Coolmore | Horse Racing Free Tips

12 Questions: Richard Knight

First job in the Thoroughbred industry?

Mucking out at Guirys 1 in Coolmore Ireland on my year out from University. I think there were 20 foals in the barn – 18 by Sadler's Wells and two by Danehill.

Biggest influence on your career?

Ultimately, my father, who introduced both my brother William and I to racing. He loved his National Hunt and we spent many a happy afternoon at Huntingdon and Towcester. Later in life, both Richard Henry and Simon Mockridge played major roles in my experience and development.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Desert Orchid. I was 10 when he won the Gold Cup and he was a grey who jumped well – everything me and my grey pony at the time aspired to be.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

Too Darn Hot.

Greatest race in the world?

The Derby.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

MV Magnier. MV works very hard and I would imagine his day-to-day is incredibly diverse from selecting young stock to managing the paths of future champions. I love that diversity.

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

He has already emerged, but at only 24 years old, I am going to say Tom Marquand. I am sure Tom will be champion jockey in the near future.

Name a horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

Checkandchallenge – I so hope he will provide my brother William with his first Group 1 winner in 2023.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Once again, I am not sure quite how under the radar they are, but I think both Saxon Warrior and Cracksman are set for big years ahead.

Friday night treat?

Chinese takeaway.

Guilty pleasure outside racing?

Watching Rugby Union.

Race I wish I'd been there for…

The Wow Signal's Prix Morny Group 1 win. I think I was inspecting yearlings for the Goffs UK Premier sale. Any winner celebrating with John and Sean Quinn is good fun, so I really missed out with his Group 1 win.

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2022 Leading First-Crop Sire Race: And the Winner Is…

By a total margin of more than $275,000, pending any late foreign money, Spendthrift Farm's Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) handily captured the title of 2022's leading first-year sire over an impressive list of promising freshman stallions that included 2017 juvenile champion Good Magic (Curlin), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farm, and Coolmore's Triple Crown winner and 2018 Horse of the Year Justify (Scat Daddy). The top three battled neck and neck down to the wire with Bolt d'Oro pulling away from Good Magic in the last few days of the year to claim the win, with Justify checking in third.

Developing a leading freshman sire was an especially sweet victory for the connections of two-time GI winner Bolt d'Oro, who was finally able to turn the tables on Justify after finishing behind him in their only two meetings on the track.

“It's really exciting obviously,” Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey said. “It's a really nice way to cap off the year. We have the perennial leading sire (Into Mischief) and to add the leading freshman sire is certainly a feather in our cap. It is a credit to the entire team at Spendthrift Farm and the ownership group, the breeders and the buyers at auction. As the year unfolded it was nice to see (Bolt d'Oro) gain momentum to not only have sprinters but also runners who could go two turns.”

Bolt d'Oro was bred to 214 mares in 2019 with 168 live foals reported, of which 80 started and 29 won. Overall, his first crop earned $2,810,095 in 2022 and he was represented by 15 stakes runners and six stakes winners, including GII winners Instant Coffee and Major Dude. He stood for $25,000 in his initial year at stud, dropped to $15,000 in 2020 and after a year at $20,000 will stand for a fee of $35,000 in 2023.

“This is a horse (the late Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Huges) was very excited about,” Toffey said. “Bolt d'Oro came to Spendthrift at about the time Medaglia d'Oro was at the top of his game and a big international sire, and Mr. Hughes was pretty positive about this horse. He was one who really captured his imagination and I think he'd be very proud right now. Like Mr. Hughes would say, 'It's genetic roulette,' and I think we got lucky here.”

Good Magic, who covered 164 mares for 134 live foals in his first crop, saw 22 of his 65 starters reach the winner's circle, his entire first crop banking $2,533,194. GI Champagne S. winner Blazing Sevens was his top performer, and he was also represented by GII winners Dubyunhell and Vegas Magic. He had six score in black-type company in 2022 overall, of which four earned graded honors. He stood for an initial fee of $35,000, which was boosted to $50,000 for 2023.

Justify, who stood for $150,000 in his first year at Ashford Stud, covered 252 mares in 2019 and was represented by 180 live foals in 2020. He saw 29 of his 71 starters reach the winner's circle for $2,478,038, with Irish G2 winner Statuette being his most successful runner. He was also represented by GIII winners Just Cindy and Champions Dream in the U.S. He is advertised for $100,000 in 2023.

Other notable sires to finish behind the top three were Army Mule (Friesan Fire), who stands at Hill 'n' Dale for a fee of $12,500 in 2023 and whose offspring earned $2,045,440; and Three Chimneys Farm's Sharp Azteca (Freud), who is advertised for a fee of $15,000 and whose first crop of runners earned $1,914,292.

