Tag: Mehmas (Ire)

“He Was Always A Class Horse” – Roger O’Callaghan On £500,000 Harry Angel Colt At Goffs UK Breeze-Up

DONCASTER, UK-It had felt like an apt morning to start a breeze-up sale: find a sunny nook away from the north wind, and it was a glorious spring day; find yourself exposed, and you felt a bitter parting shot of winter. That kind of polarity is pretty standard in this sector, but a stunning Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale –headlined by a £500,000 Harry Angel colt from Tally Ho who became the most expensive Flat horse ever sold in this ring–allowed many vendors to bask, almost dazed, in their own personal sunbeams.

Last year, this auction produced 17 six-figure sales from 158 lots. This time round, as many had been recorded by the halfway stage of an admittedly expanded offering of 184. By the end of proceedings, no fewer than 33 lots had made £100,000 or more. At one stage there were three £200,000-plus sales–as many as were achieved from the whole catalogue last year–in the course of just seven lots into the ring. The average duly soared from £48,989 to £63,396 (+29%). The median rose 11% to £40,000.

In the circumstances, it could be no surprise that the principal protagonists in the record sale should be those namesakes, and mutual stalwarts of this auction, the O'Callaghan family of Tally-Ho Stud and trainer Michael O'Callaghan.

With typical acuity, Tally Ho had bought the record-breaking colt as a €38,000 foal, at the Goffs November Sale of 2021-not as a potential yearling pinhook, but expressly as a long-term play for their breeze-up division. He was out of Go Angellica (Ire) (Kheleyf) (lot 191), who promised to double down the speed as a stakes winner at two.

“Yes, when we bought him the plan was always to breeze,” confirmed Roger O'Callaghan. “He was always a class horse, a natural: unbelievable temperament, just easy, so simple. When you asked him, he delivered. And when you didn't ask him, he didn't!”

Michael O'Callaghan will already have had his eye drawn to the page, having bought dual group winner Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) from the same vendors here two years ago: he was out of a half-sister to Go Angellica. But then the colt breezed a tick off the quickest time of the sale on Monday.

 

“I thought him the best horse here by a long way,” the trainer declared. “Obviously I've been extremely lucky with the vendors, and he's from the same family as a very good horse for us. Trade has been very strong so we kept our powder dry for this lad, we didn't want to leave without him.”

His model has often been to trade on breeze-up graduates, but the stakes for this one are plainly high.

“Please God, he needs to be a Group 1 horse,” he conceded. “He could potentially be traded, down the line, but he has to go and do it. But if he can get to a high level by midsummer, who knows? He certainly looks ready to go, hopefully we'll be getting the top hats out.”

Tally Ho have been selling here annually since the inauguration of a first European breeze-up sale here, way back in 1977, and there could be no more fitting holder of the new record.

“We've always sold good horses here, so why not bring another one?” Roger O'Callaghan said. “Between Tally Ho, 'Donny', Mike and Blandford [Bloodstock], there have been a lot of good horses sold here. It's been very strong today, so fair dues to Donny, they got it right.”

Anthony Stroud, who topped the purchasing averages with three at £710,000, noted the strength of the market after a rather patchy start to the breeze-up circuit last week.

“There's lots of middle, which is very encouraging, and I'm sure the clearance rate is good, it certainly feels like it,” he said. “Last week I felt it was very selective and I questioned whether you could have this amount of breeze-up horses, and if there were enough clients, but I think today has really underlined that things are going in the right direction.

“Of course it makes buying more difficult, but you want the best for the industry. These guys work so hard and it's such a difficult job preparing a horse for a breeze-up, so while you want to buy them at the right price it's important that everyone gets rewarded for their efforts.”

