Beach A Winter Warmer For Chapple-Hyam

With few natural barriers to blasts of icy wind, Newmarket’s flatlands can make the winter feel extra arduous, particularly in a year which begins with the third British lockdown in the midst of a pandemic which refuses to abate.

More than ever, we all need something to look forward to, and for Jane Chapple-Hyam, hope is embodied in the form of a robust chestnut filly. The trainer is blessed with an irrepressible spirit which has surely seen her through some tougher times and, in early January, despite the absence of her annual return to her native Melbourne, she is full of aspiration for the season ahead. With a genuine Classic prospect in a stable of just 32 horses, it is easy to see why.

The filly who can be described as a proper winter warmer is Saffron Beach (Ire). She didn’t enter training until last July but quickly became one of the star performers from the first crop of her Ballylinch Stud sire New Bay (GB). In fact, it was fortuitous that the filly came to Chapple-Hyam’s stable in the first place. Initially bought as a foal by Liam Norris on behalf of the trainer’s erstwhile step-brother Ben Sangster as a pinhooking prospect, Saffron Beach missed two yearling sales and was also withdrawn from last July’s sale at Tattersalls as a foot problem took its time to be resolved. In partnership with co-owner James Wigan, Sangster and his wife Lucy eventually opted to place the filly in training with Chapple-Hyam, who the previous season had won the listed Chalice S. with Love So Deep (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) for a syndicate involving Sangster’s brother Adam, the owner of Swettenham Stud in Australia.

“She had issues with her feet but Ben and Lucy’s farrier and then my farrier Ian have sorted her out and we haven’t looked back,” says Chapple-Hyam of Saffron Beach. “Everything has been fine, but that’s why she came in very late. Back in July when the first lockdown was lifted I went down to Manton to view her and she was just about over all her issues.”

Whatever frustrations may have been felt at the filly missing her sales engagements were quickly dispelled when she made an eye-catching debut at Newmarket in late September, winning a seven-furlong maiden by more than four lengths. A fortnight later she was back on the Rowley Mile and made light work of the heavy ground to win the G3 Oh So Sharp S. It has been a short and sweet racing career to date, but very much one which entitles her connections to dream their way through lockdown.

Chapple-Hyam recalls, “As she was getting fitter, Abi Harrison, who rides her every day, said that she had a good gear change and that she really liked her very much.  Then I got Adam Kirby to come in and sit on her once and he also liked her, and away we went. But by then the turf season was getting close to finishing.”

This year, the trainer’s eye will be firmly on the start of the turf season, with her preferred path to the 1000 Guineas being via the G3 Nell Gwyn S.

“The obvious thing for her would be to start just up the road in the Nell Gwyn. She’s two from two at Newmarket so it makes sense to go there instead of the Fred Darling,” she says.  “She’s versatile on the going having won on good and very soft. We haven’t really seen what she can do on good quick ground. At the moment I’m just looking forward to the Nell Gwyn and we’ll take it from there.”

Following her Group 3 success, Saffron Beach was turned out for a six-week break with the Sangsters at Manton, a place with which her trainer has had a long association. She started out working there for her stepfather Robert Sangster, initially when Michael Dickinson was the resident trainer and later under Barry Hills. During this time she met her now-former husband Peter Chapple-Hyam, to whom she was assistant trainer for 16 years before she started training in her own right in Newmarket in 2005 following their separation. 

“I must have had a good 18 years at Manton,” she says. “I took the filly back down there in the horse box so it was nice to have another tour around with Ben and Lucy. It has changed, as things do, but is’s still a special place.”

Known at home as ‘Petal’, after her dam Falling Petals (GB) (Raven’s Pass), who is a half-sister to the dam of young Tally-Ho Stud stallion Cotai Glory (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Saffron Beach appears to have blossomed over the winter and she undertook her first canter of the year under Harrison on Wednesday morning.

“She’s definitely grown and she’s a good doer, in fact she’s a monster like that,” says Chapple-Hyam. “She loves her food and guards it in her stable. You want to leave her alone when she’s munching but she has a lovely character though. She’s sweet and kind, but as soon as the bridle and saddle are put on she turns into a pro athlete. And she has a lovely presence when she’s out. You instantly look and say, ‘who’s that?'”

The trainer knows she is fortunate still to have Saffron Beach in her stable as, inevitably for a horse who made such a notable start to her career, the offers came in for her after her black-type win.

