Godolphin Runner To Make His ‘Point’ In Man o’ War

The late Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}) carried the Godolphin blue to victory in the GI Man o' War S. at Belmont Park fully 25 years ago and it didn't take long for the Dubai-based operation to strike again, as the outstanding Fantastic Light (Rahy) followed suit just two years later.Both stars would go on to prove victorious in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in 1999 and 2001, respectively. No one will confuse Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with either of those luminaries, but the homebred bay should jump favored to provide his incredible sire and trainer Charlie Appleby with yet another elite-level winner on these shores.

Campaigned exclusively over 10 furlongs and beyond in his eight starts to date, the 4-year-old earned his first black-type success in the Listed Floodlit S. (2400m) over the Kempton all-weather last Halloween and has had his passport stamped in a couple of exotic ports of call in the Middle East so far this term. An easy three-length winner of the Listed Crown Prince's Cup over 10 furlongs in Bahrain Feb. 3 (see below), Warren Point was last seen finishing a bang-up second in the valuable Listed HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar just 15 days later (video, SC 6). Fifth that afternoon was Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who returned to win the G2 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night Mar. 25.

“He's a horse that can latch on. I'm happy for him to take the lead, but he is versatile,” Appleby said. “If you pop him in front, he'll prick his ears and go. But I'd rather give him a target than for him to be the target.”

Frankie Dettori, fresh off his win in last weekend's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, has the call.

 

WATCH: Warren Point wins the Crown Prince's Cup in Bahrain

 

Four of Saturday's seven other entrants emerge from Keeneland's GIII Elkhorn S. Apr. 22, where Verstappen (War Front) got just the better of Red Knight (Pure Prize), but Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) can pick up a big chunk of this on his 5-year-old debut. Having chased home Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the 2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, he was a good third in last year's GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. and races for the first time since finishing down the field in the GII Red Smith S. back in November.

The afternoon's co-featured GIII Peter Pan S. is led by 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), who defeated next-out 'Rising Star', subsequent GSW and GI Preakness S.-bound First Mission (Street Sense) on debut Feb. 18 and proved ultra-game in annexing his first start around two turns in a Mar. 19 allowance in New Orleans. Dettori rides Mine That Bird Derby romper Henry Q (Blame) for Doug O'Neill, while Listed Al Bastakiya S. hero Go Soldier Go (Tapiture) makes his first U.S. for Todd Pletcher. He was a latest well-beaten fifth in the G2 UAE Derby on World Cup night, but the track was likely against him on that occasion.

 

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Brocklesby the First Test for British Juveniles

Saturday may be April Fools' Day but there will be no fool's errand for the 17 juveniles charged with getting their racing careers off to a bright start in Britain's traditional turf season opener, the Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby S.

Love it or loathe it, the Brocklesby carries with it that great sigh of relief from Flat fans that winter is at last over and 'proper racing' can now commence. For the men and women behind the stallions with their first runners this season, it is also an important marker, and four of the 17 runners this year represent three freshman sires.

Magna Grecia (Ire) drew first blood in the first-season sires' title race of 2023 when the Amy Murphy-trained Myconian (Ire) won the Prix du Debut at Saint-Cloud. The 2019 2,000 Guineas winner, whose half-brother St Mark's Basilica (Fr) has since followed him to the Coolmore stallion yard, also features among the sires of the Brocklesby runners, with the Andrew Balding-trained Loaded Gun (Ire) high up in the betting at Doncaster. A half-brother to the dual sprint winner Another Bertie (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Loaded Gun was bred by Khalid Mishref and Joe Hernon, and is a son of the Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare Temerity (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), won won over seven furlongs at two.

Karl Burke enjoys plenty of success with his juveniles and is represented by Indication Call (Ire), a son of Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB), who has had two runners to date in Ireland including Friday's Dundalk runner-up Lightening Army (Ire). Bred by Mcr Bloodstock, Indication Call hails from a family that the trainer knows well, as his dam Queen Elsa (Ire) is a Frozen Power (Ire) half-sister to the Burke-trained G2 Mill Reef S. winner Toocoolforschool (Ire), who is by Soldier's Call's sire Showcasing (GB).

Eyeros (Ire), trained by Stan Moore and bred by Gleann Ard Stud, is another by Soldier's Call in the field and is out of the unraced Aga Khan-bred mare Tildiyna (Ire) (Sinner {Ire}), a grand-daughter of Timarida (Ire) (Kalaglow {Ire}), the winner of three Group 1 races in Ireland, America and Germany, including the Irish Champion S.

