Horse of the Year Honours for Fantastic Moon

Fantastic Moon (Ger) has emulated his sire Sea The Moon (Ger) not just by winning the G1 Deutsches Derby but now also in being crowned German Horse of Year for 2023.

The colt, owned by Liberty Racing, won the oldest public vote in the history of German sport, which took place on his fourth birthday, March 21.

“We are very proud of this title. Fantastic Moon absolutely deserves it,” said Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, the co-founder of the colt's ownership syndicate Liberty Racing.

“His magnificent victory in the 2023 German Derby and his superior victory as the first German horse in the Prix Niel in Paris have clearly shown that he is currently Germany's best horse, and the fans have now confirmed this with their vote for the Sea The Moon colt.”

Sea The Moon was himself made Horse of the Year following his 11-length Derby win in 2014. The Lanwades Stud resident had an emphatic influence on the German Classics last season and was also responsible for the first three home in the G1 Preis der Diana, led by Muskoka (Ger), who was bred by Baumgarten.

Fantastic Moon remains in training with Sarah Steinberg in Munich with the aim being for him to make his seasonal debut at Hoppegarten in the Listed Preis von Dahlwitz on Easter Sunday. His runner-up in the Derby, Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}), is also entered for the race. After Berlin, the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp at the end of April is also under consideration for Fantastic Moon. 

Baumgarten added, “He is only the second Derby winner in the past 23 years to win this award, likely because he has built up a large fanbase. We thank everyone who voted for him and of course his team around trainer Sarah Steinberg and jockey Rene Piechulek for the outstanding work with our hero.”

His co-founder in Liberty Racing, Nadine Siepmann, said, “As a child, I was impressed every year watching the Horse of the Year vote on TV, and now our horse has won the vote, which is so great.”

There are 22 members in the ownership group for Fantastic Moon, and this represents the first time that the German Horse of the Year has been owned by a syndicate. Liberty Racing was set up in 2020 and now has seven active syndicates with 16 horses in training for more than 100 shareholders.

Siepmann added, “Owner syndicates are enormously important for horse racing in order to introduce the great thoroughbred horses to new people. That's why it's all the more wonderful that these communities also win big races and own great horses, that's the best advertising.”

Fantastic Moon was bred by Philipp and Marion Stauffenberg from the Jukebox Jury (Ire) mare Frangipani (Ger). Now 10, the mare is due to foal to Sea The Stars (Ire) and she will return to Sea The Moon (Ger) this season. 

 

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Seven Days: No Hollywood Ending but Baden Still Shines

The Tattersalls Somerville Sale has meant that a return to Newmarket could be delayed no longer but this column sprang, or perhaps staggered, into life on the final day of Baden-Baden's Grosse Woche.

The scribbling started reasonably early on Sunday morning from a desk in the press room that boasts one of the best views in the racing world, looking out across the turf to the wooded mountains of the Black Forest. It was also the desk that was once occupied by British-born but German-based racing correspondent David Connolly-Smith, who died in July. David was 83 but he had still been a regular presence at the races, and I always enjoyed a chat with him on my annual trip to BBAG. He brought German racing to life for readers of various publications in Britain and Ireland and, more than that, he was always so helpful and welcoming. David is much missed and it was an honour to be granted temporary residence at the desk that still bears his name.

The last day of Baden-Baden's premier week of racing is not for the faint-hearted. By 11am, the runners were already leaving the parade ring just after 11am for the first of a 12-race card on a sweltering day at Iffezheim. Three of those races, much to the delight of Baden Galopp's effervescent Stefan Buchner, featured within the World Pool, an increase from just one race on the same card last year and following on from the inclusion of the Deutsches Derby and Grosser Preis von Berlin earlier this season. By the end of the day, World Pool reported turnover of HK$64.3million (€7.5m) on those three races.

It is hard not to be concerned about German racing, primarily because it is really important for it not just to survive, but to thrive. Any country that continues to make such an impact on thoroughbred breeding globally really must have a strong domestic racing scene in order for that reputation not to start waning. Germany is not alone in struggling with falling racecourse attendances and a reduction in the number of horses in training and mares in the paddocks, but the contraction, to around 850 broodmares and slightly less than 2,000 racehorses, is worrying nonetheless.

A day or two at the bustling Baden-Baden racecourse during this late summer week almost certainly gives a false sense of the health of German racing overall, but it also provides an encouraging glimpse of racing at its very best, where a significant portion of the crowd is fully engaged with the stars of the show: the horses. It is hard to think of another racecourse where the runners and riders are clapped as they pass the stands for the first time. This happens for every race of sufficient distance at Baden-Baden; not so much a Cheltenham roar, more a polite Iffezheim ripple of applause, but it is beguiling.

The huge hedge-lined parade ring is encircled by racegoers four or five deep for every race, even from such an early start. Each winner and the also-rans are cheered back in by those lining the route, including plenty of children, along each side of the walk of fame that has the names of every winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden embedded in a path back to the winner's enclosure.

