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First Group Win For New Bay As New Mandate Takes the Royal Lodge

Having supplied New Bay (GB) with his first black-type win in Doncaster’s Listed Flying Scotsman S. Sept. 11, Marc Chan’s inspired acquisition New Mandate (Ire) gave the Ballylinch Stud-based son of Dubawi (Ire) an initial pattern-race title on Saturday as he captured Newmarket’s G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. Keen early anchored in rear by Frankie Dettori, the well-backed 9-4 favourite swooped two out to collar Ballydoyle’s G2 Futurity S. third Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and surged to the line with more gusto to prevail by 3/4 of a length, with the Listed Stonehenge S. winner Cobh (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths back in third. “He’s a good horse,” Dettori commented. “They went slow and it was a bit of a sprint finish–we’ve got to go to group one level now and try.”

Well-regarded and therefore favourite for his debut over this trip at Ascot July 11, New Mandate had been ridden forward there and looked the winner at the furlong pole before fading late on to be third. On the front and over-racing before again losing ground in the closing stages when filling the same spot behind the subsequent Listed Washington Singer S. runner-up Dhahabi (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Newmarket a fortnight later, the bay was sent to Sandown for a nursery on his third start over seven furlongs Aug. 23. Enjoying the chance to travel under a touch more restraint there, he registered a stylish success to earn a tilt at listed company and duly delivered teaming up with Frankie Dettori for the first time in a competitive renewal of the Flying Scotsman. This was another step forward on his first try at a mile and while his gelding means he will not be one of the many to add Classic glory to this prize, trainer Ralph Beckett believes his best days are still ahead of him.

One of those could come at Keeneland, with the handler keeping that option open. “We will see where we go from here. Obviously he can’t run in anything worthwhile in the spring, so we have to cut our cloth this autumn,” he explained. “We will have a discussion about the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. I was always surprised he could do it at seven really, given his pedigree and so on. It is extraordinary I managed to get him beaten twice in maidens. The first time out I hadn’t done enough with him really and I suddenly realised that afterwards. The second time, Jack Mitchell kind of got rolling a bit early on the July Course. He has shown up from the first piece of fast work he did. Everything he has done has been very professional. He was gelded in January, as he was like Warren Beatty on steroids. We had to geld him, but he wouldn’t have been the horse he is if we hadn’t.”

The dam Mishhar (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who also has a filly foal by Camacho (GB), is a half-sister to the smart Puggy (Ire) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}) who was third in the G2 Rockfel S. here as well as the G3 Polar Cup and was also runner-up in the Listed Oh So Sharp S. again at this venue. She is in turn responsible for the high-class Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), one of the select few to have pulled off the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-Prix de Diane double and who has produced this year’s Japanese stakes winner Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The third dam Lunda (Ire) (Soviet Star) is a half to the notable Saeed Manana trio of Warrsan (Ire) (Caerleon), Luso (GB) (Salse) and Needle Gun (Ire) (Sure Blade) and also Cloud Castle (GB) (In the Wings {GB}) who took the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and was placed in the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Yorkshire Oaks. She is the second dam of the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Queen’s Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}), while the family also includes the G2 Richmond S. and G2 July S.-winning red-hot first-season sire Mehmas (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE S.-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 9-26, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:37.86, gd.
1–NEW MANDATE (IRE), 126, g, 2, by New Bay (GB)
1st Dam: Mishhar (Ire), by Authorized (Ire)
2nd Dam: Jakarta (Ire), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Lunda (Ire), by Soviet Star
1ST GROUP WIN. (€45,000 RNA Wlg ’18 ARQDE; €35,000 Ylg ’19 ARAUG). O-Marc Chan; B-Mishhar Syndicate (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-2, $97,044. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ontario (Ire), 126, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Timbuktu (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. £21,500.
3–Cobh (Ire), 126, c, 2, Kodi Bear (Ire)–Arbeel (GB), by Royal Applause (GB). (€66,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; €100,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-China Horse Club International Ltd; B-Awbeg Stud (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £10,760.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.25, 3.50, 2.50.
Also Ran: Gear Up (Ire), Pleasant Man (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Half-Sister to Iridessa Earns Rising Star Tag in Curragh Debut

Coolmore’s hitherto untested Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}), went postward as a 9-2 chance for Saturday’s Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at The Curragh and made a mockery of those odds with a taking display to earn TDN Rising Stardom on debut. Breaking in mid division and remaining there through halfway in the one-mile test, she made eyecatching headway on the bridle along the far-side fence to seize control approaching the final furlong and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily account for Kailash (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) by an impressive 2 1/2 lengths. “I’ve won on two of that family [Iridessa and Order of Australia] and I’d say she could be the best,” said winning rider Seamus Heffernan. “I’d rate her highly.”

Santa Barbara is latest foal and fifth winner for Senta’s Dream (GB) (Danehill), herself one of just two foals produced by GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare and GI Matriarch S. heroine Starine (Fr) (Mendocino) and the March-foaled bay is a half-sister to MG1SW GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf victress Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}). Starine, herself a half-sister to G3 Prix Minerve placegetter Pearlescence (Pleasantly Perfect), is out of a half-sister to the dam of Listed Criterium du Bequet third Weld Elven (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}).

1st-Curragh, €25,000, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, 8fT, 1:43.47, yl.
SANTA BARBARA (IRE), f, 2, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Senta’s Dream (GB), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Starine (Fr), by Mendocino
3rd Dam: Grisonnante (Fr), by Kaldoun (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $17,447. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Donjah Skips Arc For Breeders’ Cup

The G1 Preis von Europa winner Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) will miss the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and will be aimed instead towards the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old, who races for Dr Stefan Oschmann’s Darius Racing, made her most recent start in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, in which she was fourth, finishing less than two lengths behind the winner Barney Roy (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}).

