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Seven Days: On The Classic Trail

It wouldn't be Craven week without a brisk wind blasting across Newmarket Heath, but for those of you considering spending afternoons paddock-side perusing the physical merits of some of this year's Classic contenders, the encouraging news is that the temperature is rising in East Anglia this week, along with the quality of action on the turf.

France and Ireland are ahead of Britain on the Classic trials front, and there is plenty to reflect upon in that regard, but a brief look ahead to the Newmarket and Newbury trials this week is enough to quicken the pulse that has only just come back to a steady tempo following the Corinthian exploits of the marvellous Sam Waley-Cohen in Saturday's Grand National. The name Mullins is never far from the winner's enclosure, in National Hunt circles especially, but Willie's thunder is increasingly being stolen by his nephew Emmet, 32, for whom Noble Yeats (Ire) was a first National winner with his first runner, the season after the young trainer saddled his first Cheltenham Festival winner. The winning 7-year-old also ensured that his sire, the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (Ire), surged to the head of the National Hunt sires' table for the first time.

But enough of the hedge-hoppers, it's Craven week after all, and we are about to witness the unveiling of Europe's champion 2-year-old of 2021 in Wednesday's Craven S. Godolphin's Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the pride of Jose Delamotte's Haras d'Haspel, sailed through his juvenile exams without turning a hair, culminating in victory on the Rowley Mile in the G1 Dewhurst S. That experience of Newmarket's famous dip will doubtless be of value as his trainer Charlie Appleby sends him out on his first serious test a year to the day after he was sold by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm for 210,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale, which begins on Tuesday.

Appleby has won two of the last three runnings of the Craven, bearing in mind that the race didn't take place at all in 2020. His first winner, Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), famously went on to win the Derby, while last year's winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was beaten only a short-head by Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) when second in the 2000 Guineas.

Appleby's embarrassment of 3-year-old riches includes the exciting Coroebus (Ire), who looks set to head to Saturday's Greenham S. at Newbury, while New Science (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) heads a disappointingly small field for Tuesday's European Free Handicap.

Those on 'young stallion watch' will have spotted two entries for the National Stud resident Time Test (GB) in the Nell Gwyn S. The duo consists of William Stone's Salisbury Group 3 winner Romantic Time (GB) and Ribbon Rose (GB), who is unbeaten in two starts for the in-form stable of Marco Botti, who has formed an interesting partnership with Neil Callan since the jockey's return from Hong Kong.

These days, the Nell Gwyn is sponsored by Lanwades Stud, an arrangement that came about after the race was run for some years in the name of the former Plantation Stud manager Leslie Harrison. It was a fitting memorial to a man who devoted so much of his life to the breeding operation of Lord Howard de Walden, and who loved nothing more than the prospect of a Classic filly.

In retirement, Harrison, whose caustic wit was every bit as sharp as his pedigree recall, chose to share his great knowledge with a group of young(ish) enthusiasts who would gather in his study once a week, large glasses of wine in hand, sharing the space with his many lurchers. I was lucky enough to be among the group, and they were days I cherish. I miss them as much as I miss Leslie himself, whose extraordinary kindness is remembered especially in this week, 15 years after his passing.

The Z Factor

Zarkava (Fr) (Zamindar) was described at the end of her racing career by her breeder HH The Aga Khan as “the greatest reward a breeder could have”.

With brilliance in abundance, plus a liberal dash of spirit, there was little she had left to prove on her retirement from the track. All bar one of her Zarkava's seven victories came at French racing's Parisian focal point of Longchamp where she annexed the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At Chantilly, she also claimed the G1 Prix de Diane. She was simply wonderful, and as a fifth-generation descendant of Petite Etoile, who was such an important foundation of the Aga Khan Studs and a hugely influential mare worldwide, Zarkava represented the pinnacle of the breeding operation which celebrates its centenary this year.

While superior performance on the racecourse is the ultimate aim for any breeder, studs are built on the ability of those champions to impart their superior genes. For myriad reasons that doesn't always happen. In the case of Zarkava, though she cannot yet be considered a blue hen, she has already produced three black-type winners, led by her Group 1-winning son Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has made strong indications in his fledgling stud career that he will further cement his mother's reputation by becoming a stallion of note.

The champion first-season sire in France last year, Zarak's name has continued to feature among the winners in this early stage of the Flat season. Last week alone, he was represented by a quartet of 3-year-old winners in Sabio Cen (Fr), La Parisienne ((Fr), Caramelito (Fr) and Zagrey (Fr). The first two named hold Classic entries in the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane respectively. Sabio Cen, trained in Chantilly by Christopher Head, was impressive in his second victory in the Prix Tourbillon at Saint-Cloud last week, racing in the colours of his Spanish breeder Leopoldo Fernández Pujals of Yeguada Centurion.

It was also confirmed this week by William Haggas that Zarak's daughter Purplepay (Fr), who was last seen on the track running third in the G1 Criterium International before selling at Arqana for €2 million to Roy and Gretchen Jackson, has joined his stable and has been given an entry for the Irish 1000 Guineas on May 22.

