The 2022 Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association National Webinar Series was announced on Sunday. Beginning on Friday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the first webinar will update viewers on the ITBA's 2021. Chairman John McEnery, Vice Chairman Cathy Grassick and CEO Shane O'Dwyer will provide an update on the organisation and also outline plans for 2022 and beyond.
The second session of Friday's webinar is titled “Changing in Today's Environment” and will cover all aspects of operating in today's climate. The panel will discuss all elements around movement of animals, difficulties facing breeders post-Brexit and important steps around traceability and functionality that will better serve all involved. Speakers include John Osborne, Director of Welfare and Bloodstock HRI and Grant Thornton.
For the third and final session of the webinar, the focus is on “Sustainable Options For Breeders”. There will be contributions from the Irish Equine Centre, with the highlight being grants available for breeders across a wide range of biodiversity and sustainability, how to access these grants and ITBA future Climate Action Plans.
The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic dictated that there would be no one on hand Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse to 'witness' the running of the G1 Stewards' Cup. But there was a collective 'silence' right round the world when Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) crossed the wire three-parts of a length to the good of the virtually unbeatable Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), who saw his attempt to equal the winning streak of Silent Witness (Aus) go by the wayside while tasting defeat for just the second time in his 21-race career.
For the record, Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was an eye-catching third over an insufficient trip, but all eyes were on the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty, who jumped brilliantly from gate one, but then eased back to take up his customary position at the back, a few lengths less handy than last time in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Healthy Happy (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) lobbed them along up front, but Zac Purton had Waikuku right at his flank through an opening 800 metres in :49.47, some eight to nine lengths off standard time, as Golden Sixty raced keenly and tactically disadvantaged beneath Vincent Ho.
Steered out and around Hong Kong Mile runner-up More Than This (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) at the three-furlong pole, having continued to race freely, and losing crucial ground in the process, Golden Sixty had clear sailing into the stretch, but Waikuku raced to the front with a bit more than 300 metres to travel and the alarm bells would have been sounded. Though he was able to produce his typical barnstorming finish, with a final quarter-mile in :21.95, Golden Sixty had simply been set a task too tall. Unlike when he managed to scrape home in the 2020 Hong Kong Derby off a similarly slow tempo, he could not do so this time, and Waikuku was able to cause the upset. It was a seventh Stewards' Cup for trainer John Size.
“I was really happy with the way the race was run, I was in a lovely rhythm and I knew he was going to give me a kick but with Golden Sixty in the race, you're never home until you pass the post,” said Purton, who only recently returned from injuries suffered in that horror fall in the Hong Kong Sprint six weeks ago. “He's run many horses down the last few years, he's a champion and obviously the race wasn't run to suit him today.”
Golden Sixty was tasting defeat for the first time in 30 months.
“The horse is OK–he appears to have pulled up well,” trainer Francis Lui said. “It was just the draw. The way the race was run, he needed to be closer but, from the inside, it wasn't possible today.”
Winner of this race in 2020 when favoured at 1-2, the 2019 Derby runner-up was exiting a three-lengths' seventh to Golden Sixty in the international Mile Dec. 12, having previously run second to him in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 20.
Pedigree Notes:
Waikuku is one of two top-level scorers for the late Harbour Watch (Ire), the other being G1 Coronation Cup hero Pyledriver (GB), a latest second in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase last month.
London Plane is also the dam of breeder Shane Molan's Dancing Rebel (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}), who broke his maiden over five furlongs at the Curragh Oct. 14, a newly turned 2-year-old colt by Australia (GB) and a yearling filly by Harbour Watch's sire Acclamation (GB).
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong STEWARDS' CUP-G1, HK$12,000,000 (£1,137,224/€1,358,861/ A$2,147,623/US$1,541,185), Sha Tin, 1-23, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34:82, gd.
1–WAIKUKU (IRE), 126, g, 7, by Harbour Watch (Ire) 1st Dam: London Plane (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire) 2nd Dam: Aunt Julia (GB), by In the Wings (GB) 3rd Dam: Original (GB), by Caerleon
(€33,000 Ylg '16 TISEP). O-Jocelyn Siu Yang Hin Tang; B-Shane Molan; T-John Size; J-Zac Purton; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 25-9-5-2, HK$43,807,450. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Golden Sixty (Aus), 126, g, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor. (A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd (Qld); T-Francis Lui Kin-wai; J-Vincent Ho Chak-yiu; HK$2,640,000.