Michael O'Callaghan | Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK

The Main Talking Points

  • Tally Ho had already enjoyed another excellent day even before topping the sale and duly ended as leading consignor, banking £1,340,000 for a dozen sold. Federico Barberini/Apple Tree Stud gave £200,000 for a son (lot26) of Kodiac (GB), who has had some of his finest hours in this ring, out of a mare bought by Tally Ho for 35,000gns back in 2015. In the meantime she has gained fresh distinction as a half-sister to the mother of Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never).
  • Fillies were in conspicuous demand and Longways Stables processed two with nice pedigrees within five minutes for a total of £550,000. Jake Warren gave £340,000 for a Dark Angel (Ire) filly (lot 167) (a €52,500 private purchase at Arqana) specifically because his clients Bermuda Racing would ultimately want to breed from “a beautiful filly who did a phenomenal breeze-and whose half-sister has already bred a top-class horse” in G2 May Hill S. winner Powerful Breeze (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Then two lots later Oliver St Lawrence gave £210,000 for a Dubawi (Ire) filly (lot 169) out of a group-placed mare.
  • Havana Grey built on his Newmarket triumph by fuelling another tremendous pinhook, Knockanglass Stable banking £200,000 from Al Mohamediya Racing for a son (lot 46) found in this ring last August as a £27,000 private sale to Kilronan.
  • The Blue Point bandwagon was another to keep on rolling, with five lots changing hands for an aggregate of £690,000. Katie Walsh of Greenhills Farm had been hoping to ride the wave with the colt (lot 37) she had found in Book 2 at Tattersalls last October for 42,000gns, and was delighted as he soared to £220,000 for Arthur Dobell of Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock in the company of trainer Roger Varian. “The sire's on fire,” Walsh enthused. “With all the chat about them, I felt lucky to have one. They're just so consistent and straightforward. I'm not sorry that I can't be at Punchestown now!”
  • The Sioux Nation filly (lot 35) presented by Gary Bloodstock clocked one of the fastest times on Monday and that completed an impressive salvage operation after she was returned unsold for €15,000 at Fairyhouse last September. A £160,000 docket from Avenue Bloodstock/Paddy Twomey was not just due reward for keeping the faith, but for John Nagle's discovery of her young dam for just €2,800 at Goffs in February 2020. Another hit for Sioux Nation was the colt from Mocklershill (lot 204) that brought £210,000 from Anthony Stroud.
  • One of the fastest times had set more parochial shoppers a challenge as a daughter of Lane's End rookie Catalina Cruiser out of a mare (aptly named Quizzical) by the obscure Cindago. She'd been purchased by Glending Stables for $50,000 at Keeneland last September, but while Roderick Kavanagh could not quite match his eye-watering triumph at Tattersalls last week, £140,000 from Najd Stud was another highly satisfactory increment on his ledger.
  • Another profitable Keeneland pinhook was lot 101, a son of the late Claiborne stallion Flatter picked out by Bushypark Stables for just €25,000 last September. Out of a sister to Grade I winner Capo Bastone (Street Boss), here he elevated his value to £195,000 as Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock sought to enhance his brilliant record at this sale.

 

 

 

A Following Breeze For Tradewinds

Tradewinds Stud celebrated a tremendous coup with a Twilight Son (GB) filly found at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale for just 30,000gns and brought here as lot 141. Reportedly the quickest through the demanding conditions in Monday's breeze show, she also made £360,000 from sale specialist Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.

Shane Power and his brother Alex are only in their second year as a breeze-up consignors, having diversified from foals and yearlings more or less by accident after finding themselves with a couple of yearlings “left over”. One of those turned out to be Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir), whose success on the track encouraged the Powers to acquire five yearlings specifically for this job-and also sustained Brown and his patrons through a protracted duel with Conrad Allen.

Now Tradewinds will have the ammunition to raise the stakes afresh. “Though we're in the middle of building a new barn at home, so this will help with that as well,” Power said. “When you do a breeze like she did, you spend the whole day hoping that all the right guys will pitch up. And when she came into the ring it was, 'Okay, everyone's here.' But you can't expect [money like] that.”

Recalling his impressions of the filly from Rosyground Stud at Tattersalls, he said, “I just thought she was a very nice individual. We wouldn't focus as much on the stallion as others might. She was very athletic, very light on her feet, looked a nice and early type we could kick on with.

“A special mention goes to 'Flash' [Gordon Power] who rode the breeze. He's top-class, and there have been a lot of cold wet days riding on the Curragh in February and March. There's been a lot of hard work gone into this, but now the most important thing is that the filly goes on and does well for them on the racetrack. We had the two last year and Richard bought one and was underbidder on the other. To be fair, he's very straightforward to deal with and takes you at your word. And repeat business is everything in this game.”

Sure enough, Brown stressed that a good experience with Bright Diamond had encouraged him to keep going, albeit he was now sinking exhausted into his chair. He also had the self-deprecating grace to bring up his comments in Tuesday's TDN about the folly of spending big at the breeze-ups purely on the clock.

