Tag: Kildangan Stud

‘The Past 12 Months Have Not Been Easy But Minzaal Has Provided A Buzz Again’

Out and about on the opening day of the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail

One of the early highlights of the year for pedigree buffs and casual observers, the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail, got underway with a bang on Friday with heavy footfall reported at over 30 of the stallion farms taking part in the two-day extravaganza. 

The TDN Europe team were out and about in the Kildare area on Friday and visited Kildangan Stud, The Irish National Stud, Yeomanstown Stud and Derrinstown Stud before venturing further south on Saturday. 

Don't let the sunny snaps fool you, Friday was another bitterly cold day, but Night Of Thunder (Ire) warmed the cockles followed by emerging forces Earthlight (Ire) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) at Kildangan Stud. 

In fact, such was the quality on show at Kildangan Stud, nominations manager Eamon Moloney described the current collection of stallions on offer at the Irish arm of the hugely-powerful Darley operation as the best he's seen during his time at the helm.

Moloney said, “We've had good horses here in the past but we have a mix of stallions who are operating at the top of their game, like Teofilo (Ire) and now Night Thunder climbing his way to the top-and you don't know how far he might go-right through to Ghaiyyath, Earthlight and Blue Point (Ire) with his first runners this year. I don't think we've ever had a more exciting roster. “

It was not just the seasoned breeders who turned out in their droves, either, on Friday. Moloney reported a good mixture of industry stakeholders and families searching for an alternative day out to be coming through the gates at Kildangan and predicted Saturday to be even busier. 

He said, “The Thoroughbred Stallion Trail is a very important initiative. It provides you with an opportunity to showcase your new horses and gives everyone a chance to see them in the flesh. A lot of breeders have been here already but they love coming back to see the stallions a second time. There's also a social aspect to the whole thing and the amount of new people who come through the gates for the Thoroughbred Trail-we've even attracted clients who had never been involved in this industry prior to the initiative, so it's very important. “

It won't take a genius to sell Ghaiyyath to breeders. He may be a Dubawi (Ire) and his dam was no giant, but this boy commands attention wherever he goes, with his giant stride and powerful makeup clearly capturing the attention of those in attendance on Friday. 

Moloney commented, “I don't think we had one negative comment on a Ghaiyyath or Earthlight foals. Not one. The Earthlights are just so sharp and strong. I really think they have a huge chance. With Ghaiyyath, people seem to stop and stare at him in silence. His foals are the same-they are very athletic. I think we are in very good shape, to the point that Ghaiyyath will cover his biggest book of mares in his third season, which isn't the normal trend. He's not your typical Dubawi-he has this big walk and has great presence. Those great horses seem to have presence.”

He added, “We've had a good mixture of breeders who are going to be sending us mares and families who are making a day of it viewing the stallions. There are plenty of racing enthusiasts as well, and they love coming to see the horses up close in the flesh, so there's a great mix. It's brilliant.”

“We're very pleased and it has provided us all with a lift here at Derrinstown. He's a Group 1-winning sprinter and was an absolute flying machine as a racehorse so we're all very excited about him,” – Joe Behan. 

Geographically, Kildangan is just over 10 minutes from the Irish National Stud, and many of the same faces made the short journey to see Invincible Spirit (Ire), Lucky Vega (Ire), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) and more. 

Lucky Vega | INPHO/Morgan Treacy

At 26 years young, Invincible Spirit has been there and done that and is widely recognised as one of the best producers this country has to offer. But standing on the opposite side of the long row of boxes at the beautiful Irish National Stud could be the heir to Invincible Spirit's throne, the powerhouse that is Lucky Vega, who has done extremely well since he retired from racing and is letting down into a bull of a stallion. 

Lucky Vega showed top-class form at two, including when carrying the colours of Yuesheng Zhang to victory in the G1 Phoenix S., and his owner's pursuit of top-class broodmares to support the young stallion was one of the major stories to emerge from 2022. He certainly won't lack for support. 