I wonder how many bosses of British racecourses have visited Baden-Baden on a raceday to see what's possible with low-cost entry, very little division of enclosures, no dress code, plenty of seating and picnic areas, and better still no noisy sideshows to divert attention from the main event or to upset the horses. It can be done, as long as we promote a day at the races as just that, and not as a big boozy outdoor party with some horses galloping around in the background.

To Longchamp via Baden-Baden

The trophy for Germany's main race of the week, the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, hopped over the nearby border to France when Christophe Soumillon timed his run to perfection on the statuesque Zagrey (Fr) to give Zarak (Fr) his first Group 1 winner. The Aga Khan Studs stallion was also the sire of the third home, Straight (Ger), and in the States over the weekend he was represented by Parnac (Fr), winner of the GII Flower Bowl S. At Saratoga. 

It was a banner day for Zagrey's trainer Yann Barberot, who was in Germany to receive the prize for the second Group 1 win of his career despite having the smart Beauvatier (Fr) in action at Longchamp, where he remained unbeaten in the G3 Prix la Rochette. That son of Lope De Vega (Ire) looks a smart Classic prospect for Barberot's Deauville stable next season. Before that, however, the trainer has much to look forward to on the first weekend of October, with Zagrey bound for the Arc and Beauvatier likely to start next in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Zagrey was the sole foreign runner in the Grosser Preis, and his last-gasp win was a blow to fans of the second-placed Mr Hollywood (Ire), who has featured in this column before and almost made all, going down by just a neck at the line. It was encouraging to see the three-year-old in the flesh, as he is a strong, handsome individual, who will surely notch his top-level win before too long. 

Sean Cronin and Tom Frary, who are the racing writers entrusted with handing out TDN Rising Stars, guard this honour closely, and it was hard not to prick up one's ears when Tom decided to award one to a son of the little known (outside Germany anyway) Iquitos (Ger) back in early April. That was the day that Mr Hollywood made his debut at Mulheim and bolted in to win by 16 lengths. He won the G3 Bavarian Classic on his next start, and has been second in his ensuing three runs, including when second to Fantastic Moon in the Deutsches Derby. He is one of one five foals from the first crop of his sire, a son of Adleflug (Ger) standing at Gestut Graditz. Another of the quintet is the G3 Diana Trial runner-up Drawn To Dream (Ire). Both were bred by Dietrich von Boetticher of Gestut Ammerland, where the stallion stood for his first two seasons, and they are both out of mares by the owner-breeder's Arc winner Hurricane Run (Ire). 

We'll keep a close eye on Iquitos. I've a feeling there may well be plenty more to report on his offspring in the coming seasons. 

Breakthrough Win for Pearson 

Baden-Baden is likely to be remembered fondly by British jockey Laura Pearson, who had her first German ride there on Saturday. She won the Listed Wackenhut Mercedes Benz Fillies Cup with a cool-headed ride aboard the Ralph Beckett-trained Diamond Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

It was the first stakes-race victory for Pearson, 22, who only rode out her claim a month ago having had to sit out the second half of 2022 with a serious neck injury. She returned to the saddle in January and is already well on her way to surpassing last year's tally of winners, with 19 on the board, including a Ffos Las treble for Beckett on August 25.

“I had a really fun trip to Italy last February and was lucky enough to have a double at Pisa, so it's great to keep my overseas record at 100 per cent,” Pearson told TDN.

She is enjoying her association with Beckett's Kimpton Down stable, which currently has one of the best strike-rates in Britain after a hugely successful August.

“I ride out there four days a week and it's a pleasure to be in there with the team,” she added. “I recently had my first treble for the boss, and it's great to get this win for him. I can't thank him enough for the opportunities he's given me. It's brilliant.”

Along with Zagrey, various international raiders struck in the major races during the week at Baden-Baden. Charlie Johnston saddled the third group winner from the first crop of Too Darn Hot (GB) when Carolina Reaper took the 150th running of the G3 Renate und Albrecht Woeste Zukunfts Rennen last Wednesday, and Francis Graffard sent out the Aga Khan's Darkaniya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) to win the G2 T von Zastrow Stutenpreis.

Stauffenbergs on Top

Philipp and Marion Stauffenberg may be best known to many on the sales circuit as the leading German consignors internationally, but they are also first-class breeders and currently occupy the top spot on the list of German breeders with significantly fewer runners than their nearest rivals in the table, Gestut Karlshof and Gestut Rottgen.

Of course, a large portion of the prize-money haul comes from the Deutsches Derby victory of Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who disappointingly was a late withdrawal for the G1 Grosser Preis on Sunday owing to ground worries. But they were also represented at the course on Saturday by a homebred debutante, Lady Mary (Ger) (Lawman {Ire}), winner of the strong maiden, the Gestut Etzean Winterkonigin Trial, for Andreas Suborics. The juvenile is out of La Reine Noir (Ger) (Rainbow Quest), a half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef), who, like Fantastic Moon, had been sold by Stauffenberg Bloodstock for €49,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale.

None of the five yearlings in the Stauffenberg draft sold for that magic number this year, but the vendor was among the leaders with a €220,000 filly by Sea The Stars (Ire). The other Sea The Stars yearling in the consignment, a colt from the Lordship Stud family of Classic winners Love Divine (GB) and Sixties Icon (GB), sold for considerably less than one might have expected, and was knocked down at €80,000 to Tina Rau for the Ullmann family of Gestut Schlenderhan. 

