Tag: Europe

ITBA Autumn And Winter Veterinary Series Begins On Dec. 12

The first 2022 Autumn/Winter Veterinary Series begins on Dec. 12, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) announced on Tuesday. Tea and coffee will be offered at 6:15 p.m., with the event starting at 6:45 p.m. at the ITBA headquarters in Kill. The seminar will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person and is also available to EFTBA members. Dr. Emma Adam from the Gluck Equine Research Center will be the guest speaker on novel rotavirus in Kentucky, while Sharon O'Regan will discuss the Weatherbys ePassport functionality and future plans for the technology. CVE accreditation for the lecture is pending approval from the Veterinary Council of Ireland. To register, please contact Hannah Marks at ITBA HQ on 045-877543 or via email at hmarks@itba.ie.

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Mr Prospector Line Boosted Among Europe’s Busiest Stallions

Covering numbers are more an indication of fashion than of success but, this being, as we so often hear, “a numbers game”, it is worth having a closer look at the Flat stallions in Britain and Ireland who have been gifted books into three figures this year. We will also be looking in more depth at the French covering numbers in the coming days.

According to the statistics recently published by Weatherbys in the annual Return of Mares, there were 62 stallions who covered 100 or more mares in 2022, and that is not taking into account sires such as Crystal Ocean (GB), who covered 338 mares and can legitimately be considered a Flat sire (as can so many in his bracket) but is advertised on the Coolmore National Hunt roster.

As the accompanying table (below) shows, no Flat sires breached the 300-mark, but the four busiest, all standing in Ireland, reached around 250. In Britain, last year's leading first-season sire in that country, Ardad (Ire), was the only horse to pass 200. He covered 205 mares at Overbury Stud, having been sent only 26 mares in 2020. His first set of juveniles were swift enough out of the blocks for him to have a surge of late bookings in 2021, when his book numbered 146.

But how do these numbers break down into sire-lines within sire-lines? It is of course hard to get away from Northern Dancer, whose sons have been so dominant that they now possess their own strong branches within that division. Among these sires tabled, and there are of course other representatives with smaller books, only 10 of the 62 do not have Northern Dancer as a male-line ancestor.

The Mr Prospector line, always far more celebrated in America, has been given a massive boost in this part of the world largely thanks to his great grandson Dubawi (Ire), who will be champion sire in Britain and Ireland for the first time in 2022 and features on this list along with six of his sons – Time Test (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire), New Bay (GB), Ghaiyyath (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), and Space Blues (Ire). It was Mr Prospector's son Seeking The Gold who was responsible for Dubawi's sire Dubai Millennium (GB), while another two sons of Mr P, Machiavellian and Gone West, lead us, eventually, to two names near the very top of this list, newcomer Starman (GB) – a crack sprinter who interestingly has Montjeu (Ire) as his damsire – and Wootton Bassett (GB), who stand at Tally-Ho Stud and Coolmore, respectively.

The only outlier among the group of 62 is Saxon Warrior (Jpn), who, along with Study Of Man (Ire), was one of only two sons of Deep Impact (Jpn) standing in Britain and Ireland. That number has now increased by one with the news that Tosen Stardom (Jpn) is to shuttle from Australia to stand at Ireland's Lemongrove Stud. Saxon Warrior was himself recently represented by a first-crop Grade I winner at the Breeders' Cup in Victoria Road (Ire), and Deep Impact's son Auguste Rodin (Ire) had his trainer Aidan O'Brien and the media ablaze following his victory in the G1 Vertem Futurity. The Sunday Silence line, so dominant in Japan, may yet take root in Europe.

To cover Northern Dancer's influence, in this group at least, we must break it down into five of his sons: Danzig, Sadler's Wells, Try My Best, Storm Bird, and Nureyev.

Of those, the name packing the biggest punch is Danzig, chiefly through his dominant sons Green Desert and Danehill. Sixteen of these busy sires listed here stem from Green Desert and 11 from Danehill.

Notably, from each of those two spring the veteran half-brothers Invincible Spirit (Ire), who has six sons and a grandson on this list, and Kodiac (GB), who has four sons. Arguably, their extraordinary Classic-winning dam Rafha (GB) must take much of the credit for this pair, along with a dynasty which includes new Sumbe recruit Mishriff (GB), but their longevity is also remarkable, with Invincible Spirit listed as having covered 106 mares at the age of 25 this year, while the 21-year-old Kodiac covered 63.