Nor will Minzaal (Ire). Derrinstown Stud manager Joe Behan admits that the past 12 months have not been easy for anyone working with the operation after the man he affectionately refers to as 'the boss,' Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, passed away. 

However, Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal is proving a beacon of hope at Derrinstown and is understood to be oversubscribed already such is his popularity among breeders.

Behan explained, “Minzaal is going down very well with all the breeders. There has been nothing but positive comments on him today and he's taking everything in his stride. He's a good model, very correct and makes great use of himself. He has a great walk and has a nice bit of length and scope to him as well. 

“We're very pleased and it has provided us all with a lift here at Derrinstown. He's a Group 1-winning sprinter and was an absolute flying machine as a racehorse so we're all very excited about him.”

He added, “There is a buzz around the place. The past 12 months have not been easy since the boss passed away so, to get that buzz back and have everyone rowing in behind Minzaal now, it means an awful lot. It's great.”

Great, too, is the confidence behind Invincible Army (Ire) at Yeomanstown Stud. Dark Angel (Ire) is still very much the daddy of them all at Yeomanstown but, despite the fact they are facing into one of the hottest years one can remember in terms of the fight for first-season sire honours, the O'Callaghans are predicting big things from Invincible Army this year.

Rob O'Callaghan said, “We're very confident with Invincible Army. He's got great stock coming through and has a lot going for him with over 130 2-year-olds this year. They are well-bred horses and they've got the strength, the action and they have gone to the right homes as well. Karl Burke, Richard Hannon, Ger Lyons, Richard Fahey and Clive Cox have all bought yearlings by him and he's got as good a chance of any of the first-season sires to make a big impression this year. You've got to remember that he was a top-class racehorse and was a Group winner at two, three and four.”

Friday was the only day that Yeomanstown opened their doors to the public and O'Callaghan labelled the initiative as a success before pointing to the fact that many breeders visited with a view towards getting a glimpse at some of the younger sires the stud has to offer. 

He added, “Technically, this is our only day on the Thoroughbred Stallion Trail but we are open every day of the year. We've plenty of shows booked in for tomorrow [Saturday] and the past few weeks have been very busy with showing. We'd a busy morning today with a lot of people starting the Trail here and working their way on to other studs. 

“It's been a good day and we've had a good mixture between breeders and casual visitors. We're glad to have them and it's good to see people enjoying their day. When you have a new stallion it's always busier. Also, a lot of people like to come and see a stallion in his second year at stud to see how they have progressed during the summer.

“These stallions change so much from year one to year two. It's amazing and I think it's important for breeders to come back to see a horse in his second year at stud to get a proper viewing. It's hard to judge a horse straight out of training because they are fit and go to stud off the back of a hard two or three years galloping. When they have had that first year's covering and a summer of grass under their belt, they change a lot.”

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Who’s Hot Ahead Of The Tattersalls December Foal Sale?

The insatiable demand for foals was evident in the figures recorded at Goffs last week with turnover rising 16% to €29,561,000 and the average climbing 16% to €40,110.

At the top end of the market, Kingman (GB) dominated with three foals by the Juddmonte-based stallion selling for a combined €1,540,000 and one of Europe's leading pinhookers Philipp Stauffenberg signing for the €550,000 top lot by the sire. 

Tally-Ho Stud may be best known for being sellers but they pipped Stauffenberg for the biggest spenders title by signing for 19 foals for €1,429,000. Juddmonte, Yeomanstown, BBA Ireland and Camas Park Stud were also on the front foot at Goffs. 

Away from the top end, there were interesting trends to emerge last week that could well impact how this week's December Foal Sale plays out at Tattersalls.

What first-season sires do the buyers want? Who are the emerging forces in the stallion ranks and where might the value lie at Tattersalls? We've examined all of that and more.

Stock In Mehmas And New Bay Is Booming

It's been a breakout year for Mehmas (Ire) and New Bay (GB), who have had their fees for 2023 hiked off the back of memorable campaigns for their respective progeny and, judging by how well their foals went down at Goffs, they can again be expected to play a leading role at Tattersalls.

