‘Not Always Dark At Five O’Clock’ – Coolmore Excited By Bright Additions

Coolmore Stud's Mark Byrne has acknowledged that many breeders will be in two minds about covering their mares after what he described as one of the most “unusual” years of trade in 2023 but but encouraged supporters of the stud to retain the faith by saying “it's not always dark at five o'clock.”

Byrne was speaking during the Irish Stallion Trail where visitors to Coolmore got a chance to see newbies Paddington (GB), Little Big Bear (Ire) and The Antarctic (Ire). Parallels were drawn between the quandary facing breeders in 2024 to that of the Covid year of 2020 with Byrne keen to point out that many people were rewarded for their resilience at the yearling sales in 2022.

The polarisation of the market in 2023 was one of the main talking points at almost every sale be it yearlings, breeding stock or even National Hunt. Byrne agreed that 2023 presented challenges but took several positives from last year's trade and says he is looking forward to working with breeders for the upcoming season. 

He said, “There are several ways to look back on last year's market. It was tough. Nobody is doubting it was tough. But it was tough in every aspect–tough for people selling horses but also tough for people buying horses as well. We tried to acquire stallions, yearlings, mares, you name it, and it was still very hard to buy them so there is still a lot of money in the market. It was just so competitive to buy the nicer horses. In that respect, the market was so unusual. I've never seen it so strong at the top and then it falls away rather steeply. I know it's a word we keep hearing a lot but things have become very polarised. 

“Nobody outlays more money in the game than stallion masters do. They put so much up to buy these stallions and they have to make it work. Everyone wants it to work and there's no point in saying the stallion masters charge too much or that the mares aren't good enough. We're all in this together and we have to make it work as a collective. I was looking at some of the figures at the end of last year and on paper it was probably the second best year of all time for turnover, just behind the best year we ever had, which was in 2023.”

Byrne added, “Breeders have to keep going. What's the alternative? If you stop you won't have a product to bring to the sales. But this is an important year for them and now more so than ever breeders will need to steady the ship and use the good stallions that they can afford. There's always an element of risk involved but you don't overstretch that risk by leaving yourself exposed by using a stallion you can't afford. 

“I can remember March and April when Covid just broke out. We were wondering whether or not we'd be able to cover mares in 2020. There was a bit of a pullback but people eventually decided to cover their mares. The 2022 yearling sale season was one of the best I ever attended so, the people who decided to pull up during Covid, they might have been left ruing that decision in 2022. I think there are similarities with the dilemma some people are faced with this season in light of the market last year but who's to say what's happening today will be happening tomorrow? It's not always dark at five o'clock.”

Coolmore will be hoping that Paddington can prove something of a beacon of light at €55,000 to breeders. The four-time Group 1 winner is the third top-class son of Siyouni (Fr) to retire to Coolmore in recent years and Byrne says he is confident that the brilliant Irish 2,000 Guineas, Sussex, St James's Palace and Coral-Eclipse winner has all of the right ingredients to be a hit.

He said, “Anyone who sees Paddington will agree that he is a beautiful horse. He is also a hardy horse given he won four Group 1s in the space of just 68 days. He won the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Coral-Eclipse, the St James's Palace and the Sussex Stakes. Horses such as Kingman (GB), Frankel (GB), Giant's Causeway and Sadler's Wells, they all came close to doing something similar but Paddington is the only one to have been able to do that as a three-year-old. I think that's a massive testament to him as well. 

“Bought by Laurent Benoit on behalf of Coolmore for €420,000 at Arqana, Paddington hails from a lovely Wildenstein family. I think there are loads of good ingredients there for him to be a success and, of course, he is by Siyouni. He is our third son of Siyouni to stand here at Coolmore and the two others [St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and Sottsass (Fr)] are world champions. That bodes well for Paddington.” 

Byrne added, “He's going to be very well-supported and Monceaux has committed a strong selection of mares to him. He was obviously raised by Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux farm in France. A lot of the top breeders in Britain and Ireland are also keen to row in behind him and give him the support that he deserves.”

While Paddington proved himself at the highest level over a mile and a mile-and-a-quarter, Little Big Bear was devilishly-quick and represents something altogether different at €27,500. The European Champion Two-Year-Old put in arguably one of the most memorable performances posted by any juvenile in recent years when romping to a seven-length success in the G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh and he clearly has the looks to match that ability.

