Now owned by Shadwell and a consortium of French breeders including Haras des Capucines, and Haras de Saint-Pair, the bay is managed by Capucines Bloodstock, with Eric Puerari taking point.

The 11-year-old's year was highlighted by the victory of his son Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains. That runner would go on to place third in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Since the start of the year, he is responsible for nine stakes winners, with other three other Pattern horses among in G2 Princess Of Wales's S. hero Israr (GB) and two-time graded winner Motorious (GB) and G3 Bengough S. hero Annaf (Ire).

In total, Muhaarar has sired 24 stakes winners, half of them at group level. His other Group 1 winner is G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Eshaada (GB).

He bred 124 mares at Haras des Faunes in 2023.

The post Classic Sire Muhaarar’s Fee Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The group of breeders is comprised of Jean-Pierre Dubois and several generations of his family, Haras des Capucines, Haras de Saint-Pair, and several others. Sheikha Hissa will retain half of the shares in the stallion, and the syndicate will be managed by Capucines Bloodstock, with Puerari at the helm.

A Shadwell homebred, Muhaarar was champion sprinter of 2015, when he won the G1 Commonwealth Cup, G1 July Cup, G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 British Champions Sprint S. as a 3-year-old. He began his career at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud, beginning at a fee of £30,000. He was moved to Haras des Faunes after the death of Sheikh Hamdan in a two-year arrangement.

“He started at Shadwell, and the first two years, he was so popular it was impossible to get a season,” said Puerari. But after a relatively slow start at stud, and the death of Sheikh Hamdan, Shadwell accepted an offer from Faunes. The stallion has been very hot the past two years, and after breeding 54 mares at Faunes in 2022 at a €5,000 fee, he covered 124 in 2023 at a €7,500 fee.

“Last year, he had an exceptional year and when you look at his statistics, he's boxing way above his weight for a horse who stood this year for an advertised stud fee of €7,500,” said Puerari. “Last year, he had an amazing percentage of stakes winners per runners. His numbers are very good. He's been kind of a forgotten horse.”

In 2023, Muhaarar has been represented by Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), the winner of the G1 French Guineas, who went on to be third in the G1 French Derby, and Cicero's Gift (GB) an undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' through his first three starts before missing in the G1 St. James's Palace S.

His recent top runners demonstrate his versatility. 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) was second in the GI Del Mar Oaks at nine furlongs on the turf on Friday; Run To Freedom (GB) was second in the six-furlong G1 July Cup on July 15; three days earlier, 'TDN Rising Star' Israr (GB) won the G2 Princess of Wales's S. at twice that distance; and this spring at Santa Anita, Motorius won the GIII San Simon S. at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

“He does tend to produce horses who stay, which is strange for a sprinter, because he's by Oasis Dream (GB),” said Puerari, “but when you look at Oasis Dream's pedigree, there's a lot of staying blood. We think he really fits a niche that we don't have in France in the €10,000-€15,000 range. For example, this year when Mishriff got hurt, after Intello, Galiway, Goken, and few others, there's not much. Not many people are going to travel to England and Ireland to breed for €10,000. So I think he should be very popular.”

Muhaarar will travel from Bordeaux to Normandy this coming week, where he will be available for breeders' inspection.

“He gets good-looking stock and he is himself a very good-looking horse,” he said. “He's a very well balanced horse. He's mid-sized. Very dark bay, no white. He's very handsome horse, with a beautiful head.

“We'll decide on his stud fee later. We'll wait for the end of the year and put him at a fee where people won't try to negotiate, because he'll be good value.”

The post New Partnership for Muhaarar, Who Moves to Petit Tellier appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

DEAUVILLE, France–In the week that it was confirmed that Diane Wildenstein's breeding operation Dayton Investments has been sold to the Wertheimer brothers, a Dubawi (Ire) yearling from one of the most recognisable Wildenstein families became the first seven-figure yearling in Europe this season.

When there are yearlings by Darley's flagship stallion on the market, it is often a safe bet that Sheikh Mohammed will be interested. With the Ruler of Dubai in attendance in Deauville, the day's top lot (21) was duly sold to Godolphin for €1.25 million, with the sheikh's agent Anthony Stroud at the helm for the bidding. 

The colt was bred by the partnership of Ecurie des Monceaux, David Redvers, Langlais Bloodstock and Beauregard Bloodstock, who bought his dam Pretty Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) as a three-year-old for €150,000. Though she was placed just once in her brief racing career, she is a three-parts-sister to the treble Group 1 winner Persian King (Ire), who is himself represented by his first yearlings this season. Pretty Spirit and Persian King represent five generations of Wildenstein breeding and a dynasty which includes Horse of the Year Pawneese (GB), Arc winner Peintre Celebre, and more recently the champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire).

The hammer comes down at €1,250,000 for lot 2 1 , a son of #Dubawi @DarleyEurope as @godolphin buys the beautiful colt offered by @EcurieMonceaux at the #AugustYearlingSale! pic.twitter.com/8dCB4Hgf4L

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Five of the seven Dubawi yearlings in the sale were offered within the first 39 lots on Friday and all were consigned by Monceaux. Godolphin also bought lot 17, a colt out of the G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Pollara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) from Monceaux for €550,000, while David Redvers went to €400,000 for the grandson of another Group 3 winner, Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) (lot 27). After the session ended, Redvers also privately acquired lot 5, a son of Group 3 winner Paix (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) herself a daughter of Pacifique, for €500,000. The final one to be sold during the session proper, at €390,000 to Hubie de Burgh, was the filly out of the Lope De Vega (Ire) mare Right Hand (GB) (lot 39). The Wertheimer-bred dam's half-sister Left Hand (GB) is one of Dubawi's many Group 1 winners and is the dam of this season's G3 Prix de Psyche runner-up Left Sea (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

. @godolphin goes to €550,000 to buy lot 1 7 , a son by #Dubawi @DarleyEurope consigned by @EcurieMonceaux at the #AugustYearlingSale. pic.twitter.com/rtVtgubTGO

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Talking Points

• A number of key industry figures have jetted in to Deauville for the first major yearling sale of the year in Europe. Sheikh Mohammed, John and Sue Magnier, Sheikh Joaan Al Thani and Kia Joorabchian are all in attendance, along with a number of owners from Bahrain, America and beyond. The many trainers on site include Aidan O'Brien and Yoshito Yahagi.
• As is so often the case with sales, the opening session felt a tad shaky to begin with but it soon hit its stride. The day ended with 101 sold (seven fewer than last year) for an improved clearance rate of 85.6%. At €230,842, the average was up by 29%, and the aggregate was also up, by 20% at €23,315,000.
• Wootton Bassett (GB) may have left the French stallion ranks but he has not been forgotten. Eleven members of his first Irish-conceived crop were sold in Deauville on Friday for an average of €338,182 from his 2021 fee of €100,000.
• Pinatubo was another first-season sire to make a good start with his yearlings. The first lot into the ring was a filly from La Motteraye by the Darley-based stallion and she set the tone for a hot sale when selling to Louis Dubois on behalf of Wesley Ward for €250,000. All told, Pinatubo had four yearlings sell for €960,000 at an average of €240,000 on Friday.
• Of the freshman sires on show at Arqana, Sottsass (Fr) also made a positive start, with five sold at an average of €142,400. Earthlight (Ire) had just one go through the ring, and Elevage de Tourgeville's filly (lot 101) from the family of Oaks winner Soul Sister (GB) fetched €160,000, sold to Blandford Bloodstock.
• Five members of the first crop of Hello Youmzain (Fr) were offered on Friday, and all sold at an average price of €127,000. These were led by Haras de la Perelle's filly out of the Listed winner Testa (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) (lot 94) who was bought by Peter Kavanagh of Kildaragh Stud for €210,000. It is a family that Kavanagh knows well, as her third dam is Mahalia (Ire) (Danehill), a smart runner and influential broodmare for Gerry Oldam of Citadel Stud.
• The sole Kameko yearling on the opening day of the August Sale will be off to Hong Kong eventually, having been bought by Mick Kinane on behalf of the HKJC for €310,000. Lot 42 is a half-brother to the dual Listed winner Buckaroo (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Ire}) out of the stakes-winning Galileo (Ire) mare Roheryn (Ire).

