G3 Prix Sigy hero Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) has suffered a suspected pelvic injury after returning sore from a tune-up breeze last week for his intended outing in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. and will be out for the rest of the season.
Conditioned by Karl Burke, the colt had won three of his nine career jumps and found his first Group black-type victory at Chantilly earlier this season in April when annexing the Prix Sigy. He had last been seen finishing eighth in Sandown's G3 Coral Charge S. in July but hopes were high as the return to York would've meant a return to a course at which he'd already put in two credit-worthy performances.
“He went for a breeze early last week and came back sore,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of Nick Bradley Racing. “We sent him for a bone scan and it's not conclusive, but it looks like a suspected pelvic injury. I think that will be him done for the year. We'll bring him back next year. Three can be a hard age for sprinters, so we'll try again at four.”
Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke's Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}–White Rosa {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had twice knocked on the door as a juvenile last year and delivered a first black-type triumph, tackling his third such contest, in Monday's G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly. The Karl Burke trainee debuted with a six-furlong maiden win at Ayr in July, doubling up with an 8 1/2-length rout at Thirsk one month later, before running second in York's Aug. 19 G2 Gimcrack S. and a below-par fifth in Newmarket's Sept. 24 G1 Middle Park S. when last seen.
The well-backed 6-5 favourite broke sharply and raced on the front end from flagfall in this sophomore bow. Holding sway throughout, he was shaken up approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly under continued coaxing in the closing stages to easily hold the late threat of Irish raider Wodao (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths for a career high.
“He's a very nice horse and ran some lovely races last year, but we were a bit disappointed with his run in the Group 1,” the winning trainer said. “He was probably a little over the top at the end of a long season for him. Our horses haven't been running particularly well, we've had a bad six weeks and they're just beginning to come back now. It's a relief to get one of the good ones in and a win under our belt. He's a very good horse and will defintely come on for the run.”
Burke has prior experience of charting a passage from the Sigy to Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup, via Haydock's G2 Sandy Lane, and he is eyeing the same winning path taken by former stable star Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in 2016. “He is in the [G2] Duke of York at York [in May], but he will probably go for the Sandy Lane at Haydock, which is a stepping-stone race to the Commonwealth Cup. I won this race with Quiet Reflection, then she won the Sandy Lane and then won the Commonwealth Cup. Hopefully, this fellow can take the same route.”
Pedigree Notes
Marshman, half-brother to a 2-year-old colt by Zoustar (Aus) and a yearling colt by Mehmas (Ire), is the second of three foals and lone scorer produced by a winning daughter of G3 Sirenia S. victrix and G1 Cheveley Park S. second Dhanyata (Ire) (Danetime {Ire}). Dhanyata's siblings include the stakes-placed Guinea Hunter (Ire) (Pips Pride {GB}), the dam of G2 Gran Criterium third Gerrard's Quest (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}) and the second dam of G1 Irish 2000 Guineas placegetter Decrypt (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Black-type descendants of another half-sister, Miss Brief (Ire) (Brief Truce), include Listed Prix du Cercle victrix Riskit Fora Biskit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), G2 Gimcrack S. second and G2 Mill Reef S. third Crown Prosecutor (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and the Group 3-placed duo Fox Trotter (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) and Mur Hiba (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}).
Monday, Chantilly, France PRIX SIGY-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 4-17, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.15, sf.
1–MARSHMAN (GB), 126, c, 3, by Harry Angel (Ire) 1st Dam: White Rosa (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Dhanyata (Ire), by Danetime (Ire) 3rd Dam: Preponderance (Ire), by Cyrano De Bergerac (Ire) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (5,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; £38,000 2yo '22 GOFTY). O-Nick Bradley Racing 2 & Mrs Elaine Burke; B-Highbank Stud LLP (GB); T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. €40,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 5-3-1-0, €122,829. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wodao (Fr), 126, c, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Dadao (GB), by Intello (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€150,000 Wlg '20 ARQDEC; €260,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Atlantic Thoroughbreds; B-SCEA Elevage d'Yllone (FR); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €16,000.
3–Vicious Harry (Fr), 126, c, 3, Harry Angel (Ire)–Umneeyatee (Aus), by Encosta De Lago (Aus). (€28,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT). O-Cuadra Mediterraneo; B-Medya SARL & Tarik Tekce (FR); T-Mauricio Delcher Sanchez. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.20, 3.60, 3.10.
Also Ran: *Denver Chop (Fr), *I Am Incredible (Fr), Whistle And Flute (Ire), Ciao Pa' (Fr), Disillusion (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.
*Dead-heated for 4th.
Group 2 placed Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) is expected to mark his seasonal return in Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy over 5 1/2 furlongs Apr. 17. Victorious in his first two starts, including an 8 1/2-length score at Thirsk last August, the Karl Burke trainee finished runner-up in York's G2 Gimcrack S. before checking in fifth behind Blackbeard (Ire) in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket in September.
