Tag: Europe

No Deep Impact But JRHA Select Sale Still Set To Make Its Mark

There are bloodstock sales and then there's the JRHA Select Sale. The premier sale for Thoroughbreds in Japan, held at Hokkaido's Northern Horse Park, is truly out of the ordinary as far as these events go.

The yearling section of the sale, which this year features 234 entries taking into account withdrawals at the time of writing, follows a fairly traditional format (though the sale's website does include a document noting the yearlings' heights, girth and cannon bone measurements, vices, and any surgical intervention), but it is the following day's session of foals that gives the JRHA Select Sale its unique feel. The foals arrive with their dams at Northern Horse Park early on the morning of the sale, though potential buyers have already visited the individual consigning farms for yearling and foal shows prior to auction. On sale morning, there is a two-hour window for further viewing, with several hundred foals and their usually fairly illustrious mothers standing in lot order among the trees in the park for the fanciest mass line-up of Thoroughbred stock in the world. They then proceed to the ring in tandem, and the foals, once sold, return to their original farm until they are weaned.

During the first year of the pandemic, figures dipped slightly from the then-record-breaking year of 2019, but by 2021, more records were set, with the highest turnover ever seen across the two-day sale of ¥22.5 billion (€163m/£138m) for 226 yearlings and 213 foals sold. Covid restrictions are now more relaxed in Japan and the JRHA's international representative Naohiro Goda says they they expect to have more trainers, owners, agents and media returning to the sale this year, with some American and Australian agents having already arrived in Hokkaido.

For the first time, and in a move which has proved highly effective in other jurisdictions, the JRHA will be accepting online bidding from international buyers.

Japanese bloodstock continues to advertise its merit on racecourses around the world, and inspection of the Select Sale catalogue demonstrates just how highly prized top-class international form is for Japanese breeders when it comes to assembling broodmare bands. Whatever your nationality, there will be mares throughout the pages who are instantly memorable, usually because of their Group/Grade 1 racing form.

For the first time since he arrived on the scene as a stallion of note, there will be no Deep Impact (Jpn) yearlings on offer in Hokkaido, the great sire having died in 2019, leaving a small final crop born in 2020. Poignantly, his 31-year-old dam Wind In Her Hair (Ire) (Alzao) still resides within sight of the sale at the Northern Horse Park with her pony companions.

Deep Impact does still have the edge in Japan's leading sires' table so far this season, but his lead over the former leading first-crop sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) is slim. The latter, also a Shadai stallion, is represented by 11 yearlings and nine foals in the JRHA Select catalogue, including a yearling filly (lot 14) out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Lily's Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}), who was bred in Normandy by Monique Lepeudry at Elevage de Tourgeville. Her close family also includes the former Japanese Horse of the Year and G1 Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}).

Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), 1000 Guineas winners in England and Ireland respectively, are each represented by yearlings in the sale. The former, a half-sister to Arc winner Dylan Thomas (Ire) and champion 2-year-old filly Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge), has a colt by Maurice (Jpn) catalogued as lot 55, while Jet Setting's Frankel (GB) colt is slated as lot 23.

Another close relation to a European Classic winner can be found as lot 16, who is the half-brother to Irish Oaks winner Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and by the current first-crop sire Satono Diamond (Jpn).

G1 VRC Oaks winner Mosheen (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), whose other top-class victories included the G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Royal Randwick Guineas, is another to have visited Maurice in 2020, and her yearling colt is consigned by Northern Farm as lot 76. The 14-year-old mare is already the dam of treble Group 3 winner Primo Scene (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and she is doubly represented in the sale as her Epiphaneia (Jpn) colt foal is due to sell on Tuesday as lot 367.

Yoshida is a name which will be oft-heard through the sale: the brothers Teruya and Katsumi are the most dominant breeders and consignors represented, each with sizeable drafts in both sectors, while another brother, Haruya, will also play a part via his Oiwake Farm. But Yoshida (Jpn) also appears on the sires' list through one of his first crop of American-conceived yearlings. The son of Hearts's Cry (Jpn) stands at Winstar Farm and is the sire of lot 77, a granddaughter of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Matron S. winner Folklore (Tiznow).

The dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) is another with first yearlings and he has two catalogued, lots 192 and 203.

The foal section includes lot 314, an Epiphaneia half-brother to Japanese Derby winner Roger Barows (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), whose dam Little Book (GB) (Librettist) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Donna Blini (GB) (Bertolini), later better known as the dam of dual Japanese Horse of the Year Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Three of the first crop of foals of Juddmonte's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin will also make an appearance.

Looking ahead to the start of the sale on Monday, Naohiro Goda said, “The quality of the catalogue this year is the best I have seen. This is first JRHA catalogue which does not include Deep Impact, and we understand that it is impossible that one single stallion plays his role. Instead, however, the variation and depth of stallions we have in this year's catalogue is amazing, as there are so many young proven stallions, such as Lord Kanaloa, Epiphaneia, Duramente (Jpn), Maurice, Kizuna (Jpn), Drefong, and so on. In addition, hugely exciting unproven stallions will be represented by their young crops, such as Rey De Oro (Jpn), whose first foals made such a big splash last year, Bricks And Mortar, Suave Richard (Jpn), New Year's Day, Siskin, Nadal, Admire Mars (Jpn), Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn), and Saturnalia (Jpn).”

Goda added, “It will not be easy to break last year's new record but we hope the market at the 2022 Select Sale is as active as it was last year.”

The JRHA Select Sale starts on Monday with the yearling session, followed on Tuesday by the foals.

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Notable Debutante For The Queen At Newmarket

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. Saturday's Observations features a debutante for Her Majesty The Queen.

1.30 Newmarket, Mdn, £15,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
BLUE MISSILE (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) debuts for The Queen during a period when the monarch has enjoyed two first-time-out juvenile winners, and is a particularly important runner as the second foal out of the G3 Nell Gwyn S. scorer Nathra (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) who was also placed in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Sun Chariot S. William Haggas trains the January-foaled bay, whose rivals include Marc Chan and Michael Tabor's fellow newcomer Luckin Brew (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Ralph Beckett-trained full-sister to the stable's G3 Prestige S. and G3 Princess Royal S. winner Antonia De Vega (Ire), who made a winning debut in this race in 2018.

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Crystal Estrella Shines As Record-Breaking July Sale Concludes

NEWMARKET, UK–It's not often that a camera crew follows a filly on her way into the ring but the confidence behind Crystal Estrella (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) was well placed at Tattersalls with Sir Michael Stoute's charge selling to Team Valor for 275,000gns on the final day of a record-breaking July Sale.

An impressive winner of a 10-furlong novice at Goodwood in May, Crystal Estrella will remain in training with Stoute, resuming her career under the banner of Barry Irwin's operation, who recently stated their intention to concentrate on racing in Europe rather than America.

Just as he did on Thursday when facilitating the sale of Grenoble (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) for 130,000gns, Jason Singh of Tattersalls took instruction on the phone to secure the sales-topper on behalf of Team Valor.

The wildcard entry (798B) boasts a big pedigree and, while she is already rated 89, is open to improvement having raced only three times in her career.

She is a half-sister to Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}), a seven-time winner, including the Listed Mornington Cup in Australia, and black-type performer Crystal Hope (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Her granddam Crystal Star (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) is the dam of Crystal Ocean (GB) the Champion Older Horse in Europe back in 2019, and other high-class performers Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Barry Irwin of Team Valor, talking on the telephone, said of the fifth-highest price of the entire three-day sale, “I like the way she finished her races out, especially in the last 150 metres or so. She looks like she is a solid middle-distance filly on the way up. I like her pedigree, she looks as though she is a big, good-looking filly who will improve this year and especially next year.”

He added, “She has a half-brother who won four in a row, including two listed races in Australia. He could possibly win a group race and that will help a little bit. The second dam was very good. I am going to send her back to Sir Michael, I am going to think about what I want to do. He knows her, and I will talk to him, I have not done so yet. It is hard to find fillies like her. I am happy to have her.”

