Tag: Blue Point

Blue Point A Short-Priced Favourite For FSS Honours After Red-Hot Start

The market has reacted to the blistering start Blue Point (Ire) has had with his two-year-olds with the Kildangan-based stallion trimmed into 5-6 favouritism for first-season sire honours with Fitzdares. 

Blue Point is operating at a 50 per cent strike-rate, with four winners on the board already in Britain and Ireland, as well as another in France. He has also enjoyed notable success with his offspring in the sales ring at the domestic breeze-up sales. 

The in-demand youngster leads Ten Sovereigns (Ire), whose only runner in Britain and Ireland was a winner, in the market, with the Coolmore stallion available at odds of 5-2 with the betting firm. 

A spokesperson for Fitzdares said on Friday, “It is of course early in the season, but Blue Point has backed up his initial appeal on paper with some impressive early runners returning a strike-rate of 50 per cent and, with plenty more to come, he looks strong at the top of the market, meaning we've trimmed him into the 5-6 clear favourite.

“We've not seen much from Ten Sovereigns yet, but he's one from one following Brighter's (Fr) win at Dundalk earlier this month. Having covered a big book of decent mares, one can expect that there are more winners to come from him, so we make him a 5-2 second favourite behind Blue Point.”

Fellow Coolmore-based stallion Calyx (GB) has enjoyed a good start to the season, which is reflected by the market. A fast two-year-old himself, being the winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2018, Calyx has sired two winners in Europe already this season–one in France and another in Britain. 

“Calyx, although lightly-raced, was a top quality two-year-old and seems to have passed this precocity onto his offspring,” the Fitzdares representative continued. 

“Persian Dreamer was hugely impressive at the Craven Meeting and looks destined for Royal Ascot, whilst an additional debut winner in France and some eye-catching performances in defeat mean we think he looks a live contender and have accordingly cut his price into 9-1.”

Fitzdares make Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB) a 13-2 chance, Tally-Ho Stud's Inns Of Court (Ire) a 9-1 shot while Invincible Army (Ire) is 12-1 and Soldier's Call (GB) can be backed at odds of 16-1. Advertise (GB) is available at 16-1 and it's 25-1 and bigger the rest.

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Colts By Havana Grey and Blue Point Light Up Craven Sale

The best dishes were worth waiting for late on Wednesday night at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale with Anthony Stroud going to 625,000gns apiece for back-to-back lots (198 and 199) by young sires Havana Grey (GB) and Blue Point (Ire).

The Havana Grey colt was consigned by Roderick Kavanagh's Glending Stables while the Blue Point hailed from Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm and the latter will chart the same path as Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in joining Charlie Appleby for Godolphin

Williamson said, “There were a lot of people telling me all spring that these Blue Points could fly and I kept my powder dry because I knew I had one that really can fly. I bought him as a yearling off Tradewinds Stud privately and absolutely loved him. He obviously breezed really well but he's also a very good-looking horse. Blue Point is flying and this lad has size and scope and a good pedigree. Fingers crossed.”

Asked if he could envisage the colt rocking into the money that he did, Williamson responded, “Of course you hope that they will make something that you don't expect but, no, we're absolutely thrilled. This is what we do it for. We've had bad days in the past but we've had a great week here. It's been outstanding. We're delighted. The team at home does a great job.”

That sale ensured Williamson cleared 1,185,000gns in total sales across the two days after selling a Mehmas (Ire) colt (lot 2) for 220,000gns and a No Nay Never colt (lot 118) for 340,000gns.

Roderick Kavanagh of Glending Stables enjoyed a similarly productive sale and was visibly delighted after his Havana Grey, who was sourced for 42,000gns as a yearling, capped a memorable two days.

He said, “We hoped he'd do something like that because his homework had been great. The stars aligned with Havana Grey having the winner [Mammas Girl (GB)] of the Nell Gwyn today–and an impressive one at that. It's unbelievable. A great thrill. There were some great judges on him and I think Richard Brown was the underbidder.”

There were 23 lots sold for 150,000gns or more across the two days and the strong trade on Wednesday, along with the 24% increase in lots offered, contributed in the average rising by 5% and the aggregate by 29% to 15,357,500gns.

