Sounds Of Heaven Prevails In York Thriller

Craig Bernick and John Camilleri's 3-year-old filly Sounds Of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Ring The Bell {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) did not have the benefit of an early-season outing heading into Friday's Listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' S. at York, but that was of little consequence as she found plentiful reserves at the business end of a thrilling renewal to emerge with a career high.

The Jessica Harrington trainee shaped with promise when posting a debut fourth at Gowran Park in September and shed maiden status going one mile at Leopardstown the following month when last seen. Sounds Of Heaven was swiftly into stride and found a smooth rhythm in second through halfway. Racing on the bridle for much of the long straight, the 14-1 chance was nudged to the fore approaching the final furlong and was driven out in the latter stages to deny 'TDN Rising Star' Queen For You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) by a short-head in a three-way photograph. Godolphin's Silver Lady (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) played her part in a pulsating finale and finished a neck further adrift in third.

Sounds Of Heaven is the leading performer produced by a daughter of G2 Prix du Gros-Chene victrix Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself the dam of four pattern-race winners headed by G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G1 Matron S. victrix Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G1 Ranvet S. winner The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The February-foaled bay is a half-sister to Listed Cairn Rouge S. placegetter Voice Of Angels (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and a 2-year-old colt by Dubawi (Ire).

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Dubawi Rings The Bell With Three Book 1 Millionaires

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

NEWMARKET, UK–Sales can often start with more of a whimper than a bang, but with only the second horse in the ring at Tattersalls the October Yearling Sale roared into life as the first Dubawi (Ire) yearling to be offered ensured that seven figures were lit across the bid board. That was repeated twice during the day, both times by offspring of Darley's elite sire, with top honours eventually falling to Hazelwood Bloodstock's colt out of Ring The Bell (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bought by Godolphin at 1.5 million gns.

Though few stallions can match the achievements of Dubawi, at his level he is of course being graced with some of the best mares in Europe, and Ring The Bell, owned by John Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds, is from a family with strength in depth. Though tried only once on the racecourse herself, she is a full-sister to no fewer than three Group 1 winners in the dual Classic heroine Hermosa (Ire), Hydrangea (Ire) and The United States (Ire), while both her dam Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and granddam Zelding (Ire) (Warning {GB}) won group races in France. Furthermore, the cross of Dubawi on Galileo has had noted success via the likes of Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath (Ire) and 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder (Ire), both of whom are now standing on the Darley roster.

With Sheikh Mohammed present at Park Paddocks, along with an international who's who of the bloodstock industry, his Godolphin operation flexed its muscles. During the opening session of Book 1, Anthony Stroud signed for eight yearlings, five of which were by Dubawi, for a total of 6,025,000gns. This equated to roughly 20% of the day's turnover and included the day's three most expensive lots.

A sale that had been widely touted to include a particularly fine selection of yearlings certainly got off to a positive start. The clearance rate rose from 78% to 86%, with 135 horses changing hands for 31,993,000gns, which was up by 27% but was accrued from 19 more yearlings sold than in the equivalent session last year. The median was up fractionally to 160,000gns (+5%), while the average rose by 10% to 230,165gns.

 

 

Sheikh Mohammed Returns to Top Meon Valley Family

A family which has already produced five seven-figure lots at Tattersalls in the past was responsible for the first to breach that barrier at this year's Book 1 when the second yearling into the ring, Meon Valley Stud's daughter of Dubawi (Ire) and G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), brought the hammer down at 1.3 million gns.

The first of eight purchases by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed on the day, the descendant of Meon Valley's influential foundation mare Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}) was offered as lot 3.

“It's been a very good family,” said breeder Mark Weinfeld. “We've been very lucky with it. She had been very popular, but you never quite know until you get up there how many people will be there. We're absolutely delighted.”

The family, which includes the filly's G1 Prix de l'Opera-winning granddam Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic) and another of her daughters, the dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), has been nurtured by the Weinfeld family over more than four decades. It is one with which Sheikh Mohammed has already enjoyed significant success, having raced the Sadler's Wells Group 1-winning  brothers Opera House (GB) and Kayf Tara (GB), who are grandsons of Reprocolor.

