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New Breeze-up Alliance Of Halpin And Davis Enjoys Early Success At Dundalk

The spotlight was cast on the burgeoning breeze-up operation of jockeys Gary Halpin and Sean Davis, best known for riding winners rather than producing them, when their graduate Song For Whoever (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) ran out an impressive winner of the opening six-furlong maiden at Dundalk on Friday evening.

Song For Whoever, who Halpin and Davis bought for €28,000 at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale last year before selling to Howson & Holdsworth Bloodstock for £42,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, was getting off the mark at the third attempt for trainer John O'Donoghue in the colours of Genesis Thoroughbreds.

Although he was consigned by Tally-Ho Stud at the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale, Song For Whoever was sourced and produced by the riders, who will be consigning under the name GS Bloodstock from their new base at Ulundi Lodge on the Curragh next year.

“Your judgment is on the line–you are telling people what you think the horses can do and it's important that they back you up,” – Gary Halpin

A delighted Halpin said on Friday evening, “We bought him at the Sportsman's Sale under Rushway Stables for €28,000. We were looking for something that could breeze and he looked sharp enough to do that. We had him on our list and Roger O'Callaghan, who we have worked closely with for a number of years, had seen him as well. It was a help that he liked him.”

He added, “I prepped him at Kevin Prendergast's yard in Friarstown on the Curragh. He was there all winter and did most of his early work while I was riding out in Kevin's and he went from there to Doncaster where he sold to Matt Holdsworth for Noel Hayes. We were very fortunate that Tally-Ho were happy to consign him for us.

“He was actually popular enough to a point at the sales. George Boughey and Mark McStay had a go on him. I think George was the underbidder and I'm pretty sure that Mark was on him for a long while as well. The right people were interested in him, thankfully.”

Halpin enjoyed his best ever season as a rider in 2016 when partnering 36 winners domestically while his biggest success came aboard the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Rocky Sky (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the Listed Salsibil S. at Naas last term.

Davis has returned to Ireland after a successful spell in Britain, where he rode 56 winners in 2019, and alongside Halpin, will continue to ride whilst preparing the breezers.

However, the name Halpin will not be seen on a racecard anytime soon, with Friday's victory proving a timely tonic for the man sidelined with a fractured jaw.

He explained, “We've 11 in at the moment but there are a few more due back to us in the next few days and we will add another one or two in January. We are looking at having around 15 2-year-olds to breeze next year.

“Sean and I will consign under GS Bloodstock next year. It's exciting. Especially now that everything is cantering and broken in, we can see them progress. Unfortunately, I'm not riding them myself at the minute because I'm out of action with a fractured jaw, but I'm getting to see plenty on the ground.

“I think we've amassed a bunch of horses who are going to get to a good level. The Inns Of Court (Ire) colt that we bought at Doncaster has had three updates since we got him. He's now a half-brother to Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who has done really well to be multiple stakes-placed for George Boughey and Highclere Thoroughbreds.

“She's one we'll be keeping a close eye on next year. Mick Fitzpatrick sold her for 115,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale in April so, all things being equal, we'd be hoping to get our own lad to the Craven safe and sound.”

On the rest of the breeze-up battalion, he added, “We've a lovely Cotai Glory (GB) colt who we gave €65,000 for at Tattersalls Ireland. He was consigned by Tally-Ho and is out of a half-sister to Fairyland (Ire). He's going to be exciting.

“We've been sent a Kodiac (GB) filly who's out of a half-sister to Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) and there's a nice Dandy Man (Ire) colt from the family of Slade Power (Ire). We've a nice bunch and there's a couple of others there as well.”

Asked how riding winners compares with producing them, Halpin said, “It's totally different. It's a different feeling altogether. Your judgment is on the line–you are telling people what you think the horses can do and it's important that they back you up. As a jockey, your judgment has to be right when you ride a horse work or ride it in a race, your feedback has to be good. This is a little bit more added pressure. It's a different sort of pressure.”

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Speed Sires In Bolger’s Plans For 2022

As he prepares his runners for the upcoming flat season, Jim Bolger is also keeping a watchful eye on his breeding stock. The master trainer may be juggling the education of his runners with the oversight of his broodmares and youngstock, but Bolger has proven mighty adept at this kind of multi-tasking in the past: as has been well-documented, Bolger breeds many of his own runners, often going back two or three generations on both the top and bottom of the pedigree. His 2021 G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. winner Poetic Flare (Ire) is by his homebred sire Dawn Approach (Ire) out of his homebred mare Maria Lee (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). He also trained Dawn Approach's sire, the Derby winner New Approach (Ire). New Approach sired Bolger's 2021 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney (Ire), who returns for a 4-year-old campaign this year. Bolger also bred Mac Swiney's damsire Teofilo (Ire) and Mac Swiney's first two dams.