“I am obviously very pleased that Mr Wigan and Mr Sangster are both at that age when they don’t really need to sell,” she says with a laugh. “I think we are all really excited to see how far we can go with her this season. To me, she has trained on. Physically you can see that. It’s great for Ben and Lucy. They have another good filly [Sense Of Style] with Joseph O’Brien as well so it could be a good year for them.”

In Chapple-Hyam’s first full season with a licence in 2006, with just ten horses in her care, she sent out the 100/1 winner of the Ebor H., Mudawin (Ire) (Intikhab), and has had a decent amount of stakes performers in the ensuing years, including treble Group 3 winner Mull Of Killough (Ire) (Mull Of Kintyre), from a string which has rarely grown beyond 30. 

She says, “Saffron Beach is certainly a nice one to progress with, but we also have some other older horses in the yard that we are looking forward to getting going again.

“Albadri (Ire) has a Saudi Derby entry, he’s a Dandy Man (Ire) and I’m looking forward to him, and I’m also looking forward to seeing Ambassadorial running again. I’m aiming at Super Saturday in Dubai with him. He pulled up lame on the July Course at Newmarket but thankfully it wasn’t anything that required surgery. We gave him the rest and the time and he’s been cantering for the last few weeks. I don’t know what the travel restrictions will be like for Dubai but we will aim to have him fit for then.”

She adds, “I still call myself a rookie trainer but I have been training for 14 years now so I guess I’m over that. But it’s a thrill for me to be aiming at a Guineas. Obviously we don’t know what’s going to happen but I don’t think she was just a 2-year-old. At the moment it’s exciting enough for me that she is just having her first canter back.”

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From The Experts: Ed Player

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we have the astute Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud.

GK: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee?

EP: There are some seriously exciting new stallions for next year with Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal), Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) top of the list. However, I think the value lies with Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a Group 1 winning miler by Frankel at £10,000 has to be a steal.

GK: Best value proven stallion, and why?

EP: I’m a big fan of New Bay (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and feel he represents great value at €20,000. But the best value proven stallion has to be Sea The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at £22,500. His statistics are outstanding and I get the impression he’s just getting going.

GK: Who would you consider to be an under the radar stallion?

EP: I get the feeling Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) just might be the one here. He’s got everything to make it as a stallion, good looks, racing ability and there was a great vibe about his yearlings. At £10,000 he’s well worth using.

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October Surprise Marches On

NEWMARKET, UK–So here we are, at the furlong pole, and somehow still hard on the bridle. With just Book 4 to go, the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues to confound the gloom generated this year as the bloodstock industry–along with the wider economy–reeled under the nightmarish burden of a pandemic.

On Friday, even the weaker second session of Book 3 sailed serenely clear of the riptide. Turnover of 2,274,500gns soared past the equivalent day last year, up a giddy 27% from 1,796,400gns. That yielded an average of 10,245gns, up from 9,212gns; while the median inched forward to 7,000gns from 6,500gns. The clearance rate, which has been understandably brisk even at unhappier auctions, raced to 83% from 73% in 2019.

Aggregate business also held strong across the two days. Transactions totalling 7,367,200gns represented a 5% advance on 7,007,900gns last year; with the average basically static at 16,051gns (compared with 16,147gns) and the median solid at 11,000gns (from 10,000gns). As many as 85% found a new home, overall, up from what had been a healthy 80% even in the complacent world of 2019.

For some who arrived for Book 1 last week, of course, even these returns won’t have stopped fatigue setting in. But while many of the elite prospectors have by now drifted away, Book 3 always has a rather compelling theatre of its own.

Whatever the state of the market, it’s reliably instructive to observe the real judges, picking out something they think has fallen through the cracks; or an equal artistry in the better auctioneers, as they draw out the extra bid or two that can make all the difference, though hundreds rather than thousands, to smaller breeders. After all, everyone knows that one or two nuggets will be turned up every year.

Elliott Jumps To The Top

In much the same spirit, Alex Elliott was justly enthusiastic after topping trade, late in the session, with a 90,000gns son of Authorized (Ire), presented as lot 1923 by the Castlebridge Consignment.

“I love Book 3,” the agent exclaimed. “It’s a fun sale that gives you a real chance: you can trawl through those pedigrees, and try and find the sleepers. I bought [listed winner] Dave Dexter (GB) (Stimulation {Ire}) here. I thought this chap would top the sale. It’s been a long day waiting for him.”

The colt is out of an unraced New Approach (Ire) half-sister to three stakes winners out of the Group 1-placed German mare White Rose (Ger) (Platini {Ger}). This is a deep family of quality stayers and there will be a corresponding spectrum of opportunity for his new Irish-based owner.