Lot 198 by Havana Grey | Laura Green/Tattersalls

Edmond Mahony said, “Two Craven Breeze-up Classic winners last year as well as more 2022 two-year-old group and listed performers than any other European 2-year-olds in training sale have been the perfect advertisements for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale and this year's renewal has attracted leading international buyers in abundance, all of whom have contributed to notably strong demand, particularly at the higher end of the market and a record sale turnover in excess of 15 million guineas.”

He added, “There has been a significant rise in the number of lots of selling for 200,000gns or more and a number of participants new to the Craven Breeze-up Sale, all of which demonstrates the sale's international reputation as a consistent source of horses who go on to prove themselves at the highest level on the global stage. The largest Craven Breeze-up catalogue for more than 15 years, 25% larger than last year, may not quite have matched the impressive clearance rate of last year's sale, but the key indicators of average and median have both held up well and there has been no shortage of outstanding pinhooking triumphs with the obvious highlights being the 625,000 gns sale-topping colts by Havana Grey and Blue Point, consigned by Glending Stables and Oak Tree Farm respectively, and Grove Stud's 600,000 guineas filly who is the second-highest priced filly ever sold at the Craven Breeze Up.

“Year after year, the consignors support the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up with so many of the best breeze-up two-year-olds to be found in Europe and it is wonderful to see their professionalism and confidence in the sale rewarded as it has been over the past two days. Buyers, both domestic and international, have shown similar confidence in the sale and we look forward not only to seeing many of them rewarded with the lucrative Tattersalls bonuses which have proved so popular since their inception, but also to welcoming many of them back to the forthcoming Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale.”

Top Talking Points From Day Two

  • It was a remarkable sale for Blue Point with eight lots selling for just shy of 2,000,000gns and four making the top 10.
  • Mark Grant, who consigned Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) at this sale 12 months ago, built on a solid opening day's trade when selling his Blue Point colt (lot 110) to Jason Kelly Bloodstock for 250,000gns. Grant had initially broken his own record for his highest-priced sale on Tuesday when lot 1, a well-bred Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt who clocked well, sold to Satish Seemar for 180,000gns.
  • Cormac Farrell's strike-rate was pretty hot on Wednesday. After enduring a frustrating start when failing to sell his Mitole filly (lot 79) on Tuesday, he sent out three juveniles to break the 100,000gns mark, headed by a Dark Angel (Ire) filly (lot 168) to Najd Stud for 230,000gns. Farrell also sold a Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt (lot 120) to SackvilleDonald for 160,000gns and a Kodiac (GB) filly (lot 121) to Gaelic Bloodstock for 120,000gns, bringing his total haul to 510,000gns.
  • Najd Stud continued its support of the Craven Breeze Up Sale when snapping up a Blame colt (lot 109) from Gaybrook Lodge Stud for 220,000gns to go with the Dark Angel filly they secured from Farrell. The Blame colt is out of an unraced sister to the classy American performer Bombard (War Front) and was sourced by Joseph Burke for $80,000 at the Keeneland September Sale.
  • Danny O'Donovan recorded his biggest pay day since branching out on his own last year when his Acclamation (GB) filly (lot 102), the first lot into the ring on day two, was knocked down to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock for 170,000gns. The filly was bought by O'Donovan and Adam Potts for 40,000gns at Tattersalls Book 2 in October.
  • Calyx (GB) earned his first TDN Rising Star on Wednesday when Persian Dreamer scored at Newmarket for the Amo Racing team and, just a few hours later, the Coolmore-based sire achieved a good result in the ring when a colt (lot 107) of his sold for 140,000gns. Consigned by Thomond O'Mara's Knockanglass Stables, the Calyx colt was snapped up by Middleham Park Racing.

Night To Remember For Holland

Night Of Thunder (Ire) came up with the goods once again when a filly by the Kildangan Stud resident sold to Kerri Radcliffe for 600,000gns.

That made lot 162, who was consigned by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud, the second most expensive filly to ever go through the ring at the Craven Breeze-up Sale.

The half-sister to G3 Molecomb S. winner Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) had been sourced at the Goffs Orby Sale by Holland for 90,000gns the previous autumn.

Holland said, “It is a great result for the farm. I Ioved her when I bought her as a yearling and Night Of Thunder is a top-class sire–she is from a really fast family. It is very hard to buy something with speed all the way through the page–which she has–and one by such a good sire.”