Think Danzig and your mind generally wanders towards speed, but he is also responsible for the Derby winners Sea The Stars (Ire) and Golden Horn (GB), the two best sons of his late grandson Cape Cross (Ire), who is of course also the sire of the recently deceased brilliant dual Oaks winner Ouija Board (GB). That fact in turn makes Cape Cross the damsire of another Derby winner, Australia (GB). All three of those had covering numbers in excess of 150, though Golden Horn had a strong National Hunt contingent in his 2022 book and he has since moved from Dalham Hall Stud to Overbury Stud, where that trend will continue.

Almost half of the stallions on this list – 28 in total – stem from Danzig, and that is surely owing to the speed and precocity more generally associated with this line, which is so much in demand from breeders these days. These include newcomers Palace Pier (GB), A'Ali (Ire), Soldier's Call (GB), Mohaather (GB), Alkumait (GB) and Nando Parrado (GB).

Conversely, the Sadler's Wells/Galileo (Ire) axis is more usually associated with middle-distance performers, though we do have a notable exception in this area at the moment in Europe's leading first-season sire, the G1 Flying Five S. winner Havana Grey (GB), who is the sire of 42 winners and five stakes winners this year and is a great grandson of Galileo. In total, seven of the 10 representatives of the Sadler's Wells line tabled here descend via Galileo, with the other three including Kitten's Joy's son Kameko.

The expanding influence of the Storm Bird/Storm Cat line in this part of the world, chiefly through the latter's sons Giant's Causeway and Hennessy, is highlighted by the fact that nine make this list, with Lope De Vega (Ire), Lucky Vega (Ire), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Pinatubo (Ire) and Blue Point (Ire) all representing Giant's Causeway through Shamardal. (Earthlight {Ire} is just bubbling under with a book of 92). No Nay Never, by Hennessy's son Scat Daddy, is becoming increasingly widely represented, but Scat Daddy's Sioux Nation was narrowly the busiest of all this year. No Nay Never will have six sons at stud in Europe in 2023, including Ten Sovereigns. Sergei Prokofiev, the only Scat Daddy stallion in Britain, has been well supported and stands alongside Havana Grey at Whitsbury Manor Stud.

Nureyev's line is hanging in there through Pivotal (GB), whose son Farhh (GB) has compromised fertility, which is a shame as he looks as though he could have made far greater inroads in the stallion tables if he had been able to cover the numbers required to compete these days. His son Far Above (GB) covered a three-figure book in his first year, while of course Pivotal's greatest sire son, Siyouni (Fr), is arguably the most popular stallion in France. Because of his location, his full book is not listed in the Return of Mares for Britain and Ireland, but he is reported by the Aga Khan Studs to have covered 132 mares this year, while his two Coolmore-based sons Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) covered 126 and 176, respectively.

Finally, Try My Best's branch, via the perhaps unlikely source of the former Coolmore then Shadai resident Waajib (Ire) and his son Royal Applause (GB), has started to flourish through Acclamation (GB). Though the latter, now 23, was just shy of 100 mares himself this year, his sons Mehmas (Ire) and Dark Angel (Ire) covered 249 and 193 mares, while Mehmas's son Supremacy (Ire) was also high on the list with 187.

As the record-breaking first-season sire of 2020, and having backed that up last year by leading the second-crop sires' list, Mehmas's popularity continues to be in the ascendant and not just via his male offspring. In the last few weeks, his daughter Malavath (Ire) topped the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale at €3.2 million, while another, the Grade I winner Going Global (Ire), sold for $2.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky.

With Supremacy one year ahead of them, three more young sons of Mehmas join the ranks for 2023: G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal (Ire) is on Shadwell's Derrinstown roster, with Persian Force (Ire) retiring to stand alongside his sire at Tally-Ho Stud, and Caturra (Ire) becoming the first to stand in England, at Overbury Stud.

As we have seen in the recent past with such notable examples as Kendargent (Fr) and Wootton Bassett, starting out with small books of mares does not preclude success, and in fact it can be a breeder's worst nightmare to have one of many of a stallion's offspring if the fickle market suddenly turns its back. But as a guide to who's hot and who's not in the eyes of the commercial sector, the figures in the Return of Mares are always fascinating to peruse. And for those breeders simply with an eye on the racecourse with no sale-ring concerns in between, there are still plenty of options when it comes to well-bred and well-performed stallions which require simply the courage of your own convictions. Blood will out.

