Roasting Start To Tattersalls Ireland September

NEWMARKET, UK–Ah, the yearling sales. It's a long old season and sometimes the more elderly members of the press desk can get a little jaded by the halfway point, not to mention discombobulated. After all, we're at a Tattersalls Ireland sale in Newmarket, where instead of selling in guineas or euros, the horses are changing hands in sterling. But every now and then a feelgood story comes along to soften even the stoniest of hearts.

Let's face it, the day started pretty well: the sun shone and the free ice-cream stand was unveiled, attracting an even more attentive throng than Heaven, the, er, gentlemen's club at the bottom of Tatts hill. And then midway through the afternoon from the the exit at the back of the ring burst a bonny Ardad (Ire) colt led by Irishman Leon Carrick, who is a policeman in real life but does a pretty convincing job moonlighting as a yearling consignor and pinhooker. He was quickly joined by his girlfriend Michelle Gibbons, all smiles and hugs and kisses–some of them even directed at Carrick, but most of them landing on the yearling colt who had been transformed from a 7,500gns foal into a £105,000 yearling.

“We bought him while lying in bed–best online shopping ever!” Carrick said with a grin, bringing a hitherto unconsidered upside to being confined to quarters through lockdown. “We couldn't come over here because of Covid and I'd just come in from a night shift. We liked him and decided to buy him online and he has been an absolute delight to do everything with, and of course we have been delighted to see the stallion doing so well.”

Ardad, the young son of Kodiac (GB) based at Overbury Stud, has certainly not let down those foal buyers and breeders who put their faith in him last year as he has made a hugely promising start with his first runners this year, headed by the G1 Darley Prix Morny winner Perfect Power (Ire). The colt consigned by Carrick as lot 154 was bred by Saeed Nasser Al Romaithi and is out of the Azamour (Ire) mare Mara Grey (Ire), already the dam of the dual winner Constanzia (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}).

Based on The Curragh, the 27-year-old Carrick is the nephew of well-known breeze-up consignor Johnny Collins and has served his time on studs working for the Aga Khan, Coolmore and at Curraghmore in New Zealand. Before joining the Gardai he also worked for Richard Brabazon, who trains Apple Of His Eye (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) for Carrick and Gibbons, who is also 27.

Carrick continued, “I didn't in my wildest dreams expect to get a figure like that. Michelle wants to go to college to do a midwifery course and she'll be able to do that comfortably now. Our thanks have to go to my uncle Johnny, who supports me, and to Richard Brabazon, who allowed us to use his facilities this year.

“We prep a few horses every year, a few cheap foal purchases, hoping that something like this will happen, and this has given us a great boost. If we get a few more results like this we might do it full time.”

The couple has four yearlings to sell this year, including a Dawn Approach colt (lot 296) who is catalogued on Wednesday.

The man who bought the colt has had the inside track on Ardad from the start as Robson Aguiar, who signed the ticket on behalf of Amo Racing, rode Ardad in his breeze at Doncaster back in 2016 and he has been a strong supporter of the stallion at the sales.

Roaring Trade

Both consignors and purchasers expressed a mixture of surprise and delight as the first day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale drew to a close in Newmarket. The fact that it had been relocated for the second year running amid uncertainty over the lifting of Covid restrictions in Ireland was not ideal, especially for a number of Irish consignors, but many now will be relieved to have taken the plunge and stuck with the sale. The median of £20,000 was up by 18% on the equivalent day of trade last year, while the average rose by 13% to £26,729 from 42 more horses sold this time around–217, bringing an identical first-day clearance rate of 85%. The day's takings amounted to £5,702,500.

On the first day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale of 2019, the last time it was staged in Ireland and in Euros, 200 horses were sold for €5,084,500, at an average of €25,423 and a median of €21,000.

Going Global

The Ardad colt was not the top price of the day, his tag having been bettered twice by two colts bought by Adam Driver of Global Equine Group on a day of trade that surpassed most people's expectations on both sides of the transactions.

