Cunningham, whose Cockney Rebel (Ire) landed a memorable Guineas double in 2007, spent £617,000 on seven colts at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale last week and added another five to the squad through the Highflyer agent at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale on Tuesday to the tune of 303,000gns.

Never has the owner been so strong at the yearling sales and he opened up about how he hopes his revamped approach to sourcing two-year-old talent for private trainer Richard Spencer can reap rich dividends next season. 

He said, “This is the strongest that I have gone personally. I just wanted to give it a good go. All of the yearlings we bought are colts and hopefully they make good two-year-olds. That was the remit with Anthony. We're looking to get them running early.

“All seven of the colts we bought at Doncaster are already up in Adam Kirby's being broken in so hopefully we'll get them going early. We used to do all of the pre-training ourselves previously but Adam has proved that he is doing a fantastic job and I am a little more focussed now on putting things in the right places and not cutting corners.

“I'm really excited about next season. We will be moving on some of our older horses in October and are trying to put together a strong team for next year.”

Asked how the link up with Bromley came about and if getting the ace agent on board could be viewed as a statement of intent, he added, “Very much so. Anthony lives fairly local to us and his son Ben sometimes comes in and rides work. It's amazing the amount of compliments we have received about the partnership with Anthony. 

“The groundwork he puts in is phenomenal and he is a pleasure to work with. Obviously he is renowned for his achievements in National Hunt racing but he has enjoyed some amazing success from probably a more limited budget on the Flat. It's exciting to give him the opportunity to put together a team for us.”

That's not to say that Bromley expected to be shelling out close to £1 million on 12 yearlings on behalf of Cunningham after the pair first met over a drink at Cheltenham earlier this year. 

“I told him to have a look and try and buy us a few of those 'cheap ones' at the sales,” Cunningham recalled. 

“As we got closer to the sales, I told him the budget I had in mind, which I think he was quite surprised about. He cracked on and it was always the intention to spend in the region of what we spent.”

Top of Cunningham's shopping list was a Mehmas (Ire) colt purchased from Tally-Ho Stud at Doncaster for £145,000. Indeed, that was not the first time Cunningham has been wooed by one of the renowned stud farm's draft at Doncaster. 

Just last year, Cunningham broke his own record for the most expensive yearling he has ever bought when snapping up Fool's Gold (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) from Tally-Ho at Doncaster for £170,000.

That colt put in an impressive performance to win a Windor maiden on Monday evening and bigger things are expected given he holds Group 1 entries later in the season. 

But the operation has changed dramatically in just a short space of time. Whereas 12 months ago, Spencer was in charge of the buying, the breaking in and the training of the horses, Cunningham has made a decision to delegate some of those important roles to masters of their own craft. That's where Bromley and Kirby have come into play. 

“It's just too much for one man to do,” Cunningham explained. “Anthony very much wanted Richard involved in the buying as he is going to be the person training the horses but they very much did it as a partnership. 

“When people move into ownership, it's amazing how many want to cut corners and I've possibly been guilty of it in the past. I don't have 200 boxes, I've 50, and if I could have them all rated in the 90s, that would be a dream. 

“It doesn't obviously happen like that, but, to give ourselves the best chance, we've got to have the right people doing all of the important jobs [buying, breaking in and training].”

Cunningham's passion for racehorse ownership burns just as bright as it did when he bought Cockney Rebel at Doncaster back in 2005 for just £30,000. The CEO of a major insurance company, DCL, Cunningham has also enjoyed notable success with Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) and Rajasinghe (Ire), but describes himself as bewildered over the lack of support the latter has received from breeders.

He said, “It's been hard work. Richard has done most of it [by sending out the lion's share of the winners by Rajasinghe]. There is a new team at The National Stud and, off the back of that, he covered his largest book of 45 this year. I tried to stand Cockney Rebel and that was very limited with regards to success. I said that I wouldn't do it again after that but I definitely won't do it again after Rajasinghe.”

He added, “If Rajasinghe had been with one of the Tally-Ho Studs of this world, he would have covered 150 mares and, who knows, he could have been leading first-season sire. The level of improvement that he has put into my own mares is phenomenal. 

“Hopefully it continues. He needs a big horse but he needs a bit more support as well. The amazing thing is, I thought people wanted fast horses. I'll never understand the breeding game. He stands at three thousand pounds and people aren't using him. It's a head-scratcher for me why he hasn't been more popular.”

