From the Experts: Cathy Grassick

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Cathy Grassick.

GK: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee?

CG: Earthlight (Ire) is excellent value retiring to stud at €20,000 for a dual Group 1-winning 2-year-old by Shamardal. First season with runners, for me Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) is really good value considering his sales results and the type of yearling he produced. He is standing at €17,500 down from €30,000 for his first year at stud. He was such a good 2-year-old, breaking his maiden in the G2 Mill Reef and his father Iffraaj was himself a top first-season sire.

GK: Best value proven stallion, and why?

CG: I think Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili (GB}) is really great value at €20,000. He is capable of getting performers at the highest level, both colts and fillies, such as Thunder Moon (Ire) and Fleeting (Ire). He is a solid source of 2-year-olds and is even starting to look like a broodmare sire of note with the likes of Tiger Tanaka (Ire).

Kendargent (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) in France is also super value at €10,000 for very much similar reasons. He is an excellent source of top class racehorses and is becoming a broodmare sire of note.

GK: Who would you consider to be an under the radar stallion?

CG: I think Equiano (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) in his new home at the Irish National Stud for just €3,000 is really great value and a stallion very much under the radar. He had such a good year in 2020 and provides a good source of solid speed to Irish breeders.

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Darley Announces 2021 European Roster

The Darley Europe roster, featuring new stallions Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}-Nightime {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal-Lava Flow {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal-Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}), has been announced. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most fees have been reduced, some by 25% or more.

Leading the overall roster is veteran Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}), who will stand for £250,000 at Dalham Hall Stud. The sire of four Group 1 winners this year along, including the brilliant MG1SW Ghaiyyath, his progeny have struck an additional 17 times at black-type level in 2020.

Outstanding juvenile Pinatubo’s fee is £35,000 at Dalham Hall. Rated the best juvenile in Europe in the past 25 years, the 2019 English/Irish highweight’s undefeated 2-year-old season included victories in the G1 National S., and G1 Dewhurst S. At three, he added the G1 Prix Jean Prat, ran second in the G1 Prix du Moulin and G1 St. James’s Palace S. and was Classic placed with a third in the G1 2000 Guineas.

The aforementioned Ghaiyyath is priced at €30,000 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland. The four-time Group 1 winner struck three times at the highest level this term, collecting scintillating victories in the G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Eclipse S., and the G1 Juddmonte International. French champion juvenile Earthlight will also hold court at Kildangan. Undefeated at two, the 2019 G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. hero’s fee has been set at €20,000.

“We know that breeders are facing unpredictable times and have reflected this in our fees, in Europe and the United States,” said Liam O’Rourke, Director of Stud, Stallions & Breeding at Darley. We’ve aimed to be supportive in our approach for 2021 and we trust breeders can take advantage of what we believe is our strongest roster ever–yet one that is keenly priced.

“We are thankful to all the breeders who have used our stallions in the past and we look forward to offering them the best opportunities for the future. We have three very exciting new stallions joining the ranks, giving us every confidence that 2021 and beyond will see more success.”

Of the established stallions, Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose oldest foals are three, has continued to enhance his reputation, with 10 black-type winners on the year, half of them at the group level. His fee has been increased at Kildangan to €75,000.

Kildangan veteran Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has enjoyed a successful year at stud, his 12 stakes winners featuring six Group 1 winners alone ranging from G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Gear Up (Ire), to G1 Prix Royal Oak hero Subjectivist (GB) and G1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Ire). He is priced at €30,000.

Expecting his first foals in 2021, MG1SW Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will command £45,000 at Dalham Hall, while the veteran Group 1 sire New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is listed as private. Also at Dalham Hall, both Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), whose oldest foals are 3-year-olds this term and former shuttle stallion Iffraaj (GB) (Zafonic) are both at £20,000. Champion Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will have yearlings of 2021 and is priced at £17,500.

Rounding out the Dalham Hall roster are Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) at a private fee, G1 Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) at £14,000, Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at £12,500, Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the sire of two black-type winners in his first crop, is at £10,000, Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is at £7,500 and both Charming Thought (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Outstrip (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) are valued at £4,000.

MG1SW Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal), who covered his first book of mares this spring, will stand for €40,000 alongside fellow Kildangan resident and top miler Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) at €17,500. For €10,000 apiece, breeders can access Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})-already the sire of three stakes winners in his first crop–and Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), while roster veteran Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality) is €7,500 and Buratino (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})’s fee has been set at €5,000. Exceed and Excel (Aus) (Danehill) will not be shuttling from his Australian base in 2021.

In France, a quartet of stallions are standing at Haras du Logis. Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who has his first yearlings next year, is at €7,000, while Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), set for his first runners in 2021, is €5,000. The pair of Bow Creek (Ire) (Shamardal) and Hunter’s Light (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will both command €4,000. The former has first 3-year-olds and the latter has first 4-year-olds next year.