It is no surprise that New Approach and Dawn Approach, as well as Bolger's “favourite sire” Teofilo (Ire), will feature prominently in his 2022 mating plans. But Bolger is also mixing in some young, fast sires to inject some speed into his families.

Bolger, who on Christmas Day celebrated his 80th birthday, explained that while he “would have a good idea” at this point as to his mating plans, he doesn't set them in stone until after his mares foal.

“Because I have access to so many stallions, and some of them we would have used in the last covering season, we're waiting to have a look at the foals first,” he said.

Looking for “speed up to a mile”, Bolger said, he will send eight mares to leading third-crop sire Mehmas (Ire) in 2022. Also fitting that bill on his list are Profitable (Ire), Galileo Gold (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Belardo (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire).

“We used to be told–though I don't hear so much about it in recent years–that when you're breeding staying horses you need to go back to speed every now and then,” Bolger said. “It may not get you a great result in the first instance, but the progeny of the progeny of the speed attempt could be capable of getting you a Classic horse. In recent years some of the owner/breeders have been sending their Oaks winners to Derby winners and they seem to be making out alright. Whether that will continue now or not, I just don't know. I suspect that sometime in the future with those sorts of families that those breeders will be going back and trying to inject some speed.”

Darley's G1 King's Stand S. winner Profitable was fourth on last year's first-season sires' table and sired three stakes winners, including the G2 Queen Mary S. scorer Quick Suzy (Ire).

“Profitable doesn't have a terribly strong pedigree himself except that he's by a very good sire and a sire of sires,” Bolger said. “He's a gorgeous horse and a very good mover, and was a very good racehorse himself.”

G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Lockinge S. winner Belardo got off to a fast start in 2020, siring four first-crop stakes winners. The Kildangan Stud resident was quieter in 2021, with just one black-type winner, but the son of Lope De Vega has started 2022 on the right note with Bellabel (Ire) winning the Listed Blue Norther S. at Santa Anita.

“He's a nice horse,” Bolger said of Belardo. “I trained some of his family and I liked them. I felt he was a horse with a chance, so much so that I bought a share in him, and I'll continue to use the share.”

Another young Kildangan stallion that will get Bolger's support this year is the four-time middle-distance Group 1 winner and 2020 world's highest-rated horse Ghaiyyath (Ire). Bolger said he has selected the son of Dubawi (Ire) based on his racecourse merits, and also to save face with Ghaiyyath's breeder.

“He's a world champion, so why wouldn't you use him?” Bolger reasoned. “Plus, if I don't use him, Dermot Weld won't talk to me again.”

Bolger will also support a pair of young Newmarket-based stallions in Time Test (GB), the sire of four first-crop stakes winners last year, and Masar (Ire), the son of his Derby winner New Approach who has his first yearlings next year. Bolger said he has earmarked a mare by Sea The Stars he purchased at the December Sales for Time Test.

“I'm doing something that I don't tend to do, and I'm going with the mob,” Bolger said. “Time Test is one of the talking horses at the moment, and he has got off to a great start, so it would seem to be not a very big risk, and he's a great-looking horse.”

Masar won the G3 Solario S. at two and was a first Derby winner in the Godolphin blue at three, in addition to winning the G3 Craven S.

“He's a very good-looking horse himself and a very good-moving horse,” Bolger said. “You don't need me to tell you about his racing achievements, but I think he's a horse that could do very well. I'm very happy to use him; I'll be guaranteed to get horses that will be effective beyond a mile.”

Bolger will send 12 mares to his former star pupil New Approach, who like his son Masar resides at Dalham Hall Stud. Bolger is responsible for breeding and training New Approach's only two multiple Group 1 winners, Dawn Approach and Mac Swiney, and Dawn Approach, who started his stud career at Kildangan, was brought back to Bolger's Redmondstown Stud last year just months before Poetic Flare recorded his Group 1 double. Despite that, Bolger said there hasn't been much outside interest in Dawn Approach, a reality that suits him just fine.