Zarak is not the only son of Zarkava at stud. His unraced half-brother Zaskar (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has recently embarked on his stallion career at Haras de Cercy. Still to come from the family is a 3-year-old full-sister to Zarak named Zarka (Fr) and a Frankel (GB) 2-year-old filly, Zarkala (Fr), both of whom are in training with Francis Graffard.

An Abundance Of French Classic Hopes

Zarak wasn't the only Aga Khan Studs stallion in the news last week as Dariyan (Fr) was represented by a decent Classic prospect and his first group winner in the G3 Prix La Force with Mister Saint Paul (Fr), whose co-trainers Gregoire and Etienne Leenders are as readily associated with jump racing as with the Flat. Bred by Annie and Philippe Delarue, Mister Saint Paul was a €10,000 buy-back at the yearling sales but was later syndicated by his trainers for €25,000 via the recently established Iwantthewinner sales platform.

Not to be outdone, Siyouni (Fr), France's reigning champion sire and stud-mate of Zarak and Dariyan, was also in the limelight with the exciting filly Mqse De Sevigne (Fr), who won Sunday's G3 Prix Vanteaux. The half-sister to Group 1 winner Meandre (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}) races for her breeder Edouard De Rothschild, whose family's Haras de Meautry bred both her dam Penne (Fr) and the mare's unraced sire Sevres Rose (Fr), who stood for a time at Haras du Quesnay.

Thursday's G3 Prix Imprudence saw the return of two exciting juveniles from 2021 in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who took the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte before running second to Pizza Bianca in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Running for the partnership of Everest Racing, David Redvers and Barbara Keller, Malavath, representing the Francis Graffard stable, confirmed that she has wintered well after her exciting 2-year-old campaign when holding off Zellie by a length and a half over Deauville's heavy turf. The winner and runner-up are both close up in the betting for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches behind Juddmonte's Raclette (GB), who is entered for Sunday's G3 Prix de la Grotte.

The Eagle Flies On

The aforementioned Francis Graffard has a big year ahead at the helm of his own stable and that of the Aga Khan at Aiglemont. The trainer has started the season in fine form and another owner-breeder with whom he has enjoyed notable success of late is Baron Georg von Ullmann of Germany's historic Gestut Schlenderhan.

As ParisLongchamp's season got underway on Sunday, Graffard unleashed two unraced 3-year-olds to score on debut, both by the late Schlenderhan-bred stallion Adlerflug (Ger) who died last year in the season after he was crowned champion in Germany for the first time.

Alerio (Ger) got the ball rolling in the Prix Juigne, while the filly Swoosh (Ger) took the Prix de Chaillot. The latter, who has Classic entries in France and Germany, is a full-sister to the G2 Prix de Deauville winner and German Derby runner-up Savoir Vivre (Ire), who is now at stud in France at Haras du Taillis. Their dam is the Listed-winning Monsun (Ger) mare Soudaine (Ger), and this cross of two Schlenderhan stallions was seen again in Germany's first group race of the year, the G3 Walkman Frujahrs-Meile, won by Adlerflug's 4-year-old son Mythico (Fr), winner of last season's G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas).

Alerio is also bred along similar lines, with his dam Amazona (Ger), by Dubawi (Ire), being a daughter of Monsun's Preis der Diana winner Amarette (Ger), who is a half-sister to the dam of Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).

Adlerflug, a son of In The Wings (GB) and closely related to Galileo (Ire), did not leave many sons at stud. In addition to Savoir Vivre, Iquitos and Ito remain in Germany, and the full-brother of the latter, another Graffard/Schlenderhan star In Swoop (Ire), has recently joined Coolmore's National Hunt division at Beeches Stud, where, unsurprisingly, he has been very busy.

Think Again – And Again

A decade ago, So You Think (NZ), the mighty wild-maned son of High Chaparral (Ire), completed the rare feat of winning five Group 1 races in Europe to complement his five Group 1 successes in Australia.

Now ensconced at Coolmore Stud in Australia, he pulled off the equally rare–perhaps unique–feat of siring three consecutive Group 1 winners on Saturday during Sydney's Championships at Randwick.

Two of those–the Queen Elizabeth S winner Think It Over (Aus) and Sydney's Queen of the Turf S winner Nimalee (Aus)–are out of daughters of Zabeel (NZ), while the Sydney Cup winner Knights Order (Ire) started his career in Ireland, where he was bred by the Rogers family at Airlie Stud. The 7-year-old's dam Lamanka Lass (Woodman) was 20 when she foaled him and was also responsible for producing the GII Oak Tree Derby winner Dark Islander (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}), who was trained by the late John Hills.

Brits Abroad

The early 2-year-old skirmishes at Keeneland over the weekend saw a gratifying debut win for Baytown Lovely, by Fast Anna out of the Bernardini mare Meu Amor. As overlooked in the betting as she was at last year's Keeneland September Sale, the filly provided a great start to the Spring Meet for a pair of British expats in trainer Paul McEntee and jockey Jack Gilligan. McEntee plucked Baytown Lovely from the final day of the September Sale for $3,000. She rewarded him with a return of $48,360 from her first racecourse outing.