The entire turnover for the 2022 July Sale rose by a whopping 36% to 16,743,285gns from 12,301,300gns. The median was also up by 25%, from 12,000gns to 15,000gns, and the average rose 41% to 32,199gns, but the clearance fell slightly (2%) to 92%.

The day three stats were also on the rise as turnover this year ended up at 4,168,500gns compared to 2,904,100gns in 2021. That equates to a 44% rise. The median for Day 3 was up 25% to 15,000gns and the average was up 62% to 29,989gns while the clearance rate fell by 2% to 96%.

 

 

Royal Ascot Winner Latin Lover Makes 210,000gns

He provided his young trainer Harry Eustace with the thrill of a lifetime when rocketing to Royal Ascot success last month and Latin Lover (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) made more headlines, but this time off the track, after selling for 210,000gns.

Winner of the Palace Of Holyroodhouse S. at the Royal meeting, where he showed a deadly turn of foot inside the last furlong to weave his way through traffic and win by half a length, Latin Lover (lot 710) was sold online via Ahead All.

Predictably, the interest in Latin Lover was huge. With a rating of 89, the progressive 3-year-old appealed to just about every jurisdiction and after a lengthy battle in the ring, the winning bid was struck off-site.

The buyer's representative said, “Latin Lover looks strong and a good example of one by Starspanglebanner. He won well at Royal Ascot last month in a big field of 27 runners.

“He has improved after being gelded last year and is concentrating more on the job as a 3-year-old. His performances are getting better. He is a good size and I expect him to make up into a good sprinter.”

Latin Lover was consigned by Glenvale Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2020 and was bought by De Burgh Equine for £21,000. He is out of Blue Dahlia (Ire), who is by Shamardal, and is the dam of four individual winners.

 

Qatar at the Double

Qatar Bloodstock and Andrew Balding enjoyed some good days on the track with G1 Racing Post Trophy and G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Elm Park (GB), who was bred by the trainer's mother Emma at Kingsclere Stud. The son of another former Kingsclere star Phoenix Reach (Ire), Elm Park retired to Haras du Saz in the south-west of France and the most notable English runner from his few first-crop 3-year-olds to have made it across the Channel is Upton Park (Fr), who was bought as a yearling by David Redvers for €8,500 at Arqana. Following his two wins at two and three from just four starts, Upton Park (lot 827) returned to the ring at Tattersalls to fetch a top bid of 150,000gns from Ibrahim Saeed Al-Malki.

“He won very well at Newbury and he's progressing which is what I am looking for,” said the trainer. “He will end up in Qatar and will probably be aimed at the Qatar Derby. I like big, scopey horses.”

The preceding lot, Spartan Army (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}), will also leave the Qatar Racing fold, having been sold from Joseph O'Brien's stable for 170,000gns to race on for Alan King.

“He will have a dual-purpose campaign,” said agent Jerry McGrath, who signed for him on behalf of an undisclosed client. “He will be going jumping but hopefully he's not finished on the Flat. He's by an exciting young sire who looks like he's doing well with his jumpers.”

 

Salvator Mundi to Qatar

Leading Qatari trainer Gassim Al Ghazali has been a regular at the horses-in-training sales over the years and, after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, this year he has returned in person to continue the restocking of his Doha stable. Along with agent Will Douglass he bought seven lots this week, waiting until near the end of the sale to secure the one at the top of his list, the 3-year-old Galileo (Ire) colt Salvator Mundi (Ire), from John and Thady Gosden's stable.

Offered as lot 806 for owner/breeder Bjorn Nielsen, the half-brother to listed winner Chartreuse (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) has won his last two starts over 1m4f and 1m6f to climb to a rating of 91, and was eventually sold for 205,000gns.

“He's a progressive horse and we like buying from Mr. Gosden because they are well-bred and well-produced. They are looked after and respected, and there are miles left in the tank,” Douglass said. “This horse has a proper pedigree. He'll go straight to Qatar and he was a bit of a stand-out in here.”

