Lope de Vega (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Believing In Ballylinch

Although his first crop is just four this year, Make Believe (GB) has made an impressive start at stud with his flagbearer, Mishriff (Ire), backing up his Classic-winning year with a recent win in the Saudi Cup. With the flat season due to start in a few weeks, racing pundits are already guessing at what possible route the winner of the world's richest race might take this year. For Make Believe, the breeding season has started in a strong vein and the team at Ballylinch Stud, where the sire stands, have every reason to look forward to the year ahead.

“This would be the strongest book that he covers,” said John O'Connor, manager of the Co. Kilkenny stud. “There have been some more calls since the Saudi Cup, but the basis was already laid for it. Very pleasingly, both the dams of Mishriff and Believe In Love (Ire) are coming back to him.”

Believe In Love, who is in training with Roger Varian, was a progressive filly last year and rounded off her 2020 campaign with five wins from nine runs including the G3 Prix Belle de Nuit at Saint-Cloud. Among Make Believe's other notable winners from his first crop are Rose Of Kildare (Ire), Tammani (GB) and German champion 2-year-old filly Ocean Fantasy (Fr).

“That was an exceptional crop and he's backing it up with some very nice 2-year-olds from last year, including one trained by John Gosden called Third Kingdom (GB),” said O'Connor.

Mishriff's win in the Saudi Cup was a remarkable feat and the poignancy of the win for his owner Prince Faisal has not been lost on anyone. “I think it was an exceptional performance for both horse and trainer to go to a race of this caliber in Saudi without a prep while training through the winter,” O'Connor said. “He was taking on top-caliber performers from the States on the surface that they would be more accustomed to and they had the advantage of a prep run and training in warmer climates.”

O'Connor continued, “Prince Faisal has been developing that Rafha (GB) family for a number of years. He bred both Kodiac (GB) and Invincible Spirit (GB) from that family. Make Believe is one of his favorite racehorses. So it was highly appropriate that Prince Faisal should breed his first really top-class horse too.”

There are early signs that Make Believe works well with mares from the Acclamation sire line as well as the Sadler's Wells line.

“It's still early days for working out nicks, but it does seem fairly obvious that he can go well with the Sadler's Wells line,” said O'Connor. “Tammani is out of a Sadler's Wells mare and Rose of Kildare is a granddaughter of Galileo (Ire).”

Eager to build on these successes, O'Connor has made strides himself with mare purchases to bolster Make Believe's future crops. “We recognized early on that Mishriff was a very high- class horse. We tried to take a leaf out of Prince Faisal's book and so we have a mare from the Rafha family, which we got from Hill 'n' Dale. She's a group-winning Galileo mare and she's currently in foal to Make Believe.”

With support like this Make Believe, could reach the level of global success that is frequently achieved by his stablemate Lope De Vega (Ire).

“Our model really follows that line where we do syndicate the horses and with all the horses that we stand here, the original racing owner has stayed involved,” said O'Connor. “I think that's extremely important because the person who has raceday success with the horse is going to have a vested interest in them doing well as a stallion.”

The newest recruit at Ballylinch, Waldgeist (GB), shares similar connections with Lope De Vega and has his first foals this year with those already on the ground receiving rave reviews.

“The reports are excellent,” said O'Connor. “He's been very well supported. As you know, he was raced like Lope De Vega by Gestut Ammerland who combined with Newsells Park to breed Waldgeist, and they're both supporting him well. They've both got some very nice foals by him. We've got some really nice foals on the ground here, at Ballylinch, including one of our own out of a mare called Fort Del Oro (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was a champion sprint filly for us; her colt I would call exceptional.”

Aside from the aforementioned stallions, the Ballylinch roster also includes New Bay (GB), who was a leading first-season sire in 2020, and Fascinating Rock (Ire), who recently sired his first stakes winner in America, Earls Rock (Ire), who was bred by his racing owner Newtown Anner Stud.

