Seven Days: All The Young Dudes

We're starting to feel a little long in the tooth in this corner. The racing equivalent to the observation about policemen looking young these days now applies to the weighing-room, and on Saturday one young gun after another came out with a performance that would entitle them to be considered the next big thing. 

Benoit de la Sayette has already achieved plenty in his nascent career. Now 20, he had his first ride in November 2020 and became the first apprentice attached to John Gosden's stable in almost 30 years. 

On Saturday he won the Lincoln for the second time in three years aboard the David Menuisier-trained top weight Migration (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}). Last October, de la Sayette was crowned champion apprentice, a title that could probably have been his a year earlier if he had not been banned for six months after testing positive for cocaine not long after his first Lincoln victory on Haqeeqy (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Chasing him up in last year's apprentice race was Harry Davies, who has just turned 18 and is attached to the powerful Kinsgclere academy which has produced so many good apprentices over the years. Currently on 70 winners, it won't be long before Davies loses his 3lb claim and, as he demonstrated nicely on Saturday evening, he's every bit as good without it. Charlie Appleby was swift to notice Davies's talents and has used the young jockey with some frequency, including in the Cardinal Conditions S. at Chelmsford, in which he was unable to claim but still got the job done nicely to win aboard Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who heads next to a Classic trial.

While Davies was wintering in Bahrain then preserving what's left of his claim, a new name came to the fore on the all-weather circuit: Billy Loughnane. Now with 42 wins to his credit, 36 of which have come this year, the youngster only turned 17 last month and is currently lying in third in the overall jockeys' standings. Returned from a stint riding in America, he won the first turf race of the season, the Brocklesby S., in which he too was unable to use his claim. 

Loughnane's winning mount, Doddie's Impact (GB), is named after the late rugby star Doddie Weir, who died from motor neurone disease (MND) last November. The son of Pearl Secret (GB) was bred by Ciaran and Nicola Paterson and was bought for £6,000 as a yearling by his trainer Robyn Brisland, who is now dreaming of Royal Ascot.

Cross Channel Racing, which owns Doddie's Impact, has pledged 50% of his prize-money and any sale proceeds to the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation which raises funds towards vital research into MND. There will be plenty of people willing this colt to keep winning.

Honourable mentions must also go to apprentices Jonny Peate, who won the Lincoln consolation race, the Spring Mile, on Harswell Duke (GB) (Garswood {GB}), and to Connor Planas, who landed both divisions of the apprentice handicap at Doncaster in a rare Flat double for Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell. 

Hold That Thought

In the centenary year of the Wildenstein family's racing and breeding operation, a Classic winner would certainly be fitting, and there would arguably be no race more appropriate for Diane Wildenstein to win than the Prix de Diane. 

The owner-breeder, who races under the name of Ballymore Thoroughbred, is currently in pole position for the 'French Oaks', with her unbeaten filly Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who progressed from her facile victory in the Listed Prix Rose de Mai to take Saturday's G3 Prix Penelope with similar ease. 

Pensee Du Jour's family has already been represented by a winner of the Prix de Diane in the 1976 victrix Pawneese (Ire) (Carvin {Fr}), who also won the Penelope en route to victories in the Oaks at Epsom and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.  in her sensational season for Angel Penna Sr. Pawneese was a half-sister to Pensee Du Jour's third dam, the Group 3 winner Petroleuse (Fr) (Habitat). The celebrated dynasty also includes the Arc winner Peintre Celebre (Nureyev) and star stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who is a great grandson of Pawneese. 

Brazen Doncaster Double 

Sunday's results at Leopardstown had a largely familiar feel to them with Aidan O'Brien winning both Guineas trials courtesy of Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Never Ending Story (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). 

At Doncaster on the first day of the British turf season, results were more evenly spread with some notable results for smaller stables and less-heralded stallions.

Australian sprinter Brazen Beau (Aus) hasn't stood in the northern hemisphere since 2019, but fillies from his second and third crops, Vadream (GB) and Astral Beau (GB), gave him a stakes double. The former, who has also won the G3 Bengough S. at Ascot, was the comfortable winner of the Listed Cambridge Trophy in her preferred muddy conditions for Charlie Fellowes, while Astral Beau took a major step forward to notch her first stakes victory in the Listed Doncaster Mile for trainer/breeder Pam Sly.

