Tag: sea the stars

Record Books Rewritten as Book 1 Bonanza Concludes

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

NEWMARKET, UK–And breathe. Book 1 is over, galloping out the door after a three-day bonanza of record returns, the highest-grossing single day of horse trade in Europe, and the world's most expensive yearling of 2022.

What this all means for next week and Books 2, 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale is anyone's guess, but a safe bet would be that all those potential buyers so frustrated at playing bridesmaid during Book 1 still have rolls of grubby fifty-pound notes burning holes in their pockets.

But before the bell rings for the first session of Book 2 on Monday morning, let's have a closer look at the facts and figures of three days of rip-roaring trade that  had even seasoned sales-goers walking around Park Paddocks shaking their heads in disbelief. It's no wonder really, as the sale's aggregate reached an all-time high of 126,671,000gns, soaring 45% on decent levels of trade at last year's Book 1. At 200,000gns, the median was also a new record, and was up by 25%, while the record average rose by 30% to 298,752gns. With 424 sold of the 489 yearlings offered, the clearance rate climbed by 4% to 87%.

Let's Hear It For…

This time 10 years ago, Frankel (GB) was preparing for his swansong on British Champions Day, and in that time he has gone from ruling the racecourse to ruling the ring: his 25 offspring at Book 1 accounted for 15% of the turnover over the three days, amassing a tally of 18,745,000gns and selling at an average price of 749,800gns. His greatest rival Dubawi (Ire) beat that figure, with an average of 849,524gns for 21 sold. Together, Frankel and Dubawi accounted for 14 of the 16 yearlings to have sold for a million gns or more, with the four most expensive yearlings of the sale all being by Frankel.

Newsells Park Stud completed a five-timer of successive leading vendor titles, a mantle it has achieved on seven occasions in total. From 29 consigned, the stud sold 23 yearlings for a total of 10,985,000gns.

Fellow British farms Watership Down Stud and Fittocks Stud also fared very well during Book 1, the former selling 10 yearlings for 8,780,000gns, and the latter 11 for 6,010,000gns.

Leading Investors

Brightly attired each day, Sheikh Mohammed was easy to spot at Tattersalls but nowhere was his presence more greatly felt than on the buyers' list, which he dominated almost from flagfall.

Bidding through Anthony Stroud at the group's favoured spot next to the walking ring, Sheikh Mohammed lent enormous support to the elite yearling market, adding 35 yearlings by a range of top sires to his Godolphin string for a total outlay of 25,355,000gns, which was roughly 20% of the sale's record turnover.

The Coolmore and White Birch Farm partnership spent 10.2 million gns on 13 yearlings, and agent Richard Knight signed for 15 for just over 10 million gns.

“This has been an extraordinary yearling sale,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. “When the first two lots through the ring on Tuesday morning made 500,000gns and 1,300,000gns, the stage was set and the pace has been unrelenting from that moment on. Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale annually showcases the very best yearlings to be found in Europe, and even by the lofty standards of this special sale we felt that this year's catalogue was out of the ordinary. Nevertheless we could not have predicted the extraordinary level of trade we have experienced over the past three days.”

He continued, “Record turnover in excess of 125 million gns, a rise of almost 40 million gns on last year's October Book 1, as well as a record median and a record average price just under 300,000gns are impressive statistics by any standards, but the progression of this sale in recent years has been truly remarkable. Only 12 years ago Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale produced turnover of 48 million gns and an average of 107,000gns, which puts this week's remarkable figures into context.

“As well as the huge rises in all of the key indicators, an unprecedented 73 yearlings have sold for 500,000gns or more and there have been 16 which have broken the million-guineas mark with the 2.8 million-guineas Frankel colt from Watership Down Stud being the highest-priced yearling sold anywhere in the world this year.”

Watership Up

Different day, same story. Within an hour of the start of the final session of Book 1, a colt by Frankel (GB) offered by Watership Down Stud shot to the top of the leaderboard at 2 million gns. The previous day's high of 2.8 million gns was not reached again, meaning that the team at Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber's Watership Down Stud can exit Book 1 with major brownie points for having consigned two of the top three lots of the most extraordinary sale witnessed at Tattersalls, or indeed anywhere in Europe.

Lot 381 was added to the extensive shopping list of agent Richard Knight and, bred by Bjorn Nielsen on the same cross as this year's G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto (Ire), he has plenty to recommend him.

“The dam has produced a 100-plus-rated horse already, he comes from a nice family. He is just a lovely colt. It was the top of our budget and where we saw we'd have to go to get him,” Knight said.

“We underbid a filly yesterday by Frankel and they are as hot as anything and hard to buy. We were well aware we'd have to pay a good price to get him.”

“There is a beautiful bunch of horses here, it is the best catalogue of individuals we have seen at any yearling sale this year. You often get into some sales and individuals don't match up to the pedigrees. Here, the individuals have matched up as well–there are some lovely horses.”

 

Cumani Identifies Reason Behind Record Figures

Trust Luca Cumani to come up with a playful reason behind the sky-rocketing spend at Tattersalls this week.

“Maybe people want to enjoy themselves before Putin strikes the nuclear button?”

The legendary trainer-turned-breeder had reason to crack a joke after selling his Frankel colt (lot 379) to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 1.9 million gns.

Cumani, who, along with his wife Sara, operates under the banner of Fittocks Stud, may have been all smiles after the hammer fell, but revealed that his heart won't be thanking him after a pulsating few days.

“Boom, boom, boom,” he said, beating his chest with his fist. “I'm still an apprentice at this job and this is only our third year consigning.”

Fittocks Stud sold 11 yearlings this week for a total of 6.01 million gns.

Cumani added, “We sold a Dubawi yesterday for 1.6 million gns (lot 301) and now this Frankel for 1.9 million gns–it's been an amazing week.

