Market Holds Up At Tattersalls Ireland

Fledgling consignor Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud stole all the headlines during the opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Monday when selling her grandfather Jim Bolger’s Teofilo colt (lot 165) for a sale record price of £325,000, and it was more of the same on Tuesday when Manning sold Bolger’s New Approach (Ire) colt out of the dual Group 3 winner Maoineach (Congaree) (lot 260) for a session-topping £190,000 to Robson Aguiar acting on behalf of Amo Racing and trainer Roger Varian.

Like the Teofilo colt 24 hours earlier, the New Approach colt had been the beneficiary of a major update since the printing of the catalogue. His 2-year-old full-brother New Treasure (Ire), unraced at the time of catalogue printing, broke his maiden in the G3 Round Tower S. on Aug. 28 and was second in the Listed Blenheim S. on Sept. 21 for Bolger.

Amo Racing has burst onto the scene this season with flagbearers like Listed Marygate Fillies’ S. scorer Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) and G3 Albany S. second Setarhe (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) with Varian, and it looks as if they will have another quality runner to go to battle with next year. After outbidding the likes of Dwayne Woods and Matt Coleman, Aguiar deflected credit for the find, saying, “Roger [Varian] really liked this horse, I am just helping. The colt has everything there; he is a nice horse and has a nice pedigree.”

Clare Manning reflected on her successful week, saying, “I knew the two of them were lovely individuals. Although they’re quite different types they’re both extremely nice individuals in their own ways, and the updates were obviously big boosts. I thought they’d be popular but they’ve both completely exceeded expectations. They’ve both really pulled it out of the bag.

“It couldn’t have gone any better really. To get one touch like that is unbelievable, never mind two. There was a bit of apprehension coming to sale as we knew we had nice individuals but you’re just not sure how deep people are going to be willing to put their hands into their pockets.”

Considering global economic unrest and complications of travel, figures held up remarkably well over the two-day sale. From 396 offered during Part I, 333 yearlings were sold for €8,009,140 at a clearance rate of 84%; it was 86% last year. The average was on par at €24,051, while the median dipped 12% to €17,582. The sale was conducted in pounds sterling but statistics converted to Euros for ease of comparison.

Another Thunder For Hannon

Few people would know Night Of Thunder (Ire) better than Richard Hannon, the trainer having guided the rising star sire through a three-year racing career including victories in the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Lockinge S. Hannon will take charge of Night Of Thunder’s lone offering at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, with Ross Doyle having outbid trainer Stuart Williams at £155,000 for lot 421 from Grove Stud.

“He is a very nice individual,” said Doyle. “I took Richard Hannon to see him yesterday and he said that this horse reminds him of his sire Night Of Thunder, whom he trained. This colt looks a 2-year-old type, he walks well, he is from a good farm in Grove Stud and, of course, Night Of Thunder is doing so well, he has some fantastic stats–gives you great chances of getting a good racehorse.”

The chestnut is the first foal out of Tuolumne Meadows (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), a half-sister to G3 Prix Thomas Byron victor Circumvent (GB) (Tobougg {Ire}) and three other stakes-placed winners. He represented a good pinhooking score for Holland, who paid 30,000gns for him at Tattersalls December last year.

Another excellent pinhook result was achieved by Timmy Hillman and Phil Hoare, whose Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly (lot 414) blossomed from a 2,500gns foal to a £42,000 yearling yesterday when bought by Hubie de Burgh and trainer Fozzy Stack. The filly’s dam, The Last Sister (Ire) (Lord Shanakill), is a half-sister to Group 3 winner and producer Lady Springbank (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), and the third dam is the good German producer Santina (Ger).

Hillman recalled from last year’s Tattersalls December Sale, “We were sat on the seats here and watching her go around and not making a lot. We had not seen her beforehand, but said, ‘let’s stick in a grand each.’ So we did and bought her for 2,500gns.

“She has been a very simple filly to do, and has been busy since she has been here.”

DeBurgh added, “We love Starspangledbanner–we bought Aloha Star here last year. We have been very lucky with him. This is a beautiful filly, and has a great page, too.”

Dandy Man Colt Lauded By Sackville

Ed Sackville went to €46,000 at this sale last year to secure an Acclamation (GB) colt who is the first foal out of the stakes-placed 2-year-old Thatsallimsaying (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). That colt, now named Lauded (GB), won on debut at Haydock on June 8 by 4 1/2 lengths for Manor House Racing, prompting Al Shaqab to buy into him. He was subsequently third in the G2 Richmond S. Sackville clearly has a high opinion of Lauded, having gone to £70,000 to secure his close relative on Tuesday. Ballyhane Stud’s Dandy Man (Ire) colt (lot 276) is a full-brother to Lauded’s dam Thatsallimsaying.