“There I was on the front page saying that's how you do really badly!” he said with a smile. “And yes, she was the quickest, on how we do it. We handicap it all, take everything into account, but it does mean she beat all the colts and it was a phenomenal breeze. That was significantly more than we expected, I have to say, a real war of attrition. But this market is phenomenal and we're very excited to get her.”

This filly will also run in the colours of Sheikh Rashid Dalmook al Maktoum, just like Bright Diamond and indeed Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), the multiple Group 1 winner Brown found in this same ring a couple of years ago for £110,000. Her trainer, however, could not yet be confirmed.

“Bright Diamond won her maiden at Newmarket by nine and then ran third in the [G1] Fillies' Mile,” Brown noted. “So we've had success buying off Shane. Obviously we've had a lot of luck at the breeze-ups, particularly in this ring, and [Sheikh Rashid] was very determined. This filly obviously looks a faster type, so I'd imagine she will be pointing to Ascot.”

 

All's Well That Ends Well for Holland

Brendan Holland of Grove Stud is a man of many talents but nonetheless appeared here in an unusual capacity as breeder, as well as consignor, of the Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly who made £350,000 from Anthony Stroud (for Bahrain interests) as lot 102. She was out of a Shadwell cull, Sulaalaat (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), picked up for just 36,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale of 2017.

“I only have a share in four mares,” Holland said. “While this one didn't have an extremely strong pedigree close up, she had some really good speed figures when she was running. She was a bit inconsistent but had a lot of speed for a New Approach (Ire). Her first foal was average, and her second one was born this size.” Here he held his hand unfeasibly low. “And stayed this size! It's amazing that the same mare could produce a filly as nice as this.”

This was a classic example of the axiom that you never know, in racing, when your good luck may prove your bad luck-and vice versa.

“Unfortunately all mine got sick and I had no horses in Book 3 [at Tattersalls last October],” Holland explained. “I kept this one because she always had lovely balance and action. I thought this had come too early for her, but she produced on the day because she's just got loads of quality.”

 

 

To be fair, Sulaalaat (GB) could summon some outstanding genes through her own mother, a half-sister to Group 1 winners Compton Admiral (GB) (Suave Dancer) and Summoner (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) as well as to the dam of champion The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

“She breezed well but she's not an immediate type of 2-year-old, I think she'll be better over seven furlongs,” said Stroud. “She looks all New Approach and I think she's a horse with a future. Brendan does a terrific job.”

Strong Statistics Across The Board

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent said, “What an incredible day at Europe's Oldest Breeze-Up Sale. A record top price; record turnover; record average; record median; four horses selling for £300,000 or more; 10 horses selling for £200,000 or above and 33 horses realising £100,000 or more.

“That is an incredible achievement for any sale and accurately sums up today's trade but there is so much more that goes into today and we must thank all our vendors and purchasers who have supported this record-breaking event. When we started to visit vendors in the early part of the year, we knew they were planning to target this sale with some of their better horses and the fact that there was a healthy increase in their purchase price compared to last year was a positive way to start. We then began to hear many positive reports after vendors had started to work these horses and the momentum continued to Town Moor where some sensational breezes led to some breath-taking prices.

“But it's not just the top end that has been a success. Indeed, the success of any sale relies on buyers at every level of the market, and we made a concerted effort to ensure that everyone was encouraged to participate at a sale which has a long history of winners being bought at all levels of the market.  This obviously meant that we focussed on all domestic buyers, but we also worked closely with GBRI to ensure that we had an increased participation from overseas clients with many new faces visiting Doncaster for the first time including those from Australia, Denmark, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sweden. All of this led to a healthy 86% clearance rate which is the envy of any recent sales of this kind.

“Today's results graphically illustrate how this sale is capturing the attention of buyers from across the globe and this is purely down to the unrivalled success on the racecourse. Seven Royal Ascot winners in seven years is an incredible accomplishment for any sale and this 'royal dream' is a large part of what has attracted so many people to Doncaster today and helped to fuel this breath-taking trade. We are certain that vendors have provided the ammunition to continue this incredible success story and we look forward to welcoming these horses to the winner's enclosure in the coming weeks. Roll on Royal Ascot!”

The post “He Was Always A Class Horse” – Roger O’Callaghan On £500,000 Harry Angel Colt At Goffs UK Breeze-Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Making Waves: Ashes To Gold For Belardo Gelding

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This column (Feb. 26-Mar. 5) is highlighted by the victory of Gold Phoenix in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita on Saturday, Mar. 4.

