.
On Tuesday, Solis/Litt paid the session's second-highest price of $240,000 for a filly by Jimmy Creed out of the Malibu Moon mare On Reflection. Consigned by Woods Edge Farm, agent, she is from the family of Grade 1 winner Rutherienne and Grade 3 winners Adorable Micol, Adcat, Ruthenia and Oiseau de Feu.
D.J. Stables spent $240,000 on a colt by Speightster who is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Hotshot Anna. Consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock, agent for Paul Tackett, he is out of the winning, stakes-placed mare Avalos, by Holy Bull.
The September Sale continues Wednesday and runs through Friday with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m.
The post Steady Trade Produces $500,000 Karakontie Colt On Tuesday At Keeneland September Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
