Europe | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mares Banned From Racing in France After Being Covered

Fillies and mares are forbidden from racing in France after they have been covered by a stallion due to a change to the French rules of racing, France Galop announced.

The amendment brings the rules for Thoroughbred racing in France into line with those for Arabians and for Standardbreds used for trotting. However, it is a move which puts France at odds with its fellow European Thoroughbred racing jurisdictions. In Britain and Ireland, fillies and mares can continue to compete for up to 120 days after being covered. If not found to be pregnant after covering, they can continue racing.

There has been some disquiet among breeders in France and beyond at the sparse communication on this issue, with the changes having been implemented in the middle of the covering season without breeders and owners being notified.

Julian Ince of Haras du Logis, a member of the Federation des Eleveurs du Galop (French TBA), committee member of the owners' federation and head of the French stallion commission, said, “France Galop dealt with this in a democratic way within their system. It was proposed by a commission, it went to the administrative council, and it went to the France Galop committee and was voted through. However, while there may have been a few members of the TBA who were on those committees who were perhaps informed, the committee of the TBA was not informed of this rule change, and neither was the owners' federation.”

He added, “It would have been preferable for France Galop to have communicated and to have had a debate with the professionals. There are 2,300 members of the [French] TBA and 1,500 of us are owners, but we weren't involved. We're all trying to promote the French system and the prize-money but it is a little bit of shame that [French racing] has gone this way by itself, rather than on a European level. That's my only regret. Maybe there is a case for this, and times have moved on, but it is a shame we have done this without communicating.”

According to the amendment made to Article 123 of the Code des Courses au Galop, from Mar. 1, 2023, no filly or mare that has been covered or confirmed to be pregnant may take part in a race. If a mare who has been covered does not get in foal she will be eligible to race again after 120 days have elapsed from the last service date. No female that has produced a foal will be able to race within 240 days from the date of foaling.

The owner of any female horse in training who has been covered since Jan. 1 of this year must inform the stewards of France Galop and the horse's trainer in writing, giving details of the covering date and name of the stallion. The stewards must also be given written notification if it later transpires that the mare is not in foal.

Des Leadon, chair of the veterinary advisory committee of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Associations (EFTBA), has sounded a note of caution as to the wording used in such an announcement.

He said, “The announcement relates to the racing of pregnant mares and I think we have to be very careful in this era as to how we apply our terminology. In the Thoroughbred industry we don't race pregnant mares because mares are mature females and, not to be semantic, there are stages of pregnancy.

“In the first 60 days after conception we are talking about an embryo, and an embryo is a very small entity, non-viable outside the uterus, and occupying minimal space. Its ability to have much influence over a 500kg animal is minimal.

“Between 60 days and 120 days, the post-conceptus entity is called a foetus. It's not called a pregnancy. Even if we take the foetus up to 120 days, it probably weighs no more than two or three pounds and is no bigger than six or seven inches in length.”

Leadon continued, “Once a mare has conceived–and I prefer that to pregnant–of course there will be endocrine changes, but there are endocrine changes anyway in the reproductive cycle when mares are in estrous and when they are not. So my concern is that the use of a term that says 'racing pregnant mares' is misleading, and I think it's emotive language that we should not be using in these circumstances. The term I would use is 'after conceiving'.”

He added, “What seems to have happened is that this has come along from pressure rising within Arabian and Standardbred racing and although there are similarities with the Thoroughbred industry, there are also very significant differences. We don't have artificial insemination, and we don't have a situation in which we would have widespread racing of pregnant mares.”

Pierric Rouxel of Haras de Maulepaire, who serves on the jumps council of the Federation des Eleveurs du Galop (French TBA), echoed the sentiments expressed by Ince. He said, “The French should have advised the Irish and the English breeders. There has been a lack of communication from our side. I'm not against this change but the communication should have been better, particularly at this time of year when people are making plans for their horses.”

Leadon, too, called into question the timing of the rule change. He added, “One of the things that strikes a chord immediately is that the timing of this announcement is after the commencement of the breeding season.

“Our initial response [at EFTBA] is of course to have sympathy with racing administrations facing more and more difficult environments, but at the same time we issue a plea for a real focus on the extent of problems, on careful use of language, and a clear definition and understanding of what we are talking about. But, as ever, the biggest plea of all is for inclusive dialogue between racing and breeding from the very outset of these debates, and not just after a decision has been made.”

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‘He’d Be On The A-Team’ – Ger Lyons Stable Tour

Ger Lyons has been competing at the top table of Irish racing for well over a decade and recorded breakthrough Classic success in 2020 when Siskin (First Defence) stormed to G1 Irish 2000 Guineas glory under Colin Keane at the Curragh.