One of several Europeans to cause a stir Stateside on Saturday, Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) became the first top-level winner for his sire with a neck victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. (video).

Offered by co-breeder/owner Jim Ryan's Milltown Stud as a yearling during the Goffs Sportman's Sale in 2019, Gold Phoenix was a €24,000 buyback. However, the future GII Del Mar H. scorer broke his maiden at first asking in the colours of the late Dr. Tan Kai Chah, who bred the colt with Ryan in the name of Mighty Universe, Ltd., going seven furlongs over the Dundalk all-weather in February of 2021 for trainer Kieran Cotter. That half-length victory resulted in a change of scenery and new connections, and the gelding has been a California resident for eight of his nine Stateside appearances since. Bearing the colours of Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify for trainer Phil D'Amato, the 5-year-old is a son of Magnifica, who Ryan acquired for $70,000 out of the 2014 Keeneland November Sale in foal to Bellamy Road.

A product of Palisade (Gone West) and Mizzen Mast, just like G1 Stewards' Cup winner Sea Defence and GII Raven Run S./GII Buena Vista H. heroine and GI Santa Monica H. second Jibboom, Magnifica is kin to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom {Fr}). In foal to Lucky Vega (Ire), she has a yearling full-brother to the Kilroe winner.

Belardo, who is standing his first season at Bearstone Stud in the UK, has only had seven runners across the United States, but four have won (57%). Besides Gold Phoenix, Belardo's other stakes winner on those shores is Bellabel (Ire), who captured the GII San Clemente S. and run second in the GI Del Mar Oaks and third in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

'Faith' In The Blood

Prior to Gold Phoenix's heroics in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. in California, his grandsire was represented by GIII Honey Fox S. heroine Faith In Humanity (Fr) in Florida (video). Although the margin was only a neck, the 4-year-old filly, who carries the Klaravich Stables silks like other Lope De Vega (Ire)-sired luminaries Newspaperofrecord (Ire) and GIII Waya S. second Capital Structure (GB), was taking her second graded victory after the GIII Pebbles S. during the Belmont at Aqueduct meet last autumn.

A product of Ecurie des Monceaux and Lordship Stud, Ltd., the daughter of Sharavana (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was snapped up for €240,000 out of the Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale in 2020 by Michel Zerolo's Oceanic Bloodstock. Put into training with Chad Brown, she won a maiden special weight at Monmouth Park last July, ran second in the Riskaverse S. at Saratoga in August, and bounced back to win the Pebbles in September. Faith In Humanity, who is followed by the Churchill (Ire) juvenile half-sister Caty Fish (Fr), an €80,000 Arqana October Yearling Sale alum to Nicolas Clement, is kin to juvenile Group 1 winner Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) and G1 French 1000 Guineas heroine Matiara (Bering {GB}).

The leading sire at Ballylinch Stud, Lope De Vega has enjoyed a fruitful association with North American turf racing, with 29 of his progeny winning at least one race from 62 runners (46%). Of his 16 stakes horses, five (8% of 62 runners) have won stakes led by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winners Newspaperofrecord and Aunt Pearl (Ire).

Mylady Is The One

Mylady (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}), already a group winner in her native land, got the job done by three-quarters of a length in the 1 3/8-mile GIII The Very One S. at Gulfstream Park (video), starting a graded race double for trainer Chad Brown, who would take the GIII Honey Fox S. later on the Mar. 4 card.

Bred by Michaela Faust's Gestut Karlshof, the grey did not meet her reserve as a €20,000 buyback at the Baden-Baden October Mixed Sale in 2020, and she was sent to the yard of Markus Klug, where she promptly won both of her juvenile starts, including a listed stake. Successful at Group 3 level at three, she was also placed in the G2 German 1000 Guineas, and the G1 German Oaks later that season. Unplaced in the GI E. P. Taylor S. last October, she remained in North America and was transferred to the Chad Brown barn in the interim.

Her unraced dam, Minoris (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), was acquired by HFTB Racing Agency for €3,500 out of the Arqana February Mixed Sale in 2018, prior to being put in foal to The Grey Gatsby. The winner, the first foal of her dam, is from the extended family of young sire and G1 Sprint Cup and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}). She has a pair of Counterattack (Aus) half-brothers born in 2020 and 2021 named Missouri (Ger) and Maigret (Gre), respectively.