Dave Evans will saddle Go To Work (Ire), bred by Tally-Ho Stud, which is also home to his sire Inns Of Court (Ire). The gelding is out of the New Approach (Ire) mare Forgiving Flower (GB), a half-sister to Japanese Grade 3 winner Live Concert (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) and to the Listed winner Charleston Lady (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}).

Tally-Ho Stud is also now home to last year's Brocklesby winner, Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who went on to win the G2 July S. and finish runner-up to Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G1 Prix Morny for Amo Racing. The 2021 winner Chipotle (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) also proved to be a smart and hardy campaigner, winning four times at two for Eve Johnson Houghton, including at Royal Ascot, while arguably the smartest recent winner of them all was The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), whose busy juvenile campaign of 2016 culminated in victory in the G1 Middle Park S.

Amo Racing also has the favourite for this year's contest in the Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt Valadero (Ire). A €250,000 yearling bred by the Irish National Stud, Valadero is trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis.

“Persian Force was obviously an incredibly special horse who was verging on Group 1 standard,” said Tom Pennington, Amo's racing and operations manager. “Valadero is a very nice colt who has been very straightforward to deal with and his work's been good. I wouldn't say we're confident, but he does go there in very good shape.”

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Blue Point 2-1 Favourite To Land First-Season Sire Honours

Blue Point (Ire) has been installed as the 2-1 favourite to be crowned leading first-season Flat sire in Britain and Ireland by Paddy Power.

Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) has been inserted at 5-2 next best in the betting while Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns (Ire) has been quoted at odds of 3-1. Tally-Ho Stud, responsible for two of the past three champion first-season sires Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB), are represented by 4-1 chance Inns Of Court (Ire). It's 10-1 the field.

Blue Point stands at Kildangan Stud for €35,000 having started off on a fee of €45,000 in 2020. The son of Shamardal was a smart 2-year-old, as he showed when winning the G2 Gimcrack S., but he progressed with age and landed the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. in the same week at Royal Ascot as a 5-year-old.

Of the 64 yearlings by Blue Point to sell at public auction last season, they averaged just over €100,000, and included a €420,000 filly bought by MV Magnier from Mountain View Stud at the Goffs Orby Sale.

Soldier's Call has been hotly-tipped to get off to a fast start with his juvenile runners this year. A speedball of a 2-year-old himself, Soldier's Call won the Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot, and the G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster before running an excellent third, beaten just a neck against hardened sprinters, in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye at ParisLongchamp.

Speaking to TDN Europe at the recent Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail, Ballyhane boss Joe Foley nominated two juveniles to follow from the stallion who stands for €7,5000 at the County Carlow outfit.

Foley said, “We're proud to have Soldier's Call. We're happy with him and we're looking forward to seeing his progeny race and I am sure every other stallion man is looking forward to their stallion's progeny race as well. All will be revealed at the end of the year.”

“There is a colt out of Alicia Darcy (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who was a good race filly, and he has gone to Karl Burke. He's beautiful and everybody loves him. He's one we'd be keen on.”

He added, “There's a colt out of Rush (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), who Kevin Blake bred, who we bought at Doncaster for £105,000. He's a really good-looking, chunky 2-year-old and everyone loves him as well. He's gone to Archie Watson. They'd be the two I'd pick but I'm sure I've missed the best one.”

Invincible Army (Ire) was subject to similarly bullish reports on the Stallion Trail, with Rob O'Callaghan saying that he had every confidence in the Yeomanstown-based sire this year. However, Paddy Power have largely ignored Invincible Army's claims by pricing him up at 25-1.

O'Callaghan said, “We're very confident with Invincible Army. He's got great stock coming through and has a lot going for him with over 130 2-year-olds this year. They are well-bred horses and they've got the strength, the action and they have gone to the right homes as well. Karl Burke, Richard Hannon, Ger Lyons, Richard Fahey and Clive Cox have all bought yearlings by him and he's got as good a chance of any of the first-season sires to make a big impression this year. You've got to remember that he was a top-class racehorse and was a group winner at two, three and four.”

Too Darn Hot, the unbeaten and champion 2-year-old in 2018, who won the G1 Dewhurst S. for John Gosden, can also be backed at double-figure odds with Paddy Power offering 14-1. If there is a lurker in the betting, it may well be Highclere Stud's Land Force at odds of 10-1, whose yearlings sold well last year.

Not only did Shadwell pick up a couple of fillies by the impeccably-bred G2 Richmond S. winner from Book 2 at Newmarket, but Richard Knight also paid 180,000gns for a colt out of Book 1 by the stallion who averaged over €30,000 with his yearlings last year.