The post Believing In Ballylinch appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Million-Dollar Matings

The fireworks at the annual Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton November sales are always a highlight of the year as seven-figure bids abound on some of racing's top broodmares and broodmare prospects. But after the dust settles, it can be years before words get out on the breeding careers of the sales' top offerings. We catch up with the connections of a few of these most recent million-dollar broodmares and learn of their mating plans for 2021 in our ongoing 'Million-Dollar Matings' series.

CONSTELLATION (Bellamy Road-For Royalty, by Not For Love)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Don Alberto Corporation

Produce Record: 2019 Curlin colt, 2021 Into Mischief filly

2021 Booking: Quality Road

Offered carrying her first foal by Curlin, Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Constellation was purchased for $3.15 million by the Don Alberto Corporation at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Her Curlin colt would go on to sell for $250,000 to Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables at last year's Keeneland September Sale.

After visiting Into Mischief but failing to produce a foal in her first year with Don Alberto, she was bred back to the Spendthrift sire last year.

Don Alberto's former Executive Director Fabricio Buffolo reported that Constellation foaled her Into Mischief filly on Jan. 31.

“We are extremely happy that she had a nice, robust filly,” he said. “She has been developing well. You can tell that she has all the parts there to turn into a nice filly as she grows.”

Buffolo said that Constellation will be bred to Quality Road this year.

“It will be interesting to see how she will produce with a horse like him with more scope and size,” he noted. “It's all about getting to know the mares and how they produce and it's a mating that has some contrasts on the physical aspect, which sometimes can be rewarding. Bellamy Road has only three blacktype winners as a broodmares sire and all three are from Mr. Prospector-line stallions.”

After a 'Rising Star'-worthy debut win as a juvenile for LNJ Foxwoods, Constellation ran in the money in her next two graded starts before capping off her 2-year-old season with a win in the Furlough S. As a sophomore, she added two more stakes wins before taking the GI La Brea S. At four, the chestnut ran second in four straight graded races including the GI Madison S. at Keeneland.

CALEDONIA ROAD (Quality Road-Come A Callin, by Dixie Union)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Narvick International

Produce Record: 2020 Justify filly, 2021 Justify colt

2021 Booking: Kizuna (Jpn)

Eclipse Champion Caledonia Road was purchased by agent Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International for $2.3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

The million-dollar earner was bred to Justify as a maiden and produced a filly in January last year. De Seroux reported that the filly is “doing great” at the Ito family's Grand Farm in Japan, where Caledonia Road also resides.

The mare was bred back to Justify and foaled a colt on Jan. 27 this year.

“He's reported to be a very good foal,” de Seroux said.

This year, Caledonia Road will visit champion Kizuna, a son of the late influential Japanese sire Deep Impact and the leading Japanese freshman sire in 2019.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Caledonia Road won on debut and ran second in the GI Frizette S. before taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles to win Eclipse honors for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2017. She is a half-sister to stakes winner One of a Kind (Lemon Drop Kid) and hails from the family of Grade I winners Data Link (War Front) and Hymn Book (Arch).

CATHRYN SOPHIA (Street Boss-Sheave, by Mineshaft)

Sale: 2017 Keeneland November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto

Produce Record: 2018 Pioneerof the Nile filly, 2019 Medaglia d'Oro filly, 2020 Into Mischief colt. In foal to Curlin.

2021 Booking: None

One year after Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto partnered up to buy a sales-topping Baffled (Distorted Humor) for $3.5 million, the same duo went to $2.3 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale to purchase 'TDN Rising Star' Cathryn Sophia. The 2016 Oaks heroine was carrying her first foal by Pioneerof the Nile.

The Pioneerof the Nile filly, now named Mezcal, was purchased for $625,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale by Bobby Flay, but does not yet have any recorded works or starts.

Cathryn Sophia produced a Medaglia d'Oro filly in 2019 and last year, foaled an Into Mischief colt in May.