It is the kind of result also associated with the trainer's both Phil, who is based in Newmarket and is a dab hand at turning sales bargains into multiple winners. There are plenty of members of the McEntee clan spread around the racing world, including another brother, Carl, who runs Ballysax Bloodstock in Kentucky. Phil's son Jake is also currently in America assisting Kenny McPeek, while daughter Grace is a successful young jockey in Britain.

Lucrative BEBF Target For Juveniles

There was welcome news from the British wing of the European Breeders' Fund on Monday with the launch of a £200,000 series aimed at the offspring of middle-market stallions.

Juveniles can qualify for two £100,000 finals for colts and fillies respectively by finishing in the first six from a total of 110 restricted novice or maiden races throughout the turf season in Britain. The aim of the series is “to identify ways to encourage a new avenue for progeny of commercially priced stallions to compete without an expensive series of early closing deadlines”.

The finals take place over seven furlongs, with the fillies' final being staged at Goodwood on Sept. 7, and the race for colts and geldings on Oct. 7 at York.

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A Second French Title For Siyouni

If having the winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe counted as a breakthrough moment for Siyouni (Fr) in 2020, his reputation climbed higher still as his son St Mark's Basilica (Fr) romped through his Classic year, winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club, Eclipse S. and Irish Champion S. on his way to becoming the top-rated horse in the world in 2021. Both he and Sottsass are now residents of the Coolmore stallion barn, where they will be given plenty of opportunities to attempt to establish Siyouni's reputation as a sire of sires.

Until Sottsass came along, the Aga Khan Studs' Siyouni had been best represented by his daughters. Ervedya (Fr) became his first Group 1 and Classic winner, Laurens (Fr) advertised his abilities to a wider audience with her six Group 1 wins in Britain, Ireland and France, while Etoile (Fr) took it a step further with a Grade I strike in Canada, and Dream And Do (Fr) has more recently enhanced his Classic roll of honour. What is clear is that Siyouni is an extremely accomplished sire, and there is plenty to suggest that as his reputation has grown, along with his stud fee–from €7,000 in 2011 and for the next three seasons to a high of €140,000 since 2021–then so will his achievements on the back of bigger and higher-quality books.

At this relatively early stage of his career, Siyouni has been represented by just one stakes winner as a broodmare sire, courtesy of the Deauville Listed winner Hurricane Dream (Fr) (Hurricane Cat), and there is surely hope for the Christophe Ferland-trained Times Square (Fr) (Zarak) to build on her juvenile season which saw her finish second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. But in a year in which he was also represented by the Group winners Seachange (Fr), Wally (Ire), Sacred Life (Fr), Policy Of Truth (Fr), Acer Alley (GB), Mise En Scene (GB) and Who Knows (Fr), taking his lifetime tally to 113 stakes winners, it is safe to say that Siyouni is already paying a handsome tribute to his much-loved sire Pivotal (GB), who died in November.

Another stallion sadly lost in 2021 was the German champion sire Adlerflug (Ger). Like Siyouni, he had secured his first championship in his native country in 2020, and he repeated that feat 12 months later, as well as finishing runner-up in France. In 2020, Adlerflug had the first and second in the G1 Deutsches Derby, In Swoop (Ire) and Torquator Tasso (Ger). The former went on to run second to Sottsass in the Arc that year, but his 2021 season was cut short in July after four runs, including a further Group 2 and Group 3 success. Torquator Tasso picked up the baton as it was announced that In Swoop would be retired to Coolmore's National Hunt division, and the final two races of the year for Gestut Auenquelle's colour-bearer and future stallion resulted in victories in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Adlerflug had just 29 runners in France, resulting in 12 winners of 22 races, but Torquator Tasso's prize-money haul from Europe's richest race was enough to secure his sire the runner-up spot in the stallion table.

During a decade in French breeding when some classy stallions have emanated from some less-than-obvious sources, Wootton Bassett (GB) has been one of the great success stories. Chapter two of his stud career is currently being written in Ireland at Coolmore, where he has stood since last year following nine seasons at Haras d'Etreham. He too has had an enormous upturn in fee, from a starting price of €6,000, to a low of €4,000 in 2014 and his current high of €150,000. That of course has been fanned by the flames of success, and Wootton Bassett enjoyed another good year, with Prix Marcel Boussac winner Zellie (Fr) and Incarville (Fr) two new Group 1 winners, taking his tally to five, while Royal Patronage (Fr), Atomic Jones (Fr), Ilaraab (Ire) and Wootton Asset (Fr) were new Group/Graded winners outside France.

Wootton Bassett has 44 stakes winners to his name from eight crops of racing age, and it is worth remembering that none of his first four crops of foals exceeded 50, with his smallest, in 2014, numbering just 18. In his first season at Coolmore he covered 244 mares. Expect bigger and better things to come.

With 59 winners in France, and Skalleti having provided a first Group 1 success, Haras de Colleville's Kendargent (Fr) was fourth in the French sires' table for 2021.