Coolmore Make Statement With €720k Wootton Bassett Colt

Wootton Bassett has gone some way in justifying Coolmore Stud's faith in him with River Tiber (Ire) winning the G2 Coventry S. for Aidan O'Brien and Bucanero Fuerte (GB) landing the G1 Phoenix S. for Amo Racing this year alone. 

The results on the racetrack carried over into the sales ring on Friday with Coolmore, from which John and Sue Magnier and their son MV were present at the back of the auditorium, going to €720,000 to secure Monceaux's (lot 118) colt by the stallion.

MV Magnier said, “He is a very nice Wootton Bassett and everybody knows that Monceaux does a brilliant job. Listen, he's a very nice horse and thankfully Wootton Bassett is absolutely flying at the moment.”

He added, “It was [a big commitment to bring Wootton Bassett to Coolmore Stud] and, thankfully, it looks like he has worked out. He keeps improving our stock and there are some very good two-year-olds by him. The future is going to be very bright for him.”

Coolmore's RIver Tiber could harden his reputation as a top-notch two-year-old in Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville, however, according to Magnier, the colt could struggle to maintain his unbeaten record after suffering an interrupted prep for the race. 

He explained, “Aidan will hopefully run River Tiber on Sunday but he missed a week two weeks ago so he is a little bit worried about how fit he is coming into the race. Hopefully, if he does run, he can run well.”

Asked about the market, Magnier added, “It's been good and Arqana does a great job in getting everybody here from America, Japan, the Middle East, Australia, Ireland, England and Europe.”

Lot 1 1 8 was sold to MV Magnier & @WhiteBirchFarm_ for €720,000 at the #AugustSale. The colt by #WoottonBassett @coolmorestud was consigned by @EcurieMonceaux. pic.twitter.com/sZLg66wNPd

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Widespread Praise For Wootton Bassett 

Wootton Bassett's popularity was borne out in the results throughout the day with top American owners snapping up an expensive colt by him, respected bloodstock agent Richard Brown declaring his love for the stallion and even Godolphin shelling out €320,000 for a colt by him. 

His first yearlings from his debut year at Coolmore Stud sold well, with 11 going for an average which was more than three times his 2021 fee of €100,000. 

One of the picks was a filly (lot 33) consigned by Haras d'Etreham, and she made her way to the Bregman Family in America for €550,000. The Bregman Family are perhaps best known in Europe for being the owners of classy juvenile No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) and are represented by bloodstock agent Mike Akers.

After signing for the most expensive filly by Wootton Bassett on the day, Akers said, “Lovely filly, very well prepped from a breeder who has been producing nice horses for a long, long time. I bought her for Alex Bregman of the Bregman Family Racing LLC. Alex is racing some nice fillies and hopes to be a significant breeder here and in the US in the future. We are very happy with what we have bought.”

Lot 3 3 , a filly by #WoottonBassett @coolmorestud was bought by Bregman Family for €550,000 at the #AugustYearlingSale. She was offered by @Haras_d_Etreham. pic.twitter.com/FjzPcotmIU

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown may not have been able to confirm who his Wootton Bassett filly would be racing for but didn't hold back in his praise for the stallion when going to €410,000 to secure lot 82 from Ballylinch Stud. 

Out of a winning Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Brown's purchase hails from a strong Wertheimer family and had the looks to match. 

Brown said, “I love the stallion and, obviously, he's having an incredible year. It's a very good pedigree and she comes from an exceptional nursery. Historically, I haven't bought a huge amount of horses from Ballylinch but it hasn't been from a lack of trying. They are a world-class nursery and do an exceptional job. Her dam is a sister to a very good filly [Silasol] and physically, I thought she was right up there with the best fillies that I have seen here. There is a very good selection of horses here. I had to stretch to get her but I am delighted to have got her.”

He added, “It looks like Wootton Bassett is going to go from strength to strength. He's one of the leading sires around so you have to take him very seriously.”

Godolphin added a Wootton Bassett to their roster in the shape of lot 6, a filly consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux who hails from the family of the brilliant Peeping Fawn (Danehill), for €320,000. 

Saint Pair's Frankel Plays Starring Role

Richard Brown was back in action later in the session but remained tight-lipped about the client on whose behalf he bid €950,000 on the colt by Frankel (GB) out of Via Pisa (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) (lot 111). 

From the signature family of Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair, the 11-year-old dam was herself a Listed winner whose dam and granddam Via Medici (Ire) and Via Milano (Fr) are both Group 3 winners. The family also includes the Japan-based stallion and Grade 1-winning miler Admire Mars (Jpn). Via Pisa's first foal, a brother to this colt, is the treble winner and Listed-placed Green Fly (Fr).

“Once you have these families it's great but of course we didn't expect that,” said Putsch. “We had fantastic vibes all through the presentation days. We were busier than ever and the amount of high-rollers looking at the horses was tremendous. I'm really very impressed.”

He added, “Today we had a rocky start and we bought back the first filly but then it got stronger and I expect it to be strong tomorrow.”

€950,000 from @BlandfordBldstk secures lot 1 1 1 , a son by Classic winner Frankel?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Frankel @JuddmonteFarms out of Listed and Gr.1-placed performer VIA PISA consigned by @saint_pair at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/GQUGBtkAnG

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Force Behind Amo Racing Ahead Of Prix Morny

Less than a week after recording a Group 1 breakthrough at the Curragh when Arqana August graduate Bucanero Fuerte (GB) landed the Phoenix S., Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing was once again flexing his muscles in the sales ring.

Things could get even better for the Amo team on Sunday when, just a few hundred yards across the road at Deauville racecourse, the operation's Royal Ascot winner Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) will bid for Group 1 honours of his own in the Prix Morny. 

Those are the stars of today but Joorabchian was busy recruiting next year's two-year-olds at Arqana alongside Robson Aguiar, who said he hopes lot 112, a Kodiac (GB) filly from Etreham who cost €430,000, is as nice as she looks.

“She will be for racing and, if she goes as nicely as she looks, I think she could be a very nice racehorse,” he said. “I have worked with a lot of Kodiacs and she looks like a good one.”

