During a career spanning three decades, O'Neill took his first rides in 1992, working for Richard Hannon Sr and later as stable jockey for Henry Candy. In 2012 he was appointed second jockey to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell operation. 

In Sheikh Hamdan's colours he won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar (GB), while his most recent Group 1 wins came aboard Danyah (Ire) and Alfareeq (Ire) in Dubai. 

“I've given it a good go but unfortunately it is just not healing,” said O'Neill of his fractured T6 vertebra. 

“There's quite a significant gap between the vertebrae and there was damage to the other vertebra as well. It's filled in a little bit, but not enough and it is mainly filled with scar tissue, so it wouldn't take another impact.

“But on a positive note, because I broke seven ribs as well, once I healed and it stabilised, I've never really suffered any pain and I'm leading a normal life, so I've got to be thankful for that.

“I got 32 years out of it, so while it isn't the way I wanted to end it, it's a good chunk of time. I was watching some old races back the other day and there's only John Egan still going now.”

Reflecting on some of the top horse he partnered during that time, O'Neill continued, “I rode Battaash before he got a bit more sensible, I had the early pleasures of him! He was exceptionally fast. I rode some fast horses but he was freakishly fast. In the early days, it was just a case of hang on and set him off in the right direction. Don't fall out with him and you'll win. He was different.

“Winning the first Commonwealth Cup on Muhaarar came at a nice point in my career for Shadwell and that day he came of age, it was nice to give something back to Shadwell and repay that faith. Unfortunately, I didn't get back on him!

“I rode Mostahdaf before he hit the heady heights he went on to achieve but another horse I didn't have a long association with was when Mohaather won the Summer Mile for Marcus (Tregoning).

“He was very good. He was probably the best I rode because when I rode Baaeed he was at a different stage of his career. That day I rode Mohaather, he was exceptional.”

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Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mostahdaf retired with an impressive strike-rate having won 10 of his 17 career starts, including back-to-back Group 1 victories last year when he struck in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and Juddmonte International at York. He is standing his first season at Beech House Stud in Newmarket in 2024 at a fee of £15,000.

Stephen Collins, Shadwell's European bloodstock manager, said, “We are delighted with how Mostahdaf has commenced his first book.

“He has been well-received by breeders as a horse with immense ability, good looks as well as an exceptional pedigree packed with natural speed. Mostahdaf is being supported by many leading breeders and will cover a high-quality first book.”

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An impressive Fair Grounds victory by Kitten's Joy filly #4 TARNEEMA ($4.00) with @flothejock in the irons for @bradcoxracing and owner @ShadwellRacing. pic.twitter.com/Vr9goOmV1Z

— TVG (@TVG) February 9, 2024

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It seemed like all the ingredients were there for Muhaarar to make an immediate and significant impact, a two-year-old winner in May who was blessed with brazen speed on the racecourse and the fiercest of support from Sheikh Hamdan in his second career at stud.

Not only did Sheikh Hamdan send a handful of Shadwell's best mares to his prized homebred in that first year, but he also went to great lengths to secure the pick of Muhaarar's debut yearlings at the sales in 2018, including the top-priced filly at 925,000gns.

It was an immense show of faith from the legendary owner-breeder in the hope that Muhaarar might one day prove to be a worthy successor to his grandsire, Green Desert, the flagship stallion on the Shadwell roster for many years and a hugely influential sire of sires, having produced the likes of Cape Cross (Ire), Invincible Spirit (Ire) and, of course, Muhaarar's own sire, Oasis Dream (GB).

Perhaps the best compliment that can be paid to Muhaarar is that he was arguably a better racehorse than any of them. Having made the breakthrough in Group 1 company when winning the inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, Muhaarar then went on an unstoppable run which saw him add the G1 July Cup, G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Champions Sprint S. to his unique haul.

A few other top-class performers came along shortly after him in what can often be a muddled sprinting division, the likes of Battaash (Ire)–also trained by Charlie Hills for Sheikh Hamdan–Blue Point (Ire) and Harry Angel (Ire), but none of them achieved what Muhaarar did in winning four Group 1 races in the same season.

However, whereas Blue Point romped to top honours in the first-season sire ranks last year, having 41 individual winners in Britain and Ireland, it's fair to say that Muhaarar found it altogether tougher going with his first runners four years earlier.