The pair didn't have to wait long to record their second when, just five weeks later, Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) landed the Irish Oaks.

Lyons has a typically-strong team of older horses to go to war with this season. Tough Talk and Hellsing appear to be the pick of the 3-year-old colts while Zarinsk, Amazing Show and Mauiewowie are just a handful of 3-year-old fillies that the trainer is looking forward to this term.

As well as an array of classy older types, Lyons has a galaxy of well-bred youngsters to unleash this term, but revealed that he will be adopting a kinder approach with his 2-year-olds this term.

He said, “I won't have my first 2-year-old runners until April. I am letting them grow in front of my eyes and cuddling them along. You can see them growing week after week at this time of year and we haven't dipped any of our 2-year-olds yet.”

In the first edition of TDN Europe's stable tour series that will concentrate on 2-year-old talent, Lyons has put forward 14 juveniles to note ahead of the new season as well as outlining plans for some of his older horses below.

Hellsing: a smart prospect | Racingfotos.com

2-Year-Olds
Name: Quadruple (GB)
Breeding: Frankel (GB) filly out of Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB})
Purchaser: Homebred
Owner: Juddmonte
Comment: She's a lovely and straightforward filly. We are not rushing any 2-year-olds this year and will let them come to themselves in their own time. She is only new to me but she seems very straightforward and anyone who has ridden her has been pretty excited by what they are feeling. You'd like to think she could be smart.

Halberd (GB)
Showcasing (GB) colt out of Battlement (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Juddmonte
He is a lovely grey horse. His dam is a half to Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and he looks a smart, precocious type. He'd look an early sort and he'll tell me when he's ready. He's very straightforward and, at this early stage, he's one I like–but that could be the kiss of death!

Bellezza (Ire)
Siyouni (Fr) filly out of Terrific (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Moyglare Stud
A lot of quality and by the right type of sire. She has a lot of size and scope, as her brother Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) has, and he would be one of our big bullets to fire in the 3-year-old ranks this year. She has grown humongously–she was big when we got her but she is still growing and filling into herself. I'm letting her come in her own time but she is as sweet as a nut and is definitely one that's exciting us.

General Assembly (Ire)
Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt out of Black Rodded (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB})
Bought by Richard Ryan for 130,000gns at the Somerville Sale at Tattersalls from Ballyhimikin Stud
Teme Valley
He has been a very professional horse since the day he walked into the yard. He came in with a tall reputation for being the pick of the Somerville Sale and is just an awesome Railway-type horse who is just oozing quality. He will be as early as I need him to be and could be a Royal Ascot 2-year-old. That's the type of horse we view him as if he keeps doing what he is doing. Everything comes so easy to him. But, again, I haven't dipped any of my 2-year-olds so I don't know how good or bad they are, but I would be very positive about this colt. Richard Ryan bought him–he bought Rocking Tree as well–and he buys a nice type. He bought Hellsing (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), who was a very good 2-year-old and one we're looking forward to for this year so, if he keeps sending us horses like that, we'll be very happy.

Rocking Tree (Ire)
Kodiac (GB) colt out of Rocktique (Rock Hard Ten)
Bought by Richard Ryan at Goffs Orby Sale from Glenvale Stud for €130,000
Teme Valley
Kodiac has been a phenomenal success and has even surprised me by how he has kept improving. This is a fine stamp of a Kodiac–strong, but not typical in that he has plenty of size and scope about him. He's very straightforward and has a good mind. He could be anything. Again, he was bought by Richard Ryan so, if he continues to buy that type of horse for us, he can fill the yard.

Beauty Thunder (Ire)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of Tawayna (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})
Bought at Goffs Orby from Yeomanstown Stud for €100,000 by Gaelic Bloodstock
Beauty Stable
By one of my favourite sires, Night Of Thunder (Ire). You would think that he lacked size when we bought him but, the few colts that I have bought by the sire, they all looked on the small size at the sales. I said to myself, 'if he's like the ones I bought, he'll come,' and he's just to die for. Back in January, I was thinking that he was still on the small side but he is starting to sprout now and he's typical of the colts that I have had by Night Of Thunder. I should say that it is untypical of Thunder Kiss (Ire), who is by Night Of Thunder as well, but this lad is showing all the right qualities. I could see him being a nice 2-year-old for the middle part of the season. We have had a lot of luck for this owner but they buy for Hong Kong, so the horses spend their 2-year-old career with us before moving over there. That's what they like to do and the dream is to find them a Hong Kong Derby horse.