 

British and Irish Flat stallions with three-figure books in 2022

Name  No. Mares   (Sire)

Sioux Nation 255 (Scat Daddy)

Starman (GB) 254 (Dutch Art (GB))

Mehmas (Ire) 249 (Acclamation (GB))

Wootton Bassett (GB) 249 (Iffraaj (GB))

Ardad (Ire) 205 (Kodiac (GB))

Starspangledbanner (Aus) 202 (Choisir (Aus))

Saxon Warrior (Jpn) 199 (Deep Impact (Jpn))

Kodi Bear (Ire) 194 (Kodiac (GB))

Dark Angel (Ire) 193 (Acclamation (GB))

New Bay (GB) 193 (Dubawi (Ire))

Frankel (GB) 188 (Galileo (Ire))

Supremacy (Ire) 187 (Mehmas (Ire))

Time Test (GB) 181 (Dubawi (Ire))

Night Of Thunder (Ire) (180 Dubawi (Ire))

No Nay Never 178 (Scat Daddy)

St Mark's Basilica (Fr) 176 (Siyouni (Fr))

Cotai Glory (GB) 176 (Exceed And Excel (Aus))

Ten Sovereigns (Ire) 173 (No Nay Never)

Australia (GB 173 (Galileo (Ire))

Lope De Vega (Ire) 168 (Shamardal)

Havana Grey (GB) 166 (Havana Gold (Ire))

Dubawi (Ire) 165 (Dubai Millennium (GB))

Too Darn Hot (GB) 164 (Dubawi (Ire))

Galileo Gold (GB) 163 (Paco Boy (Ire))

Sea The Stars (Ire) 161 (Cape Cross (Ire))

Ghaiyyath (Ire) 161 (Dubawi (Ire))

Space Blues (Ire) 160 (Dubawi (Ire))

Camelot (GB) 159 (Montjeu (Ire))

Pinatubo (Ire) 159 (Shamardal)

Coulsty (Ire) 158 (Kodiac (GB))

Gleneagles (Ire) 155 (Galileo (Ire))

Palace Pier (GB) 154 (Kingman (GB))

Elzaam (Aus) 153 (Redoute's Choice (Aus))

Golden Horn (GB) 152 (Cape Cross (Ire))

Lucky Vega (Ire) 152 (Lope De Vega (Ire))

Sea The Moon (Ger) 152 (Sea The Stars (Ire))

Kingman (GB) 150 (Invincible Spirit (Ire))

Showcasing (GB) 150 (Oasis Dream (GB))

Sergei Prokofiev 150 (Scat Daddy)

U S Navy Flag 144 (War Front)

Ulysses (Ire) 143 (Galileo (Ire))

Blue Point (Ire) 142 (Shamardal)

Inns Of Court (Ire) 141 (Invincible Spirit (Ire))

Invincible Army (Ire) 138 (Invincible Spirit (Ire))

Dandy Man (Ire) 137 (Mozart (Ire))

Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) 134 (Lope De Vega (Ire))

Nathaniel (Ire) 133 (Galileo (Ire))

Nando Parrado (GB) 130 (Kodiac (GB))

Sottsass (Fr) 126 (Siyouni (Fr))

Oasis Dream (GB) 125 (Green Desert)

Magna Grecia (Ire) 120 (Invincible Spirit (Ire))

Profitable (Ire) 118 (Invincible Spirit (Ire))

Far Above (GB) 117 (Farhh (GB))

Bated Breath (GB) 115 (Dansili (GB))

Bungle Inthejungle (GB) 115 (Exceed And Excel (Aus))

Waldgeist (GB) 115 (Galileo (Ire))

A'Ali (Ire) 114 (Society Rock (Ire))

Soldier's Call (GB) 112 (Showcasing (GB))

Churchill (Ire) 108 (Galileo (Ire))

Mohaather (GB) 108 (Showcasing (GB))

Invincible Spirit (Ire) 106 (Green Desert)

Alkumait 105 (Showcasing (GB))

Kameko 102 (Kitten's Joy)

 

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Mullins Considers Hurdles Option for Princess Zoe

Trainer Tony Mullins has revealed that Group 1-winning stayer Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) could now be sent hurdling after failing to reach her reserve at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last week.

The 7-year-old mare, who won the G1 Prix du Cadran in 2020 and was runner-up in last year's G1 Gold Cup at Ascot, was bought back by her owners Patrick Kehoe and Philomena Crampton at 300,000gns.

“We had a few enquiries [after the sale] and we felt we weren't getting what we stated before we left,” explained Mullins. “We said if we got 300,000gns, we'd take it and we had a few enquiries just under it, but we said we were keeping her if we didn't get it.”

He continued, “Paddy loves jump racing and he has been asking me. I said we'd start riding her out again and we will school her and see. But we have no decision made. If she jumps well and if she takes to it, we'll see.

