Channon said, “The licence will be handed over to Jack as from the start of next year. It's been a great way of life for over 30 years and I can't thank everyone that has helped us enough. I couldn't have got there without them.

“I started with 10 horses in Lambourn where we had a great time, and Jack was born there. We had some good horses and good people work for us.

“When I came in I was a footballer entering the big horrible world of horse racing, but we thought if we bought some sharp 2-year-olds we would have a chance of making it. Everyone does that now, but we had Gill Richardson who was a great judge at the sales and bought us a lot of nice horses. I have to thank her and Gill Hedley, who still runs the show, and also Peter Tain and Patrick Trant.

“We bought a lot of cheap horses for Jaber Abdullah such as Queen's Logic, Flashy Wings (GB) (Zafonic) and Music Show (Ire) (Noverre), as well as Zafeen who was second in the [G1 2000] Guineas and won the [G1] St James's Palace S. Jaber was brilliant.”

Channon also came very close to taking the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three times with the luckless Youmzain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) (2007-2009).

“Youmzain was a very good older horses who according to French rules should have been awarded his first Arc in the race won by Dylan Thomas (Ire) (Danehill),” Channon reflected. “It was the only time over there I didn't see a result turned around for the interference that occurred. But he went on to win the [G1] Grand Prix de Paris and finish second in three Arcs on the bounce.”

He added, “I wish Jack well, he's ably assisted me for seven seasons and the time is right for him to take over. But I will still be around, helping on the breeding side and not in the wilderness.”

Jack Channon said, “Dad will be more integral than ever and the most important part of my team. He will still do what he enjoys most and if anything he will enjoy it more.

“I spent a year with Graham Motion in the States and another with John O'Shea in Australia. And time with Clive Brittain.

“The plan is to start with around 60 [head]. Certain Lad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}) is a very decent older horse and there will be the Lincoln and Cambridgeshire winners Johan (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Majestic (Ire) (Conduit {Ire}) as well as some very nice 3-year-olds like Rathgar (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), Moush (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and today's runner Caernarfon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}).

“All the owners have been sensational standing by dad and me and I'm blessed to have all their continued support to make training a success. I'm extremely lucky to start in a place like West Ilsley which has so much heritage, notwithstanding the best gallops in the world.”

The post Group 1-Winning Trainer Mick Channon To Retire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

So far, No Nay Never's sons Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), both trained by Aidan O'Brien, have claimed three between them – the Phoenix S., Prix Morny and Middle Park S., while the Joseph O'Brien-trained Al Riffa (Fr) became the first Group 1-winning juvenile colt for Wootton Bassett (GB). Only the two fillies' races have fallen outside the clutches of the O'Brien family, with Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) following her talented big sister Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) to Group 1 glory in the Moyglare Stud S. for Dermot Weld, and Ralph Beckett claiming one for Britain in Saturday's Juddmonte Cheveley Park S., in which Lezoo (GB) became a first top-level winner in the northern hemisphere for Zoustar (Aus).

Through the next month we have the seven Group 1 races for two-year-olds which will perhaps have more of a bearing on next year's Classics. On Saturday, Aidan O'Brien was quick to point to Blackbeard being more about the big sprints next year than the Guineas. However, his stable-mate Little Big Bear, who shares his damsire Bering (GB) with Stradivarius (Ire), has more notable stamina influences on his bottom line, not least his sensational Arc-winning great grand-dam All Along (Fr) (Targowice), which may well help his claims in mile contests and perhaps beyond.

Lezoo owns a properly fast pedigree, while Tahiyra can plainly be considered of enormous Classic potential. Al Riffa is by a sire who won the Marcel Boussac and was perhaps found wanting at the mile but has had no problem producing a champion middle-distance three-year-old in Almanzor (Fr). The fact that Al Riffa is out of a Galileo (Ire) mare clearly bolstered his stamina claims, which are enhanced deeper into his pedigree by his extremely classy third dam My Emma (GB) (Marju {Ire}), winner of the Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille and a half-sister to Gold Cup and St Leger winner Classic Cliche.