Ranked joint-sixth among the leading first-season sires in Britain and Ireland in 2019, Muhaarar did have a black-type performer among his 12 winners in that first crop of two-year-olds, the Group 3-placed filly Unforgetable (Ire), but otherwise it was a rather forgettable debut year.

Better was to come in 2020 when Muhaarar was the leading second-season sire in Britain and Ireland with 44 individual winners. His 17 juvenile winners included Sheikh Hamdan's G3 Horris Hill S. hero Mujbar (GB), plus Amo Racing's Baradar (Ire), who won two of his first three starts before finishing third in the G1 Futurity Trophy.

It was Muhaarar's 27 three-year-old winners that year who surprised most observers, though, chiefly with the range of distances they were capable at. Unforgetable continued to look cut from the same cloth as her sire when Listed-placed over five and a half furlongs and Group 3-placed over seven, but Muhaarar's other highly-rated runners in Britain and Ireland included Albaflora (GB), runner-up in the Listed Noel Murless S. over a mile and five furlongs, while, in France, Paix (Ire) won the G3 Prix de Lutece over a mile and seven.

It's in France that Muhaarar finds himself in 2024 for the third straight year. It was announced in the autumn of 2021–just a few months after the death of Sheikh Hamdan–that Muhaarar would be relocating to Alain Chopard's Haras des Faunes in Bordeaux where he covered 54 mares at a fee of €5,000 in 2022 and 124 mares at a fee of €7,500 in 2023.

Now, Muhaarar is limbering up for his first season standing at Haras du Petit Tellier following a deal which saw him make the move from Bordeaux to Normandy in August last year. Shadwell owner Sheikha Hissa retains half of the shares in the stallion, with the other half being made up of a consortium of French breeders.

Eric Puerari of Haras des Capucines is at the helm of the new syndicate, managed by Capucines Bloodstock, and it's clear in his view that Britain's loss is France's gain with a stallion who has so much to offer–if not the guarantee of speedy, two-year-old winners which eventually saw his popularity on home soil decline.

“It's a very exciting, new adventure,” Puerari begins when explaining how the stallion came to be at Haras du Petit Tellier. “Muhaarar had been leased in the south-west with Haras des Faunes for two years. My partner, Michel Zerolo, loved the horse and we made an offer to Shadwell to purchase half of him.

“He didn't totally convince the English breeders because they thought his progeny were not precocious enough. They take a bit of time to come [to hand], but they're durable and very resistant. They've won all over the world–France, England, Ireland, United States, everywhere. He's a very versatile sire and they can win from six furlongs to a mile and a half.”

Muhaarar stands at an increased fee of €14,000 this season–albeit still a fair way below the £30,000 he stood for in his first three years at Nunnery Stud–following what was arguably the most successful year yet for his progeny on the racecourse in 2023.

The versatility Puerari speaks of was certainly on show throughout last year. G1 July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom (GB) and G3 Bengough S. winner Annaf (Ire) both achieved notable results over six furlongs, while Israr (GB) won the G2 Princess Of Wales's S. and Trevaunance (Ire) filled the runner-up spot in the G1 Preis Von Europa, both races run over a mile and a half.

Above all else, the highlight in 2023 was provided by Classic hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), who became Muhaarar's second individual Group 1 winner in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains before going on to finish third behind the top-class pair of Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club.

Incidentally, Muhaarar's first Group 1 winner was Shadwell homebred Eshaada (GB) when she won the Fillies & Mares S. back in 2021. That was a thrilling contest in which she just held off paternal sibling Albaflora by a short head after the two talented, middle-distance performers had gone head-to-head for much of the Ascot straight.

Neither filly finished with the same ferocity that Muhaarar did when blitzing down the same straight to win the Commonwealth Cup and Champions Sprint S. six years earlier, but clearly there are other qualities which have been passed down, both from him and his maternal grandsire Linamix (Fr), a noted influence for stamina at stud.

Expertly unpicking Muhaarar's pedigree, Puerari says, “Interestingly, he has inbreeding on both sides to Lyphard and Mill Reef who were two real champions of their time. They are the two grandsires of the dam of Oasis Dream.

“Muhaarar traces back to Pugnacity, one of the top-class mares of Major Holliday's breeding operation. Pugnacity was the dam of Relkino, who was a champion horse in England. He was by Relko and you'll find again that Relko blood in Linamix.

“Linamix is a top broodmare sire. He's the broodmare sire of Kendargent and it gives that will to win to his progeny. And this is very important when you are breeding, to try to find blood with a will to win.”

