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Celtic Art Tops Tattersalls Ascot December Sale

Celtic Art (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 36) topped the Tattersalls Ascot December Sale when purchased by Tom Malone and Jeremy Scott for £39,000. The winning 4-year-old has been placed at Group 3 level and listed level during his career and he was offered by Whatcombe Stables.

Second on the leaderboard was lot 38, the 2-year-old gelding Sen Ding (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Stuart Williams snapped up the Castledillon Stud-consigned grandson of stake winner Al Ihtithar (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) for £26,000.

Of the 89 lots catalogued and 68 offered, 50 sold (74%) for a gross of £277,100. The average was £5,542 and the median was £2,450.

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McGrath to Head Up Shen You Holdings

Former Managing Director of Tony Fung Horse Investments and Aquis Farm CEO, Shane McGrath, has taken up the position of Executive Director for Shen You Holdings Limited. McGrath has been a well-established figure in the Australasian bloodstock industry for over 20 years having held senior bloodstock positions at Eliza Park, Coolmore Australia and within the Aquis Farm Group.

“I will forever be grateful for the opportunity afforded to me by the Fung Family and the Aquis Group, they always showed great faith in our selection process, and we have cherished every success along the way,” McGrath said. “Shen You Holdings have exciting plans over the coming years, and I am honoured that they have entrusted me to head the company and drive our significant investment into a truly buoyant domestic market.”

McGrath will assume his new role in the first week of January at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

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Appleby Named Flat and International Trainer of the Year

Trainer Charlie Appleby was named the 2021 British Champion Flat Trainer at the Horserace Writers & Photographers Awards (HWPA) Derby Awards at the Royal Lancaster in London on Monday evening. The 46-year-old was also named the Champion International Trainer, sponsored by the International Racing Bureau.

The retained trainer for Godolphin based at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket, Appleby celebrated 17 Group/Grade 1 victories internationally in 2021, including five British Group 1s, four QIPCO British Champions Series races and a trio of Breeders' Cup victories. The Trainers' Championship runs from New Year's Day to New Year's Eve every year, and is based on prizemoney won in that period. Currently, Apple's prizemoney is £4,888,314 through Sunday, Dec. 5 before the UK's cards began on Monday. He is £570,507 ahead of Andrew Balding.

He sent out runners to win at the highest level in Canada, France, Ireland and the United States in 2021. Some of his best winners in 2021 include G1 Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), G1 Irish Derby, G1 St Leger, and G1 Grand Prix de Paris victor Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who won a brace of juvenile Group 1s.

Appleby said, “It's huge for myself and the team at Moulton Paddocks. Most importantly, from the get-go back in 2013, we set our stall out on what we'd like to try to achieve and that was getting the success back into Godolphin and getting the big race winners on the board, while also taking on stallions and broodmares to bolster the future.

“We began growing steadily with winners and then the nicer horses started to come into the yard. Thankfully, we've been able to make the most of it. The success over the last three to four years has improved year on year after a breakthrough year in 2018 with Masar (Ire) winning the Derby and Cross Counter (Ire) winning the G1 Melbourne Cup.

“Going into the start of this season we were confident our 3-year-olds had wintered well as 2-year-olds, but like everyone in the spring you're trying to get a feeling of what you're dealing with. We felt early doors that our middle distance horses were coming to the fore and on the evidence of the trials we were very competitive. We went on to win the Derby, the Irish Derby, the King George and ended up with the St Leger on British soil, so we really did tick all the boxes.”

Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) captured the G1 British Champion Sprint S. for Appleby, who added, “I'd have to say the King George win gave us the most satisfaction this year. We were very lucky to win the Derby again, but to repeat history in terms of Adayar going on to win the King George, which hadn't been done in 20 years, that was a very proud moment for the team. A lot of people here at Moulton Paddocks took a lot of pleasure from that.”

Overall, Appleby has had 113 domestic winners, at a strike rate of 29%, and 196 places in 2021 from 389 runs.

Newmarket-based jockey Buick, retained rider for Appleby and close runner-up in this year's Flat Jockeys' Championship, said, “It's a fantastic achievement for Charlie and very well deserved. I feel very privileged to be working so closely with him and the great team at Moulton Paddocks and Godolphin. Charlie's management of his horses and team has been a pleasure to witness and his CV as a young trainer is outstanding. Many congratulations Charlie.”

Charlie's wife, Aisling, said, “As a family all five of us are very proud of Charlie and this award. He may have missed a few Pony Club meets and bath times but this makes it all worthwhile.”