Unnamed
Zoustar (Aus) colt out of Ainippe (Ire) (Captain Rio {GB})
Bought by David Redvers at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale for £70,000 from Furnace Mill Stud
Richard Pegum
Richard has had horses with me before through David Redvers and the obvious connection with this colt is that we trained his dam, Ainippe. She was a very smart and fast filly. I've never had a Zoustar before this season and now I have a few of them in the yard. They are the most gorgeous physicals and this one is most gorgeous as well. He goes very well and would be a better-looking horse than his mother was. Zoustar is rocking the world down under in Australia and, again, I think they will need their time but this lad is more precious than the others. At this moment in time, you'd love what he is doing.

Unnamed
Blue Point (Ire) filly out of Cosmic Love (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire})
Bought by Grassick Bloodstock and Ronan Fitzpatrick at Goffs Orby Sale for €300,000 from Kilminfoyle House Stud
Mark Dobbin
We are going with Blue Point because he seems to be a first-season sire who is ticking all the right boxes. We're very positive about the ones that we have by him. She wouldn't be the biggest filly but hopefully she comes a bit in size. There's something about her that we like and she looks precocious. I would say she cost enough, but they were the sales everyone was operating in last year. Winning a maiden won't be good enough to justify her price tag and hopefully she is better than that. The talk on the street would be that Blue Point is doing it and the few that I have would suggest he's going to be alright.

Unnamed
Blue Point (Ire) colt out of Gwael (A.P. Indy)
Bought by Kerri Lyons for 70,000gns out of Genesis Green Stud at Book 2 at Tattersalls
Sean Jones, David Spratt and Lynne Lyons
Kerri bought him and he's nice. He'd be quite typical of the filly that we have by Blue Point–you could nearly say they are brother and sister. They are doing their thing and the word on the street is quite positive about the stallion but I won't be rushing them. I'd be happy with him at the moment anyway.

Unnamed
Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) colt out of Alfea (GB) (Kentucky Dynamite)
Bought by Wyanstown House for €34,000 at the 2021 Goffs November Foal Sale from Farran House Stud
Vincent Gaul
He reminds me of a horse I used to train called Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}), who went on to be a very good horse in Hong Kong. He is a big, strong, powerful beast. I think Vincent Gaul bought him as a foal and there is something about this horse I just love. He can gallop and will be a middle-season plus horse. He'll be a real miler and there's something very taking about him, he does things very easily.

Unnamed
Bated Breath (GB) filly out of Rosie Cotton (Ire) (King's Best)
Ballygallon Stud
A gorgeous filly but more likely to be a 3-year-old rather than a 2-year-old. She is doing what we are asking her but gives us the impression that she will be lovely for the back end and beyond.

State's Evidence (GB)
Expert Eye (GB) colt out of Palmette (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})
Juddmonte
I'd say he's typical of Juddmonte's in that he is smart. I have a very smart bunch for Juddmonte this year–roughly 17 in total–and he would be right up there as being rated among the smartest. He does things very easily and there is a lot of quality about him. He'd be on the A-team at this moment in time.

Dandy Lichious (Ire)
Dandy Man (Ire) colt out of Ana Lichious (Ire) (Makfi {GB})
Patrick Hanlon
He will be our earliest runner. He has been standing on his hind legs telling me he is ready to run since Christmas Day! He's not as ready as he thinks he is but he'll be one of our earliest runners and is a good-looking son of Dandy Man. He's not over-big but he is big enough and, as soon as the ground dries up, he'll be out.

Serious Notions (GB)
Advertise (GB) filly out of Darling Grace (GB) (Nayef)
Bought by Kerri Lyons for €68,000 from Kildarragh Stud at Goffs Orby
Rick Gaynor
A nice filly that Kerri bought. We are liking what we are seeing and is shaping up as a nice filly at the minute anyway. We like to throw six balls up in the air with the fillies that we buy at the sales in the hope that two come down as nice fillies and she could be one of the nicer ones. She looks the part and I hope she is nice because Kerri picked her and she's for a nice owner.

Tough Talk: beating Little Big Bear on debut | Racingfotos.com

Older Horses
I have a lovely bunch of 3-year-olds and up for the season. Of the horses who won their maidens last year, the Amazing Show (GB)s (Showcasing {GB}) of this world, they have all gotten very strong so I have a very exciting batch to look forward to.

Zarinsk (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) has already stepped up to listed class and you'd hope that some of the horses who won their maidens last year can do something similar. After that, you are hoping that they will keep building, that's the dream.