The first yearling to have breached the six-figure mark during the lively opening session was a second-crop son of Churchill (Ire) (lot 111), sold by Grange Hill Stud for £110,000. His dam Komedy (Ire) has given Mark Hanly and his mother Stephanie plenty to smile about in the early days of her stud career and the Kodiac (GB) mare struck gold again on Tuesday when her yearling colt became the first at the sale to breach the six-figure mark.

Consigned by his breeders, he is the third foal of his 8-year-old dam, who was bought in the same ring at the Horses-in-Training Sale for 9,000gns. A winning sister to the listed victrix On Her Toes (Ire), Komedy did not take long to advertise her potential as a broodmare when her first foal Internationaldream (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) won twice at two and was third in the G3 Molecomb S.

“He is a very taking individual and I thought to myself that he'd be a standout at this sale,” said Mark Hanly. “It is a nice, fast family, and he is out of a Kodiac mare and they are working very very well at the moment on the track. The mare is a typical Kodiac and when I first saw Churchill at stud, I absolutely loved him. He has a big physique and would suit a Kodiac mare, and the cross of Danehill and Galileo suited too.”

Komedy is now in foal to Churchill's Coolmore studmate Saxon Warrior (Jpn) having been barren last year.

The Global Equine Group, which Driver said already has two Churchill juveniles in training in Newmarket with Tom Clover, later signed up the leading light of the day online when going to £130,000 for lot 217, Castlehyde Stud's smart chestnut colt by No Nay Never out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Pink Damsel (Ire).

“It's great to have the top lot,” said Castlehyde Stud manager Paddy Fleming. “We brought him here to stand out and he did just that. He was born and raised on good limestone land at Castlehyde and the mare has been very good to us.”

A winner herself at three, Pink Damsel is a daughter of the dual Grade I winner Riskaverse (Dynaformer) and thus a full-sister to the G3 Dance Design S. winner Say (Ire). Her first foal, Glengowan (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), is already a winner and her Caravaggio 2-year-old Sarsons Risk (Ire) was third on debut at Newbury last month having been bought at the Craven Breeze-up Sale for 120,000gns.

A Filly To Go Farhh

Muscling her way in to be the top filly of the day was an athletic daughter of Farhh (GB) consigned by Nelius Hayes as lot 81 through his Knockainey Stud. At £90,000, she was the most expensive of nine purchases by Peter and Ross Doyle, who confirmed that she would go into training with Richard Hannon, whose previous positive experience with the sire runs to training the 2000 Guineas runner-up King Of Change (GB).

“We have been very lucky buying from Nelius Hayes over the years,” said Ross Doyle. “She is the nicest filly Nelius has brought to the sales for a few years. She is nicely sized and she has a bit of class to her.”

Hayes, who with a partnership picked up the filly's dam Imasumaq (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) for 16,000gns when carrying this filly, added, “A friend of mine and neighbour Michael O'Dwyer bought her here at the December Sale. Everybody just seemed to like this filly. We had no expectations of anything like that coming, but as the days go on you get hopeful.”

Hayes was pleased with the early decision taken to switch the sale from Ireland to the UK. He said, “It was a difficult decision for Tattersalls to make, but I think they did the right thing making a call that they were going to stick to this date and sell here. In hindsight perhaps there could have been time to go back to Fairyhouse, but it gave us all some certainty by making a decision back in the summer.”

Brothers Believe

Richard Hannon's brother-in-law and fellow trainer Richard Hughes will also take charge of one of the day's top lots after going to £85,000 for lot 70, a colt by Make Believe (GB) who represented a successful pinhooking debut for brothers Tom and Davy Brickley of Ard Erin Stud. They bought the son of the unraced Tamayuz (GB) mare Hidden Girl (Ire) for €8,000 last year at Goffs.

“He was our very first pinhook,” said Tom Brickley, 29. “We've loved him the whole way through, he has been a champion. We are delighted to get so well paid, we were dreaming about it but never thought it would happen.”

He added, “He came from Brendan Hayes of Knocktoran Stud, who is a great breeder, and we loved his action from the start. For a big horse he moved so well. Everyone at home is part of the team–mum, dad and our sisters. Dad always had a mare at home, but we are the first to do horses in a bigger way. We caught the bug and decided that we wanted to do this game, and we both learnt from the top farms.”