Everything seemed to come easily to Muhaarar in most of his Group 1 victories, but that will to win was certainly in evidence the day he won the July Cup, looking on the back foot for much of the race before edging ahead close home to get the verdict by a nose.

The last few years of Muhaarar's stallion career have arguably been characterised in much the same way, having to fight hard for every bit of success he's enjoyed having been written off in some quarters, deserted by many of the breeders who rushed to him early on.

Now, Muhaarar can start to enjoy the fruits of his labour with a limited book of up to 130 mares due to visit him at Haras du Petit Tellier in 2024, the most expensive stallion on a roster which also includes Elvstroem (Aus), Recoletos (Fr) and The Grey Gatsby (Ire).

Jean-Daniel Manceau, responsible for stallion nominations at Capucines Bloodstock, says, “He will be used by plenty of French and international breeders, including Henri Bozo from Haras des Monceaux, Guy Pariente and Jean-Claude Seroul, who races all of his stock. He will also be supported by Shadwell, obviously. They will send a full-sister to the champion mare Taghrooda.

“We also have a good group of shareholders. We've got the Dubois family who will support him a lot. They have bred already some very good horses this year, and in the past, like Sauterne and Elusive Princess.

“We've also got Haras de Saint Pair [owned by Andreas Putsch], a very good breeder here in France, and Peter Kavanagh of Kildaragh Stud. And, obviously, we have Haras des Capucines who will support him a lot with some of our best mares.”

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Frankel took the BBA Silver Cigar Box for the second time in three years as Britain's leading sire by total earnings in 2023 with £7,143,651. Frankel, who was crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland, sired 11 individual Group 1 winners in 2023, with his notable runners on home soil including the Classic winners Chaldean (GB) and Soul Sister (Ire), plus G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) and the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G1 Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf (Ire).

Kingman led all British-based sires by number of winners in 2023 and earned the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup for the first time. Kingman's representatives in Britain and Ireland last year included the dual Group 2 winner Kinross (GB), G3 Jersey S. winner Age Of Kings (Ire) and G3 Thoroughbred S. winner Epictetus (Ire), while Feed The Flame (GB) (Grand Prix de Paris) and Sauterne (Fr) (Prix du Moulin de Longchamp) both won Group 1 races in France.

Too Darn Hot (GB) earned the Tattersalls Silver Salver as leading British-based first-season sire by Flat earnings with £865,571, boosted by the victory of Fallen Angel (GB) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., while Havana Grey (GB) won the British European Breeders' Fund's Stallion Special Merit Award in a year when his G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Vandeek (GB) also featured among the leading juveniles.

Voted for by an industry panel, the Stallion Merit Award recognises British-based stallions who reward breeders through value for money, accessibility and performance, without, necessarily, the advantages of large books of mares or the high fees such popularity commands.

The Queen's Silver Cup for leading British-based Flat breeder was awarded to Shadwell, who enjoyed notable success in 2023 with the homebred Mostahdaf, plus Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G1 Nassau S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., respectively.

European bloodstock manager for Shadwell, Stephen Collins, said, “We are delighted to be the recipient of the Queen's Silver Cup for leading British-based breeder in 2023.

“It's a testament to Sheikh Hamdan's vision and legacy which is being carried on by Sheikha Hissa with great success and we are very much looking forward to this prestigious event [the TBA Flat Breeders' Awards Evening held at Chippenham Park on Wednesday, July 10] later in the year. Last year is going to be hard to follow but hopefully Shadwell will have a successful 2024 with some promising horses coming through.”

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Minzaal's foals have come in for high praise from their breeders, including Rosetown Bloodstock's filly [pictured] out of the winning Exceed And Excel (Aus) mare, Loquace (Ire), a granddaughter of champion two-year-old, Pas De Reponse. 

“I'm very happy with her,” reported David Cox of Baroda Stud, where the mare and foal are boarding. “She's a very strong first foal with great bone; correct and very sharp-looking. She's the spitting image of her sire.” 

Mark Dreeling was full of praise for his colt out of Laciredeski (Ire), a multiple winning Toronado (Ire) half-sister to Flying Five S. runner-up Erosandpsyche (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) and Listed scorer Some Respect (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}). 

Dreeling said, “He's an absolute belter of a foal. He really is something else. He's exactly what we hoped for; big, strong and compact, with great width and bone. He's very correct and a lot like his sire.” 