“We had a discussion today and Dr. Oschmann decided that Donjah shouldn’t run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Instead we are now planning for her to start in the Breeders’ Cup, either in the Filly & Mare Turf or the Turf,” said Darius Racing’s manager Holger Faust.

He added that a contingency plan based on potential COVID-19 travel restrictions could see Donjah remain at home in Germany to make her final start of the year in the Grosser Preis von Bayern in Munich on Nov. 8.

Should Donjah make the trip to America she will become the first Breeders’ Cup contender for 38-year-old Henk Grewe, the reigning champion trainer in Germany. Darius Racing was represented at last year’s meeting at Santa Anita by Alounak (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), who finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

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TDN Q&A With Will Douglass

With the yearling sales now in full swing, TDN quizzes industry figures on past purchases, life during lockdown and their perspective on the sales over the next few weeks. Today, Will Douglass answers our questions.

TDN: What was your best yearling purchase over the last few years? And your favourite?

WD: I bought two fillies with Al Wasmiyah Stud called Traisha (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Dhabyah (GB) (Australia {GB}). Traisha has been listed and Group 3-placed and holds an entry in the G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares S. on Champions Day. Dhabyah won her first start and then was just beaten on her second start, but William Haggas had been encouraging about her so I hope she can take another step forward. Al Wasmiyah is owned by two brothers from Qatar, Ali and Mohamed Bin Hamad, and they are developing a strong broodmare band.

My favourite yearling purchase would be Wet Sail (Henrythenavigator) who I bought with Charlie Fellowes in 2013. He was the first horse we bought together in his first year of training. He was pretty good and after winning his maiden was sold to stay in the yard for a new owner and went to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He was a flag bearer early on which got both of our names out there.

I purchased Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) as a horse in training early in my career and he went on to a win a Group 1, multiple group races, be champion sprinter and win over £3.3 million in prize money in Hong Kong. He really helped my business grow over there and put my name on the map.

TDN: Are there any positive you have taken from how the sales have been conducted this year?

WD: I think the market correcting itself is overdue, particularly in the UK. I hope that with the market being down it might encourage people that have otherwise been scared off by the sums of money that yearlings cost to reconsider; perhaps we will get a few new people coming in over the next year or two. We are very lucky to have one of the best resale markets in the world and everyone wants our product, which is a very positive selling point to give to new people. Regardless of the Covid-19 situation that we are faced with people seem to have so much passion for racing and the market has been fairly resilient so far to a level. I think the top level will always hold up, much like it does in the art or property market.

TDN: How has your business adapted?

WD: We have kept in touch with clients as much as possible and already use WhatsApp and Zoom, etc. As we have not been travelling so much we have had more time to look into finding new clients and potential opportunities in the market. It is hard not being able to travel to places and meet people face-to-face which we do a lot of but everyone is in the same boat and it is a situation we all have to make the best of. The online bidding process is something that has to be done in the current climate, but a lot of owners come to the sales for the theatre of it and I fear that will be lost if online takes over and it will be to the detriment of the sales in the long term.

TDN: In general what are your thoughts on the 2020 yearling catalogues? And what new stallions’ progeny are you most looking forward to?

WD: The catalogues this year are as strong as ever and it is probably a fantastic opportunity for someone new into racing and breeding to buy top-level bloodstock. I think the Great British Bonus is a good incentive to buy British-bred fillies and I hope that will help the British breeding industry in the long term.

Postponed (Ire) was a horse Charlie bought as a yearling and I am looking forward to seeing his first yearlings. He was a brilliant horse, who was a very good-looking yearling with substance and power.

I was really impressed with the yearlings by Almanzor (Fr) at Arqana; I thought they were good-looking horses with quality. Profitable (Ire) is another whose yearlings I have liked and being a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), who is proving to be a sire of sires, he would be quite high on my list.

TDN: Did you develop any new interests or hobbies during lockdown?

WD: I very much enjoyed gardening and cooking. I was also lucky enough to be able to play a lot of tennis and have endless walks with my wife, Katie. She works very hard in London normally, so it was very special for us to both be in the same place for more than a few days at a time.

TDN: Who is the most interesting person you know?

WD: Jassim Al Ghazali has been a pretty fascinating person to work for. He was a professional footballer, then has started one of the biggest car dealerships in Qatar whilst taking the racing scene there by storm. He has been champion trainer a number of times. He works so incredibly hard, when he comes over to buy horses to take back to Qatar the work he has done on the sale beforehand is quite staggering. He writes every horse’s form out on their pedigree page in Arabic so he can process it quickly at the sale. It shows how dedicated you have to be to get to the top. On top of this he has a son who rides at Olympic showjumping level in Qatar and presents on their racing channel and a son who is rivaling him in the trainer’s championship. He is Qatar’s version of Aidan O’Brien. He has also been a great client and support to me over the years.

TDN: What’s one mistake (if any) you made in your career, and what did you learn from it?

WD: I have probably made more than one mistake. I did bid on the wrong horse once at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. It was late in the day and I was bidding on two horses very close together; there were withdrawals between the two lots and having bought the first one and signing the ticket I slightly lost track. Without looking I panicked thinking I was going to miss my next one and started bidding. Luckily I realised my error before it was too late. Lesson learned and I now always double and triple check my catalogue to the board before I bid.

I think the key for someone young is to have a client that puts confidence and trust in you and listens to your judgement and gives you some free rein. Working that way I feel is one of the best ways to have success and it teaches you a lot in a short space of time.

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