A half-brother to the 100-rated Muraad (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the colt will be sent to former champion jump jockey AP McCoy for breaking and pre-training, according to his friend Hughes, who said, “I loved him from the minute I set eyes on him. He's not a 2-year-old type, he'll probably be more of a 3-year-old. I haven't had any by Make Believe before but I've been following his stallion career.”

Another of the day's top fillies was a decent pinhook for Guy O'Callaghan, who on Saturday celebrated the G2 Mill Reef S. victory of Wings Of War (Ire), who was bred by him at his Grangemore Stud. The same stallion, Dark Angel (Ire), was responsible for both, and lot 129 had been picked out as a foal by O'Callaghan for 20,000gns. Trainer Tom Ward, acting on behalf of a syndicate, ended up as the successful bidder on the easy-moving grey, out of the Group 3-placed Light My Fire (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) at £80,000.

Keeping Good Company

Mark and Barbara Dreeling's Coole House Farm enjoyed a good day through the sale of lot 224, a colt by the late Fast Company (Ire) whose brother Flashcard (Ire) was third in the G3 Sovereign S.

“He has been a gentleman since the day he was born. Hopefully he will be as lucky as the full-brother,” said the couple's daughter Megan after the colt sold for £90,000 to Ed Dunlop and JD Moore.

Her mother added, “He has been very busy today and he can really move. The mare doesn't have a foal as she's not an easy mare to get in foal, but she is now in foal to Gleneagles.”

Four lots later (lot 228), a New Bay (GB) half-brother to recent debut winner Whoputfiftyinyou (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}), who was unnamed when the catalogue was printed, went the way of Kevin Ross for £88,000. Consigned by Ballylinch Stud for breeders Eleanor Commins and the New Bay Syndicate, the colt is also a three-quarter brother to the GIII San Francisco Mile S winner Whisper Not (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}).

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The Weekly Wrap: Euro Delights Aplenty

We head towards a weekend featuring the final British Classic of 2021, the Arc Trials and Irish Champions Weekend with the last week having offered plenty of food for thought across Europe.

Torquator Tasso (Ger) paid a posthumous tribute to his champion sire Adlerflug (Ger) by adding victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden to his 2020 win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Second in last year's Deutsches Derby to another son of Adlerflug, the recently retired In Swoop (Ire), the 4-year-old beat this year's Derby winner Sisfahan (Fr) (Isfahan {Ger}), who hassled the winner all the way to the line to boost the 2021 Classic form in Germany.

Torquator Tasso owns an intriguing pedigree, with both his sire and dam being female-line descendants of Anatevka (Ger) (Espresso {GB}) through the full-sisters Alya (Ger) and Allegretta (GB), both by Lombard (Ger). He thus has a double shot of the the family that can be credited with doing more to raise the profile of German breeding internationally in recent decades than any other. Torquator Tasso's owner Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke has indicated that the Arc is now the likely target for his colt, and that he may well stay in training next year before joining Ellerbracke's Gestüt Auenquelle. The stud is currently home to the veteran Soldier Hollow (GB) and Torquator Tasso's eventual arrival will give breeders another option for tapping into the Adlerflug/In The Wings line which has worked so well in Germany of late.

The Grosser Preis success was also another major feather in the cap of Marcel Weiss, who for the last two years has been training the Auenquelle horses at Mulheim. He had previously served his time as feedman for several trainers, including Heinz Jentzsch and Jens Hirschberger.

Half an hour later and some 500 kilometres away in Paris, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) continued his unbeaten progression to the top with his first Group 1 strike in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. He is the 15th Group 1 winner for his sire and the second to have won at the top level over a mile after Zelzal (Fr), who landed the Prix Jean Prat before it was reduced in distance. 

Anatevka and her daughter Allegretta of course appear in Baaeed's pedigree as the third and second dams of Sea The Stars, and on the bottom line the Queen's former star Height Of Fashion (Fr), who has been the bedrock of the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, appears again in another top prospect as Baaeed's fifth dam. 

