Tag: Shadwell

Sea the Stars Colt Lights Up Newmarket

Despite the exploits of Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), there is still room at the top in the 3-year-old miling division and Thursday's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. played host to one who is within touching distance of that elite performer in Shadwell's unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). With the G1 St James's Palace S. fourth Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 2000 Guineas sixth One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the line-up, this was a proper test for the full-brother to last year's G3 Geoffrey Freer S. winner Hukum (Ire) but the money was talking as he was forced into 10-11 favouritism. Anchored in rear of the classy five-runner field by a confident Jim Crowley throughout the early stages as another St James's Palace also-ran in Naamoos (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) set the pace, the William Haggas-trained homebred was eased by his peers heading to two out and after striking the front heading down into the “dip” powered clear for an emphatic four-length success without being asked a serious question. Maximal, who had been five lengths behind Poetic Flare at Royal Ascot, was second 1 1/4 lengths ahead of One Ruler, who had finished under five lengths behind the Bolger star in the Rowley Mile Classic.

After coming from way back to win on debut at Leicester June 7, Baaeed had showed the benefit of that experience to follow up in a more professional manner by 7 1/2 lengths in a novice over this course and distance 12 days later. Nobody's secret entering this examination, he was setting trainer William Haggas a quandary with his latest command performance. “People had told me after his second run that he was a good horse, so I ran him to see if he is and he looks it now,” he said. “He showed a good turn of foot and is quicker than his brother, who's a good horse but is a mile and a half horse. He is an exciting horse I think. His pedigree suggests that a mile and a quarter is what he wants, but the style of his racing doesn't say that. We will see. I don't think there is any hurry to step him up in trip at the moment. I thought it was a really good listed contest. For him to do that, come from the back and show a smart turn of foot is a good sign.”
“He has had three quite quick races, so I don't know what we do next,” Haggas continued. “The obvious race is the group 3 at Goodwood [the July 30 Thoroughbred S.], but that would be four races in two months and he's a young horse with his career in front of him. I don't want to milk him too early and we need to space his races out, with probably three more max this year. He needs to be looked after if he is to have a good 4-year-old career but he'll get entries in every smart race from now on.”

Jockey Jim Crowley added, “He has given me a very good feel. He has obviously progressed from his last run, but that is the first time I've ridden the horse and I was very impressed with him. He put the race to bed very quickly and he did everything right. This lad has more speed than Hukum, who is a very good horse. I would imagine he will be kept at a mile for now while he is winning races like that, but he will get further. He is well-bred and physically a nice horse, so hopefully he can keep going.”

The Listed Prix de Liancourt-winning dam Aghareed (Kingmambo) is proving a notable broodmare for the operation, with the aforementioned Hukum also successful in the Listed Tapster S. and third in the G2 Hardwicke S. this term and proving to be not far off the best middle-distance horses around. Aghareed, who has the unraced 2-year-old filly Zaghaareed (GB) (Intello {Ger}) and a yearling colt by Nathaniel (Ire) to come, was the only black-type performer out of the talented Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). She also took the Prix de Liancourt, but later achieved worldwide notoriety when capturing the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and GI Flower Bowl Invitational.

Thursday, Newmarket, Britain
EDMONDSON HALL SOLICITORS SIR HENRY CECIL S.-Listed, £52,000, Newmarket, 7-8, 3yo, 8fT, 1:36.95, g/f.
1–BAAEED (GB), 129, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. £29,489. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $54,322. *Full to Hukum (IRE), GSW-Eng, $161,874.
2–Maximal (GB), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Joyeuse (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £11,180.
3–One Ruler (Ire), 129, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Fintry (Ire), by Shamardal. O-Godolphin; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £5,595.
Margins: 4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.91, 3.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Legion of Honour (GB), Naamoos (Fr). Scratched: Derab (GB). Click for the Racing Post result.

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July Sale Roars Back To Business

NEWMARKET, UK–Comparisons from year to year can be tricky in an ever-changing sales programme but to put the first day of trade at Park Paddocks into some sort of context, an 11,000gns median bounced back almost to the pre-Covid level of 2019, with the average of 25,114gns surpassing that year's tally.

Fears early in the pandemic that bloodstock sales would suffer have been largely unfounded. It is true that most have suffered from disruption over the last 15 months but not from lack of participation, as a 93% clearance rate on the opening day of the Tattersalls July Sale continued to illustrate. Of 254 horses put through the ring on Wednesday, only 17 left without a buyer, bringing turnover of 5,952,000gns.