Part of a quartet of stakes winners–three group–internationally for The Grey Gatsby, Mylady is his only runner Stateside.

Nickeled, Dimed, and 'Quatt'ared

Previously mentioned in the inaugural Making Waves column is Red Baron's Barn LLC & Rancho Temescal LLC's Quattroelle (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). She ran out a half-length winner of the one-mile GII Buena Vista S. (video) over the turf at Santa Anita Park on Saturday for trainer Jeff Mullins. It was her second graded score after she signed her name to the GIII Megahertz S. honour roll in early February, also at that Southern California venue.

Her Tally-Ho Stud-based sire's U.S. and Canadian standings feature 11 winners from 21 runners (52%), 12 stakes horses to runners (57%), and four stakes winners to runners (19%) with Grade I winner Going Global (Ire) his best runner to date.

Mic Drop In New Orleans

Trying the turf at the Fair Grounds for the first time on Mar. 2, Microphone (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) eked out a head victory going 8 1/2 furlongs over the firm turf course there with Deshawn Parker in the irons for trainer Ethan West on Thursday.

From the same family as G1 Coronation S. victress Fallen For You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and bred by Philippa Cooper's Normandie Stud, the gelding was originally picked up from agent John Troy for 160,000gns out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. A winner at first asking at Tampa in January of 2022 for trainer Chad Brown, he made five other starts in the green on green colours with several placed efforts. Sent through the 2022 Keeneland November Sale by EliTE Sales, the then-4-year-old caught the eye of Marc A. Wampler, the racing and bloodstock manager of racing syndicate Pocket Aces Racing, who bought Microphone for $30,000. Microphone's Mar. 2 victory was his second start in the Pocket Aces silks.

Out of the 2009 G2 Lancashire Oaks second Fallen In Love (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Microphone is a half-brother to GII Red Smith S. hero Serve The King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was also second in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. in America, and G3 Prix de Flore heroine Loving Things (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who was placed in the Lancashire Oaks seven years after her dam. Fallen In Love's latest is the 2-year-old filly Loves Loving (GB) (Expert Eye {GB}).

His Highness The Aga Khan's stallion Siyouni has had 36 runners in American and Canada to date, with a baker's dozen of winners (36%). Four of those are stakes winners (11%), and three have won Grade III's–Sacred Life (Fr), La Signare (Fr), and Love And Thunder (Ire).

Sunnyside Up For Gleneagles Colt

The consistent Scramble (Gleneagles {Ire}), a homebred product of Peter and Bonnie McCausland's Erdenheim Farm Thoroughbreds in Pennsylvania, had never been off the board in five starts, and put it all together to take a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park on Friday (video) for Barclay Tagg.

Scramble is the first foal of the well-tried Tilly's Chilli (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), who won the 2400-metre Listed Grand Prix de Lyon in France. Picked up by Erdenheim Farm out of the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 400,000gns, she visited the court of Gleneagles that year and returned to the States in foal to that dual Guineas hero. Tilly's Chilli's latest is a 2-year-old colt by Curlin named Bandoola. Two of her half-sisters have thrown stakes winners, the best of the them Fast Company (Ire)'s Red Onion (GB), who claimed the Listed Prix Herod. German Group 1 winner Neatico (Ger) (Medicean {GB}) is under the third dam, as is the G1 French Oaks-placed G2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

Based at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, Gleneagles has accumulated 24 stakes winners worldwide (14 group), and his record in North America stands at nine winners out of 16 runners (56%). Although he has just one stakes winner to date in that locale, he made it count, as it is 2022 GI Man o'War S. victor Highland Chief (Ire).

Motorious Full Of Merit

Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) found the downhill turf course at Santa Anita to his liking and scampered home a 2 1/4-length victor in the GIII San Simeon S. over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Sunday (video).

Bred by Kirtlington Stud and Mary Taylor, the bay was offered by the former during Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and brought 55,000gns from trainer Stuart Williams. Making his first seven starts for Opulence Thoroughbreds, he won two of them, a brace of seven-furlong all-weather handicaps in the second half of 2021. Sent back through the ring by Diomed Stables during the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale that October, he was knocked down to Craig Rounesfell's Boomer Bloodstock for 220,000gns and made his way to the barn of Phil D'Amato. Although it took a few starts to find his stride in California, the gelding won a pair of optional claimers at Del Mar and Santa Anita in December and January, respectively. Second in the Clocker's Corner S. on Jan. 29, the San Simeon was his first try in graded company.