3–Russian Emperor (Ire), 126, g, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Atlantic Jewel (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Mike Cheung Shun Ching; B-Coolmore, Lauri Macri & Partners; T-Douglas Whyte; J-Blake Shinn; HK$1,200,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 14-1, 0.05, 24-1.
Also Ran: More Than This (GB), Sky Darci (NZ), Healthy Happy (Aus), Kings Shield. Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
Stronger Gives Whyte First Group 1 As a Trainer…
The rare entire horse in Hong Kong, A$1.05 Inglis Easter graduate Stronger (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) rallied from the back of the field and just outfinished G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) to give former jockey Douglas Whyte his first Group 1 success as a conditioner in Sunday's Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin.
Away alertly for Vincent Ho, Stronger allowed the speedier early types to go on with it and raced with only Sky Field behind him, as Computer Patch (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) went a solid gallop up front. Eased out into about the six path as the field hit the straight, with Sky Field now alongside, Stronger (1098 pounds) was roused to the front inside the furlong marker and managed to hold the physically more imposing and similarly colored Sky Field (1205 pounds) in the run to the line.
A Group 3 winner in Australia for Peter and Paul Snowden, Stronger won one of nine starts for trainer John Moore in 2019/2020 and joined the Whyte yard upon the latter's compulsory retirement last season. Stronger scored in his first run for the barn in November 2020, and though he had dropped his last 13 races, posted board finishes four times at group level, earning the right to soldier on. He was most recently fifth in the Sprint Dec. 12.
Pedigree Notes:
Stronger becomes the 16th Group 1 winner for the pensioned Not A Single Doubt (Aus) and his second in Hong Kong, joining the recently retired G1 Champions Mile hero and multiple Stewards' Cup placegetter Southern Legend (Aus).
Stronger is out of a winning daughter of three-time listed winner and Group 1-placed Ain't Seen Nothin, dam of Singapore Horse of the Year Stepitup (Aus) (Hussonet); GSW Bachman (Aus) (All American {Aus}); and Ain'tnofallenstar (NZ) (Starcraft {NZ}), herself responsible for SW Ain'tnodeeldun (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}).
Star Pupil is the dam of a yearling filly by Pariah (Aus), a filly foal by Snitzel (Aus) and visited the latter again last November.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong CENTENARY SPRINT CUP-G1, HK$12,000,000 (£1,137,224/ €1,358,861/A$2,147,623/US$1,541,185), Sha Tin, 1-23, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.78, gd.
1–STRONGER (AUS), 126, h, 5, by Not A Single Doubt (Aus) 1st Dam: Star Pupil (Aus), by Starcraft (NZ) 2nd Dam: Ain't Seen Nothin' (Aus), by Nothin' Leica Dane (Aus) 3rd Dam: Icecapade (Aus), by Genghiz 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$1,050,000 Ylg '18 INGEAS). O-Cheung Hon Kit, Joanna Cheung Wai Sze & Jonathan Cheung Yu Shing; B-Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd & Planette Thoroughbred (NSW); T-Douglas Whyte; J-Vincent Ho Chak-yiu; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Aus, 31-6-7-3, HK$17,281,510. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sky Field (Aus), 126, g, 5, Deep Field (Aus)–Laravissante (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$175,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Kwan Shiu Man, Jessica Kwan Mun Hang & Jeffrey Kwan Chun Ming; B-M Ryan (NSW); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Blake Shinn; HK$2,640,000.
3–Hot King Prawn (Aus), 126, g, 7, Denman (Aus)–De Chorus (Aus), by Unbridled's Song. (A$90,000 Ylg '16 INGFEB). O-Lak Sau Hong; B-Torryburn Stud (NSW); T-John Size; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,200,000.
Margins: HD, HF, HF. Odds: 17-1, 31-10, 67-10.
Also Ran: Wellington (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Master Eight (Aus), Computer Patch (Aus). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
NORMANDY, France–The signs had accumulated two years of dust by the time they were taken out again to point towards the farms taking part in France's Route des Etalons. The many stallions who took up stud duties in the northwestern part of the country last year were deprived the chance to show off their credentials to a large number of breeders. There was, as a result, a palpable feeling of excitement when the gates were swung open for the 2022 renewal of the iconic event. Although Covid restrictions didn't allow it to be a fully singing-and-dancing edition, seeing young stallions in the flesh rather than through a computer screen provided widespread interest.