Let's start with Mehmas, a horse who began his stud career at Tally-Ho in 2017 at a fee of €12,500 and has justified his bump to €60,000 after another memorable campaign, highlighted by Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire).

New Bay has done something similar at Ballylinch in that he has climbed the ranks the hard way. He also entered the stallion ranks in 2017, standing for €20,000, but has had his fee for 2023 increased to €75,000 from €37,500 with Bay Bridge (GB), Bayside Boy (Ire) and Saffron Beach (Ire) doing their bit to advertise their stallion's prowess at the highest level this season.

Nine New Bays sold at Goffs for an average of €80,750, headed by colts who sold for €145,000 and €140,000, while Mehmas enjoyed a similarly productive sale with 26 foals selling for an average of €62,455. Four foals by Mehmas broke the €100,000 mark with BBA Ireland going to €160,000 to secure a colt by the stallion.

What's clear about last week's results is that Mehmas and New Bay are the emerging forces in the European stallion ranks. There are 30 foals by Mehmas and 16 New Bays at Tattersalls this week and it will be interesting to see how they perform.

Sergei To Make A Splash?

The Whitsbury Manor Stud team got to dip their toe into the market with some of the first foals by Sergei Prokofiev (Can) going under the hammer at Goffs. How that will prepare an operation who excelled itself with leading first-season sire Havana Grey is hard to know given the amount of foals due to be sold by Sergei Profkofiev at Tattersalls this week. 

The Goffs offering went down well; one colt made €52,000 while the WH Bloodstock team paid €45,000 for another. Of the six foals that sold at Goffs, they averaged at €34,167. Not bad going for a stallion who stood at £6,500 in his first season at stud. 

Indeed, Sergei Prokofiev hails from that Scat Daddy line that is proving so popular. He was clearly quite the looker, too, given he fetched $1,100,000 as a yearling before carving out a decent career without managing to win a Group 1 for Aidan O'Brien. 

There are 60 foals by Sergei Prokofiev at Tattersalls this week. They should provide a better sample size into the standing in which he is held in with the buyers.

Najd Stud Snap Up Foals

We have become accustomed to Najd Stud playing a major role at the horses-in-training sales but it was interesting to see the Saudi Arabian-based outfit sign for four foals at Goffs. Is that a sign of things to come at Tattersalls this week?

Najd Stud didn't shoot the lights out, either, at Goffs. A Ghaiyyath (Ire) colt topped the total spend of €134,500 across five foals. Interestingly, a filly by Shadwell's Commonwealth Cup winner Eqtidaar (Ire), who has his first runners next year, was among the purchases at €36,000 as was a €3,500 Belardo (Ire) colt on the final day of the sale. 

Kildangan-Based Sires Come Up Trumps

Speaking of Ghaiyyath, the Kildangan-based freshman sire enjoyed a rock-solid start at Goffs with 11 of his first foals selling for €824,000 which averages out at €74,909.

Leading pinhookers Pier House Stud bought the top two colts by the stallion for €185,000 and €145,000 respectively and few would be surprised if the offerings by the four-time Group 1 winner go down well at Tattersalls as well. 

Of the 11 foals cataloged by Ghaiyyath at Tattersalls, a filly out of a sister to New York Girl (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and a half-brother to Global Giant (GB) (Shamardal) stand out on paper at least.

Fellow Kildangan-based stallions Blue Point (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) also performed well. Earthlight had 17 foals sell for €942,500 at an average of €55,441 with Tally-Ho, Lynn Lodge Stud, Peter and Ross Doyle among the significant buyers of his progeny.

Even more impressive were figures posted by Blue Point, who had 20 lots sell for €1,011,500 at an average of €56,194. Top of the pops were colts knocked down for €200,000 apiece to Camas Park Stud and Katsumi Yoshida.

Blue Point's yearlings were similarly well-received. Famous for winning the King's Stand and Diamond Jubilee S. in the same week at Royal Ascot in 2019, Blue Point will have his first two-year-olds hit the track in 2023, with yearlings by the sire averaging over €100,000 this year. 