The Sly family has enjoyed much success with Astral Beau's family. Her grand-dam Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) pulled off a famous triumph in the 1,000 Guineas 17 years ago and has produced five winners, including Asteroidea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the dam of Astral Beau, and Specialty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), whose daughter Eileendover (GB) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) won a Listed bumper and later scored on the Flat at Newmarket.

The trainer now plans to return to Newmarket's Guineas meeting, with the aim of running Astral Beau in the G2 Dahlia S.

Birch Flying

Cheveley Park Stud, who were once more celebrating victory at the Cheltenham Festival last month, will be turning their attention towards the Flat even though a few juicy jumping targets remain this season. 

With the treble Group 1 winner Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set to headline this year's Flat team, several colts bred by the stud got the ball rolling in other owners' colours. Arguably most pleasing of all for the Cheveley Park team was the victory of White Birch (GB), who provided his sire Ulysses (Ire) with back-to-back winners of the G3 Ballysax S. after Piz Badile (Ire) last year. 

White Birch, who really should be owned by Peter Brant, is out of the 98-rated Dutch Art (GB) mare Diagnostic (GB). He made his first two starts in the colours of his trainer John Joseph Murphy until being sold privately to race for Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.

Another grey colt from the same Cheveley Park Stud crop, Theoryofeverything (GB) Frankel {GB}), made a striking debut on Sunday when winning a Doncaster novice race by six lengths in ground that had dried overnight from heavy to soft.

Now owned by Prince AA Faisal, Theoryofeverything had a yearling price tag of 325,000gns, reflecting his breeding. His dam Persuasive (Ire (Dark Angel {Ire}) won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and her Dubawi (Ire) juvenile colt is now with Godolphin, having fetched 1 million gns at last year's October Sale.

Amazing Both Sides of the Atlantic

There was a Franco-German one-three in Saturday's GIII Orchid S. at Gulfstream when French ex-pat Christophe Clement saddled Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) to win on her American debut, with fellow German-bred and stable-mate Atomic Blonde (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) in third.

Both mares went through the ring at Arqana last December, when Dr Christoph Berglar's homebred Amazing Grace sold to Moyglare Stud for €850,000 and a private sale of €340,000 was agreed for The Atomic Blonde. Breeder Michaela Faust, who owns Gestut Karlshof with husband Bruno, has retained part-ownership of the latter and now races the Italian Group 3 winner with West Point Thoroughbreds and Heather Winter. Incidentally, Amazing Grace and The Atomic Blonde had filled the same two places when racing against each other in last year's G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden. 

The winner wasn't the only high-profile purchase for Moyglare Stud at Arqana last year. Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), winner of the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and runner-up to Clement's Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, has also now joined the Clement barn to race for Moyglare's Eva Maria Bucher-Haefner.

Closer to home, the Irish-based, Swiss-owned operation can look forward to the return of last year's Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in Wednesday's Heritage S. at Leopardstown.

Starstruck by Mr Hollywood

Germany placed itself on the TDN Rising Stars list early for the season when the glitzily-named Mr Hollywood (Ger) was pushed out with just hands and heels by Leon Wolff to win on debut for Henk Grewe at Mulheim. 

There was a lot to like about the race. Firstly, who doesn't love a flag start on the Flat? Far better than the angst of starting stalls. And Mr Hollywood, as pointed out by Tom Frary, did indeed add some movie star sparkle to a grey day in Mulheim. 

His sire Iquitos (Ger), who signed off from his racing career at the age of six with victory in the Grosser Preis von Bayern to add to his two previous Group 1 wins, is a son of Adlerflug (Ger), the stallion who sadly died just as the rest of Europe suddenly realised he was really rather good. The only other Adlerflug sire remaining in Germany is the more widely known Torquator Tasso (Ger), now in his first season at Gestut Auenquelle.

Iquitos stood for two seasons at Gestut Ammerland before moving last year to Gestut Graditz, south of Berlin, where he covers for €5,000. Mr Hollywood was the first of only five foals born in his debut crop. The following year that number dropped to two, and he had 13 registered foals last year. It's fair to say that Iquitos has not exactly been well supported in his stud career to date. Perhaps Mr Hollywood might prompt a rush of late bookings this season. 

Let's Get Quizzical

Two members of the TDN Europe team were lured to Co Carlow last week to take part in the the Mark O'Hanlon Memorial Racing and Breeding Quiz at the famous Lord Bagenal Inn.