Skalleti's full-brother Skazino (Fr) upheld the family honour with three Group wins, including the G2 Prix Kergorlay, while the Teruya Yoshida homebred Tokyo Gold (Fr) gave Kendargent a Classic victory in the G2 Derby Italiano for the French-based, Japanese-born trainer Satoshi Kobayashi.

It is also worth keeping an eye on Kendargent's growing profile as a broodmare sire, with the G1 Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) being his leading representative in this regard, along with the G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}).

The winner of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and third in the Arc, Hurricane Lane (Ire) helped to propel Britain and Ireland's champion sire Frankel (GB) into fifth place in the French table, just ahead of Sumbe's Le Havre (Ire). The latter's daughter Wonderful Tonight (Fr) bowed out in August before she was able to meet her end-of-year appointment in the Arc, but she did add a further two Group 2 wins to her tally of the previous year, winning at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.

These of course did not count towards Le Havre's tally in France, but Glycon (Fr) took the G2 Prix de Deauville and Waliyak won the G3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ville De Grace (GB) is a filly to keep an eye in in 2022 following her win in the G3 Pride S. at Newmarket in the autumn.

Outside the leading contenders, it is also worth noting the five stakes winners for Intello (Ger) in France in 2021. He remains at Haras du Quesnay in 2022, having served two years at a time when alternating between Cheveley Park Stud and Quesnay for the first eight seasons of his stud career, and his fee for this year has been dropped to €8,000, down from a high of £/€25,000. Bubble Smart (GB), Dawn Intello (Fr) and Adhamo (Ire) were all Group 3 winners for him in France, while Waldbiene (Fr) won Germany's G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis.

Leading German Sires

The posthumous success of Adlerflug during the 2021 season has already been referenced above and his untimely death in April after covering a mare at the stud where he was born, Gestut Schlenderhan, will continue to be lamented in Germany and beyond. The son of In The Wings is champion for the second year running, with his 28 winners led by Torquator Tasso, whose major success at home came in the Grosser Preis von Baden. Outside Germany, Adlerflug's leading runners in 2021 were In Swoop and the G2 King Edward VII S. winner Alenquer (Fr).

The first crop of Adlerflug's fellow German Derby winner Isfahan (Ger) were only three in 2021, but the victory in that same Classic of his son Sisfahan (Fr) helped to put the Gestut Ohlerweiherhof resident in second place in the German sires' table.

Isfahan was also represented by the G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Isfahani (Ger), who sadly died in September.

Sisfahan, who was runner-up to Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Baden, is reported to be heading to the Saudi Cup meeting in February for Germany's champion trainer Henk Grewe.

Soldier Hollow (GB) has just turned 22 and has previously been champion sire in Germany on three occasions. This time around he had to settle for third, but he sired the most winners (43) and highest number of stakes winners (nine). The diminutive son of In The Wings (GB) remains a huge credit to Gestut Auenquelle and to his owner Helmut Von Finck.

Another sad loss to the German stallion ranks and to Gestut Etzean in 2021 was Isfahan's sire Lord Of England (Ger). The 18-year-old was represented by another Classic winner in the last year of his life in the Preis der Diana winner Palmas (Ger).

Etzean has also been home for the last four years to the veteran former multiple champion sire Areion (Ger). The son of Big Shuffle turns 27 this year and had the valuable BBAG auction race winner Mister Applebee (Ger) among his leading performers of last year.

The Etzean stallions featured prominently in the sires' championship, with Amaron (GB), a son of Shamardal whose eldest runners were four in 2021, finishing sixth in the table. He will be joined at stud in 2022 by the Group 1 winner Japan (GB), who becomes the first son of Galileo (Ire) to stand in Germany.

A German sire of whom we could hear more this year is Guiliani (Ger), a son of Tertullian out of a full-sister to Getaway (Ger). Like Isfahan he had his first 3-year-old runners in 2021 and while Guiliani is yet to make a major impression, a notable member of his second crop is the Group 3 winner Tunnes (Ger), a half-brother to Torquator Tasso who is currently favourite for the Deutsches Derby.

Arcano Shines In Italy

Arcano (Ire) left Derrinstown Stud for Italy in 2016 and having spent the intervening years at Allevamento di Besnate, just north of Milan, he is now champion sire in his adopted country for the first time. His 26 winners included the G2 Oaks d'Italia heroine Eulaila (Ity), and she is out of a mare by the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pounced, who has stood at the same stud for his entire career and is also now represented in the stallion ranks by his Group 2-winning son Full Drago (Ity), who had his first juvenile runners this year.

Second in the table was another former Allevamento di Besnate resident and Shadwell runner, Mujahid. Arcano has recently been joined at the stud by two more Shadwell-owned stallions, Mukhadram (GB) and Adaay (Ire).

The G1 July Cup winner Sakhee's Secret (GB) died in November at the age of 17. Having moved to Italy's Allevamento Si Fra in 2015, he was champion sire in 2019 and 2020, and finished fourth in the table in 2021, just behind Kendargent, who was represented by the Italian Derby winner Tokyo Gold.