The good-looking colt will be well worth following when he heads into training with Joseph O'Brien, however. As we see time and again, there is often little correlation between sales prices and racecourse performances, and the most notable Lordship Stud graduate of recent years was another by Sea The Stars who was sold for just 60,000gns as a yearling. Later named Emily Upjohn (GB), she turned out to be rather good.

King of Paris

Kingman (GB) was represented by a notable double at Longchamp on Sunday when his daughter Sauterne reeled in the front-running Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) to land the G1 Prix du Moulin and Narnaco (GB) made all in the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

For Sauterne, who delivered her trainer Patrice Cottier a first Group 1 win, this was truly reward for effort and consistency. Bred by her owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, she won the Listed Prix Pont du Neuf in April and since then has been placed three times at Group 1 level, in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix Jean Prat and Prix Rothschild.

On the same weekend two years ago, Spain's champion trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta sent out Rodaballo (Ire) and Kitty Marion (GB) to win the G2 Oettingen Rennen and G3 Goldene Peitsche in Baden-Baden, and this year he turned his attention on Longchamp with Naranco. 

It was a truly international result. The colt was bred in Britain by the Hong Kong-based Eric Chen and was bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale by the former head of the Spanish Jockey Club, Jose Hormaeche, for owner Yeguada Rocio. Trained in Madrid by Arizkorreta, he was ridden to glory by Czech jockey Vaclav Janacek. Naranco also owns a pretty smart pedigree that is spreading its wings. His dam Patsy Boyne (Ire) is a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to High Chaparral (Ire) and she has been exported to Australia by Chen.

Hays Making Merry

One should never say never, but it seems highly unlikely that any other owner will be able to repeat having a treble spreads across Kincsem Park and Kentucky Downs, as enjoyed by Jim and Fitri Hay on Saturday.

This unique feat was pulled off by Splendent (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Silent Film (GB) (New Approach {GB}), both of whom won at Hungary's big meeting with Frankie Dettori in the saddle. This was followed later in the day by victory in the valuable GIII Mint Millions S. for Ancient Rome (War Front). Trained by Charles Hill and ridden by Jamie Spencer, the 110-rated four-year-old won almost £1 million in prize-money and was following up on his win in the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood last month. 

 

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Stauffenberg Q&A: ‘If You Didn’t Get Paid This Year You Did Something Wrong’

   As entertaining as he is brave, Philipp Stauffenberg has dominated the top bracket of the pinhooking table despite buying only a select number of foals each year.

   Stauffenberg was once again in the spotlight in October when five of his yearlings took Tattersalls by storm when selling for a combined figure of 2,345,000gns at a memorable Book 1 sale. 

   Back at Tattersalls, where he was searching for his next Book 1 star at the December Foal Sales, the never-boring and cigarillo-smoking Stauffenberg spoke with TDN Europe's Brian Sheerin about his approach to pinhooking, love for breeding, family history and much more. 

   Stauffenberg went on to add another foal to his portfolio at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana, a €150,000 Hello Youmzain (Ire) filly. He also sold four foals at that sale and explains the reasons why they were offered at public auction below. 

Now that the foal sales are almost finished for 2022, how would you sum up buying in the current market?

Very tough. If you wanted to buy quality, the prices had risen and, overall, the selection of foals in that top bracket was very small. Quite often you can find the nice horse without the pedigree or else you have the page and the physical does not match up. I like to buy the physical and some of these physicals just didn't have a strong enough page for me. The problem for me is that we do all of the work back home in Germany. All the foals come back home to Germany and we prep them there. I have to focus on the Book 1, Book 2 or Orby horse, as that is where the market has the best chance of holding up. In is very difficult doing these high-level pinhooks. Obviously, you have a reduced number of people who are able to afford these high-end yearlings so, if I buy a foal for say €200,000, a lot of trainers and owners will automatically say that it will be out of their range when it comes to the yearling sales. For that reason, it is a little bit of a risk to buy in that bracket but, when it works out, it's very good. The other problem I face is, I just can't buy the numbers. Nowadays I buy seven to 10 foals. We are a small operation. I have a few principles on how I want to raise these horses so we keep only a very small number on the farm so we never overstock. I have just 39 boxes on the farm and these are all limiting factors. So, if I was to go to pretty much all of the sales and buy horses at every level, I would completely lose control. This is why I focus on the few sales and limit my selection process. 

I know you said you are concentrating on the top bracket but I noticed you bought a few speedier types on pedigree at least–two Dandy Mans (Ire) and an Advertise (GB)-at the foal sales at Goffs.

Buying that Advertise filly happened more or less by accident. I didn't target that filly. I was looking at other foals and I saw her out of the corner of my eye and really liked her. I bought her and, yes, there is hope that Advertise will produce some very good 2-year-olds and she is a lovely physical and I really adore her. I just thought they were racehorses. Whether they will be successful pinhooks, I don't know, but I think they are racehorses and that's why I bought them. 