“The market is very strong and long may it continue. It's very exciting to be a part of this environment. I love it.”

The sale to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm represents a continuation of a long-lasting relationship between Cumani and the owners.

He said, “Peter Brant has been a friend for many years. I used to train for him in the eighties and early nineties. I trained the dam of Thunder Gulch [Line Of Thunder] for him. I've known him for donkey's years.

“I am very grateful to MV and Paul Shanahan. I'm especially very grateful to my staff. They have done a great job today and excelled themselves.

“It's especially good that this horse stays in Europe. We need those good horses. Everybody reckons that, if you want class horses, you have to come to this sale to get them.”

Cumani also trained the dam of the Frankel colt, Blue Waltz (GB), to win three times. A daughter of Pivotal (GB), her mating with the champion sire represents a cross that has already worked notably well and includes the Group 1 winners Cracksman (GB) and Hungry Heart (Aus).

 

 

God Given Keeps Giving

Another two seven-figure lots were to follow the early Frankel flurry, and those waiting to see the Whatton Manor Stud-consigned Dubawi colt out the Group 1 winner God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) (lot 504) were not disappointed. Following his half-brother, the G3 Solario S. winner Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega Ire}), into the Godolphin string, he made more than double the price his elder sibling had fetched in the same ring last year, and was eventually knocked down at 1.5 million gns, with David Redvers as underbidder to Anthony Stroud.

The colt, who is also a three-parts-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Postponed (Ire), was bred by Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who also bred and raced his dam. He said, “When you breed a lovely horse, it is always sad to see them go. I have 16 mares and one has to keep the operation going. We are so blessed to have wonderful buyers in the market who are prepared to pay such a wonderful price. Having bred Postponed, I was so excited to see him go on so well, and now Silver Knott. I hope this horse is really good for them.”

Stone, who boards God Given at Whatton Manor Stud, continued, “A lot of credit must go to the Players and the team at Whatton, they do such a fantastic job. I am very blessed to have the majority of my mares with them and with Julian [Dollar] at Newsells Park.”

Ed Player, who was celebrating a first seven-figure sale for his Nottinghamshire farm, added, “Last year was our highest with his half-brother when he made 725,000gns, so to hit the million was unbelievably exciting. We are so delighted for Andrew. He is such a great guy, and a massive supporter of the industry.

“All year we have known he is a beautiful horse. He has the pedigree, the looks, everything, but to hit that sort of level, you dream about it, but in reality you have so many hoops to jump.”

Silver Knott is entered for Saturday's G3 Autumn S. at Newmarket and is pencilled in for a trip to the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

 

Stroud also won the bidding war for lot 530, a son of Dubawi (Ire) out of How (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the final seven-figure lot of the sale. Consigned by Longview Stud, the bay was secured for 1.6 million gns and his dam is a full-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Minding (Ire), as well as the fellow top-drawer winners Tuesday (Ire), and Empress Josephine (Ire). All three of those fillies each won at least one Classic, while their dam is the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

 

 

Sackville Barks Loud for Dubawi Colt

Jenny Norris is no stranger to selling seven-figure Book 1 yearlings, having topped the sale on two previous occasions, and her Norris Bloodstock draft hit the bullseye again when selling Lord Margadale's Dubawi colt out of Frangipanni (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 491) for a million gns to Ed Sackville.

“I'm so grateful to Alastair [Lord Margadale] for entrusting him to me because we've had him since the foal sales, and it's great having horses like him but it was a huge pressure having him back at the farm.

“He's such a star. We'll miss him at home because he has the most amazing attitude, he just eats and sleeps. But the girls at home, Hannah, Verity and Jazz, have done a great job, we're only a small team and I'm just so pleased for all of them.”

Through Anthony Stroud, Lord Margadale bought the Lady Rothschild-bred Frangipanni, a daughter of the G1 July Cup winner Frizzante (GB) (Efisio {GB}) as a 3-year-old at the July Sale for 78,000gns. Her first foal Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) was a multiple group winner in France for Andre Fabre and Lady Bamford.

Lord Margadale, enjoying the moment with his brother, trainer Hughie Morrison, added, “I'll probably burst into tears. From the word go he has been a really lovely, sweet horse. Nothing fazes him.

“We've got an extremely nice full-brother to Tropbeau and the mare is now in foal to Zoustar. We bought Frangipanni from Serena Rothschild and we brought her here last December and she didn't sell, so I am extremely happy. I think sometimes these things are meant to be.”

Sackville, who bought the colt on behalf of John and Jess Dance's Manor House Farm, said, “The whole team loved him– John and Jess Dance, Maria Ryan and James Horton. We have tried on plenty, but he was one we were prepared to go to the max for.”

After jumping 100,000gns in one bid to buy the colt at a million, he said, “If you want to hang with the dogs you've got to bark loud.”

 

 

St Lawrence the Judge

After Frankel and Dubawi, Sea The Stars (Ire) enjoyed a rock-solid week as the third-most popular sire among buyers with 28 lots selling for a total of 8,425,000gns. His half-sister (lot 476) to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), consigned by Corduff Stud for breeder Joan Keaney Dempsey, sold to Oliver St Lawrence on behalf of Fawzi Nass for 800,000 gns.

“She is a lovely filly out of a slightly older mare, but she is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner and there are lots of fillies in the pedigree so there are, hopefully, lots of updates to come,” said the agent. “We tried to have a go at the Battaash half-sister last night (lot 344) but we didn't even get a bid in.”

St Mark's Basilica's Brother to Juddmonte

Though primarily racing homebreds, the Juddmonte team makes the odd foray into the foal and yearling sales, and has a Group 1 runner to show for it on Saturday with the 550,000gns foal purchase Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has already won the G2 Champagne S and G3 Acomb S.