Of his most expensive of nine purchases during Part I of the sale, Sackville said, “This colt is by a stallion that we love, and this is a family that we know well–we had Lauded and Julius Geezer [under the second dam]. This colt looks fast, a real sharp-looking 2-year-old type. He is a fairly similar type to Lauded.”

Champers Team Back For More

Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan selected none other than Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) for €28,000 at this sale two years ago, and she went on to provide her trainer with a first Group 1 win in that realm in the Matron S. earlier this month. Murtagh and Linehan were back out in force in Newmarket, signing jointly for seven lots during Part I of the sale, with another three credited to Linehan.

The dearest among them was lot 437, Salcey Forest Stud’s £70,000 Acclamation (GB) colt out of Voom Voom (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), a half-sister to top-class sprinters The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}). Murtagh revealed that he has the mare’s 2-year-old Get Funky (Ire) (Pearl Secret {GB}) in his yard, that one having been bought for £26,000 by SackvilleDonald at Doncaster’s Premier yearling sale last year.

“We’ve waited some time for him today,” Murtagh said. “He looks a ready-made 2-year-old and I have the half-brother, who is a very genuine horse and this colt looks faster than him.”

Others on Murtagh’s and Linehan’s list on Tuesday included lot 244, a filly by Lope De Vega who was the lone offering by her sire in the sale for £47,000; and lot 314, a Requinto (Ire) colt from Kildaragh Stud for £32,000.

Acclamation’s son Mehmas (Ire) was understandably in demand during the session, the Tally-Ho Stud resident doing as well as he is with his first runners this season, and he had a pair of colts sell for £65,000. Tally-Ho offered its homebred colt out of She Bu (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) (lot 374), and he was picked up by Kevin and Anna Ross on behalf of Paul and Clare Rooney.

“His sire Mehmas is doing so well,” said Kevin Ross, “He has proved he can get a good horse. This colt looks a hardy 2-year-old type, is from a fast pedigree and he looked to us as though he could be a type for Royal Ascot. He is for Paul and Clare Rooney, and a trainer will be decided upon at a later date.”

The unraced She Bu is a half-sister to listed-winning sprinter Ruby Rocket (Ire) (Indian Rocket {GB}), the dam of G1 Prix de l’Abbaye scorer Maarek (GB), as well as Alexander Alliance (Ire) (Danetime {Ire}), whose current 2-year-old is the dual group-placed Mehmas colt Mystery Smiles (Ire). Another sister produced the G2 Flying Childers S. winner and first-crop yearling sire Ardad (Ire). Overbury Stud resident Ardad himself had a colt (lot 340) sell for £55,000 on Tuesday–“I have been very impressed with the sons of Kodiac that have had runners, and I have liked a lot of the Ardads that I have seen,” said Luke Lillingston after signing for that one for Kennett Valley Thoroughbreds.

Mehmas’s lot 265 is one of a large handful of yearlings from this sale headed to Italy, having been bought by Marco Bozzi for £65,000. Breeders Peter and James Jones will have been pleased with their decision to bring him home from last year’s Goffs November Foal Sale after he was led out unsold at €20,000.

“He has been bought by Mrs Roveda and he goes into training in Milan with Mr. Biondi,” Bozzi explained. “We have been buying for many years at Tattersalls. We liked this horse a lot, he is very strong and Mehmas has been going very well.”

Mehmas ended the sale as leading sire by average with three or more sold, his 14 averaging €41,429.

Ascot Dreams For Kodiac Filly

Kodiac (GB) had his name in lights at Royal Ascot this year, with Group 2-winning juveniles Campanelle (Ire) and Nando Parrado (Ire) starring alongside G1 Diamond Jubilee winner Hello Youmzain (Ire). The former went on to win the G1 Prix Morny and highlight another excellent season for juveniles for the Tally-Ho sire, one which also includes G2 Flying Childers S. victor Ubettabelieveit (Ire), G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner Umm Kulthum (Ire) and listed winners Frenetic (Ire), Zoetic (Ire) and Bahrain Pride (Ire).

Tim Palin of Middleham Park Racing has his sights firmly set on Royal Ascot after shelling out £68,000 for Croom House Stud’s Kodiac daughter of the G2 Debutante S. second Oui Say Oui (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}) (lot 306).