Paddy Power are clearly erring on the side of caution with the 4-1 quoted about Inns Of Court, and rightly so, given Tally-Ho's track record in this sphere.

The son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), who stands at €5,000, went down well at the yearling sales last year, averaging just over €30,000 for the 116 that were sold.

Paul Binfield, spokesman for the betting firm, said, “It's a little early to say where the money's going as we've only just priced it up, but it will be fascinating to find out which of the sires attract interest.

“We price it up on which yard the horse came from, their stud fee-trying to get the right mix between quality and price, the number of mares covered and also the sire's pedigree themselves.

“We've installed Blue Point as the favourite this year as Godolphin are renowned for farming their own horses so our traders felt that he was the right choice to head the market, but as I mentioned earlier, let's see where that money goes.”

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‘Blackbeard The One They Want To See’ – Young Sires Drive Stallion Trail Crowd

Whether it was Bayside Boy (Ire) at Ballylinch, Minzaal (Ire) at Derrinstown or King Of Change (GB) and Dubawi Legend (Ire) at Starfield, one of the main takeaways from this year's Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail was that the pedigree buffs and bloodstock fans love nothing more than getting a glimpse at the new stallions this country has to offer. 

“Don't dream of putting a picture of that lad up on Twitter otherwise I'll have Eddie O'Leary tweeting that it's not the only pig down in Ballyhane,” – Joe Foley.

Few young sires generated as much chat as Blackbeard (Ire), who will embark on his stallion career with Coolmore Stud at €25,000 and a lofty reputation to match that fee, being a dual Group 1-winning juvenile by No Nay Never.

If you hadn't been aware of Blackbeard's antics before his races last season, you could be forgiven for thinking he was a model pupil as he stood quietly in his stable while Coolmore's Mark Byrne explained how the majority of the 1,000 visitors to the stud on Friday and Saturday came to see the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner.

Byrne said, “Blackbeard is the horse that everyone wants to see. We've been open to the public today and yesterday and, of the 1,000 or so people who have visited us, most of them were particularly keen to see Blackbeard. He almost had a cult following on the track and it's easy to see why-he's a beautiful-looking horse, was an expensive foal, has a great walk and an excellent race record and pedigree. 

“It's a really important thing for every stud in the world to keep new stallions on the roster and thankfully we've got an exciting young sire by No Nay Never who I think is going to prove to be really good value.”

He added, “It's not only been Irish visitors over the past two days, we've also welcomed a lot of French and English people. It's kudos to everyone involved in the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail as it provided everyone a chance to get out and see these horses over the course of two days. A lot of business will be generated from the Trail, even if it is not carried out over the two days, as we had a lot of breeders here on the Trail. You also have people who are lifelong fans of different horses so they get the chance to meet their heroes as such. It's lovely to be a part of that.”

With one of the leading sires in Europe, a new Group 1-winning stallion prospect to add to the roster for 2023 and one of the best lunches going on the entire trail, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to see parking spaces at a premium at Ballylinch Stud. 

Similarly to what Byrne reported at Coolmore, Ballylinch was abuzz with the majority of the visitors keen to cast their eye over Bayside Boy, who Bloodstock and Nominations manager Eoin Fives revealed to be going down a bomb with breeders. 

He said, “We've been seeing the footfall here ever since we announced Bayside Boy. We've been mad busy showing the stallions here but in particular with Bayside Boy. Everyone is keen to see him. He has been very popular. We set aside a certain amount of shares to be sold and they have all gone. We've already got over 100 mares booked into him so we are delighted with where he is. We envisage him covering a nice big book. He will cover 15 of our best mares this year which will ensure he will get off to the best possible start.”

Fives added, “We've had a good mixture of people here over the past two days. There have been shareholders in stallions who are very tied into the Ballylinch model and we've sold nominations here today and yesterday as well. A lot of people have just come to see the stallions and it's great to have everyone and even better to have people engaging with this part of the industry because I suppose the breeding side of things can be a little bit esoteric for a lot of people.”

If bloodstock poses as a riddle wrapped into a mystery for some people, a trip down to Ballyhane Stud might do more harm than good, as the first beast to hog the limelight is not Dandy Man (Ire) or the up-and-coming Soldier's Call (GB), but a pig the size of a small car. 

“Don't dream of putting a picture of that lad up on Twitter otherwise I'll have Eddie O'Leary tweeting that it's not the only pig down in Ballyhane,” Joe Foley says, only half-joking. Of course, his request falls on deaf ears. 

The pig, who happens to be Dandy Man's best friend, set a high bar in terms of entertainment but the five stallions on the rock-solid Ballyhane roster for 2023 stole the show, in particular Soldier's Call. 