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Figures Strong At Arqana On Sunday

DEAUVILLE, France–Culls from some of Europe's-and indeed, the world's-greatest breeders have played a sizable role in driving the market at this year's breeding stock sales. Over the past few weeks buyers have come out in force for the stock deemed excess to Juddmonte, Godolphin and Shadwell, but they had to wait until Arqana's December Breeding Stock Sale for the offerings from Wertheimer et Frere, with that nursery selling exclusively in Deauville each December. It was a mare from that consignment that supplied the joint-highest price during Monday's second session of the sale, with Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock going to €180,000 for Sisila (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 406) in foal to first-crop covering sire Shaman (Ire), who was raced by Wertheimer et Frere to victories in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt and G3 Prix La Force before retiring to Yeomanstown Stud.

The 6-year-old Sisila was unraced due to injury, but she boasts plenty of residual value being the first foal out of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). Her second dam is Stormina, a multiple listed winner in France and the U.S., while she descends from the G3 Prix Cleopatre victress Brooklyn's Dance (Fr) (Shirley Heights {GB}), the dam of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe scorer Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}) and group winners Prospect Wells (Fr) (Sadler's Wells) and Prospect Park (GB) (Sadler's Wells), and listed winners and producers Never Green (Ire) (Halling) and Gold Dodger (Slew O'Gold). Sisila has three foals on the ground, her first being the winning 2-year-old Sitello (Fr) (Intello {Ger}).

The top price was matched late in the session by a colt foal by New Bay (GB) (lot 495) from Haras du Hoguenet who was purchased by Nick Bell of Haras de Meautry on behalf of Baron Edouard de Rothschild. The half-brother to G2 Oppenheim-Union-Rennen winner Boscaccio (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}) from the extended family of the dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victress Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) will eventually join trainer Andre Fabre.

Saturday's opening session of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale had returned monumental gains against the previous two editions of the sale, and though the level of trade dropped significantly on Sunday, the numbers continued to trend well ahead of 2020, when the sale was staged amid various lockdowns, border closures and strict pandemic restrictions. At the close of trade, 205 lots sold during the session for €6,655,500, well ahead of the €3,901,500 accrued from 135 sold 12 months ago. The averaged climbed 12.3% to €32,466, while the median was up 8.7% to €25,000. The clearance rate was 78.5%. During the corresponding session in 2019, 204 horses were sold for €7,020,500, at an average of €34,584 and a median of €26,000.

Al Shahania Stock In Demand

Al Shahania Stud has been conducting a partial dispersal of its stock across this season's sales, and a Showcasing colt foal from that nursery (lot 300) proved the star turn of the early portion of the sale when hammered down to Mick Flanagan for €135,000 just before lunchtime.

Flanagan confirmed the colt is a pinhook prospect.

“He's a good, strong colt, a good-moving colt by a stallion who is a Group 1 producer of both colts and fillies,” he said. “We'll take him back to Ireland and hopefully he winters well, springs well and summers well, and we'll bring him back as a yearling.”

Flanagan noted he was returning to a sire who has served him well; Flanagan purchased a filly by the sire for 220,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2017 and pinhooked her for €850,000 at Goffs Orby. Raced by China Horse Club, the filly named Lady Light (GB) broke her maiden and was listed-placed for trainer Michael Bell.

“She won first time out by four lengths and placed in a listed race and unfortunately got injured,” Flanagan said. “So she's a broodmare now but the stallion has been good to me and I continue to follow them in wherever I see them.”

Flanagan's latest Showcasing colt likewise has a strong pedigree to fall back on. His dam, the listed-placed Lightupthenight (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), was purchased by Al Shahania for €450,000 at the 2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale and is a half-sister to the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent (Fr) (Intello {Ger}). The German Group 1 and Classic winners Nightflower, Nymphea and Nutan appear the second dam. Lightupthenight was herself sold to Gerard Larrieu for €190,000 in foal to Almanzor at Arqana on Saturday.

The Al Shahania dispersal was, in fact, responsible for the two top-priced lots earlier in the day through Haras des Cruchettes. About 20 minutes before its Showcasing colt appeared in the ring, Cruchettes sold the 8-year-old Desert Haze (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) (lot 247) to Blandford Bloodstock for €80,000. Desert Haze was a 420,000gns yearling purchase by Al Shahania and was listed-placed in Ireland and England for trainer Ralph Beckett. She was sold on Sunday in foal to Kendargent (Fr) and carrying her fourth foal. Her lone foal of racing age is the 2-year-old Lope De Vega (Ire) filly Caligine (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who is placed. Desert Haze is a half-sister to Occupandiste (Ire) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and Only Green (Ire) (Green Desert); the former is the dam of four stakes winners and the second dam of Intello, while the latter has produced the multiple group winner and young Yeomanstown stallion Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal).