“He is a late foal that has developed so well over the last few months,” said Don Alberto's Fabricio Buffolo. “He is a strong individual and typical of what you expect of the sire.”

Buffolo reported that this year, Cathryn Sophia is in foal to Curlin. A similar mating proved successful when the Hill 'n' Dale sire produced champion and young sire Vino Rosso with a Street Cry (Ire) mare.

Because Cathryn Sophia's Curlin foal is expected to arrive late, Buffolo said that she will take a year off this year.

Purchased as a yearling by Cash Is King LLC and trained by John Servis, Cathryn Sophia broke her maiden on debut by 12 3/4 lengths before crushing the competition in the Gin Talking S. by 16 1/4 lengths in her next start. She won her sophomore debut in the GII Forward Gal. and maintained the undefeated streak in the GII Davona Dale S. After a third-place finish in the GI Ashland S., the Maryland-bred scored a victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks. In the later half of her sophomore season, she ran third in both the GI Acorn S. and GI Cotillion S. and caught a win in the Princess of Sylmar S.

Cathryn Sophia was offered at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale as a broodmare or racing prospect and sold to SF Bloodstock for $1.4 million. It was announced a month later that she would retire from racing, and she returned to the sales ring a year later in foal to Pioneerof the Nile.

GALILEO GAL (Galileo (Ire)-Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Craig Bernick

Produce Record: 2020 Kingman (GB) filly. In foal to Lope de Vega (Ire).

2021 Booking: Kingman (GB)

The regally-bred Galileo Gal was offered at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Watch out feature leading up to the sale here. She was purchased by Craig Bernick for $1.4 million.

She was sent to Norelands Stud in Ireland and was first bred to Juddmonte's hot young sire Kingman.

That mating produced a filly that is now a yearling.

“We are happy with [her],” Bernick said. “Our plan is to put her into training with Jessica Harrington next year.”

Galileo Gal was next bred to Ballylinch Stud's Lope de Vega (Ire) and Bernick reported that she is expected to foal any day now. She will return to Kingman later this year.

Bred by the Niarchos family, Galileo Gal was purchased by Gary Barber as a yearling and brought to race in North America, where she was a winner at three and four. The chestnut is a half-sister to champion and four-time Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), as well a second G1 Coronation S. winner in Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and stakes winner Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her family includes several other champions in Miesque (Nureyev), East of the Moon (Private Account) and Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill), as well as Group 1 winners and sires Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector) and Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein).

The post Million-Dollar Matings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Shadwell Reveals 2021 Mating Plans for Their Quality Broodmare Band

The mating plans for the high-quality Shadwell broodmare band were announced by the stud on Monday. Nunnery Stud's four stallions, led by new recruit Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), will all be well supported by Shadwell.

Several top-flight winners are booked to the 2020 G1 Sussex S. victor, among them dual Group 1 winners Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway) and South African multiple Grade 1 winner Majmu (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). They are joined by Ghanaati's Rahy half-sister, the stakes winner and G1 Oaks third Rumoush, who already has foaled a trio of black-type scorers; two-time Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Nafaayes (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}); and the stakes-placed Asheerah (GB) (Shamardal), the dam of Classic hero and young stallion Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) landed his best prize in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup and his first foals are hitting the ground this season. Shadwell is sending him the stakes-placed Tamadhor (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) from the family of G2 Cherry Hinton S. victress Memory (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Mudaaraah (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who struck at listed level, placed in the G3 Prestige S. and is out of a half-sister to outstanding European highweight Bahri (Riverman), will be bred to Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). The three-time Group 1 runner-up's first foals are yearlings of 2021. Rounding out the quartet of Nunnery Stud stallions, champion sprinter Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is the beau of choice for stakes winner Etaab (Street Cry {Ire})-also from the family of Bahri–and is just one of several mares headed to the sire of nine black-type performers.

