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“I’m Absolutely Loving It” – Poste Excited By Debut Breeze-Up Consignment

Respected point-to-point handler and ex-jumps jockey Charlie Poste says that he is “absolutely loving” his first endeavours into the breeze-up business and looks forward to consigning his first draft at the upcoming Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up and Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze-Up sales.

Poste trained over 100 winners between the flags in Britain, including talented chaser Third Time Lucki, but explained how the broad international market for breeze-up horses compared to the parochial feel to the point-to-point game made it a no-brainer to try his hand at the former.

The early indications are that Station Yard, the banner in which Poste consigns under and where he is based near Stratford-upon-Avon, is here to stay in the breeze-up game such is the level of enjoyment he has got out of the Flat additions to the stable.

He explained, “I'm very excited about the whole thing. We have two in the Craven, two in Donny and then another couple for the Guineas Sale. There is a saying in life that a change is as good as a rest and that is certainly true in this case. The horses have been very well received by Jerry McGrath, Matt Prior and Freddy Powell during inspections and Gordon 'Flash' Power, who is going to ride them at the breeze-ups, came over on Sunday to give them all a little bit of a twist. We had a little away day and 'Flash' was very happy. Being completely honest, this is a new project for Francesca [Poste's wife] and I. We are not going to pretend that we have all of the answers, but I have been very encouraged by having respected people coming in and being complimentary about how the horses are looking and with 'Flash' being very happy with how the away day went, so that gives us a lot of confidence.”

Poste, who operates Station Yard alongside Francesca, will be represented by a filly and a colt by Blue Point (Ire) at the Craven Sale. The couple will also consign fillies by Calyx (GB) and Kodiac (GB) at Doncaster and expect to be represented in the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale as well.

Speaking to TDN Europe at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale last year, Poste explained how he had gathered up a team of 10 investors to attack the yearling sales with the help of Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Biggs, and how he planned on putting his own stamp on how he produced the horses for the breeze-ups.

Tom Biggs | Tattersalls

He elaborated on Wednesday, “The similarities between the point-to-point and breeze-up projects is that you are working with young, inexperienced athletes who are expected to perform to a high level without the benefit of match practice. Where there are massive similarities between the two disciplines is that you need to do all that you can to get as much life experience into the point-to-pointers and the breezers so that, when they go to there without any prior experience, they are streetwise enough to show whatever ability they have in their race or their breeze, whether that be good, bad or indifferent. What you don't want is a good horse not being able to showcase its talents because they are too green to deal with the occasion. With that in mind, we have done a lot of cantering around the farm with the breezers and have brought them to a lot of different places.”

He added, “We're fortunate enough that we rent a farm that offers us the ability to do a lot of different things and, beyond that, they've been in the lorry and have had away days. It's all about going to different places, introducing them to different scenarios and making sure that they can mentally adjust and cope with everything. That way, when they get to the breeze they can adapt and help 'Flash' do what he needs to do to make them go quickly.”

The decision to branch out into the breeze-up market could prove to be a timely one. At the Cheltenham February Sale just gone, all of the key figures took a hit, and Poste says that the flimsiness of the middle tiers in the National Hunt game in Britain is what ultimately forced him to change course.

He said, “We're definitely seeing a correction in the National Hunt market. Yes, there's no doubt that if you are in that top five per cent, you're still going to get well paid and people are falling over each other to buy those. But if you are in the middle market which, invariably, as the industry builds, the British point-to-point sector is in, it becomes tricky. It is definitely becoming tougher to know where you are at and to get those horses away for what, maybe three or four years ago, you'd be expecting them to make. In that respect, we are very happy to have a new potential revenue stream for the business with the breeze-up horses. The excitement, and maybe even the nerve-wracking part of it all, is the finality of the whole project. There is only one day, really, and you are preparing them for that day alone. There are no excuses.”

He added, “But I'm absolutely loving it. The changes in these horses in just a week or 10 days is very different to dealing with a store horse. These Flat horses seem to transform within a blink of an eye, which is really exciting for all of us.”

Poste was keen to heap praise on Biggs for helping source a rock-solid debut draft of breeze-up horses and says “he couldn't be more chuffed” by the quality of the horses he is working with.

He said, “Tom is immensely professional and is well-respected, hence why we asked him to come on board and help buy these horses. We couldn't be more chuffed by what he selected and bought for us. Fingers crossed, given he works closely with the Blandford Bloodstock group, who are big buyers from the breeze-ups, he may even put some of these horses up at the other end of this scenario.”