Are you down on numbers for this year given you bought only two foals at Tattersalls?

I am happy with what I bought. I got six foals at Goffs and only two here at Tattersalls. I have some very nice colts but I am lacking the high-end filly. There was a better selection of high-end fillies here at Tattersalls on paper than at Goffs but the owner-breeders, Juddmonte especially, were so strong. The value was not there for me. I underbid the Lope De Vega (Ire) filly that Juddmonte bought for half a million-I went to 480,000gns-but, paying that price, your margin becomes very thin when you are buying for resale. I just wanted to have her. She was the one I liked the most of all the filly foals here. But I didn't succeed. I bid 600,000gns on the sister to Chaldean (GB) and she sold for one million. I formed a special syndicate to buy Chaldean when he was a foal but, again, Juddmonte were strong on him and already owned half of him. I just had to leave him behind as well. So I fended off all of my competitors on these high-end foals but when the owner-breeders, who are the people you want to be selling to the following year as yearlings, come in and bid strong, you cannot compete with that.

That was the major theme to develop at Tattersalls with Juddmonte, Shadwell and Moyglare being so strong. It must have been fairly demoralising going head-to-head with operations of that size?

Yea, it is in a way. You do your selection process and target these horses, then you try to think about what kind of money you will have to spend and, when it comes to the bidding, you can even go beyond your limit to try and get it and then you don't succeed. Obviously that is tough. But anyway, you have to cope with that. It's how the whole thing works. I only had a very short list of these fillies so, when you target them and cannot buy them, it is a little bit frustrating. 

It seemed like a lot of buyers were zoning in on the top of the market. Perhaps the thinking there is that, if there is a bit of a downturn in the economy, they will have the yearlings to sell to the recession-proof operations?

I think so. It is not only us but some of the pinhookers who have been operating at that high level, they have been really well-rewarded. The thinking is that it is a safer option. Okay, you have to spend a little bit more money but it might be better in the reselling process to focus on that bracket. Whether we have a year like this again, that is a question mark. We had a very special situation this year where Sheikh Mohammed and his son were incredibly strong on the high-end yearlings. Their spending impacted every other level of the market because the high-end buyers couldn't succeed at the top level against him and were forced to drop down. There was a knock-on effect and it lifted everything.

There was a cloud of doubt hanging over the yearling sales this year so, given what transpired, how surprising was that?

If you leave our little bubble, you have the war in Europe, which we haven't had since World War II, all the other problems the industry is facing with the situation in China and the supply chain, and the fact we had the coronavirus for two years as well. You had to be worried but the yearling sales turned out to be sensational. People say to me, oh you had a tremendous year, how do you do it? I think that is wrong. I might be a little bit more in the limelight through some big prices but, the truth is, anyone who had a half-decent horse made a profit this year. Whether it was a breeder or a pinhooker, it didn't matter, the whole market was so strong. If you didn't get paid this year, you did something wrong. You can't blame others. This year was the year for everybody and I think that was reflected in the foal sales and even more so now in the sales of mares. It's madness. It really is. I looked at every foal I felt would get into Book 1 and 2 at Tattersalls as well as high-end Orby types and, let me tell you, what some of my colleagues spent on foals that I would not like to touch was amazing. 

You mentioned the war in Ukraine. Unfortunately, war is something your family knows all too much about. Can you tell us a little more about that?

My grand-uncle tried to assassinate Hitler but failed. The whole family was sent to a concentration camp after that. It was obviously a very difficult situation but, because it happened towards the end of the war, nobody really wanted to take over the responsibility of killing the entire Stauffenberg family. The order came from the German government for all of them to be killed and quite a big number of them were. A lot of my family were shot after it happened. My father told me all about his own situation in the concentration camp. He told me about how they were on the walk to death, as the German government had found someone who was willing to kill them all, but thankfully they were freed by the Americans. It's a relief that I am here today and I feel lucky but it does not really influence what I do in my life. Sometimes, you have to factor in what is going on in that world and how many people are in that same situation in Ukraine right now.

The war in Ukraine could have had a much more detrimental effect on our industry. 

Definitely. Okay, it's happening in Europe and is very close to us so it's overall very worrying but the war and the coronavirus have had a big impact on the way people do things. I have never seen so many poorly raised foals because of the costs involved-the price of everything has gone up. Don't forget we didn't have the easiest of years with the drought, either. This was also a major factor as well. Maybe that is why there was a smaller selection of foals but a lot more breeders may have decided not to sell their stock as foals due to the strength of the yearling market. They had too much money left over on the table so maybe a higher number of the better foals from this year's crop will be offered as yearlings next year. The pinhooking game is about getting value when buying foals. You have to weigh up if the foal has been underdone just because the people who prepped it didn't do the best possible job or whether the basics have not been laid with that foal. If the foal has had a poor youth, then you lack a foundation to be able to build them up. For example, if the bone substance is not there because they have not been raised properly, they will never make it as racehorses. The aim is to buy a really good racehorse and make money on the way. That is necessary to keep the whole thing going. But at the end of the day, if you don't sell good racehorses and only sell nice show horses, it will not work. 