His stats performed favourably against proven sires Dark Angel (Ire), Showcasing (GB), Kodiac (GB), Starspangledbanner (Aus) and Acclamation (GB) in terms of average for a similar number of lots through the ring at Goffs last week. It will be interesting to see if he can carry over that sort of momentum at Tattersalls. 

First-Season Sires

Next year's race to be crowned champion first-season sire is being billed as one of the most exciting renewals for a long time with Too Darn Hot (GB), Blue Point, Waldgeist (GB), Magna Grecia (Ire), Ten Sovereigns (Ire), Calyx (GB), Advertise (GB), Invincible Army (Ire), Land Force (Ire) and Soldier's Call (GB) having their first runners in 2023.

As mentioned above, Blue Point performed well at Goffs while a number of leading pinhookers got behind the progeny of a number of the first-season sires. 

Advertise was one who came out nicely on the figures from a relatively small sample size at Goffs and one would imagine that Tattersalls will provide a more accurate barometer given he has 19 foals there.

But the Goffs results read well. Six foals sold for an average of €32,167 which was more than Invincible Army [14 for €29,773], Ten Sovereigns [15 for €26,833] and Soldier's Call [14 for €26,417]. Those figures could well average out this week. Time will tell.

First Crops Of Note

Along with Ghaiyyath, Earthlight and Sergei Prokofiev, who we have already mentioned, a number of stallions had their first crop go under the hammer at Goffs. 

Some of the more interesting results were posted by Arizona (Ire), perhaps unsurprisingly given he is a son of the sire of the moment, No Nay Never, while King Of Change (GB), Mohaather (GB), Sottsass (Fr) and Without Parole (GB) caught the imagination. 

Peter Nolan paid €60,000 for an Arizona half-brother to Eldrickjones (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) while the Coolmore-based freshman sire, who stands for just €5,000, averaged a respectable €20,192 for 13 foals.

Sottsass was a classier racehorse than most of his first-crop rivals and it told in the figures at Goffs with the former Arc winner posting averages comparable with Mehmas, Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Dark Angel. There were 11 foals by Sottsass at Goffs and they sold for an average of €61,100 and a top price of €180,000. 

G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather created a good impression with five foals selling for an average of €49,250 including a top lot of €95,000 while Without Parole had four foals sell for an average of €27,000 and a high of €70,000.

King Of Change was subject to a recent transfer after being snapped up by Starfield Stud from Derrinstown and it looks like it could prove to be a decent move given how his first foals performed. 

Peter and Ross Doyle paid €50,000 for a colt by the sire who averaged a solid €24,714 for seven foals sold. That's a good return for a Group 1-winning stallion who is set to stand for just €5,000 next year.

Coolmore Can Count On Wootton Bassett And No Nay Never

Wootton Bassett (GB) and No Nay Never flew the flag for Coolmore at Goffs while demand for the progeny of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) was evidently up off the back of an excellent autumn for the first-season sire. 

Wootton Bassett was bettered only by Kingman and Galileo, who between them accounted for just four foals at Goffs, for the highest averages posted. 

The sire of brilliant G1 National S. winner Al Riffa, Wootton Bassett clearly captured the imagination last week, with seven foals selling for €1,345,000 at an average of €224,167 which earned him a top-three finish in that particular table. 

No Nay Never enjoyed an eighth-place finish in averages posted on €134,800 and, while Saxon Warrior was down on that list at €52,263, he posted a chunky aggregate with 21 foals selling for €993,000. That was the seventh-highest aggregate recorded by any stallion. 

 

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Exceed And Excel’s Mischief Magic Impresses At Kempton

Back in the spotlight after administering a 6 1/2-length trouncing to overmatched rivals in a six-furlong novices' heat at Newmarket last month, Godolphin's homebred 2-year-old colt Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}–Veil Of Silence {Ire}, by Elusive Quality) was in similarly destructive mood in Saturday's G3 Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Sirenia S. at Kempton. He had earlier debuted with a third behind subsequent G2 Richmond S. victor Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) over Goodwood's sharp six furlongs in May before breaking through, tackling the same distance, at Newmarket towards the end of July in his penultimate start. The eventual winner was drawn widest of a reduced field of 10 and found a comfortable rhythm in rear, with just one behind, through halfway. Nudged along to close approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 11-5 favourite engaged turbo down the outside and powered by all but one of his rivals in impressive fashion to win, going away, by two lengths from Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) for a career high.