With regard to next season's Classics, if that isn't wishing our lives away too quickly, the action of the next month will start to drop some proper hints as to which horses we should be dreaming about over the winter. Isa Salman and Abdullah Al Khalifa's homebred G2 Rockfel S. winner Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}) certainly looks like she will be one of them, and the Gosden trainee could yet return to the Rowley Mile a week on Saturday for the G1 Fillies' Mile or head to the Breeders' Cup in a bid to extend her unbeaten run this season before being wrapped up until spring. 

Polly Pott (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) is an intriguing prospect, having progressed from a handicap mark of 68 to win her last four starts, culminating in the G2 May Hill S. at 40/1 for her retiring trainer. More intriguing still is that she will move to the stable of Ben Pauling at the end of the season when Dunlop hands in his licence. Pauling is better known as a National Hunt trainer but, perhaps spurred by the dual-purpose success of the likes of Alan King and Ian Williams, he has now set his sights on training some Flat horses. Having a team which includes Group 2 winner – who may yet be supplemented to give Dunlop one last hurrah in the G1 Fillies' Mile – is not a bad place to start, especially considering the success of late of Polly Pott's family, which includes the Group 1 winners Accidental Agent (GB) and Mohaather (GB).

Lezoo Delivers on Many Fronts

There were lots of smiling faces as Lezoo returned to the winner's enclosure at Newmarket on Saturday. Jamie McCalmont, who with Kelsey Lupo had bought the filly under the Atlas Bloodstock banner for €110,000 at the Arqana Breeze-up Sale, had also signed up Blackbeard as a foal for Coolmore the previous year for 270,000gns at Tattersalls. The agent clearly had at least two reasons to be cheerful, especially on behalf of his clients and Lezoo's owners Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen. For Chan it was the second Group 1-winning two-year-old in consecutive seasons following the Criterium International success of Angel Bleu (Fr), who is also trained by Ralph Beckett.

Roger O'Callaghan was presumably settling in his draft of Orby yearling at Goffs on Saturday but he could have been permitted a little skip of joy through the sales grounds when first Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}) won the G2 Beresford S. then Lezoo claimed her success. Both were graduates of the Tally-Ho Stud team of breezers this season, with Crypto Force, who was bred by Andrew Tinkler, having gone though four sales in his two and a half years.

Team Tweenhills was of course delighted with Lezoo's breakthrough win for her sire Zoustar, who had been greeted with a degree of scepticism by the European market despite his success in Australia.

“He's doing exactly what he did in Australia,” exclaimed David Redvers at Newmarket. “I couldn't dream that he would do it to the same extent, but he had a champion two-year-old filly in his first crop there [Sunlight] and he could well do the same here. They are not early, precocious two-year-olds. You get the odd one but as a rule they are autumn two-year-olds, and what we saw in Australia was dramatic improvement from two to three, so that is obviously what we are all looking forward to.”

And most importantly of all, it was great to see the people responsible for the existence of Lezoo, Andrew and Jane Black of Chasemore Farm, on the winner's rostrum to receive their prize as the filly's breeder. 

“It's amazing, and if Noble Style hadn't had colic we could have also had the favourite in the very next Group 1 race,” said Andrew Black, speaking to TDN between the Cheveley Park S. and the Middle Park S.

Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who is unbeaten this year in three races including the G2 Gimcrack S., was sold by Chasemore Farm ten days before Lezoo, the pair having featured in Books 1 and 3 of the draft respectively at the Tattersalls October Sale.

While Lezoo is out of the Red Clubs (Ire) mare Roger Sez (Ire), Noble Style also has Red Clubs in his pedigree as the sire of his grand-dam Ceiling Kitty (GB), who died in 2016 after foaling her Chesham Stakes-winning son Arthur Kitt (GB) (Camelot {GB}). Noble Style's dam is the Listed winner Eartha Kitt (GB), a daughter of Pivotal (GB). 

“The tragedy is that we sold Roger Sez,” Black continued. “Theoretically we kept two [Red Clubs] fillies but then one of the two died and I wish I hadn't sold her because I've left myself light, so there is a little bit of regret that I wouldn't normally have.”