Paschal Kellaghan and Brian Gravin have welcomed a filly out of highly-rated three-time winner Dilawara (Fr), a Dream Ahead half-sister to three winners and related to Capri (Ire) and Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“She's an absolutely stunning filly,” said Kellaghan. “Just pure class, with great strength and depth. This speedy-looking filly is one for the future.” 

Ringfort Stud, where Minzaal was bred, welcomed a filly out of Shenoya (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}), a winning and Listed-placed half-sister to classy filly Like A Charm (Fr) from the family of Group 1 winner Bay Bridge (GB). 

The operation's Derek Veitch commented, “She's a big strong foal and a lovely bay colour. She's very correct, with great bone. She looks very much like her sire. We're absolutely thrilled with her.”

Minzaal, the top-rated produce of Mehmas, won the Group 2 Gimcrack S. at two before developing into the best sprinter of his generation, winning the Group 1 Sprint Cup at four. He covered 161 mares in his first season at stud, with 16% of his opening book stakes winners, the highest percentage of any first-season sire standing in Ireland last year. 

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Benson had bought the unbeaten Nearco, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and Derby Italiano, from his breeders Federico Tesio and Mario Incisa della Rochetta for a then-record £60,000 (the equivalent of just over £5 million today). To note that the son of Pharos (GB) became champion sire twice in England is to tell only a fraction of his story. Nearco's influence on the Thoroughbred breed as we know it today has been profound. His son Royal Charger (GB) established a sire-line which includes Hail To Reason and his descendants Halo, Sunday Silence and Deep Impact (Jpn). Another son, Nasrullah (GB), is responsible for several significant branches, including the lines of Bold Ruler, Grey Sovereign (GB), Red God and Never Bend. And then there was Nearco's son Nearctic, the sire of Northern Dancer. Need we say more?

A glance at the official IFHA and Longines world rankings released earlier this week attest to Nearco's continuing dominance. The first nine names on the list are all his direct male descendants, and it takes Cody's Wish and Titleholder (Jpn), from the Mr. Prospector line and in joint-tenth place, to break that run. In second behind Equinox (Jpn), and the joint-top-rated horse in Europe last year was Mostahdaf (Ire), his rating of 128 placing him on a shared mark with Ace Impact (Ire).

Mostahdaf's retirement to the Shadwell stallion roster for 2024 brings a little piece of bloodstock history full circle. Having been based at Nunnery Stud in Thetford for a number of years, Shadwell's collection of British stallions has now returned to Beech House Stud, which was bought by the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in 1990.

Mostahdaf now stands in the box once occupied by Nearco, who is buried at the stud and whose name can be found six generations back on the top line of Mostahdaf's pedigree (among other places), through Frankel (GB), Galileo (Ire), Sadler's Wells, Northern Dancer and Nearctic. Those names alone are enough to provide an entrée to the stallion market. How many sires will be advertised in the years to come with the line 'A son of Frankel'?

As with all horses, though, that's only one half of the equation. Mostahdaf is a result of Sheikh Hamdan's purchase in 2009 of the Dubawi (Ire) filly Handassa (GB). Bought from her breeder Red House Stud for 100,000gns, she is out of a half-sister to the champion sprinters Goodricke (GB) and Pastoral Pursuits (GB) and earned more black type for the family herself when winning the Listed Garnet S. over a mile for Kevin Prendergast.

Nearco being led from his bomb shelter by Ernie Lee in 1941. The photograph is believed to have been taken by Reginald Anscomb

Handassa rang the bell with her third foal, Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), winner of the G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Falmouth S. during a high-flying career with John Gosden, and it has been pealing loudly once more thanks to the progressive talents of Mostahdaf. 

“He was the highest-rated Prince of Wales's Stakes winner since Dubai Millennium back in 2000. He defeated a long list of Group 1 winners in his two Group 1 wins last year and was a very impressive horse throughout his career,” says Shadwell's Will Wright, whose job it is to encourage breeders to send their mares to the new stallion. That shouldn't be too difficult. 

The Royal Ascot triumph was followed by victory in the G1 Juddmonte International. In those back-to-back successes, Mostahdaf had first Luxembourg (Ire), Adayar (Ire) and Bay Bridge (GB) in his wake, then Nashwa (GB) and Paddington (GB). His overall record reads 10 wins from 17 starts and almost £2.5 million in career earnings. Moreover, he is an enticing addition to a line-up in Britain which includes the top-rated turf horse in the world in 2022, Baaeed (GB), and fellow Group 1 winner Mohaather (GB), whose first runners will be seen later this year. It is a young line-up of burgeoning promise, and in Ireland the Shadwell team is completed by two more Group 1 winners, Minzaal (Ire) and Awtaad (Ire).