William Haggas's star pupil Baaeed is out of Aghareed, a listed winner in her racing days for John Hammond and a daughter of Kingmambo. It is a cross which has been seen to good effect with Sea The Stars, whose Group 1-winning sons and young French-based stallions Cloth Of Stars (Ire) and Zelzal are both out of Kingmambo mares.

Ryan On Point For Major Owner

It was a day to remember for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Kevin Ryan on Saturday at Haydock, where the freewheeling tactics of Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) paid off when narrowly denying the even-money favourite Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in the G1 Sprint Cup. The 5-year-old former Gimcrack winner has been in good form all summer and was most recently second to Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}) in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York.

The owner/trainer duo had started the day well when supplying the latest stakes winner in a tremendous season for Frankel (GB) through Triple Time (GB) in the listed Ascendant S. The 2-year-old's dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) can very much claim her fair share of the credit, however, as she has been a wonderfully dependable broodmare for the sheikh, providing six black-type performers by six different stallions, including G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein victor Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has enjoyed a decent run of late, with seven winners from 17 runners over the last fortnight. They include the smart-looking 2-year-old homebred Razzle Dazzle (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), who has two black-type entries at Doncaster later this week.

Intello To The Fore

It was also a good weekend for Haras du Quesnay's Intello (Ger), who was represented by three new group winners in France and Germany. 

The lightly-raced Waldbiene (Fr) continued an excellent run for graduates of Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair when winning the G2 T Von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden on Saturday. A daughter of Waldjagd (GB) (Observatory {GB}), she hails from an excellent family which includes the St Leger winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

The following day the 11-year-old son of Galileo (Ire) notched two Group 3 winners in just over an hour at ParisLongchamp. The first came with victory for 4-year-old Dawn Intello (Fr), bred by Viktor Timoshenko at Haras de Montaigu, who clearly enjoyed dropping back in trip to 2000 metres for the La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

Bubble Smart (GB) then delivered the Prix Gladiateur for her trainer Mikel Delazangles and the family of his late Moroccan breeder Zakaria Hakam to complete a hat-trick of staying wins since June 26. The 4-year-old half-sister to Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Bubble Chic (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}) was raised at Haras de Maulepaire, not far from Le Mans, and her dam is one of around seven mares kept by Ali and Amina Hakam at the stud.

Run by Pierric Rouxel for the Comtesse de Tarragon, Maulepaire also raised arguably the most famous horse to have emerged from the Delzangles stable, the globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Dunaden (Fr), as well as some notable stars of the jumps scene, including La Bague Au Roi (Fr).

Ardad And Time Test Step Up

Ardad (Ire) leapt to the head of the European first-season sires' table on Saturday courtesy of his second group winner, Eve Lodge (GB), who notched the second victory of her career in the G3 Sirenia S. at Kempton. Ardad's leading performer of the season is the G1 Prix Morny and Gr Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (Ire). 

The Overbury Stud resident has had 17 individual winners at the time of writing, so he is eight behind the leader Cotai Glory (GB) in that category, but ahead on prize-money, largely thanks to his stakes winners. 

The freshman who took perhaps the biggest step forward this week is the National Stud's Time Test (GB), who had Group 3 winners on consecutive days and now lies equal with Galileo Gold (GB) for number of black-type winners on three. 

At Baden-Baden on Wednesday, the Peter Schiergen-trained Rocchigiani (GB) became his sire's first group winner in the G3 Renate und Albrecht Woesten Zukunftsrennen, swiftly followed 24 hours later by the success of Romantic Time (GB) in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. The William Stone-trained filly had previously beaten Eve Lodge into second when the pair met in a novice race at Yarmouth on July 7.

For Eve Lodge's trainer Charlie Fellowes, it was a case of as one door opens, another closes, and in this case it was a pretty big door. Thirty-five minutes after Eve Lodge became the trainer's first group winner on home soil, his beloved stable star Prince of Arran (GB) ran his final race when finishing last of five in the G3 September S. That race had been intended as a prep run before the 8-year-old went into quarantine for a fourth tilt at the Melbourne Cup, but the stringent new pre-travel vetting requirements for overseas runners ruled him out of a return to Australia. 