Poste added, “We've got fillies by Calyx and Kodiac for Doncaster. The Calyx looks very quick–everything has come very naturally to her. The Kodiac filly has a scopier action and has been shaping up very well at home. Neither of those have missed a beat. Both appear to be quick and should be ideally suited by the sale that they are in.

“With Blue Point, the sire speaks for himself. It's very exciting to have a filly and a colt by him going to the Craven Sale in our first draft and hopefully that shows people that we are serious about this venture moving forward. The Blue Point colt seems to be a really quick, professional horse who has thrived with work while the filly exudes class. Again, it's probably credit to Tom with the horses he's bought but everything just seems to come very naturally to all of them.”

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‘The Best Thing on the Planet’: Who Are We To Disagree?

ASCOT, UK–Some of us get slower as we get older. Bradsell (GB) is getting faster. So much so that, instead of treading the more obvious three-year-old sprinter route to the Commonwealth Cup, trainer Archie Watson talked the colt's owner Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa into supplementing him for the King's Stand S., and what an inspired move that turned out to be.

It takes a good horse to win at Royal Ascot once, but a proper horse to return triumphant, dropped back in trip to the minimum and with a little to prove as his comeback from the injury that curtailed his juvenile season gathered momentum.

Watson will have dreaded the sound of stewards' klaxon not long after Bradsell passed the post in front after he drifted a little towards the runner-up and last season's crack sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr). The trainer had the 2021 Commonwealth Cup all but snatched from his clutches when Dragon Symbol (GB) bumped Campanelle (Ire) in running and was demoted to second. Tension was writ large on Watson's face as he awaited the outcome of a prolonged stewards' enquiry, already in the winner's circle but reluctant to say too much in interviews being conducted as if he had won. Just half an hour earlier, Watson, his stable jockey Hollie Doyle, and Shaikh Nasser had had to settle for second with Army Ethos (GB) in the Coventry, a great run in itself for the Shalaa (Ire) colt who had made just one previous winning start.

Finally able to relax when it was confirmed that Bradsell had given him his third Royal Ascot victory and, more importantly, a second Group 1, he said, “I know we're seen as a big yard, but for a yard like us to be winning a Group 1 here is the best thing on the planet. There was dread when that bing-bong happened, especially having just been chinned in the Coventry.”

When Watson spoke to TDN last week, he was effusive in his praise of bloodstock agent Tom Biggs, the youngest member of the Blandford Bloodstock team with whom he has formed a strong partnership. Biggs, who appears far too self-effacing for his chosen profession, was another one blowing his cheeks out with relief as the trainer went to collect his trophy.

“We don't have huge budgets, we work hard at the sales and these days don't come along very often. He's just a very fast horse,” he said.

Biggs and Watson bought Bradsell, who became the first Group 1 winner for his Shadwell sire Tasleet (GB), from last year's Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale from Mark Grant for £47,000. He then changed hands privately following his nine-length debut success to make his first start in the Victorious Racing colours in the Coventry S. One run later a mid-race stumble in the Phoenix S. and subsequent leg fracture put paid to the rest of his juvenile campaign.

“It was quite a nasty injury but his temperament is so fantastic,” Biggs added. “When he breezed I loved his action and the way he got his head down and he got better the further he went. He's just a great horse to be involved with.”

Bradsell was bred by Deborah O'Brien, who has moved up two generations in the sire-line for this year's mating for his dam Russian Punch (GB) (Archipenko). The mare is now in foal to Oasis Dream (GB).

Bradsell's successor in the Coventry roll of honour, River Tiber (Ire), was a member of the final French crop of Wootton Bassett (GB) conceived at €40,000 before he joined the Coolmore ranks. It is hard to imagine that there are not bigger and better things to come from this stallion given the line-up of mares he has covered since moving to Coolmore, where his fee has jumped to €100,000 then €150,000. As an extra vote of confidence in Wootton Bassett, MV Magnier and Peter Brant paid 480,000gns last year for the subsequent Coventry winner at Tattersalls October Book 1. His breeder Ger Morrin of Pier House Stud would have been celebrating then, but this is where it's really at, and Morrin was all smiles as he accepted congratulations from the Coolmore camp and many others alongside the winner's circle.

“Fabulous,” he said. “He was always a fabulous-looking horse. He nearly died as a foal and thankfully we were able to save him. These are great people and he was good-looking yearling so they came and bought him.”

Morrin added that River Tiber's dam Transcendence (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) is now back in foal to Wootton Bassett.