“A gorgeous filly, probably the nicest filly we saw this week,” said Palin. “Ross [Doyle, who signed the ticket] just used the word ‘queen,’ and she is. The auctioneer commented about Royal Ascot and you could just see her winging around Chester in the Lily Agnes and going to the Queen Mary or the Albany.”

The family has some scope to it as well; the second dam is the excellent producer Mohican Princess, also responsible for the G3 Ballyroan S. winner Eye of the Storm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Sirenia S. and G3 Joel S. scorer Satchem (Ire) (Inchinor {GB}) and Mohican Heights (Ire) (Australia {GB}), winner of last year’s Stonehenge S. and third in this season’s G2 King Edward VII S.

“It’s a fantastic page and she’s quite a progressive mare, who is really just getting going,” Palin added. “We might just have had one or two bids too many but we fell in love with her. She’s going to Richard Hannon.”

“The venue for the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale was new, but the fundamentals of the sale remained the same,” said Tattersalls Ireland CEO Matt Mitchell. “We had a catalogue of quality yearlings catering for all sectors of the market and the clearance rate of 84% demonstrates the enduring appeal of the sale, even in these challenging times.

“The obvious highlight was the new record top price of £325,000 for Jim Bolger’s outstanding Teofilo (Ire) colt consigned by his granddaughter Clare Manning and we are delighted that his support of the September Yearling Sale has been so richly rewarded. The feature of the sale has, however, been the depth to the trade from start to finish. We have had a record number of lots sell for £150,000 or more and buyers from throughout Britain and Ireland have been competing with a strong overseas contingent, most notably from Italy.

“Relocating the sale was not an easy decision and we would like to thank the vendors and purchasers, all of whom have contributed to the success of the past two days. The sale has displayed a remarkable resilience under the circumstances and is a tribute to the professionalism and commitment of all concerned.”

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Riding Crop Will Be ‘Theme’ Of New York Commission’s October Meeting

With announcements made by several major racing jurisdictions about the riding crop this month, the New York State Gaming Commission said in its Monday meeting that it will hear industry participants' input on the issue next month, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

“I think we all agree that this is a matter that needs to be brought to closure sooner rather than later. Some of us contend that it's been out there too long,” said chairman Barry Sample. “The theme of the October meeting is going to be the crop.”

It will take another meeting beyond October to vote on any proposed whip rule the NYSGC may write, and if passed, the rule must be published in the New York State Register and be sent out for general public comment. The NYSGC will then take a final vote, so implementation would be in 2021 at the earliest.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Monmouth Jockeys Upset Over New Whip Rules

Several of the regulars who ride at Monmouth Park say they were never consulted by the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) before banning the use of the whip starting in 2021 and, if they were, they would have told regulators they were out of touch and creating an untenable situation.

“This is a really, really, really bad decision,” said Antonio Gallardo, who is fourth in the current standings. “You can’t just take the whip right away like that. If they wanted to put in a rule like they have in Europe, where you can’t whip the horse more than something like eight times, I’d have been fine with that. But what they did is just take the whip away. It’s ridiculous.”

Beginning with the opening day of next year’s Monmouth meet, New Jersey will become the first state to outright ban the use of the whip. The only exception is when a rider feels it is needed for safety purposes. The measure was approved by a 4-0 vote at Sept. 16 meeting of the NJRC.

“The prohibition of the use of riding crops, except when necessary for the safety of horse or rider, will be perceived in a positive light by the general public,” read a statement from the NJRC. “The proposed repeal and new rules are of the utmost importance in adapting the industry to avoid the currently negative public perception of whipping a horse.”

Among the eight Monmouth riders interviewed by the TDN, only newcomer Ferrin Peterson supported the whip ban.

“I have no problem with the new rule,” she said. “I think it will reward good horsemanship, and riders may have to rely upon different skills, but at the end of the day, horses love to run no matter how we encourage them to do so.”

The others were against the change and brought up a number of issues, including safety concerns, uncompetitive racing and that commissioners who have little knowledge of racing and horsemanship are behind the changes.

Joe Bravo, who has won 13 riding titles at Monmouth, said that the changes fail to take into account several factors and the whip ban will “change horse racing as we know it.” Among Bravo’s concerns is his belief that the elimination of the whip will fundamentally change the way races are run.

“I am shocked by this,” he said. “This rule takes away all the competition that makes up a horse race. The competitiveness of the race will be the biggest change. How do you get horses that are next to one another to go on and fight and have a race down the lane? There will be no competition. Horses are pack animals. They follow one another. How will you get them to pass one another? From a competitive standpoint, these races will be really dull.”

Gallardo agrees with Bravo’s point and says that there is going to be backlash when it comes to the bettors.

