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Raj Parker Named to BHA Board

Raj Parker, a regulatory and sports law specialist, has been appointed to the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Parker will start his new role as an Independent Non-Executive Regulatory Director on Jan. 1, 2022, and will replace Sir Paul Stephenson, whose term expires on New Year's Eve. Currently, Parker is a senior advisor at the Financial Conduct Authority and has dealt with many investigations involving integrity issues.

BHA Chair Annamarie Phelps said, “We are delighted to welcome Raj to the Board. His prodigious experience in regulatory matters and sports law will be a valuable asset to the Board and to the sport.

“We are also extremely grateful for the contribution made by Sir Paul Stephenson to the sport over his six years at the BHA. He has played a pivotal role in what has been a period of significant change when it comes to regulation and compliance within British racing. He is a person of utmost integrity who carries the respect and appreciation of everyone on the Board.”

Raj Parker added, “I'm extremely excited to be joining the Board of the BHA at this particular time, and becoming involved in the horseracing industry. I very much look forward to helping the Board with its commitment to effective regulation and integrity and to ensure that the sport continues to be clean, fair, and well governed.”

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Sunday Stallion Beat A Treat As Always

NEWMARKET, UK–There's still some important business to be done in the sale ring but the Sunday between the foal sale and the mare sale at Tattersalls always has something of an end-of-term feel to it as breeders tour the local studs to view stallions and sample a range of hot sausage rolls.

First stop on a mini tour for the TDN team, which sadly did not include all the studs, was to Lanwades to see an impeccable quartet. One of the most enjoyable features of Kisten Rausing's traditional December open day is that it invariably includes either the owners of or those closely connected to her sires. Sure enough, this Sunday Sir Percy's owners Victoria and Anthony Pakenham were there along with the Derby winner's former trainer Marcus Tregoning and his son George, who posed for the lovely accompanying photograph taken by Nancy Sexton. Sir Percy is now the veteran of the Lanwades ranks at the age of 18 but looked a picture in the winter sunshine with his devoted handler Peter Manuel.

Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz, the proud owner/breeders of the German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Ger), whose popularity seems to grow with each passing season, were also on hand. The Gestut Gorlsdorf owners have enjoyed some good foal sale results of late, including topping the Goffs November Sale with a Frankel (GB) half-sister to Sea The Moon.

The Niarchos family's racing manager Alan Cooper was also at Lanwades and was keenly videoing the French Derby winner Study Of Man (Fr), who has let down into a magnificent specimen. A reminder of the greatness of his sire Deep Impact (Jpn) had been provided that same morning by Contrail (Jpn), who brought the curtain down on a glittering career with victory in the Japan Cup. European breeders are fortunate to have access to his bloodline via Saxon Warrior at Coolmore in Ireland and Study Of Man, a grandson of the great Miesque, in Newmarket.

Sir Mark Prescott, who must be the apple of Kirsten Rausing's eye, having trained Alpinista (GB) to emulate her grandam Albanova (GB) by winning three German Group 1 races this season, was one of a number of trainers at the Lanwades parade, along with Sir Michael Stoute, Jane Chapple-Hyam, Rae Guest, David Simcock and George Margarson. Emma Balding was also in attendance and is an astute breeder in her own right as well as being the mother of Andrew, who trained Sandrine (GB) to win the G2 Albany S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. in the Lanwades colours this season. The filly is an exciting Classic prospect next season for her imposing sire Bobby's Kitten, the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner and son of Kitten's Joy.

That sireline has of course been seen to great effect on these shores via the late Roaring Lion and more recently by 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, who is another sire well worth a visit at Longholes Stud this week with a year at stud now under his belt. Price Bell Jr, who stands another top-class son of Kitten's Joy in Oscar Performance at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, had come to check out the opposition at Longholes and was a welcome visitor along with Dr Chandler.

The handsome dark brown Kameko led a trio of sires from Tweenhills who are in Newmarket for a temporary holiday. One who should feel right at home in the town is Lightning Spear (GB), who spent three of his six seasons in training in Newmarket under the excellent care of David and Jenny Simcock. He always appeared to be a laidback individual out on the Heath in the mornings and that lovely temperament has not deserted him in his second career.