First-born of the dual Group 3-placed Squash (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}), Mortorious's full-brother Haymaker (GB) has won twice in 11 starts, and his 2-year-old Advertise (GB) half-brother was a 135,000gns Tattersalls December foal that blossomed into a 500,000gns Tattersalls October yearling purchase by Richard Knight. Part of 17 reoffered by the sales company due to non-payment, the colt has yet to race. His dam foaled a colt by Sergei Prokofiev in 2022. The last-named sold to Tally-Ho Stud for 82,000gns as a Tattersalls December foal. GI Donn H. hero and Claiborne stallion Lea is under the fourth dam, the placed High Savannah (GB) (Rousillon).

Now a resident of France's Haras de Faunes after starting his stallion career in England, Muhaarar has 20 stakes winners to his credit after Motorious's win. Nine of his get are graded/group winners, led by G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Eshaada (GB). From just 12 runners, the bay has seven winners in America (58%). Besides Motorious, his Stateside stakes winners include multiple graded winner Bran (Fr), GIII San Francisco Mile hero Evening Sun (GB), and Listed PG Johnson S. heroine Be Your Best (Ire), who was also third in the GIII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont.

Kingman Filly Paints A Masterpiece In Florida

The progeny of Juddmonte stallion Kingman (GB) continued their love affair with the firm surface at Gulfstream on Sunday, with his filly Queen Picasso (GB) running out a half-length winner of a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight (video).

Trained by transplanted Frenchman Christophe Clement, the Siena Farm, Michael Kisber, Peter Deutsch and The Elkstone Group-owned 3-year-old was bred by Dermot Farrington and Canning Downs. Part of The National Stud draft of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, the daughter of the stakes-placed Aris (Ire) (Danroad {Aus}) was knocked down for 200,000gns by Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow's BSW Bloodstock/Crow Euro Venture. A half-sister to G1 Prix de la Foret winner and sire Aclaim (Ire), Queen Picasso is from the same family as Classic winner Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Arc scorer Montjeu (Ire), et al. Her dam's 2021 filly by Advertise (GB) was consigned to the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by West Park Farm, but was a 280,000gns RNA.

As of Wednesday morning 24 of the Juddmonte stallion's 46 American runners (52%) have won. Of his 12 stakes horses, seven (15% of runners) are stakes winners anchored by three-time Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB).

'Buzz' Sets The Tone In California Curtain Raiser

Opening Santa Anita's Sunday card, Phil D'Amato trainee Buzz Of New York (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}) parlayed a stalking trip into a 1 1/2-length tally in an allowance optional claimer going a mile over the grass.

Campaigned Stateside by the familiar connections of dual graded heroine Quattroelle and GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. hero and now Tara Stud stallion River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal LLC colours, the 5-year-old mare was a private purchase. She raced six times in her native Ireland without a win for Mark Dobbin and trainer Johnny Murtagh, but she was not keeping poor company in her nascent career, as she was left in the wake of future G1 Prix de Diane heroine Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a March 2021 Curragh maiden among those six starts.

Bred by Ronan Fitzpatrick, the 5-year-old never graced a sales ring, and is the first of four foals and only winner from three to race out of Buzz Off Barroso (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}), who did not win until her 4-year-old year. From the same family as four-time Group 1 winner and one-time sire Barney Roy (GB), as well as celebrated short-tracker Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}), Buzz Of New York has a Coulsty (Ire) yearling half-brother.

The well-traveled Toronado is now a permanent resident at Swettenham Stud in Australia after stints in England and France. From limited representation–only to grow rarer as his Northern Hemisphere runners dwindle–he has sired five winners from 12 runners (41%) in the United States. However, two of the five are stakes winners (16% of runners)–the GI Manhattan S. and GI United Nations S. hero Tribhuvan (Fr) and dual stakes winner Tuned (GB).

The post Making Waves: Ashes To Gold For Belardo Gelding appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Galileo Mare In Foal To Mehmas Leads The Way At Arqana

The stakes-producer Rasmiya (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), in foal to Tally-Ho Stud's Mehmas (Ire), topped the second and final session of the Arqana February Mixed Sale on Thursday.