“It was a great ride by Pat [Dobbs] and the horse is going the right way,” commented Charlie Appleby. “The [G1] Middle Park [at Newmarket] will be the next step all being well.” Dobbs added, “He didn't jump brilliantly so I didn't have much option but to drop in. I was always travelling, but when I gave him a squeeze there was plenty of horse left and we got there too soon. He's got a very good turn of foot and we picked them off quickly. He's got a good head on his shoulders, he's relaxed and will get seven furlongs. I'm not sure how far he can go, but he's definitely going in the right direction.”

Magic Mischief is the 10th of 11 foals and one of six scorers out of an unraced half-sister to three stakes performers, headed by G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Ibn Khaldun (Dubai Destination), and to the dam of G2 Park Hill S. victrix and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. second Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}). He is a full-brother to G3 Prix Eclipse victor Sound And Silence (GB) and a yearling filly. The February-foaled homebred bay's second dam, G1 Fillies' Mile and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells), is one of six black-type performers produced by G1 Prix de la Foret victrix Brocade (GB) (Habitat) and thus a full-sister to G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning sire Barathea (Ire). Descendants of Brocade also include elite-level performers Free At Last (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), Coretta (Ire) (Caerleon), Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Berlin Berlin (GB) (Dubai Destination).

Saturday, Kempton, Britain
UNIBET 3 UNIBOOSTS A DAY SIRENIA S.-G3, £70,000, Kempton, 9-3, 2yo, 6f (AWT), 1:12.87, st/sl.
1–MISCHIEF MAGIC (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
1st Dam: Veil of Silence (Ire), by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Gossamer (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Brocade (GB), by Habitat
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-Pat Dobbs. £39,697. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $71,324. *Full to Sound And Silence (GB), GSW-Fr, MSW & GSP-Eng, SP-US, $244,281. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Believing (Ire), 126, f, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Misfortunate (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (70,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; 115,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRE). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Jane Addams); B-M Mullen & Cloneymore Farm (IRE); T-George Boughey. £15,050.
3–Malrescia (Ire), 126, f, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Tecla (Ire), by Whipper. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€140,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV). O-Mrs A G Kavanagh; B-Airlie Stud & Mrs S M Rogers (IRE); T-George Boughey. £7,532.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.20, 40.00, 33.00.
Also Ran: Rumstar (GB), Minnetonka (Ire), Rogue Lightning (Ire), Knebworth (GB), New Definition (GB), Flag Flying (GB), Kyeema (GB). Scratched: Jiffy Boy (GB), Miami Girl (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Godolphin Flying Start Class Of 2024 Begins In Ireland

The 2022-2024 Godolphin Flying Start trainees started their course work at Kildangan Stud in Ireland on Aug. 15. Hailing from five different countries, the trainees are as follows:

  • Annabel Adams, New Zealand
  • Liam Cunningham, New Zealand
  • Sarah Kelly, Ireland
  • Orlaith Nangle, Ireland
  • David O'Farrell, Ireland
  • Megan O'Leary, Ireland
  • Anne O'Rourke, UK
  • Susannah Jeffery, UK
  • Jamie Smith, UK
  • Edmond Ryan, Ireland
  • Alexander Sausville, USA
  • Ben Triandafillou, Australia

“We welcomed our 20th Godolphin Flying Start class to Kildangan Stud this week with great satisfaction, having continued with the programme through the challenges of Covid-19,” said Godolphin Flying Start Executive Director Clodagh Kavanagh. “It is a milestone year, and it is heartening to see the commitment and talent of these young adults entering the thoroughbred business. We look forward to collaborating with industry professionals to give the trainees opportunities to learn, complete externships, and gain employment in the future so that we may achieve our vision of being the source of influential leaders of the industry.”

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