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Brother to Happy Power Debuts at Kempton

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday’s Insights features a full-brother to MGSW Happy Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

3.00 Kempton, Mdn, £6,300, 2yo, 7fT
MELODY OF LIFE (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) starts out in the King Power Racing silks sported by his talented full-brother Happy Power (Ire) who was successful in the recent G2 Challenge S. and G3 Supreme S. Also representing the Andrew Balding stable, this 425,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate faces 13 rivals on the Polytrack.

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From the Experts: Hubert Honore

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Emma Berry spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Hubert Honoré.

EB: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee?

HH: Sottsass (Fr), at €30,000, is very good value for what he’s done; he was a very consistent horse. Also Wooded (Ire) was a good sprinter who was very well trained and he will get a good chance. He’s not too dear at €15,000.

EB: Best value proven stallion, and why?

HH: I am a fan of Make Believe (GB). I also think Mehmas (Ire) is good value, even though he’s now standing for three times more than he was. I think he will be a hell of a horse. In the U.S., I would also mention Summer Front, a son of War Front, who gets a lot of winners for the mares he has covered.

EB: Who would you consider to be an under-the-radar stallion?

HH: Here I would name two horses who have come to France who have been elsewhere before. Dream Ahead is not a commercial stallion but he is a very consistent stallion and I like him a lot. Lawman (Fr) is also still a very interesting horse who has been quite overlooked lately. On a much smaller scale, I would also say that Stormy River (Fr) has always been a good stallion who is underrated. It is hard for a horse if he isn’t getting the best mares. In this business a horse has to be good in the first two years otherwise he gets rejected.

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Take A Good Look At The Diomed Draft

It has been quite the year for Bated Breath (GB), the Juddmonte stallion who could be all too easily overlooked against some of his more in-vogue stud mates but who nevertheless continues to provide a decent ratio of stakes winners.

One of his most reliable performers in this regard is Breathtaking Look (GB), who heads to the Tattersalls December Mare Sale (lot 1662) from Diomed Stables. Her combination of speed, class and consistency gives the 5-year-old a profile with a commercial outlook.

Of her six victories for trainer Stuart Williams and his brother-in-law Jonathan Parry, two have been Group 3 contests, at Doncaster last year and in Deauville in August, where she beat Air De Valse (Fr) in the Prix de Meautry. Her form this season has a particularly solid look to it with two runner-up finishes behind subsequent Group 1 winners Oxted (GB) and Dream Of Dreams (Ire).

“I’d be surprised if there are many mares in the catalogue whose first three dams all black-type performers and producers,” says Williams, who selected Breathtaking Look at Tattersalls as a yearling from October Book 3. “We’re excited to take her to the sale and would like to see her do well. I’m selling her as ‘in training’ as she is still here with me in training. I’d like to see her sell as a broodmare but she is sound, she has never taken a lame step, and if someone wanted to race her on they could do.”

Breathtaking Look started her racing career at three with two wins from her three starts that year. Her racing tally now stands at 18 starts, with those six wins backed up a string of placed efforts.

Recalling what he saw in her when he first viewed her in the Mickley Stud draft at Park Paddocks, Williams adds, “I just really liked her presence. She was quite big, and my brother-in-law, who we call Ralph though his name is actually Jonathan, always like to have a filly. He breeds one or two horses himself and we’ve had a few over the years that have done well. We’ve always been of the opinion that you got more of a chance if you buy a filly. The colts that turn out to be stallions are few and far between, so the plan was to buy something that would hopefully do well and then we could either breed from her or sell her. With Breathtaking Look, we knew she would want a bit of time but I just loved her outlook and, even though she was big, she was athletic.”

Parry’s red and pink silks have made numerous appearances on the racecourse aboard Williams-trained fillies, including the stakes-placed Oakley Girl (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), who sold for 925,000gns in 2017. He has retained the listed-placed Holley Shiftwell (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and another four-time winner Stellar Surprise (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}), who is out of a half-sister to Crystal Ocean (GB) and Crystal Capella (GB).

“He is retiring this year from his job so he is going to cut down on the horses a bit,” says Williams of his brother-in-law, who boards mares with James Thom of Galloway Stud, which is based at Woburn. “He’s a great guy and he has supported me well, buying two or three every year.”

While Breathtaking Look has been the star of Diomed Stables this year, some of the yard’s former residents have also been making names for themselves from the paddocks in 2020, including the dams of two Classic winners Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Dream And Do (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

Venetias Dream (Ire) (Librettist) produced the latter, who won the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in June before being sold to Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm.