Other Group 1 winners and producers from Shadwell's paddocks will go farther afield for their mates. G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Tawkeel (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Ghanaati's daughter Alandalos (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) are both headed to Darley sire Dubawi (Ire). G1 Oaks and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. victress Taghrooda (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is booked to Lope de Vega (Ire). She is not the only mare to visit the Ballylinch supremo, with Group 3 striker and Group 1 placed Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), who is a half-sister to Classic winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also on Lope de Vega's dance card; as is stakes winner Mutebah (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), the dam of G2 Champagne S. runner-up Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal).

A quintet of Shadwell mares will visit Juddmonte's Kingman (GB) at Banstead Manor Stud, with the recently retired five-time Group 2 winner and G1 Royallieu third Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) leading the way. The other four mares are rounded out by G3 Sweet Solera S. heroine Tajaanus (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}); multiple group winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}); G2 Blandford S. scorer Tarfasha (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}); and Nazeef's dam Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Kingman's barnmate Frankel (GB) will also be patronised by some Shadwell mares including Tatweej (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), herself a half-sister to champion 3-year-old Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}); and Group 3 producer Rayaheen (GB) (Nayef), a daughter of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Natagora (Fr) (Divine Light {Jpn}).

A mare bound for the court of Sea The Stars (Ire) is Garmoosha (Kingmambo). A daughter of Oaks winner Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain), she has already produced the highly progressive Group 3 winner Raabihah to the cover of the Gilltown Stud-based stallion. The other five mares to also visit Sea The Stars, include the Awtaad's half-sister Alghabrah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), listed winner Maqsad (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), and Tamayuz's half-sisters–Ettisaal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Muhawalah (Ire) (Nayef). Mubhirah (GB) (Raven's Pass), a half-sister to Classic heroine Taghrooda, will also visit the Aga Khan stallion.

Dark Angel (Ire) will once again welcome G1 Cheveley Park S. third Maqaasid (GB) (Green Desert), who already has a juvenile colt and yearling filly by the son of Acclamation (GB).

In Ireland, Derrinstown Stud residents Tamayuz (GB) (Nayef), Awtaad, and incoming sire King of Change (GB) (Farhh {GB}) are also being supported by Sheikh Hamdan's broodmare band. Roster veteran Tamayuz welcomes Safwa (Ire) (Green Desert), who has already produced G1 Lockinge S. winner Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) on this same mating and the group-placed Munaaser (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), as well as her daughter Rabaabah (Ire) (Shamardal). Tamayuz, the sire of 22 black-type winners, will also cover G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Bethrah (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) and the stakes producer Masaafat (GB) (Act One {GB}), both of whom visited the 16-year-old last term.

Awtaad, the winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and whose oldest foals are 3-year-olds, will cover Group 3 winner Rawaaq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). King of Change, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero and G1 2000 Guineas runner-up, will be sent the winning Qaadira (Mr. Greeley), who hails from the extended family of prolific blue hen Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}).

The post Shadwell Reveals 2021 Mating Plans for Their Quality Broodmare Band appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Australasian Flavour To Goffs February Sale

It took until the final lot of the Goffs February Sale for the six-figure mark to be reached and it was a round €100,000 for the top lot of the two days, Rubira (Aus), a young southern hemisphere-bred daughter of Lope De Vega (Ire) in foal for the first time to New Bay (GB).

The 6-year-old mare was formerly trained in by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman in New Zealand where she won the listed Diamond Lodge Gt North Champagne S. She was bought from the Baroda Stud draft by Alex Elliott.

“She's a good-moving mare and she's a listed-winning Lope De Vega in foal to New Bay on an early cover,” said the agent, who added that lot 253 has been bought for a syndicate.

“The plan is to probably go to a stallion like Camelot (GB). He's obviously very appealing to both hemispheres and potentially we are looking to try to breed something that the Australians could be interested in. We could also go back to New Bay—I have a bit of a soft spot for him as he's been really good to use with [G2 Royal Lodge S. winner] New Mandate (Ire). It's a question of whether we are able to get into some of these stallions. She'll stay in Ireland.”