Shadwell has also recently 'supplied' Baaeed's highly-credentialed brother Hukum (Ire) to Darley Japan and the treble Group 2 winner Mutasaabeq (GB) to the National Stud. 

An imposing dark brown stallion, Mostahdaf's wins came between 7f and the 1m4f of the G3 September S. They included two Listed victories at a mile and those crucial Group 1s over 10f and 10.5f. He has the range and scope of a middle-distance horse, with some intriguing sprint elements close up in his family.

“That speed, as we know, is important in the modern-day market,” says Wright. “He's got everything. Obviously [there's] Frankel, and the ability to win stakes races over a mile. He won on debut by four lengths over seven furlongs.”

Anyone who saw Mostahdaf up close at the races last year as a five-year-old would have seen that he was already showing signs of being interested in the next phase of his career, not that his sometimes-noisy intent stopped him compiling his best season on the track. At Beech House in the weak January sunshine, his behaviour is more lamblike. In fact, he is the very picture of relaxed contentment as he stands placidly, his footing being adjusted here and there for the camera by his skilful handler Chris Constantine.

The young Shadwell team, both equine and human, looks to have settled into the new surroundings very happily after crossing the border from Norfolk back to Suffolk.

Wright says, “To have the stallions standing at Beech House is great and has put us back in the heart of Newmarket. It's very exciting to position ourselves in the home of horse racing, and to have our stallions here makes them far more accessible to breeders visiting the sales, etc.

“The move to Beech House is very exciting for all concerned. Obviously this is a stud of great history, being home to past greats Crepello and St Paddy. The list goes on, but obviously Nearco is the headline name here.”

The former presence of the Derby winners Crepello (GB) and St Paddy (GB) hark back to the days of Beech House Stud being owned by their breeder Sir Victor Sassoon. Crepello, too, has a link to Tesio being a son of another of the trainer-breeder's great horses, Donatello (Fr), as does Ribero, another former Beech House stallion and an Irish Derby and St Leger-winning son of Tesio's masterpiece Ribot (GB).

As a final thought, it is worth reflecting on a bloodstock 'Sliding Doors' moment as recounted by Tesio's friend and business partner Mario Inciso della Rochetta in his book 'The Tesios as I Knew Them'.

Incisa tells how Nearco's dam Nogara had been an intended mate for Lord Derby's Fairway (GB), a match carefully plotted by Tesio in the hope that the sizeable Fairway could add substance to the small mare, and his stamina enhance her sprinting race record. A change of stud manager at Woodlands Stud to a new man who had no knowledge of Tesio, meant that Nogara was turned down for Fairway. The mare was thus rerouted to France and Fairway's full-brother Pharos (GB), who was described by Incisa as being physically more compact than his brother. He wrote that Tesio was in despair. That lasted only until the weanling Nearco started to boss his paddock mates at Olgiata, as he would later do to his rivals on the racecourse. 

The rest, as they say, is history, and it is a rich one at that. Some six and seven generations removed from Nearco and his appearance at Beech House Stud, three of his many male-line descendants are at his former home and in the early throes of being able to establish their own importance in the bloodstock world. 

Will they be modern-day influencers of the breed? Time will tell. But what we do know for sure is that the consequences of Martin Benson's measures to ensure that the less-than-friendly bombs of the Second World War did not fall on Nearco have been far-reaching indeed. 

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12.15 Lingfield, £6,600, Nov, 2yo, 7f 1y (AWT)
Shadwell's hitherto unraced WALEEFY (IRE) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is a homebred son of Listed Prix de Liancourt victrix Aghareed (Kingmambo) and thus a half-brother to multiple Group 1 winners Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). The William Haggas trainee, who is also kin to this term's Listed Noel Murless S. third Naqeeb (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), encounters five opponents in this debut.