Having kicked off at dawn from Chantilly, with bloodstock agent Tina Rau behind the wheel and her pair of dogs on the back seat, we arrived at 9 a.m. sharp for the first show at Haras de Bouquetot, having duly given the four-legged companions a little walk beforehand. They call it German precision.
Bouquetot is still to celebrate its first decade of operation, and yet it has been one of France's fastest-growing stallion stations with eight sires currently on the roster. All of them, bar the fresh arrival Armor (GB) (No Nay Never), are Group 1 winners, and two share the distinctive feat of having landed one of Europe's most competitive mile contest in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois. The first crop by Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) included 15 winners at two and already two at three, including recent debut winner Hauran (Fr). Such a promising start has caused his fee to swing back to its initial level of €8,000.
Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who annexed the Marois on the back of a Classic triumph in the Irish 2000 Guineas, is still to have his first foal on the ground but he was the busiest stallion at Bouquetot last year with 127 mares. His starting fee of €7,000 has been maintained and seems excellent value, as Al Shaqab Racing's Sebastien Desmontils explained.
“Romanised is still owned 100% by Mr. Ng who raced him,” he said. “When stud plans were arranged, we offered him to syndicate the horse, arguing that it would guarantee him significant support. Mr. Ng, however, was keen to remain Romanised's sole owner but he suggested that we gave him a very affordable covering fee in order to make him an attractive proposition to breeders.”
Another stallion expecting his first foals is Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who ended a long drought for France when winning the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. He joined Almanzor (Fr) as the second son of Wootton Bassett to stand at stud in this country and, at €15,000, is the joint highest-priced sire at Bouquetot. He shares top billing with the eye-catching Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was one of the sensations of 2021, notably through the achievements of his listed-winning daughter Zelda (Fr). He also boasts a 92% fertility rate and has seen his fee more than double from €6,000.
The latest addition to the Bouquetot roster is Richard Hannon's former charge Armor (GB) (No Nay Never), who won last year's G3 Molecomb S. and ran third in the Middle Park. Still two months from his actual third birthday, the dark bay will be offered at €5,000.
“The plan is to try to replicate the success story that Al Shaqab has experienced with Mehmas. French breeders are always looking for speed and precocity, so we think he is a great proposition,” said Desmontils.
A little deeper into the Norman countryside, Haras de Bonneval is busy celebrating the 100th anniversary of His Highness the Aga Khan's breeding operation. (Click for Emma and John Berry's excellent three-part feature: Part I, Part II, and Part III.) And could there be a better advertisement than the excellent performances achieved by Zarak (Fr)'s first 2-year-olds? After all, the powerful bay traces back, through his illustrious dam Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar), to Zahra (Ire) (Habitat), the sole daughter out of the champion Petite Etoile (GB) (Petition {GB}), herself a descendant of the “flying filly” Mumtaz Mahal (GB). One hundred years of breeding excellence summed up in one pedigree.
A son of Dubawi (Ire), Zarak has so far been represented by 18 2-year-old winners, the exact same number as his barn mate Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) achieved with his first crop. And his best offspring to date is the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Times Square (Fr), who is, fittingly, out of a daughter of Siyouni. Such eye-catching results have had a major impact on the stallion's worth and he now commands a covering fee of €25,000, doubled from his €12,000 starting price.
“There has been huge interest in Zarak,” explained nominations manager Fanny Cyprès. “He has covered a full book every season, and for 2022 he has been full since last October. Mares are coming from Germany, from Ireland and from the UK for him. His value has increased quite dramatically, as shown by the evolution of his share price: when we syndicated him, a share cost €60,000, while at recent auctions on Arqana Online, shares sold for €350,000 to €380,000.”
Full credit where it's due: the now 15-year-old Siyouni remains France's most expensive stallion at €140,000 and is expecting another stellar crop of foals including full-siblings to Sottsass (Fr) and Dream And Do (Ire), as well as youngsters out of Group 1 winners Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), Kitesurf (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and stakes winner Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}).
Cyprès added, “We have seen with Times Square that Siyouni is starting to make his mark as a broodmare sire, and we think he can follow in the footsteps of his own sire Pivotal in this respect.”