The session of fillies and broodmares followed Tuesday's horses-in-training section of the February Sale, all of which has been conducted online and will feature a follow-up live session of short yearlings on March 11.

With Part 1 now concluded, 117 of the 191 horses offered changed hands for turnover of €1,585,700. The average was €13,553 and the median was €8,000. Encouragingly, 190 bidders from 10 different countries participated during the two days of trade.

Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “And on we go. The last 11 months have been unlike anything we have ever known and we have been forced to adapt and react to the ever changing situation caused by Covid-19. A live online sale is never going to be our first choice for any category but our customer-friendly platform continues to evolve and serve us well. Over the last two days we have taken 1,425 bids from 190 clients in 10 countries which has allowed us to provide a marketplace that would otherwise have been unattainable.”

Bidding online isn't rocket science, unless of course you're Hubie de Burgh, who made extra sure he had the correct filly for his Australian client by enlisting the help of his daughter. The equine Rocket Science (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) will soon be heading for the southern hemisphere after being bought for €84,000.

“She's been bought for an Australian and she's heading down there to go to stud,” said the agent of lot 131. “She suits the Australian profile, she's a big, strong mare, she's got speed—it's a speed family. Fastnet Rock is a brilliant sire and is going to be a good broodmare sire and of course Pivotal is good anywhere. She fits all the criteria that the Australian breeders like.”

The 4-year-old filly was bred by Frank Dunne from the G2 Queen Mary S.-placed Hairy Rocket (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and made nine starts for Jessica Harrington, winning twice over seven furlongs and finishing fourth in the G3 Fairy Bridge S. behind subsequent Group 1 winner Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}).

De Burgh would of course normally be found in Australia himself at this time of year but is instead confined to barracks at his home in Wicklow.

He added, “It's 15 years since I haven't been down there at this time of year. I didn't know what January and February looked like but I've just discovered it. We have snow everywhere and I have managed to write off my own car on my own farm. It just took off downhill like the Cresta Run.”

Instead of pounding the sales grounds at Magic Millions, Inglis or Karaka, de Burgh is this year getting to grips with the online experience provided by Goffs.

He said with a chuckle, “I have the fear of God that I might be pressing the button on the wrong horse. My daughter Antonia runs the office here and fortunately she steers me in the right direction when I am about to do something on the internet.”

The Castlebridge Consignment offered both Rocket Science and the mare who brought the third-top price of the day, Gracefully Done (Ire). The 5-year-old mare (lot 190) is a daughter of Australia (GB) and the G1 Matron S. winner Sense Of Style (Thunder Gulch), herself a half-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches victrix Valentine Waltz (Ire) (Be My Guest). Covered by Ten Sovereigns on March 12, Gracefully Done was bought by Hawthorn Villa Stud for €76,000.

Concluding his end-of-sale statement, Henry Beeby added, “We are always grateful to every vendor and each purchaser but never more than so than at present as the pandemic puts more barriers in the way of normal bloodstock trading. Vendors have stepped up with all the additional information required for purchasers to make as informed decisions as possible in the current environment. That has led to a trade that is acceptable, albeit selective, especially yesterday. However today has seen spirited bidding for the most attractive breeding propositions and underlined the enduring desire for the best of Irish bloodlines. We salute everyone who engaged over the last two days for their fortitude and acceptance of what is required whilst at the same time hoping fervently that we can soon return to the usual norms of horses and people filling Kildare Paddocks. That always results in the best of both worlds for sellers and buyers whilst also allowing all of us to engage and catch up on a one to one basis, something that we miss more as each lockdown progresses.

“So we extend our thanks to all participants over the last two days and just hope that we are able to welcome back horses and people on 11 March for Part 2 of the Goffs February Sale even though everyone will be masked, sanitised and socially distanced; at least we'll be going in the right direction.”

The post Australasian Flavour To Goffs February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post