Havana Gold (Ire), one of the faster sons of Teofilo (Ire) who already has his own Group 1-winning son Havana Grey (GB) at stud at Whitsbury Manor, completed the trio. For those trying to breed a durable, early 2-year-old, it's worth remembering that Havana Gold's son Chipotle (GB) won the Brocklesby on the first day of the 2021 season and, eight starts later, completed his year with a win the listed Two-Year-Old Trophy, having also won at Royal Ascot.

Longholes is also hosting the Newsells Park Stud stallion Without Parole (GB) this week and the elegant Group 1-winning son of Frankel (GB) is another who must be seen in the flesh as he is about to embark on his second season at stud.

There is also a collaborative approach between stallion masters at the National Stud, which, along with its own stallions, is temporarily home to Whitsbury Manor Stud's son of Scat Daddy, the statuesque Sergei Prokofiev, and A'Ali (Ire), who has recently retired to Meadow Farm Stud in Marlborough, a new stallion base owned by well-known equine vet Rob Dallas and his wife Catherine. A'Ali, a compact son of the late Society Rock (Ire), has a racing profile and physique which will doubtless make him popular with commercial breeders.

Whitsbury Manor and the National Stud have gone into partnership, along with Coolmore and Nick Bradley, to stand Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) in Newmarket. Lope is the operative word for the 4-year-old, who has a long, loose walk and appears to be pretty relaxed about life. The winner of the G3 Round Tower S. as a juvenile, the son of Lope De Vega (Ire) was then third in the Irish 2000 Guineas and placed in three further Group 1 races at three before returning at four to run second to Palace Pier (GB) in the G1 Queen Anne S.

Time Test (GB), one of the emerging success stories of the season for the British stallion scene, will return to the National Stud from New Zealand on Dec. 20 and looks set to have a very busy season in Newmarket.

Breeders in town for the sale this week can also take advantage of visiting the stallions at Juddmonte, Cheveley Park Stud, Shadwell's Beech House Stud and Darley's Dalham Hall Stud. The latter is showing the new recruits Palace Pier (GB) and Space Blues (Ire), who are bound to attract plenty of visitors.

Our thanks to all the studs who have opened their doors, and especially to the stallion handlers for their hard work and patience on a cold day.

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French Flair On Show At Tattersalls’ Park Paddocks

NEWMARKET, UK–The Arqana Breeding Stock Sale may not start until Saturday but there is plenty of French-flavoured fare to be served up at the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale this week in Newmarket.

The partial dispersal from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani's select band of broodmares based at Haras des Cruchettes in Normandy provides an obvious point of interest, with two young Group 1 winners among the eight mares to be sold through the Newsells Park Stud draft.

“The connection was natural because Newsells has been boarding all our mares for the breeding season since the start of Al Shahania and we always have eight or ten mares in the UK every year. It was obvious to go with them as they have been doing such a good job for us for such a long time,” said Bertrand Le Metayer, racing manager to Al Shahania Stud.

Blond Me (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), a star on the track for Barbara Keller and Andrew Balding with her six victories including the GI EP Taylor S. and G2 Middleton S., is offered as lot 1837 and is carrying a foal by leading French sire Siyouni (Fr). Out of the winning Docksider mare Holda (Ire), the 9-year-old hails from a family with its recent roots in Lord Weinstock's Ballymacoll Stud and includes the European champion 3-year-old Conduit (Ire) and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Spectrum (Ire).

“Blond Me's first foal is a nice, scopey 2-year-old by Dubawi (Ire) with Francis Graffard,” said Le Metayer. “We purchased the mare privately before she won the EP Taylor and then she returned to the farm as a broodmare. Her yearling filly is also by Dubawi and will be trained in France. That Weinstock family is awesome and she is a scopey mare who performed extremely well over 10 furlongs, which is exactly what you want if you are looking to breed a Classic winner, and with her pedigree she is very easy to mate.”