The €135,000 pricetag of the Showcasing colt was matched a couple of hours later by an Adlerflug (Ger) filly (lot 335) from the very same family, who was bought by Gestut Brummerhof through Ghislain Bozo. The filly offered by Haras de la Cour Blanche is the first foal out of the winning Nabatea (Ger) (Camelot {GB}), who is herself a daughter of the G3 Fahrhofer Stutenpreis second Neele (Ger) (Peintre Celebre), better known as the dam of the aforementioned G1 Preis von Berlin winner Nymphea and G1 Deutches Derby scorer Nutan as well as the Group 3-winning Navaro Girl (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and listed-winning Nazbanou (Ger) (High Chapparal {Ire}). The filly will be among the last foals by her sire Adlerflug, who did in the midst of the 2021 breeding season at the height of his stud career.

Though bred in France, the filly will return to Germany, the country of birth of both her parents.

“She is a beautiful filly and she has been bought for Gestut Brummerhof,” said Bozo. “They are Classic breeders and they loved this filly from the beginning. She has the Camelot factor as well, which helped. It's a long-term plan to have a filly like her, so we'll keep her and race her in Germany and breed from her.”

German genes were to the fore once again just a few lots later when a colt from the first crop of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 340) made €100,000, once again to the bid of Bozo, this time on behalf of Ballylinch Stud, which stands Waldgeist. Waldgeist's family has been prominent in the headlines during this sales season, with his three-quarter sister Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) topping Tattersalls December at 2.2-million, and his 3-year-old full-sister Wildfeder (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) bringing €2.05-million at Arqana on Saturday evening.

“This was an exceptional foal, very solid, and I was very impressed by all the Waldgeist foals that I have seen through the sales,” Bozo said. “This one is going to go to Ballylinch Stud, and he'll be for them to race or resell.”

Though by a sire of German descent, lot 340-who was consigned by Elevage de Tourgeville-was bred in Ireland and his female family has been prominent in Britain and the Middle East; his dam New Revenue (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is a half-sister to the G3 Summer S. and G3 Dick Poole S. winner New Providence (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint second Ekhtiyaar (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).

Update Propels Romanosa

The Fairway Partners purchased the Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) filly Romanosa (GB) for 18,000gns as a foal at Tattersalls December. Charles Briere's group attempted to flip her at Arqana's v2 yearling sale the following summer, but took her home after bidding stalled at €25,000. Sent to trainer Mathieu Brasme by owner Sebastien Defontaine-farm manager of Haras de Montaigu–Romanosa placed three times before breaking her maiden in her fourth start at Dieppe in July. The granddaughter of the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Thakafaat (GB) (Unfuwain) was therefore entered for the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale (lot 468) as a one-time winner who was the first foal out of an unraced mare, but she changed the game when, just two weeks ago, she picked up a black-type placing in Fontainebleau's Listed Prix Ceres. The 3-year-old filly who is also a relation to the Group 1-winning siblings Power (GB), Curvy (GB), Footstepsinthesand (GB) and Pedro The Great therefore provided a late-session highlight when snatched up by Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency for €140,000 on behalf of Madaket Stables. She will join trainer Christophe Clement in the U.S.

“I've bought her for Madaket Stables and some new partners,” de Watrigant said. “She's a lovely filly that is improving with every race. She was third in a listed last month, which leads us to think she has further improvement in her. We're very happy with our purchase.”

Romanosa was one of a trio of mares to hit the six-figure mark late in the session. She was joined by the 4-year-old Grey Mystere (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}) (lot 518), who was second in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bourdeaux and was sold in foal for the first time to Too Darn Hot (GB) for €120,000 to Blandford Bloodstock. Her dam, Creamcake (Mr. Greeley), is a half-sister to G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Coquerelle (GB (Zamindar).

Just a few lots later, Dayita (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 522) from the Aga Khan Studs consignment fetched €105,000 from Emmaroo Bloodstock. The 12-year-old mare is out of the Aga Khan's great producer Daltawa (Ire) (Miswaki), and is therefore a half-sister to Daylami (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire) and the dam of Dalkala (Ire). Each of Dayita's four foals to reach the races are winners, and she was sold in foal to Almanzor.

Philip Lybeck of Haras de Bourgeauville surely felt a sense of pride at Arqana on Saturday evening when Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), the filly he bred and sold for €18,000 as a yearling, sold for €2.5-million as the second-top lot of the sale. Lybeck was in action as a purchaser on Sunday when securing the 7-year-old mare Obedient (GB) (Motivator {GB}) (lot 337) from Haras de la Haie Neuve for €95,000. Obedient is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners whose third dam is Juddmonte's great blue hen Bahamian-from whom the likes of New Bay (GB), Oasis Dream (GB) and Kingman (GB) all stem. Obedient, who produced a colt foal by Intello this year, was sold in foal to Hello Youmzain (Ire), the Group 1-winning son of Kodiac (GB) who stood his first season at Haras d'Etreham this year.

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The Enduring Influence Of Schlenderhan

The historic silks of Gestut Schlenderhan have been flying high again in recent seasons and their resurgence will have totemic resonance for devotees of the Thoroughbred breed, particularly in Europe.