The last time this quiz had taken part in 2020 was just before the Covid shutters came down on the world. One can normally expect to find Willie Mullins on a team in his local, and it can only be presumed that his absence this time around was as a result of the lingering embarrassment at having answered one of the questions about himself incorrectly three years ago. 

There was no such shame for the trainers in attendance last week. Richard Fahey remembered that he had trained 235 winners in 2015, Pat Fahey was able to name his winner of the November Handicap, and Joseph O'Brien recalled the name of his brother's first Classic winner, guiding his team of JJ Slevin, Kevin Blake and Mark Hackett into a dead-heat for second with Luke Barry, Nancy Sexton, Brian Sheerin and myself. 

I had hoped to sign up a ringer when I saw Ryan Moore waiting in the queue for my flight to Dublin. I swiftly thought the better of it as I passed him by and could have sworn that I saw his look of vague recognition change in a heartbeat to one of horror at the thought that he might have to spend the flight sitting next to an annoying member of the Fourth Estate. 

Fortunately for Moore, our seats were far apart. He disembarked to go and do what he does best, and rode a winner at Navan that afternoon. I headed to Leighlinbridge and followed that time-honoured tradition observed by racing journalists of starting an argument in a pub quiz and staying up drinking into the early hours. We all have our calling. 

A brave person might say that quiz organiser Joe Foley is something of a control enthusiast. His own version of 'the umpire's decision is final' was read out at the start and went along the lines of 'the answers are the answers even if they are wrong'. A few bold quizzers approached the front desk to challenge Foley through the evening but were swiftly sent packing, and almost certainly docked several points for the audacity of the challenge.

I'm not usually a favourite-backer, but the identity of the winning team was never really in doubt. The unimpeachable Ryan McElligott, who had turned down several large bungs to jump ship, lifted the trophy along with Bobby and Mouse O'Ryan and Ger Connelly.

Richard Fahey was less fortunate than Ryan Moore when he was obliged to share his breakfast table the next morning with two journalists and the indefatigable Foley, who had presumably overseen at least three covers at Ballyhane Stud across the road before returning to the Lord Bagenal.

Foley spent much of breakfast looking at videos of various horses on Fahey's phone. The words “rocket” and “Queen Mary filly” were uttered in hushed tones and when an enquiry as to the identity of this speedball was issued, the stallion master wasted no time in replying with a grin, “She's by Soldier's Call”.

Fahey rashly promised to allow the TDN to visit his yard, but only on the proviso that I muck out ten boxes before being granted an interview. Happily, along with arguing in pub quizzes, mucking out is one activity at which I'm fairly proficient. In the coming weeks, I'll head to Yorkshire, pitchfork in hand, with the aim of extracting the name of this year's Queen Mary winner.

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Malavath and Amazing Grace Bolster Moyglare’s American Team

Following a momentous 60th anniversary year for Moyglare Stud, with a Classic winner and a champion stayer to the team's credit, owner Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner and her bloodstock advisor Fiona Craig picked up a smart pair of fillies at Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale last December.

Both Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), who are Group 2 winners and were Group 1-placed in France and Germany respectively, will remain in training this season. They have now left Europe to join Christophe Clement's team of horses, which is currently stabled at Payson Park in Florida.

“They didn't arrive there until the middle of January but they have both been kept on the go,” reported Craig. “After the sale, Amazing Grace went to Nicolas Clement [in Chantilly] and Malavath went back to Francis Graffard, so they were in really good nick when they arrived. But they had a long journey and they have had some good time out in the paddock with Christophe.”

She continued, “He's stepping their work up now but there is no desperate rush to run them in Florida. We'll know a little bit more in the next few weeks. Malavath wants 7 1/2 [furlongs] to a mile, so she is a bit more straightforward and will probably go straight up to New York. There is a possibility that Amazing Grace could run in Florida, but we'll see.”

The 5-year-old Amazing Grace, who was previously trained by Waldemar Hickst, was, like her sire, bred by Dr Christoph Berglar. Craig added, “She is an absolute beauty and she'll be so easy to breed. She's Monsun on top of Danehill Dancer. We bought her as a broodmare but then we thought we'd roll the dice. She's a good mare and we'll see if we could improve on that in America. We've got a lot of young mares so there's no big rush to put her in foal straightaway. And [GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up] Malavath is only four now, so that's an advantage.”

Closer to home, the Moyglare team can also look forward to a fairly imminent return for the Dermot Weld-trained Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), while star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is raced in partnership by Moyglare and Coolmore, is being primed by Aidan O'Brien for another Cup campaign this summer.

