stallion | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dual Guineas Hero Cockney Rebel Passes at 17

English and Irish 2000 Guineas hero Cockney Rebel (Ire) (Val Royal {Fr}-Factice, by Known Fact) passed away on Tuesday afternoon, owner Phil Cunningham announced on Twitter. He was 17.

“It is with great sadness that I advise the death of Cockney rebel this afternoon,” Cunningham tweeted. “He gave myself, my family and all of those connected with him such great memories that I could only have ever dreamed of. The horse of a lifetime, you changed my life.”

Bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock, the March-foaled bay was a 14,286gns weanling at Tattersalls November before bringing £30,000 as a Doncaster September yearling. Put into training with Geoff Huffer, he broke his maiden at first asking in July of his juvenile year and ran second at York later that summer. Cockney Rebel signed off his 2-year-old year with a third in the G2 Champagne S., but resumed in 2007 with a victory in the G1 2000 Guineas. After winning the Irish equivalent later in May, his final start was a fifth in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot. He was retired with a mark of 6-3-1-1 and $885,544 in earnings.

Standing at the National Stud from 2008 to 2013, he moved to Haras de Saint Arnoult in France for two seasons in 2014/15 and then Haras du Thenney from 2016-2018. He returned to Great Britain in 2019 to stand at Batsford Stud and stood for £1,000 there this season. His best runner was G3 Fred Darling S. hero Redstart (GB), while he also sired French listed winner Monette (Fr), who was third in the GIII Matron S. Stateside.

The post Dual Guineas Hero Cockney Rebel Passes at 17 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Thousand Words Gets First Mare in Foal

Spendthrift Farm's MGSW Thousand Words had his first mare confirmed in foal. Covered Feb. 10, the Unbridled's Song mare Maymont scanned in foal Thursday for owners Richard and Yvette Wira at Wynnstay Farm in Winchester, KY. A $1-million KEESEP yearling, Thousand Words won graded events at age two and three. He stands for $7,500 S&N.

The post Thousand Words Gets First Mare in Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Your Horse Doesn’t Want A Card This Valentine’s Day — He Wants A Box Of Cookies

Hallway Feeds in Lexington, Ky., is helping horses find love this Valentine's Day. A family-owned business for more than 50 years, Hallway is introducing a heart-shaped box of horse feed and treats — just in time not only for the holiday, but for the opening of breeding sheds around Central Kentucky.

Hallway director of sales and marketing Anthony Koch said the boxes are a fun way for horse owners to show their horses they care, and a good introduction to Hallway's brand. It's also a timely reminder of the economic impact of the upcoming breeding season on the state, where 228 stallions will meet 17,241 mares this year.

Learn more at Hallway Feeds.

Keys To A Seamless Career Change, From Shedrow To Breeding Shed

Stallions that transition from the racetrack to the breeding shed must learn a whole new routine and lifestyle. The AQHA recently published a few tips to ease the potentially stressful transition and to keep the new stallion mentally and physically fit.

A horse that changes careers should have his feeding program evaluated to ensure he is receiving the right amount of calories for his work load. Though it may not be as physically intense as racing, a breeding career still requires adequate caloric intake to ensure horse health, which helps safeguard semen health as well.

When the stallion isn't actively breeding, his feeding program should again be evaluated and potentially reduced. An overweight stallion that is asked to breed has additional strain placed on his joints as he breeds a mare or mounts a dummy.

The way a horse behaves has a lot to do with the amount of activity the horse does and how many calories he burns off. Turnout is helpful to keep a horse mentally sound as it allows him to release tension from breeding in a less-structured program than ridden work. A horse that gets enough exercise is tractable and able to be handled both in the shed and on the ground.

A well-defined routine can be key to keeping a stallion happy and his handlers safe. Certain cues can be used to let a stallion know what's coming, whether that is turnout time or a trip to the shed; this helps him focus and gives him parameters of what is expected of him during each part of his day. The ability to separate “work” (the breeding shed) from “play” (turnout or ridden work) is important to prevent the horse from having to guess what's coming next and keeping a stallion mentally happy.