It was on Friday when the TDN Europe team visited Yeomanstown Stud, where Rob O'Callagahan was bullish about Invincible Army (Ire)'s claims for first-season sire honours, but Foley described himself as extremely happy with his own dog in that particular fight. 

He said, “We have the old stalwart Dandy Man, who has been such a friend to us down through the years, and he was the champion sire of sprinters in Europe yet again last year, as he was the year before. He's the pillar of our team here. We've got four younger horses here including Elzaam (Aus), who is doing great, and then the three younger horses–Soldier's Call, Sands Of Mali (Fr) and Space Traveller (GB).”

Foley added, “Soldier's Call has his first crop of 2-year-olds this year and we are very hopeful about them. He was a very fast horse himself and his stock looks to be very fast as well. We've got a bunch of them in pre-training and they are going really well. The first foals by Sands Of Mali were very well-received last autumn and the new recruit, Space Traveller, is the highest-rated Bated Breath (GB) and is out of a Galileo (Ire) mare who is out of a Kingmambo mare and is from a great family. He's a beautiful horse and has been wowing the crowds who have been here today and yesterday.”

Just a few fields away from Foley's Ballyhane base stands Jukebox Jury (Ire), Fascinating Rock (Ire) and Sea Moon (Ire) at Burgage Stud. All three have been making waves with their National Hunt runners, none more so than the Irish St Leger winner Jukebox Jury, who could have a big year ahead of him with his first Irish 4-year-olds set to run between the flags and under rules. 

Ger O'Neill's Castlefield Stud is a further 10 minutes away and offers a trio of accessible stallions for National Hunt and Flat breeders. Australian Group 1 winner Mirage Dancer (GB), who boasts a good Juddmonte pedigree, catches the eye and is joined by fellow National Hunt stallion Hunting Horn (Ire), best known for his Hampton Court success at Royal Ascot for Aidan O'Brien. 

But Alkumait (GB) could be the ace in the Castlefield Stud pack. A son of Showcasing, he confirmed himself a high-class 2-year-old when winning the Mill Reef S. and, being a half-brother to leading 2000 Guineas hope Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), his pedigree could be in lights later this spring.

Part owner of Alkumait, Jerry Horan, said, “The Stallion Trail was the bee's knees and it was noticeable how many people travelled over from England and even further afield. The Stallion Trail has become a date in people's diary. The team at Castlefield did a great job and the stallions looked fantastic. Alkumait was late coming to Castlefield last year because he wasn't long out of training when we got him but he has let down into a fine stallion now. It's lucky for the Alkumait syndicate that the Chaldean came along and, more recently, the half-sister made 1,000,000gns at the foal sales so the future is bright. It's a proper pedigree and we're very excited by him.”

Three stallions who caught the eye on the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail in 2023

First things first, like every good Irish wedding, let's acknowledge those who couldn't be with us, or in this case, those we didn't get to see. Of the 35 studs who opened their doors to the public, the TDN Europe team got to visit 11, and here are a few observations from those studs. 

Ghaiyyath (Ire). A beast. One look at Ghaiyyath and it's easy to see why his foals sold so well last autumn. A top-class racehorse, he has all the right attributes to make it as a stallion and one would venture that the team at Kildangan Stud are quietly optimistic about the future with this fellow. Although we didn't get the ruler out, Ghaiyyath could conceivably be 17hh, which is funny given he is a son of Dubawi (Ire) and his dam was the diminutive Nightime (Ire). Fellow Kildangan-based sire Earthlight (Ire) also catches the eye. A flashy chestnut, he boasts pure unadulterated power and adds to what is a strong roster at Kildangan Stud. 

Space Traveller. A horse who wasn't on the radar prior to visiting Ballyhane Stud, Space Traveller deserves consideration for his walk alone. The G3 Jersey S. and G2 Boomerang S. winner walks for fun and should be a big hit with breeders if passing that on to his stock. Fellow Ballyhane resident Soldier's Call does exactly what he says on the tin and should get fast horses which would stand him in good stead with a view towards the first-season sire championship. 

Jukebox Jury. If he's good enough for Colin Tizzard and John Nallen, who are understood to be big fans of the stallion, then Burgage Stud's Jukebox Jury is likely to make waves this year with his first crop of Irish 4-year-olds. To his credit, he has already made a splash with his runners thus far but the best should be yet to come from the Irish St Leger-winning stallion. Mirage Dancer is another interesting National Hunt sire and ticks a lot of boxes standing for just €3,500 at Castlefield Stud.

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