“Homeless Songs has been kept in training all winter and she will either run in the Park Express on the opening day [of the turf season] or a week later in the Heritage Stakes. I think a lot of it will depend on ground,” Craig said. “And Kyprios is also back in full training.”

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Clement Adds Quality to Stable Roster at Arqana

Christophe Clement said he always looks forward to his annual trip to Deauville for the Arqana December Sale. It's a bit like stepping back in time for the U.S.-based trainer as he wanders the grounds that were once the setting of childhood summers spent working for his father, French conditioner Miguel Clement Sr. The youngest of three, Clement is still often called 'Little Clement' while in Deauville.

“That always makes me laugh,” said Clement, whose own son Miguel has a handle on their stable in America while his father is away. “I come to this sale every year. It's a great way to see a lot of friends and family and still do some work.”

Clement kept busy during Saturday's select session at Arqana and will be returning to the States with several new trainees in tow, highlighted by the session-topping filly Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). The dual Group 1-placed 3-year-old was purchased for €3.2 million by Clement's longstanding client Moyglare Stud.

“I was aware that she was going to be in the December Sale and we've been working on this for the past two months,” Clement shared. “I'm delighted. I think it's a great acquisition for Moyglare.”

The winner of the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at two, Malavath returned to the starting gate this year to claim a Group 3 in Deauville and place second in the G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret for Francis Graffard. In her most recent start, Malavath finished fifth in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

Clement said that he has no specific races in mind yet for the new acquisition, but added that he believes she will be a good fit for American racing.

“I think she seems to be [best at] seven furlongs to a mile. One of the reasons why Moyglare was interested in the filly was that she brings speed to their program. We'll get her to the States and let her tell us what to do. We have a great program in New York. If she's doing well, plenty of good things can happen.”

Also on Saturday, Moyglare Stud purchased Amazing Grace (Protectionist) for €850,000. The Group 2 winner will continue her racing career with Clement.

“She will be a fun fit for the longer turf races,” said the 4-year-old's new conditioner.

Clement sends Moyglare Stud's Beautiful Lover to victory in the GIII La Prevoyante S. at Gulfstream this year | Nicole Thomas

­­The Co. Meath-based Moyglare Stud has sent horses to Clement for almost 25 years. Their greatest successes together include Grade I winners Relaxed Gesture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and Dress to Thrill (Ire) (Danehill). This year, American-bred Beautiful Lover (Arch) carried the black, white and red silks to victory in the GIII La Prevoyante S.

“We have a great relationship,” said Clement. “We've had plenty of good winners for them. It's fun because when you train for an owner-breeder, you get that kind of relationship where it doesn't depend on what happens today. It's more long-term, and usually that works out best for both sides.”

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who races with Clement and has been a leading owner this year on the New York circuit, was active during the first session, purchasing listed winner By All Means (Ire) (Kodiac) for €650,000. The juvenile was Group 2-placed for owners Giacomo Algranti and Haras d'Etreham.

“She is a very nice filly,” said Clement. “I believe that one of the owners, Nicolas de Chambure [Haras d'Etreham] will stay in for a piece, which makes it even more exciting.”

Also during Arqana's opening session, Clement purchased Group winner Atomic Blonde (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) for €300,000 and went to €280,000 for black-type filly Lady Mia (Fr) (Outstrip).

“You have a lot to compete with in New York,” he noted. “You have to buy some good horses because the turf division is not easy. You need to bring in new blood in order to compete.”

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Form Is Key To A Well-Credentialed Rauscher Draft

DEAUVILLE, France–As we have seen over the the last few weeks in Ireland and England, there remains a voracious appetite for breeding stock, and globally the Thoroughbred breeding industry continues to hold German bloodlines in the highest regard.

With this in mind, there will undoubtedly be plenty of visitors from all over the world turning up to peruse the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale draft of Ronald Rauscher, which contains a number of well-bred fillies and mares with proper racing form. German-born and now based in Ireland, Rauscher is a consignor, advisor and breeder of international repute himself with close ties to the Australian scene through his association with Australian Bloodstock's G1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who was bred by his long-term client Dr. Christoph Berglar.