Reflecting on the fine run Amo Racing is enjoying, Aguiar added, “We try to buy a good horse. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. At the moment, it's working.”

Offered by @Haras_d_Etreham, lot 1 1 2 by #Kodiac @HoStud brought the hammer down at €430,000 in favor of Robson Aguiar at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/qSekYLV6pf

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Knight Snaps Up Sottsass Filly For New Saudi Investors

The first yearlings to sell by the Arc winner Sottsass (Fr) went down well with five selling for an average of €142,400, headed by the €300,000 daughter of prolific producer Shermeen, who was bought by Richard Knight on behalf of new Saudi investors. 

Knight described himself a big fan of Coolmore Stud's Sottsass, who stands for a fee of €25,000, and labelled lot 66 as his favourite offering by the stallion in the entire sale. 

Knight said, “I thought she was a very athletic filly and is a daughter of Sottsass and, from what I have seen from the stallion, she was my pick. The dam has been a very good broodmare and she has been bought for a new Saudi operation called Salhia Stud and she'll go back to the UK where she will be trained.”

Shermeen was multiple Group-placed herself before producing seven individual winners, including three black-type performers, the best of which was David Wachman's G1 Phoenix S. winner Sudirman (Henrythenavigator).

There could be even more from the progeny of Sottsass at the August Sale as lot 183, a colt who sells under the Coulonces banner on Saturday, has been tipped by many of the top judges to be one who could command a pretty penny.

Rose Blooms Just In Time

John O'Connor is not known for his timekeeping, but he is certainly widely regarded as one of best operators in the business, both in his role at the head of Ballylinch Stud and as a breeder in his own right. A crucial update may have been last-minute for lot 121, the Lope De Vega (Ire) filly he bred from Xaarienne (GB) (Xaar {GB}), but it could not have been more emphatic as it came right under the noses of those in town for the sale when the filly's year-older sister made an explosive debut in the Arqana Series des Pouliches at Deauville on Thursday evening.

Named Rose Bloom (Ire) and running in the colours of the China Horse Club she was however only enhancing an already strong family. Other half-siblings include the G3 Prix Six Perfections winner See The Rose (Ire) and Listed winner Xaarino (Fr), both of whom are by Kendargent (Fr).

The yearling duly sold for €460,000 just over 24 hours later and was signed for by Alex Elliott on behalf of Coolmore.  

Lot 1 2 1 , a full-sister of the Arqana Series des Pouliches winner ROSE BLOOM by #LopeDeVega @BallylinchStud was sold to @A_C_Elliott for MV Magnier. She was offered by @BallylinchStud at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/fYU3xAOsAl

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 18, 2023

Buy of the Day

Lot 40, B, C, Hello Youmzain (Fr)-Rime A Rien (GB) (Amadeus Wolf {Ire})
Vendor: Haras de Montaigu
Buyer: Longways Stables
Price: €105,000

The first yearlings by Haras d'Etreham's dual Group 1-winning sprinter Hello Youmzain have impressed at Arqana, generally exhibiting a decent action and looking fairly forward types. It will be no surprise if they catch the eye of some of the breeze-up buyers, and indeed this colt out of the proven producer and stakes-placed Rime A Rien was bought by Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell of Longways Stables. If he gallops as well as he walks he could well prove profitable back in Deauville next May, especially as his half-siblings include the G2 Sapphire S. winner Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and the Listed-placed multiple winner Nationalista (Fr) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

The post Sheikh Mohammed Jets In to Arqana for €1.25m Dubawi Colt  appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The July 16 Listed Aphrodite Fillies' S. and Aug. 14 G3 Prix Minerve victrix broke from the gates as the 6-4 favourite and employed patient tactics in rear through the midway point of this 12-furlong launchpad. Sent forward inside the last half-mile, she quickened in style to initiate her pursuit of Peripatetic (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) approaching the final furlong and bounded beyond that rival on the climb to the line for a 3/4-length success and a career high. Sea Silk Road kept on in the closing stages to finish 3 1/2 lengths further adrift in third.

“She's a typical Frankel, she stays for fun and what we've done is let her develop to allow her to do what she is doing now,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. “She stays well and, when she hit the rising ground, she quickened visibly. It was always our idea to get some more confidence into her and we missed the [Sept. 11 G1] Prix Vermeille to wait for this and then go [G1 British Champions] Fillies & Mares [at Ascot].”

Eternal Pearl is the third of four reported foals and one of two scorers from as many runners produced by Listed Prix des Lilas victrix Pearly Steph, herself a daughter of G3 Dirk Elbers-Preis winner Pearl Banks. Pearl Banks is out of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells, herself a half-sister to GI Hollywood Turf Cup-winning sire Frenchpark (GB) (Fools Holme). Pearl Banks's trio of black-type winners is completed by G1 Matron S. heroine Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and G3 Grosser Preis der Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung victrix Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). The April-foaled bay is half to a weanling colt by Belardo (Ire).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
PRINCESS ROYAL AL BASTI EQUIWORLD, DUBAI S.-G3, £80,000, Newmarket, 9-23, 3yo/up, f, 12fT, 2:31.68, gd.
1–ETERNAL PEARL (GB), 127, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Pearly Steph (Fr) (SW-Fr), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Pearl Banks (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Pearly Shells (GB), by Efisio (GB)
(700,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Haras de Saint Pair (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £45,368. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 7-4-1-1, $148,835. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Peripatetic (GB), 124, f, 3, Ulysses (Ire)–Dublino, by Lear Fan. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian. £17,200.
3–Sea Silk Road (Ire), 124, f, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Oriental Magic (Ger), by Doyen (Ire). (190,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Sunderland Holding Inc; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-William Haggas. £8,608.
Margins: 3/4, 3HF, 2. Odds: 1.50, 8.50, 2.50.
Also Ran: Poptronic (GB), Quenelle d'Or (GB), Queen Of The Skies (GB), Voodoo Queen (GB), Royal Scandal (GB).

The post Frankel Filly Pounces For Princess Royal Triumph appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

DEAUVILLE, France–Monday may have felt like Sunday in Deauville as the French observed the holy day of the Assumption of St Mary, but business continued apace at Arqana, with strength in depth to the final session hitherto unseen at the August Sale and new record figures set in all sectors.

Reworked this year so that the former select evening sessions held over the weekend with a supplementary session on Monday were all rolled into an alphabetical singular sale, the new format may have caught the odd person out but the major buyers knew to wait for a closing day which transpired to be the strongest of all three.

“Yesterday and today [Monday] have felt stronger but we need to wait until the end to analyse things properly,” observed Anthony Stroud, the leading buyer at the sale on behalf of Godolphin, who spent €5,550,000 on six yearlings. The sextet included Monday's session-topper and the fourth seven-figure lot of the sale, Ecurie des Monceaux's Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Golden Valentine (Ire) who sold for €2 million.

Indeed, proper analysis is best conducted once the auctioneer's voice has stopped ringing in the ears, but on paper at least the sale performed better with each passing day since Saturday.

Monday's average of €241,516 and median of €160,000 were the highest of the three days, as was the clearance rate of 86%. The 72 yearlings sold on Monday added just shy of €15 million to the sale's aggregate.

Over the three days turnover stood at €51,071,000 for 246 horses sold (84%), which was a new record for the sale, increasing by more than €7 million on the previous high of 2019. The sale's average of €210,025 and median of €140,000 both easily broke previous records in those sectors.

Monceaux Trio for Godolphin

Just four Dubawi (Ire) yearlings were on offer in the entire sale, of which, all bar one went the way of Godolphin. 

However, Anthony Stroud needed to fight hard for Ecurie des Monceaux's colt out of Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who topped proceedings on day three at €2,000,000 and, by close of play, was only second to the August Sale-topping brother to Sottsass (Fr) [lot 154], who was knocked down to Yoshito Yahagi at €2.1 million on Sunday.

But Monday belonged to lot 292, by Darley's legendary sire, who has already been joined by a host of his high-class sons at stud, including Ghaiyyath (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire). The members of Team Godolphin were unanimous in their admiration of the colt, with Stroud revealing that everyone who looked at him, including Charlie Appleby, were keen not to leave France without him. 

Stroud said, “He's an exceptional horse-very light on his feet. He's a Dubawi, [which is] brilliant, and we all thought he was the most lovely horse-Charlie, everyone. He was one we really wanted to get.”

It wasn't the first time that Monceaux enjoyed a major payday with a Dubawi out of Golden Valentine, either. Just 12 months ago, Oliver St Lawrence paid €750,000 for his brother, who has yet to hit the track. 

Golden Valentine won four of her seven starts for Freddy Head, including the G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville in 2016, and is from a family that is jam-packed with Group and Listed winners. As well as being a sister to Goldwaki (Ger), herself a Group 3 winner, Golden Valentine is a half-sister to Luck (Kitten's Joy), a Grade 3 winner in America this year, and two more black-type performers. The family goes back to champion and multiple Group 1-winning racemare Goldikova (Fr).

Anthony Stroud had earlier added another two yearlings to Godolphin's list of purchases for the week, also both from the draft of leading vendor Ecurie des Monceaux. 

At €600,000, he signed for lot 259, a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to dual G2 Prix de Royallieu winner The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}).

“Dubawi needs no introduction, we've done so well with him,” he reasoned. “And The Juliet Rose was a very good filly, trained by Nicolas Clement. He comes from Monceaux, which has been a nursery for a number of excellent horses, so for us he passed all our criteria, for the team that is.”

Another to have passed muster was a son of the young Darley stallion Blue Point (Ire) [lot 251], who was bought for €200,000 to make him the most expensive yearling by the freshman sire to date. The colt's half-sister Devant has already added some bold back type high up on the page by winning the G3 Prix Miesque, while further down the page the names of his Group-winning grand-dam Savoureuse Lady (GB) (Caerleon) and the brilliant Mtoto (GB) (Busted (GB}) add further substance.

Stroud was signing for Monday's sales-topper immediately after picking up lot 291, an athletic Lope De Vega (Ire) colt out of a Galileo (Ire) mare [Golden Lilas (Ire)], consigned by Haras du Cadran, for €575,000.

He said, “This is a very nice horse. He came from a very good breeder and has a lot of quality. He was a very good walker. He was very well-balanced and is out of a Galileo mare. We really like him.”

Saint Pair On Par

Fawzi Nass and Oliver St Lawrence have made a splash at the August Sale in the past and they returned to pick up one of the most expensive lots of the final session in Haras de Saint Pair's Kingman (GB) colt from the family of Almanzor (Fr). Offered as lot 249, the son of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Dardiza (Ire) is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), with his damline emanating from an Aga Khan family which has produced the treble Group 1 winner Darjina (Fr) (Zamindar).

After placing the successful bid of €800,000, St Lawrence said, “Andreas Putsch is a great breeder and we loved the horse from the very first time [we saw him]. He's going to go to William Haggas, who was here over the weekend and loved him. We've waited a bit at this sale for him to come in.”

Of the suggestions from some consignors at this early date in the yearling calendar that the sale should be held a bit later the agent continued, “It's been a very active and competitive sale. I hear there are rumours that the breeders want to cancel the August Sale but I hope that doesn't happen. I hope they keep it here as overseas owners such as Fawzi Nass wouldn't be here if it was later; I think half the Americans wouldn't be here.”

Andreas Putsch's Haras de Saint Pair, which added another group winner to its record on Sunday with the victory of Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G3 Prix Minerve, also enjoyed a good few days in the sale ring. 

Three fillies from the same family of the Classic runner-up Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) were all offered by the stud within four lots of each other, fetching €600,000, €400,000 and €150,000 respectively. 

“I think the new sale format works,” said a delighted Putsch. “We brought such nice horses that we were hoping that they would sell well but whenever you get into this sphere you can never expect it. I'm absolutely thrilled.”

He added, “The racecourse is what it's all about. We breed to race, and even if other people race them, the results on the racecourse are what it's all about.”

Kieran Lalor of Al Shira'aa Racing signed for Saint Pair's full-sister to Group 2 winner Glycon (Fr) by the late Le Havre (Ire) and said of lot 287, “I thought she was one of the nicest fillies in the sale and is out of a very good mare. She's a full-sister to a Group 2 winner and comes from a great breeder. I actually just met him for the first time and he told me I can come to see the farm any time and I'm excited about that. She comes from one of the best families there is and I have been trying to get into it for a long time. Le Havre was a very sad loss to the French breeding industry and is a stallion we used for a long time. He's obviously a very good sire of fillies so we're very excited.”

The family to which he refers is one that boasts the Group 1-winning fillies Hydrangea (Ire), Hermosa (Ire) and Tenebrism, and the two other members offered by Haras de Saint Pair include lot 284, a daughter of Frankel (GB) and Girl Friday (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}), who sold for €400,000 to Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock.

“Everyone wants Frankel,” he said. “You can never have enough of a good thing. The pedigree, the filly, I think she's relatively inexpensive given the market. We're very happy to have her. She's for a partnership and will go to Jean-Claude Rouget.”

Gordon-Watson Lands Filly From 'Best Cross'

Charlie Gordon-Watson would have won the prize for the best-dressed man at Arqana had there been such a competition but, what he really came to Deauville for was lot 247, a Frankel (GB) filly out of a mare by Dubawi (Ire), which the bloodstock agent labelled as best cross there is. 

Just as the hammer fell at €650,000, Gordon-Watson, bedecked in a suit and a bright red tie, high-fived his two children in delight after securing the Haras d'Etreham-consigned filly. 

The filly is the first foal out of Listed winner Crystal River (GB), a half-sister to Group 2 winner Secret Ambition (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), and to Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Gordon-Watson later revealed that she will be trained by either John Gosden or Andre Fabre. 

The visibly delighted agent said, “Well, the Frankel and Dubawi cross is the best. The statistics, the percentages and the Group 1 wins are phenomenal. She's a fantastic individual and is an exceptionally-good first foal who vetted very well.

“She has a very good back-pedigree, we like Frankel and he had a Group 1 and a Group 3 winner yesterday. They get better every day and he's the best there is. She'll go back to England, and then she'll either be sent to John Gosden or to Andre Fabre, or whoever we decide on later.”

Asked who the filly was for, Gordon-Watson, who often buys for Lady Bamford, replied, “Just an owner-breeder in England.”

Lady Bamford has already enjoyed notable success with Frankel as her famous maroon colours were carried by his son Dreamflight (GB) to victory for Fabre in a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud earlier this season. Multiple listed and Group 3 winner Suphala (Fr) was another high-achiever to carry the famous silks in France.

White Birch and Coolmore Back in the Fray

As the supply of yearlings by Galileo begins to dwindle it was no surprise to see the colt out of Group 3 winner High Celebrity (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) go the way of MV Magnier at €650,000.

Sold on behalf of his breeder Haras de Fresnaux by Eric Puerari's haras des Capucines, lot 297 is a full-brother to the Listed-placed Friendly Face (Fr) and will race for in partnership for the Coolmore team and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.

“They're not making them any more and thankfully we have some very good two-year-olds by Galileo,” said Magnier. “Aidan [O'Brien] is very positive about Tower Of London (Ire) and Donnacha has Proud And Regal (Ire), and we were very lucky to have been part of Galileo's success.

“This colt was a very nice horse and Mr Dubois is an unbelievably good breeder. He was a good mover and we want to make the most of the opportunities left when it comes to Galileo's young stock.”

Channel's First Foal for Bouchard

It is a rare moment when the first foal of a Classic-winning mare is offered at public auction, and when the youngster in question is a filly by one of the world's best sires she could be sure to pique the interest of breeders looking to boost their broodmare band. 

The first offspring of the 2019 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is thus bound, eventually, to join the paddocks at Jean-Louis Bouchard's fledgling operation near Reux, after being bought through Gerard Larrieu's Chantilly Bloodstock for €400,000.

“I'm so happy because five years ago I bought a stud close to Deauville, and we are starting with new mares,” Bouchard said. “This filly has everything; she walks very well and I really like her attitude. Her dam is a Classic winner and by Nathaniel, who produced an exceptional mare in Enable. She will make a very good mare and she could be a good racehorse too.”

Early into the ring on Monday evening as lot 234, the chestnut filly was presented on behalf of her breeder Samuel de Barros by La Motteraye Consignment. As well as her own Group 1 credentials, she has the advantage of owning a deep pedigree which includes her G1 Cheveley Park Stakes-winning grand-dam Magical Romance (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), Classic heroines Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}). 

MyRacehorse Enters French Yearling Market

When Arthur Hoyeau signed the ticket for lot 105, a Justify filly, for €100,000 on Saturday at the Arqana August sale, it marked a new beginning for the American-based microshare racehorse ownership group MyRacehorse in France.

MyRacehorse–which offers shares in racehorses for $100 or less–has made a splash in America with early successes like its 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic win with Audible, which saw 5,300 investors win America's biggest prize. The company says that they are approaching the number of 100,000 new owners for racing, and this week, the group will be testing the waters in the French yearling market with purchases at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

The new venture represents a partnership between Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux, bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau, and MyRacehorse. The plan is for the horses to train and race in France, with the initial shares sold to investors in America, the UK, Australia, and Ireland, as MyRacehorse is not yet licensed to offer shares in France.

“I had been approached by MyRacehorse last autumn, just as an initial contact and I said to Arthur it's a great opportunity to find a new audience for racing, which we all need and is very positive, so we decided maybe one day we could do something together,” Bozo recalled. He said the idea also intrigued him because he was interested in buying yearling fillies to race in the hopes that they would one day join the Monceaux yearling band.

“In a perfect world, exactly,” he said. “I have always been a big believer that buying yearling fillies is a great way to improve your broodmare band and you're buying fillies that you have picked as yearlings. You can pick the pedigree, you can pick the physical. What you can't pick is their racing ability, but if that happens, it's the full package and to get that at the broodmare sales is not possible.

“This year, Arthur suggested we buy a few fillies in a partnership and I said we would take a share in that partnership, and I suggested we speak with MyRacehorse because it would be a good way to simply firm up their project in France.”

The plan is for the yearling fillies to remain in France and go into training. No trainer has yet been selected.

“I find it a great idea to allow as many people as possible and as many new people to enjoy the game and to try to do it properly,” said Bozo. “If you want to try to participate in the big races as they have done in America, it's a costly sport and hobby, and to be able to offer it to so many different people in different sizes of shares and financial participation is fantastic. It's really part of what racing is—a hobby and a way for people to think about something else and to have a goal of seeing their horses race, and to get news about them. I think what racing is all about is to provide racing and fun and new things to people. It's an interesting project.”

McStay Continues To Make Hay

Mark McStay has been one of the busier agents at the August Sale, predominantly working on behalf of international owner Bon Ho, who struck for the third time when going to €410,000 for lot 237, a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-brother to Chilean (Iffraaj {GB}).

McStay, who operates under Avenue Bloodstock, also bagged colts by Dubawi (Ire) and Sea The Stars on behalf of Ho during Saturday's session. While he admitted that Ho needed to be convinced to go the extra mile to secure his latest acquisition, a dashing grey by one of the owner's favourite sires, connections were buoyed by the fact that renowned judge Michael Donohoe was the underbidder. 

Mc Stay said, “I thought the colt was very athletic. He had great presence and, while he's not an overly big horse, he has huge movement. I am a big fan of Sea The Stars and he has a fantastic pedigree–the mare has already done it before. 

“I actually remember seeing Chilean when he was in training with Martyn Meade and the two horses have a similar presence about them so there's a resemblance there. I'm delighted to get the horse because he's by a proven sire, with a proven pedigree, he vetted very well and he looks like an athlete.”

McStay added, “He came well recommended by Gwen and Lucie of La Motteraye. Mr Ho bought Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at this sale from the same farm as well. If we can get the same results, we'll be very happy. 

“I had a protracted duel with Michael Donohoe, who is an excellent judge, so hopefully we bought right. Valuations are two people's opinions and, when Eugene Daly told me who the underbidder was, it made me feel good because we did have the stretch for this horse and I really had to persuade Mr Ho to go the extra bit.”

Chilean landed a Group 3 when in training with Meade. He is out of Childa (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), a Listed winner in France who has produced three individual winners to date, with Chilean being the best. 

On plans for the colt and reflecting on the sale as a whole, McStay said, “This horse will be sent to Jane Allison in the United Kingdom to be broken in and pre-trained. Mr Ho has horses in the UK and Ireland so he'll decide where he goes when the time comes. 

“It's been a busy few days and I have bought for a number of owners, including Mr Ho, who bought three. I also got one for James Ferguson, some owners who have horses with Hugo Palmer purchased a lovely filly the other night, and I bought the half-sister to Nashwa as well. Arqana has been a lucky place for me and they look after us very well.”

How were the freshman sires received?

It's very early days in the yearling sales season but top of the pops of  the young stallions at Arqana with their first yearlings for sale was Darley's Blue Point (Ire), whose seven yearlings sold over the last three days returned an average of €132,857.

Coolmore's Magna Grecia (Ire) had two sold for an average of €112,500, and his stud-mate Ten Sovereigns (Ire) was represented by three sold for an average of €106,667.

Too Darn Hot (GB) had five sold for an average of €102,000, while the average price for Waldgeist (GB) for five sold was €95,000. Calyx (GB) had two sold for an average of €90,000; Haras d'Etreham's City Light (Fr) had one yearling catalogued which sold for €85,000, and Land Force's sole yearling sold for €30,000. 

Eric Hoyeau, President of Arqana, and Freddy Powell, Executive Director, commented at the close of trade on Monday evening, “With such great results, we are more than satisfied that the yearling sales season is off to a great start. We are extremely grateful to our vendors for entrusting us with yearlings of this quality and for adapting to the new three-day format. The entire catalogue was of exceptional quality and all the yearlings entered are qualified for the Arqana Series, which will be held for the first time next year. The return to normal compared to the last two years has allowed us to organise events that enable us to welcome our clients, who came from Japan, the United States, Europe, the Gulf, Australia, etc., and we thank them for having attended. It was a real pleasure to see everyone in Deauville and we look forward to seeing you at the beginning of September.”

The post Record Figures Across The Board as Arqana August Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“For us it is all about selection, of the matings, of culling, and trying to introduce new blood. When I read the interview with Mark Johnston that was music to my ears because that's very much our approach. The form of the dam is so important,” says Putsch, who at Arqana will be selling seven of the eight yearlings born on his sumptuous Normandy-based Haras de Saint Pair last year. 

Indeed, Putsch had outlined this strategy when interviewed in these pages five years ago. At the time he said of his early days in the breeding business, “I was breeding to sell. I tried to buy mares with good pedigrees who didn't have such good racing records. Some of their offspring sold well, so commercially it was a success, but what bothered me was that there weren't enough good results on the racecourse with those horses. Then I read Joe Estes's book which compared mares' performances and I studied all the dams of the good stallions. I decided that the way to go was to buy performance over pedigree–it's very difficult to afford both.” 

Certainly that shift in direction, which has been incorporated into the broader perspective at Haras de Saint Pair, has reaped dividends on the track, both with the graduates of the farm who race in Putsch's own colours, such as the multiple group winner Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), and with those bought by other owners. 

It is no surprise that Saint Pair, just outside Cambremer, is capable of producing top-class racehorses as the farm has a rich history rolling, like its paddocks, back to 1883. Four Arc winners have been born there, and in the 15 years in which it has been under the ownership of Putsch, the Group 1 winner Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) has been born and raised there among some other notable group winners, including Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), Waldbiene (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), Lucky Lycra (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). 

Siblings to two of those mentioned can be found in the septet which forms the Haras de Saint Pair Arqana August draft. The Kingman (GB) colt out of Dardiza (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}), lot 249, is a half-brother to the American Grade III winner Guildsman, who was also third in the G2 Coventry S. when trained by Archie Watson. It is a family with roots in the Aga Khan Studs and also features the Classic winners Almanzor (Fr) and Darjina (Fr).

A colt and a filly by Kingman's stud-mate Frankel (GB) also feature, with the son of G2 Rockfel S. winner Spain Burg (Fr) (Sageburg {Fr}) being the third horse set to sell on Sunday evening (lot 148). With the remainder of the draft being concentrated on Monday, the Frankel filly appears as lot 284 and is one of three members of the same illustrious family to pass through the ring within four lots. Bred on a cross which has been successfully advertised by Group 1 winners Nashwa (GB), Cracksman (GB) and Hungry Heart (Aus), the filly is out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Girl Friday (Fr), who was a winner at two and is a half-sister to the aforementioned G2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Glycon. Their dam Glorious Sight (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) was talented herself, as a Listed winner who was placed in both the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane. Furthermore, she is a half-sister to another talented Pivotal mare, Beauty Is Truth (Ire), a Group 2 winner who has produced the Group 1 winners Hermosa (Ire), (Hydrangea (Ire) and The United States (Ire) from her repeated matings with Galileo (Ire).

The Frankel filly will be followed through by a daughter of Wootton Bassett (lot 285), whose young winning dam Glad Eye (Fr) is by Dansili out of Glorious Sight, while the third filly from the family (287), and perhaps the draft's pièce de resistance is the full-sister to Glycon, whose sire Le Havre died earlier this year. With Glorious Sight being a Kilfrush Stud-bred descendant of the great matriarch Mill Princess (Ire) (Mill Reef), the family has been given a further boost in recent seasons by the exploits of dual Group 1 winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio) and her sister Statuette (Justify).

“The full-sister to Glycon, certainly, is a superstar,” says her proud breeder. “She will be very popular. And if you look at the pedigree update, at the mares that Coolmore have, Hydrangea has a Deep Impact and two Dubawis, and Hermosa has a No Nay Never and two Dubawis. [Their Dansili half-sister] Fire Lily has two Galileos. There aren't many families that have that sort of support. As Coolmore aren't selling, it's really almost an exclusive entry into the family.”

Putsch adds, “We have a very consistent draft, I would say. The horses are where they should be. The two colts are also very popular, they are very strong, very racy, very well developed. I'm very happy with them. They're all ready to go.”

Only one of the crop of 2021 has been retained this year at Haras de Saint Pair, for practical reasons as well as perhaps a sentimental one, for the Siyouni (Fr) filly is the final foal of another successful Singspiel mare for the stud, Via Milano (Fr), the dam of the black-type trio of Via Ravenna (Ire) (Raven's Pass), Via Medici (Ire) (Medicean {GB}) and Via Manzoni (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). The G3 Prix Lieurey winner Via Medici has subsequently been exported to Japan, where she produced the dual Group 1 winner and young Shadai stallion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).

“We have to keep the filly, because Via Milano is now retired in the paddocks. But we really bring our 'A game' to the August Sale,” Putsch says. “Because we don't know, as the buyers don't know, which ones are going to be the ones who race successfully. If I'd have known that Sicilian Defense was as good as she is, I wouldn't have sold her for, what, €30,000.

“If you look back at the figures, Saint Pair does produce a high percentage of stakes winners year after year, but obviously we don't know which ones are going to be the 20/25% of the stakes winners–and over the last four years, with four or five crops, that's what we've been producing, from small crops of on average 11 foals.”

He continues, “I think if you look at all these operations that are successful, they have a very good ratio of land to horses, and that's the key on our land. We have a strict policy of a minimum of two hectares per horse, and that allows us to rest the paddocks. All our paddocks have a minimum of six months of rest every year, and we see very few horses. We see lots of cows during the season, and empty paddocks. And I think that, in terms of management and especially parasite management, is absolutely key. I couldn't do it any other way.”

As already outlined in Saturday's TDN by Arqana's Freddy Powell, there will be no shortage of international buyers prowling the sales grounds in Deauville. Like many in the business, Putsch can see both sides of the coin when it comes to the increasing globalisation of the racing and breeding industry.

He says, “I welcome it and I am concerned. First of all, I'm not the emperor of racing and breeding so I cannot change the reality. And it's the reality of things right now that Europe has become huge. Look at it historically, I think right now in terms of quality of stock you have Europe and Japan that are leading the world. Japan has different reasons, but why Europe is so good is historically that amazing competition between Coolmore and Darley, and also Juddmonte playing this phenomenal role.”

He continues, “This gives us the stallions, on which we feast. And only because we can feast on these amazing stallions, we have superior breeding. I think really the power, in history, has always been led by stallion power. Where the top stallions are, you have the best breeding. I strongly believe in that.”

Of the sires responsible for the yearlings in the Saint Pair draft, the champion sires of France and Britain and Ireland, Siyouni and Frankel, are represented, along with the proven names of Le Havre, Kingman, and Wootton Bassett. Only one is yet to prove himself, and that is the Darley freshman Blue Point (Ire), whose filly within this consignment (lot 311) features late in the sale and is the second foal of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up and Listed winner Irish Rookie (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}).

Putsch explains, “I only use first-season sires when I really was impressed with them as a racehorse. Obviously Blue Point winning twice in the one week at Ascot, very few horses can do that. It takes a top horse to do it. And that convinced me to use Blue Point in his first season, but usually I prefer to go with proven sires.”

Returning to the theme of Europe's current glut of classy sires, he adds, “We have this situation in Europe where we breed top stock because of top stallions. But that is not a given that it will last forever, and now we have these very important breeders disappearing for age, slowly, and it's a whole new game. We also have ridiculous prize-money, and I include France in that, all over Europe. If you compare it to America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, our prize-money is a joke. And that is the big problem, because we're becoming right now a nursery for stock for international racing. I have to look at international markets to market my horses. I've got no choice. And long term that can hurt.”

With a Group/Grade 1 winner in Japan and Hong Kong advertising the strength of the merits of the Saint Pair broodmare band in no less a stallion farm than the Yoshida family's Shadai operation, Putsch can also see the benefits of this global mingling of bloodlines. 

 “It is positive as well,” he says. “We really try to get our horses in as many jurisdictions as possible. As small as we are, I very much believe in this international market, and also international racing, and again prize-money. If you look at all our races, apart from the Classics that really are for breeding, but once the Classic season is over, the best horses automatically go to the races where the most money is. I think the Japanese showed us that, they're much more progressive than we are, but Europe is catching up, America is catching up. And the championship races today are the big races internationally that have the most prize-money.”

He adds, “So it's important for me, as a breeder, to be represented at the big meetings. Everything that is outside these meetings is just lesser racing, in general, and that is an important development. If you want to be in the limelight as a breeder you have to make sure your horses compete in this kind of company.”

The post Saint Pair: A Boutique Operation With a Global Outlook appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“She's tough and improving all the time,” said winning trainer Paddy Twomey. “She enjoys her racing and does what she has to do. She's won her Group 2 now, so we'll have to try and win a Group 1. The fillies' races through the summer–the Falmouth, the Prix de Rothschild and the Matron–and maybe the [Prix de la] Foret and the [GI] Breeders Cup Mile, that sort of programme we are looking at with her. We'll target the European races before going to America.”

Pearls Galore is the fifth of seven foals and one of three stakes winners produced by G3 Dirk Elbers-Preis victrix Pearl Banks (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself out of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}). Pearly Shells, in turn, is a half-sister to GI Hollywood Turf Cup-winning sire Frenchpark (GB) (Fools Holme). The May-foaled homebred bay is a half-sister to G3 Grosser Preis der Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung victrix Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), Listed Prix des Lilas winner Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and the unraced 2-year-old colt L'Ambassadeur (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
LANWADES STUD S.-G2, €142,800, Curragh, 5-22, 4yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:39.62, gd/yl.
1–PEARLS GALORE (FR), 128, m, 5, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Pearl Banks (GB) (GSW-Ger & SW-Fr, $127,537), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Pearly Shells (GB), by Efisio (GB)
3rd Dam: Piffle (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
O/B-SCEA Haras de Saint Pair du Mont (FR); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 14-6-3-1, $426,326. *1/2 to Lucky Lycra (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), GSW-Ger & SW-Fr; and Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Emphatic Answer (Ire), 128, f, 4, No Nay Never–Ask Me Nicely (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Rectory Road Holdings Ltd, Susan Magnier & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Mrs A M O'Brien (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Sh Boom (GB), 128, m, 6, War Command–Nouvelle Lune (GB), by Fantastic Light. (52,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TAOCT; 57,000gns 3yo '19 TATMA). O-David Spratt, Sean Jones & Mrs Lynne Lyons; B-J G Davis & Star Pointe Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 2, 3/4. Odds: 0.73, 25.00, 22.00.
Also Ran: Thunder Beauty (Ire), Twilight Spinner (GB), Shahaada (Ire), Diadora (Ire). Scratched: My Holy Fox (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Invincible Spirit’s Pearls Galore Prevails at The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Trainer Paddy Twomey said, “I'd say the plan is to go for the Foret in France, as long as the ground isn't too soft. Her owners are French-based, and they might like to see her in Paris.

La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), meanwhile, will most likely be seen next in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot in mid-October. A 5 1/2-length winner of the G3 Give Thanks S. in August, the Team Valor filly beat multiple Group 1 winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by a short head in the G2 Blandford S. on Sept. 12.

“She seems in great form and has come out of the race very well,” the trainer said. “She's a filly that has progressed all year, so it was great to continue on an upward trajectory. Ascot has been the plan from the middle of the season onwards, and that very much remains the case. If the ground came up soft, it would inconvenience other horses more than her.”

The post Group 1-placed Pearls Galore Headed to Foret appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

This year's winner Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will certainly have her second-season trainer James Ferguson dreaming of the first weekend of May next year at his local course of  Newmarket. And he has good reason beyond just his filly's performance to date as there's a 1,000 Guineas winner very close up in her pedigree. Mise En Scene's dam, the unraced Gadfly (GB) (Galileo {GB})), is a half-sister to Pam Sly's 2006 winner Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

More immediately, the filly, who is now unbeaten in two starts, looks likely to try out the Rowley Mile for size this autumn as she hold entries for the G2 Rockfel S. and G1 Fillies' Mile.

“Mise En Scene has come out of her race great,” Ferguson told TDN on Monday. “I couldn't be happier with her. She is obviously very progressive. I was thrilled with how much she had come on from her first run but the way she won, it looks like there is still more to come. I think a step up to a mile, like Oisin [Murphy] said, will suit her perfectly. As for future plans, I will have to discuss it with the team but she definitely looks like a filly who could be competitive at the top level.”

Gadfly was herself bought by David Redvers for Qatar Racing from her breeder Newsells Park Stud for 375,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale and was offered again in the same ring three years later when in foal for the first time to Harbour Watch (Ire). She returned to Tweenhills under the ownership of the Gadlfy Partnership and, following her trip to France to visit Siyouni, she has stayed at home and has a yearling colt by Roaring Lion, a Zoustar (Aus) filly foal and was covered this year by Kameko.

Newsells Park Stud also played a hand in a stakes winner over the water on Sunday when Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) took his record to three wins from five starts with victory in the Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga. The 3-year-old's family also boasts a 1000 Guineas winner as Sifting Sands is a half-brother to the 2015 winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Owned by White Birch Farm, the colt was the second Tattersalls graduate to win at the Spa that week for Peter Brant's operation following the listed John's Call S. success of Serve The King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), bred by Normandie Stud from a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to G1 Coronation S. winner Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}). It's safe to say that Tattersalls will be welcoming back plenty of American buyers and their representatives following a run of stakes wins by horses sourced as yearlings in Newmarket.

Glycon Seals Grand Run For Saint Pair

In its pomp, the Grand Prix de Deauville was one of the most prestigious races in France. After it was opened up to foreign horses, the mighty Hungarian mare Kincsem triumphed in 1878 as part of her incredible tour which included victories in the Goodwood Cup two weeks earlier and then the Grossser Preis von Baden just over a fortnight after her Deauville win–this all in the days before international travel for horses was as relatively easy as it is now.

Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) did not have anywhere near so far to travel as he is part of Jean-Claude Rouget's large satellite stable in Deauville but the 5-year-old once again signalled his liking for the seaside track with a determined victory three weeks after winning the G3 Prix de Reux over course and distance.

In so doing, he continued a glorious summer for his owner/breeder Andreas Putsch of Haras de Saint Pair, who on Thursday celebrated the second consecutive Group 3 win for his Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in Ireland. The latter is a grand-daughter of Putsch's G1 Prix Vermeille winner Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}), who died in June at the age of 22.

Paying tribute when announcing the death of Pearly Shells, Putsch said, “She was the first mare who came to the farm when I bought Saint Pair in 2007 and we have built the farm around her. We shall all miss her presence here and will work hard to maintain her legacy in the future.”

That legacy and those of other carefully selected Saint Pair mares has been in evidence in the last week in particular. As well as Pearls Galore and Glycon, the latter's half-brother Glaer (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) broke his maiden in his breeder's silks at Saint Jean de Monts, while the Saint Pair-bred Amourdargent (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) won the first race on Deauville's final summer card on Sunday for Fabrice Vermeulen.

Glycon's 3-year-old half-sister Zoikes (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) is another to have made her way to America from the October Book 1 sale, having been bought by Mike Ryan for 450,000gns. She added to the clean sweep of winners-to-runners for her dam Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) when winning at Indiana Grand last month for Brendan Walsh.

Sacred Sisters

The Juddmonte mare Sacred Shield (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) is currently represented by one of the smartest juveniles in Ireland in Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who has sailed unbeaten through four starts for Ger Lyons. They include the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. and Friday's G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. at the Curragh. The following day her elder full-sister Viadera (GB) claimed further laurels for the family when winning the GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga for Chad Brown. The 5-year-old had also previously been trained by Lyons, with her three Irish victories including a listed success at Killarney. Since moving stateside last year Viadera has also won the GIII Noble Damsel S. followed by the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar last November.

A trip to Newmarket may be next for Sacred Bridge, who is being considered for the G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. on Sept. 25. Viadera meanwhile could aim to defend her title in the Matriarch before being retired to the paddocks.

Their dam was a dual winner for Sir Henry Cecil and represents a family which lit up the trainer's later years at Warren Place. Sacred Shield's half-sisters Clepsydra (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and Double Crossed (GB) (Caerleon) are respectively the dams of Sir Henry's Group 1 winners Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar) and Twice Over (GB) (Observatory).

Stars Abound

Georges Rimaud gave TDN the lowdown on the progressive stud career of Siyouni (Fr) last week but his fellow Aga Khan Studs stallion Sea The Stars (Ire), representing the operation's Irish base at Gilltown Stud, has also been in the ascendant of late. 

Of course, much more was expected of the stud career of Sea The Stars than of Siyouni when they each retired to stud, and while it would be hard for the former ever to have kept pace with his high-achieving half-brother Galileo (Ire), Sea The Stars continues to merit his place in elite company.

Following the previous week's return to the winner's enclosure for one of the most popular horses in training, his son Stradivarius (Ire), Sea The Stars has been represented this week by the G2 Tote Celebration Mile winner Lavender's Blue (Ire), who recorded her third stakes victory for her breeder Benny Andersson. That was followed later the same evening by the first stakes win at Windsor for Ali Saeed's Teona (Ire), a daughter of the G1 Pretty Polly S. victrix Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}).

On Sunday, Sundoro (Ire), a half-sister to Pinatubo (Ire), notched her second win in France for Henri-Alex Pantall, and there have been a few notable Sea The Stars juveniles emerging of late. Moyglare Stud's homebred Eclat De Lumiere became his 12th TDN Rising Star at the Curragh on Aug. 21, the same day that The Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) announced himself as a potential Classic contender with his facile victory in the G2 Solario S.

Both Siyouni and Sea The Stars have joined the illustrious trio of Frankel (GB), Galileo and Dubawi (Ire) in the top five stallions in Europe so far this season.

From Cheltenham To Deauville 

The Nathaniel (Ire) mare Burning Victory began her racing career at Deauville when trained locally by Stephane Wattel. Her debut fifth in the December of her juvenile season saw her finish not far off the winner Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) who has since gone on to bigger and better things, including clobbering Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on the line in last week's G1 Prix Jean Romanet. 

Burning Victory had beaten Grand Glory in the race to become a top-level winner, though hers came in a Grade 1 over hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival after being sold to race on for Audrey Turley and Willie Mullins. But both of Burning Victory's wins since the Triumph Hurdle have come on the Flat and she clearly relishes revisiting her homeland, as she has been successful at Lyon-Parilly as well as in last week's Handicap de la Manche on her return to Deauville. Further travel may well be likely as the 5-year-old mare is currently third-favourite for the historic Cesarewitch at Newmarket on Oct. 9.

Inspirational Women Of The Turf

On Friday, different parts of the racing world were in mourning after the loss of two young women to cancer. Nini Vascotto was based in Sydney where she was social media manager for the Australian Turf Club and had developed a particularly strong bond with the champion racemare Winx (Aus). The 44-year-old was known to many racing fans globally via her own Twitter account, on which she became an inspiration in documenting with grace and courage her ten-year struggle with breast cancer.

In Spain, the closeknit training centre at Madrid's La Zarzuela racecourse was rocked by the passing of Belgian-born Leyla Ennouni, 46, a popular figure who started training in her own right in 2016 having previously spent time working in Newmarket for Luca Cumani and as assistant to Spain's champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta.

To the friends and families of Nini and Leyla we send our deepest condolences.

A brighter note was sounded on Saturday in the result of one of Newmarket's more curious races, the Town Plate. The legendary amateur contest, which is run over 3m6f of the July Course and part of the National Stud, is believed to have been first staged in 1666.

The winner of the 351st running of the Town Plate, Rachel Rennie, had originally intended to ride in the race five years ago until a cancer diagnosis in the weeks beforehand put paid to her plans. After successful surgery, eight rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiotherapy, the 49-year-old returned to the saddle to post an emotional triumph aboard the 6-year-old Friends Don't Ask (GB).

Declaring her win to be the “culmination of the getting-back process”, Rennie intends to defend her crown in next year's race. Though she will be 50 in 2022, that is no age at all compared to one of her competitors on Saturday, Colin Moore, who is 79. The former jump jockey rode his sole winner 60 years ago.

The post The Weekly Wrap: Scene Is Set appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The post Le Havre’s Glycon Takes The Grand Prix de Deauville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post