Broodmares were the key driver of trade on Wednesday, with a number of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin draft populating the leader board. Lot 125, Aureum (Medaglia d'Oro), a winning sister to the G3 City Of York S. winner and G1 Coronation S. runner-up Nemoralia, clinched the top spot when offered in foal for the first time to Invincible Spirit (Ire). The 4-year-old's sole win in five starts for John Gosden came at Chelmsford in March, and she was covered in Ireland a month later before being brought to Tattersalls. 

Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock placed the final bid of 220,000gns and, in common with a number of those who signed for the day's leading lots, was unable to divulge for whom the mare had been bought. Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Aureum had previously been sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $800,000.

Goff said, “She has been bought for an established owner/breeder client. She has a fantastic page, and she made a lot of money as a yearling. She is a lovely mare, the sister was top-class over here and she is in foal to a great stallion.”

Another of Goff's Godolphin picks was the once-placed Siyouni (Fr) filly French Rose (Fr), who is out of a full-sister to the Jim Bolger-bred G1 Dewhurst S. winner Parish Hall (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). The 3-year-old, sold as lot 266, fetched 125,000gns.

The agent also signed for Royal Eloquence (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), who was consigned as lot 107 by the National Stud for breeder Joseph Tabet with her Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt foal at foot and in foal to Ribchester (Ire). The half-sister to Lordship Stud's good broodmare Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge {Ire}), the dam of stakes winners Swiss Spirit (GB), Swiss Diva (GB) and Swiss Dream (GB), was bought on behalf of an Irish client for 130,000gns. 

International involvement 

Two other members of the Godolphin draft were bought by American and Australian breeders respectively. Matt Houldsworth signed for lot 124, the unraced 4-year-old Birdwatcher, a daughter of Uncle Mo in foal to young Darley stallion Blue Point (Ire). Her own lack of racing prowess was counterbalanced by her pedigree: Birdwatcher's dam Bizzy Caroline (Afleet Alex) was a dual Grade III winner herself and is a half-sister to the top-class racemare Lady Eli (Divine Park). Birdwatcher was another expensive Keeneland September purchase by Godolphin at $1.1 million.

“I thought she was a very good physical and obviously she cost a lot of money as a yearling,” Houldsworth said. “She's got a good covering, too. I'm a big fan of Blue Point, and it's a lovely, deep family. She's heading to America.”

On her way to Highclere Stud is the Teofilo (Ire) mare Subella (Ire) (lot 121) who was bought by Jake Warren for an undisclosed breeder. The unraced 4-year-old is a half-sister to the dam of 1000 Guineas runner-up Cloak Of Spirits (Ire), a daughter of Invincible Spirit, who is also the stallion Subella was covered by on March 28. More pertinently, Subella's dam Suba (Seeking The Gold) is a three-parts-sister to Darley's flagship sire Dubawi (Ire), who is the most illustrious of five black-type performers for grandam Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {GB}).

After bidding 150,000gns for the young mare, Warren said, “She is for an Australian client. We are thrilled to buy her as she is a beautiful mare, she has a lovely cover and a pedigree that needs no explanation. She will come back to Highclere and we will decide on plans when we get her home and see what the foal is like.”

John Dance also added a Godolphin filly to his broodmare band at Manor House Stud–one of three online purchases by the owner/breeder–when going to 150,000gns for lot 265, Desert Star (GB), a once-raced 3-year-old daughter of Dubawi (Ire) and sister to listed winner Duneflower (Ire).

Mehmas momentum

Breaking up the Godolphin stronghold at the top of the leaderboard was Excellent View (GB), who presented a three-for-one deal as the 10-year-old Shamardal mare (lot 214) was offered alongside her filly foal by one of the hottest young sires of the moment, Mehmas (Ire), and she is back in foal to the same stallion.

Buyer Charlie Gordon-Watson is certainly a fan of the Tally-Ho Stud resident. He said, “She has a very nice foal at foot. I love Mehmas. He can do it anywhere, with any trainer, and he has a couple of really good horses in America at the moment.”

It is of course not just the sire of the foal who appealed to the agent as Excellent View has already produced the black-type performer and four-time winner Mutaraffa (Ire) by Mehmas's sire Acclamation (GB) and, though she was a modest performer herself, her first three dams are all stakes winners. 