He added, “I did not dream that we could get a result like that today but we did think at the farm that she was the best filly that we have had since Rosdhu Queen (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

“Her ability all spring was very evident. Even though she is a May filly, and she has to win her maiden, there is a chance she could end up at Ascot–it is big shout for an unraced two-year-old filly but she looks an Ascot horse.

“She has always been able to run–the running bit has been easy for her. On reflection, she was a very good yearling buy, but giving €90,000 to pinhook any yearling is no small price.”

 

 

Patience Pays Off For Richard Brown

Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock backed his opinion that the better horses were placed in day two of this year's sale and snapped up an Acclamation (GB) filly (lot 102) and a No Nay Never colt (lot 118) for a combined 510,000gns early doors.

The Acclamation filly represented Donovon Bloodstock's best result in the ring to date at 140,000gns while the No Nay Never colt consigned by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm made 340,000gns after being sourced by Mags O'Toole for €87,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale.

After signing for the No Nay Never colt, Brown said, “I'm delighted because I didn't buy a horse last night. We felt that the better horses were tonight and it's always brave doing that.

“He's a big horse and he'll need some time–he's not even two yet so, to breeze the way he did, I thought it was pretty sensational. He's a big-striding horse and seemed to have a great attitude and came from a very good hotel. Keen to get him.”

The Acclamation filly represented an important result to O'Donovan, who operates just outside Monasterevin in County Kildare, and sourced the majority of his stock alongside Adam Potts last year.

He said, “It's nice to get a result like that in just my second year trading on my own under Donovan Bloodstock. I'm delighted that Richard Brown bought her and I hope she's lucky.”

Brown finished the sale as strong as he started and picked up a Blue Point (Ire) filly (lot172) for 350,000gns from Kilminfoyle House Stud.

He commented, “Blue Point has made a tremendous start, hasn't he? She is gorgeous and obviously did a good breeze. None of the horses we bought are absolute blitzers–she just did it in a really good style. She had a low action and is from a good Juddmonte family.”

Hoban Adds Breeze-up Arm To Operation

Conor Hoban may be best known for running a top-notch breaking and pre-training operation, with Classic winners Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}) having passed through his hands, but he enjoyed a major result in the ring when his Night Of Thunder colt (lot 133) was knocked down to Alex Elliott for 180,000gns.

Hoban said, “We have been pre-training since 2018 and we are slowly developing a breeze-up and consigning arm to run alongside it. We are relatively new to this and were sent this well-bred colt to sell by a client.

“He is a May foal so we think he is just going to get better and better. He has developed a lot in the last few months and we are looking forward to following his progress.”

The Night Of Thunder colt is a half-brother to Barnane Stud's Royal Ascot winner Candleford (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) out of Dorcas Lane (GB) (Norse Dancer {Ire}).

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Newmarket, It’s Good To Be Back

They're off and running at Newmarket, though not all of the runners have been in official races. The first day of the Craven meeting, a date anticipated with longing by those racing folk who dwell by that wind-blasted Heath, was ushered in by a Classic winner on the Rowley Mile. 

While we have more than a fortnight to wait for the first Classic victor of 2023 to reveal himself, the 2021 Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) strode out with purpose under William Buick on the easy turf on Tuesday morning. He is likely to be seen next in Newbury's G3 John Porter S. on Saturday, and the post-work smile on Charlie Appleby's face was matched a few hours later by Roger Varian, who oversaw a pre-racing gallop for his 2,000 Guineas contender Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {GB}).

“It was perfect to be honest,” said Varian, who was in company with Fawzi Nass and Oliver St Lawrence representing Sakheer's Bahraini owner KHK Racing. 

“It was not meant to be gut-busting work, and it wasn't. He did enough to have a nice blow and it got him a day away from home.”

Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud paid close inspection to Sakheer as he was warmed down after his gallop. As the breeder of Sakheer's potential Guineas rival Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Harper is entitled to be more interested than most, but then the stallion men know how fierce the competition is for new recruits. It's never too early to start looking.

Meanwhile, Varian added of the colt's five-furlong gallop, “It's nice to come an hour before racing as there are a few people around and there is a little bit of atmosphere, and he got to experience the undulations [of the Rowley Mile].