“He’s a brother to a 106-rated filly [dual listed winner Scentasia (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire})], so he can obviously go on the Flat,” Elliott said. “Or you could keep him and go the National Hunt route. He has French premiums, too, so the options are endless. But if he is any good he will definitely end up in Cheltenham rather than Melbourne. We love the sire and they’re not making them anymore, as it were, unless you’re in Turkey. This is a beautiful horse, with a great outlook, who vetted out good.”

Like so many, Elliott has been catching his breath this week. “Everyone thought Book 2 would be a bloodbath,” he said. “But it’s all been a bit like Brexit. Nobody expected that either. It was hard, but I was lucky to have some good clients and got some good staying horses.”

Night-and-Day Page Shines Bright

Not many yearlings can have raised as much this autumn, per catalogue line, as the Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt who made 46,000gns from James Tate as lot 1839, despite the snowfields extending across the bottom half of the page.

In fairness, it’s a family in rapid development: he’s the very first foal of his dam, a winner by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire); and the second dam has had two winners from just three foals of racing age, including one as accomplished as G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Reignier (GB) (Kheleyf). And, of course, Night Of Thunder has made a splendid start regardless.

“Sire power is everything, isn’t it?” remarked Eric Cantillon, who consigned the colt from Plumton Hall Stud on behalf of breeder Sean Gollogly. “It was a great price, and Sean is thrilled. But he’s a nice horse, the sire’s doing well, and I suppose you’re better off as a big fish in a small pond at a sale like this than the other way round. We’ve had the horse since he was weaned, around January time, and we sold Reignier as well. Sean’s a very good friend and I’m delighted for them: they just have a few acres down by Epsom Racecourse and it’s lovely to see breeders like that doing well.”

“Obviously Night Of Thunder has done incredibly well so we were looking for his stock,” explained Tate. “We thought he was a really lovely example of the stallion and really liked the way he walked around the ring.”

Fast Start As Harte Lands Running

True to the momentum of the week, only the third animal into the ring realized a sum matched just five times in the equivalent session last year. This was lot 1662, a Fast Company filly who caught the attention of Jane Chapple-Hyam at 40,000gns.

Pinhooked only in February (for €27,000 at Goffs by Howson and Houldsworth), this is the first foal of a winning Harbour Watch (Ire) half-sister to G2 Lowther winner Living In The Past (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). She was presented by Keith Harte, who had processed one of the catalogue’s joint-top sales in a 130,000gns Churchill filly the previous day. He credited the breeder, Barrettstown Farm House, for also furnishing him with the Starspangledbanner filly he sold for 75,000gns in Book 2.

“This is a straightforward colt, a real 2-year-old type, out of a mare who reached a rating of 90,” Harte observed. “I think Jane just bought him after seeing him walking out here. We were hoping he’d sell well, and this market has been so strong. Everyone has told me that a good horse won’t be missed here.”

“He looks racy,” Chapple-Hyam said. “He’s for a Hong Kong client I’ve had for 20 years, Mr. Gordon Li, so he’ll start in England and hopefully we can get him to a rating high enough to end his career in Hong Kong. I’ll do my best, anyway.”

Chapple-Hyam added that she will be targeting the G3 Nell Gwyn S. for Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), duly keeping her to the course and distance of both her impressive debut and last week’s success in the G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp S.

“Fingers crossed for a good winter,” she said.

Juddmonte Lines Combine In National Service

Saffron Beach’s sire was picked as the 2018 mate for a very well-bred mare in Bellwether (GB) (Three Valleys), whose dam Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) is one of five elite scorers out of the broodmare legend Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) in addition to Dansili (GB) (Danehill), the sibling who somehow never won a Group 1. New Bay himself, of course, was bred by Juddmonte, from whom Rosemont Stud bought Bellwether for 50,000gns at the 2018 December Sale here.

The resulting filly duly brought something of a Book 1 page as lot 1696, if not quite a Book 1 price as Rabbah Bloodstock was able to secure her for 42,000gns. “A nice filly by a very exciting young stallion,” said Rabbah’s Jono Mills. “Dubawi (Ire) looks like he’s becoming a fabulous sire of sires.”

The filly was presented by the National Stud, whose director Tim Lane remarked, “We’ve had a good week–trade has been amazing. Long may it last. It’s the biggest draft of yearlings we have sold for a long time and we’ve been very lucky.”