Fellowes will miss him terribly but he can look back with great pride at the career of a really likeable horse who helped to bring his trainer's name to wider attention internationally. Prince Of Arran retires sound and well with six wins to his name from 49 starts, and more than £2 million in prize-money. His most memorable victory came in the G3 Lexus S. on Derby day at Flemington, where he was also placed three times in the Melbourne Cup. There aren't many like him and he deserves a long and happy retirement.

Baden-Baden Gets It Right For Racing

Following an encouraging day at the BBAG Yearling Sale on Friday, BBAG president Karl-Dieter Ellerbracke then witnessed his Torquator Tasso take Baden-Baden's biggest race on Sunday to set him on course for a tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

In the spring the sales company became a shareholder in its neighbouring Baden-Baden racecourse, a symbiotic relationship which makes perfect sense. There is great relief in German racing that the action is now continuing at Baden-Baden under a 10-year lease to the newly formed Baden Galopp.

For a start, the closure of any racecourse should be met with regret, and it is no secret that German racing is under threat from dwindling prize-money and a reduction in the number of broodmares in the country. Most people who spent time at Baden-Baden racecourse, or at the sales, over the last few days would not have formed that impression, however. 

The one problem British racing does not face is a lack of racegoers but there is growing consternation about the unruly behaviour, often fuelled by drink and drugs, at a number of the country's top meetings. 

Baden Galopp may be a new company but the people behind it are long-term supporters of and participants in the sport. The meeting they staged over this weekend could be used as the copybook for the perfect racing experience, whether for the sport's professionals or for the casual fan.

For a start, the layout of the racecourse allows visitors to get properly close to the action, both on the track and when the horses are led back in after the race along the fabulous walkway bearing the names of the winners of the Grosser Preis, like racing's own special version of the yellow brick road. There is the history of the great race right there, writ large under our feet.

It was extremely hot over the weekend but plenty of shade was provided by the many lovely old trees in the public areas where there is no segregation, apart from the parade ring and winner's circle area naturally being restricted to owners, trainers and jockeys. But if you want to see the horses you can, very easily, and plenty of people did, as it was three or four deep around the parade ring on both days.  The rail in the long home straight was lined with folk throughout the day, and with the jockeys' tendency to bring the horses wide to that stands' rail, the runners whizzed by so close you could almost touch them, much to the delight of the many children watching on (and one very big child with a reporter's hat on).

For time out from the equine action, there was plenty of seating all around the course to enjoy a picnic from the open air bars and bratwurst stands. Not once over the weekend was there any sense of drunken, loutish behaviour. It was truly a wonderful sporting day out that could be properly enjoyed by family members of all ages, not to mention their pet dogs, of which there were many on course throughout the weekend.

There is much to celebrate about the return of racing to Baden-Baden at whatever level your interest in the sport may be.

One notable absentee from the sales and racing in Germany was leading trainer Andreas Wohler, 59, who suffered a heart attack on the previous Friday but has subsequently been released from hospital to continue his recovery. We wish him well.

Mighty Weekend For Spanish Racing

Among those taking full advantage of all the delights Baden-Baden has to offer was a group of 20 friends and family of Angel Saenz, who travelled to Germany from Madrid with their trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta to plunder group races on the Saturday and Sunday.

It was a mighty raid by Spain's champion trainer, who has long been lauded in his home country but deserves the wider recognition that his first Group 3 and then Group 2 wins internationally will bring.

A former amateur rider who cut his teeth with his friend and fellow Basque-born jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, Arizkorreta spent a number of years assisting Luca Cumani in Newmarket, where he honed his perfect English speaking skills. He returns to the town regularly for the sales, and both his group winners, Kitty Marion (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Rodaballo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), had been bought at Tattersalls, the former from last year's July Sale for just 3,000gns by Edgar Byrne, and Rodaballo from Ardglas Stables at the Guineas Breeze-up Sale.

Two such notable wins outside Spain, which has a racehorse population of only around 65o, clearly meant an awful lot to Arizkorreta, who has won multiple Classics at home, including last year's Poule de Potros (Spanish 2000 Guineas) with the Aston House Stud-bred Rodaballo.