Immediately preceding Blond Me in the Newsells Park Stud draft is Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast), an outstanding filly in her racing days when winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for her owner/breeder. Now 11, Flotilla (lot 1836) is in foal to Sea The Moon (Ger), who enjoyed yet more decent results at last week's foal sale, with 14 weanlings sold for an average in excess of 50,000gns.

Le Metayer continued, “Flotilla is a very imposing mare. We have an exciting Dubawi filly in training with Francis Graffard called Safaria. He has been raving about her so let's hope he's right. And we also have her mother, Louvain. That family has been very kind to Sheikh Mohammed as we also had Big Five, a brother to Flotilla, and we have another Frankel out of Louvain. Flotilla also a very nice American Pharaoh foal and yearling.”

There has been plenty happening in Flotilla's family in recent seasons, with Crossfirehurricane (Kitten's Joy), out of her half-sister Louvakhova (Maria's Mon), having won last season's G3 Gallinule S., while Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), out of another half-sister, has provided a Group 3-winning update since the publication of the catalogue.

“It's a family which has loads of speed and has been very active,” added Le Metayer.

Breeders looking for a young daughter of Galileo (Ire) to add to their broodmare band will doubtless inspect 4-year-old Listentome (Ire), who is in foal for the first time to Al Kazeem (GB), whose sire Dubawi has crossed so well with Galileo mares. Furthermore, Listentome (lot 1495) is out of the Group 2-winning Monsun (Ger) mare Longina (Ger), from the family of multiple Group 1 and Japan Cup winner Lando (Ger).

“We sold Listentome's yearling half-sister through Newsells for 800,000gns to Juddmonte at Book 1,” said Le Metayer. “The big farms have an appetite for this family and she's a winning daughter of Galileo from a top German family. The reason we have used Al Kazeem is that we stayed on board as partners even with his low fertility and we have always had great luck with him. The first mare we sent to him bred us Aspetar (Fr), so we have bred a Group 1 winner by him. Oakgrove Stud have done a very good job with him and we are very fond of the horse.”

He added, “We have been quite careful over the years to have some outcrosses in the broodmare band. Sheikh Mohammed is the world's leading owner of Arabian horses and with his success in that field he has had incredible success with homebreds. With the lines we are using with Thoroughbreds and Arabians he has always tried as much as possible to use outcrosses.”

Galileo's fine record as a sire and broodmare sire needs little recounting here but one of his young sons who has been making quite an impression in France in recent seasons is Galiway (GB), the sire of G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Champion S. winner Sealiway (Fr). Only one mare in the catalogue is in foal to him and her eventual offspring will be bred on the same cross as Sealiway as Queenhope (Fr) (lot 1814) is a daughter of Kendargent (Fr), whose is also emerging as a broodmare sire with promise.

Galiway will have had more opportunity than most stallions to cover daughters of Kendargent as both sires stand at Haras de Colleville and their owner Guy Pariente, breeder of both Sealiway and Queenhope, has no shortage of Kendargent mares. Even so, it is encouraging at this early stage in Galiway's career that four of his eight stakes winners are bred on that cross.

“Her female line is very strong as it goes back to Flame Of Tara,” said Patrick Barbe, who bought the dual winner Queenhope as a yearling at Arqana. The 4-year-old mare's full-sister, the Group 3 winner Kenhope (Fr), is already proving her worth as a broodmare in Japan, where she is represented by the G2 Hochi Hai Revue winner Pourville (Jpn) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Grade 2-placed Super Hope (Jpn) (Quizzing {Jpn}).

Barbe added “I think Queenhope would have gone to Galiway anyway but Sealiway winning the Champion Stakes has confirmed that it is a super cross. There are only two Kendargent mares in the sale and he is really making it as a broodmare sire even though he is still quite young.”

Queenhope features as one of ten well-credentialed young mares to be consigned by European Sales Management, which routinely offers a select group of broodmare prospects with broad international appeal at the December Mares' Sale. This year that team includes the Group 2 winner Plainchant (Fr) (Gregorian {Ire}) (lot 1818) and Russian Camilla (Ire) (Camelot {Ire}), a winning sister to the dual Australian Group 1 winner and young sire Russian Camelot (Ire) who is in foal for the first time to the Arc winner Sottsass (Fr). She sells immediately after Queenhope as lot 1815.