On Thursday, two yearlings were recruited when Simon Mockridge went to 725,000gns for lot 415, a Siyouni (Fr) filly out of a half-sister to G1 Coronation S. winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and 600,000gns for the Kingman (GB) half-brother (lot 390) to Classic winners St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and Magna Grecia (Ire).

Eddie O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud consigned the daughter of Siyouni on behalf of his brother Michael's Gigginstown House Stud, who bought her dam Contemptuous (Ire) (New Approach {GB}) through Mags O'Toole when she was carrying this filly at the December Sale of 2020.

At 360,000gns, her purchase was a significant outlay at the time, but carrying a foal by one of Europe's most-sought after sires, as well as updates in the immediate family from G1 Oaks winner Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), are factors which have contributed to a terrific sales return for the first foal.

Flay Plays Both Sides of the Deal

A vendor on Wednesday and a buyer on Thursday, Bobby Flay selected a smartly-bred daughter of No Nay Never to be trained in America by Christophe Clement. The daughter of Cushion (GB) (lot 422), who was twice a Grade III winner in the US and is herself out of the champion racemare Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}), was another decent result for the Watership Down Stud draft, sold on behalf of her breeders Floors Stud and Coolmore Stud, for 600,000gns.

“The sire is very quick, and I like training grass horses in the US, my trainer Christopher Clement is a specialist,” Flay explained. “I love the No Nay Never cross over Galileo and my bloodstock agent picked her out, Tom McGreevy.”

Flay also paid tribute to James Delahooke, who had a long association with the owner-breeder and died suddenly last month. He said, “He is a huge loss. I keep thinking I am going to see him here. He was a great educator, a great friend, and, most importantly, besides his amazing ability to pick out beautiful horses and great broodmares, he was a pleasure to be around, I always learnt something about life and about horses with James.”

 McElroy Returns To Happy Hunting Ground

It was at this sale in 2019 that Ben McElroy bought dual Royal Ascot winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and the leading American agent returned to one of his happiest hunting grounds to purchase seven yearlings.

McElroy kept the biggest deal until last, signing for a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly (lot 388) out of the Watership Down Stud draft for 800,000 gns.

Like Campanelle, the Night Of Thunder half-sister to Group 3 scorer Snazzy Jazzy (Ire) (Red Jazz) will race in Barbara Banke's Stonestreet silks. However, Coolmore will also retain an interest, with MV Magnier also signing for the filly.

McElroy said, “We're always coming out here to look at fillies who we think can be precocious–be Royal Ascot types. They go to Wesley Ward, who trained Campanelle, and the minute this filly walked out of the stall and stood in front of me, I knew she was the one we had to have.

“The stallion has made a phenomenal start at stud–starting from a low stud fee. That really gave us a lot of confidence. The mare keeps producing horses that run good ratings. Between the physical and the pedigree, she had the complete package.”

He added, “I'm really relieved that we got her and am hoping that we got some nice horses in the bunch that suit our programme.

“Barbara loves the sale and she's really excited about coming back in the summer to watch them run over here. Hopefully we'll get a few more in the bunch for next year.

“The biggest emphasis is on the physical because we're going to try and start them off early. They go to Florida, get the sun on their back and then go into training with Wesley. You want to see a bit of precocity in the pedigree and, when those two things align, they're the ones we go for.”

Crystal Ocean Colt Makes Waves

He was the highest-rated Flat horse in the world at one point but Crystal Ocean (GB) retired to the Beeches Stud in Ireland as predominantly a National Hunt stallion with multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler Apple's Jade (Fr) among the high-class jumping mares to have visited the stallion in his debut season.

But that did not stop lot 512, an easy-moving pinhook by the stallion, selling from Michael and Laurence Gleeson's Aughamore Stud for 135,000gns to Andrew Balding.

The sale justified the huge confidence that the Gleeson brothers had in the colt, bought by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock for 46,000gns at Tattersalls last December.

It was the second big pinhook that the leading bloodstock agent and the Gleesons pulled off on Thursday as, earlier in the afternoon, a Night Of Thunder filly (lot 461) bought for 150,000 gns as a foal, sold to Alex Solis and Jason Litt for 450,000 gns.

“This guy was a dude,” said Gleeson. “We loved him from day one at the foal sales. We thought he'd be a bit different. There are not many Crystal Oceans at these Flat sales but people seemed to get it and this stallion needs to cover more Flat mares based on the two yearlings [lot 86 also sold for 115,000 gns] he had here. It was an amazing day and this horse reminds me of Stradivarius. A chestnut with a good-looking head and he's not overly big either.”

Gleeson added on the Night Of Thunder filly, “She was out of a very tough Kodiac mare [Group 3 winner Ellthea (Ire)] and it's the same cross as the Abbaye winner Highfield Princess (Fr). Night Of Thunder is on fire and we were just lucky to have one.”

Night Of Thunder enjoyed an exceptional sale, especially when considering his 2020 covering fee of €25,000. There were 28 lots by the sire sold for an average of 276,964gns, for a total of 7,555,000gns, which contributed to him ending the session as the fourth-most popular stallion on the figures.

The Gleesons were not the only people to enjoy a major twist out of the stallion as, just a few lots later, Ballyhimikin Stud's 175,000 gns colt foal (lot 463) purchase by Kildangan Stud resident rocked into 475,000 gns, with Peter and Ross Doyle buying.

Stauffenberg Sugarcoats Super Sale

Few consignors boasted a better return at Book 1 than Philipp Stauffenberg. The German native brought five horses to Tattersalls and they went down a bomb, selling for an average of 469,000gns and 2,345,000gns all told.

After quite the bounty on Wednesday, when Stauffenburg sold a Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly for 550,000gns, a Lope De Vega (Ire) colt for 525,000 gns and a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt for 650,000gns, his two pinhooks on Thursday rocked into money.