Asked how it felt when the hammer fell, Weinfeld answered, “Heart-stopping. Particularly when it stuck around the six hundred mark, and you think, 'oh, perhaps this is as far as it's going to go.' Then it goes on and on.

“We didn't actually want to sell her but we had so many fillies this year. We kept a sister to [Oaks winner] Anapurna (GB), kept Anapurna's first yearling filly, and we've got an Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly out of Izzi Top so something had to go.

“We just thought that we'd sell one of the nice fillies to help pay for the ones we have in training.”

 

 

Easily Persuaded for Dubawi Colt

Alex Elliott made a determined effort for Cheveley Park Stud's colt by Dubawi out of the Group 1 winner Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) but eventually had to settle for second best when Anthony Stroud made the final bid for lot 127 at a million gns on behalf of Godolphin.

Cheveley Park Stud had bought the colt's dam as a yearling from her breeder John Tuthill for €180,000 and she has proved to be an inspired purchase. Not only did she win the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and G3 Atalanta S. but since she was acquired, her page has been boosted by the exploits of her younger siblings, which include Godolphin's G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint winner Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the listed winner Tisbutadream (Ire) (Dream Ahead).

“It's nice to come to a top-class sale and have a horse of that sort of quality,” said Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson. “He was a gem from the moment he was born and we were obviously delighted that he has gone down so well.

“It's a family that keeps evolving and we're very grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for buying him. He knows the family well, with Creative Force having won the Champion Sprint S..”

Richardson advised that Persuasive, who is a daughter of the stakes-winning Choisir (Aus) mare Choose Me (Ire), has a Dubawi filly foal and is now in foal to Kingman (GB). Her first foal, the 3-year-old Persist (GB) (Frankel {GB}), has won twice for William Haggas.

“We're hoping that John Gosden can work some magic with her 2-year-old by Frankel,” he added.

 

 

Shadwell Return To The British Market

Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) have all contributed to a memorable season for Shadwell on the track and on Tuesday the hugely successful operation returned to the sale scene in Britain for the first time in nearly two years.

Shadwell confirmed its intention to remain a global player at Keeneland last month with the purchasing of four blue-blooded fillies and Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, made a first trip to Tattersalls to add another well-bred filly to the team, lot 24.

Consigned by Watership Down Stud, the Siyouni (Fr) filly out of the four-time Group 1 winner Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was knocked down to Angus Gold for 880,000 gns, with the Shadwell racing manager revealing that Sheikha Hissa thoroughly enjoyed her first trip to the sale.

He said, “People have been very kind around the sale grounds and gave her a big welcome. It's lovely to have been able to walk around with her.”

Gold added, “She is very excited to have bought a filly with a pedigree like that. The first three dams are all group winners and the family has been well-nurtured by everyone at Watership Down Stud over the years.

“Obviously, we're hoping to buy some pedigrees for the future and she had one of the strongest pedigrees in the catalogue.”

 

Rau Secures 'Queen of the Sale'

A No Nay Never [lot 77] filly consigned by Camas Park Stud was described by Tina Rau as “the queen of the sale” after the popular Chantilly-based bloodstock agent signed the docket at 780,000gns on behalf of Gestut Schlenderhan.

This season has represented something of a crowning glory for No Nay Never, responsible for two of the leading juveniles in Ballydoyle residents Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire), and Rau, in company with Schlenderhan manager Merle Schmidt, admitted her surprise at being able to secure what she deemed was one of the best offerings in Book 1.

“She's going to go back to Germany,” Rau said. “Philip von Ullmann was here and we all loved her. She was the queen of the day and we're very happy to have her.”

One of nine No Nay Nevers to walk through the ring on Tuesday, Rau's purchase is out of a sister to Remote (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and from the family of Kingman (GB) and the extended family of Oasis Dream (GB).

That top price secured on the day for No Nay Never played a significant role in the red-hot sire securing an average of 248,571 gns for seven lots sold in the opening session.

Rau said, “You can't really argue with the pedigree, for one, and she's just a queen. She walks for fun and is beautifully well-balanced. She's got so much quality.”

 

Klassique start for Carisbrooke

Six years ago, Klassique (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) graduated from Book 1 with a 300,000gns price tag, bought by Cathy Grassick for Yvonne Jacques as she set about establishing a broodmare band at her Carisbrooke Stud.