Haras la Cour Blanche, a first-time consignor at Tattersalls, makes quite an entrance at the Newmarket venue with a Group 1-winning filly in its draft of two. The 3-year-old Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) has won six races, headed by her Group 1 strike in the Prix Marcel Boussac last year on Arc weekend, providing a memorable first win at the highest level for her jockey Jessica Marcialis. Offered on behalf of Miguel Castro Megias, Tiger Tanaka is catalogued on Tuesday as lot 1822.

A strong draft from Haras d'Etreham, which includes mares in foal to the stud's young stallions Persian King (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr), also features the 8-year-old Mondelice (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). The unraced grand-daughter of champion 2-year-old Damson (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}) is already a Group 2 producer but that could be upgraded as early as Dec. 12 when her son Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) lines up for the G1 Hong Kong Cup in a bid to go one better than his runner-up finish to Sealiway in the Champion S.

Mondelice (lot 1756) is in foal to New Bay (GB), who was represented by his first Group 1 winner this season in Saffron Beach (Ire).

Selling begins each morning at 9.30 from Monday to Thursday for the final sale of the year at Park Paddocks.

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Foal Sale Strong To The End At Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK–As the prices dipped from Friday's bumper session to a more modest level, so did Newmarket's weather, which settled into relentless icy rain for almost the entire concluding session of foals at Park Paddocks.

Such gloomy exterior conditions could not dim the demand for bloodstock in the ring, however. We're not even into December yet, but Tattersalls can be satisfied with heartening levels of trade at the halfway house of its lengthy December Sale, with just four days of fillies and mares to come from Monday.

On Friday, Genesis Green Stud's Dubawi (Ire) colt brought the hammer down at a whopping 1.8 million gns, a sum not seen for a foal at Tattersalls, or anywhere in Europe, since Urban Sea's daughter My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) sold for the same price 19 years ago. And that had only even been bettered once, five years earlier, when Padua's Pride (Ire) (Caerleon), a sister to Generous, reached an eye-watering 2.5 million gns.

“The highest-priced foal sold in Europe since 2002, 14 of the 15 highest-priced foals sold in Europe this year, turnover in excess of 30 million guineas and a clearance rate bettered only twice this century are all impressive statistics reinforcing the status of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale as the premier sale of its kind in Europe,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony as the sale drew to a close.

“The obvious highlight of the past four days was the spectacular sale of the Swinburn family's outstanding Dubawi colt out of their wonderful mare Madonna Dell'orto for 1.8 million guineas–the highest price for a foal in Europe and North America this year–but the real feature of the 2021 renewal of Europe's premier foal sale has been the unrelenting British and Irish demand from start to finish.”

That feature has not been reserved for the foal market, with the strength of the yearling sales having more than once this week been cited as a reason for buyers to get in a year early. The extra months of keep are clearly judged as a small price to pay when set against current yearling prices.

This year's foal catalogue was significantly larger than last, when the December Sale was staged as a further lockdown beckoned, and as a result, 105 more foals were sold in 2021, with 734 of the 906 offered being marked as sold. Naturally, the aggregate improved, by 19% to 31,301,500gns, which was also up on 2019 levels. The median rose by 25% to 25,000gns–beyond that recorded for the last two years–and the average was up slightly, by 2%, to 42,645gns. The clearance rate of 81% also moved up from 79%.

Trade on a solid final day saw the average rise by 22% to 16,557gns when another 2,400,700gns was added to the overall tally for 145 weanlings sold.

Mahony added, “Strong yearling sales drive the foal trade and the significant rises in all the key indicators this week reflect the extraordinary strength of the market throughout the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and also pay tribute to the endeavours of the pinhookers who have worked tirelessly all week. Owners looking for quality foals to race in the future have also made a major contribution to a successful sale, but as ever during the December Foal Sale, Park Paddocks has primarily been the domain of the British and Irish pinhookers, joined by many of their counterparts from throughout Europe.