“He came out of the [Middle Park] lame in front,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of owner Nick Bradley Racing.
“He was suffering with sore shins throughout his 2-year-old campaign, which is just something that can happen with 2-year-olds, particularly ones which come from the breeze-ups. So, when he went downhill in the Middle Park, I expected him to hang but he hung more than I thought he would. He was keen at the beginning of the race as well and everything went wrong, but we still managed to finish [fifth] in a Group 1.”
According to Bradley, the sophomore is approaching his first official work of the season.
“He's been back in since December time,” Bradley continued. “Karl was raving about the horses in general and Marshman was kind of top of the pile. He has not done any serious work as yet though.”
Bradley added that Marshman will be targeted at many of the top sprints this season.
“We're not going to be drawn into stepping him up in trip for the Guineas or anything like that, we very much see him as a sprinter. I find a lot of those breeze-up horses run over a shorter distance than their pedigrees suggest due to the way they have been trained early in their careers. But, hopefully, we are going to win the [Sigy] then we can look at races like the G2 Sandy Lane [Haydock], G1 Commonwealth Cup [Royal Ascot] and the G1 July Cup [Newmarket]. Those sorts of races will be his targets and the aim is to win as many group races as we can.”
There is no denying that the stallion market is becoming increasingly difficult with appetites for stud prospects growing. There is also no questioning that the support a young stallion receives in their first few years is paramount to their success. Most stallions are an easy sell in their first year with many being oversubscribed and then numbers falling off in the years leading up to that first crop hitting the track. However, one stallion whose numbers and support could very likely stay consistent throughout those primitive years is Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), given the number of influential breeders that are involved in his ownership.
Although standing at The National Stud in England, Lope Y Fernandez is owned by Whitsbury Manor Stud, Nick Bradley and the Newmarket-based operation as well as Coolmore, for whom the horse raced, retaining an interest. It may seem a slightly unusual set up given that Whitsbury Manor Stud have a successful stallion operation themselves, but as Ed Harper explains, when the right prospect presents itself you cannot let it pass you by.
“We really weren't planning on buying a new stallion last year,” said Harper. “We were having a busy year at Whitsbury and we wanted to give Sergei Prokofiev another year in the limelight. But when I went and saw Lope Y Fernandez, I just thought, 'this is a horse we need to get involved with.'”
At a similar time, Bradley, who is best known for his successful racing syndicate, was seeing a worrying trend in the British stallion ranks.
“The year prior to Lope Y Fernandez being available, I was noticing a post-Brexit trend that all of these top racehorses were going to stand, primarily, in Ireland,” noted Bradley. “I spoke to a lot of UK breeders and I said, 'Come on, we need to get ourselves organized here.' And Ed Harper was listening.”
Once it became apparent that the Group 1-placed son of Lope de Vega was available to buy the wheels were set in motion.
“I got talking with The National Stud and Nick Bradley and thought, 'you know, can we put a group together,'” explained Harper. “So we are the major shareholder, the National Stud owns 25% and Nick Bradley owns a nice portion as well, with Coolmore staying in too.”
From The National Stud's perspective this structure seems a no brainer with Joe Bradley citing, “We're stronger together,” when asked about being involved. “To incorporate really prominent breeders such as Whitsbury Manor, who have had the most unbelievable year, and Nick Bradley to really support the stallion means he will have every chance.”
In the last few weeks, we have seen several foals by the stallion on social media platforms and it appears that Lope Y Fernandez is passing on his good looks.
“One of his best qualities is the way he walks,” said Joe Bradley. “He's such an athletic horse. He stands over 16hh and physically he's just a very imposing horse.”
Of the first few that have hit the ground Nick Bradley has a number that have had his team “waxing lyrical,” with one colt in particular having “a great shoulder, great hip and a great action to go with it.”
Aside from the mares that will be sent to Lope Y Fernandez by his owners as well as the wider breeding population, it may not be surprising to hear that all the operators are already looking ahead to the foal and yearling sales.
“We're probably going to send in more mares this year, his second season,” said Harper. “I think we've got 25 on the list to send him this season and we'll be buying foals as well the in the ring.
All three entities were busy at the recent Tattersalls February Sale buying mares to send to Lope Y Fernandez, but Bradley is thinking further down the line.
“I'll be out there trying to buy the best fillies for Nick Bradley Racing,” said Bradley. “Last year, we had seven stakes winners, so if a couple of them could be by Lope Y Fernandez in years to come, that'd be great.”
This unique situation is not lost on those involved with it as Harper points out, “I've never been involved in a stallion that's not just had the supply side of the mares helping him, but actually the demand side buying the progeny as well, which is fairly unique for a commercially priced horse.”
As the old sayings go, there is strength in numbers and teamwork makes the dream work. For Lope Y Fernandez both sayings seem to be meeting each other in the middle. As the breeding season rolls on, it is not inconceivable to expect Lope Y Fernandez's foals to stand out during a social media scroll or to imagine his second and future books being just as large as his first.