With the G3 Pinnacle S. under her belt along with several other group placings, the 7-year-old mare is already earning her keep at the Berkshire farm following the sale of her first foal, a colt by Siyouni (Fr), for 525,000gns on Tuesday. Offered as lot 14, the January-born grandson of Group 1 winner Chachamaidee (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) is bred on a cross that has already produced the Classic winners Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr), and he will race in the blue of Godolphin.

“Klassique is the most beautiful mare, such a fabulous mother and stunning-looking. She has a gorgeous Lope De Vega (Ire) colt foal and is in foal to Kingman (GB),” said Jacques, who has around 20 broodmares at Carisbrooke. “My staff have turned them out so well, we're all really proud.”

She added, “We're now in our sixth year at the farm and we've put a lot into it. Klassique was one of the first to come back there and she is producing the most amazing stock. It's very exciting.”

 

Strong Start for New England

New England Stud offered a pair of Galileo (Ire) fillies early in the day (lots 1 and 29), with the first through the ring, a full-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line Of Duty (Ire), sold to Ted Voute on behalf of Prince Faisal's Nawarra Stud for 500,000gns.

The second was a daughter of G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Laugh Out Loud (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}), who has already produced a useful performer in America in the GII San Marcos S. winner Platinum Warrior (Ire), who is a full-brother to the filly. Knocked down at 675,000gns, she was bought by BBA Ireland.

New England also later sold a Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt (lot 76) for breeder Emma Banks for 350,000gns to Richard Knight.

The second foal of listed winner Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is from a family which has received plenty of updates in recent seasons courtesy of sprinting star Harry Angel (Ire) and G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) who share their third dam Great Joy (Ire) with the February-foaled yearling.

Knight has been on a prolific spending spree this yearling sale season for an undisclosed client, and he signed for another four yearlings for a total of 1,750,000gns on Tuesday. The list included lot 132, a Sea The Stars (Ire) granddaughter of Puce (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), who was bought for 600,000gns from Newsells Park Stud. The family includes the high-flying fillies Chicquita (Ire), Alexandrova (Ire) and Magic Wand (Ire).

 

Pinhookers' Paradise

Michael Fitzpatrick's Kilminfoyle House Stud enjoyed one of best pinhooks results of the session with the sale of lot 106 for 525,000gns to Sebastian Desmontils of Chauvigny Global Equine.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire) was bred by Simon Sweeting's Overbury Stallions and fetched 130,000gns at the December Foal Sale. Her dam, the unraced Pacifica Highway (Pulpit), has produced two winners to date including the Grade III-placed Ayacara (GB) (Violence), and is a half-sister to the Grade II winners Doswell (Giant's Causeway) and Secretary At War (War Front).

Yeomanstown Stud also enjoyed a decent return on a foal purchase when selling a Starspangledbanner (Aus) three-parts-brother (lot 52) to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}). Bought at Arqana for €170,000, the colt, whose five winning siblings include the stakes-placed Lady Sidney (Fr) (Mr Sidney), brought a bid of 550,000gns from Badgers Bloodstock.

 

Poetic Flare's Brother to John Dance

Magna Grecia featured prominently among the freshman sires during the opening session, principally through lot 53, the half-brother to Classic winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), who was sold for 300,000gns to John Dance's Manor House Farm.

Bred and consigned by Clare Castle Stud, he is out of the Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Maria Lee (Ire) who was bought from her breeder Jim Bolger in the year that Poetic Flare was born. The 15-year-old mare has also produced Listed Zetland S. winner Glamorous Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).

Crystal Ocean (GB) may be standing under the National Hunt banner at the Beeches Stud but his handful of foals that were entered in Flat sales last year were generally met with favour, including the colt out of the Shamardal mare Nateeja (Ire). Bought last December by Guy O'Callaghan of Grangemore Stud for 30,000gns, he returned to the ring as lot 86 on Tuesday to be resold to Charlie Gordon-Watson and Crispin Estates for 115,000gns. His dual-winning dam is a half-sister to G3 Cumberland Lodge S. winner Hawaafez (GB) (Nayef), whose own profile has received a boost this year thanks to her daughter Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial.

