‘We Know we are Succeeding Because John [O’Connor] is Laughing at us Less’

They have reached dizzy heights as breeders and now Gillian and Vimal Khosla are concentrating on achieving big-race success as owners with Fennela (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of their outstanding broodmare Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}), in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

The Khoslas know a thing or two about breeding top-notchers. Green Room is the dam of three Group 1 or Classic winners and the owner-breeders behind the 20-year-old blue hen are hoping there is still more to come. 

Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) was the first horse to put Green Room in lights. A high-class 2-year-old, he then went on to win the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly in 2009 before retiring to stud the following season. 

Then came Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who fetched €680,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2013 before going on to land the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore Stud. 

The Green Room secret was well and truly out by the time MV Magnier was forced to spend €900,000 on Together Forever's younger sister, Forever Together, at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2016. 

But it proved money well spent when, ridden by Donnacha O'Brien, Forever Together romped to Oaks glory at Epsom, again trained by Aidan O'Brien. 

Put mildly, Green Room has an outstanding track record of producing top-class racehorses and in Fennela, the only filly the Khoslas have kept out of their superstar broodmare, they are hoping that pedigree can shine through again at the Curragh on Saturday.

“The form says no but, as an owner and breeder, you couldn't do it without having hope and optimism, so we're optimistic about Saturday,” said Vimal with a heavy dollop of realism at Leopardstown on Thursday.

The Khoslas were back at Leopardstown for the first time in over two years on Thursday. It was an important visit, too, as they once again sponsored the G3 Green Room Meld S., and handed over the trophy to Jim and Jackie Bolger after Boundless Ocean (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) ran out an impressive winner.

The husband-and-wife owner-breeders will be hoping that the roles will be reversed on Saturday and that they will be collecting a trophy after the Irish Oaks but are by no means underestimating the task at hand. 

“We think she might want a mile-and-six-furlongs in time and she's only three so she may even do better next year. It's exciting to be a part of such a brilliant race and we're hopeful of a good run. Every position she finishes better than last will be a bonus.”

Asked to compare how the build-up to a Classic compares as an owner to a breeder, he added, “They're two totally different animals. I have never won a Group 1 and I would love to win one as an owner. I would feel like I have arrived if we managed to win the Oaks.”

The Khoslas made their fortune in the travel business and, with Green Room, they have been on the journey of a lifetime. 

On their star mare, Gillian said, “Green Room has a colt foal by Waldgeist (GB). It's obviously his first crop so that will be exciting. She's extremely well-looked after by everyone down in Ballylinch Stud–there were pictures taken of her recently and she still looks amazing at the age of 20. She had a couple of years off so the Waldgeist colt is all she has coming through.”

Asked why they chose to set up their breeding and racing enterprise in Ireland, she responded, “It's part of the culture over here. It's very professional but it's also very warm and comforting and people are happy to share. We've learned so much, particularly in Ireland.”

The Khoslas are learning from the best. Their seven-strong broodmare band is based at Ballylinch Stud, of which, John O'Connor has been a massive help to the couple, while Jessica Harrington has produced the goods on the track. 

“It has all happened by accident,” Vimal explains. “I bought a filly called Polly Perkins (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) back in 2004. She had won two listed races when I bought her and was shaping up to be something special but she damaged a stifle during the winter and couldn't race again. 

“I hadn't a clue about racing at the time, had only been involved in the sport a few years but someone recommended that we breed from her. She did well as a broodmare and we actually kept one of her fillies and had our first foal from her this year.”

The Khoslas describe Ballylinch Stud, based in the picturesque countryside of County Kilkenny, as an idyllic place for their broodmares to be based and O'Connor's expertise and knowledge about breeding comes in for special recognition from Gillian.

She said, “Particularly the expertise of John O'Connor and all the team at Ballylinch, the knowledge they have about breeding, and they are so good at sharing it.”

Vimal is in agreement, and adds, “John is a wonderful teacher. Of course, we take for granted that he is a wonderful horseman with tremendous knowledge but he is very generous with his knowledge and is a wonderful teacher. We wanted to learn the business and he has taught us and continues to teach us to this day. That's the main thing.”

There are plenty of wealthy businessmen and women who get involved in racing purely for the entertainment factor that goes with a good day out at the races. Not the Khoslas. They have adopted a hands-on approach to their operation and it's working.

Vimal joked, “We know we are succeeding because John is laughing at us less and less. I used to send all the mating plans to John and he'd fall around the place laughing. He would do it very kindly I must say,” to which Gillian admitted, “We still go a big rogue sometimes.”

Asked to explain, Vimal said, “We bought a Sea The Stars (Ire) mare called Compostela (GB) a few years ago. She never raced, but is a tank of a filly, and so far she has bred a Group 3 winner [Stela Star (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus})] and her other two foals of racing age have won as well. She's on the up.

“We like being quirky with sense. We're not into mini-skirts or fashion and don't pick a stallion because he's in fashion. We chose a stallion and a mare if we think we can breed something decent.

“In the early days, we went for first-season sires and made a lot of mistakes. Shamardal worked for a lot of people. He didn't work for us. The same with Duke Of Marmalade (Ire). He worked for a lot of people and was a tremendous racehorse but he just didn't work for us. 

“We went for them because the fees were relatively low, but also because they were tremendous racehorses on the track. But, you learn.”

The Khoslas have learned alright. Now it's over to Fennela to teach her rivals a thing or two on Saturday and continue the trend of Green Room's progeny hitting the heights on the racecourse. 