He continued, “I believe in Red Clubs and I believe in his pedigree, but I always felt that the mares that I have by him are a little bit neat. So they are interesting genetically, but I want to layer on top of that to get my broodmares. So the Shamardal daughter of Illaunglas, or the Pivotal daughter of Ceiling Kitty, those to me were just a bit more interesting because you've taken Red Clubs, who tended to get them a bit neat, and then you've put a bit more size into them. So to my thinking anyway you're getting something along the lines of a perfect receptacle – nicely genetically balanced with but of that kind of Red Clubs intensity.”

Roger Sez has in fact been through the December Sale twice in the last two years, sold by Chasemore to Rabbah Bloodstock, who then sold her on to Melchior Bloodstock last winter for 28,000gns.

Hail the Handicap Kings

Though it's the time of the year for black-type races left, right and centre, there's always plenty of interest to be derived from the heritage handicaps, and the Cambridgeshire didn't disappoint in that regard. The four-year-old winner Majestic (Ire) provided the biggest result for his late sire Conduit (Ire) to date, as well as for his owner-breeders Nick and Liz Hitchins. 

Unraced until March of this year, having recovered from a fractured pelvis and then being subjected to a wind operation after his debut in a Kempton bumper, Majestic pulled himself together to win on his handicap debut in mid-August off a mark of 79. Having squeaked into the Cambridgeshire on the joint-lowest mark of 86, his bumble-bee silks could be seen weaving their way through the field to land a second major handicap victory for Mick Channon this season after the Lincoln win of Johan (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) on his first start for the stable in March.

At the Curragh on Sunday the smartly-bred Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) landed the spoils in the value-boosted €600,000 'Friends of the Curragh' Irish Cesarewitch. Sent off favourite, the half-brother to Irish Oaks winner Sea Of Class (Ire) and the Italian Group 1 winners Final Score (Ire) and Charity Line (Ire), was hardly a surprise victor but it was the manner of his last-gasp neck win over Echoes In Rain (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}) that had onlookers heaping praise on jockey Wayne Lordan. With just six starts to his name, the three-year-old Waterville looks to have a bright future in Cup races next season.

Rebel With a Cause

William Buick can do no wrong this year and, after winning the Cheveley Park S. for Ralph Beckett, he headed over to Cologne for Charlie Appleby to snare his second Group 1 win of the weekend in the Preis von Europa aboard Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Following a lacklustre start to the year in Meydan, Godolphin's statuesque four-year-old has really come into his own since returning to Britain, where he won twice as a juvenile. Rebel's Romance is now unbeaten in his four starts since June 25, starting in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and progressing through the G3 Glorious Stakes and then the Grosser Preis von Berlin, the first of his two consecutive Group 1 wins.

Both stakes races at Cologne on Sunday fell to British trainers, with the Mark and Charlie Johnston-trained juvenile Sirona (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) taking the Listed Winterkonigin-Trial.

The filly is owned by Jayne McGivern, who recently bought Golden Horn (GB) to stand as a dual-purpose sire at Overbury Stud and who also owns some smart National Hunt mares, including the dam of Constitution Hill (GB) (Blue Bresil {Fr}). 

McGivern has joked the she is “going over to the dark side” by rekindling her Flat ownership, and Sirona, who is now two from three in the early stages of her career, looked a smart prospect for next year in her four-length triumph.

The post Seven Days: Juveniles in the Spotlight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Racing League will see 12 teams of 30 horses each compete over 36 races during a six-week period at Newcastle, Doncaster, Lingfield and Windsor. Each event is worth £50,000, with an overall prizemoney of £1.8 million for the series beginning on July 29 and running until Sept. 2.

In November, six previous teams were released: Tim Easterby and Richard Fahey; Charlie Fellowes, Hugo Palmer and George Scott; Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon; George Baker, David Menuisier, Gary Moore and Amanda Perrett; Roger Charlton, Alan King, Martyn Meade and Brian Meehan; and, representing Ireland, Joseph O’Brien and his brother Donnacha.

Jeremy Wray, Racing League Chief Executive said, “We are really pleased to have such an illustrious group of trainers forming the 12 teams and are delighted to be adding an international flavour with the teams from Ireland and France. The next step will be for each team to select their three jockeys.”