“I don't know the reason for that, but I don't mind having the sole rights, so to speak,” he said. “It suits me fine to be able to send so many mares to him.” Bolger said he is expecting 2022 to be another good year for Dawn Approach; he has 12 to 15 homebred 2-year-olds by him in the yard, as well as others for clients. “I have a nice crop by him so I'm expecting him to do well,” he said.

The same goes for Teofilo, who will get 25 Bolger mares at Kildangan.

“He's given me two Classic winners already and I'm expecting to do well with his progeny this year,” Bolger said. “I have 2-year-olds by him and some 3-year-olds that didn't get the business done at two, so I'd be looking forward to a very good year with them.”

Bolger's stallion selections for 2022 are completed by Parish Hall (Ire), Vocalised and Verbal Dexterity (Ire), who stand at Redmondstown alongside Dawn Approach and will get “a few mares each.” And given Bolger's habit of drawing the very best from his stock as both a breeder and a trainer, any of them are fair game to produce the next big horse from Coolcullen.

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Value Sires Part 5: First 3-Year-Olds

In this penultimate edition of the Value Sires Series, we look at stallions that had their first runners last year, and will therefore have their first 3-year-olds in 2022.

With the numbers for 2021 tallied, this group actually appears to be a deep one, with plenty of them having done enough to go into their second years with a legitimate shot to still make it as a sire. While the last two cohorts produced runaway leaders in Mehmas (Ire) and Night Of Thunder (Ire), this year the riches were much more spread out among a group of promising young horses.

Cotai Glory (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was leading first-season sire of 2021 by winners (35), wins (55), black-type horses (8) and earnings in Europe (£796,103), just shading the expatriated Caravaggio (Scat Daddy). The latter's four stakes winners were headed by the G1 Cheveley Park S. victress Tenebrism (Ire), and also included the G2 Debutante S. and G3 Silver Flash S.-winning and G1 Moyglare Stud S. second Agartha (Ire). Caravaggio has two more Irish-conceived crops to come; he was expatriated to Coolmore's Kentucky satellite Ashford Stud last year and will stand for $35,000 in 2022.

Overbury Stud's Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was quick to make his mark last season, and he wrapped up the year with 23 winners and two stakes winners: the G1 Middle Park S., G1 Prix Morny and G2 Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (GB), and the G3 Sirenia S. scorer Eve Lodge (GB). Ardad also had the G2 Coventry S. third Vintage Clarets (GB). It will be interesting to see how Ardad's progeny develop: he himself won the G2 Flying Childers S. at two but failed to flourish at three. His dam only ran at two but her sire, Red Clubs (Ire), was a Coventry winner who trained on to be a group winner at three and a Group 1 winner at four. Should Ardad's progeny continue their upward trajectory, the breeders who sent 138 mares to him last year at a fee of £4,000 could be handsomely rewarded at the sales. Ardad is up to £12,500 this year.

The nod for leading European-based first-season sire by stakes winners last year went to the National Stud's Time Test (GB) with four. Two of those four were group winners, but Time Test's highest-rated runner thus far is actually the group-placed Sunset Shiraz (Ire), who was placed in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., G2 Debutante S., G3 Park S. and Listed Staffordstown Stud S. last year before breaking her maiden in her seventh start. She is clearly a filly with plenty of ability, and Time Test himself, like his damsire Dansili (GB), was an excellent runner without being a Group 1 winner. A triple group winner and dual Group 1-placed, Time Test stood his first four seasons at the National Stud for £8,500, and is up to £15,000 this year.

Time Test was one of two outstanding sons of Dubawi in this cohort, the other being the Aga Khan's homebred G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud scorer Zarak (Fr). France's leading first-season sire, Zarak sired two stakes winners last year but like Time Test, his highest-earning horse is not yet a black-type winner: that is Purplepay (Fr), who was third in the G1 Criterium International last year before selling to American owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson for €2-million at Arqana's December Sale. After standing his first four seasons for €12,000, Zarak jumps to €25,000 for 2022 and is booked full. Standing for the same fee is Coolmore's Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who sired three listed winners last year. And though the four-time Group 1 winner and dual Classic winner has not yet provided a pattern-race winner, there is reason to believe there is more to come: Churchill sired more runners rated 100+ by Racing Post ratings last year (6) in this cohort, with an additional four rated 90+.

Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), as his name suggests, was fast out of the gates with his first runners last spring, and he wound up the year with three stakes winners-and two stakes placed–and 29 overall winners, headed by the G2 Queen Mary S. winner Quick Suzy (Ire). Profitable has been one of the busiest sires of this group and after dipping slightly to €10,000 last year, is up to a career-high €12,500 for 2022.