Williams recalls, “Barry Root bought an old mare and had her at Old Mill Stud with my stepfather David. She was carrying an Oasis Dream (GB) foal at the time and we trained her [Dreamacha (GB)] for Barry. She won quite a few races, was rated 90, and we took her to Germany and just missed out on some black type with her. Then he sent the mare to Librettist and she produced Venetias Dream. I couldn’t keep her sound but I managed to get her to the track about four or five times and she ended up being rated about 52. She was sold for minimum bid at one of the sales to go to Libya, but her dam had quite a good back page and her sister then produced [treble Group 1-winning miler] Charm Spirit (Ire), so one of the agents went and bought Venetias Dream back from Libya, put her in foal to Siyouni, and sold her on. And her first foal is now a Classic winner.”

In the case of Pikaboo (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the dam of Love, she was bought by David Redvers for 20,000gns after making two starts for John Gosden.

“David and I have been friends for years and he would always have a leg of something with me, me. and I’d have something with him. When he bought Pikaboo, he handed me the ticket and said ‘have a leg and win a race with her and we’ll breed from her’. I completely failed to win a race with her. Third at Southwell was the best I could do. So we retired her and covered her with Ishiguru. That filly made 40,000gns at the breeze-ups and won a couple of races. Then the mare went to Sleeping Indian (GB). The next one was by Lucky Story, all David’s stallions obviously, and she was quite a nice filly, turned out a touch in front but a good-bodied filly. George Margarson bought her as a yearling and that was Lucky Kristale (GB).”

Following his introduction to Sheikh Fahad, Redvers sold a number of mares he owned in partnership to focus on the burgeoning Qatar Bloodstock empire. Thus, before Lucky Kristale had taken to the track and won two Group 2 races as a juvenile, her dam had gone to the sales the previous December, where Pikaboo sold for 50,000gns to Paul Venner. Her subsequent private sale to Coolmore would have been for many multiples of that.

And Willliams also has first-hand knowledge of another of the mares in the sale this year, Shena’s Dream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 1602). She has her own tale of sales high and lows and is now better known as the dam of another Lowther S. winner, Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}).

“Gordon Thom picked her out at the December Sale. She had won four races for William Haggas and we decided to buy her to try to get some black type,” Williams says. She was a really strong, good-looking filly and we ran her in the good fillies’ handicap during the Victoria Cup meeting at Ascot. Unfortunately she reared up in the stalls and hit her head and just had a bad experience. We had already covered her with Sepoy (Aus) by then so she was retired to stud.”

He adds with a laugh, “I’m not sure it’s a good selling point-send me your filly and if she doesn’t win a race at least she will breed a Group winner!’

It may well persuade breeders to make close inspection of the five-strong draft heading to Tattersalls from Diomed Stables, but as Breathtaking Look and so many before her have shown, Williams is more than capable of training winners.

The post Take A Good Look At The Diomed Draft appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Almond Eye Claims Second Japan Cup in Triple Crown Trifecta

The 2020 G1 Japan Cup delivered on its billing as primarily a three-way battle between 2018 Fillies’ Triple Crown Winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and this year’s undefeated pair of Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and 2020 Fillies’ Triple Crown victress Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). The 2400-metre contest went to Silk Racing’s 2018 Horse of the Year duly saluting as the 6-5 favourite over second choice Contrail at 9-5. Daring Tact narrowly secured third place as the 5-2 third pick.

When the gates opened, Almond Eye was away in good order from stall two and pilot Christophe Lemaire positioned the star mare near the rails in a stalking fourth as 2017 G1 Japanese St Leger hero Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) took up his preferred position on the engine. Daring Tact settled a few lengths off Almond Eye in seventh, while Contrail was farther back in ninth. Kiseki quickly opened up a 20-length advantage on the rest of the field, covering the first 1000 metres in a swift :57.90 and getting the mile in 1:33.10.

It appeared for a handful of strides that Kiseki had perhaps poached too great of an advantage a quarter mile from home, but that was an illusion, as the sharp fractions began to viably wear on the frontrunner almost immediately thereafter. Almond Eye was letting down with authority and she set her sights on 2019 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase victor Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was gaining on Kiseki with every stride. Out in the middle of the course, Contrail was making his patented run, as was Daring Tact a few paths toward the inside, with last year’s runner-up Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also in the mix.

Almond Eye gained the lead at the 150-metre mark, and asserted from there to withstand the withering late burst from Contrail by 1 1/4 lengths in her career finale. Only a neck separated the 2020 Triple Crown winners, with Daring Tact a nose to the good of fourth-place Curren Bouquetd’or. She in turn was only a neck in front of Glory Vase. The brave pacesetter Kiseki faded to eighth. European raider Way To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {Jpn}), a winner of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and reluctant to load on Sunday, was outrun for the majority of the contest, but passed some tiring rivals to finish 10th.