In 2019, the stud, which is the oldest of its kind in Germany, celebrated its 150th anniversary. Since 1869, Schlenderhan has remained almost exclusively under the ownership of the same family, its current owner Baron Georg von Ullmann being the great great-grandson of the stud's founder Eduard von Oppenheim.

It was in von Ullmann's own colours that the stud's great flagbearer of the modern age, the legendary stallion Monsun (Ger), raced, as well as a number of his most successful offspring. Monsun was himself bred at Gestut Isarland, but the likes of his G1 Coronation Cup and GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Shirocco (Ger), and Group 1 winners Getaway (Ger) and Guadalupe (Ger) were among those to have been bred by Ullmann during Monsun's long reign at Schlenderhan, which in turn played its part in bringing the stud to greater worldwide prominence. Its reputation does not lie solely with the dark brown son of Konigsstuhl (Ger), however. In fact, far from it.

As with all breeding operations, success depends on the depth, development and durability of the female lines. Schlenderhan's most prodigious family is that of the homebred German Derby and Oaks winner Asterblute (Ger) (Pharis {Fr}), which has had an incalculable influence on the modern-day breed via the great mare's fifth-generation descendant Allegretta, the dam of Urban Sea (Miswaki), Allez Les Trois (Riverman) and King's Best (Kingmambo).

This family is represented still in the paddocks at Bergheim, to the west of Cologne, though one particularly appealing member of the dynasty was lost recently just as it appeared that his star was very much in the ascendant. Germany's reigning champion stallion Adlerflug (Ger), a son of In The Wings (GB), died of an apparent heart attack not long after covering a mare in early April. The homebred Deutsches Derby winner was a grandson of Anatevka (Ger) (Espresso {GB}), who is also the dam of Allegretta. Last season he provided Schlenderhan with its 19th winner of the Deutsches Derby, In Swoop (Ire), who went on to run second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

“We were very unlucky this year to lose Adlerflug, because in my opinion he was really one of the up-and-coming stallions,” says Baron von Ullmann.

“For the first time he had a very international book, so there was to a degree a fantasy looking forward, but unfortunately that was not to be. The same happened with Monsun. At the beginning, he covered only about 40 mares.”

Adlerflug was crowned champion for the first time in 2020, in the year in which he had covered just 39 mares. His book for this season was set to be larger, though still nowhere near the number that some stallions cover in Britain, Ireland and France.

The breeder adds, “We don't have the kind of stallions who cover big books. Firstly, we don't have the capacity, but second, I don't believe in IKEA, I believe in Faberge. In my opinion, if a stallion covers a smaller number of mares and then they really fire, then the value of their stock is much higher. It took Monsun a couple of years to get recognised, but he was one of the three stallions worldwide to be voted to the Hall of Fame while still alive. He was a darling really.”

Shirocco, Getaway, and former Horse of the Year Manduro (Ger) helped to bring Monsun's name to greater international attention on the racecourse sporting the yellow-and-blue silks which have now been passed to the baron's son, Philip. In Swoop and recent G1 Prix Ganay winner Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}) race in the historic Schlenderhan colours inherited from their owner's mother, Baronin Karin von Ullmann, the breeder of Adlerflug, who died in 2009.

“Philip has a couple of horses in training in France with Francis Graffard and four in Germany,” explains his father. “He also has a couple of mares at Schlenderhan. He reads a lot and asks a lot of questions, some good, some stupid, but for my wife and I, it is nice to see that the future is safe. We are very thankful that Philip is really interested and we are very sure that at one point when our feet are not on the ground here any more that he will take over.”

It is indeed a reassuring position to be in as the fortunes of the Thoroughbred breeding industry worldwide wax and wane with the passing of some significant figures. Continuity has long been the watchword at Schlenderhan, with the development of the equine families being every bit as important as the extension of the human dynasty charged with their care.

“We really try to be very careful to our old bloodlines,” says Baron von Ullmann. “This is the essence of Schlenderhan. Of course sometimes you have to let go. Our 'P' family of Priamos (Ger) (Birkhahn {Ger}), from Palazzo (GB) (Dante {GB}), who we bought in Newmarket in the 60s, this is dead. We have nothing left. But I am a strong believer in taking care of families and giving them a chance. We try to have the minimum of three of their offspring on the racecourse to judge, and then if they have gone to good sires and they don't produce, then you have to say, 'okay, this isn't working'. But I am very much against this idea of commercial breeding. The words 'commercial breeding' in my opinion are false. Either you breed or you don't breed. Commercial breeding is neither fish nor meat. You have to give these animals a chance. If you are not willing to do so or you don't have the patience, then, in my opinion, you shouldn't breed. You need patience with the mares and with the sport. There are so many things that go wrong, but there is mostly a reason they went wrong and you have to give it a second chance.”

The baron's lessons have been long learned since his days of walking out to the paddocks as a toddler alongside his grandmother. “I grew up with it absolutely,” he says. “Though in the 50s and at the start of the 60s, children were not particularly popular at the racetracks, but that has changed.”

The stud is home to 27 active broodmares as well as some notable retirees.