His Teofilo colt (lot 465), bought for 80,000gns at Tattersalls last December, was knocked down to Godolphin for 260,000gns. An excellent week was crowned when his 200,000gns Sea The Stars foal purchase (lot 484) netted 360,000gns to Rabbah Bloodstock.

“We brought five and sold five for very good prices,” Stauffenburg said shortly after the Sea The Stars filly went through the ring.

“When you see what is going on outside our little world, it's amazing that the market is so resilient. There is plenty of money for the good ones. We had a record turnover yesterday and that speaks its own language.

“It will be really interesting to see how Book 2 goes now because I am pretty sure that a lot of people will have left here today disappointed that they couldn't strike as well as they thought they would.”

Stauffenburg added, “The Teofilo colt was probably the best Teofilo I have seen at the foal sales for many years. He was an absolutely outstanding horse and he went the right way. We paid 80,000 and he made 260,000. That's not bad business.

“We have been quite lucky. Yesterday was quite an amazing day.”

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony would doubtless expand on that sentiment to include all three amazing days. He concluded, “Impressive as all the statistics are, the real feature of Book 1 of the 2022 October Yearling Sale has been the sustained demand at all levels of the market which has contributed to a clearance rate well in excess of 85%. Buyers from throughout the world, most notably the Gulf region, America, China, Japan and throughout Europe have all made a significant impact on a record-breaking sale and particularly notable has been the presence of so many of the world's most successful racehorse owners here at Park Paddocks for the duration of the sale. Their confidence in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale is hugely appreciated and reflects not only the outstanding quality of the yearlings which the vendors commit to the sale year after year, but also the sale's unrivalled reputation for producing Classic and Group 1 winners and Newmarket's status as the European hub of the Thoroughbred business.

“In addition to so many of the world's leading owners, the number of British and Irish trainers active throughout the week has been notable and their presence has without doubt been influenced by the £7,200,000 in October Book 1 Bonus prize-money which we have distributed since 2016. The £20,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonuses are hugely popular and to see so many beneficiaries reinvesting this week is a strong endorsement of a scheme which continues to reward owners at all levels of the Book 1 market.”

He added, “To have rewritten the Book 1 record books and to have seen so many breeders and consignors so richly rewarded this week has been wonderful. Europe's premier yearling sale has lived up to its reputation in spectacular fashion and we look forward to sustaining the momentum into Books 2, 3 and 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starting on Monday next week.”

The post Record Books Rewritten as Book 1 Bonanza Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Seven Days: Out of the Frying Pan

Sir Mark Prescott will happily recount the story of the time he bashed his former pupil assistant William Haggas over the head with a frying pan for oversleeping. He will also reflect with pleasure on the great pride he felt when Haggas won the Derby in 1996 with Shaamit (Ire).

When it comes to being a benevolent dictator, the Prescott pendulum has, by his own admission, swung more from dictatorship towards benevolence in recent years and, more than anyone involved in British racing, the master of Heath House cares deeply for the history of the sport, its milestones, and its continuing traditions.

Prescott will certainly be enjoying the fact that Haggas currently has the best horse in the world in his clutches, Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who notched his perfect ten in the Juddmonte International at York on Wednesday, earning a provisional Timeform rating of 137 with his imperious six-and-half-length romp over last year's winner, Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}).

But when it came to moments of exultation on the Knavesmire last week, there was as much jubilation for the victory of the Prescott-trained Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Yorkshire Oaks as there was for Baaeed. Alpinista had been runner-up to the Oaks winner Love (Ire) in the Yorkshire Oaks of 2020 and, despite adding British Listed and Group 2 victories to her tally since then, her big-race successes had all come overseas until last Thursday.

Even if Kirsten Rausing's grey mare had retired last year at the end of her 4-year-old season she would still have been a treble Group 1 winner who had  achieved the remarkable feat of emulating her own grand-dam, Albanova (GB), by winning the Grosser Preis von Berlin – famously beating subsequent Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) – then the Preis von Europa and Grosser Preis von Bayern. But we were treated to an extra season, and what a year it has been so far for the current star of the prolific Lanwades breeding programme. Two-for-two in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Yorkshire Oaks, Alpinista looks set for a rematch with Torquator Tasso at Longchamp on the first weekend of October. Whether or not she will also face Baaeed in the Arc remains in doubt. The crowd are certainly baying for it, and indeed the manner in which the Shadwell homebred won the Juddmonte International did nothing to suggest he would not see out another two furlongs. Haggas raised the idea that the Irish Champion S. could be the colt's next port of call for what looks likely to be his penultimate race, but wherever and however he ends his career Baaeed will surely be Horse of the Year.

Maybe because he didn't race at two and isn't a Classic winner, Baaeed is somehow not afforded the level of adulation deserving of a horse of his calibre, which is a shame, because let's face it, he's bloody brilliant. Naturally he is most often compared to two previous winners of the International in his own sire Sea The Stars, for whom it was one of six consecutive Group 1 wins in 2009, starting with the 2,000 Guineas and ending with the Arc, and Frankel, who brought York to a standstill a decade ago with his seven-length victory.

The debate will rage endlessly among racing folk as it which of those two greats was the greatest, but it doesn't really matter. What is more important is that both Sea The Stars and Frankel have gone on to be important sires in their own right, with their offspring lighting up racecourses around the world, just as Baaeed and Alpinista did last week at York.

And in the case of those two most recent Group 1 winners, equally important is that they both represent families which have been the cornerstone of their respective breeders' empires for generations. From Sheikh Hamdan's purchase of Height Of Fashion (Fr) from the Queen in 1982 stems Baaeed, while the purchase of Alpinista's fourth dam Alruccaba (Ire) in 1985 by Kirsten Rausing and Sonia Rogers from the Aga Khan has resulted in an impressive dynasty being assembled largely, but by no means solely, at Rausing's Lanwades Stud. Alpinista's run of success is all the more special to those who enjoy the continuity of the great families for it being the centenary of the Aga Khan Studs, an operation which owes much of its own success to her tenth dam, one of the greatest greys of all time, Mumtaz Mahal (GB), who was born 101 years ago and still exerts such influence over the breed.