Little Big Bear is another beautiful horse,” Byrne said. “I remember when he sold at Deauville he was the talk of the sale and I actually thought he'd make a lot more than €320,000. He went on to become the European Champion Two-Year-Old and got a rating of 124 which is a freakish rating. But then again, he produced a freakish performance in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes where he was seven lengths clear of his rivals. He was just a phenomenal racehorse and won four times as a juvenile at a combined aggregate of 15 lengths.

“Anyone who comes to see him won't be disappointed as he has size, strength, scope and a lot of quality. Pedigree-wise, he's very well-bred as well. You'd have to think at €27,500, he'll be on a lot of people's lists.”

The Antarctic, a full-brother to the Champion Sprinter Baattash (Ire), will appeal to plenty of smaller breeders at €6,000 and he completes the trio of newbies with Byrne stressing the importance for fresh blood at a stud of Coolmore's status.

He said, “The Antarctic is another interesting horse and is the most expensive colt by Dark Angel (Ie) ever sold at 750,000gns. He won the Lacken Stakes, which Caravaggio and Sioux Nation also won, but The Antarctic won it in record time. He's incredibly well-bred and is a full-brother to Baataash, who we all knew so well. It's a story that every Irish breeder knows and loves with the dam, Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), being bought inexpensively by Paul McCartan and going on to produce brilliant horses like Baattash and The Antarctic, not to mention her latest two yearlings through the ring making a combined 3.3 million gns.

“When you talk about being commercial, this guy was fast, good-looking and has a great pedigree. I think he'll be very popular for breeders who are looking for a bit of value. One thing I've noticed is that he is quite similar to Havana Grey (GB). 

“Havana Grey is out of a Dark Angel mare and this guy is by Dark Angel. They were both rated 113 and have similar enough race profiles as they placed in the Prix Morny. They're not too dissimilar.”

On keeping things fresh with the new blood at Coolmore, Byrne concluded, “It's like a Premier League football team. You need to keep buying new players and freshen up the roster with new talent every year. This is a fast-moving industry and, as a stud, we need proven stallions, stallions who are about to have their first runners and are just getting going, then you have the stallions in between and also the fresh blood coming through. You don't know where the next Sadler's Wells or No Nay Never is going to come from.”

 

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Wootton Bassett up to €200,000; Paddington to Stand at €55,000

Coolmore has introduced three new names to its Irish roster for next year with Paddington (GB) heading the list of newcomers at €55,000. The son of Siyouni (Fr) won six of his eight races this year, including four Group 1 victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace, Eclipse, and Sussex S.

Little Big Bear (Ire), winner of the G1 Phoenix S. at two followed by the G2 Sandy Lane S. this year before finishing runner-up in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, will stand for €27,500. The Antarctic (Ire), a dual Group 3-winning brother to Battaash (Ire), joins Castle Hyde Stud at €6,000.

Of the current Coolmore residents, Wootton Bassett (GB), who covered 218 mares this year, leads the field at €200,000, up from €150,000 in 2023. He was represented with a new Grade I winner at the Breeders' Cup by Unquestionable (Fr) in the Juvenile Turf. His other top-level winners this year include King Of Steel and Bucanero Fuerte (Fr).

No Nay Never, who stood at €175,000 in 2023, is advertised at €150,000 for next season. He stands alongside four of his sons on the roster: Arizona (Ire) (€5,000), Blackbeard (Ire) (€20,000), Little Big Bear, as above, and Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (€17,500).

The European champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr) will have his first foals for sale from later this month and his fee has been trimmed to €50,000. He has stood at €65,000 in his first two seasons at stud. Another son of Siyouni, the Arc winner Sottsass (Fr), will have his first runners on the track next year and will remain at €25,000.

Coolmore's David O'Loughlin told TDN Europe, “We're delighted to have three new exciting prospects for the coming season in the shape of Siyouni's brilliant son Paddington, No Nay Never's European champion 2-year-old Little Big Bear and Battaash's well-performed own-brother The Antarctic. Many of our stallions have enjoyed fantastic seasons but, in line with prevailing market conditions, we've decreased the fees of 10 of the 18 which remain on the roster from last year.”

A decision on whether Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) remains in training next year at four or retires to stud will be made next week.