He said on Sunday, “We are always very passionate about our racing and our horses, so going abroad and proving that we are good enough to compete in these races is very important for Spain. We are very proud.”

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The Weekly Wrap: It’s Good To Be Back

There are banners along the High Street of my home town of Newmarket saying 'Welcome back to racing'. Though we've been fortunate in England to have been able to allow crowds gradually to return to racecourses earlier than some other countries, it has only really been in the last few weeks that it has felt like the proper pre-pandemic experience. And where better to have the people back in force than at York, widely regarded by many to be the best racecourse in the country?

Any amount of time spent on the Knavesmire is time well spent indeed, and you really could have picked any of the days of the Ebor meeting to be able to enjoy a proper feature race with intrigue and stars aplenty. Even the queue for the bus to the track from the train station provided a level of fun. A group of men of advanced years huddled together like schoolboys, copies of the Racing Post tucked under their arms, clearly relishing the prospect of a midweek day at the races. When the bus arrived, they rushed for the long bench seat at the back, always the preserve of the naughtiest in class, and with a full load of passengers chattering about their fancies for the day, our chariot trundled off to the track. 

Clarehaven Resurgent

Thady Gosden's name was added to his father's training licence just ahead of the start of the turf season in Britain and though the stable played a less prominent role in the Classics than is usually to be expected, it has now clicked into top gear. 

A stellar run was launched eight days ago in Deauville, where Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) landed his second G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois, swiftly followed by the G3 Prix Minerve victory for George Strawbridge's Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Further big guns were wheeled out for York, with the mighty Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) sparking endless 'Is he the best in the world?' debates with his visually impressive first Group 1 victory in Britain in the Juddmonte International. 

Whether he is the best or not will be settled at the end of the year in the international rankings–and even then the debate will likely rage on. What can be said with some certainty is that Mishriff is the most versatile at the highest level, with his wins coming on the Riyadh dirt track over nine furlongs in the Saudi Cup, the Meydan turf over 12 furlongs, and now 10.5 furlongs at York, not forgetting his Classic win at Chantilly last season. Victory at the Breeders' Cup–or even in Japan, as has been mooted, with that tempting $3 million bonus on offer–would go a long way to settling the argument once and for all.

While Palace Pier and Mishriff have strong claims to being the best in their divisions, the king of the stayers is still Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). It is to be hugely regretted that the half-brothers Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}) are both sidelined with injuries as this has undoubtedly weakened the staying division in the second half of the season. But the 7-year-old stallion Stradivarius proved that even if the years have blunted his game a little, he has lost none of his will to win. Arguably, he's at his best when he has to knuckle down and fight, and this is exactly what he did when dispatching the Yorkshire Cup winner Spanish Mission (Noble Mission) on his return to the Knavesmire. 

With a race record that now includes three Ascot Gold Cups, four Goodwood Cups, three Lonsdale Cups, two Yorkshire Cups and a Doncaster Cup, Stradivarius is truly one of the modern wonders of the Flat scene. We must continue to enjoy him while we can.

Arise, Sir John?

We already have Sir Mark and Sir Michael in Newmarket; could Sir John be next? If the Gosdens manage to turn the impressive G3 Solario S. winner Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) into a Classic winner for his breeder The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year then surely a further mention in the honours' list could be on the cards for Gosden senior, who was awarded an OBE in 2017.

The Queen was just 25 when she acceded to the British throne in  February 1952. Her coronation took place the following June, on what would have been Derby day, with the great race moved back to the Saturday to allow for the royal festivities. The celebrations within the royal household would have been greater still had the Queen's Derby contender Aureole (GB) not been beaten into second by Pinza (GB). More recently, the Queen's colours have been carried in the Derby by the Darley-bred Carlton House, a gift from Sheikh Mohammed, who was third behind Pour Moi (Ire) in 2011. Who would begrudge racing's greatest patron a Derby winner in the year she celebrates her extraordinary longevity as monarch? 