Can you give us an idea of what kind of work you do with the foals between now and the yearling sales?

In the first few weeks, you have to look after them especially well because they have gone through a pretty difficult process. They have been prepped, which is one thing, and then the sales with all of the shows can be quite demanding. You have to be careful that these foals don't fall into a hole when you buy them. They normally live out 24/7 but we bring them in every day to check temperatures and give them a chance to lay in the straw or whatever. But they more or less live outside all of the time. You have to keep a close eye on how they are. That's very important, especially at this time. Luckily, I have had fewer foals who need to be wrapped up all of the time. I just hate these foals who have been pampered going to the sales. They are just not tough enough to live out all of the time so you may have to adjust one or two things for these ones. You can't leave those ones out day and night because it gets quite cold with us in Germany. It's an individual process but the goal is that they will all live outside in time. It's a natural approach and it's the same for when we prep them as yearlings. We don't keep them in the boxes during that time. All of them go out, depending on the weather, but usually they all stay out at night until the beginning of September. After that, they get turned out for between four and six hours per day. It's much more labour intensive and I need more staff to do it this way. For me, the horse comes first and, in nature, they wouldn't stay the whole day in a box and not be moving. That's why I like to have them out as much as possible. 

It's a big family operation with your wife Marion and daughter Alexandra heavily involved at the sales which must be a big help?

It's fantastic that it is like that. Alexandra studies in London but when I ruptured my Achilles tendon, I could not do anything with the yearlings and it was difficult to find staff so we managed to persuade her university to allow her to come back and work with us. She had to do an internship in the bracket of luxury goods and we managed to convince the university that we are dealing with luxury goods. This allowed her to come back and work with us and continue her studies. She always loved the horses and I was really happy to have an assistant this year. Whether she will continue in horses when her studies are complete, we don't know. 

When you think of this game objectively and explain what you do to people outside of the industry, spending six figures on a foal in the hope of turning it into a million-Euro yearling, it's all a bit crazy, isn't it?

I think about that more than you would believe. I think I am a realist. You may not believe that but I have my feet down on the earth and I am realistic about what can happen. It has just developed this way but I know that I am mad to be doing what I am doing. It is madness. Even I can admit that. It is mad and I am mad to be doing it. 

Has there ever been times where you thought it was too mad?

Again, I am thinking every moment like this. It is a high-risk thing. The way I do this, I select and buy the foals first and when I have finished my shopping, we start to split the horses up between different partners. That is a long process because it is difficult to please everyone. I'm not doing this, for example, in a way where everyone has to take 10 per cent of every horse, it's all different. Some may want 20 per cent in one and nothing in the other. It is up to me to try and balance the whole thing out. Whoever is willing to support every horse is at an advantage.

Can you explain a little more about who the partners are and what the breakdown of the investment is like?

There are some foals where I am left with them myself. A good example would be two years ago when I bought a Free Eagle (Ire) colt. He was well-bred on the dam side but obviously nobody wanted Free Eagle. I paid €80,000 for him but I couldn't persuade my partners to come in on him so I was left with 80 per cent. They just thought I was completely mad. I then sold him for 150,000gns here as a yearling so I was happy that I was left with 80 per cent on that occasion. I cannot do that every time because I am not a wealthy man. This is the risky part of this. I have to pay for all of these foals and then I go and collect between all of the different partners depending on what shares we sell after the sales. Luckily, some of my partners who have been with me for many years rely on my judgment and have done very well financially out of this. That makes it a little bit easier.

Is there one particular result that you look back on as being the one that catapulted you to becoming one of the leading pinhookers in Europe?

I have to admit that, in my heart, I am a breeder and never thought about pinhooking. It just developed through Andreas Putsch, who is also a German, and he knew how I was working with horses and asked me if I would like to pinhook for him. At the beginning, it was only his money I was spending and I was not even involved in the ownership of the foals. I only bought them, prepped and sold them. That was going quite well so some people were asking to come in. Andreas is no longer involved but other partners who started on that journey are still involved now and new ones have come in.

And prior to the pinhooking, how did you develop your love for thoroughbreds?

I was a professional showjumper before I started working in racing but I was not good enough to fulfill my dream by becoming an Olympic champion. I always loved thoroughbred breeding so, back in 1985, I was approached and became an assistant manager at a stud farm. I then managed two stud farms, building them up from scratch, before setting up my own bloodstock agency in 1994. Of the first foals and yearlings I bought, there were two Classic winners and several stakes horses, so I was very lucky at the time. There were two fillies by Seattle Dancer who were very good. Que Belle (Can) won the German 1,000 Guineas and the German Oaks and was Group 1-placed. She also ran in the Arc. She was a very good filly and we sold her to Wayne Hughes. This is how Marion and I could start our own operation because he obviously paid quite a lot of money for her. The other one was Rose Of Zollern (Ire), who I bought off Kirsten Rausing, so this is how it started. Marion and I have been developing the farm ever since and we have been developing the breeding side of the operation. Then I met Andreas and, as I said, he set me up. I never would have taken the risk to go at that level without him. 