Trevaunance at the Double

On the subject of anniversaries, the 60th year of Moyglare Stud continues to be marked with great success on the track. As well as an Irish 1,000 Guineas victory for Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and racing the top stayer in Europe, homebred Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), in partnership with Coolmore, Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner's operation celebrated back-to-back group wins for Trevaunance (Ire) in the G2 Prix de la Nonette. Trained by Jessica Harrington, the daughter of Muhaarar (GB) had previously won the G3 Prix de Psyche at Deauville's opening meeting 18 days earlier.

Trevaunance marks the blending of two notable Irish stud farms. Her dam Liber Nauticus (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) was bought by Moyglare from the Ballymacoll Stud dispersal of 2017, and is from a celebrated family which includes dual Breeders' Cup hero Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Irish 2,000 Guineas and Champion S. winner Spectrum (Ire) (Rainbow Quest).

Never Again – and Again

Nine years ago No Nay Never bounced from victory in a Keeneland maiden to the G2 Norfolk S. followed by the G1 Darley Prix Morny, and he is now the sire of a Morny winner following the success of Blackbeard (Ire) on Sunday.

It has to be said that a five-runner Prix Morny with no French-bred or -trained horse was a little disappointing, but there is nothing disappointing about the winner himself, who has had a busy first campaign and has now won five of his seven starts for Aidan O'Brien, including the G2 Prix Robert Papin. 

Twenty-four hours earlier, No Nay Never had been represented by a Group 2 juvenile double at the Curragh, courtesy of the exquisite-looking Meditate (Ire) and Aesop's Fables (Ire), both Ballydoyle stable-mates of Blackbeard and the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Little Big Bear (Ire). No Nay Never is steaming ahead as the leading sire of juveniles in Europe this year, with Whitsbury Manor Stud's freshman Havana Grey (GB) in determined pursuit.

Deauville's other group races on Sunday fell to Richard Hannon, with the Rathasker Stud-bred Aristia (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) going one better than her finish behind Nashwa (GB) in the G1 Nassau S. to win the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, and to William Haggas, who completed a fantastic week in style with simultaneous victories in the G2 Prix de Pomone with Sea La Rosa (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and G3 Tally-Ho Stud Ballyogan S. at Naas with Perfect News (GB) (Frankel {GB}). 

Sea La Rosa also brought up an impressive double for both her dam Soho Rose (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and breeder Guy Heald following the win of her brother Deauville Legend (Ire) in the G2 Dante S. at York. 

Only Yann Barberot managed to keep a group race at home for the French trainers this weekend, and that has been a theme in Deauville again this summer, with 13 of the 17 group races having been won by British or Irish trainers, including all five Group 1 contests.

Golden Moments

Both Nathaniel (Ire) and Golden Horn (GB) have covered a number of National Hunt mares this year, and indeed the latter is now officially standing as a dual-purpose sire at Overbury Stud from next season. But both are still eminently capable of getting decent Flat runners, as exemplified by results at York this week.

Godolphin's Trawlerman (GB) landed the valuable Ebor H. under Frankie Dettori, while Haskoy (GB) became the second of Golden Horn's daughters to win the Listed Galtres S. The Juddmonte-bred filly, who was making just her second start, is out of a mare by Nathaniel, who also featured as the damsire of G3 Solario S. winner Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), the first foal of Group 1 winner God Given (GB).

Meanwhile, though the G2 Lonsdale Cup was drastically depleted by the defections of Stradivarius (Ire) and Trueshan (Fr), there was plenty to enjoy about the emphatic victory of Nathaniel's five-year-old son Quickthorn (GB) for his owner/breeder Lady Blyth.

While we are handing out bouquets, the mighty mare Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) deserves an extra-large one for winning back-to-back Group 1s in Deauville and York within 12 days, to take her tally to 11 wins from 29 starts for her owner/breeder John Fairley and trainer John Quinn.

Another should go to the Whitsbury Manor Stud broodmare Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who added the G3 Acomb S. winner Chaldean  (GB) (Frankel {GB}) – a rare non-homebred runner for Juddmonte – to her list of black-type performers which now numbers five and includes the G2 Mill Reef S winner Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). 

Finally, one trainer who almost certainly hasn't been bashed over the head with a frying pan by Sir Mark Prescott, but who, like Haggas, has enjoyed a fruitful week, is Ralph Beckett. Within five minutes on Saturday his stable was represented by the G2 City of York S. winner Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Listed Chester S. victrix River of Stars (Ire), who was one of five stakes winners for Sea The Stars last week. Beckett's good week also included the aforementioned Haskoy among his seven winners.

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Channel’s Filly The Star Act in Classy La Motteraye Draft

Gwen Monneraye and Lucie Lamotte, collectively known as La Motteraye Consignment, have come a long way since setting up their business in December 2009 with €92 in their pocket.

Less than a decade later they topped France's premier yearling sale in 2018 when selling a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Just The Judge (Ire) for €1.4 million, and at this year's Arqana August Sale their draft is headed by another yearling with two Classic-winning parents. The Sea The Stars (Ire) filly, who will have the lot number 234 attached to her rump as she circles the ring in Deauville, is the first foal of the G1 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

“She's very exciting, and it's exciting that people trust us for this kind of thing. She wasn't raised at our farm, she came to us for the prep, so we put her in cotton wool and she's been really well,” says Monneraye from the couple's farm in the idyllic Normandy hamlet of Les Autels-Saint-Bazile. If you love French cheese as much as you love fledgling racehorses, then this is the farm for you, located between Camembert and Livarot.