The post Racing League Teams Taking Shape appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

This was an inspired piece of placing by connections, with Cairn Gorm having previous won on debut at Windsor June 22 and when under a subsequent penalty at Newbury July 8. Trainer Mick Channon said, “We thought he was a nice horse, but he had to step up today and he has. He’s won a group three going away, so we’ll have to think about taking him back here for the [G1] Prix Morny later in the month.”

Cairn Gorm is out of In Your Time (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who is a three-parts sister to the G3 Musidora S. winner Time Away (Ire) by Dalakhani’s sire Darshaan (GB). Her own descendants are headed by the G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor), while she is kin to the G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Time Ahead (GB) (Spectrum {Ire}) and the listed-placed Moment of Time (GB) (Rainbow Quest). She is in turn the dam of the G2 Crystal Mile scorer Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}). The third dam is the four-times group 1-winning champion Time Charter (Ire) (Saritamer) who was also responsible for the G2 Jockey Club S.-winning pair Time Allowed (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) and Zinaad (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}). In Your Time’s yearling colt is by Havana Gold (Ire).

Sunday, Deauville, France
DARLEY PRIX DE CABOURG-G3, €56,000, Deauville, 8-2, 2yo, 5fT, 1:11.20, gd.
1–CAIRN GORM (GB), 126, c, 2, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: In Your Time (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Not Before Time (Ire), by Polish Precedent
3rd Dam: Time Charter (Ire), by Saritamer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (19,000gns RNA Wlg ’18 TATFOA; £35,000 RNA Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Hunscote Stud Ltd & Partner; B-Hunscote Stud (GB); T-Mick Channon; J-Tom Marquand. €28,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €36,972. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Jubilation (Ire), 122, f, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Fairy Dancer (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). (60,000 Ylg ’19 TAOCT). O-Mme Susan Davis, Ballylinch Stud, Peter Ronald Mitchell & Mme Melissa O’Neill; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Eoghan O’Neill. €11,200.
3–Prince Lancelot (GB), 126, c, 2, Sir Prancealot (Ire)–Rainbow Vale (Fr), by Moss Vale (Ire). (€90,000 Ylg ’19 ARAUG). O-Antoine Gilibert & Fabrice Chappet; B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm (GB); T-Fabrice Chappet. €8,400.
Margins: 1, HD, HF. Odds: 3.40, 6.90, 6.90.
Also Ran: Axdavali (Fr), Winvalchope (Fr), Mighty Gurkha (Ire), Lagoken (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Bated Breath’s Cairn Gorm Takes the Cabourg appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Trained by Sir Henry Cecil, Jacqueline Quest passed the post in front in the 2010 G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, only to be demoted to second place for causing interference to eventual winner Special Duty.
Shortly following the demotion, Martin commented: “They took the race away from me. She is still Jacqueline Quest and they cannot take that away from me. I have not seen a race taken away in British horseracing since God knows when, but I have been through a lot of bad luck so it is not a problem.”

Born in Jamaica and raised in Birmingham, Martin was left paralyzed following a neo-Nazi attack in Germany in 1996. During his lifetime, Martin, who was very involved with causes against racial intolerance, returned to Germany in 2001 to lead an anti-racist demonstration.

Having enjoyed better luck for Martin four years prior to his Group 1 disqualification, trainer Mick Channon saddled Baddam (GB) (Mujahid) to win both the Ascot S. and Queen Alexandra S. in the space of five days at Royal Ascot in 2008.

“We had that brilliant week together at Royal Ascot–I don’t think Noel could believe it, to be honest,” Channon said. “We had a couple of great nights in the car park with all his friends, it was brilliant.”
Both Jacqueline Quest and Baddam went on to be trained by Ian Williams.

“We had some great times together,” Williams recalled. “Noel was a good friend and someone whose company I enjoyed immensely. I always admired and respected the way he took the defeat in the Guineas-that was a mark of the gentleman he was.”

Williams added, “Despite the unfortunate position he was in, Noel always had a smile on his face. Every time you thought you were having a bad day, you only had to think of Noel and how happy he was just to be alive. I’ll miss him greatly.”

The post Horsemen Pay Tribute to the Passing of Owner Noel Martin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post