You've mentioned a few times that it's the breeding that is closest to your heart so it must give you huge pleasure to have bred Fantastic Moon (Ger) who is one of the best 2-year-olds in Germany this year. 

Yes and it's very emotional for us because this colt is by Sea The Moon (Ger) and I bought the second dam of Sea The Moon as a foundation mare for Gestut Karlshof for €4,000 and she has produced three Classic winners. Marion and I met through the second dam of Frangipani (Ger), who is the dam of Fantastic Moon. From both sides, horse and human, it is very emotional. This family is very close to our heart. If Marion had not looked for a boarding place for that mare, Fraulein Tobin, many years ago, we'd have never met. For this to happen now after a sensational Book 1 sale is incredible. 

And what type of horse do you view Fantastic Moon as next year?

Obviously he's one of the best 2-year-olds in Germany but now he has to progress through the winter. I don't think he is a Derby horse because the family lacks stamina but obviously Sea The Moon is a stamina influence. I see him more as a 10-furlong horse. There is talk of the French Derby for him so we will see. It's a nice situation to be in. We can dream a little bit over the winter with that horse as well. 

You are best known for being a buyer but you also sell four foals at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana. 

The Kingman (GB) was a foal share for a client and she was born and raised on the farm. Juddmonte want to sell most of these foals at the sales which is why she goes there. The other three were homebreds. It sounds odd but our homebreds sold very badly as yearlings this year so, to balance the books, we needed to sell the foals this year. 

I understand that you have been contemplating consigning mares as well?

The aim is to diversify. The demand of people who want to invest is getting bigger and I can't increase my foal portfolio. The idea is to buy young mares, breed from these mares and then sell the offspring. This is the aim as we'd like to develop a new branch in the portfolio. But I am not sure if now is the right time to invest in these younger mares because the market is so hot. If you want to turn the mare around quickly, you could buy a race filly and cover her and sell her on, but in my heart I am a breeder and would like to take on something that is more of a long-term process.

You clearly care deeply about breeding and your philosophy is an interesting one.

It sounds odd but money does not really interest me. Okay, I need to survive but that's all. I only need money to live. I can't take it with me anyway. I need to give my kids a chance as well but they are going to have to make it on their own. I said to all of my kids, 'you won't inherit anything because I need all of the money for the way we live our life', so the only thing they get is a good education and then they have to build it up on their own. 

Who has been your biggest influence on your journey in bloodstock?

I really adore a few of my colleagues. They do a fantastic job in the way that they prep their horses. Take Paul McCartan, he's a genius. He is somebody I have always adored. He's a very good stock person. If you look at some of the younger ones coming through, the Gleeson brothers from Aughamore do an incredible job as well. I was stabled beside them during Book 2 and we had a long chat about how they do everything. They are good guys. There are some fantastic people in this industry. If you were to ask me who influenced me, though, there isn't someone who has influenced me in pinhooking. It has just grown into its own thing and I have followed my own ideas. My main aim is to take care of these animals. It's a fine balancing act between producing your horses to achieve the best possible price but also allowing them to be animals and not being too hard on them. I have to admit that some of my competitors, when you look around and observe who they are, it's brutal. They are only thinking about money and what's best for them out of the whole industry. I can't do that. We have produced a lot of good horses but what we are lacking is a Chaldean. That's the aim. This is what I would like to achieve with what I am doing. I need to survive but the aim is to produce top-class racehorses. That's what gives me the most pleasure. 

 

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Havana Grey Brother to Dragon Symbol Leads Tattersalls Foals

NEWMARKET, UK–“If we don't believe in our stallions, who will?” So said breeder and consignor Ed Harper after topping the second day of foal trade at Tattersalls, though in the case of lot 793, the sire in question, this season's leading freshman Havana Grey (GB), has already garnered the support of plenty of breeders and buyers.

But to justify the day's top price tag of 250,000gns at this stage of his young life, the colt had to have plenty more going for him, and his half-brother Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) has certainly helped in that regard with a trio of top three finishes in Group 1 sprints and five victories to his name.

The Whitsbury Manor Stud consignee was bought by one of the best judges in the business, Philipp Stauffenberg, who carried on his bold spending from Goffs with a first strike at Park Paddocks. He said, “He's a racy-looking horse and a brother, nominally, to a Group 1 winner. He's the one I wanted to have today.

“I liked [Havana Grey's] first crop but I didn't buy one, but he has proved that he is capable of getting a good horse.”

The colt is a son of the Arcano (Ire) mare Arcamist (GB), a winner at three and herself the daughter of the Group 1-placed Good Enough (Fr) (Mukaddamah) whose seven winners include two at listed level.

“He is probably a bigger model than Dragon Symbol, but Arcamist just keeps throwing lovely stock,” said Harper. “It is a family we have done really well with and we have had for a long time. Dad bought the second dam Good Enough in the US around 25 years ago. She was the most expensive mare he'd bought ever at that time.”

With more squalling rain drenching the foals and their handlers intermittently through the day, a steady start gave way to a livelier evening session which pushed the figures slightly past the markers set in the equivalent session last year. The average and the median were both up, by 8% and 7%, to 42,372gns and 32,000gns. With 223 foals sold at a clearance rate of 81%, the second-day aggregate was also up slightly at 9,449,000gns.