Hellsing and Tough Talk would be the outstanding colts. The bubble has not burst on them yet. Tough Talk had a setback last year but he has been in training for quite a while and is one to really look forward to.

Hellsing was just denied in the Goffs Million last year but did everything right by us. He is the most gorgeous horse and he will want a

mile minimum–he could even be a 10-furlong horse. He could be anything. He outperformed what we thought he would do at two because we always viewed him as an older horse in the making.

There is a list of fillies that we are dreaming about and they have all done very well. We pulled up early with Mauiewowie (GB) last year because she won her stakes race and, typical of Night Of Thunders, we said we'd let her grow. She could be a Commonwealth type of filly and the Lacken S. could suit her prior to Ascot. She'll probably be better with a bit of juice in the ground. Here's hoping she steps up to the next level.

Amazing Show won her maiden well and the form of that has worked out fantastic. I overfaced her in the Moyglare but, if you look at her now, she's a 500kg filly. That Moyglare entry shows you what I thought of her. While she is a long way shy of that, you'd like to think she can step up to be a Listed/Group 3 filly at a minimum.

Cairde Go Deo (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) is a dream filly. She needed to strengthen up from three to four if she's to get to the next level and I think that she has. I couldn't be happier by how well she has done physically. She could be shy of the top level but we'd be hopeful she can be competitive in Group 2s over a mile-and-a-half to start although she will get further.

The post ‘He’d Be On The A-Team’ – Ger Lyons Stable Tour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox Gallops For Sheema Classic

Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) galloped over the Meydan dirt track on Tuesday in advance of a start in the 2400-metre $6-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday.

“This is his first overseas trip and he's still getting used to his new surroundings, although I think he's getting better day by day and I am happy with how he moved this morning,” said trainer Tetsuya Kimura. “I know that this horse has plenty of talent and I hope that he can live up to the expectations of Japanese race fans by winning the Dubai Sheema Classic.”

The Silk Racing colourbearer will have Christophe Lemaire in the irons. Now a 4-year-old, Equinox raced to G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and G1 Arima Kinen glory in October and December, respectively, with Lemaire aboard.

“This is a tough race but Christophe knows Meydan and knows this horse so I am not concerned,” Kimura said. “There have been some very good winners of the Dubai Sheema Classic and so I respect how difficult it will be. It is an honour to be here with a horse like Equinox.”

Silk Racing's Masashi Yonemoto said of the colt's future targets, “There are quite attractive races at home, such as the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the [G1] Japan Cup,” he told local media. “However, I think the [GI] Breeders' Cup Turf is an attractive option. It is important for him to do well here if we are to travel again but I think the Breeders' Cup would be better than the [G1 Prix de l']Arc [de Triomphe], especially with the ground.

“I think this season is when we will see the best of him and I think this race is a good challenge for him. Hopefully, he can prove he is a great horse.”

Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), who defeated Equinox in the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas earlier last year, ran fourth in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. He is aiming to improve in the $12-million Dubai World Cup, Saturday's showpiece.

“I have been very happy with him since he arrived here,” Kimura said of the grandson of Gio Ponti. “He was fourth by a close margin and it was his first dirt race so I was satisfied with that performance. I think his experience in Saudi Arabia will help him here.

“He worked well this morning along with Equinox. I think this is a more suitable race, stepping up to 2000 metres, and I hope that he can run another good race on Saturday.”

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Ted Durcan Joins MyRacehorse As Bloodstock Consultant

Former Classic-winning jockey Ted Durcan has been appointed as the UK and Ireland bloodstock consultant for MyRacehorse. Durcan will select horses for the microshare syndicate from both public auctions and privately.

Durcan, who runs Durcan Bloodstock, said, “I am delighted to have been asked to join MyRacehorse to help the team source some exciting and fun horses for the season ahead.

“MyRacehorse gives everybody the chance to see how this amazing sport works from the inside out rather than the outside in. This is something that normally would not be achievable for most people, but MyRacehorse makes it happen.

“Being involved in racehorse ownership is fun, exciting and social. There are highs and lows but it's the whole journey that makes this sport special, and it's important to find new ways to share that journey.”

Kate Hardy, Director of Operations at MyRacehorse, added, “We are thrilled to have Ted working with MyRacehorse as we grow our stable here in Ireland and the UK.

“His extensive knowledge of the sport, and the unique perspective he has as an ex-jockey when it comes to evaluating form and conformation are invaluable to MyRacehorse.

“Ted's track record and reputation speaks for itself, and we are extremely fortunate to have him join our team.”

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