The filly was bred at Haras des Authieux by Samuel de Barros, and she represents something of a dream start for the Parisian lawyer and his wife Elodie, for whom Channel was a first foray into owning a racehorse. Channel's racing career is lovingly chronicled on the website for their stud, a breeding operation just five years in the making and currently home to six broodmares. While her story is something of a fairytale, similar can be said for the rise of La Motteraye, though it is one which has involved an enormous amount of work by two people who had travelled the world gaining experience in the bloodstock business prior to returning to their native France. 

“It was a dream,” says Monneraye as he reflects on the last 13 years, during which time their operation has expanded to incorporate three farms which are now home to around 50 broodmares. 

“We just wanted this and we worked very hard to get it. The only thing we couldn't know beforehand is whether people would trust us to work with them. We need people to trust us and to put their horses with us. 

“When we first started, the first five first years, I'm a very hard worker, but thinking back I don't think now if I could do it again. It was madness. We had zero money.

We couldn't just buy 50 broodmares and start a farm, so we needed to earn the trust of people, and it worked. So now we are very happy and we still want to develop the farm. We have had a goal since we started and it's still in working progress.”

As well as results in the sales ring, the farm has also been represented by decent performers on the track, most recently the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ire}), bred by Michael Andre, who also acts as Coolmore's representative in Germany. 

Monneraye notes, “Alenquer was from the first full crop that was bred on the new farm. Before, when the farm was small and we couldn't really breed horses, we just mainly did pinhooking and consigning. And since we bought the other farm, we had the first crop which wasn't fully bred over there, but that included [Group 3 winner] Pao Alto (Fr). And then the next crop was Alenquer, so it gave us belief in what we do and in the quality of the land over there. And we were absolutely thrilled with Alenquer, and especially for his breeder, Michael Andre, who is also a friend.”

La Motteraye's clients also include some English and Irish breeders but it is predominantly backed by those in France, which is enjoying a rejuvenation of the breeding ranks with a notable range of younger participants.

Of the team at Haras des Authieux, Monneraye says, “It's great for France to have these kind of people, and they love the racing. And it is the same with Haras du Thenney and David Salabi. He's very keen in the horses, he's young, he's enthusiastic, and we also sell his yearlings. It's really a pleasure to work with these kind of people because they're nice people, they love what they do, they trust us. And so it makes our job easy.”

Monneraye and Lamotte were themselves at the forefront of a new wave of major consignors in France, their fluency in English making them popular with an increasing number of breeders from across the Channel wishing to take advantage of the lucrative French premium scheme.

“I think the first was maybe Haras de Grandcamp and then Anna [Sundstrom of Coulonces Sales] and then us, and of course we have Monceaux, that was the beginning,” Monneraye says.

“And since then, there have been a lot of young people and they work really hard to set up their consignments. And now we have also a lot of people that are setting up farms, breeding operations, and I think when I look to Europe, there are more young French breeders than probably in the rest of Europe.”

He adds, “I think one of the key factors is that land is more affordable here than in England. It's so expensive there that people maybe have to be a farm manager or they have to find another way of doing it. So that's the luck we have.”

Monneraye and Lamotte keep nine of their own mares on the farm and are keen to develop their families in the long term.

“When I go to England to Tattersalls I say to my English friends 'I want to buy a foundation mare' and they all laugh at me,” says Monneraye. “They say 'do you believe in Santa Claus?' But that's why I came into this business. I didn't come into the business just to trade. I came to one day have an amazing broodmare.”

He continues, “That's the real goal of the whole shebang, rather than to trade. My father is a farmer and I think maybe that's why I see it this way. It's the agricultural part of it, and the breeding. You need to focus on the long term. And of course you need a bit of cash and to be able to sell well at the sales, but you have to think of both ways because otherwise I don't really see the point. I don't see the passion. I think it's a very French thing; the passion is so important in France.”

Away from the farm for the next week, and in Deauville with their four-month-old daughter Olivia and some babysitting parents, Monneraye and Lamotte will be putting all their passion into selling yearlings for their clients.

A recent update has been provided for lot 143, a colt by Wootton Bassett out of Soniechka (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}), who is the dam of recent Glorious Goodwood-winning 2-year-old Sparkling Beauty (Fr), trained by Richard Hughes. He is being sold on behalf of English-based breeders Tim and Gill Bostwick of Biddestone Stud.

Another Wootton Bassett in the draft, lot 68, a filly out of Nouvelle Vague (Ire) (Henrythenavigator), also benefited from a recent update when her 2-year-old half-sister Arinniti (Fr), also bred at La Motteraye, was second first time out at Naas. She has now been sold to Team Valor and will be trained by Paddy Twomey, who has given her an entry for the G2 Debutante S. later this month. 

On behalf of breeder Al Shahania Stud, La Motteraye will also consign a filly by American Triple Crown winner Justify, who has made a promising start with his first runners this season. Lot 167 also has a strong Juddmonte family behind her as she is a daughter of Time Being (GB) (Zamindar), a full-sister to Group 1 winner Timepiece (GB) and half to her fellow top-level scorer Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who has also found fame as the dam of Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“Sometimes you think to yourself 'I don't know if this horse can really make it to this sale',” Monneraye explains as he expresses his satisfaction with the team of 20 yearlings which has just arrived in Deauville. “But this year, we haven't had this. We really like them all and I think overall it's a very strong draft. In France it's very popular for people to come and see them on the farm, so pretty much every second day we had people visiting. They have had a lot of practice and now we just have to make sure everything goes smoothly at the sale.”

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‘He’s Absolutely Going To Cover Flat Mares Only’: Bjorn Nielsen on Stradivarius’s Future Stud Career

We have heard much about Frankie Dettori since his ride in the Gold Cup at Ascot, but less so about his luckless mount, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

By his owner and breeder Bjorn Nielsen he is referred to as 'The Strad', talked of as one would a favourite son or best friend. The 8-year-old stallion has earned his place in Nielsen's heart, just as he has earned the wider affection of the racing public. He remains equine box office, with this season regarded by many as a prolonged farewell tour. 