G1 Prix de la Foret victor Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was busy churning out winners last year, his 27 leaving him not far from the top of the table, and he is available for £6,000 at the National Stud. Ribchester (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) turned out a noteworthy three 'TDN Rising Stars' in his first year with runners, in addition to the Listed Doncaster S. winner Flaming Rib (Ire), and the four-time Group 1-winning miler is down to a career-low €12,500 in 2022.

VALUE PODIUM

Bronze – El Kabeir (Scat Daddy): Caravaggio wasn't the only son of Scat Daddy to jump up in this group: there was also El Kabeir, Yeomanstown Stud's American purchase who made a big early impression with three stakes winners among his 14 winners. Those were headed by the G2 Gran Criterium scorer Don Chicco (Ire), and El Kabeir also had Harrow (Ire) and Rerouting (Ire) placed respectively in the G3 Tattersalls S. and G3 Solario S. last year. Another indication of the quality of El Kabeir's stock is that he had four runners rated 100+ by RPR last year; a number bettered only by Churchill and Galileo Gold in this group. A Grade II winner at two who trained on to win a Grade III at three, El Kabeir remains at €6,000 in 2022, the same fee at which he stood last year and down slightly from the €8,000 he cost his first three years.

Silver – Galileo Gold (Ire) (Paco Boy {Ire}): In addition to his studmate Cotai Glory, Galileo Gold has provided Tally-Ho Stud with a formidable duo in this sire crop. Like Ardad and Time Test, Galileo Gold provided two group winners last year, and he, Ardad and Caravaggio were the only sires in this group to provide a Group 1 winners in their first season with runners, his being the hardy and admirable G1 Phoenix S. winner and G1 National S. third Ebro River (Ire), while the filly Oscula won the G3 Prix Six Perfections and was placed in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, G2 Rockfel S., G2 Prix du Calvados, and G3 Albany S.-those two started a noteworthy nine and 10 times, respectively, last year. Galileo Gold won the G2 Vintage S. and was third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two before winning the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. at three, and his stock look like they have the scope to train on, with five achieving RPRs of 100+ already. A close relative of the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Goldream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from the family of Montjeu (Ire), Galileo Gold stands for €7,000, having dipped to €5,000 in 2021.

Gold – Cotai Glory (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}): this year's leading first-season sire by earnings, winners, wins and black-type horses gains another plaudit by picking up the gold medal on the TDN Value Sires Podium. Cotai Glory melds influences of class and toughness, being by Exceed and Excel out of a daughter of Elusive Quality-also the broodmare sire of successful sires No Nay Never and Deep Field (Aus)-and Cotai Glory exhibited those traits himself, running 30 times across four seasons. He won black-type races in each of his first three seasons and was Group 1-placed at four and five, including when a neck second to Profitable in the G1 King's Stand S. In addition to having three runners rated 100+ by RPR, Cotai Glory has seven rated 90+, providing hope that they, like he, will train on. Cotai Glory is up to a career-high, but still highly reasonable, €8,500 for 2022.

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Oscula, Breeze Easy Added To Tattersalls December

Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}), winner of the G3 Prix Six Perfections this season and third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and Breeze Easy (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), twice listed-placed at two this year, have been added as wildcards to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and will be offered on Nov. 30. Oscula will be offered as lot 1823A by trainer George Boughey's Saffron House Stables, and Breeze Easy as lot 1888A by Ty-Derlwyn Farm.

Bought by Michael Aguiar for just 4,000gns at Book 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year, Oscula has made 10 starts this year in the Nick Bradley Racing silks, finishing off the board just twice. In addition to her aforementioned highlights, Oscula also won Epsom's Woodcote S. and was placed in the G3 Albany S., G2 Prix du Calvados and G2 Rockfel S.

Oscula is from the family of G2 Mill Reef S. winner Galeota (Ire), as well as the Group 3-winning siblings Brown Sugar (Ire) and Burnt Sugar (Ire), and this year's G2 Mill Reef S. winner Wings Of War (Ire).

Breeze Easy was a 30,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling and was pinhooked for £240,000 at Goresbridge in June. She broke her maiden going six furlongs at Carlisle in August and has since placed in York's Listed Rockingham S. on Oct. 9 and Newbury's Listed Radley S. on Oct. 23.

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