He adds, “We always have one paddock for the old ladies and they are friends forever and get treated exactly like every other horse. Guadalupe is there at the moment along with Walzerkoenigin and they are very happy. They get a huge thank you and when they die they get a stone in our cemetery alongside the great horses like Schwarzgold, Oleander, and of course Tertullian, who died a few years ago.”

Ullmann takes deserved pride in the widespread influence of his family's breeding endeavours.

“If you look at the old studs and you go through the bloodlines, with at least 50 per cent you will find some Schlenderhan blood,” he says.

“[Ewald] Meyer zu Duete, the old manager in the 1950s and 60s with my grandmother, when there was still the Iron Curtain, organised the swap of Birkhahn with a stallion from here. And without Birkhahn coming here, there wouldn't be a Surumu (Ger), there wouldn't be a Galileo (Ire). If Meyer hadn't done this then worldwide breeding would have a huge gap.”

Indeed, just a cursory glance at the potential field for this year's Derby shows the extent of the sprawl of this influence, with eight of the first 10 in the betting being sired either by Galileo, his half-brother Sea The Stars (Ire), or his sons Frankel (GB) and New Approach (Ire).

The loss of Galileo's close relative Adlerflug means that the Schlenderhan sire ranks are reduced to two, standing just down the road in the stallion wing of Gestut Erftmuhle. The 10-year-olds Ito (Ger) and Guiliani (Ger) both provide memories of formers residents, with the former being a son of Adlerflug out of the G1 Preis der Diana winner Iota (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) and thus a brother to In Swoop, while Guiliani is by Tertullian out of Monsun's aforementioned Classic-winning daughter Guadalupe.

Both were trained by Schlenderhan's former retained trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho but the stud's private training centre was sold several years ago, with the racehorses now being trained by Markus Klug and Andreas Wohler in Germany as well as Andre Fabre, Francis Graffard and Gavin Hernon in Chantilly. Graffard and Fabre have provided the owner/breeder with his two most recent Group 1 winners, In Swoop and Mare Australis, and the relationship with Fabre stretches back almost two decades.

“The first horse I had with Fabre was Shirocco and I told him at Belmont [at the Breeders' Cup] that it was the beginning of a new friendship,” Von Ullmann recalls.

“Fabre just really has this feeling. He was very happy when Mare Australis came to him as a 2-year-old, then he called me up and said, 'You will be surprised, but I will give him a rest and he will say thank you'. After the Prix Ganay, he called me again and I said, 'I have one question: from what star are you coming?'”

“He is different from the others. They are top trainers, no doubt, but he is in a completely different league. He is a gifted horseman. And I think what he likes with us is that we are patient. There is no rushing a horse to this race or that, everything is step by step.”

He continues, “We give Fabre later [-maturing] horses, as we know that he likes to take his time, and we give him the horses that–as far as we can see it–have the most potential. But that doesn't mean anything, because if you had asked me last year in March to judge In Swoop, I wouldn't have said that he would come second in the Arc. And if you had asked me three years ago to judge Well Timed, who won the German Oaks, I would have said she was a nice filly that I thought would get black-type. But sometimes in March, April and May they can make a huge jump.”

The leap made by In Swoop last year was perhaps helped by there being no racing until mid-May. But he was ready to go when racing resumed, breaking his maiden on debut three days after the resumption before running third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe and then heading straight to Hamburg for the German Derby. His success will no doubt have helped confirm von Ullmann's favourable impression of his trainer Francis Graffard, who recently saddled the 4-year-old to win the G3 Prix d'Hedouville.

He says, “In my opinion, Graffard is the future. Of course he has to learn, he is young, but he is absolutely perfect.”

The trainer's stock will surely rise yet higher if Martial Eagle (Ire), another son of Adlerflug, can convert his own recent third-place finish in the Greffulhe to bring Schlenderhan a 20th victory in Germany's most important race. Along with In Swoop and Mare Australis, he has also been given an Arc entry.

The breeder is still clearly supportive of the German racing and breeding industry while acknowledging that it is in decline. The country's Thoroughbred bloodlines, however, with many of them etched deep in the fabric of Schlenderhan, continue to have an impact on top-class racing the world over.

“Germany has its problems, there is no doubt about it,” says von Ullmann. “With betting, with the racecourses, which, bar one or two, all need a facelift. We are fortunate that in Schlenderhan we have extremely good land and we don't have to add anything to it for the mares or the young horses. Then we have the bloodlines and through that, the sport is fundable. It would be nice if Germany was in better shape, but there is nothing stopping us racing elsewhere–in France or Ireland or Australia. The only place I would not have a horse is in America with all its problems. But from Cologne to Paris is not much farther than Cologne to Hoppegarten or Munich, so it's no problem for us. I had horses in England with Geoff Wragg and Henry Cecil and it was a delight to be in Newmarket. It is the same delight to be in Chantilly.”

No doubt the French experience will be sweetened still if, come October, Schlenderhan can add a homebred Arc winner to its list of achievements. To have three potential chances from a broodmare band of less than 30 throws into sharp relief the stud whose influence runs deep through the breed as we have come to know it.

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