Shop Local: Grand National Winner Emmet Mullins Nets Big-Money Sale 

His roots may be deeply entrenched in National Hunt racing and just this spring he won the most famous jumps race of them all–the Grand National with Noble Yeats (Ire) (Yeats {Ire})–but Emmet Mullins has now netted himself yet another major payday–this time on the Flat with a filly that he bred, owned and trained to win a maiden at his local track before selling her for six figures. 

Thebestisyettobe (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) became the second 2-year-old winner of Mullins's career when sluicing up in the opening seven-furlong maiden at Gowran Park on Saturday and, in the process, announced herself to the international market.

Duckett's Grove was Mullins's first juvenile scorer and, like that Point Of Entry colt who the trainer sold after he broke his maiden tag at the first attempt at Cork back in 2018, Thebestisyettobe is set for export and has already passed the vet. 

“That's just the second 2-year-old winner I have trained and it was done from start to finish with Thebestisyettobe, I suppose,” he said. “I bought the mare, bred her locally there in Ballyhane to Elzaam (Aus) through Joe Foley. It was fairytale stuff really.”

Mullins picked up the dam [Kramer Drive (Ire) (Medicean {GB})] of Thebestisyettobe for just €18,000 at the mixed sale at Goffs in February 2016. 

“Elzaam is hugely commercial and is also great value. He's constantly getting nice horses and is very desirable on the international market as well as here” – Emmet Mullins, trainer

She has become a proven source of winners, with three of her foals of racing age winning a hatful of races–none more so than Ventura Flame (Ire), by another Ballyhane-based stallion in Dandy Man (Ire), who has won seven in Britain–and Thebestisyettobe shaped like she could be the best of them at Gowran Park.

Mullins said, “Kramer Drive has been a good servant. I sold her first foal as a yearling, Shadow Breaker (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), for €12,000 and he went on to make good money after he won a barrier trial for Jimmy Coogan.

“The second foal was Ventura Flame, who I got €48,000 for at the breeze-ups to Middleham Park, and she has won seven races for Keith Dalgleish in Britain.

“Midgetonamission (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has won two for David Evans and this one [Thebestisyettobe] was in the sales last year as a yearling but she didn't make enough so I got Martin Wanless to buy her back for me.”

A decision to shop local with Elzaam, who stands less than 10 minutes from Mullins's base, has proved fruitful with the trainer lauding Foley's stallion and describing him as exceptional value. 

Mullins said, “Elzaam is hugely commercial and is also great value. He's constantly getting nice horses and is very desirable on the international market as well as here.”

With the benefit of a barrier trial under her belt, where she showed distinct promise and afterwards Mullins fielded a couple of inquiries, Thebestisyettobe showed an abundance of ability in accounting for a well-touted Joseph O'Brien-trained filly to get off the mark at Gowran Park. 

Less than a week after that highly promising debut, the filly is set to leave Mullins's yard after passing all of the veterinary procedures that come with selling to foreign jurisdictions. 

He said, “We got a couple of inquiries after the barrier trial but I felt that I wouldn't get what I wanted for her so I told them [the agents] to keep an eye out for her and that she'd be running in a few weeks and hopefully she will show her true colours. Joseph's filly [Karaoke (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})]was highly-touted and, while I didn't think Thebestisyettobe was a good thing to go and win, I knew she'd run a big race.”

Mullins added, “Fingers crossed, she's passed all of the vetting and we're just waiting on the blood work. I think she's going to America.”

As well as Kramer Drive, Mullins breeds a couple of National Hunt broodmares with his cousin and champion amateur jockey Patrick. The pair have had quite a lot of success, too. 

Screaming Witness (Ire) (Shernazar {GB}) has produced a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler in Airlie Beach (Ire) (Shantou) while the cousins are also breeding from the foundation mare's daughter, the bumper and hurdle-winning Dr Machini (Ire) (Dr Massini {Ire}). 

Mullins said, “Patrick and I have two broodmares. I have a leg of Screaming Witness with Patrick. We also bought back her first foal, Dr Machini, after she raced for the Pottses. “Screaming Witness has been an unbelievable broodmare for us. She has had five runners on the track and the five of them were bumper winners.

“Airlie Beach won the G1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle while Screaming Rose (Ire) (Darsi {Fr}) also got black-type for her so she was a huge foundation mare. 

“We have two more out of Screaming Witness–a 2-year-old and a yearling–but she has been retired now as she's quite old. We have a few of Dr Machini's foals on the ground as well. So Patrick and I are breeding those National Hunt mares but I decided to take a chance on this Flat mare in 2016.”