 

In Mehmas We Trust

There may be plenty of competition from the arrivistes with their first crops for sale, but Mehmas (Ire), who in a few short years has earned a major stamp of approval from the market, commanded plenty of respect in the ring on Thursday. His colt out of the Stormy River (Ire) mare Heavenly River (Fr) stole a significant march on his rivals early in the day when sold to Peter and Ross Doyle for 240,000gns.

His specific cross has already been tried by breeder John McEnery of Rossenarra Stud with some success as the 11-year-old mare's previous mating with Mehmas resulted in the American listed winner and Grade III-placed Quattroelle (Ire), who was set to run in Thursday evening's GIII Red Carpet S. at Del Mar. The family has been given a further boost this season by the G2 Queen Mary S. victory of Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), who is out of Heavenly River's listed-winning half-sister Katie's Diamond (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}).

“We've always liked the foals by Mehmas and we'd had a bit of luck with Dark Angel. I thought the first year he was too expensive at €12,500, and I got caught for €25,000 last year,” said McEnery, who bought Heavenly River seven years ago at Tattersalls for 5,000gns.

“I had to go home to Ireland and left my nephew Billy to look at a few pedigrees and he picked her up. She was a maiden mare and we bought her out of Karl Burke's yard.”

After selling one of the session leaders (lot 667), Rossenarra Stud's next lot into the ring, by a different son of Acclamation (GB) in Dark Angel (Ire), was knocked down at 85,000gns. The son of the Redback (GB) mare Charlotte Rua (Ire) is a full-brother to the G2 Duke of York S. runner-up Nahaarr (Ire).

Ross Doyle, whose familiarity with Mehmas stretches back to buying him at the Craven Breeze-up Sale for Al Shaqab Racing, said of the purchase of the session-topper for an undisclosed client, “As always it's the physical and it's a huge bonus that he's by Mehmas. He's from a very good nursery in Rossenarra and is closely related to a very good filly. I thought he was an absolute standout.

“He had a lot of strength for his age; he's naturally very strong with a good deep girth and he was a real pro for every show. That's his dad's influence coming through. He might come back [for resale] but I'd say long-term they'll race him.”

He continued, “Mehmas has obviously been very lucky for lots of people including ourselves. We bought Persian Force last year for Amo Racing. We've had massive pleasure out of Mehmas and so have so many people, going right back to John Cullinan and Roger Marley in his breeze-up days, then at Richard Hannon's yard, and all the staff there were mad about him. They used to say to me that he'd go the races, come home, go for a pick of grass and put on weight. Then he ended up at Tally-Ho, which is one of the best studs in the world, and they've done a wonderful job with him.”

Tally-Ho reaffirmed their support of the stallion when buying lot 766, Plantation Stud's Mehmas half-brother to Group 3-placed Flash Gordon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) for 115,000gns.

 

 

Ghaiyyath And Earthlight Impress

Ghaiyyath (Ire), whose first-crop members have been the subjects of increasingly positive bulletins, was responsible for three of the six-figure lots of the session including lot 789, Kellgrange Stud's half-brother to the useful Harrow (Ire) (El Kabeir), and from the further family of Group 1 winners Dream Ahead and Fairyland (Ire).

John Cullinan and Roger Marley, signing under the name of JR Bloodstock, held their nerve to 240,000gns for the Ballyreddin Stud and DCL-bred colt but Cullinan was heard to comment after signing the ticket, “I think I need a change of underpants now.”

He added, “I saw the horse yesterday and loved him. We were keen to buy a Ghaiyyath as he's one of the stallions who has been on our mind as a first-crop sire. He looks to have very good stock, he was a brilliant racehorse and was the highest-rated racehorse in the world for a time and is by a sire of sires.”

Cullinan continued, “This is a lovely individual. He vetted very well, and we were at full stretch at that price, but nice horses are always hard to come by, and have to pay a bit more for the ones you want. We will try to keep him safe and come back to one of the premier sales.”

Ringfort Stud also had a decent result with a Ghaiyyath filly from the listed-placed Shenoya (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}). Sold as lot 705, she brought a final bid of 130,000gns from Tally-Ho Stud and boasts a suitably smart pedigree which includes two prominent horses of this season in G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) and G3 Sweet Solera S. victrix Lakota Sioux (Ire).

“We thought Ghaiyyath would would suit the mare physically,” said Ringfort's Derek Veitch. “He is a big, scopey stallion and would suit a smallish mare. We are delighted with that price.”

Ghaiyyath's average for four weanlings sold at Tattersalls over the last 48 hours is 143,000gns.

Earthlight (Ire) also featured among the sires of the top 10 lots of the day when Cullinan returned to the ring to sign for lot 827 at 100,000gns. Consigned by Northern Bloodstock, the colt is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Born To Be (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) out of the Intikhab mare Duquesa (Ire).

Yeomanstown Stud, Redpender Stud and Jamie Railton are also among the pinhookers to have taken home an Earthlight weanling. Railton bought two on Thursday, including a colt from Carisbrooke Stud for 72,000gns, while Redpender's Jimmy Murphy bid 78,000gns for lot 594, a half-sister to this season's juvenile winner Selenaia (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) from Keith Harte's consignment and bred by Derek Iceton.