The Tabor colours carried by River Tiber were soon back in action aboard Paddington (GB), who made it a memorable day for the group of Coolmore owners by handing out a comprehensive defeat to Juddmonte's Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the battle of the Guineas winners in the St James's Palace S. Relatively rarely for these two superpowers of the breeding world, neither colt is a homebred.

For Aidan O'Brien, Paddington's victory was particularly significant as it took him past Sir Michael Stoute as the most successful trainer at Royal Ascot with 83 wins to his credit, nine of which have come in the St James's Palace S.

While Ryan Moore, with three winners on the day, stole the limelight from the retiring (eventually) Frankie Dettori, the leading owner-breeder honours unquestionably went to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. His Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) got the meeting off to a great start with victory in the Queen Anne S. for Kevin Ryan and Neil Callan, and a double was completed in the Wolferton with the Roger Varian-trained Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal).

The importance of a royal champion to British horseracing cannot be understated and it can only be hoped that the sport now has two. We have grown accustomed over many decades to the welcome message in the front of the racecard being in the name of 'Elizabeth R'. This year, for the first time, a joint message was signed 'Charles R' and 'Camilla R'.

Significantly, the new King and Queen led the royal procession for the first day of the meeting and will do so throughout. Joining them in the carriages, perhaps symbolically, was Ralph Beckett, their first trainer back in 2008 of a homebred filly bred in the January after they married. Fittingly, she was a daughter of King's Best, named Royal Superlative (GB). The colours of the royal couple have changed now to those distinguished purple and red silks made famous in the modern era by the runners of Queen Elizabeth II.

This year's royal welcome message was concluded by acknowledging the owners, breeders and trainers who make this meeting possible. The King and Queen said, “It is a huge and rare achievement to have a runner at Royal Ascot and we very much hope that you all enjoy the experience.”

Judging by the scenes of revelry around the bandstand and in the car parks post-racing, a good day was had by many. One down, four to go.

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Basement Trade Shows Solid Core at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK — “Trickledown” felt rather too contentious, given what was meanwhile happening to its proponents out there in the real world. In this environment, after all, the original label of “horse-and-sparrow economics” would always have conveyed the theory rather more intelligibly. Some alternative word was required on Friday, then, to describe how a rampant market at the front end of the Tattersalls October Sale was filtering somewhat more quietly into the base of the pyramid.

In the end, the second half of Book 3–in which momentum reliably ebbs relative to the catalogue's opening session–perhaps suggested “percolation” sooner than an outright “overflow”. But there was no mistaking the wholesome depth of a market far more vital, to many professionals, than the giddy transactions of the opening books.

In contrast with Thursday, when the median had remained unchanged on last year, a gain to 13,000gns from 10,000gns attested to really solid trade through this lower tier, backed up by a strong clearance rate of 83 percent. The average was also up, by 11 percent to 17,349gns, with overall turnover on the day up 17 percent to 3,903,600gns.

Combined, the two Book 3 sessions registered robust performance across the board. Total business advanced nine percent to 11,554,600gns, producing a corresponding gain in average to 24,428gns.

But the real neon number is the one posted for total business at the October Sale, with just Saturday morning's Book 4 to go. Trade to this point last year had reached 151,474,150gns. By last night it had soared 31 percent to approach a symbolic landmark at 199,006,100gns.

Woods Hangs In There For Joint-Top Lot

This was a day when trainers and their agents could finally attempt some old-fashioned “on spec” recruitment. Nonetheless a couple of fillies, respectively by Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Aclaim (Ire), forced their purchasers as far as 90,000gns at either end of the day.

The Aclaim, consigned by Bearstone Stud as Lot 1959, was acquired by Dwayne Woods on behalf of his brother Sean. She's out of an unraced Kodiac (GB) half-sister to G1 St Leger runner-up The Last Drop (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose son Washington Heights (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}) had earned his first black-type at Ripon shortly before the sale. But her most conspicuous genetic distinction is perhaps the fourth dam, Irish Classic winner Sarah Siddons (Fr).

“The update was nice but much more importantly she's just a fabulous filly,” Woods said. “She'll make a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, so it's all pretty good.”

The agent was speaking for many prospectors when adding: “It's been hard work this week. I'm happy with everything we have bought, but every time I got up to a big one I was underbidder—at least five of them over 200,000gns.”