Bred on the Sea The Stars-Sadler's Wells cross, Reach For The Moon's pedigree echoes that of the former Gosden trainee and Oaks winner Taghrooda (GB), and the Solario has good form of late for being won by some pretty special horses, including the Gosden-trained trio of Raven's Pass, Kingman (GB) and Too Darn Hot (GB), not to mention the 2018 Derby winner Masar (Ire).

Next June is an awful long way off in racing terms, but the prospect of Reach For The Moon giving the sport widespread publicity during the year-long jubilee celebrations is an enticing one.

The form of the Chesham S. now has a pleasingly solid look to it, with Reach For The Moon and Great Max (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who finished second and third to Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), each finishing one place better in the Solario, while the Chesham winner continued his unbeaten passage with victory in the G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S., having previously landed the G3 JRA Tyros S. The Chesham fifth Masekela (Ire) (El Kabeir) has gone on to win the Listed Denford S., and the seventh-placed New Science (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) subsequently returned to Ascot to win the Listed Pat Eddery S.

Power Play

Fillies filled four of the first six places in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S., and while Suesa (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) was favoured to follow up on her Goodwood triumph, it was Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) who went the early pace with Wesley Ward's Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), surging straight as an arrow down the centre of the track. As the American raider weakened and wobbled from his early blitz, Winter Power continued to blast home unchallenged to set the seal on a memorable week for her trainer Tim Easterby at one of his local tracks.

There was doubtless much celebration across the Irish Sea in various households of the Burns family, too. For her breeder Patrick Burns it was both a wonderful triumph and huge update for the full-brother to Winter Power that his Newlands House Stud is preparing to send to the Goffs Orby Sale. And for Patrick's brother Maurice, Winter Power became the first Group 1 winner for her speedy sire Bungle Inthejungle, who stands at the family's Rathasker Stud.

Good Week For Coolmore Clan

Wootton Bassett, who lent his name to the Nunthorpe, also enjoyed some success on the Knavesmire with two stakes-winning juveniles. Royal Patronage (Fr) may have been the least fancied of the quintet who lined up for the G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. but he has progressed nicely from his novice win at Epsom to give trainer Mark Johnston back-to-back wins in the race following the victory of Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) last year.

On Saturday it was the turn of Steve Parkin's homebred Attagirl (GB), conceived while Wootton Bassett was still standing in France but born and trained in Yorkshire. She bounced out of her narrow defeat the previous week in the listed St Hugh's S. at Newbury to land the listed Julia Graves Roses S., doubtless giving her breeder extra cause for celebration at his favourite meeting of the year. 

Wootton Bassett's week was just a nostril away from ending on a high when his star daughter Audarya (Fr) was denied her second win in the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet when Grand Glory (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) snatched victory from her on the line in Deauville.

Caravaggio moved from Coolmore's Irish base to Ashford Stud for the most recent stud season but he is creeping up the freshman sires' table in Europe with three stakes winners to his name already, including Saturday's smooth G2 Debutante S. winner Agartha (Ire).

He's not the only son of Scat Daddy on a roll as No Nay Never is enjoying a terrific season, with Alcohol Free (Ire) as his 3-year-old poster girl and the increasingly impressive G2 Lowther S. winner Zain Claudette (Ire) the star of his juvenile crop.

Ho Ho Ho

Tally-Ho Stud is an unstoppable force this season, both as breeder and stallion master. Having had the record-breaking champion first-season sire of 2020 in Mehmas (Ire), who was represented by another top-flight winner over the weekend in the Nicky Hartery-bred GI Del Mar Oaks winner Going Global (Ire), Tally-Ho must now be odds-on to have this year's leading freshman sire.

Whether it will be Galileo Gold (GB) or Cotai Glory (GB) is hard to say. The latter is forging ahead with 23 winners, but Galileo Gold was the first of his peers to notch that all-important Group 1 winner. His leading son Ebro River (Ire), winner of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S., was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, as was Lusail (Ire), who gave Mehmas back-to-back winners of the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack S. and is owned, like Ebro River, by Al Shaqab Racing, which also campaigned the sires of both youngsters.