The post ‘We Know we are Succeeding Because John [O’Connor] is Laughing at us Less’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Goffs Orby Catalogue Anchored by Sea The Stars Filly

The catalogue for the Goffs Orby Sale, which includes a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to a trio of Group 1 winners out of Theatrical (Ire) mare Green Room (lot 176), is now online. Numerous blue-blooded pedigrees make up the two-day sale, with 474 yearlings set to go under the hammer on Sept. 29-30. Sunday’s G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is a €175,000 graduate of the Orby Sale.

Ballylinch Stud will offer the 12th foal of the unraced Green Room, whose 2018 Galileo (Ire) filly Espania (Ire) topped the 2019 Goffs Orby Sale at €3 million. Espania is a full-sister to G1 Investec Oaks heroine and €900,000 yearling Forever Together (Ire); €680,000 Goffs Orby yearling and G1 Dubai Fillies Mile heroine Together Forever (Ire); the SP Do You Love Me (Ire)-an €3.2 million purchase and the top lot at the 2018 Goffs Orby Sale; and a half-sister to G1 Prix Jean Prat hero and sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown). Green Room has already produced the €1.1 million Goffs Orby graduate Signe (Ire) to the cover of Sea The Stars.

Perennial champion sire Galileo (Ire) is represented by eight yearlings, including; The Castlebridge Consignment’s lot 237, a son of GI E. P. Taylor S. heroine Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}); a filly (lot 305) out of G1 Ascot Vale S. victress Nechita (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) from the Baroda Stud draft; a 3/4 sister to G1 Irish Derby winner Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 311) from Manister House Stud; MGSW and GI Gamely S. runner-up Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB})’s daughter (lot 357) from the Barronstown Stud draft; Oaks Farm Stables’ lot 306, a filly out of GSP Nell Gwyn (Ire) (Danehill), herself a full-sister to European Champion 3-Year-Old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill); lot 122, a filly from The Castlebridge Consignment out of MSW & MGSP Easton Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}); another from Castlebridge, a filly (lot 42) out of MGSW & MGSP Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}); and finally lot 16, a colt offered by Islanmore Stud, the third foal from MSW & GSP Alive Alive Oh (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}).

A single yearling by Dubawi is part of the Staffordstown draft as lot 17, a colt out of French MSW All At Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whose second dam is German Champion Older Mare Albanova (GB) (Alzao); while among Dark Angel’s 20 yearlings is the second foal out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Jet Setting (Ire) (lot 211) from Baroda Stud. Abbeville Stud brings a son of Exceed And Excel (Aus) (lot 92) out of Italian Group 3 winner Cottonmouth (Ire) (Noverre), who has already foaled Italian Champion Older Horse and MG1SW Dylan Mouth (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})’s Frankel (GB) half-brother is offered by Baroda Stud as lot 458, and they are also the consignor of note for a Kingman (GB) half-brother to 2020 G1 Henkel Preis de Diana heroine Miss Yoda (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) (lot 291). Camas Park Stud’s draft contains a full-brother to European champion and young sire Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) (lot 388). G1 Coronation S. victress Maids Causeway (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) is represented by a Showcasing filly (lot 267) for Ballyhane. The bay is a half-sister to MGSW Elizabeth Way (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

In 2019, the Goffs Orby Sale grosses ¥42,927,500 for 364 sold of 429 offered. The average was €117,933 and the median was €65,000. Topping proceedings over the two-day stand was the aforementioned Espania (Ire), who sold for €3 million to M V Magnier/Westerberg from the draft of Ballylinch Stud. Allthough unraced, holds an entry for the Sept. 13 G1 Moyglare Stud S.

A full preview of the Orby Sale will be conducted after the Aug. 12-13 Goffs Land Rover Sale at Kildare Paddocks with online bidding and strict social distancing protocols in place. The Land Rover Sale is the first sale in Ireland since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and Goffs is working closely with Horse Racing Ireland to ensure that the protocols in place mirror those on Irish racecourses. Goffs is committed to delivering the best marketplace possible given the current situation, with further announcements in connection to the Orby Sale and Oct. 29-30 Sportsman’s Sale in the future.

“In the first instance we want to thank the many Irish breeders and consignors who have overwhelmingly maintained their support of the Orby Sale with drafts of quality and depth leading to another selection of pedigrees and physical specimens that simply fills us with enormous pride,” said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “On visit after social distanced visit to stud farms across the land the Goffs inspection team have been supported by colts and fillies of true quality that would make the grade with ease into any other premier sale.

“These are especially challenging times and Auction Houses are having to be more adaptable than ever in terms of dates and locations. However, as we have demonstrated in recent months, Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls will consider every option to serve the industry as best we are able, putting our usual competitive natures to one side for the greater good. To that end I have agreed with Edmond Mahony at Tattersalls that we will meet following the forthcoming store sales to discuss the autumn sales programmes of Goffs and Tattersalls, and the options that exist.

“With specific reference to the Orby and Sportsman’s Sales we will continue to monitor the situation and look at any and all options as matters evolve but we would reiterate that the modern day Goffs was set up to provide a world class sales facility in Ireland specifically for the Irish breeder. That said at the same time we have a superb sales complex in the UK so we have options to serve the industry on both sides of The Irish Sea and will make a timely decision in the best interests of all our valued vendors when we have weighed up the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative against the backdrop of a situation that is literally changing by the day. However we feel it would be imprudent to rush in to any finite decisions beyond this week at this stage and we would ask for calm heads together with the continued support of our loyal clients as by working together we can deliver the best results for the world class Irish horses so sought after around the world.”

The post Goffs Orby Catalogue Anchored by Sea The Stars Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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