Ten Out of Ten For Oakgrove Filly

The Ten Sovereigns filly [1708] that topped the morning trade arrived from John Deer's Oakgrove Stud and, with the docket signed by Jo Stone of Rabbah Bloodstock, will be joining local trainer Ismail Mohammed. She's out of Listed scorer Lady Grace (Ire) (Orpen), one of the farm's more mature mares who has produced a couple of stakes operators.

“We're delighted with the price, but she deserved to make it,” said Oakgrove manager David Hilton. “She could have been earlier in the sale and was a bit of a stand-out today. She has a pedigree, she's a good physical, moves well. We've been very happy with her all the way through. We wanted to get back to speed. Mr. Deer really likes the stallion, thought what he did at Newmarket was exceptional. We've used him again and I'm sure he's going to make it.”

On a busy day for the Chepstow farm, perhaps its outstanding page was offered by a Golden Horn (GB) colt [1704] out of a Kingman (GB) half-sister to its champion Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He was another purchase, at 40,000gns, by Dwayne Woods.

As for Ten Sovereigns, he registered another good sale for this grade when a filly from Deer Forest Stud made 50,000gns from Amanda Skiffington as Lot 1878. She will be joining Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Another Zoustar Breeze Project for Tally-Ho

The booming market has naturally raised the stakes uncomfortably for pinhookers, who were duly relieved to be active at this more accessible tier. One for whom the breeze-ups are on the agenda is the daughter of Zoustar (Aus) brought here as Lot 1930 by Jamie Railton, acquired for 77,000gns by Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Tally-Ho Stud.

“She's a lovely filly,” the agent said. “She's from a very fast, precocious family and that seems to be what is working best with the Zoustars. She's also a half-sister to a pretty decent and precocious horse in [juvenile stakes-placed] Lambeth Walk (GB) (Charm Spirirt {Ire}).”

Tally-Ho found one of the high achievers of the last breeze-up cycle in this catalogue last year, when Hamish Macauley Bloodstock signed an identical docket for a filly by the same stallion. Sold on to Atlas Bloodstock at Arqana for €110,000, she is now celebrated as GI Cheveley Park S. winner Lezoo (GB).

This lady's prospects of emulating that success are enhanced by granddam Roo (GB) (Rudimentary), responsible for a series of black-type performers and/or producers including the dam of G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

Clodovil Bows Out

A touching footnote was the sale of the last yearling to come under the hammer by Clodovil (Ire), now enjoying his retirement at Rathasker Stud. The daughter consigned by his home farm as Lot 1798 was bought for 37,000gns by Julie Wood's Woodstock, doubtless with a view to emulating Manderley (Ire)–another of his greys, who ran a close fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at 100-1 after Wood bought her from Rathasker in Book I of the 2012 sale.

“She's a lovely filly,” said Rathasker's Maurice Burns. “She had the same way of going as all of Clodovil's progeny. They have a bit of spark and are very genuine. People who had any of his stock always returned and came to the door at the sales to see his stock. It was just age that caught up with him.”

Clodovil's legacy at Rathasker is in the hands of his son Gregorian (Ire), while his record as a broodmare sire has recently been topped off by G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

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The Weekly Wrap: Virtual Reality

In ordinary times, this week would mark the revving up of the European bloodstock charabanc: standing room only, destination Deauville. As the threat of a second quarantine hangs over visitors or returnees from France to the UK like the Sword of Damocles, it’s probably just as well that the traditional start to the yearling season has been delayed.

This coming weekend, there will be no short shuffle between racecourse and sales ground for the Prix Jacques Le Marois and other delights ahead of a frenetic evening of activity in the ring at Arqana. Instead, those of us in the UK will look on with envy as the permitted 5,000 racegoers in the Normandy seaside town enjoy a feast of action. Meanwhile the British government on one hand urges people back into offices and restaurants but bans an essentially outdoor Goodwood spectator test day at the eleventh hour.

Confused? Yep, that’s pretty much the mindset of the British population right now. For our friends in Ireland, we can add frustration to that description. No bloodstock sale has been held on the island since February, and the 14-day mandatory quarantine for incomers from all countries bar those on the ‘Green List’ means that the store sales of the coming fortnight at Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland will be held without the usual melée of Irish, British and French participants. It is fair to expect that there will be further tinkering with the yearling sales programme ahead of its start at Doncaster on Sept. 1.