“Who’s going to want to bet on Monmouth Park? Nobody will bet on it,” he said. “One hundred percent, nobody will bet on Monmouth with no whips. If nobody bets there will be no money. No money, no racing. Game over.”

Paco Lopez, Monmouth’s leading rider and someone known for an aggressive style, said there are horses that will not give their best without encouragement. Take the whip away, he said, and there will be horses that will underperform.

“I’m not happy about (the new whip rule),” he said. “This will change the races a lot. There are some horses that really need the whip. People are paying a lot of money for these horses and when you can use the whip any horse can win.”

Lopez also mentioned safety factors, which has become a common refrain from riders throughout the country as more and more states look to either ban the whip or curb its use. The jockeys say the whip is a tool to keep them safe when a horse starts to otherwise become uncontrollable.

“This is going to make it more dangerous,” Jose Ferrer said. “You need the whip to correct the horse. These horses have their own minds. The whip is a weapon we have to be able to control the horse.”

Said jockey Jorge A. Vargas: “This will make it a lot more difficult when you are trying to keep a horse straight. You won’t have anything to make them do what you want them to do. They know that when they feel something, it means they are doing something wrong, that you are telling them they have to do it right. This will make it more dangerous. They will do stuff that you might not be able to see on a replay or watching the race live, but the jockey feels something and you have to correct them right away. It’s not like you can just talk to them and make them understand.”

So far as public perception goes, jockey Hector Diaz, Jr. said that people should understand that the jockeys are not abusing the horse when using the whip.

“I became a rider four years ago and they have changed the whip already three times, making it safer,” he said. “With the whips we are using right now, I don’t feel like we are hurting the horse. It makes more noise than anything else. It’s soft. Nobody should abuse the horse and nobody should hit them five, six times in a row. I can only talk about myself, but when you see me riding I never hit my horse more than two or three times in a row. I hit them once, twice and let them respond. I don’t think I abuse the horse.”

Ferrer also described himself as the type of rider who does not go overboard with the whip.

“I love my horses and I never want to abuse them,” he said. “It is something you need to pick them up or wake them up a little bit. We are not abusing these horses.”

Had the NJRC conferred with the jockeys, those are the stories they would have heard. While that may not have changed the minds of any of the commissioners, the jockeys feel their opinions should have been taken into account.

“You have people who don’t really know the industry calling the shots,” said veteran Chris DeCarlo. “They’ve never come down and asked for our opinion, which I think they should. They can’t just make these rules up without asking us.”

“They did something overnight without asking any of the riders or the horsemen,” Bravo said. “How can four people with very limited knowledge of horsemanship vote in this ruling? I’ve seen where (NJRC Executive Director) Judith Nason said she rides horses. With all due respect, that’s in a riding ring. They came in and, overnight, voted in something that’s going to change horse racing as we know it.”

But Bravo admitted that, at this point, there is little the riders can do other than come back next year and try their best to make the necessary adjustments.

“I don’t know what we can do,” he said. “As they say, there is no fighting City Hall.”

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‘Secret To Our Success’: Randy Matthews Stable Named ‘Barn Crew Of The Month’ At Indiana Grand

The Randy Matthews Stable is the recipient of the second “Barn Crew of the Month” of 2020 presented at Indiana Grand Tuesday, Sept. 22. The September honor was awarded to the Matthews team for their exemplary work in and around their shedrow and the overall appearance of their barn as well as their horses. The award is presented monthly by Indiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) as well as Texas Corral of Shelbyville, Ind.

Matthews, who is a native of southern Indiana, has been a staple on the backstretch at Indiana Grand for several years. In addition to his racing operation, he and his wife, Karen, also own a breeding farm in Greenville, Ind. He currently has 14 horses at Indiana Grand, including the undefeated Unbridled Beast, winner of the Gus Grissom Stakes last week.

Matthews was joined in the winner's circle by three members of his team, Felix Villalta, Stephanie Vanderboom and Mauro Parra for the presentation following the first race. The crew received a $200 gift certificate to Texas Corral for a night out for the group.

“These guys are all good friends and they work well together,” said Matthews. “The secret to our success lies in them. They run a good ship for our stable.”

Texas Corral, located on Route 9 in Shelbyville, is partnering with Indiana HBPA for the third straight year for “Barn Crew of the Month.” The award was implemented by HBPA to showcase the hard-working members of the backstretch that take care of the horses daily with some recognition for their dedication to the sport.

Racing is held Monday through Thursday until Wednesday, Nov. 18. All-Quarter Horse racing is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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