Larissa Kneip's Haras de Saint-Arnoult is steadily making a name as a source of affordable speed, and she currently has six stallions who all performed over middle to short distances. The good-looking Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) currently stands out as the sole son of Frankel at stud in France. The Group 2 winner will have his first foals on the ground this season and remains available at an attractive €5,000. The first crop by Seabhac (Scat Daddy) are now 2-year-olds, while Group 1-winning juvenile Mkfancy (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) is the newest recruit.
Only minutes away, Julian Ince's Haras du Logis is home to an impressive line-up of former Godolphin colourbearers, with the notable exception of the infamous globetrotter Tiberian (Fr) (Tiberius Caesar {Fr} ). For the coming season there has been another extremely classy addition to the roster in the dual Group 1 and Classic winner Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal). The handsome bay boasts a special pedigree as he is not only by 'sire of sires' Shamardal, but also from the family of Shamardal–he is inbred 3×3 to Helen Street. Victor Ludorum's placid demeanour and solid constitution guarantee him strong support at €15,000. Another popular young sire is Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whose first yearlings sold extremely well and whose fee remains unchanged at €7,000.
Leaving Calvados for the Orne area, we reach Haras du Petit Tellier. Patrick Chédeville's historical farm stands the dual Classic winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Masterscraftsman {Ire}), whose first crop already includes six winners and made him one of the 'talking horses' of the winter.
Driving back to Deauville, one notices a sign indicating where the Greenwich meridian crosses through Normandy. Indeed, this part of France should effectively follow the GMT schedule, and it is no wonder days are so dramatically short at this time of year, which make the Route des Etalons an inevitable rush as breeders try and see as many stallions as possible in a limited amount of time. It is a real shame to have to give the likes of Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre), Galiway (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) or Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) a miss, and only minor solace comes from the existence of online stallion books.
Peter Brant's Salimah (Ire) (El Kabeir), the first American starter for her Yeomanstown Stud-based sire and former 'TDN Rising Star', matched that feat with a highly impressive debut success Saturday afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs.
As skinny as 4-5 in the latter stages of the wagering, the Peter Brant runner eased out all the way to 7-5 and was 13-10 when the gates flew. Off to a hesitant beginning beneath Samy Camacho, Salimah was allowed to find a rhythm and raced with just two of her rivals behind her as they hit the first turn. Quietly ridden through the middle stages and guided out into the clear, the filly–a gray like her sire–was consigned to a four- and five-wide run on the turn and was flushed out into the seven or eight path at the top of the lane. But continuing on undaunted, Salimah leveled off beautifully down the center of the course, hit the front under a full head of steam at the furlong grounds and widened with every stride to score by a good five lengths in a time that belies the strength of the peformance.
Bred by Yeomanstown Stud out of the stakes-winning Promised Money, a mare by the nursery's stalwart stallion Dark Angel (Ire), Salimah–a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Fivethousandtoone (Ire) (Frankel {GB})–cost Brant and company 180,000gns at the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearlings Sale, easily the most expensive of 60 first-crop yearlings by El Kabeir that season. A half-sister to SW Beldale Memory (Ire) (Camacho {GB), Promised Money is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by the outstanding Lope de Vega (Ire) and a yearling filly by Invincible Army (Ire).
El Kabeir cost Zayat Stables co-salestopping $250,000 at the 2013 OBS August Yearling Sale and earned his 'Rising Star' when hosing up by 10 3/4 lengths at second asking at Saratoga in 2014. He closed his freshman campaign with a game success in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. and celebrated the turn of the calendar with a 4 3/4-length romp in the GIII Jerome S. at Aqueduct. He added a convincing score in the GIII Gotham S. and was also a good third to Frosted in the 2015 GI Wood Memorial S. His first crop to the races has now yielded 18 winners in nine jurisdictions, including Group 2 scorer Don Chicco (GB) and other stakes winner Masekela (Ire) and Sa Filonzana (Ire). El Kabeir is standing his fifth year at stud for a fee of €6,000.
10th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,150, Msw, 1-22, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:38.52, fm, 4 3/4 lengths. SALIMAH (IRE) (f, 3, El Kabeir–Promised Money {Ire} {SW-Ire, SP-Eng}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) Sales history: 180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $14,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Peter M Brant; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Chad C Brown.
