churchill | Horse Racing Free Tips

A Fresh Look with Ghislain Bozo

Continuing our series featuring feedback on the European stallion with first runners this year, bloodstock agent Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International shares his view with a particular focus on the French scene.

He said, “Generally speaking it is always tough to get a strong idea of the first-season sires at this stage but of course we are always keeping our ears open. I'm always a little but careful when the talk is too hot but this time there has been no strong word like we might have had in the past.

“I am involved in a couple of stallions myself so I am trying to be objective but I hear a lot about the 2-year-olds by Almanzor (Fr). People seem to like them and a lot of them are very nice looking but they are probably going to take a bit of time.

“I like the stock of Ribchester (Ire) and obviously that is the same Iffraaj (GB) line, and again they may take a bit of time. We have some by Churchill (Ire) who are very nice but not early types.”

Bozo also highlighted a young son of Dark Angel (Ire) at stud in France. He added, “We also have some 2-year-olds by Birchwood (Ire). They look racy and I think the trainers like them, and they are going to be probably the most precocious ones. They seem consistent, very good in their heads and straightforward horses, which is a very good sign.

“Another stallion I like is Al Shaqab's Al Wukair (Ire) and I think there is a positive word about his stock. The same can be said for Zarak (Fr). There have been a lot of good comments from trainers and breeders about his stock.

“I don't have a strong feeling for one horse in particular but I will be following these stallions with particular interest as the season progresses.”

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A Fresh Look With Matt Coleman

Agent Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock has had plenty of success buying decent 2-year-olds from the breeze-up sales, such as G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. winner Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis) and G2 Norfolk S. winner Prince Of Lir (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). He gave us his view on what we might expect from the first runners for this year's freshman sires.

Coleman said, “I guess Churchill (Ire) is the headline act of the first-season sires and I have heard some good words on his stock from Ireland. He has obviously covered a good book of mares and was well supported by Coolmore. He has covered large books of mares ever since he went to stud and, from what I hear, even this year people are giving him plenty of support.

“Also at Coomore I think Highland Reel (Ire) has a chance. He obviously wouldn't have covered anything like the book that Churchill covered. I bought one yearling by him and I liked his stock. I would expect his horses to be a little more backward though he won the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in his 2-year-old year. I think he's still the highest-earning European racehorse of all time and in every country, on every ground, he was just a really adaptable and consistent horse. If he breeds stock that were as tough and hardy as he was then he'll have a chance.”

He continued, “Of the English-based sires I thought Time Test (GB) and Ulysses (Ire) both produced quite nice stock. Again they probably wouldn't have had the greatest books but they had nice stock. The British breeders are probably keeping more of their mares at home this year and they are two of the unproven sires in Newmarket that breeders are gravitating towards to take a bit of a chance with.

“Time Test produces a very nice-looking horse and he is himself well bred, from one of the best Juddmonte families. He's a son of Dubawi (Ire) and he was talented so I think he has a bit of a chance.

“Of the speedier horses I think Ardad (Ire) is interesting. I liked his stock, they looked sharp and I tried to buy a couple. He produced a nice type of horse and they looked like they would be fast and early. I actually underbid Ardad at the breeze-up sales. I bought Prince Of Lir (Ire) and underbid Ardad within 10 minutes of each other and they both won at Royal Ascot that year.

“It would be great for the British breeding industry if a few more of these British stallions did well because I think that at the moment, for the 'working' breeder', there's not that many proven sires in the mid-division market in the UK.

“I felt last year that Mehmas (Ire) had a very good chance to be champion first-season sire but this year it looks wide open.”

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A Fresh Look With Ross Doyle

It's that time of year: with just weeks to go to the start of the turf season, thoughts are turning to which of this year's freshman sires will be making a splash with their first runners. With 26 European first-crop stallions to consider, we have asked the views of those who have seen a good range of young stock at the sales. First in the hot seat is bloodstock agent Ross Doyle.

He says, “We have a system where we see every single horse at the foal sales and the yearling sales amongst our team, so we get a very good overview on what stallions are throwing, and types and temperaments. Obviously we buy for other people but when we're buying for Richard Hannon, we're often buying horses on spec, so our budget is limited to a point.