It is appropriate, then, that the draft includes Protectionist's best runner to date, the smart and statuesque Amazing Grace (Ger), who was also bred by Berglar and in his colours has won the G2 Diana Trial at three and this season's G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden before finishing third in the G1 Preis von Europa behind Godolphin's subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The 4-year-old chestnut filly, who sells as lot 204 on Saturday evening, is from one of the most renowned German families, which stretches back to the influential Anna Paola (Ger) and includes last year's Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Making a consignor's job that much easier, this is a filly that Rauscher can vouch for through every stage of her life.

“She was born at Schlenderhan and I saw her on day two and she was just beautiful then,” says Rauscher, who bought Amazing Grace's listed-winning dam Amabelle (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire} as a yearling for Berglar. “She has just always had it. What she had, and what I thought was very interesting as a young foal, is that most foals at that age, they stay with very close to their mother. This was a small paddock close to the barn, and I went through the gate and she just left her mother.

“She was curious and confident, and you could touch her. That went right through her life really. She was raised then as a yearling in Bernried and she always had a great temperament and the physique to go with it.”

He adds, “She's a 4-year-old now turning five, and she's coming with a full set of X-rays and a scope. She's still a racing prospect.

“That she's coming to the sale, it's just because, as [Dr. Berglar] said, 'Look, I am the age I am. It just would take a good few years really to make sure that I'm going to see everything out of her'.”

A little earlier in the draft comes another 4-year-old, Noble Heidi (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), a former champion juvenile filly in Germany before running third in the G1 Preis der Diana. She also won this season's Listed Baden-Baden Cup.

“Noble Heidi is one of those names where you think about Japan a little bit,” Rauscher says. “I'm selling two Intello fillies this week and he's such an interesting horse, really. I remember when he ran his last race in the Arc and he finished third, and he was probably not the most commercial horse but he's such a well-bred horse, going back to that taproot mare, Fall Aspen.”

“Noble Heidi was early. We ran against her with Amazing Grace, and on several occasions, they met. As a 2-year-old, Noble Heidi had the upper hand. There was no doubt about that. She's very good physically as well, she's strong.”

Also among the 4-year-old fillies being sold by Rauscher is the well-bred Waldbiene (Fr) (lot 193), another daughter of Intello and a Group 2 winner from the black-type laden family of St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

Then there's Penja (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), a Group 3 winner in France and runner-up in the G2 Prix de la Nonette who was bought at last year's Arqana Arc Sale for €1.2 million. In the book as lot 186, she hails from a family which includes this year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Texas (Fr).

The 3-year-old Good Liza (Fr) is another with plenty on the page to recommend her. Offered as lot 249, she won as a juvenile in Germany and is a Kingman (GB) daughter of the Group 3 winner Good Donna (Ger) (Doyen {GB}), the producer of two black-type winners including the dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 runner-up Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who fetched 700,000gns when sold at the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale last year. Further back the family includes G1 1000 Guineas heroine Legatissimo (Ire) and the five-time Group 1 winner Fame And Glory (GB).

Elegie (Ire) should also attract plenty of attention as a 93-rated daughter of the late Adlerflug (Ger) with some back type to her own name and a half-sister to the G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Enjoy Vijay (Ger) (Nathaniel {Ire}) as well as two listed winners.

The 10-strong draft is not solely fillies still in training, however. On Sunday Rauscher will offer the 8-year-old mare Izzy (Ger). Though unraced, she is by Soldier Hollow (GB), who features as broodmare sire of this year's  Deutsches Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), and she is a half-sister to another Deutsches Derby winner, Isfahan (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}). Bred by his trainer Andreas Wohler, as was Izzy, Isfahan is now standing at Gestut Ohlerweiherhof and was responsible for a Deutsches Derby winner in his first crop in the Guy Pariente-bed Sisfahan (Fr). Izzy (lot 552), who is being sold in foal to Gleneagles (Ire), has a 2-year-old colt by Protectionist who was bought by Brendan Holland of Grove Stud for €100,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale.

Gleneagles is an underrated sire,” Rauscher notes. “It's just the situation that Andreas, who's been terribly successful at breeding Isfahan and training him, says that he wants to cut down on his breeding stock and concentrate on a few horses and training. That's the only reason she's going.”

Two years ago Ronald Rauscher's draft was fourth on the consignors' table at the close of the December Sale behind the much larger drafts offered by the powerhouses of Monceaux, Etreham and the Wertheimers, while last year he pulled off another top-10 finish. With another strong consignment of young racing and/or breeding prospects, we can expect to see more of the same.

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