The fact that the longed-for fourth victory in the Gold Cup did not go to plan is of course a source of frustration for those directly involved with Stradivarius, particularly as Nielsen believes that the Gosdens had him note-perfect for his return to Ascot.

“John never really gets carried away beforehand saying anything's going to win but just reading between the lines, I know John felt like he had the horse absolutely spot on for that race,” he says. 

“I think it's been a remarkable job actually, by John and his staff, of keeping this horse on the go all these years and getting him to every race. It's the one great thing about John, if you have a top horse, he'll be there on the day. You don't have to worry about him being overdone or underdone. He's surely done that with The Strad's career throughout.”

And what a career it has been: 34 races to date, seven Group 1s among his 20 wins, nine more top-three finishes, and then there's the not insignificant matter of two Stayers' Million bonuses. Unfortunate timing for the enterprising folk at Weatherbys Hamilton who launched the initiative which sounded fiendishly difficult to win, but for it starting in the year in which Stradivarius really came into his own as a 4-year-old and sailed through a magnificent 2018 season unbeaten.

“He's happy in himself and he's eating well,” reports Nielsen of his star in the aftermath of Royal Ascot. “It would seem fairly obvious that if he's sound and well he's going to go to Goodwood.”

In a sense, Goodwood was where it all began for Stradivarius in 2017. He arrived for his first attempt in Group 1 company on the back of victory in the G2 Queen's Vase, and in some respects he was the villain of the piece in the Goodwood Cup when beating another popular member of the staying ranks, Big Orange (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), who at that stage was looking for his third win in the race. Stradivarius effectively then took ownership of the Goodwood Cup, with four straight wins until he was withdrawn on the morning of last year's race following heavy rain.

“Even though it's an incredibly long career, it seems like almost yesterday when he won that first Goodwood Cup but it's five years ago,” Nielsen says. 

“He has so many qualities, but soundness is one of the most amazing qualities he has, in that he's never missed an engagement in his entire career, except when we pulled him out of Goodwood, because they had 60 millilitres of rain last year, the night before. Otherwise, he's never missed, never missed at all. It's hard to say that about any horse.”

He's never missed, which is one of the reasons Stradivarius will be so missed when he eventually retires. There are few top-class Flat horses who remain in training for seven seasons, fewer still entire males. Which brings us to what happens next. 

A sensible observer would agree that Stradivarius has all the attributes required to have a chance to make it as a stallion if, that is, that person prizes soundness, durability, toughness, and a killer turn of foot. And what breeder wouldn't look for those qualities for their future foals? The problem is that a section of breeders have become fixated on trying to satisfy a fickle market rather than breeding what they believe will make a racehorse. It is a situation that means we now often find the winners of the best races in the programme book – you know, those that you'd give your right arm to win: the Derby, the Gold Cup – overlooked when the time comes for a stallion career.

Nielsen, naturally, is convinced of his horse's potential for a second career as a stallion, and it is hard to argue with his reasoning.

“With racehorses, half the battle is training them and getting them to the racetrack,” he says. “[Stradivarius] has soundness and longevity and consistency in spades. If he passes that on, he's a long way to being a good stallion. Apart from his tremendous will to win, another hallmark of his is his turn of foot.

“In his case, in a hell of a lot of races going way back now, it's always been a game of, 'okay, we're going to have to keep him boxed in for as long as possible and not let him out, because once he gets out his acceleration is why he wins'. It's happened in the last three races, which is really where Frankie's got into trouble with him.”

On the theme of this year's Gold Cup, he continues, “What people don't know is what the riding instructions were. With what happened last year, twice where Frankie sat so far back and down on the rail, he was told, 'Whatever you do, don't sit on the rail and get far back on the horse this year.'

“For some reason, he went and did what he did. By the time we had a chance to get out again, it was an impossible task to make up the ground. If you look at how he was travelling when they turned in and how the winner was travelling, the winner was being ridden strongly and so were some others. The Strad was sitting there on the bridle turning in and through no fault of his own he didn't get a run. It was not a case of the others having younger legs than him. It was a case of he got no run and he was put in a position where he had no chance, unfortunately.

“But he and Frankie have had a great partnership, and Frankie has ridden more group wins on him than any other horse he has partnered. Of course I am truly grateful for the partnership they have had and I don't want recent events to overshadow that.”

Nielsen is taking a race-by-race view towards the remainder of Stradivarius's racing career. A shot at a fifth Goodwood Cup on July 26 seems likely to be his next public outing.

“There's just no other way to do it. We'll see how he goes,” he says. “Hopefully he stays sound and he turns up there. I'm sure he will, with John training him, he's going to be 100 per cent when he turns up a Goodwood.”

The decision at this stage that Nielsen can have greater control over is where, eventually, his horse will stand. Offers have already been forthcoming from studs in France and Germany.

“I feel if I ever sold him out of this country, I'd probably get hung,” he says. “He deserves his chance in England and the one thing he's not going to do is cover jumping mares. He's absolutely going to cover Flat mares only. I'm going to give him a chance to prove that he can do it with Flat mares. I really want to keep him in England. With the history and traditions of English breeding I'd like to give him the chance in England, where there's the best racing in the world, and where he's been a bit of an icon really for the last five years.”

Nielsen continues, “There are two particular studs in England who have shown a lot of interest. I'm going to wind up almost certainly owning the horse entirely myself, without anybody taking any equity in him. I'll offer incentives and I've got six, seven, eight mares that I have in mind at this stage that I'd breed to him, that I think would suit him well.”