Cockney Rebel sparked what Cunningham has no problem admitting is a hobby that got out of hand but he's relishing the position he finds himself in and looks forward to the future with a galaxy of young stars to dream about at Sefton Lodge. 

He said, “Poor Cockney died last year. I have his ashes in the house. When I bought Cockney Rebel for 30,000gns, I didn't even have the money to pay for him. In fact, I don't think I paid for him until after Christmas, which is crazy. That gives you an insight as to where I was back then. I've been very, very lucky in business since then and started from scratch. We now turn over over one hundred and sixty million a year and are one of the largest fleet insurers in the UK.”

He added, “The business has helped me fund my lifetime passion but I have seen many, many people come into this game, get heavily involved and then withdraw from it. 

“I have always lived within my means and have been lucky enough to have invested in the right things at the right time. I'm 53 now and am at a stage in my life where I can enjoy it with my family-my son loves racing and my Dad loves racing. Apart from Tottenham Hotspur, it's the one common passion that I have with my Dad, and I'm in a privileged position to organise a few days out for us, hopefully.”

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Breeders with mating plans still to be decided, and who may be wincing at some of the stallion fees advertised, could do worse than adding the name of Rajasinghe (Ire) to their list of sires under consideration.

We talked to Rajasinghe's owner Phil Cunningham back in April just ahead of the son of Choisir (Aus) being represented by his first runner, Talamanca (GB). That Mickley Stud-bred gelding has now run 11 times for three wins and is the most prolific of his sire's runners. As noted by Brian Sheerin when assessing the last year's freshman sires in Saturday's TDN, the group numbers only 10 to date, but remarkably eight of them won races in 2022, and three achieved an official rating of 80+, headed by the listed-placed Waiting All Night (GB), a Cunningham homebred.

Last spring, Cunningham told TDN: “He's had limited numbers and limited support so I think we've got to do it the hard way, which is to do it ourselves.

“We've got a nice little crop this year, some more next year and a few more the following year. Hopefully he will become more popular with everyone else by then and he'll have a few more runners.”

Doubtless the owner-breeder is delighted with the start made by his stallion, who, like Cunningham's dual Classic winner Cockney Rebel (Ire) before him, is standing at the National Stud. The Newmarket farm is sure to have plenty of visitors this spring, with Stradivarius (Ire) still exerting plenty of pulling power and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) likely to be busy again. But those visiting should not ignore the well-made son of the late Choisir, who was a very good stallion in his own right and whose prowess continues to be so well advertised by his Irish-based son Starspangledbanner (Aus).

It doesn't necessarily follow that Rajasinghe will be similarly successful, and of course he will need to build on that 80% strike-rate with some proper stakes horses if he is to take his career to the next level, but he has dropped enough hints during the last year that he can get your mare a runner if given the chance.

So far, outside the backing of his owner, he hasn't been given many opportunities. He had 24 foals in his first crop, 14 in his second, which are the juveniles for this coming season, and 26 born in 2022. Only once has he covered a black-type winner, and in his most recent season he is listed with Weatherbys as having covered just nine mares, mostly owned by the Cunningham family. One of the outside breeders, Morecool Racing, will be pleased to have supported him again this year as, since they sent New Road Side (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) back to be covered, her Rajasinghe son Hougoumont (GB) has won two of his four starts for Julie Camacho.

The majority of the stallion's offspring of racing age are in the stable of Richard Spencer, the retained trainer for Cunningham's Rebel Racing and for whom Rajasinghe was a breakout star when winning the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 in Spencer's second season with a licence.

The Newmarket trainer admits with a smile that he is of course biased, but he is also well placed to have a handle on plenty of Rajasinghe's runners so far. He says, “He's basically stamped his offspring very much like himself. He was very laid-back. He thrived on his work and was very easy in himself and had a great attitude with everything he did.

“From the mares that have been sent to him, and this is no disrespect to any of them, they weren't the best mares that you could have asked for, but he has definitely upgraded them judging on progeny they've produced in the past. Their attitudes are great, wind great, and for what is on offer for breeders at that level in England, you can't really find anything much better, I don't think, on the market.”

Spencer continues, “I know I'm probably biased, but we've had such great success this season from the horses that have run, and everything has won or been placed. The ones that have been placed that haven't won will win. And the ones we haven't run, for various little reasons, that will run in this year coming have all got ability to win races. There's not one amongst them you think, 'Oh God, we're not going to win with him.'

