Trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey Richard Mullen teamed up to give Godolphin a racing double in Bahrain. The first win came in the £60,000 Anchorman Cup when King Of Conquest (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) broke the track record to give the 'Boys in Blue' their first victory in this season's Bahrain Turf Series. They would win the Listed Crown Prince's Cup later on the card with Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Mullen settled his mount just off the pace and when asked, the 4-year-old exhibited the proper turn-of-foot to win by a length.
“We hoped stepping up King of Conquest to 9-furlongs would suit him and bring about further improvement which it did,” said Appleby. “The ground was quick enough for him, so it was a brave performance.”
In the second Bahrain Turf Series race of the day, the Hawar Cup, Deep Intrigue (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) bounced back to form. Trained in England by Mark Johnston, his new outfit helmed by Hesham Al Haddad, brought him back after more than a year off to win with young Omani jockey Anas bin Salim Al Siyabi in the irons.
Ian Kellit, the joint-breeder of Lossiemouth (Fr), a short-priced Triumph Hurdle favourite who is expected to extend her unbeaten record to four for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend at the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday, has revealed that he was totally unaware that a jumps filly could be so valuable before the gorgeous grey came along.
Lossiemouth bolted up in the Prix Geographie Hurdle at Auteuil for Yannick Fouin on debut, at which time she was part-owned by Kellit, the Scottish native who has resided in France for over 30 years.
While Kellit has sold many good horses back to Britain and Ireland, he never managed to make any money from a filly; that was before Lossiemouth, who he describes as “a bit of a life-changer,” came into his life.
Kellit said, “I was back in the UK when she won on debut at Auteuil but Nicolas Madame, my racing partner, phoned me after the race to tell me that his phone hadn't stopped ringing ever since she crossed the line in front. We thought she'd run well. But did we think she'd do what she did? I don't think so.
“I never realised that a jumps filly could be worth so much money, simply because we had never sold one for big money before. She could be a bit of a life-changer.”
The dream could well have been over before it ever began for Kellit and his crew as Lossiemouth went through the sales ring at Arqana back in November 2020. Thankfully for Kellit, Lossiemouth, who he bred from bargain mare Mariner's Light (Fr), was led out unsold at €14,000 before selling for multiples of that figure to Rich Ricci, for whom she is a warm order to land the G1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Kellit recalls, “She went with Yannick Fouin with two or three others but Yannick got pretty excited about Lossiemouth from about January last year. The vibes started to get really good from there. He went straight for the Prix Geographie and off she went–luckily Jeremy Da Silva managed to stay on after she jumped to the left at the last and she went on to win 10 lengths.
“We've got Springcroft (Fr), the half-sister to Lossiemouth, and we are looking at sending her to a much more fashionable stallion this year for obvious reasons. Before Lossiemouth came on the scene, we were wondering about breeding from her again but now we definitely will. It's such a long game. It's a bit like wine. You start with an idea and it's not until four or five years down the line where you can see what you've got.”
He added, “The tendency has been to sell the males and keep the females. Lossiemouth is the outlier. She is probably the first female that we sold–the rest were more or less given away.
“We've bred a few black-type horses, including Tocca Ferro (Fr) and Le Bec (Fr), who did well for Emma Lavelle. That goes back the best part of 20 years. We also owned a good Martaline (GB) mare, Martalette (Fr), who won a Grade 3 at Auteuil but Lossiemouth is the best of them.”
Mariner's Light has turned out to be Kellit's shrewdest investment yet and she didn't cost a whole pile either. That's because her Group 1-winning brother Lord Glitters (Fr) had yet to appear on the page when Kellit acquired her.
Kellit said, “Nicolas had a share in Mariner's Light with Yannick Fouin while she was racing. When they retired her from racing, they asked if I wanted to pick her up, which I did for next to nothing. Nobody knew about her half-brother Lord Glitters back then so the page became a lot more interesting after I bought into her.
“She produced a few before Lossiemouth, but this is the first decent horse that Mariner's Light has bred. She's not in foal this year but she's going to go back to see Great Pretender this year. It seems like it could be a good idea!”
Breeding rights in young stallions Profitable (Ire) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will go under the hammer at Goffs Online during their February Sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10.
Standing at Kildangan Stud for €9,000, Profitable, winner of the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, is the only stallion with multiple sprinting group winners from his 3-year-old crop. After siring the G2 Queen Mary S. winner in his freshman year, he covered 116 mares last season. With a stud fee of €7,000 at Haras du Logis, European Champion Older Horse Cloth of Stars won the G1 Prix Ganay and was placed twice in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Henry Beeby, Goffs Group Chief Executive said, “We are pleased to offer breeding rights to two exceptional young sires via our proven Goffs Online platform. This online sale enhances the extensive offering at next week's Goffs February Sale and we invite breeders wishing to offer a breeding right to contact any member of the Goffs team.”
Three wildcards and 10 supplements have been added to the Arqana February Mixed Sale, which already includes 356 lots.
Leading the wild cards will be Leibovitz (Ire) (lot 50) offered by Christophe Ferland. A winner over 1200 metrers at Chantilly on debut, the 3-year-old daughter of Starspangledbanner (Aus) hails from the family of Group 1 winners Park Appeal (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), Cape Cross (GB), and Diktat (GB), etc.
A pair of broodmares are also wildcards with Rouen Cathedral (GB) (lot 140), who is a daughter of Le Havre (Ire) out of group winner Top Toss (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}), a half-sister to dual group scorer and Group 1-placed Lesstalk In Paris (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). She will be offered in foal to Sottsass (Fr) by Haras des Capucines.
The other is listed winner and G3 Prix de Psyche runner-up, Sainte Amarante (Fr) (lot 160) from the draft of Haras du Pley. The daughter of Le Havre (Ire) hails from the family of Group 1 winners Belardo (Ire) and Kistena (Fr) (Miswaki).
Supplements include the David Farlete runner, Aldufoof (GB) (lot 180B), a half-sister by Bated Breath (GB) to G2 Prix Chaudenay winner Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}). Also supplemented will be Slip Sliding Away (Lot 180C), from the Fairway Consignment. The daughter of Camelot (GB) is from the family of G1 Derby/G1 King George hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
The February Mixed Sale will be held on Feb. 14-15. Click here, to view the entire catalogue.