 

Sergei the Tongue-Twister

They may not agree on how to pronounce his name, but plenty of buyers appear to agree on the desirability of the stock of Sergei Prokofiev. Whitsbury Manor Stud's newest recruit will have his work cut out to follow the example of Havana Grey but he is certainly not sparsely represented at Tattersalls: so far 29 of his 67 weanlings catalogued have gone through the ring, returning an average of 28,172gns.

They include lot 607, consigned by the stallion's home team and bought by Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm for 95,000gns. The chestnut colt is the first foal of Italian listed winner Avengers Queen (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), whose half-sister El Cabala (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) won the G2 Sandy Lane S.

The first weanling to breach the six-figure mark this week (lot 604) at Tattersalls was by another of the Whitsbury Manor Stud crew, the popular Showcasing (GB), and was bred and consigned by Natton House Thoroughbreds, who have enjoyed a successful couple of days at Park Paddocks.

Chris Dudfield of Natton House explained that he had bought the colt's dam, Parliament House (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) from the Godolphin draft back in 2019 for 22,000gns.

He said, “She was tiny, only about 14.3hh, but she has grown well since and her first two Showcasings have been beautiful foals. Last year's foal made 72,000gns; this horse was even nicer and some of the lads said he is flawless, he is just a beautiful horse.”

The diminutive Parliament House did not excel on the racecourse but she boasts bloodlines that entitle her to be considered a smart breeding prospect. Her dam was Embassy (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), the former European champion 2-year-old filly, who was herself a daughter of the Irish champion 2-year-old Pass the Peace (GB) (Alzao). Top-class performers stemming from those two smart race fillies include King's Apostle (Ire), Atlantic Jewel (Aus), Tarfshi (GB) and Russian Emperor (Ire).

 

Yeomanstown Stud placed the final bid for the colt at 100,000gns and later went to the same figure for Tweenhills Stud's colt by New Bay (GB). Offered as lot 648, he is out of the listed winner Strawberry Martini (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), who will be offered for sale next week as lot 1480 in foal to Kameko.

Tweenhills' David Redvers said of the colt, “He has a good outlook and action and captured the attention of some big buyers. Strawberry Martini is quite a stout Mount Nelson mare and New Bay gives his progeny a bit of 'energy', which I like.

“She has now had some very good foals. We sold her Masar for 110,000gns at October Book 2 this year to Shadwell, and then this horse has made 100,000gns. She is in the sale next week and is owned by a syndicate of friends, and we will need to have a chat and make a decision as to whether we keep her or sell her.”

New Bay, who has been represented by Group 1 winners Saffron Beach (Ire), Bayside Boy (Ire) and Bay Bridge (GB) this season, also found favour with Joe Foley, who bought the Norelands Stud-bred colt (lot 763) out of the Cheshire Oaks runner-up Moorside (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) for 150,000gns.

Harry McCalmont of Norelands said, “Moorside was a very good racemare. We bought her from Juddmonte and I have always been a fan of New Bay–we got in at the right time. He's going to be very expensive now but she may have to go back to him.”

The mare's first two foals, both by Invincible Spirit (Ire), are in training in Hong Kong and at Kingsclere with Andrew Balding, respectively.

 

 

Classic Winners Shine

Both Persian King (Ire) and Kameko, in the top echelon of the Classic generation in 2019 and 2020, respectively, have first-crop foals on offer this year, and the sole weanling by the former was one of the leading lights during Wednesday's session. Based at Haras d'Etreham, Persian King, the winner of six group races, whose three Group 1 victories include the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, was the sire of the third most expensive foal. His first-crop son (lot 779) was bought for 130,000gns by the French-based pinhooking syndicate Fairway Partners, which is led by Charles Briens.

Consigned by Newsells Park Stud on behalf of breeder Al Shahania Stud, the colt is the second foal of the G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Qabala (Scat Daddy), who was covered by Persian King's sire Kingman (GB) in her first season at stud.

The 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, on the other hand, has had 15 foals sold so far at Tattersalls for an average of 32,800gns and headed by a pair of colts sold for 92,000gns and 90,000gns. Lot 768 was sold by breeder Gigginstown House Stud through Michael O'Leary's British-based Plantation Stud to Roger Marley and is out of the winning Frankel (GB) mare Like (Ire). The Tweenhills draft features seven Kameko foals, including lot 749, a half-brother to Australian Group 2 winner Surf Dancer (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was pinhooked by Aughamore Stud and Matt Houldsworth for 90,000gns.

 

Two More Wildcards For Mares Sale

Next week's Tattersalls December Mares Sale has been boosted by another two late entrants. On Monday, the Group 3-placed juvenile All The Time  (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will be offered by Highclere Stud as lot 1639D. Tuesday's session will now include the Paddy Twomey-trained 3-year-old Limiti Di Greccio (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), who won the Listed Staffordstown Stud S. on her most recent outing in October and has been added to the catalogue as lot 1924C.

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