 

Horse Watchers Reinvest Raasel Prize-Money

Not long after recording their best day on a racecourse when 10,000gns purchase Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) scorched along the Sandown turf in landing the G3 Coral Charge, The Horse Watchers, who have made a habit of unearthing jewels at the horses-in-training sale, paid 70,000gns to add Aphelios (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) to their team.

The most The Horse Watchers had ever spent on a horse prior to Friday was 50,000gns but Chris Dixon, who along with his brother Martin is a key cog in the wheel of the syndicate, revealed that the group of owners were happy to reinvest some of the prize-money for winning the Coral Charge.

Aphelios (lot 654), signed for by Jason Kelly Bloodstock and The Horse Watchers, is a half-brother to black-type performer Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and won for Harry and Roger Charlton.

Dixon joked, “We are rolling up the prize-money we won with Raasel last week–we do like to gamble so it's in our nature.”

Prior to Raasel's Sandown victory, Dixon took part in the TDN's weekly Q&A series, where he outlined what the syndicate's approach was to recruiting horses at the sales.

Along with Aphelios, Kelly and The Horse Watchers also bought Nasim (GB) (Galileo Gold {GB}) (lot 437) for 32,000gns from Andrew Balding and paid the same amount for Marco Botti's Mobashr (lot 554), both on Thursday.

 

St Lawrence Strikes Again

It was a busy few days in Newmarket for Oliver St Lawrence and the leading bloodstock agent picked up another top-notch prospect for Bahrain in four-time winner Roxzoff (Ire) (Zoffany  {Ire}) for 150,000gns.

St Lawrence paid 100,000gns for Nietzsche's Star (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and 120,000gns for Rollajam (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) at the sale on Thursday and once again flexed the muscle he has behind him when securing the highly touted Charlie Hills-trained 3-year-old.

Roxzoff (lot 636) will team up with Sheikh Nasser, whose representative Yousif Taher, said, “He is a good horse who we think will suit racing in Bahrain and I came especially for this horse. He is well handicapped and improving and will race for Sheikh Nasser's Victorious Racing.”

 

De Vega Snapped Up For Saudi Arabia

Puerto De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 645) won the fourth race of his career at Epsom off a rating of 78 just over a week ago, which was a timely boost to his date with the sales, with the Ballylinch Stud-bred and owned gelding selling for 80,000gns.

Another rock-solid horse to be on his way to Saudi Arabia, Puerto De Vega was described as an ideal type for Carnival races by Andre Pereira, the acting agent who snapped up the gelding from The Castlebridge Consignment.

Pereira said, “He is a lovely horse, a beautiful type, very correct and a great physical. He has proven form, and by Lope De Vega and out of an Exceed And Excel mare.

“He goes to Saudi Arabia for the Carnival season. Hopefully, if he adapts well out there, he will make up into a horse for the World Cup meeting. I am very happy to get him.”

 

Record Trade

“Records across the board are always welcome and the 2022 Tattersalls July Sale has achieved unprecedented figures for all the key indicators,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony as the sale concluded on Friday evening. “The sale turnover has exceeded 16 million gns for the first time, an average price in excess of 30,000gns is also a first for this fixture and the median of 15,000gns is another sale record and a clear indication of a sale which has shown extraordinary strength and depth from start to finish.

“The top price of 540,000 guineas paid for the outstanding Shadwell mare Rihaam is also a July Sale record, but perhaps the most important statistic is the clearance rate which for the fourth consecutive year was more than 90%, and on day two of the sale was a truly extraordinary 99%. Demand at all levels of the market has been typically international with buyers from every continent in the world all contributing to the record-breaking trade and particularly notable has been the strong Australian contingent headed by Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong Investments. Domestic buyers, both Flat and National Hunt, have also been competing strongly all week and the sustained demand for well-bred fillies and mares is another positive not only for the Tattersalls July Sale but also for the wider industry.”