“She has been bought for an English owner/breeder and it is good to see that she has produced a foal like that and she is back in foal to the stallion, who looks the real deal,” added Gordon-Watson, who was also the purchaser of Mehmas's dual-winning juvenile Lusail (Ire), who is declared for Thursday's G2 Tattersalls July S.

Two lots earlier (212), Barton Sales had also consigned another mare in foal to Mehmas: Tianadargent (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), an unraced sister to Restiadargent (Fr), who chased home Black Caviar (Aus) and Moonlight Cloud (GB) to be a close third in an all-female trifecta in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. of 2012.

Cormac McCormack was the busiest buyer of the session, signing for seven fillies and mares, including Dubai Fashion (Ire) (lot 42). The daughter of Dubawi (Ire) has the great Shadwell mare Height Of Fashion (Fr) as her great grandam and was sold in foal to Blue Point (Ire) for 140,000gns.

Last orders

As most people's attention had already turned to England's match against Denmark in the semi-final of the European Football Championship, the Group 1-winning sprinter and young stallion Garswood (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) paraded through the ring as the final lot of the day.

The 11-year-old started his stallion career at Cheveley Park Stud where he was born and has recently stood two seasons at Haras de la Huderie in France. He will continue his stud duties in Saudi Arabia after being bought for 40,000gns by agent Ted Durcan on behalf of Ahmad Alabdullatif.

“He's off to Saudi Arabia and his progeny should be well suited by the racing there,” Durcan said of lot 340. “It's a lovely stud and he will be well looked after.”

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This Side Up: Happy Days Here Again

A year that began with the loss of two of the most lavish, Prince Khaled Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, is aptly measuring the reinvigoration of the breed achieved by modern investors from the same deserts where it first took root. Godolphin owes Derby wins at both Epsom and the Curragh to colts by Prince Khaled's greatest bequest, Frankel (GB); while its U.S. division laid down a marker of continuity and vitality when Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) won the G1 Dubai World Cup just three days after its founder's brother was laid to rest in a nearby cemetery.

While Sheikh Hamdan's own bloodstock empire, Shadwell, begins to evolve its future strategies under his daughter, Sheikha Hissa, its American arm has been emulating the momentum of Godolphin. (That stable, remember, may be headed by Sheikh Mohammed, but Sheikh Hamdan contributed significantly to its development). Both have a Classic winner apiece, in Malathaat (Curlin) and Essential Quality (Tapit), while last Saturday both also won Grade II prizes within barely an hour, Zaajel (Street Sense) in the Mother Goose S. and Maxfield (Street Sense) in the Stephen Foster S.

Malathaat and Zaajel attest to the wisdom of the choice made by Sheikh Hamdan last year, on the retirement from training of Kiaran McLaughlin. Todd Pletcher increasingly has the look of the safest pair of hands in the country, having meanwhile also been selected by the powerful owners of Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Country Grammer (Tonalist) and Following Sea (Runhappy) as sanctuary from the Bob Baffert storm.

As we've remarked before, Pletcher remains closer in age to Chad Brown and Brad Cox than to Baffert, and certainly has many miles left on the clock relative to the achievements that secured him the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. It's good to see the holder of a record seven Eclipse Awards reminding his younger rivals, who won the last five between them, that he remains a master in his prime.

Pletcher has already produced a juvenile to set the pre-Saratoga standard in Double Thunder (Super Saver), last-to-first winner of the GIII Bashford Manor S. last weekend after pardonably gasping through an opening quarter of :21 flat. Now he saddles another son of Super Saver, the unbeaten Happy Saver, as the obvious danger when Mystic Guide makes his first appearance since Dubai in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont Saturday.

With Double Thunder scoring on the same card as Mexican sensation Letruska, Super Saver is certainly having one of those finger-wagging spells we know to expect from exported stallions. His sale to Turkey at the end of 2019 was announced the same day as that of Daredevil, who promptly earned repatriation with a GI Kentucky Oaks one-two and a GI Preakness S. success. But Super Saver, being five years older, is presumably gone beyond recall.

It must be tough for the guys at WinStar–who of course bred Super Saver, as well as Double Thunder–to see the caliber of stock left behind by both stallions. But it wasn't really WinStar who exported Daredevil. The market did. That spring, he had received just 21 mares. And while Super Saver did manage a book of 136, the wind had meanwhile turned against him. At the yearling sales, his median sank from $75,000 the previous year to $28,500: pretty disastrous, against a $50,000 conception fee. Daredevil, after all, had himself covered 140 mares only the previous year. Once the commercial market pulls that plug, it's damned hard to push it back.