“The sustained demand at all levels has been notable and the record number of foals selling for 50,000 guineas or more has demonstrated a depth to the market which is encouraging as we turn our attention to a quality renewal of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale which begins on Monday and showcases the finest breeding stock to be found in Europe.”

Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics will eventually race the top lot of the final session, a second-crop son of Expert Eye (GB) who had caught the expert eye of that operation's buyer and advisor Joe Foley. The Ballyhane Stud master has his own stallions to promote but he is also well placed to make astute judgments on those standing elsewhere.

“We have supported the sire well in his first years and we have got some very nice yearlings to go into training by him,” said Foley of Juddmonte's son of Acclamation (GB) after buying lot 1136 for 80,000gns from the Trickledown Stud draft. “We are a fan of the sire, he was a very good racehorse from a very good sire line.”

Bred by Alvediston Stud, the colt is out of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Respondez (GB), a full-sister to the G1 King's Stand S winner Prohibit (GB).

Foley added, “He looks like Prohibit, freakishly like him, and Oasis Dream mares are very good. He was bred by the Wardalls, who are very good breeders. I have seen all the foals out of the mare over the years and he is the best one out of her. Let's hope he can prove that on the track.”

A filly by Bated Breath (GB) (lot 1070) caught the eye of Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock for 67,000gns. Bought to resell, the bay is also out of an Oasis Dream mare, in this case, the winning Adore (GB). Consigned by Clearwater Stud who picked up the dam for 78,000gns out of the 2016 December Mares Sale, the filly is a half-sister to three winners, while her granddam is the listed-winning Fantasize (GB) (Groom Dancer).

“I love Oasis Dream mares,” said Brown. “She has been bought for a syndicate to resell. Bated Breath has been going well in the US, and we bought with an eye on the US market, as a yearling, she might appear to US purchasers in next year's [Tattersalls October] Book 1.”

Weanlings by two of the leading British-based freshman sires of the season, Time Test (GB) and Ardad (Ire), remained in demand through to the end of the foal sale, with pinhookers Pier House Stud (lot 1137) and Oaks Farm Stables (lot 1084) each going to 67,000gns for colts by Time Test, while Tally-Ho Stud gave 64,000gns for a colt by Ardad (lot 1173), the stallion whom they bred and sold at the breeze-ups.

It is early days of course, but Time Test looks an exciting addition to the line-up of stallions at the National Stud and his yearlings and weanlings have been popular throughout this sales season. For 2022, his fee has risen to £15,000 from £8,500, a level which still looks fair considering his weanling average at Tattersalls this week of 33,077gns from 26 sold.

National Stud manager Tim Lane is naturally delighted with the start Time Test has made. He said, “He's the first stallion I've ever bought and we've all got behind him as a board, going back to the Duke of Roxburghe, and Ben Sangster, Nicholas Wrigley and now Teddy Grimthorpe. And because we own him we've been able to look after people.”

Lane added, “He'll have to cover a big book next year but thankfully he is a very fertile horse and that won't be a problem for him.”

Similar comments apply to Ardad, whose nine foals this week sold for 34,000gns, which stands up favourably to his 2020 fee of £6,500. The question breeders may now be asking themselves is why more of them didn't use him last year, for Ardad has only 19 foals in this year's crop. It will be a different story in 2022 after he covered more than 150 mares earlier this year, and he will likely be in great demand during the forthcoming breeding season, for which his fee is £12,500.

As ever, backing first-season sires is one of the biggest gambles in breeding. Some will hit and plenty will miss, but if you land on the right one early the rewards can be great. It will be several years before we know the fates of the latest intake, but among those with their first foals on offer over the last four days, and with drafts in double figures, Too Darn Hot (GB), Blue Point (Ire), Magna Grecia (Ire), Advertise (Ire) and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) all returned averages in excess of 50,000gns. In fact, in another record for Tattersalls, 204 foals sold throughout the four days reached a price of 50,000gns or more.

The ring will fall quiet on Sunday as breeders turn their attention to recruiting new broodmares from the final leg of the December Sale, which will get underway on Monday at 9:30 a.m.

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