Offered by the sale's top vendor Haras de Bouquetot, lot 308 made €315,000 from the sale's leading buyer, BBA Ireland. Already the dam of the French listed winner Jouza (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}), the 10-year-old is a half-sister to group winners Above Average (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Sent From Heaven (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), as well as the listed winner Freyja (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and a full-sibling to the G3 Bart Cummings H. second Granddukeoftuscany (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“She's a very nice mare,” said BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, who was buying in tandem with fellow BBA Ireland agent Eamon Reilly. “She'll first go to Ireland have her foal, and then we'll decide afterwards which stallion she'll be covered by. She's been bought for one of our clients.”

The leading buyer with nine acquired for €743,000 over two days of selling, BBA Ireland also signed for lot 249, Zerziyna (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), at €200,000. Part of the Aga Khan Stud's draft, the unraced 4-year-old filly is a granddaughter of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar).

Reilly said, “We've bought her for an Irish client. We're very happy–she's a lovely filly from a great family. She'll be covered by Lucky Vega {Ire}).”

Rounding out the top three was a colt (lot 264) from the first crop of Persian King (Ire), who sold to Hamish Macauley Bloodstock for €105,000. Hailing from the consignment of Camille and Guillaume Vitse's Normandie Breeding, the bay is a half-brother to G3 Prix Texanita heroine Alistair (Fr) (Panis). Group 1 winners Goldmark (Lyphard), Gabina (Caro {Ire}) and Galetto (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) are part of the extended family.

“He's a lovely colt and very athletic,” said Reilly. “He'll go to Tally-Ho Stud, with the objective to give him a bit of time before putting him through the sales again later.”

Wednesday's stats were similar to the 2022 edition, with 128 sold from 159 offered (80.5%) for a gross of €1,981,000. The average rose 3.3% to €15,477, but the median ticked down marginally to €5,500 (-1.5%).

From a smaller overall catalogue that offered 68 fewer horses, the clearance rate was essentially unchanged at 80% for 245 sold of 307 through the ring. The gross was €3,806,000, while the average and median improved by 15.3% (€15,535), and 8.3% (€6,500), respectively.

The post Galileo Mare In Foal To Mehmas Leads The Way At Arqana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Making Waves: Feb. 4-10

    In this new semi-weekly series, the TDN takes a look at the notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column, Feb. 4-10, is highlighted by the victory of upwardly mobile mare Quattroelle (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the GIII Megahertz S. on Saturday.

 

No 'Quat'er Given In Megahertz

Tally-Ho Stud's rising stallion star Mehmas has gone from strength to strength with his progeny, and his freshly minted 5-year-old daughter Quattroelle became his 12th graded/group winner from just three crops to race when running out a half-length winner of Santa Anita's GIII Megahertz S. going a mile over firm turf on Feb. 4 (video).

The winner of the Listed Blue Norther S. as a juvenile in December of 2020, the then-4-year-old mare hit a purple patch of stakes form beginning this past November, running second in the GIII Red Carpet S. at Del Mar behind Bellstreet Bridie (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), who shares two of the same owners–Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal, LLC –with Quattroelle, who was brought over to the States after just one run in Ireland, a third in a Leopardstown maiden. Third in the GIII Robert J. Frankel S. to subsequent GIII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Queen Goddess (Empire Maker) on New Year's Eve, the Rossenarra Bloodstock-bred was winning for the fourth time in 14 starts in the Megahertz.

Mehmas, a dual Group 2-winning sprinter, has also tasted American stakes success with his progeny in the form of GI Del Mar Oaks victress Going Global (Ire) among others.

On the female side of the pedigree, Quattroelle, who was a €10,000 Tattersalls Ireland September yearling buyback, is the best performer of the placed Heavenly River (Fr), by former star French 3-year-old colt Stormy River (Fr) (Verglas {Ire}). That sire won the G1 Prix Jean Prat, and was placed in the G1 French 2000 Guineas, as well as three other times at the highest level throughout his career. The second foal of her dam, herself a half-sister to stakes winner and G3 Prix du Calvados third Katie's Diamond (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}), Quattroelle is followed by the placed 4-year-old colt The Ganges (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), the unraced full-sister to that horse named Heavenly Mark (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}) and a yearling full-brother to Quattroelle.