Be all that as it may, it's heartening to see Runhappy recovering so persuasively from a slow start with his first crop; and let's hope that Happy Saver can also go on and give himself a real chance at stud. Because it certainly feels important that Super Saver has heirs recycling his genes in Kentucky: besides extending the precarious branch of the Raise A Native line through Majestic Prince, he also represents a noble Ogden Phipps family.

(Another of his sons, incidentally, had a Chilean Group 1 winner last weekend. Competitive Edge was moved on from Ashford last year, with only a second crop of juveniles on the track, but stands in the top 10 third-crop sires and duly remains entitled to thrive at his new base in Texas).

Happy Saver, homebred by the Wertheimer brothers, doubles down his stud potential by introducing none other than Weekend Surprise as his third dam. (Her son A.P. Indy, remember, is Super Saver's damsire). So there was a real premium on that fast-track Grade I success last fall, when Happy Saver beat Mystic Guide in only his fourth start in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Those of us who treasure the heritage of races like the Suburban will be anxious to see this rematch restore due resonance to annals formerly crowded by many of the most evocative names in the American breed: from the likes of Ben Brush, Imp and Beldame, in the old Sheepshead Bay days, to a golden sequence in the 1950s and 1960s encompassing Tom Fool, Nashua, Bold Ruler, Sword Dancer, Kelso, Buckpasser and Dr. Fager. Let's hope that a race relegated to Grade II status in 2009 can redeem its lack of quantity with some authentic quality.

Those glorious old names remind us again how the world has changed, with horses today often bred and trained like porcelain. A wearily familiar complaint, perhaps, but one that needs reprising on a weekend when the G1 Eclipse S. in Britain drew four starters and the GIII Los Alamitos Derby had to be reopened. What a pleasure, then, to see throwback Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) tackle another significant new recruit to Pletcher's barn, Mind Control (Stay Control), in the GII John A. Nerud S. on the Independence Day program.

Firenze Fire has won 14 of 33 starts in compiling just short of $2.5 million. Yes, he started out with a trainer who has some fast talking to do, if he is not to become a lasting shorthand for much that is wrong with our sport. But the horse has found wholesome rehabilitation with Kelly Breen, becoming another real feather in that snap-brim fedora over the cheerful face of New Jersey racing. Breen has favored the veteran sprinter with the first real break of his career, and brought him back as good as ever in his fifth campaign. Round a circuit he adores, maybe Firenze Fire can remind seven-for-20 millionaire Mind Control that he is, by comparison, only just getting going.

It's a striking showdown, for sure: between a former steam-fitting apprentice who learned the ropes under Mid-Atlantic stalwarts like Ben Perkins, Sr. and John Forbes, and the meticulous interpreter of the D. Wayne Lukas revolution who put the “super” into the “super trainer” concept–with notably apt dividends when Super Saver won the Derby.

It wouldn't be too hard to choose between Breen and Pletcher, if you were casting the roles of snappy dresser Fonzie and clean-cut Richie Cunningham. But, however the script unfolds between them, at least the holiday weekend offers us horses and horsemen alike eligible to restore something like Happy Days.

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Sheikh Hamdan’s Daughter To Carry On At Shadwell

Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will continue her father's legacy at Shadwell Estate, with Angus Gold, Shadwell's longtime racing manager, telling Racing Post that Sheikha Hissa will take over as head of the powerful racing and breeding operation. The news comes on the heels of Monday's announcement that Shadwell Stud Director Richard Lancaster would step down.

“We've been communicating with Sheikha Hissa over the past couple of months since Sheikh Hamdan sadly died and I'm currently on my way back from a trip out to Dubai to meet her to discuss things in person,” Gold told Racing Post. “She confirmed to me that she and her family are very keen to honour Sheikh Hamdan's legacy and keep the whole thing going, which is fantastic. It's wonderful for his memory that she has the passion and her brothers are going to support her taking it forward and we'll do our best to do the same.”

Little is known about what the scale of Shadwell will be going forward, including whether Sheikha Hissa will combine the handful of runners she currently has in her own name under its banner, but Gold expressed that Sheikha Hissa shares her father's passion for the animal.

“Sheikh Hamdan used to involve Sheikha Hissa quite a bit,” he said. “She knows horses, loves horses and has horses of her own in Dubai. She enjoys the racing and has very much taken over his mantle since he died. Sheikh Hamdan had six children, of whom Sheikha Hissa is going to be the spokesperson on the horse front.”

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