The full list of Coolmore fees for 2024:

Arizona (Ire) €5,000
Australia (GB) €17,500
Blackbeard (Ire) €20,000
Calyx (GB) €12,500
Camelot (GB) €50,000
Churchill (Ire) €30,000
Footstepsinthesand (GB) €8,000
Gleneagles €17,500
Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) €8,000
Little Big Bear (Ire) €27,500
Magna Grecia (Ire) €10,000
No Nay Never €150,000
Paddington (GB) €55,000
Saxon Warrior (Jpn) €25,000
Sioux Nation €27,500
Sottsass (Fr) €25,000
St Mark's Basilica (Fr) €50,000
Starspangledbanner (Aus) €45,000
Ten Sovereigns (Ire) €17,500
The Antarctic (Ire) €6,000
Wootton Bassett (GB) €200,000

 

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Naas Sunday: Sprinters Warm Up for Royal Ascot

by Tom Frary

Sunday's card at Naas sees some of the leading Irish sprinters build towards next month's Royal meeting, with the six-furlong G3 Goffs Lacken S. the feature. There was no mistaking the authority of the filly Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in Navan's Listed Committed S. last month and although that was on heavy ground, she hails from the Jessie Harrington stable carrying all before it at the moment. Saturday's Listed Carnarvon S. placegetter Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the re-opposing The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) were left behind as she opened up in the style of a group 1 performer G1 Middle Park S. runner-up and it may be that Shane Foley has finally found the key to her.

River Tiber Lined Up For Coventry Prep…
Royal Ascot's juvenile contests should take more shape after the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. and opening Coolmore Stud Calyx Race, with the latter race hosting Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Stars Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never) and River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the line-up. Ryan Moore is booked for River Tiber, who did something out of the ordinary even for his yard's juveniles when scoring by 10 lengths on debut at Navan last month. In the Sprint S., Team Valor International and Gary Barber's acquisition Ribchestina (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) makes her debut for the Paddy Twomey stable, having scored on her introduction for Sheila Lavery here last month.

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You’re ‘Verry’ Welcome

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly set the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup heroine apart.

Last in the winner's enclosure at Randwick six months ago after the Chipping Norton S., Jomara Bloodstock's 7-year-old has several formlines to suggest she can deal with this transition. There is a strong contender lying in wait in Robert Moran's June 8 G3 Munster Oaks and July 7 G3 Stanerra S. winner Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), so this will be no soft landing.

“It will be a new experience for her on the other side of the world,” Dettori told Racing.com. “She's had a bit of a break, so we'd expect her to come on for the race. When you look back at the Caulfield Cup, she beat the Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, so if you can match that form that's pretty decent. I managed to speak to Mark Zahra and I will talk to James [McDonald], but the most important thing is just to keep her quiet the first part of the race and make the finish. It is her comeback race and obviously her long-range target is the Arc, so it's the first step forward to get to that.”

 

 

 

Ballydoyle Hold The Key To The Morny

Aidan O'Brien ruled the roost at The Curragh on Saturday and even managed to snag a black-type contest here on the same afternoon, but they are all probably the appetiser for the G1 Darley Prix Morny which Rosegreen dominate with the July 17 G2 Prix Robert Papin first and second Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Blackbeard was the operation's first black-type winner among the juvenile crop in 2022 and since his battling display in the Listed First Flier S. at The Curragh May 2, the stable have garnered another 13, including 11 at group level. Blackbeard has aided the cause with further wins in the May 21 G3 Marble Hill S. also at The Curragh and Chantilly's Robert Papin, while The Antarctic came here to take the G2 Prix de Cabourg which serves as this race's main course-and-distance trial Aug. 2. The latter, a full-brother to Battaash (Ire), has three lengths to make up on his warrior stablemate, but the master of Ballydoyle suggested this is no foregone conclusion.

“We always thought The Antarctic was a very good horse, which is why we supplemented him. He's just taking a little bit of time to come, but he's getting better,” he said.

Deja Vu?

Twelve months ago, Richard Fahey brought a G2 Norfolk S. winner here, booked Christophe Soumillon and the rest was history. This year, Steve Bradley's surprise winner The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) gets the treatment and if history can repeat itself, then the follow-up act to Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) will be able to put a controversial win in that June 16 Royal Ascot contest behind him.

“He ran through the line at Ascot over a very stiff five and I just think the further he goes, the better he'll go,” Fahey said.

In a renewal lacking a single French runner, the July 7 G2 July S. winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) adds intrigue but the shadow of Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) hangs over all after he put seven lengths between them in the Phoenix.

“I was amazed with that race in Ireland–I was staggered that something could beat him that far,” trainer Richard Hannon said. “He's a very good horse and hopefully he's able to show it on Sunday.”

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