“He was very well balanced throughout the work and he came through nicely. It was a bridle work, but a strong work and he will come forward nicely for it. It's very much part of his schedule and he has got a strong two weeks ahead of him.”

Nass and St Lawrence have also got a strong few weeks ahead of them with the commencement of the breeze-up sales in Europe this week. Both Sakheer and his stable-mate, the St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who races in the same colours, were sourced at the Arqana breeze-up in the past two seasons.

Varian noted that we can expect to see Eldar Eldarov return to action in the G2 Yorkshire Cup on May 19. With Stradivarius (Ire) busily covering more than 100 mares next door to the Rowley Mile at the National Stud, and Kyprios (Ire) having met with a setback, could this be the year for the youngster to further enhance his name in the staying ranks?

As the sun was chased away by fierce gusts, Frankie Dettori may well have been wishing that he'd remained in California, especially when his first two mounts back on home turf finished last. But then Covey (GB) (Frankel {GB}) burst through to win the Alex Scott Maiden by four lengths to earn himself a likely tilt in stakes company for his next start.

“I arrived this morning: I slept two hours on the plane and two hours in my bed,” said Dettori. “I was counting it this morning and I've got six months until 21 October and Champions Day, so there is still plenty to do. I'm not going to start crying yet but I will enjoy it.”

It was a day for memorials. Alex Scott, who trained Lammtarra in his juvenile season as well as the top sprinters Cadeaux Genereux (GB) and Sheikh Albadou (GB), has been commemorated on the Rowley Mile since his premature death in September 1994 at the age of just 34, and many members of his family gathered on the rostrum for the presentation. 

In the next race we remembered Pat Smullen, the multiple Irish champion jockey who gained even more respect in his fundraising efforts for Cancer Trials Ireland, and was a much enjoyed columnist for TDN as his riding career came to an end. Since Smullen's death in September 2020, his great friend and colleague Ted Durcan has ensured that his name lives on at Newmarket by sponsoring the Pat Smullen Memorial British EBF Novice S. 

It was a contest that provided a third winner for the early leader in the first-season sires' table, Darley's Blue Point (Ire). His son Blue Storm (Ire), trained by James Tate for Sultan Ali, had been expected in the ring on Tuesday evening for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale. Instead he graced the parade ring on the Rowley Mile, the second two-year-old winner this year, after Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), to have been entered for that sale but sent straight to the racecourse instead.

Plenty of mutterings between races on the pre-parade ring rail still centred on the events at Aintree on Saturday, and a security guard at Newmarket admitted that they had been warned to expect potential protesters back at the Rowley Mile for the Guineas meeting, which coincides with the King's coronation.

It would be preferable to be able to cast such worries from our minds and focus on the most important thing in front of us while leaning on that rail: enticing, well-bred Thoroughbreds who could be anything. That, after all, is what the Craven meeting is all about. The true start of the Flat, at British racing's HQ. It's good to be back, even in bone-chilling weather. 

 

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Richard Hannon: ‘I Love The Blue Points – He Could Have A Big Year’

Leading trainer Richard Hannon has nominated the juveniles who have been impressing him the most at home on the gallops and described himself as a massive fan of first-season sire Blue Point (Ire). 

So impressed is Hannon by Godolphin's freshman sire, whose first runner–Action Point (Ire)–was a winner, he has predicted that he will struggle to get near the progeny of Blue Point at the sales in the coming years. 

Alongside the leading bloodstock agents Peter and Ross Doyle, Hannon has amassed a team of over 100 two-year-olds to go to war with this season, of which he has revealed to TDN Europe the ones who have been showing up best at home. 

He said, “I have five or six Blue Points that all go very well and a Dandy Man (Ire) colt who I really like that will be out soon. There's also a lovely Soldier's Call (GB) colt, owned by Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, who cost £60,000 at Donny [the Premier Yearling Sale]. 

“I have a £200,000 Dark Angel (Ire) colt belonging to Al Shaqab who was also picked up at Donny, a New Bay (GB) filly belonging to Amo Racing who is pretty sweet and a lovely Kodiac (GB) colt called Odin Legacy (Ire) who cost  €575,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. He's a smashing horse.”