Heavenly River is bred on the same Stormy River–Anabaa cross as Listed South Beach S. heroine Stormy Victoria (Fr) (Stormy River {Fr}), who placed four times at the graded level in North America. Katie's Diamond is the dam of a graded/group winner in the form of G2 Queen Mary S. winner Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), who was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. This is the extended family of G3 Prix Miesque winner Aquatinta (Ger) (Samum {Ger}), the best foal out of Quattroelle's third dam Arpista (Ger) (Chief Singer {Ire}).

Chief Singer, a foal of 1981, proved top class at both six furlongs and a mile at three with victories in the G1 July Cup, G1 Sussex S. and G2 St. James's Palace S., and was also a winner of the G2 Coventry S. at two. Good enough to bring up the exacta in El Gran Senor's G1 2000 Guineas, he sired just two stakes winners, but Quattroelle's great-granddam was not among them, instead taking  third in the Listed Scherping-Rennen at Baden-Baden in 1997

 

'Earl' Brings The Thunder

It was also a first win at the graded level for another Irish-bred later on the Santa Anita Saturday card, as Earl's Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}), won the GIII Thunder Road S. over a mile on the grass (video).

From the first crop of his G1 Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup-winning sire who stands at Burgage Stud in Ireland, and one of two overall stakes winners, the 5-year-old gelding became Fascinating Rock's first graded winner with his nose victory.

Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, who also bred his sire, the gelding was an €8,000 yearling purchase out of the Goffs Autumn Sale in 2019. His Darley-bred dam, Ajaadat (GB) by dual French Classic hero and top sire Shamardal, won a trio of races in the UK at 1500 metres and a mile and holds a record of six foals, four of racing age, with Earls Rock her second produce. The gelded 4-year-old Tamra's Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}) is also a winner, as is his year-younger full-brother Cash Or Crypto (Ire). Ajaadat foaled fillies by Camelot (GB) and the winner's sire in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Out of the unraced Taarkod (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) herself a daughter of G1 Nassau S. heroine Zahrat Dubai (GB) (Unfuwain), Ajaadat is a full-sister to G3 International Istanbul Trophy second Rekdhat (Ire). Sharmardal has sired German Group 3 winner and G1 Sun Chariot S./G1Prix Rothschild runner-up Half Light (Ire), as well as two other stakes winners out of Singspiel mares. Himself a Group/Grade 1 winner four times in the UK, Canada, and Japan, Singspiel sired 99 black-type winners (52 group), but has bettered that mark as a broodmare sire, with 111 stakes winners (64 group) led by the young Darley sire Too Darn Hot (GB).

 

Another Graded Success For The 'Prince'

Santa Anita Park was the place to be for Euro-breds last weekend, as Prince Abama (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), already victorious in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup, beat Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) by a neck over the 1 1/4-mile GIII San Marcos S. on Sunday (video). He was a €29,000 Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale purchase by BBA Ireland in 2019.

One of 25 stakes winners and 15 group winners for the recently pensioned Tamayuz, the T. Jones-bred is one of five winners from five to race for his Mr. Greeley dam, who never made it to the races. She is a half-sister to two stakes winners, among them Nymphenburg (San Romano), who was second in the GII Canadian H. His second dam is a winning half-sister to Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly La Lorgnette (Val De l'Orne {Fr}), who took two Canadian Classics including the Queen's Plate, and was also the dam of the high-class three-time Group 1 winner Hawk Wing (Woodman).

 

Expert Eye Filly Graduates At The Fair Grounds

Away from California graded stakes action, Juddmonte stallion Expert Eye (GB), best known for his GI Breeders' Cup Mile upset in 2018, sired his 27th winner from his first crop with Beautifulnavigator (Ire) (video) striking by three-quarters of a length in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds. From just 19 first-crop 3-year-old runners, she is his seventh winner, taking a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight for trainer Ken McPeek, his wife Sherri's Magdalena Racing and Alfred Riccio on Sunday.

A €70,000 Goffs Orby yearling, the Rathbarry Stud and Abbeylands Farm-bred is a half-sister to Tabarrak (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who won five times at the listed level in England, and was second placed in both the G3 Sovereign S. and G3 John Of Gaunt S., as well as the stakes-placed half-sister The Wagon Wheel (Ire) by Expert Eye's sire Acclamation. Stakes-placed at Warwick,  Bahati has a 2-year-old colt by Kodi Bear (Ire) and produced a filly by Acclamation (GB) in 2022.

The post Making Waves: Feb. 4-10 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights