Seven Days: All The Young Dudes

We're starting to feel a little long in the tooth in this corner. The racing equivalent to the observation about policemen looking young these days now applies to the weighing-room, and on Saturday one young gun after another came out with a performance that would entitle them to be considered the next big thing. 

Benoit de la Sayette has already achieved plenty in his nascent career. Now 20, he had his first ride in November 2020 and became the first apprentice attached to John Gosden's stable in almost 30 years. 

On Saturday he won the Lincoln for the second time in three years aboard the David Menuisier-trained top weight Migration (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}). Last October, de la Sayette was crowned champion apprentice, a title that could probably have been his a year earlier if he had not been banned for six months after testing positive for cocaine not long after his first Lincoln victory on Haqeeqy (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Chasing him up in last year's apprentice race was Harry Davies, who has just turned 18 and is attached to the powerful Kinsgclere academy which has produced so many good apprentices over the years. Currently on 70 winners, it won't be long before Davies loses his 3lb claim and, as he demonstrated nicely on Saturday evening, he's every bit as good without it. Charlie Appleby was swift to notice Davies's talents and has used the young jockey with some frequency, including in the Cardinal Conditions S. at Chelmsford, in which he was unable to claim but still got the job done nicely to win aboard Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who heads next to a Classic trial.

While Davies was wintering in Bahrain then preserving what's left of his claim, a new name came to the fore on the all-weather circuit: Billy Loughnane. Now with 42 wins to his credit, 36 of which have come this year, the youngster only turned 17 last month and is currently lying in third in the overall jockeys' standings. Returned from a stint riding in America, he won the first turf race of the season, the Brocklesby S., in which he too was unable to use his claim. 

Loughnane's winning mount, Doddie's Impact (GB), is named after the late rugby star Doddie Weir, who died from motor neurone disease (MND) last November. The son of Pearl Secret (GB) was bred by Ciaran and Nicola Paterson and was bought for £6,000 as a yearling by his trainer Robyn Brisland, who is now dreaming of Royal Ascot.

Cross Channel Racing, which owns Doddie's Impact, has pledged 50% of his prize-money and any sale proceeds to the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation which raises funds towards vital research into MND. There will be plenty of people willing this colt to keep winning.

Honourable mentions must also go to apprentices Jonny Peate, who won the Lincoln consolation race, the Spring Mile, on Harswell Duke (GB) (Garswood {GB}), and to Connor Planas, who landed both divisions of the apprentice handicap at Doncaster in a rare Flat double for Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell. 

Hold That Thought

In the centenary year of the Wildenstein family's racing and breeding operation, a Classic winner would certainly be fitting, and there would arguably be no race more appropriate for Diane Wildenstein to win than the Prix de Diane. 

The owner-breeder, who races under the name of Ballymore Thoroughbred, is currently in pole position for the 'French Oaks', with her unbeaten filly Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who progressed from her facile victory in the Listed Prix Rose de Mai to take Saturday's G3 Prix Penelope with similar ease. 

Pensee Du Jour's family has already been represented by a winner of the Prix de Diane in the 1976 victrix Pawneese (Ire) (Carvin {Fr}), who also won the Penelope en route to victories in the Oaks at Epsom and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.  in her sensational season for Angel Penna Sr. Pawneese was a half-sister to Pensee Du Jour's third dam, the Group 3 winner Petroleuse (Fr) (Habitat). The celebrated dynasty also includes the Arc winner Peintre Celebre (Nureyev) and star stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who is a great grandson of Pawneese. 

Brazen Doncaster Double 

Sunday's results at Leopardstown had a largely familiar feel to them with Aidan O'Brien winning both Guineas trials courtesy of Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Never Ending Story (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). 

At Doncaster on the first day of the British turf season, results were more evenly spread with some notable results for smaller stables and less-heralded stallions.

Australian sprinter Brazen Beau (Aus) hasn't stood in the northern hemisphere since 2019, but fillies from his second and third crops, Vadream (GB) and Astral Beau (GB), gave him a stakes double. The former, who has also won the G3 Bengough S. at Ascot, was the comfortable winner of the Listed Cambridge Trophy in her preferred muddy conditions for Charlie Fellowes, while Astral Beau took a major step forward to notch her first stakes victory in the Listed Doncaster Mile for trainer/breeder Pam Sly.

The Sly family has enjoyed much success with Astral Beau's family. Her grand-dam Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) pulled off a famous triumph in the 1,000 Guineas 17 years ago and has produced five winners, including Asteroidea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the dam of Astral Beau, and Specialty (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), whose daughter Eileendover (GB) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) won a Listed bumper and later scored on the Flat at Newmarket.

The trainer now plans to return to Newmarket's Guineas meeting, with the aim of running Astral Beau in the G2 Dahlia S.

Birch Flying

Cheveley Park Stud, who were once more celebrating victory at the Cheltenham Festival last month, will be turning their attention towards the Flat even though a few juicy jumping targets remain this season. 

With the treble Group 1 winner Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set to headline this year's Flat team, several colts bred by the stud got the ball rolling in other owners' colours. Arguably most pleasing of all for the Cheveley Park team was the victory of White Birch (GB), who provided his sire Ulysses (Ire) with back-to-back winners of the G3 Ballysax S. after Piz Badile (Ire) last year. 

White Birch, who really should be owned by Peter Brant, is out of the 98-rated Dutch Art (GB) mare Diagnostic (GB). He made his first two starts in the colours of his trainer John Joseph Murphy until being sold privately to race for Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.

Another grey colt from the same Cheveley Park Stud crop, Theoryofeverything (GB) Frankel {GB}), made a striking debut on Sunday when winning a Doncaster novice race by six lengths in ground that had dried overnight from heavy to soft.

Now owned by Prince AA Faisal, Theoryofeverything had a yearling price tag of 325,000gns, reflecting his breeding. His dam Persuasive (Ire (Dark Angel {Ire}) won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and her Dubawi (Ire) juvenile colt is now with Godolphin, having fetched 1 million gns at last year's October Sale.

Amazing Both Sides of the Atlantic

There was a Franco-German one-three in Saturday's GIII Orchid S. at Gulfstream when French ex-pat Christophe Clement saddled Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) to win on her American debut, with fellow German-bred and stable-mate Atomic Blonde (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) in third.

Both mares went through the ring at Arqana last December, when Dr Christoph Berglar's homebred Amazing Grace sold to Moyglare Stud for €850,000 and a private sale of €340,000 was agreed for The Atomic Blonde. Breeder Michaela Faust, who owns Gestut Karlshof with husband Bruno, has retained part-ownership of the latter and now races the Italian Group 3 winner with West Point Thoroughbreds and Heather Winter. Incidentally, Amazing Grace and The Atomic Blonde had filled the same two places when racing against each other in last year's G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden. 

The winner wasn't the only high-profile purchase for Moyglare Stud at Arqana last year. Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), winner of the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and runner-up to Clement's Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, has also now joined the Clement barn to race for Moyglare's Eva Maria Bucher-Haefner.

Closer to home, the Irish-based, Swiss-owned operation can look forward to the return of last year's Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in Wednesday's Heritage S. at Leopardstown.

Starstruck by Mr Hollywood

Germany placed itself on the TDN Rising Stars list early for the season when the glitzily-named Mr Hollywood (Ger) was pushed out with just hands and heels by Leon Wolff to win on debut for Henk Grewe at Mulheim. 

There was a lot to like about the race. Firstly, who doesn't love a flag start on the Flat? Far better than the angst of starting stalls. And Mr Hollywood, as pointed out by Tom Frary, did indeed add some movie star sparkle to a grey day in Mulheim. 

His sire Iquitos (Ger), who signed off from his racing career at the age of six with victory in the Grosser Preis von Bayern to add to his two previous Group 1 wins, is a son of Adlerflug (Ger), the stallion who sadly died just as the rest of Europe suddenly realised he was really rather good. The only other Adlerflug sire remaining in Germany is the more widely known Torquator Tasso (Ger), now in his first season at Gestut Auenquelle.

Iquitos stood for two seasons at Gestut Ammerland before moving last year to Gestut Graditz, south of Berlin, where he covers for €5,000. Mr Hollywood was the first of only five foals born in his debut crop. The following year that number dropped to two, and he had 13 registered foals last year. It's fair to say that Iquitos has not exactly been well supported in his stud career to date. Perhaps Mr Hollywood might prompt a rush of late bookings this season. 

Let's Get Quizzical

Two members of the TDN Europe team were lured to Co Carlow last week to take part in the the Mark O'Hanlon Memorial Racing and Breeding Quiz at the famous Lord Bagenal Inn.

The last time this quiz had taken part in 2020 was just before the Covid shutters came down on the world. One can normally expect to find Willie Mullins on a team in his local, and it can only be presumed that his absence this time around was as a result of the lingering embarrassment at having answered one of the questions about himself incorrectly three years ago. 

There was no such shame for the trainers in attendance last week. Richard Fahey remembered that he had trained 235 winners in 2015, Pat Fahey was able to name his winner of the November Handicap, and Joseph O'Brien recalled the name of his brother's first Classic winner, guiding his team of JJ Slevin, Kevin Blake and Mark Hackett into a dead-heat for second with Luke Barry, Nancy Sexton, Brian Sheerin and myself. 

I had hoped to sign up a ringer when I saw Ryan Moore waiting in the queue for my flight to Dublin. I swiftly thought the better of it as I passed him by and could have sworn that I saw his look of vague recognition change in a heartbeat to one of horror at the thought that he might have to spend the flight sitting next to an annoying member of the Fourth Estate. 

Fortunately for Moore, our seats were far apart. He disembarked to go and do what he does best, and rode a winner at Navan that afternoon. I headed to Leighlinbridge and followed that time-honoured tradition observed by racing journalists of starting an argument in a pub quiz and staying up drinking into the early hours. We all have our calling. 

A brave person might say that quiz organiser Joe Foley is something of a control enthusiast. His own version of 'the umpire's decision is final' was read out at the start and went along the lines of 'the answers are the answers even if they are wrong'. A few bold quizzers approached the front desk to challenge Foley through the evening but were swiftly sent packing, and almost certainly docked several points for the audacity of the challenge.

I'm not usually a favourite-backer, but the identity of the winning team was never really in doubt. The unimpeachable Ryan McElligott, who had turned down several large bungs to jump ship, lifted the trophy along with Bobby and Mouse O'Ryan and Ger Connelly.

Richard Fahey was less fortunate than Ryan Moore when he was obliged to share his breakfast table the next morning with two journalists and the indefatigable Foley, who had presumably overseen at least three covers at Ballyhane Stud across the road before returning to the Lord Bagenal.

Foley spent much of breakfast looking at videos of various horses on Fahey's phone. The words “rocket” and “Queen Mary filly” were uttered in hushed tones and when an enquiry as to the identity of this speedball was issued, the stallion master wasted no time in replying with a grin, “She's by Soldier's Call”.

Fahey rashly promised to allow the TDN to visit his yard, but only on the proviso that I muck out ten boxes before being granted an interview. Happily, along with arguing in pub quizzes, mucking out is one activity at which I'm fairly proficient. In the coming weeks, I'll head to Yorkshire, pitchfork in hand, with the aim of extracting the name of this year's Queen Mary winner.

The post Seven Days: All The Young Dudes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Whirlwind Year for Davies Ends with Winter in Bahrain

SAKHIR, Bahrain–It has been a big year for Harry Davies. Having made his first appearance under rules aboard Battered (GB) for Hugo Palmer at Southwell on January 11, Britain's fastest-rising apprentice is currently engaged in his first overseas riding job at the Bahrain Turf Club, where he is working for leading trainer Allan Smith. 

In the weighing-room, Davies is as fresh-faced as they come, but then that's no surprise as he is still only 17. In conversation, however, he has the maturity and quiet confidence of someone twice his age. That too should perhaps not be surprising. Though Davies was only granted his licence a year ago, he is no stranger to work-riding or race-riding. 

He started out at the tender age of 10, a mere slip of a boy using his innate skill rather than strength on Newmarket Heath while riding out for Hugo Palmer, to whom his mother Angie Shea is assistant trainer. From that precocious start, he was twice crowned pony racing champion in the UK, and was then taken under the wing of Andrew and Annalisa Balding at the fabled Kingsclere academy which has been so instrumental in the nascent careers of current champion jockey William Buick and former treble champion jockey Oisin Murphy, among others. 

As the 2022 season rumbled into gear in Britain it wasn't long before trainers started muttering Davies's name in quiet awe and swiftly booking him for rides as his claim dropped from seven to five to three faster that you can say future champion jockey. 

On a coffee break after riding work for Smith on the eve of Bahrain's biggest race day on Friday, Davies explains his presence at Sakhir racecourse. He says, “The plan was just to come away for the winter, to save my claim, get a little bit of experience elsewhere and just learn as much as I can really. The plan was originally to go to Australia, however that fell through with my visa as I'm only 17. But Bahrain accepted me and I'm very thankful to Shaikh Isa and to Mr Smith for taking me on over here and giving me some nice opportunities. I've learned a lot, they're great people and I'm really enjoying it.”

By the opening day of the turf season back at home last March, Davies was given the leg-up from Charlie Appleby in the Godolphin blue silks to ride Modern News (GB) in the Lincoln, and by May, when he was closing in on 20 winners, he was already being talked about as a champion apprentice contender. In fact, the championship went to his chief rival, Benoit de la Sayette, who was apprenticed to John and Thady Gosden, but Davies has to date ridden 67 winners in Britain in a year he won't forget in a hurry and which included riding in the royal colours of her late Majesty the Queen.

“I love nothing more than race riding,” he says. “To have the first year I had was unbelievable really and I never expected it to go how it did. And hats off to Benoit, he's a fantastic young rider who's very, very talented and it was just great to have that competition there. I enjoyed every minute of it, even though it was very stressful along the way. But I learned so much, not just about race riding, but about myself this year, and I can't wait to go again when I start riding again, probably in late March.”

With just 27 wins permitted before he loses his claim, Davies is being wisely guarded by his boss and is full of praise for the Balding team as well as Hugo Palmer, who played such a key role in his formative years. Though the young jockey is not in contact with his father, the former champion apprentice Stephen Davies, he has also been able to lean on sterling help from both his mother and stepfather Phil Shea, who is also his agent.

“I grew up on a horse essentially,” he recalls. “It was all I ever did as a kid, just ride ponies and horses. In Newmarket I started riding out for Mr Palmer before school and he gave me a lot of fantastic opportunities. Then I started riding out for my boss, Mr Balding, when I was probably 12 or 13 in the summer holidays. I'd go there for a couple of weeks at a time and get to know the crew there and I absolutely loved it at Kingsclere. I got my grades in school and left when I had just turned 16. I started living in the [Kingsclere] hostel and made some great friends and never really looked back.”

He continues, “We had a great conversation just before I came out here about using the rest of my claim to the best of its worth, and the vision is very much to get experience. In a sense it's half a working holiday. You've got the sunshine, it's a completely different way of training and riding here, and it's a nice change of scenery for me.

“I've been here for a few weeks now and from what I've done so far, I've absolutely loved it, but it's very important that I get back on the yard, get to know the young horses for next season and spend some time with the guys in the yard. That's very important, so I'll be heading back home in mid-December.”

Prior to that, Davies, who has had two rides so far for Smith and will partner the Aga Khan-bred Rayounpour (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) for him in the Batelco Cup on Friday, will make the most of the opportunities that his sojourn offers, including riding alongside Paul Hanagan, who is another to be wintering in Bahrain. 

The former champion jockey was uncharacteristically punchy in his criticism of some of the riding on display at tracks in Britain in an interview earlier this season, which may or may not be in Davies's mind when he says, “The older jockeys are always there to mould you as a jockey because they can see that you're going to be in the weighing-room for a while and it's important to teach you along the way. So that's great when you get that. The weighing-room is a very busy place, but sometimes it can be quite lonely as well, and you find a lot of things out about yourself along the way. 

“I've only had two rides here and I've loved it really. It's just been great to see the different culture, because in England [the racing] is every single day and it never stops. So when one day's racing is done, you're immediately looking at tomorrow's meeting and don't have much time to reflect. And that's what I've done since I've been here, trying to reflect on the season and trying to improve myself, not only as a jockey, but as a person really. I think that the quieter time has been very good for me.”

Davies's words, uttered at such a relatively young age, call to mind Rudyard Kipling's rather more famous words: 'If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs'. He has already proved that he has a cool and calculating head when it comes to race-riding. Facing the pressures that will surely come with his mounting fame will be a challenge of a different sort, but Davies appears to be in the best hands to help him with that along the way, not least his own.

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‘Dream Come True’: Two-Time Pony Racing Champion Harry Davies Enjoys Flying Start To Professional Jockey Career

Berkshire-based Harry Davies has had a flying start to his career as a jockey, at just 17-years-old he took two wins from four rides in his first week of riding against the professionals.

No stranger to success, Davies previously achieved 28 wins on the Pony Racing circuit and was crowned winner of the Charles Owen Racecourse Series in 2018 and 2019. Now he has moved up into the horse racing ranks and has quickly proven his immense talent.

He had his first ride at Southwell on Jan. 11 and quickly bounced back from his sixth position finish to find a winner a Lingfield with Coolagh Magic in the same week. Not resting on his laurels of enjoying his maiden win, Davies secured another victory three days later at Wolverhampton.

Speaking on his first win, Davies said: “I thought on the day the horse had a chance of going close. My instructions were to come late and thought I had left it too late, but he did it. When I pulled up, I thought I'd won but I wasn't completely sure, I just had to get back in one piece and wait for the tannoy. It was a really great atmosphere on the day and it was nice to have my mum and step-dad there.”

The two-time Pony Racing champion appears destined for success, coming from strong racing roots combined with his own passion and determination. His father Stephen was Champion Apprentice jockey in 1994 while working for the great Sir Henry Cecil's yard and his mother Angie works as assistant trainer at Palmer's Newmarket stable.

The 17-year-old now rides at the famed Andrew Balding stable, Kingsclere, that has been integral in launching the career of racing stars such as Oisin Murphy, William Buick and David Probert, but none of these top flat jockeys can say they had their first win from only their second ride.

Davies continued: “Training is going really well, the whole team is so supportive, and Andrew [Balding] is very easy to work for. He understands my goals and what I want to achieve as well as what we want to achieve together. Even if I don't ride a winner that day, I'll come back and the other lads are there to lend a helping hand.

“I first started coming to Andrew's [Balding] at 12-years-old and try to show my face whenever I could, I would try to come down in the summer holiday and I really devoted all my time to being at Kingsclere. In my final year of pony racing I'd ridden out for Andrew a few times and I was ready to make the move [to horse racing].

Commenting on making the step up, Davies added: “One of the differences from pony racing is that the professionals are harder to race against. You have to race a lot tighter, have to be sharper and on your toes. You have to prepare by watching racing as much as can when you're not racing, really watch and pick it apart. Watch the top riders and think, why are they doing that? And try to learn. You can't overthink when you're in the [race] situation, you need to go with your gut and trust yourself.”

Davies will still ride with a 7lb allowance for his next 18 winners but has made an impressive start to his apprentice jockey career.

He returned to Lingfield on Saturday for the inaugural Winter Million where he raced against top jockeys such as Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle.

Davies added: “They [Marquand and Doyle] are both obviously massive figures in the racing world. They both came from pony racing as well and they are where I want to be.

“Racing against them is great because you can learn so much. I saw Tom in the weighing room the other day and asked him to watch a race back with me and I learnt so much- it's a dream come true.”

Davies will look to continue his outstanding start to life against the pros, which equates to two wins from seven rides, on Wednesday at Kempton Park in the Unibet Extra Place Offers Every Day Fillies' Handicap (7pm), where he will ride the Archie Watson-trained Notoriously Risky.

The post ‘Dream Come True’: Two-Time Pony Racing Champion Harry Davies Enjoys Flying Start To Professional Jockey Career appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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