Bolt d'Oro joins an impressive recent list of leading first-year sires that includes Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile).

Final Earnings Standings through Dec. 31, 2022 (pending last-minute foreign earnings):
1st—Bolt d'Oro, $2,810,0956
2nd—Good Magic, $2,533,194
3rd—Justify, $2,478,038

The TDN sire lists contain full-dollar earnings of Northern Hemisphere foals winning anywhere in the world. To view the current standings updated overnight, click here.

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From Havana Grey To Rajasinghe – Which Freshmen Are Here To Stay?

Not only did Havana Grey (GB) record more individual winners and total wins than any of his first-season sire rivals in Great Britain and Ireland, but he also broke the £1-million marker for total earnings, which is why he deservedly wears the champion freshman stallion crown.

Those earnings were propped up by big sales race winners Shouldvebeenaring (GB) and Eddie's Boy (GB), with the latter going on to bag a Group 3 before selling for 320,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in October.

Havana Grey had 36 winners for 76 runners this year and his progeny recorded total earnings of £1,074,697, which was almost £420,000 more than his nearest rival Sioux Nation could manage in what was a pulsating race for first-season sire bragging rights.

But with four stakes winners and 57 total wins achieved in 2022, Whitsbury Manor Stud's emerging force confirmed himself the undisputed top dog of the young sire brigade, and earned himself a fee rise from £6,000 to £18,500 in the process.

Joe Callan, head of Whitsbury's bloodstock and sales, said, “We knew Havana Grey was going to be popular after what his first runners achieved this season but the demand for him has been unprecedented. It's been crazy and it's got to a stage where we've stopped counting [the number of mares who have been put forward to visit the stallion next year]. You can see why people are so keen to use him. He's had a fantastic season with 13 stakes horses and is operating at 16% stakes horses to runners and almost 50% winners to runners in Britain and Ireland. He has big crops coming through over the next couple of years so he deserves the accolades that he is getting.”

Havana Grey was kept honest all year by Coolmore's Sioux Nation, who had an excellent campaign in his own right and earned a fee rise to €17,500 for 2023. By Scat Daddy, Sioux Nation ended the year with 29 individual winners from 65 runners and his progeny amassed £657,000 worth of total earnings in Britain and Ireland.

Matilda Picotte (Ire) was Sioux Nation's biggest earner having accounted for £124,667, highlighted by victory in the Listed “Bosra Sham” Fillies' S. at Newmarket in October.

That effort came off the back of a busy campaign with Kieran Cotter's star juvenile winning her maiden at the Curragh on debut in May, placing in two Group 2s and finishing runner-up in the valuable Ballyhane S. at Naas. Sydneyarms Chelsea (Ire) also secured Group 3 glory for Sioux Nation at Deauville in August for Charlie Hills.

Little separated Harry Angel (Ire) and Kessaar (Ire) in third and fourth, respectively. The Dalham Hall Stud-based Harry Angel had 21 individual winners from 45 runners and recorded £433,814 in earnings while Tally-Ho Stud's Kessaar made a similarly respectable start with 20 individual winners from three fewer runners and amassed £351,906 in prize-money.

Tally-Ho Stud has enjoyed top honours with Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB) in recent seasons and, while the early signs are that Kessaar is not on that trajectory, he has proven a solid addition to the ranks. A classy sprinter, Kessaar's progeny appear to stay further than he did, which is somewhat surprising, and it will be interesting to track their progression in 2023.

Cracksman (GB) came up trumps with Listed winner Dance In The Grass (GB) along with a host of promising youngsters with a view towards next season. He sired nine winners from 39 runners and one would expect his offspring to build on that next year.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf success of Victoria Road (Ire) obviously doesn't contribute towards the leading freshman sire championship in Britain and Ireland, but it's worth bearing in mind with a view to the results of Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

Coolmore's G1 2000 Guineas-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) went from strength to strength this year, building to that almighty crescendo in Keeneland with Victoria Road, but he also enjoyed some major triumphs domestically to finish fifth in the British and Irish first-season sire standings.

Saxon Warrior was responsible for 13 individual winners from 41 runners and £351,906 in prize-money. Joseph O'Brien's Lumiere Rock (Ire), winner of the G3 Staffordstown Stud S., and G2 Debutante S. third Thornbrook (Ire) flew the flag for the stallion in Ireland, while Jim Bolger's Gan Teorainn (Ire) enjoyed notable success on and off the track.

After winning her maiden impressively at Naas in August, Gan Teorainn carried the familiar Ennistown Stud silks to finish second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp.

That form ensured that one of Saxon Warrior's highest-rated daughters would be in high demand when selling at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls and so it proved with BBA Ireland paying 1 million gns to secure the filly who is understood to have been bought to continue her career in Australia.