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Piecing Together The July Cup Puzzle

There have been few more wide-open editions of Newmarket's G1 Darley July Cup than takes place on Saturday, with no stand-out among the 14 and nothing too far over its head that a surprise can be safely ruled out. There is an Australian runner, but Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) was too much in the scrum in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. to suggest he has an edge over the British and Irish. There are seven re-opposing from that Royal Ascot feature, with the worst-placed Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) under six lengths off the winner Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) despite finishing 15th. Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) is possibly the pick of the 3-year-olds, but not by far and there is a nagging sense that they may not be up to the usual standard.

That is not the view of Hugo Palmer, who paid £36,000 to supplement the Commonwealth Cup runner-up Flaming Rib (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}). “At the inception of the Commonwealth Cup, people used to go on about how 3-year-old sprinters really struggled against their elders but they do have a good record in the race and I'm sure that it's only going to get better because of the 3-year-old sprinting programme,” he said. “It is really nurturing 3-year-old sprint talent and I expect the 3-year-old trend to continue going forwards.”

 

His Crowning Moment?

If the older brigade are to establish dominion, perhaps the straightforward answer is Godolphin's Naval Crown who was winning the June 18 Platinum Jubilee on what seemed to be an unfavoured stand's rail having to race alone for the last two furlongs. That was also his second effort at sprinting, with a fourth in the Mar. 26 G1 Al Quoz Sprint his baptism of fire over this six-furlong trip, so there is significant upside to his profile now he is concentrated on this category. Stablemate Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) came off a neck worse on that occasion, but he had the best trip of the two and this ground is in stark contrast to that which he encountered in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. on Ascot's Champions Day.

“He's still a junior in the sprinting ranks, but one with the potential to progress even higher in the rankings,” Charlie Appleby said of Naval Crown. “Creative Force has had experience of the track and the race, which are important factors in his favour. This time, he is more seasoned and comes to the July Cup off the back of a great second in one of the most competitive Group 1 sprints seen for some time.”

 

A Decent Proposal

Eddie Lynam is one of a few trainers who has been labelled a “Sprint King” in recent times and a Group 1 win in England seems long overdue. Step forward Clipper Logistics' mare Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who relished quick ground when taking The Curragh's G1 Flying Five in September where she mastered the likes of A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}), Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}). She stays at least six furlongs, despite her recent highlights coming over shorter, and has been freshened since her return win in Naas's Listed Woodlands S. Apr. 25. Another filly in the mix is last year's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Sussex S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), who was under three-lengths ninth in the Platinum Jubilee on her first start at this trip since winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. at two.

“There is no secret she is a better horse with cut in the ground, but she is really well at the moment and we are keen to use this as a stepping stone to going back to Goodwood for the Sussex S. and the rest of the year,” trainer Andrew Balding said.

 

Another Superlative Special?

   Charlie Appleby has won four of the last six runnings of Newmarket's G2 bet365 Superlative S. and supplies another deeply promising Godolphin juvenile in the June 18 course-and-distance scorer Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a half-brother to Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy). “We were pleased with Victory Dance's debut and he has definitely come forward for the run mentally,” his trainer said. “He looks the type of horse who is going to progress physically as the season goes on, but it was always the plan to take this well-trodden route with him.”

Things may not be entirely straightforward for Moulton Paddocks this time, however, with Qatar Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Lion Of War (GB) (Roaring Lion) in attendance along with Manton Thoroughbreds' May 31 Newbury maiden winner Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). The former was the 10-length winner of a seven-furlong novice on Newcastle's Tapeta June 23, but Charlie Johnston is keeping his feet on the ground.

“You can't get carried away with the form–he has won two pretty weak contests, but the manner in which he has done it has been very impressive and we felt he was ready for a step up in class,” he said. “It is hard to know how strong it is in terms of quality, because there are three who have a very similar profile to us. We'll find out how good he is–we can dream a little if he wins.”

Ascot's G2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile provides the day's other highlight, with the May 14 G1 Lockinge S. third Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) meeting a clutch of other performers who operate at just under the top level.

Click here for the group fields.

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