Hugh Anderson, Chief Operating Officer at Godolphin (UK and Dubai) said, “Everyone at Godolphin is delighted for Charlie and very proud of his success this season. It has been a superb year for Godolphin and he has led the charge with his handling of superstars like Adayar, Hurricane Lane and Native Trail as well as his exceptional campaigning across the Atlantic and elsewhere. He fully deserves the accolade of champion trainer and now joins the greats of the sport. We couldn't be happier for him and his whole team.”

Appleby's trio of Breeders' Cup winners were: Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Mile and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Turf. That threesome joined earlier Grade I winners at Woodbine among his outstanding season of international scorers: Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Summer S., Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the GI Natalma S. and Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the GI Pattison Canadian International S.

Adrian Beaumont said, “It has been an amazing year for international racing, especially given the extra protocols caused by Covid. British based trainers have won major races in Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the States as well as throughout Europe. It is remarkable that John and Thady Gosden won the world's richest race, the Saudi Cup with Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), but didn't win our award due to Charlie Appleby's stellar season.”

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Global Views: Promoting Racing is Everyone’s Duty

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Trainee Lachlan Pethica discusses ways the industry can attract new fans.

Attracting a new and diverse audience is of paramount importance if racing's popularity is to avoid demise. This remains a topical discussion in the industry and is being acted upon across the world; however, individual participants must collaborate to ensure the ongoing success of the sport.

To an 'insider', our industry is often perceived as open and accessible, where passionate people can interact with the stars of the show both equine and human. In some respects this is true; however, to the uninitiated person, racing can undoubtedly appear opaque and uninviting. Take the paddock on race day for example; people dressed in their finery stand amongst the stars of the show, with little to no interaction with everyday racegoers. This symbolic divide represents those 'in the know' and those not so learned. Our sport's complex race card and jargon do not promote inclusion and instead have the potential to scare away newcomers. If we can expand what it means to be 'a racing person', we'll move swiftly towards a brighter future.

The term 'racing person' is to many a badge of honour and rightly so; we're all proud to be involved in this great game. We're an industry of committed and passionate people. At times, though, one must wonder if our industry is too much a coterie which appears out of bounds to others. If we can expand our horizons on what it means to be 'a racing person' and foster a greater sense of belonging, we'll be far better placed for what will be a challenging future. The more we open the door and remove the veil of secrecy and some of the barriers of entry to our sport, the sooner we open the door to a new and diverse audience.

Many in the industry have already recognised this opportunity. Take for example the Irish National Stud and its Irish Racehorse Experience, which is as awe-inducing to an 8-year-old as undoubtedly it is for a 68-year-old. The tourist attraction opened earlier this year to rave reviews, taking visitors on a journey from the birth of a foal through the sales, onto a trainer and eventually into the winner's circle. Visitors are taught about the life cycle of the horse, the incredible physiological capacity of Thoroughbreds, equipment and tack and even the history of 'the punt.' For conventional 'racing people' and the less experienced alike, this is a phenomenally enjoyable experience which is invaluable to our industry. The more touchpoints we can have with young people throughout their development and older folk alike, the better positioned we are as an industry to convert them into regular racegoers and participants.

Programmes such as the Newmarket Pony Academy help to foster an understanding of the horse, not just racing. Targeted at primary school-aged children, the programme offers a week-long experience to local schools and combines essential learning such as reading and writing with horses and their care as the principal focus. Based in the heart of the British Racing School, participants are indirectly exposed to racing, building an appreciation for both the leisure and the racing horse. The deeper the relationship with the horse, the better positioned our industry is to convert young people into racing fans. Any opportunity we can give children to learn about and enjoy horses, the better served our industry is.

The power of these initiatives is immense, but without industry buy-in their impact is limited. It is incumbent upon every industry participant to acknowledge the benefits of an open relationship with the public. The divisive undertones of our sport are harmful to our future and in changing times, we too must adapt. We should be promoting our work to the masses to humanise our industry; the rise of digital initiatives like Thoroughbred Tales is a demonstration of what can be achieved through openness and humanisation. No longer is it acceptable to be passive; every participant has a duty to promote racing to the best of their ability and foster interest. We're an industry of excitement which people from a host of backgrounds are intrigued by. To convert these people to new racegoers and participants, and retain them, we must work to avoid our parochial tendencies.

Many will point to the success of syndicates as a measure of racing's changing ways; this is undeniable. Is there enough cultural diversity among these newcomers? Changing the definition of what it means to be 'a racing person' can only serve to grow our influence in broader societal groups. No longer can we allow the status quo to stymie our future growth. It's time for racing and its participants to show their wares to a group beyond the current microcosm. Our future depends on it.

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