Despite being based in Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Coolmore's Justify enjoyed a notably good first season with runners in Britain and Ireland.

The unbeaten Statuette, successful in the G2 Airlie Stud S., and Group 3 scorer Aspen Grove put the US Triple Crown winner in lights in Ireland this year.

Meanwhile, it was just last week when the Willie Browne-trained Diamondsareforever (Ire) posted a taking debut victory at Dundalk, further solidifying the notion that Justify is a coming force on the international stage. Five winners from just 11 individual runners in Britain and Ireland including £146,963 in prize-money represented a strong start for Justify.

Fellow Coolmore-based US Navy Flag had eight individual winners from 35 runners. It should be noted that two of his best horses enjoyed listed success abroad; Ocean Vision (Ire) in France and Love Reigns (Ire) in America.

Tasleet (GB) is another freshman sire worthy of mention, not least because he sired the brilliant G2 Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB). Set to stand for just £6,000 at Nunnery Stud next year, Tasleet had a solid 34% winners to runners, which was more than Saxon Warrior, Expert Eye (GB), US Navy Flag, Cracksman (GB) and more.

But the biggest surprise in the first-season stallion ranks came from the figures posted by the largely unheralded Rajasinghe (Ire), who is set to stand for just £3,000 at the National Stud next year.

Winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 for Phil Cunningham, who has been a big supporter of the horse since he went to stud, Rajasinghe had eight individual winners from 10 runners which equates to a whopping 80% strike-rate.

All of this has been achieved with average mares which suggests Rajasinghe could have the makings of becoming a pretty decent sire if provided with the right ammunition.

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Dec. 28: Despite Significant Lead by Bolt d’Oro, Rivals Not Going Down Without a Fight

Thanks to Winter Storm Elliott and numerous cancellations of racing cards in the East late last week, the tight battle between Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), Good Magic (Curlin) and Justify (Scat Daddy) to claim the title of 2022's leading first-crop sire went from a boil to a chill over the Christmas holiday weekend. However, with three days remaining on the calendar this year, both the temperatures and the competition are heating back up, none of the top three willing to claim victory or concede defeat just yet.

Bolt d'Oro kicked off the last week of the year in winning fashion as his son Corona Bolt captured the Sugar Bowl S. at Fair Grounds on Monday by 6 3/4 lengths, picking up a $60,000 check in the process. The $220,000 KEENOV weanling boosted his sire's progeny earnings total to $2,712,616, which is now $184,443 more than Good Magic's second-place figure of $2,528,173.

Bolt d'Oro has three set to run in Turfway Park's fifth race on Thursday night, a race originally carded for last Friday before the track was forced to cancel due to sub-zero temperatures. St. Elmo, Itzos, and Fast Forward are all back to take a stab at the 6 1/2-furlong Msw test, which carries a purse of $70,000. On Friday, Bolt d'Oro will have a pair–Mahina and Bolt's Broad–race a mile on the turf in a $67,000 Msw at Santa Anita, which has been carded as the day's first race. He has four runners entered for New Year's Eve at various tracks.

Repole Stables' homebred Rule It is first for the day on Thursday for Good Magic. The colt, who is trained by Todd Pletcher, is out of the Bernardini mare Enthrall and seeks a first career win in the fifth race at Gulfstream Park, a 7 1/2-furlong Moc turf test. Up North at Aqueduct, Moonflyer will wear a $40,000 price tag when he races 6 1/2 furlongs looking for an initial career win for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who also co-owns the colt in partnership with Gabrielle Farm, Vincent Scuderi, Michael Imperio, and Theresa Cotrone. Good Magic's final runner heading into the weekend will be Belle Elena in a 6 1/2-furlong Msw worth $34,000 at Delta Downs om Friday.

Not willing to simply settle for third, Justify was represented by two runners in Japan at Hanshin Racecourse on Wednesday. Dona Sweat, a $425,000 KEESEP graduate, finished fourth in a six-furlong maiden race and earned $6,025. Later on the card, Yuttitham was victorious in a $106,284 allowance event, earning $55,498 in the process. With the earnings boost and his runners' current total of $2,477,539, Justify trails Good Magic by just $50,634and has one entered for Saturday at Santa Anita.

Note that Japanese earnings are added every Sunday night, and there may be delayed reporting from other countries, which could postpone the final results in a very tight race into early January.

Current Earnings Standings through racing of Dec. 27:
1st—Bolt d'Oro, $2,712,616
2nd—Good Magic, $2,528173
3rd—Justify, $2,477,539

The TDN sire lists contain full-dollar earnings of Northern Hemisphere foals winning anywhere in the world. To view the current standings updated overnight, click here.

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