Crystal Ocean, the joint-top-rated racehorse in the world in 2019, is represented by one more yearling in Book 1, a chestnut colt catalogued as lot 512 on Thursday from Aughamore Stud.

 

Northern Lights

Consecutive lots went the way of Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, who picked up lot 50, a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly, for 200,000gns followed by a daughter of Ballyhane Stud's first-crop sire Soldier's Call (GB) for 100,000gns.

Breeder Kildaragh Stud consigned Night Of Thunder's daughter of Malaspina whose half-siblings Daban (Ire) (Acclamation GB}) and Thikriyaat (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) are both Group 3 winners. The Gerry Oldham-bred Malaspina is herself out of the listed winner Mahalia (Ire) (Danehill) and thus a half-sister to French group winners Johnny Barnes (Ire) and Albisola (Ire).

The Soldier's Call filly meanwhile represented a terrific pinhooking result for Sherbourne Lodge Stud, who bought the daughter of Maralika (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) from breeders Tim and Miranda Johnson and Mickley Stud for 12,000gns at the December Foal Sale.

 

Cooney Plays It Cool After Final Twist From Plying

Had Martin Cooney not carved out a niche in the breeding game, chances are he'd have made a pretty good poker player as, moments after selling the highest-priced progeny of Gleneagles (Ire) at public auction for 650,000 gns to MV Magnier, the man behind Jossestown Farm could easily have been mistaken for a casual bystander at the sale.

But this was not Cooney's first rodeo. The young breeder has been taken on a storied journey with Plying, the mare he purchased for €21,000 in 2018 and sold last November to BBA Ireland and Yulong Investments for an eye-watering €825,000.

That sky-rocket in share price can be attributed to the emergence of Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), now a four-time Group 1 winner, in the pedigree.

Tuesday marked the end of that dream run with the family of Plying, with the Gleneagles half-sister to Alcohol Free (lot 136) joining Cooney's fellow Tipperary men at Coolmore, leaving the young breeder facing the daunting task of replacing the mare.

He said casually of lot 136, “Good day's work. It's great–she's a lovely filly, acts like a racehorse so hopefully she is one. She's gone to a good home so hopefully she turns out to be half as good as Alcohol Free. Now I have to try and find another one.”

Cooney added, “All she [Plying] has ever done is do us proud. Those horses are like family to us. I know we sell them but you get very attached to them and it's not like I have 20 waiting to be sold.

“It's a huge result. I come from a small farm in Fethard so it gives you a good leg-up and start to business.”

 

Half-Sister to Cachet Hits the Heights

Poyle Sophie {GB}) (Teofilo {Ire}) is the gift that keeps on giving. Snapped up by John Bourke of Hyde Park Stud at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2018 for just 3,000gns, she belied that modest price tag by producing a this year's 1000 Guineas winner Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}).

Bourke's bargain buy delivered once again when a Cotai Glory (GB) half-sister (lot 141) to the Classic winner was sold for 350,000 gns to Blandford Bloodstock, much to the delight of the enthusiastic breeder and renowned breeze-up handler.

 

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Book 1 Countdown: ‘I Think It’s Going to be a Blockbuster Sale’

NEWMARKET, UK–There may be some pretty important racing going on across the Channel, but Sunday morning at Park Paddocks was all business as buyers from across the world assembled to assess the potential stars of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Tense though these last few days of inspections can be, one man who can permit himself a small smile of satisfaction is Adrian O'Brien of Hazelwood Bloodstock.

The back cover of the Tattersalls catalogue traditionally features photographs of some of the sale's key recent graduates, and of the four shown this year, two are Hazelwood alumni: the GI Belmont Oaks winner McKulick (GB) (Frankel (GB)}) and the GI Diana S. victrix In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Sold at Book 1 in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the duo landed their top-flight wins in consecutive weekends back in July, emphasising the strong American theme that has underpinned the sale for a number of years and is only intensifying.

“It has been amazing,” says O'Brien, beaming under his customised McKulick baseball cap as a loose-walking son of freshman sire Magna Grecia (Ire) strolls up and down in front of him. The colt (lot 200) is a half-brother to the G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and was bred by Emma Capon from the Aga Khan-bred mare Shaloushka (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}).