Mullins added, “I'd like to keep about four mares around the place–that's a good number. So two National Hunt mares and maybe two on the Flat. You'd have a lot of stock on the ground breeding out of three or four mares for a few years. 

“Kramer Drive was actually unlucky this year. She had a filly foal by Profitable (Ire) who was born on the morning of the Grand National. I thought she was destined to be lucky but, unfortunately, there were complications and we lost her that week. The mare is back in foal to Make Believe (GB). We are staying local-this time with Ballylinch and not Ballyhane!”

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Daughter Of Dynaforce Debuts At Goodwood

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a daughter of the dual Grade I winner Dynaforce (Dynaformer).

5.20 Goodwood, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
MISS DYNAMIC (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) cost a mere 78,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, but as a daughter of GI Beverly D S. and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Dynaforce (Dynaformer) by one of the first-season sire sensations carries gravitas in the Jane Newett colours from the Charlie and Mark Johnston stable. She will have to be talented to deal with the streetwise Zarga (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), Al Shaqab Racing's daughter of the G2 Windsor Forest S. winner Strawberrydaiquiri (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who made a big impression when third on debut at Kempton for the Sir Michael Stoute stable.

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Sea The Stars’ Flying Honours A New TDN Rising Star

Charlie Appleby's juveniles are really starting to come to the fore and Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was the latest to shine brightly as he earned TDN Rising Star status with a 9 1/2-length success in Sandown's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice S. on Wednesday. Sent off the 2-5 favourite for the seven-furlong contest won 12 months ago by El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), having finished fourth in the Newmarket July Festival maiden won by TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), the son of the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner Powder Snow (Dubawi {Ire}) raced behind the leading duo early with James Doyle keen to educate him. Taking time to get to the Hannon runner Starnberg (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) once woken up three out, the Godolphin homebred was in command a furlong later and when shown the whip surged on to a 9 1/2-length success from that rival. There was another 1 1/2-length margin back to the Andrew Balding-trained Grenham Bay (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in third.

“His work was nice before Newmarket–he's worked with Highbank and the likes of him and it just shows that a first run can catch them out, as he was left on the wing there,” Doyle said of the winner, who becomes the 16th TDN Rising Star for Sea The Stars. “He's put that behind him today. I was confident he'd stay this stiff seven and he relished it and galloped through the line really well and showed quality there. He was very relaxed and slightly behind the bridle, but he's a chilled character.”

 

The winner is the second foal out of the dam, who started out with Appleby before being transferred to Henri-Alex Pantall and winning the Toulouse feature and a listed contest in Germany. She is a half-sister to Sea Of Snow (Distorted Humor), who was precocious enough to be third in the Listed Woodcote S., and to the G2 Diana-Trial and G3 Grosser Preis der
Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung-placed Snow (Ger) by Sea The Stars' Sea The Moon (Ger). The third dam is Snow Bride (Blushing Groom {Fr}), the G3 Princess Royal S. and G3 Musidora S. winner who was awarded the Oaks in 1989 on the disqualification of Aliysa (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). Snow Bride produced Godolphin's ground-breaking Lammtarra (Nijinsky II), hero of the Derby, King George and Arc. Powder Snow's first foal is the 3-year-old full-sister to the winner Snow Tempest (Ire), who has won for Pantall over 14 1/2 furlongs, albeit at a low level, at Durtal last month. Her yearling filly is by Siyouni (Fr), while she also has a colt foal by Invincible Spirit (Ire).

3rd-Sandown, £9,900, Novice, 7-27, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.61, g/f.
FLYING HONOURS (GB), c, 2, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
     1st Dam: Powder Snow (GSW-Fr, SW-Ger), by Dubawi (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Snow Ballerina (GB), by Sadler's Wells
     3rd Dam: Snow Bride, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $7,575. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Nashwa Takes Up The Mantle In The Nassau

After the wins of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on the first two days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, it is up to Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to maintain the stranglehold of the favourites in the meeting's premier contests on Thursday. Looking a standout in the feature G1 Qatar Nassau S., Imad Al Sagar's G1 Prix de Diane heroine gets nine pounds from the older fillies and mares in a race which has been won by the Classic generation in seven of the last 10 editions. Third in the G1 Oaks, where stamina was probably the main issue, she is the apple of Thady Gosden's eye and he said, “She ran a very good race in the Oaks at Epsom, she just didn't quite see out the mile and a half. She's a well-balanced filly with excellent tactical speed. She switches off well, we think she'll handle the track and she's very versatile technically as well.”