Hannon added, “I have a nice Havana Gold (GB) colt called Notta Nother. Havana Gold is an excellent stallion, as good as any of them, and he is a real trainers' stallion. He's going to be a big loss. Of the younger stallions coming through, I really like the Soldier's Call colt that I have and I liked Soldier's Call as a racehorse as well. 

“I love the Blue Points. They are all pretty similar-looking and you can see the Shamardal coming out in them but they all go nicely. I don't think I will be able to afford many of these Blue Points next year–he could have a big year which will make them very expensive next year.”

Mehmas (Ire) and Night Of Thunder (Ire), who Hannon trained to record major honours with, have sky-rocketed in value since they retired to stud, with the handler revealing that even he now struggles to get near their offspring at the sales. 

But negotiating the sales has been made a great deal easier for the Hannon team through their long-standing relationship with Peter and Ross Doyle, according to the trainer, whose approach to the yearling sales is unrivalled given most of the stock is bought on spec. 

Richard Hannon and Ross Doyle | Tattersalls

Hannon said, “Peter and Ross Doyle are top-class. Ross and I are great mates and have worked together for 25 years now–like our fathers did before us. It's been a great relationship and a very natural one. Ross fits exactly what we want and is a great asset to our business as I hope we are to his. We've been together a long time and not many of those trainer-agent relationships last as long.”

He added, “There's a lot of competition out there now. We can't afford to buy the pedigrees so we have to look for the individuals. The old 20 grand is now 60 grand. We need those horses in the cheaper bracket as that's what owners want with two-year-olds. It's also very exciting owning two-year-olds and they will always sell. We sold all of our yearlings last year. I thought it would be a lot harder to get it done but thankfully we did.”

Hannon is well-represented in terms of numbers in all of the early-entry sales races. The team have targeted and been successful in those races in recent years, with Gubbass (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Shouldvebeenaring (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) being prime examples, and he described the plotting and dreaming that is involved in relatively cheap yearling purchases at this point of the season as one of the most exciting aspects to racehorse ownership. 

“This is the best time of year. Owners want to come and see their horses and everyone is full of hope ahead of another new season. The horses can change very quickly at this time of year and can transform into racehorses from little babies overnight. A bit of sun on their back and when they hit a bit of grass, you can see a massive change in their attitude, their appearance and their work.”

On other two-year-olds who are showing up well, he added, “I've got a nice Profitable (Ire) colt for Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah who cost £68,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, a lovely Kodiac filly for Middleham Park Racing, a very nice Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) called Local Hero who only cost 37,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale. He belongs to Michael Pescod and is a fantastically-nice mover.

“We've a couple of nice two-year-olds by Advertise (GB). There's a filly there out of Raggety Ann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by him and she's a real nice type but might just need some time. 

“Mehmas is another fantastic stallion. We have five or six of them this year and we always try and buy a few. Night Of Thunder is another but they have become very hard to buy now as well.”

While Hannon has over 100 two-year-olds to work with, he revealed that he will be on the lookout for talent at the breeze-up sales, including at the Craven Sale next week, which is where Mehmas (Ire) was sourced for just 170,000gns by the Doyles back in 2016.

“If we see something that we think is good value, Ross will buy it, but I really don't have much interest in the ones who do the fastest times at the breeze-ups,” Hannon explained. “I really don't believe in that. The fastest horses are never the best horses–it's all about how long they can do it for. 

“Doing it over two furlongs is a false economy. All you want to see is a nice-moving horse who looks like it's not a squeezed lemon. It needs to have a bit of scope and a good attitude as well. But when it comes to the breeze-ups, we buy off the same sort of people every year. They are people we know and we know the horses that they produce have not been gunned at home.”

It's not all about the two-year-olds for team Hannon this season as Trillium(GB) (No Nay Never), who beat The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the G2 Flying Childers at Doncaster last season, headlines a strong team of three-year-olds for the year ahead. 

Hannon said, “I have a very nice unraced three-year-old filly called Maman Joon (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). She could be a lovely mile-and-a-half filly. There's another lovely three-year-old filly called Mammas Girl (IGB) (Havana Grey {GB}) for Amo. 

“I've got Trillium as well and she's in great nick. She wants to go a little too fast sometimes but we'll probably start her off in the Sandy Lane or the Merriebelle. That's a Commonwealth Cup trial at Ascot so we'll take things from there with her.”

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