“That is what she was bought to do in the first place. Then she just turned out she was a better filly than we thought. I will get her riding out now and we will probably have her jumping by Christmas.”

Princess Zoe has won eight of her 34 races on the level, including this season's G3 Sagar S., and she has raced in Ireland, Britain, France and Saudi Arabia, as well as her native Germany. Her trainer was the regular rider of arguably the greatest jumping mare of all time, Dawn Run (Ire), who was trained by his father Paddy Mullins.

Mullins added of his own stable star, “The fun we had with her will never be equalled. If she takes to jumping, I've no worries about trips. We could do with a few more horses who could run as fast as her.”

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Etreham’s Hello Youmzain and Persian King Shine at Arqana

On a day where BBA Ireland tightened its grip on yet another sale by signing for the top lot for €175,000, Haras d'Etreham boss Nicolas de Chambure was breathing a sigh of relief as the progeny of two of the stud's newbies Persian King (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr) took flight.

Persian King enjoyed a particularly strong session. The G1 French 2000 Guineas winner, who stood for €30,000 in his debut season at stud, saw seven foals sell for €516,000, headed by a colt (lot 306) knocked down to Alex Elliott for €160,000. That foal is likely to be heading back to Yeomanstown Stud with Robert O'Callaghan standing alongside Elliott when the hammer fell and later telling the French media that the colt was one of the best on offer on the day.

The Arcadia Élevage-drafted Persian King is out of an unraced daughter of Siyouni (Fr) and Elliott shared O'Callaghan's opinions on the acquisition.

He said, “Persian King was a very good racehorse and he's a big horse himself, and this colt is a big boy too. He's out of a mare by Siyouni, who has to have every chance to make it as a broodmare sire as he's a phenomenal sire himself and is by Pivotal (GB).

“It goes back to the family of Miss France (Ire) and I actually bought one of her daughters last night so it's a strong Wildenstein family that I like. It's young and it's happening so I'm delighted to get him. He'll be sent back to Ireland before being offered for resale.”

Etreham also signed for a Persian King filly (lot 319) from Cour Blanche for €110,000 with a view towards a racing career and also picked up two foals by Hello Youmzain to pinhook with de Chambure clearly touched by the good results the young stallions posted on the day.

He explained, “Today has been a very positive step in launching the stallion careers of Hello Youmzain and Persian King. We had a much bigger group of foals from the stallions here than at Goffs or at Tattersalls so it was important that it went well. Everyone has been very positive about the two stallions and it is nice to see the English, Irish and buyers in general so keen on them. Not that we had any doubt, but to see them sell well to those foreign buyers and some very good judges is extremely positive.”

He added, “I hope today helps us attract some more mares from abroad. That would help give the horses more exposure in the future. But seeing how well their foals sold today, it will give breeders confidence going forward. It looks like Persian King and Hello Youmzain are comparing favourably with some of the better first-season sires in Europe.”

In Persian King, de Chambure has a Classic-winning stallion son of Kingman (GB) while Hello Youmzain, winner of the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. is one of the best sons of Kodiac (GB), offers something for speed-favouring breeders.

He explained, “The two stallions are very different. Hello Youmzain has strength and power and has passed that on to his foals. They are very forward and they look to be very forward mentally as well. They all walk very well and have very good bone. They look like they could be early types. He seems to be stamping them with great power in the hind quarter.

“With Persian King, his foals have a bit more scope and size. They have a bit more class and are still very light on their feet with a good walk. The one that made €160,000 is a good example of a nice Persian King as he had good size and balance. They are not heavy. They are athletic. I think the stallions are a little less unproven now that people have seen the foals so hopefully more people from England and Ireland will decide to send some nice mares next year.”

Hello Youmzain began his career at stud on a €25,000 fee and his nine foals to go under the hammer at Arqana on Sunday realised €370,000 and averaged just over €40,000. His top lot, a colt consigned by Etreham (lot 337), fetched €90,000 to Mab Agency. He is set to stand for €22,500 next year while Persian King's fee has been set at €25,000.

On the stud's purchases on Sunday, de Chambure added, “We bought a Persian King filly from a nice German family to race for €110,000 and we bought two colts by Hello Youmzain to pinhook. It's been a nice start but we have put in a lot of work in these two stallions. It all began two years ago and, from getting breeders on board, selling shares, selling nominations and getting them up and running, it is a lot of work and today is the first big result we have enjoyed from that.”

The opening two days of the December Breeding Stock Sale have been strong. Saturday saw the aggregate shoot up a massive 42% to €47,129,000 and the average rise 16% to €245,281. Sunday's session was also up.