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Saturday, December 9, 2023
6th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
SEXY BOUQUET (f, 2, Liam's Map–Shurakaa, by Tapit) cost $180,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and is out of a daughter of 2007 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), the dam of this year's G3 New Zealand Cup winner Mahrajaan (Kitten's Joy) and the stakes-winning Aghareed (Kingmambo). The latter's notable roduce includes the sensational five-time Group 1 winner Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), twice successful at the top level, including this year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. Aghareed is also the dam of Naqeeb (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), listed-placed over 14 furlongs on turf this term. B-Shadwell Farm LLC (KY)

6th-NKY, ¥13,720,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
COSMO GIN BUCK (JPN) (c, 2, Good Magic–Disposablepleasure, by Giacomo) is set to become the fourth to the races for his dam, the 2011 GII Demoiselle S. winner and runner-up in the GI Mother Goose S. the following season. A half-sister to SW & GSP Romantic Hideaway (City Zip), Disposablepleasure was purchased by this breeder for $35,000 carrying this colt in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. B-Big Red Farm

9th-HSN, ¥20,370,000 ($142k), Allowance, 2yo, 2000mT
OSCAR BRAVE (c, 2, Oscar Performance–Russian Symbol {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) opened his account at first asking with a front-running, one-length victory over 1800 meters at Kyoto Nov. 11 (see below, SC 7) and looks to retain the winning thread here while adding a bit more real estate. The Mar. 7 foal is out of a full-sister to three-time Group 1 winner and multiple French champion Esoterique (Ire), one of five full black-type winners and 11 winners from 13 runners overall for second dam Dievotchka (GB) (Dancing Brave). B-Nancy S Dillman (KY)

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The largest ever contingent from Japan is expected at Park Paddocks this week, and with most of the stallion farms in the region displaying signs saying 'open house' it's the perfect time for international breeders also to consider using a local stallion to cover a new purchase before export. The locals are pretty good after all. Frankel (GB) handed the champion sire trophy to his Newmarket neighbour Dubawi (Ire) at the end of last year and the Juddmonte star is just about to reclaim his title.

There are six mares in foal to Frankel in this week's December Mares catalogue and while there are none carrying to Dubawi, there are 12 opportunities to buy a mare in foal to the young British sire currently tearing up the charts: Havana Grey (GB). They include Zuhoor Baynoona (Ire) (Elnadim), a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}), who has already produced three winners and is being sold by Cheveley Park Stud as Lot 1651.

Driving rain throughout Sunday didn't stop plenty of hardy breeders getting around to the stallion farms on the quiet day between the end of the foal sale and the start of the mares. 

At Lanwades, there was an extra treat in store, and I don't mean the excellent fish pie. Along with inspecting Bobby's Kitten, Sea The Moon (Ger) and Study Of Man (Ire), there was the chance to see Bobby's Kitten's newly retired daughter, the treble Group 2 winner Sandrine (GB), and Listed winner Alpenblume (GB) (Kendargent {Fr}), the half-sister to last year's Arc heroine Alpinista (GB). Both will be visiting Alpinista's sire Frankel (GB) in the new year.

Beech House Stud is now properly back in business as a stallion operation with the Shadwell trio of Baaeed (GB), Mohaather (GB) and Mostahdaf (Ire) all based there permanently. The new year heralds important times for all three. Mostahdaf is set to cover his first book of mares as Baaeed's first foals arrive on the ground. Come spring and summer we shall start to see how the good-walking Mohaather gets on with his first runners. 

A Baaeed bobble hat graced the top of the Shadwell Christmas tree, loyally decorated in blue and white, and a newly installed stallion roll of honour reminded us just what an important place Beech House Stud has been over the years. For a small taster, think Nearco, Crepello, St Paddy and Ardross. 

On to Dalham Hall Stud to see a trio of new recruits and the marquee proved very popular thanks to the mulled wine, giant doughnuts and a few moments to dry out in the warmth. Modern Games (Ire) already looked properly settled in the yard which has also been the long-term home of his sire Dubawi (Ire) and broodmare sire New Approach (Ire), while fellow newcomer Triple Time (Ire) looked equally at home posing outside the box of Cracksman (GB), who was the first son of Frankel (GB) to retire to stud in Britain and is this year joined by Triple Time, Mostahdaf and Chaldean (GB) in Newmarket alone, while Onesto (Ire) is now at stud in France, and Adayar (Ire) and Westover (GB) are settling in to a new life in Japan.

There was also the opportunity to see the imposing former champion two-year-old and Classic winner Native Trail (GB) before he starts his stud career at Kildangan Stud in Ireland. 

Fading light, encroaching cold and the need to scribble a few notes meant that visits to other farms will have to be made in the coming days, but a heartfelt thank you to all the studs for being so accommodating, and special thanks to the hardy stallion handlers showing in the cold and wet weather. Your efforts are hugely appreciated.