“They are all capable of winning, from relatively low-grade mares, and they've got size and scope. I think a few people have cottoned on to the stats, but I think [his offspring] are value for money and real 'trainers' horses' at the moment, whilst they're able to be bought.”

Spencer has had a fresh intake of horses who have just turned two and says that better results could be seen this year.

“I genuinely think the ones we've got coming through are a better quality again. Phil had some some fillies with decent ratings that have gone to stud to support him and I think in the next couple of years we'll see even better quality coming through,” he notes.

“So it's exciting from our side of things, seeing it behind the scenes with what we've got to come, and with the GBB scheme running as well now, which is fantastic, it's a big incentive to be sending a mare to a British stallion.”

Rajasinghe was 15th overall in the first-crop sires' table for Britain and Ireland on prize-money. When judged by number of individual winners, he achieved a top-10 finish with far fewer runners than any of his rivals in that top echelon–and of course on his percentage of winners to runners he was best of all at 80%.

For a stallion standing right down the bottom of the fee table at £3,000, a strike-rate at the top of the table should perhaps open a few eyes, hopefully followed by a few wallets.

The post Rajasinghe: ‘A Few People Have Cottoned On To The Stats’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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He joins Time Test (GB), whose fee is unchanged at £15,000, while Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) will also remain at his fee of £8,500 as he embarks on his second season at stud.

Rajasinghe (Ire), who has a strike-rate of 67% winners to runners from his first crop of juveniles this year, is also unchanged at £3,000.

“Time Test has had a steady stream of high-quality winners throughout the year, his biggest and best quality books are still to come and we are very excited about what the future for him,” said the National Stud's head of bloodstock Joe Bradley.

“Lope Y Fernandez was very well received by breeders covering a stellar first book of 134 mares in his first season. As the only son of Lope De Vega standing in the UK, he provides access to one of the best international sire lines at a very attractive price. The partnership involved has such faith in the horse and we are now very excited to see his first foals in 2023.”

He added, “It is a privilege to welcome Stradivarius to The National Stud's roster for 2023. His exhilarating turn of foot, soundness and will to win all combined to make him a true icon of the modern racing era.”

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“We've been quite lucky, obviously it's still quite early in Richard's career but he's won the Coventry and the Molecomb,” said Cunningham, who took the decision to stand Rajasinghe at the National Stud following his racing career.

It is a route he has trodden before with his dual Guineas winner Cockney Rebel (Ire) (Val Royal {Fr}), who started his stud career in Newmarket before spending several years in France and then returning to the UK to stand at Batsford Stud. And Cunningham has not held back in supporting Rajasinghe. He has sent him all 12 of his own mares as well as buying some of his young stock at the sales. 

Now, with Rajasinghe poised to have his first runner, Talamanca (GB)–who was bred by Mickley Stud about bought as a foal for 50,000gns–at Lingfield on Saturday, there is great anticipation among the Rebel Racing camp. Cunningham, who owns Sefton Lodge where Richard Spencer is based in Newmarket, has 16 of his first-crop juveniles with the trainer. 

“We're really pleased with them and excited for the rest of the season. We're fortunate that with his median price his offspring qualify for the restricted maidens, and fingers crossed we'll have a few winners in the next couple of months,” he said at Newmarket on Wednesday.

Rajasinghe does not have the numerical firepower of some of his freshman rivals–in his three full stud seasons to date he has covered 33, 25 and 36 mares–but history relates that even stallions with scant representation can make an impression in their early years. And a handful of other trainers also have members of his first crop in their yards, including Julie Camacho, Mark Walford and Robert Cowell.

“He's had limited numbers and limited support so I think we've got to do it the hard way, which is to do it ourselves,” Cunningham added. “We've got a nice little crop this year, some more next year and a few more the following year. Hopefully he will become more popular with everyone else by then and he'll have a few more runners. My 12 mares have all gone to him, so I'm all in!”

Choisir died last December at the age of 22, but he is represented by three of his sons at stud in Europe including the highly respected Starspangledbanner (Aus), himself a Royal Ascot winner in the G1 Golden Jubilee S. and the sire of another Coventry S. winner, The Wow Signal (Ire), among his three Group 1 winners.

Another of Choisir's sons, Olympic Glory (Ire), was runner-up to Dawn Approach (Ire) in the Coventry before going on to win four Group 1 races, and has so far sired two Group 1-winning fillies. 