The aggregate on Sunday rose 15% to €7,734,000 while the average rose 12% to €36,654 and clearance rates also climbed 3% to 80%.

De Chambure commented on the trade, “We have been saying all year that we have been in our own bubble in the racing industry with everything that has been happening in the world but I guess it has almost been a benefit from Covid that people who have money have decided that they might as well just enjoy it and get involved in the game.

“The top of the market has been extremely strong and this being the last sale of the year, people still have some orders to fill and it has all fallen into place to make a really strong market today and yesterday.”

 

Quesnay Play Starring Role

The Haras du Quesnay dispersal provided a fascinating subplot to the sale and Ballylinch Stud pushed hard to land one of the star attractions from the draft, an Intello (Ger) filly foal out of dual winner and Group 3-placed Treasure (Fr) (Anabaa) (lot 409), for €100,000.

Treasure has produced three black-type horses already, including King Ottakar (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), Tresorier (GB) (Dunkerque {Fr}) and Tresorerie (Fr), who is a full-sister to Sunday's €100,000 purchase.

Ballylinch boss John O'Connor said, “Thierry [Storme] and I have been friends for many years and we've had a number of horses in partnership together. We'd both like to think we're pretty good judges and we liked this filly a lot. She's a compact filly with a good pedigree and good movement. We liked everything about her.

“She will probably come back here to be sold, but we'll retain the option to race her if necessary as she looks like an athlete to me. The mother is a proven stakes performer herself and she's bred three black-type horses. There's a lot of positives but we'll decide whether to race or sell next year.”

He added, “We've already had some success with a mare that was bred by Quesnay and we bought Trophee from them and she's bred a Group 2 winner in Australia.

“These pedigrees are deep. They've been developed for generations by Alec Head, who was one of the great horsemen of our time.

“This filly is out of a good stakes mare who's been a successful producer. She's one of the nicest foals here today and we felt that she has resale value but she also has residual value. She was hard to buy, but sometimes the ones you really like are and you accept that.”

Another Intello from the Haras du Quesnay dispersal captured the imagination as the first foal out of Perle D'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (lot 329) was knocked down to Fernando Laffon-Parias for €90,000. Jill Lamb bought Perle D'Auge on Saturday for €350,000.

The filly hails from the close family of dual Group 3 scorer Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and is from the maternal line of the brilliant Pearly Shells (GB) (Effisio {GB}).

Laffon-Parias said, “She's been bought for a partnership of owners that wish to continue the story in France. She's a lovely filly who's dam sold well yesterday. It's too early to talk about her future trainer but we are very happy.”

Quesnay have amassed €1,908,000 for 17 lots over on Saturday and Sunday.

 

BBA Ireland Stay Strong

It was a case of a different day but the same old story as BBA Ireland signed for another top lot in the Aga Khan-drafted and Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Shahnameh (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) (lot 367) for €175,000.

A dual winner, Shahnameh is the fifth foal out of listed winner Shamanova (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who is a half-sister to classy performers Shamdala (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and Shamakiya (Ire) (Intikhab).

BBA Ireland went on to purchase the Frankel (GB) mare Shammah (Ire) (lot 474) in foal to G1 French 2000 Guineas winner Victor Ludorum (GB), meaning the powerful buyers spent €9,135,000 on 43 lots in the first two days of the December Breeding Stock Sale.

 

Balloon Up Up And Away To Australia

Australian buyer David Mee purchased Girl With Balloon (Fr) (lot 284), a winning daughter of Frankel, to continue her career down under for €140,000. Mee signed for the filly, offered by Ecurie des Monceaux, under the banner of Pinhook Bloodstock International.

Girl With Balloon was trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and carried the colours of LNJ Foxwoods during her time in France. She is a daughter of Landikusic (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), a full-sister to Zoffany (Ire). Classy performers Rostropovich (Ire) and Wilshire Boulevard (Ire) are also siblings to the dam.

Mee said, “She'll now go to Sydney in Australia to continue her career. We were really looking for a filly by Frankel, and these kinds of fillies are hard to find in Australia. She is a winner and is improving all the time. We're delighted.”

 

Six-Figure Lots Late In The Day

Two six-figure lots lit up the late evening. The Wertheimer-drafted Frivole (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) (lot 548) was sold to Gary Chervenell for €155,000. She won once and placed four times and is a half-sister to black-type performer Fuse (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}). The Fabrice Chappet-trained Healing Oasis (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 545) brought €135,000 from Australian buyers Belmont Bloodstock. Healing Oasis won twice and placed third in a listed race at ParisLongchamp in October.

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