Further top-level success came on Sunday in the G1 Darley Prix Morny with the Tally-Ho-bred Perfect Power (Ire), who became a first Group 1 winner for his sire Ardad (Ire). Though Ardad is not a Tally-Ho stallion–he stands at Overbury Stud in England –he was however bred by the O'Callaghan family and reflects further glory on the Tally-Ho team as he is a son of its headline stallion Kodiac (GB).

The latter in turn is the sire of the Tally-Ho-bred G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Campanelle (Ire), who was also the winner of last season's Prix Morny. It is a race which has been a particularly successful one for Tally-Ho Stud, which also bred the 2008 winner Bushranger (Ire) and Unfortunately (Ire), who landed the 2017 running of the Morny. Those two colts were also by Tally-Ho stallions, the late Danetime (Ire) and Society Rock (Ire) respectively.

 

The post The Weekly Wrap: It’s Good To Be Back appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Tattersalls Online June 29th Sale Topped By Breeding Right To Ardad

The Tattersalls Online June 29th Sale was topped by the sale of a breeding right to Ardad for 52,000 guineas, the first breeding right to be offered online in Britain or Ireland. A total of 29 lots sold for 274,300 guineas in the fifth and largest sale yet to be held on the Tattersalls Online platform.

Ardad has made a sensational start to his career at stud and the breeding right to the exciting young son of Kodiac was purchased for 52,000 guineas by Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud. Commenting on the purchase, Ed Player said:

“Ardad has made a remarkable start. Lots of winners, yes, but I am especially impressed by their quality. Six juvenile runners at Royal Ascot is great going, and Perfect Power looks like a colt with a big future. They've got such incredibly sound minds. I'm really looking forward to breeding to him in the years ahead.”

Standing at Overbury Stud, Ardad has produced 13 individual winners in his first crop of runners led by the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner Perfect Power and the Group 2 Coventry Stakes placed Vintage Clarets. This strong start coupled with the sale of the breeding right delighted Overbury Stud manager Simon Sweeting who commented:

“I'm delighted that the breeding right has been bought by as successful a commercial breeder as Whatton Manor Stud. It is a tremendous endorsement of what Ardad's first crop have achieved so far.”

The sale also featured spirited competition for a strong contingent of promising National Hunt prospects led by the 5-year-old Sir Jackschiaparel, an impressive winner of a point-to-point at Fairyhouse on his most recent start. The son of Schiaparelli was purchased by Richenda Ford Racing for 29,000 guineas from Ellmarie Holden's Coolmeen Stables.

Another first-time buyer to be impressed by her experience of the Tattersalls Online platform, Dorset-based trainer Richenda Ford commented:

“I found using Tattersalls Online very easy and straightforward, I liked the way Sir Jackschiaparel won his point to point, and I'm familiar with his consignors so confident that he is a horse with plenty of promise. He'll come back to the yard and have an easy few weeks before running under rules, we may start him off in a bumper in the next couple of months.”

Seaforth Mancy was another lot to attract plenty of attention, with Nick Alexander seeing off a number of bidders to secure the progressive gelding for 23,000 guineas. Offered by Fennell House, Ireland, the five-year-old was placed on his most recent start in a bumper and will join leading Scottish-based trainer Nick Alexander. The Kilronan Stables consigned Kicks and Ale also attracted a winning bid of 23,000 guineas from Richard Rowe and Aidan Kennedy. The 4-year-old son of Pour Moi was the winner of a point to point on his latest start and is set to head to Richard Rowe's base in West Sussex.

After the conclusion of the Tattersalls Online June 29th Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“Tattersalls Online has quickly established itself as Europe's leading online platform and the catalogue for the Tattersalls Online June 29th Sale was the largest yet, reflecting the confidence that both vendors and buyers have in our online product. We were delighted to be the first online platform in Britain or Ireland to host the sale of a breeding right and we are confident that the sale of the breeding right to Ardad will be the first of many that we offer on Tattersalls Online.”

The next sale to be held on the Tattersalls Online platform will be held on Aug. 17 with the closing date for entries on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The post Tattersalls Online June 29th Sale Topped By Breeding Right To Ardad appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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