Added Darley Director of Stallions Sam Bullard, “It is a source of great pride that the best horse in the world this year and the best 2-year-old for a generation are not just retiring to Darley having raced for Godolphin, but are themselves the sons of Darley stallions. That, and the value we are offering to breeders, makes us very optimistic about the future.

“While 2020 has undoubtedly been a challenge, there has been remarkable resilience in parts of the yearling market, and buyers have shown great confidence in the product of European breeders’ labours.

“We are confident that, with the support of our breeders and their mares, the Darley stallions will continue to breed the star horses of the future.”

For the complete Darley Europe roster, please go to www.darleyeurope.com.

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Shamardal’s Earthlight Back on Point at ParisLongchamp

Godolphin’s Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) suffered a first defeat in Deauville’s G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last month and last term’s G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. hero bounced back in style, under a supremely confident Mickael Barzalona, to garner Sunday’s G3 Qatar Prix du Pin at ParisLongchamp. Settled off fast early fractions in seventh after breaking to the fore, the 9-10 pick made smooth headway on the bridle into contention passing the quarter-mile marker and unleashed a familiar burst once shaken up for the lead with 150 metres remaining to deny stablemate Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) by an ultimately comfortable 3/4-of-a-length.

“Earthlight is such a lovely horse with a great attitude and he showed us what we knew he was capable of today,” said Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard. “Mickael felt that he didn’t have the best trip and was wide the whole way, which makes it a pretty long way round when you are going to the second winning-post here. He said that Earthlight was brave and will come on for the race. He was having a good blow afterwards, he’s quite a heavy horse who needs plenty of work and plenty of racing, so that will do him good. Andre [Fabre] is confident that Earthlight could stay a mile, but options are running out at this time of year, so I would imagine that the G1 Prix de la Foret would be one of the main races that come into consideration.”

The trainer concurred, saying, “He didn’t run badly in his last race, but sprinting for the first time against older horses is a a different story and not easy. Of course, he will now come back [over seven furlongs here] in the [Oct. 4 G1] Prix de la Foret.”

Earthlight is the first foal bred from G1 Fillies’ Mile runner-up Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), whose own dam Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) took the G3 Prix des Reservoirs and ran third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. Summertime Legacy has four stakes performers to her credit, headed by G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), herself the dam of the G3 Prix de Flore second Switching (Street Cry {Ire}) and G3 Prix Chloe placegetter Flowrider (Street Cry {Ire}). Summertime Legacy is the leading performer for Zawaahy (El Gran Senor), who in turn is kin to G1 Epsom Derby hero Golden Fleece (Nijinsky) and the stakes-producing Listed Modesty H. victrix Office Wife (Secretariat). From a family featuring GI Belmont S.-winning sire Jaipur (Nasrullah) and GSW sire Be My Guest (Northern Dancer), Winters Moon has a 2-year-old filly by Dubawi (Ire) and a yearling full-sister to Earthlight and a weanling filly by Dubawi (Ire) to come.

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DU PIN-G3, €56,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-13, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:17.42, gd.
1–EARTHLIGHT (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Winters Moon (Ire) (G1SP-Eng), by New Approach (Ire)
2nd Dam: Summertime Legacy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Zawaahy, by El Gran Senor
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. €28,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 2yo Colt-Fr, G1SW-Eng & Fr, 8-7-0-0, €504,968. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tropbeau (GB), 127, f, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Frangipanni (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (60,000gns Ylg ’18 TAOCT; €180,000 2yo ’19 ARQMA). O-Lady Bamford; B-Lord Margadale (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €11,200.
3–Manjeer (Ire), 129, g, 4, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Navajo Moon (Ire), by Danehill. (€50,000 Ylg ’17 GOFORB). O-Natalie Steinmann; B-Brittas House Stud & Grange Stud (IRE); T-Carina Fey. €8,400.
Margins: 3/4, SHD, SHD. Odds: 0.90, 7.50, 92.00.
Also Ran: Spinning Memories (Ire), Pretreville (Fr), Brave Shiina (Fr), Golden Boy (Fr), Restiany (GB), Reshabar (Fr), Honey Cake  (Ire), Tammani (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Earthlight Camp Considers Sussex S.

Godolphin’s unbeaten Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), a winner of the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. as a juvenile, is a potential runner in the upcoming G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood on July 29. Although injury kept him from the G1 French 2000 Guineas, he resurfaced to take a listed race at ParisLongchamp the same day as Godolphin’s champion and MG1SW Pinatubo (GB) (Shamardal) claimed the G1 Prix Jean Prat. The one-mile feature is also the next likely target for G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten’s Joy), G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas victor Siskin (First Defence), MGSW Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), and Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won 2019’s G1 St James’s Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin, as well as this term’s G1 Queen Anne S.

“We haven’t totally decided yet,” said trainer Andre Fabre. “He could go to Goodwood, but if not he will go for the G1 Maurice de Gheest [on Aug. 9]. He’s very fast and looks a real sprinter, but I’m convinced that he can go further. I think it was a good decision to split him and Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) up last time and it will be up to Sheikh Mohammed where he runs.”

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