“Since this was her final start, it was very special for me and I’m thrilled we were able to win,” said Lemaire. “After winning the Victoria Mile in the spring, we had three weeks to get her prepared for the Yasuda Kinen in which she was second. She had an extra week this time and was tuned up beautifully. She was relaxed in the gate, broke smoothly and was able to sit in a good position. The turf condition near the rails was much better than last week so I don’t think the inner draw was a problem. The pace was just right for her and she responded well in the stretch. The others closing in on us didn’t worry me at all. Almond Eye is a perfect mare and doesn’t have any weak points. Her career as a race horse ended today but I look forward to riding her children.”

Added trainer Sakae Kunieda on Almond Eye who was winning her eighth JRA Group 1 and ninth overall, “She looked good since arriving at the racecourse–she has definitely matured mentally. We were worried about the rough going near the rails, but Christophe did a good job in finding a good path. The pace was ideal for Almond Eye and her response was totally different from that in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Since expectations of an eighth Group 1 title were enormous in her last Tenno Sho start, we did feel pressure but today, all we wanted was for her to come back safe and sound. The victory is such a bonus, we couldn’t be happier. She has given us so much excitement and joy and it has been fulfilling to be a part of her career. It would be great if I could be involved in training her colt or filly someday.”

Second in a newcomers’ race in August of 2017, she rattled off seven straight wins afterward, encompassing a maiden that October, before a score in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen to open her 3-year-old year. After winning the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown, Almond Eye saluted in her first Japan Cup in November of 2018 and was named the Japanese Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She took her show on the road with a win in the G1 Dubai Turf in 2019, before a shock third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June of 2019. Back on top in the first of two G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) wins, the bay was unplaced in the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama last December. First in the May 17 G1 Victoria Mile, Almond Eye was second in the Yasuda Kinen locally in June.

A winner of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last out, Almond Eye became the first JRA horse to capture eight Group 1 races over turf with that race. Adding in the spoils of her second Japan Cup victory, Almond Eye retires with a mark of 15-11-2-1 and ¥1,915,263,900 (US$18,393,937/£13,819,626/€15,374,801) in earnings, becoming the richest runner in JRA history. Breeding plans have not been decided.

Pedigree Notes

One of four Group 1 winners and 23 total black-type winners for her sire, Almond Eye is a member of her sire’s first crop. Fusaichi Pandora has produced 10 foals so far, with eight winners from eight runners. Besides Almond Eye, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup bridemaid’s next most decorated offspring would be the Listed Anemone S. third Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), while her latest is a juvenile by Rulership (Jpn).

Almond Eye’s second dam is an unraced Nureyev half-sister to champions and successful sires El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer) and Try My Best (Northern Dancer), as well as Irish highweight Solar (Halo). The quartet are out of blue hen Sex Appeal (Buckpasser), herself a half-sister to Malinowski (Sir Ivor), GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom {Fr}), and GSW Monroe (Sir Ivor).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
JAPAN CUP-G1, ¥574,620,000 (US$5,519,130/£4,146,327/€4,613,255), Tokyo, 11-29, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:23.00, fm.
1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 121, m, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) MSW & G1SP-Jpn,
                                $3,264,457, by Sunday Silence
                2nd Dam: Lotta Lace, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Sakae Kunieda;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥303,234,000. Lifetime Record:
HotY-Jpn, Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, Filly Triple Crown-Jpn, Hwt. Older
Mare-UAE, MG1SW-Jpn, G1SW-UAE, 15-11-2-1,
¥1,915,263,900. *1/2 to Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), SP-Jpn,
$290,564. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Contrail (Jpn), 121, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Rhodochrosite,
by Unbridled’s Song. O-Shinji Maeda; B-North Hills (Jpn);
¥120,924,000.
3–Daring Tact (Jpn), 117, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Daring Bird
(Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). (¥12,000,000 Ylg ’18
JRHAJUL). O-Normandy Thoroughbred Racing; B-Hasegawa
Farm (Jpn); ¥75,462,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, NO. Odds: 1.20, 1.80, 2.70.
Also Ran: Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn), Glory Vase (Jpn), World Premiere (Jpn), Mikki Swallow (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Makahiki (Jpn), Way to Paris (GB), Perform a Promise (Jpn), You Can Smile (Jpn), Crescendo Love (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Yoshio (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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