Though stud plans, or even retirement plans, are still a way down the road, the advertising campaign has already begun, highlighting how Stradivarius's speed compares favourably to other horses in shorter races run on the same course on the same day. For example, when winning the Goodwood Cup in 2020, the stayer's last four furlongs of the two-mile contest were run in 46.50s compared to 46.80s for Space Blues (Ire) over the final four of his seven-furlong spin in the G2 Lennox S. Similarly, in good to soft ground on Champions Day in 2018, Stradivarius recorded 36.82s over the final three furlongs of two miles, while Cracksman (GB) over the same stretch during ten furlongs of the Champion S. stopped the clock at 36.58s (finishing six lengths ahead of Crystal Ocean).

“I know commercially how things have gone, and people have got into thinking that they have to breed a six-furlong mare to a six-furlong stallion to wind up with a racehorse, but it's absolutely wrong,” says Nielsen.

“Obviously it's a combination of the stallion and the mare but some of the greatest horses that have ever been bred have been by so-called stayers. The Tetrarch was the best 2-year-old who ever lived. He was seven from seven as a 2-year-old, over five and six furlongs, and was a great influence on the breed. He was by a Doncaster Cup horse out of a mare that won over 11 furlongs. Ribot was the same. He was the champion 2-year-old in Italy, won the Arc twice, the King George, and was undefeated in 16 races. He was by Tenerani who won the Goodwood Cup when it was over two miles and five furlongs.”

Nielsen also points to the influential Deep Impact (Jpn), whose 12 wins came between ten furlongs and two miles, while ruing the demise of stamina influences in Australia and America.

“We've still got our stamina in Europe. I think it's really important that we hold on to whatever stamina we have, because the rest of the world, unless they just wind up running over six furlongs, they're going to need to breed to our stallions, our mares,” he says.  

“The authorities start to cater for a slightly faster horse and start to bring down the racing distance. If you're breeding for a mile-and-a-half race, people are trying to breed the mile-and-a-quarter horse who just about stays. Then you bring it down to a mile and a quarter, everybody starts to try and breed milers to just about last out the mile and a quarter to have that necessary speed. Once the racing authorities start to bring down racing distances, we're on a slippery path.”

Stradivarius's dam, the Wildenstein-bred Private Life (Fr) (Bering {GB}) was herself a winner at a mile and ten furlongs. His third dam Pawneese (Ire) (Carvin {Fr}) won the Oaks, Prix de Diane and King George. The record of his sire Sea The Stars is familiar to most, but it is worth repeating that he was the pre-eminent colt of his generation, from a mile to a mile and a half. His trainer John Oxx recently told TDN that he has no doubt that Sea The Stars could have won the St Leger. He is also the sire of the top-rated horse currently in training, the outstanding miler Baaeed (GB). It is easy to see whence Stradivarius derives his talent, with forebears of the highest calibre over a range of middle distances. 

“I'm going to send him mile or mile-and-a-quarter mares, and I see no reason why he's not going to come up with the goods,” says his breeder. “If you do that, with the soundness, his will to win and his temperament, he only has to pass on some of those traits and he'll be a good stallion.”

Nielsen also has confidence that he will be backed by his fellow breeders.

“I think he will get a decent book, but of course he's going to have to prove it himself,” he says. “The reason I put some of those ads out is to underline his speed. You can ask him to quicken in his races and then join the leaders and then you can actually stop with them again, which is very rare. Then he'll just sit again and relax, and then you can ask him again when it's time to go. Yes, I'm trying to influence people who think you've got to have speed into seeing that he really does have speed, because he does. He's very fast over two or three furlongs and horses like Earthlight and Space Blues, who were terrifically fast horses, he's run faster closing times than them comfortably.”

Nielsen has consistently set out his stall when it comes to what he wants as a breeder, and that is to breed a Derby winner. Stradivarius was not that, but in a way he became so much more, especially to the many people who have become his fans over the last five or six seasons.

“It is great to hear from people when they come up to me and say, 'Thanks for keeping him in training.' Either people who run race tracks, or even members of the public will say it sometimes when you walk between the pre-parade and the paddock. It catches you by surprise, when you hear it,” says Nielsen.

“Obviously, it's great that the public love the horse and that he's had the career that he's had, and I'd like to keep him in training for another 10 years if I could. I must admit, this season now, I start feeling the heat a little bit, because I feel like he actually hasn't lost his ability. It's been more down to what's happened in his races. He didn't lose a race last year that I felt was really because he wasn't good enough.

“I do feel the pressure a little bit now, especially because if he'd run the other day and he'd been beaten ten lengths, then it would've been easy to say, 'He's older now and he's done enough and he's clearly not the force he was', and I think everybody would understand it very easily. That's the way it is, but if he runs again at Goodwood like he ran the other day, I think the people might be saying, 'Why would you stop with him?'”

Certainly, the knowledge that the number of opportunities left to see Stradivarius at the racecourse are now few will add numbers to the gate at Goodwood, whoever else turns up to oppose him on the day. And for Nielsen, his appeal is as much about his character as his innate ability. 

“Everybody loves watching him walk around the paddock. He's got that great walk, like John Wayne, and they always tell me he screams and shouts down at the stables before he comes up to the parade ring. But when he gets up there, he just puts his head down. He's all business. He knows he can't be messing around now. It's time to concentrate.

“He goes down the start and he looks around him. He doesn't seem to be bothered at all that he's got a race coming up. He just stands there and looks across the Downs at Goodwood as if to say 'I've been here before, I remember'. He's got that air about him.”

Nielsen's Derby dream may remain unrealised but he knows that in Stradivarius he has been given the rarest of gifts. 

“Even if I managed to somehow get lucky enough to breed the Derby winner, which was the goal even with him really, it's impossible that I could have as much fun as he's given me, because it's just been so enduring,” he admits. “Normally, if you had a Derby winner, he might run twice as a 2-year-old and five times as a 3-year-old and then you'd be looking at retirement, unless you kept him in training at four. With him, it's 34 races already. He's just going to be impossible to match.”

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