“That Choisir line really has been successful, at Ascot in particular where a lot of people dream of going,” Cunningham said. 

“I really enjoy seeing the foals and then watching them go into training. It's one thing going to the sales and buying a horse and watching them run 12 months or 18 months later, but this has been a long project so we are very excited to see them all getting to the track. It's a whole other level of satisfaction when you breed them yourself.”

The owner/breeder's dozen mares are spread between the National Stud and Batsford Stud in Gloucestershire, while Spencer is charged with overseeing all of his horses in training. 

The trainer is now enjoying bringing on the progeny of his first stable star. He said, “It's great to have so many of Rajasinghe's offspring. I'm privileged to say that we have them rather than other people because I know it was only a small band of mares that went to him, but they are showing us some positive signs and I'm really looking forward to running them through the season. It's very special.”

Cunningham knows just what it is like to dine at racing's top table, having campaigned the Geoff Huffer-trained Cockney Rebel, winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket followed by the Irish 2000 Guineas in 2007, who died just over a year ago at the age of 17.

“That was magnificent, and it was a very sad day when we lost him last year,” Cunningham recalled. “It was funny even coming back to Newmarket today and standing in the head-on stand, and a few guys were asking me where I watched the 2000 Guineas from. We have magnificent memories of that day and it changed my life in racing really. We dream of having another one like him.”

That dream would doubtless be even sweeter if the next star for the Rebel Racing team happens to be a son or daughter of Rajasinghe. 

The post Cunningham ‘All In’ On Freshman Prospect Rajasinghe appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The first session traditionally represents a quieter start to the four-day auction, which builds towards the better pedigrees on Friday. With shorter sessions throughout the sale this year, there were 135 foals sold on Wednesday, compared to 168 on the same day last year, meaning that the aggregate of 1,585,100gns, which was down by just 7%, actually represented an improved performance from 2019. Indeed, both the average and median were up, by 16% and 60% respectively, at 11,741gns and 8,000gns, while the clearance rate of 67% was just one point lower.

Selwood Out In Front
The established names of Iffraaj (GB) and Oasis Dream (GB) led the session when consecutive colts from James Read’s Selwood Bloodstock sold for 57,000gns and 50,000gns respectively.

Anita Wigan bred this year’s G2 Coventry S. winner Nando Parrado (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and is also responsible for the Iffraaj colt (lot 442), a son of the dual-winning Shamardal mare Soryah (Ire) whom she bought from the Godolphin draft at last year’s December Sale for 18,000gns. The session-topper was bought by Ross Doyle on behalf of the Morrin family’s Pier House Stud.

“He is a good-looking horse out of a Shamardal mare and by a top stallion,” said Doyle, who added that the colt would likely return to neat year’s October Sale.

The next lot into the ring (443) was prepared by Read for his breeder Lady Hardy and is a half-brother to treble winner Stylianekkos (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). By Oasis Dream, he was the selection of Flash Conroy of Glenvale Stud at 50,000gns.

With three foals sold for an average of 39,000gns, Selwood Bloodstock was the leading consignor on day one.

Iffraaj was also on the list of another accomplished pinhooker, Paul McCartan, who bought the most expensive filly of the session, his daughter out of the unraced Royal Applause (GB) mare Posh Claret (GB).

Among McCartan’s recent foal purchases is the aforementioned Nando Parrado, and the Ballyphilip Stud owner went to 40,000gns for lot 402, whose half-sister, a yearling filly by Ardad (Ire), is heading into training with Archie Watson. 

“I haven’t had many foals by [Iffraaj], but I have a mare by him and she is the dam of Imperial Force, who was third in the Norfolk Stakes. He is a good sire and he gets a good filly,” said McCartan, who is also the breeder of Harry Angel (Ire), whose first foals are selling this week.

Bred by the late Kevin Mercer of Usk Valley Stud, Posh Claret is a daughter of Welsh Anthem (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), a half-sister to Trans Island (GB) (Selkirk) and to fellow Group winner Welsh Diva (GB) (Selkirk).

National Treasure
No fewer than 24 stallions are represented by members of their first crops at Tattersalls this week and it was the National Stud’s G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (Ire) who led the way during the opening session. 

A colt bred in Devon by Richard Tucker and offered through the National Stud was the pick of Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud, whose final bid brought the hammer down at 46,000gns.

Lot 453 is out of the winning Verglas (Ire) mare Louya (Ire), who was bought by Tucker for €7,000 at Arqana and hails from the family of G2 Royal Lodge S winner Mons (GB) (Deploy {GB}).