A New Avenue for McStay

With Tattersalls being back in the spotlight from 9.30 on Monday morning, we return to this week's important business of selling fillies and mares. Mark McStay, the man behind Avenue Bloodstock, has added a new string to his bow in launching a consigning element to his business under the name of Avenue Sales. McStay brings two mares who have each been represented by high-class winners during 2023.

Opening up the first of two Sceptre Sessions on Monday will be Sulaalaat (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) the 11-year-old dam of G2 Rockfel S. winner Carla's Way (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and from the family of the champion racemare The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

“Historically I've sold my own horses or unofficially helped my parents when they've been selling yearlings over the years,” McStay explained. “I've been standing outside stable doors for 30 years, so this was always something that I thought I'd do at some stage. For the last few years I've helped Taylor Made when they've brought horses over. Obviously I have a number of clients with some nice stock that they wanted to sell, particularly the two that we have here this week.”

He continues, “We had a couple of late withdrawals which means that the consignment is a little smaller than I had envisaged but it's a good starting point. 

“We have the dam of Carla's Way, who is by New Approach, a really good broodmare sire. She's a good-looking mare and Carla's Way was awesome at the breeze-up sales and she's turned out to be one of the superstars on the track this year who is now a live Guineas prospect.”

Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}), who started her winning in England this time last year, has flourished since moving to the United States, where she has won the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII San Clemente H for Leonard Powell. Her dam, Tutti Frutti (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), a close relation to the G1 Nassau S. winner Sultanina (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), is also 11 and is consigned by Avenue Sales on behalf of the Morera Partnership in Tuesday's Sceptre Session as Lot 1774.

“Anisette was bred by some friends of mine and then I sold her to Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds,” McStay says. “I've followed her career with huge interest and she's the highest-rated three-year-old turf filly in America at the moment. She goes for the American Oaks on 26 December. She's already a Grade I and a Grade II winner out there and she's a really exciting prospect.

“The mare is in foal to Magna Grecia and she's a magnificent-looking mare, so hopefully she will sell very well.”

Of his decision to branch out into consigning, he adds, “Being a bloodstock agent, you're a natural salesperson, whether you're buying or standing outside a stable door selling a horse. When you're buying you have to sell the idea to the client and pitch the horse to the end-user. These two mares should really sell themselves but I'll have my shoulder to the wheel to make sure we can get the last bid for my clients. It's important that people feel like you're working for them if they've put their faith in you, and over the last few years in my agency business I've been fortunate that I've had people who have put their faith in me. 

“This is now a progression in my life, and my wife Eva is going to be involved. And we've got great staff: Mick O'Dwyer and Tony Murphy are going to be helping us, and fingers crossed that it will build and keep going. 

“I'm really excited, and Tattersalls have put together a great catalogue, so let's hope that it all falls into place.”

It's not all about the Sceptre Sessions, however. At all levels of the market there are entries with plenty going for them. Lot 1386 Rekindle (GB), was bought from the Juddmonte draft at this sale five years ago for 170,000gns. Though unraced, it is easy why she commanded such a price as the daughter of Frankel is out of Hot Snap (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a Group 3-winning half-sister to the brilliant Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Returning at the age of eight, Rekindle is now offered for sale by Houghton Bloodstock in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB), whose eight foals sold last week averaged 126,500gns on the back of a solid season for his first runners. 

The Juddmonte draft this time is split between the Monday and Tuesday and on each day is scheduled to sell just ahead of the Sceptre Sessions. On Tuesday there is the rare chance to buy a daughter of blue hen Hasili (GB) when Very Good News (Empire Maker) is offered as Lot 1754 with a March 31 cover to New Bay (GB). Among her four winners, the 15-year-old mare has two stakes-placed multiple winners by Frankel and also has a two-year-old filly and yearling colt by the same stallion still to run for her. 

As already mentioned, the next few months will see the appearance of the first foals of last year's top-rated turf horse in the world, Baaeed (GB). If you can't wait to send Baaeed a mare in 2024, there are 11 mares to be sold in foal to him this week, including Patronising (GB). The daughter of Galileo (Ire) is Lot 1824 from Minster Enterprises and is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) whose own Galileo-sired dynasty includes the Classic winners Minding (Ire), Tuesday (Ire) and Empress Josephine (Ire).

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