“We had McKulick and In Italian from previous drafts and to win two Grade Is in a week was incredible,” he continues. “Of our 10 this year, which is our biggest Book 1 draft by far, we've got four Dubawis, three colts and a filly, and they are all lovely, quality animals. Then there's a colt and a filly by Kingman (GB), a full-brother by Frankel to Hans Andersen (GB), a very good 2-year-old colt in Ireland, a beautiful Siyouni (Fr) colt, and representatives from the first crops of Too Darn Hot (GB) and Magna Grecia (Ire), so we're loaded.”

Twenty-six sons and daughters of the Darley powerhouse Dubawi grace the pages of Book 1, and as O'Brien outlines, he is fortunate enough to be consigning a quartet comprised of a half-brother to Group 1 winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) (lot 328); a son of Ring The Bell (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 167), who is a sister to the Group 1-winning trio of Hydrangea (Ire), Hermosa (Ire) and The United States (Ire); another colt (lot 278) whose dam is a sister to the Galileo brothers Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire), and a filly (lot 302) who also emanates from Barney Roy's family and is the first foal of his stakes-placed half-sister Wisdom Of Mind (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

The market appears to be very strong and I would like to think that the quality here this week will emphasise the strength of the market

The one representative of Dubawi's freshman son Too Darn Hot in the draft is a filly from the stellar Niarchos family of Alpha Centauri (Ire), Alpine Star (Ire) and Discoveries (Ire), those three Group 1 winners being half-siblings to her dam Sellsabeel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Offered on Wednesday as lot 194, she will be sold five lots before the full-brother to the Sun Bloodstock-bred Hans Andersen. The Frankel colt was a 450,000gns Coolmore purchase last year and beat Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) when breaking his maiden in July before running second in the G2 Futurity S.

“It's becoming more common in conversation to hear about the strength of stallions standing in the Newmarket area in particular, and also elsewhere in the UK. We're blessed with high quality that is attracting breeders from all over the world,” says O'Brien, who runs Hazelwood Bloodstock with his wife Philippa from Red House Stud just outside Newmarket.

“The market appears to be very strong and I would like to think that the quality here this week will emphasise the strength of the market. I think it's going to be a blockbuster sale.”

Even with one of Europe's most prestigious race-days taking place on Sunday, the yards at Park Paddocks were already buzzing with action from early in the morning.

“It's a huge week and we've already been pretty busy,” adds O'Brien. “It's always a funny weekend with Longchamp on and a lot of people have commitments there, but all the right people seem to be on the ground here, and there's a lot of overseas interest, so it all looks like it's going to be a great week.”

Just across from Hazelwood Bloodstock's spot in Highflyer's K yard can be found a swanky new development in the Solario yard. The old American barn has been demolished to be replaced with regular stables and rubberised walkways with a smart flint-walled bridge for access.

Clearwater Stud, Oaks Farm Stables, Shadwell, and Book 1 newcomers Haras du Castillon from France, and Germany's Gestut Haus Ittlingen are among the consignors to be housed in the new facilities which appeared to be going down well. It's easy to feel a spring in one's step when the sun is shining on an autumn morning, and Luke Lillingston is rarely to be found without a smile on his face, but as he strides past full of purpose during his morning inspection rounds, he offers an opinion of the bluebloods assembled at Tattersalls for Europe's flagship yearling sale.

“Do you know, I really do think this is the best group of horses I have ever seen here,” says the master of Mount Coote Stud. By Tuesday, we will begin to learn whether he's right, but all the signs seem to be pointing in the right direction.

 

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Seven Days: Mercury Rising

An awful lot of people have been getting hot under the collar this week, and not just because a heatwave is currently sweeping Europe, leading to the cancellation of five race meetings in England and some rejigging of times and locations on the continent.

The BHA's whip report was published last Tuesday sparking a predictably wide range of views being aired on both sides of the debate. While some believe that by enforcing changes racing is pandering to those who don't understand the sport and need educating as to horse welfare, others feel the 20 new recommendations by the 15-strong panel of industry experts don't go far enough. This column doesn't like to sit on the fence but feels largely unmoved by the rule changes. The potential for disqualification for any jockey exceeding the maximum whip use by four strikes is hopefully enough of a deterrent for such behaviour.