Rajasinghe’s first foal through the ring had been one of the early leaders of the day when knocked down to agent Larry Stratton at 37,000gns. Sold by Whitwell Bloodstock on behalf of breeder Alice Walton, lot 256 is out of the unraced Lucia De Medici (GB) (Medicean {GB}), herself a daughter of the listed Middleton S. Winner Jalousie (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}).

“Rajasinghe is a horse I have always followed since he won the Coventry Stakes because I bred the runner-up, Headway (GB), in a partnership,” said Stratton. “Rajasinghe’s sire Choisir (Aus) is a good influence. This is a nice colt who has been bought for a partnership and is for resale.”

Rajasinghe stood his first two seasons at £5,000 and has had his fee cut to £3,000 for 2021. He has six foals for sale this week, with the first three sold having returned an average of 30,667gns, making him the leading first-season sire at the sale after the first day.

Expert View
Juddmonte’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye (GB) was also among the leading freshmen when a half-brother to GIII Bewitch S. Winner Cay Dancer (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was bought by Michael Fitzpatrick in the name of JC Bloodstock for 41,000gns.

Consigned by Charlie Wyatt’s Dukes Stud and bred in partnership by Wyatt with Simon Sweeting of Overbury Stallions, lot 369 is a son of the George Strawbridge-bred White Cay (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), whose three winning offspring include listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau victrix Dynamic (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).

Fitzpatrick, an accomplished pinhooker through his Kilminfoyle House Stud, said, “This is a quality, attractive foal. He is from a good breeder, and is one of the few today who is a half-brother to two stakes horses. He has a nice back pedigree, too, and will be back for resale.”

White Cay’s half-sister is the G1 Coronation S winner Balisada (GB) (Kris), while the further family also includes Inchinor (GB), GI EP Taylor S winner Miss Keller (Ire), and the St Leger winner Harbour Law (GB).

Dukes Stud often has a stand-out foal or two during the Saturday session, but Wyatt explained that in this unusual year it was “time to mix it up a little bit”.

He said, “Saturday has always been good to me but I felt it was the year for a change. [The colt] has been a lovely foal throughout. I think he is good representative for the sire, I have seen a few of them, they look nice sorts.”

A Sixties Hit
Standing for just £1,000 in 2021 on pay-up-front terms, Sixties Icon (GB) has to be one of the best-value stallions in Britain and his sole representative in the foal sale, a colt out of the G1 Moyglare Stud S runner-up Silca Chiave (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), hit the first-day leader-board when selling for 42,000gns. 

Offered by Norman Court Stud, which is co-owned by Mick Channon and is also home to Sixties Icon, the colt (472) is a half-brother to the listed-placed Strictly Silca (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and was bought by John Troy.  His dam’s illustrious siblings include the full-sisters Golden Silca (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), whose eight victories include the G2 Mill Reef S., and G1 Prix Morny winner Silca’s Sister (GB).

Bearstone Rookie
Terry and Margaret Holdcroft of Bearstone Stud have enjoyed a terrific season on the racecourse with their GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint heroine Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) and a colt from her family by the stud’s recent stallion recruit, Washington DC (Ire), featured among the day’s leaders. 

Offered as lot 320, the colt’s dam is the unraced She Mystifies (GB) is a daughter of the stud’s former resident Indesatchel (Ire) and a half-sister to Glass Slippers, who is now a treble Group/Grade 1 winner. Another half-sibling is the listed Radley S. winner Electric Feel (GB), who is also by a former Bearstone stallion, in this case Firebreak (GB).

Sold to Y&R Engineering, whose bids were taken over the phone by Tattersalls’ marketing manager Jason Singh, the colt fetched 35,000gns.

The December Foal Sale continues on Thursday at 10am, an hour earlier than the published time.

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The aforementioned Aclaim, the winner of the G1 Prix de la Foret and G2 Park S., will be available at the National Stud next year for £9,500. The son of Acclamation (GB) from the family of Montjeu (Ire) had his first yearlings this year, and they sold for up to 145,000gns to Shadwell.

Also with his first yearlings this year was Time Test (GB), and they made up to 150,000gns. The four-time group-winning son of Dubawi (Ire) will stand for £8,500 in 2021.

The National Stud roster is rounded out by Rajasinghe (Ire) and Flag Of Honour (Ire), who will each stand for £3,000.

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