“So we are able to take a bit of a gamble on a physical by a stallion that we like the look of, where other agents might be tied down a bit to instructions, or an owner wanting a specific established stallion. And we've been lucky over the years with first-season sires—and don't get me wrong, it's a big gamble—but Mehmas's sire Acclamation (GB) is a good example. From the first crop of Acclamation I think we bought seven yearlings. Thinking back, at the time, they weren't expensive horses—[dual listed winner and Group 3-placed] Cake (Ire) was £13,000, and that's the way we roll, we have to take a punt on certain horses every year.

“We bought close to 100 yearlings last year and that includes four by Ribchester (Ire), four by Profitable (Ire), three or four by Ardad (Ire), a couple by Aclaim (Ire), and a couple by Churchill (Ire). As far as physicals go, all those horses were stamping their stock in their own way, and in the way you'd like them to. They are all getting a consistent type of horses that we liked.

“I see there are an awful lot of Ardads in the breeze-ups, which is interesting. The breeze-up men must have liked the look of them. As a racehorse, he was hard-knocking all year long at a very good level, and he's a good-looking horse with a good pedigree, by one of the outstanding sires in Europe in many years. It would also be no surprise if Aclaim did well—he's by Acclamation with a very good pedigree, from Montjeu's family. He got a very nice type and I really liked the way the Aclaims improved with time, even from the foal sales to yearlings. I think that's a great sign in young stock. They were grand types as foals but they really came back as very good yearlings.

“It's the first time in a good couple of years that we have really seen five or six horses that potentially have a solid chance on the types they are getting or on how they're bred. That makes it an extremely competitive first-season sire list. If I was to tip one, I think Ribchester has a good chance on the types he got, and I know the feedback coming from Hannon's and other places that have them is that they've got lovely temperaments and they carry themselves well. They seem to be showing all the right signs. Churchill is probably going to be a slower burner but we liked his stock as well.”

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Churchill Downs Honors Legendary African-American Jockey Isaac Murphy

Churchill Downs Racetrack has renamed a Derby Week stakes race to honor the legacy of a legendary African-American and native Kentuckian who was arguably the greatest jockey American racing has ever known – Isaac Murphy.

The featured overnight stakes race on Champions Day, Tuesday, April 27, has been renamed the $120,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon. The 1 ½-mile endurance race for Thoroughbreds age 4 and up was formerly known as the Champions Day Marathon.

Murphy is only the seventh individual to have a Churchill Downs stakes race named in his honor, joining Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark (Clark), former Churchill Downs President Matt Winn (Matt Winn), “My Old Kentucky Home” composer Stephen Foster (Stephen Foster), Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas (Lukas Classic), Churchill Downs all-time winningest jockey Pat Day (Pat Day Mile) and fellow African-American riding great William “Billy” Walker Sr. (William Walker), the leading jockey at six of the track's first 13 meets and winner of the 1877 Kentucky Derby aboard Baden-Baden. More than 50 stakes races are staged at the Louisville, Ky. track annually.

“Churchill Downs strongly believes in preserving and sharing the stories of the African-American jockeys who are an integral part of the legacy of the Kentucky Derby,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “As we continue to recognize key contributors to our storied history, we believe now more than ever, it is critical to develop new ways to share these stories widely by incorporating them into our Derby Week traditions.

“Since 2015, Churchill Downs has kicked off Derby Week on Opening Night by recognizing William “Billy” Walker Sr. with the William Walker Stakes. This year, it is a privilege to also honor Isaac Murphy by re-naming the Champions Day Marathon to the Isaac Murphy Marathon. It is important to amplify the stories of these great jockeys, to acknowledge the painful truths that led to their exclusion from horse racing in our country more than 100 years ago and to herald their legendary contributions to our sport and to the Kentucky Derby.”

Born Jan. 1, 1861 in Frankfort, Ky., the son of a former slave who was a Union solider during the Civil War, Isaac Burns Murphy made the most of his natural talent to ride Thoroughbreds, and gained fame, wealth and elite social status that was uncommon for an African-American in the 19th century.

Murphy was the first back-to-back and three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. He rode his first Derby winner in 1884 aboard Buchanan and took back-to-back editions of the race in 1890 aboard Riley and 1891 with Kingman.

As the greatest rider of his generation, he was known for his amazingly high win percentage. When the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced their inaugural class in 1955, Murphy was the first jockey inducted into horse racing's Hall of Fame. More information about Murphy is detailed online at https://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/jockey/isaac-b-murphy.

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