Of course we must be mindful of the sport's perception by a wider audience than just we tragics who watch racing day in and day out, but plenty of members of that latter category, this one included, would feel far more at ease if the authorities worked harder on ensuring stewards properly policed incidents of dangerous riding. The problem is that the British stewards in particular don't appear to view any incidents as dangerous as categorised by the Rule Book, instead usually opting for a careless riding charge for infringements and short bans here and there–that's if they even call an enquiry in the first place. 

This certainly doesn't help the connections of the horses hampered in such incidents, and it means this attitude of carelessness (which is putting it very mildly) pervades. It seems extraordinary that some jockeys decide to adopt an approach that puts their colleagues, their mounts, and even themselves at risk of injury, but they can do so apparently safe in the knowledge that any penalties usually amount to nothing more than a couple of days sitting on the sidelines with that extra win to their name. 

Frankly, one or two extra taps with a ProCush whip are nothing compared to the utter recklessness on display on the racecourse on a frequent basis. If the BHA really cares about horse welfare (not to mention that of their riders), then it is hoped that this is an issue which will be addressed with the utmost urgency.

Magical Memory of Galileo

It's quite fun for those of us who voted against Britain leaving the EU to blame everything on Brexit. Sadly we can't apply this to the failure of Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to make it to the Curragh for the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, but her absence was a great pity for she surely would have had an excellent chance in a race that was also deprived of her narrow conqueror at Epsom, Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

In the end, the Irish Classic may have lacked a bit of dazzle, though Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a very determined and deserved winner for Zhang Yuesheng, who has certainly been making his presence felt at the sales of late. As a Galileo half-sister to the King George winner Novellist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Magical Lagoon is a rare example of one that got away from Coolmore, who bred her and then sold her at 305,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, where she was consigned for them by Mimi Wadham and Violet Hesketh's WH Bloodstock. 

She is an admirable filly, clearly very much on the up, and even though it can't have helped her main challenger Toy (Ire) that it appeared as if winning jockey Shane Foley may have unintentionally struck her across the face with his whip in the closing stages, one feels that on this day Magical Lagoon was not for passing anyway. Toy finishing half a length behind her in second gave Galileo yet another one-two in a Classic. We won't be saying that for much longer, so let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Onesto, Perfetto

It is extremely unlikely that the coming years will see a shortage of stakes winners by Frankel (GB) and the champion sire is having another ripsnorter of a season. To Classic winners Westover (GB), Homeless Songs (Ire) and Nashwa (GB), and Group 1 winners Inspiral (GB), Alpinista (GB) and McKulick (GB), we can add his latest top-level scorer, Onesto (Ire). This last week alone has also seen Raclette (GB) win the G2 Prix de Malleret and Eternal Pearl (GB) land the Listed Aphrodite S.

Onesto, like Galileo's Group 2-winning daughter Lily Pond (Ire) on Sunday, is another to feature inbreeding (in his case 3×3) to the great Urban Sea, and he provided his broodmare sire Sea The Stars (Ire) with his first Group 1 victory in that division. Incidentally, the latter's half-brother Born To Sea (Ire) was also represented as a black-type broodmare sire courtesy of the G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never).

Onesto's win in the Grand Prix de Paris capped a good week for Adam Bowden of Kentucky-based Diamond Creek Farm, for whom it was a first win at the highest level as breeder. Diamond Creek also bred the top lot at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale as the yearling season got underway in America. Their Curlin half-brother to Belmont S. runner-up Gronkowski was bought for $600,000 by DJ Stable.

Trainer Fabrice Chappet has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the diminutive Onesto, and he confirmed that the Arc is very much in his future plans for the colt, who hails from the top-drawer Juddmonte family of Hasili (GB). It was also a good week for the Chantilly trainer, with four winners from his ten runners, including the TDN Rising Star Gain It (GB), a son of De Treville (GB), the relatively unheralded Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB). 

Also making his mark from the Chappet stable last week was Good Guess (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), a grandson of Russian Rhythm who was bred by Cheveley Park Stud and bought by Sebastian Desmontils for owner Hisaaki Saito for 420,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1. The colt is now two wins for two runs, and is pencilled in for the G3 Prix de Cabourg as the Deauville summer season gets underway in early August. 