 

The Dream Is Still Alive

If there is one among the older brigade who could defy the weight-for-age, it is the impressive May 29 G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who was undone by easy ground when subsequently sixth in the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh June 26. This has been Ed Walker's target for some time and all the boxes are ticked. “The ground was the problem at the Curragh last time and also she got a bit crowded, which made her a bit keen,” he explained. “Keenness has always been a bit of a thing for her, but she's been quite good this year. On that ground, though, Kieran [Shoemark] said she was wheel-spinning. We can put a line through that. The win in the Prix d'Ispahan was great. It was really quick ground there–I walked the track and there's no way it was the good-to-soft that they were calling it–but she settled great that day. When she settles she has a deadly turn of foot and the faster the ground the better.”

 

The Long And Winding Road

Jon and Julia Aisbitt have had some smart fillies down the years who have come close to this standard, including Malabar (GB) (Raven's Pass) who won two group races here, and there is the prospect that the William Haggas-trained Lilac Road (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) could be the best they have bred. Third on her sole visit to this track in the Listed Conqueror Fillies' S. last May, the homebred was only fifth behind Dreamloper and Ville De Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the nine-furlong G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket a year later but bounced out of that race to win York's G2 Middleton Fillies' S. just 11 days later. From a stable which has lines to every top-class filly and mare in Europe, she has to be respected despite needing further progression to land a prize such as this. “The only reason she hasn't run since is that there aren't many races for fillies when they've won their Group 2,” her trainer explained. “There's only really the Pretty Polly, in which we ran two others. Also it was soft ground, which she doesn't want. She's fresh and well and she's in good shape. She'll run a good race, but whether she's quite up to that class we'll find out.”

 

Royal Approval

Goodwood's G2 Richmond S. was once one of the most important juvenile races in the calendar, but the recent record of the race which once boasted the likes of J. O. Tobin and Warning is distinctly hit-and-miss. Paul Cole was one of its biggest fans in his heyday in the 80s and 90s and it seems significant that the three-times-winning Whatcombe legend has targeted it with the Hayses' exciting Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Off the mark by five lengths over this track and six-furlong trip May 20, he went on to finish third in the June 14 G2 Coventry S. and of those who were behind him in that novice the re-opposing Bluelight Bay (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) has won at Windsor June 25, Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) captured the competitive maiden here on Tuesday and Show Respect (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) has been second in the G2 July S. Oliver Cole now shares the trainer's licence and said, “The horse is in really good form and we decided to skip the July S. at Newmarket, because he's a big horse and we wanted to give him a bit more time between races as he's still growing. He ran in the Coventry on pretty quick ground and I don't think the ground worries him. We didn't have enough cover in the Coventry, so arguably there's improvement there.”

 

More Lurkers?

Tuesday and Wednesday's pattern races for the 2-year-olds here were won by unexposed types setting foot in that company for the first time and the Richmond has an intriguing pair in Raed El Youssef's Al Karrar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Other hopefuls include Balding's dual winner Chateau, Tom Clover's impressive Windsor scorer Al Karrar and Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke's Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}). Successful on debut by 3 3/4 lengths in a Windsor maiden over this trip June 20, Shadwell's Goffs Autumn cast-off Al Karrar has been kept fresh for this by Tom Clover and it is telling that the fifth home at Windsor, Swift Asset (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}), is the chosen representative of the Richard Hannon stable always keen to target this. Marshman warrants respect as Karl Burke's representative and he gave all the right vibes on his winning debut at Ayr July 3. “His work at home has been excellent. He's been working with Lethal Levi, Holloway Boy and Cold Case which are some of Karl's fastest colts,” Bradley said. “When he won he was a little green, he made a mess of the start and was again green at the finish, but he's probably my best chance of the week on the figures.”

 

How Ya Doin?

Not seen since his surprise second in the Derby, the £1.2-million colt Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) reappears in the G3 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. under the auspices of George Boughey. Three times the price of last year's Blue Riband runner-up Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at 150-1 at Epsom June 4, Go Bloodstock's representative looks to boost that form after it took a knock in the King George. “His work is good, he's the highest-rated horse in the race and he goes there with a good chance,” Boughey said. “He's in the Leger and while he's not in at York [in the Great Voltigeur], he could go to York–the plan is pretty fluid at the moment, what he does over here. I'd like to see him in the Leger and I think that's very much the plan for Gai and Adrian [Bott].” Charlie Appleby has saddled four runners over the first two days of the festival and has had two winners, a second and a third with New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) the forecast favourite following his handicap win at Newmarket's July Festival. Abdulla Al Mansoori's 'TDN Rising Star' West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was ninth in the Derby after starting off too fast and has since shown that he has come off that experience a better horse when winning Hamilton's Listed Glasgow S. by 7 1/2 lengths 13 days ago.

 

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