Time Passing Sales Test

The National Stud is itself standing another son of Dubawi from the Juddmonte programme in Time Test (GB), and his first yearlings continue to perform well in the ring. Indeed, he accounted for two of the top seven prices of the session. Nick Bradley gave 45,000gns for his daughter of an unraced Canford Cliffs (Ire) mare, herself out of a half-sister to G1 Coronation S. winner Maids Causeway (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway). The filly was presented as lot 1807 by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of breeder Lady Richard Wellesley.

Further back this is the good Wildenstein family of Verveine (Lear Fan), but Bradley felt that a thin page under the first two dams had been a decoy.

“The pedigree put her in this catalogue, but she was Book 1 as a physical,” he said. “I didn’t want to have to give quite so much for her but Federico [Barberini, underbidder] is a good judge and if I’m on one, I tend to find he is on it too–and unfortunately he made me pay. On another day I might have got her five grand. But she has a belting physique, and was my pick of the sale. She’ll be going to Richard Fahey. The two first-season sires I really like are Time Test and Churchill (Ire).”

Bradley was in buoyant spirits, with his syndicate business thriving. “Things are flying,” he said. “I got 12 deals done yesterday and 12 the day before.”

His emphasis is very much on fillies, not least with the Great British Bonus in mind. “I own 22 fillies and not one colt,” Bradley said. “My theory is that if I won the Dewhurst, it would have to be by a fashionable stallion and then I’d need to be selling the horse on–and then the owners would say, ‘Why are you trying to sell?’ If we won the Cheveley Park or the Fillies’ Mile, the value will be there all the time; I won’t be in a rush to sell, and the owners can live out their dreams. The bonus helps as well. We complain about prizemoney but there’s 20 grand there for winning a race.”

Tim Lane pronounced himself “delighted” by the reception of Time Test’s first crop. “A good stallion stamps his stock and that’s just what he has been doing,” he said. “They have great minds, they have the Dubawi middle and that bit of swagger. And he’s fully booked in New Zealand.”

Time Test’s son out of Royal Ascot-placed juvenile Excello (GB) (Exceed And Excel (Aus}) made 40,000gns to Heels Bloodstock through his home farm consignment as lot 1751. His third dam ties into another world-class outfit as a half-sister to the Wertheimer champions Pas De Reponse (Danzig) and Green Tune (Green Dancer).

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Freshman Sire New Bay Off the Mark at Newbury

Ballylinch Stud resident New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) became the latest freshman sire to strike when the appropriately named Charlie Fellowes trainee First Prophet (Ire) overcame greenness in Friday evening’s It’s Not Rocket Science With MansionBet EBF Novice S. at Newbury.

6th-Newbury, £6,400, Nov, 6-12, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.03, gd.
FIRST PROPHET (IRE) (c, 2, New Bay {GB}–Lus Na Greine {Ire}, by Pour Moi {Ire}) was swiftly into stride and raced up front in a prominent third through halfway in this debut. An ominous presence to his rivals throughout, the well-backed 18-5 third choice remained hard on the steel until passing the quarter-mile marker and, despite rolling around briefly in front passing the eighth pole, quickened clear of toiling rivals under mild rousting in the closing stages to score by an impressive 1 1/2 lengths from Al Watan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), becoming the first winner for his Ballylinch Stud-based freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}). “He jumped smartly, but we didn’t go particularly quick and we travelled nicely in a decent enough rhythm,” said winning rider James Doyle. “Charlie [Fellowes] told me he’d see out the trip nicely so I was keen to get him on the move early and he found plenty and did it nicely. He’s pencilled in for the [Listed] Chesham S. [at Royal Ascot] next week and we’ll see how he comes out of this, but he’s a relaxed character and didn’t have a hard race there.” Half to a yearling colt by Belardo (Ire), First Prophet is also the first winner for Lus Na Greine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}), herself a half-sister to G3 Park Express S. victress and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Rehn’s Nest (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). His third dam Key To Coolcullen (Ire) (Royal Academy), a half-sister to G1 Phoenix S. heroine Eva Luna (Ire) (Double Schwartz {Ire}) and GSW sire Cois Na Tine (Ire) (Double Schwartz {Ire}), produced the stakes-placed Coolcullen Times (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and is also the second dam of G1 G1 Criterium International hero Loch Garman (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Sales history: €50,000 Ylg ’19 TIRSEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $5,217.
1ST-TIME STARTER. O-D Blackstock & C Fellowes; B-Ennistown Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Fellowes.

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