Whitsbury Winners Rolling In

Havana Grey (GB) looks to be compiling an unassailable lead in the 2022 first-season sires' table and as well as his son Eddie's Boy (GB) winning the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint on Saturday, 24 hours earlier the stallion's home farm of Whitsbury Manor Stud also enjoyed a great day as breeders.

Four graduates of the Hampshire-based stud won at four different tracks in Britain, with the 90-rated Rathbone (GB),  by former resident Foxwedge (Aus), sealing the four-timer when winning for the sixth time at Hamilton. Along with Mick's Dream (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) and Gaalib (GB) (Territories {Ire}), the quartet was completed by Chaldean (GB), a relatively rare foal purchase for Juddmonte, who brought 550,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The son of Frankel (GB) is a half-brother to Shadwell's G2 Mill Reef S. winner Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and his fellow black-type earners The Broghie Man (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) and Gloves Lynch (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}). Their dam, the treble Italian winner Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), was bought by Chris Harper for 21,500gns as a 4-year-old and has now had five offspring make six-figure sums in the sale ring. 

Reflecting on the purchase of Suelita when her Frankel colt went through the foal sale of 2020, Ed Harper said, “Dad bought the mare and she's the only mare he has bought in the last seven years. From the very first foal she has thrown nice horses. In the February of his 2-year-old career I remember getting a phone call from Brendan Duke, who trained The Broghie Man, saying I think you've bred a very good horse here. He wasn't wrong.”

Chaldean, trained by Andrew Balding, looks similarly promising after breaking his maiden at the second attempt at Newbury. 

The Heat Really Is On

The European yearling sales will soon be upon us and we can again expect to see plenty of visitors from America and Australia, especially with travel restrictions being now nothing but a bad memory. 

This is both good news and bad news. For breeders and pinhookers wishing to sell a horse, buyers with deep pockets are always a welcome sight. However, for the long-term health and diversity of the racing and breeding industry in Britain especially, but also in Ireland, the warning klaxon should be sounding as our bloodstock reserves gradually become depleted. 

Witness this depressing passage from Dan Ross's story on American trainer Phil D'Amato in Monday's TDN:

Right now, says D'Amato, with prize-money in Ireland and England especially in such palliative care, the overseas market is ripe for plunder, many smaller outfits, in particular, relying more and more on the selling of their young stock to keep the bloodhounds from snapping at their heels.

“For most of them, this is what they do for a living. Most of them are traders with the way the purse structure is there,” D'Amato says. “Those are the people that are in it really to buy yearlings at a cheaper price and develop them and potentially sell them for a nice profit at two and three.”

This is nothing new, but it is a situation that is intensifying, and the success in various jurisdictions of stock bred in this part of the world will only drive the demand.

On consecutive weekends Chad Brown has saddled Grade 1 winners, both incidentally bought from Hazelwood Bloodstock at Tattersalls October Book 1. First McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) won the Belmont Oaks, followed this Saturday by the success of In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Diana S., a race in which the six-runner field featured five European-bred horses (albeit one of those, Creative Flair (Ire), is still trained in England, by Charlie Appleby).

McKulick and In Italian were respectively bred by Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Australian John Camilleri, two major international clients of the impressive outfit run by Adrian and Philippa O'Brien. A huge draw for such breeders to have mares in Britain is the fact that the country currently stands several of the world's leading stallions, and in the case of these two Grade 1 winners they are by the two best in Europe: Frankel and Dubawi. It is also worth noting that Saturday's extremely impressive maiden winner and TDN Rising Star Hans Andersen (GB), another Frankel, was bred and raised at Hazelwood for another of their Australian-based clients, Sun Bloodstock.

Overseas ownership of major breeding operations based in Britain is not a new development, in fact one might say it is now the norm, and it has injected important life into the historic breeding nation, not least in providing the two big-name stallions just mentioned. 

But, like climate change, preventative action must be taken well in advance of a troubling situation becoming a crisis. We are told that the BHA is currently working on a strategy review, a reason cited for its bizarre torpedoing of its own proposal to cut 300 races from the race programme to ease the growing issue of small field sizes. Let's hope that review is completed in a timely fashion and does something to address the ever-increasing demand expressed by many for racecourses to inject a far greater share of their media rights income into prize-money. Otherwise we really will all be feeling the heat. 

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