As it has been shown already through these strange times, it is of course perfectly feasible to conduct bloodstock auctions online and, for those forced to remain remote, to engage local agents to do their bidding. But, just as dreaded Zoom meetings are a poor substitute for talking to people face to face, so is it pretty unsatisfactory for the sales to be so limited in the number of attendees. Gone are those ringside conversations that end with one or more people agreeing to a leg in a previously unconsidered purchase, or that chance sighting of a horse not on the list who just happens to catch an owner’s eye as he turns to go back in his stable.

It will work, up to a point, because it has to, and we have all had to adapt to change in life and routines. But, as we are seeing with crowdless racing, our sport as entertainment is so much more than just what happens on the track. It’s also the raised glasses between races, the hubbub of banter at the pre-parade ring and, for this particular train nerd, that feeling of anticipation as the doors hiss closed at Ely station en route to York for a spotless summer’s day on the Knavesmire. One can only hope that the yearning for those days is felt throughout racing’s fan base and that we can return in our droves next year, all the more grateful for having missed out on so much in 2020.

In Doyle We Trust
This column makes no apologies for repeated mentions of Hollie Doyle this season because: a) we’d love nothing more than seeing a woman crowned champion jockey, and b) she’s great.

In the three years from when Doyle first started race-riding in 2013 she rode just six winners. Now she notches almost double that number in a fortnight and, in the last month, she has been rewarded with her first two group winners. The second of those came on Saturday on the Roger Charlton-trained Extra Elusive (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. It was the perfect start for her association with owner-breeder Imad Al Sagar, for whom she was named retained jockey on July 26.

The following day Doyle added the listed Prix Moonlight Cloud to her burgeoning tally of stakes wins when she guided Maystar (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) to his first black-type win.

Maystar’s win prompted double celebrations for trainer Archie Watson and the Hambleton Racing syndicate, who also combined to win the G3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint S. at the Curragh with Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

Watson tends to work in tandem with Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Biggs at the sales and the pair picked up Maystar at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-up Sale for €35,000. The five-time winner is entered for the Tattersalls August Sale. Meanwhile, 6-year-old Glen Shiel, who is closely related to Godolphin’s dual Group 1 winner Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), also joined Watson’s stable last year from the Goffs UK Spring Sale. A treble winner at up to nine furlongs for Andre Fabre before being sold to Biggs and Watson for £45,000, Glen Shiel has looked more and more effective since sliding down the distance scale and his three wins this year have all come at six furlongs.

The past week was also tinged with sadness for another Godolphin graduate as James McAuley’s bargain buy Sceptical (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) suffered a fatal injury on the gallops. The 4-year-old had been a revelation since joining Denis Hogan’s stable as an unraced 3-year-old after his purchase for £2,800. He won four of his seven starts and finished in the first three in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 Darley July Cup.

A Regal Dynasty
Lagrion (Diesis {GB}) may have been only a moderate campaigner herself but she was an over-achiever at stud, her 12 foals including the Group 1 winners Dylan Thomas (Ire) (Danehill), Queen’s Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Through one of her daughters, Lagrion’s dynasty extends to this year’s Derby winner Serpentine (Ire), a son of Galieo (Ire) and the Oaks runner-up Remember When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose exclusive matings with the champion sire have resulted in five black-type winners.

Queen’s Logic was crowned the champion 2-year-old filly of 2001 and her exploits for Jaber Abdullah and Mick Channon led to the move of Lagrion from the ownership of her breeder Kip McCreery to the Coolmore team. Queen’s Logic has exerted quite an influence on York’s G2 Lowther S., a race won by herself, her daughter Lady Of The Desert (Rahy) and grand-daughter Queen Kindly (GB) (Frankel {GB}), all of whom raced for Abduallah.

In the last week, however, it was the turn of the tiny 1000 Guineas winner Homecoming Queen to increase the family’s standing when her daughter Shale (Ire) won the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. with apparent ease on just her third start. Like her three-parts-sister Remember When, Homecoming Queen has also been wedded to Galileo since retiring to stud and all four of her foals of racing age are winners, including the group 2-placed Berkeley Square (Ire). It would be no surprise to see Shale enhancing the family’s Classic record next year.

Family Matters
There’s nothing like starting the year with a promising run from a 3-year-old. Back on Jan. 23, 2012, Bernard Benaych and Jocelyn Targett almost certainly left Cagnes-Sur Mer delighted—the latter perhaps slightly over-refreshed by a pale rosé—after their representatives Keira (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) and Bunny Lebowski (Fr) (Echo Of Light {GB}) ran first and second in the 3-year-old maiden.

Fast-forward eight years and the refreshment is still flowing freely for Targett, who indulged in some Paul Gascoigne-style celebrations following the victory of Bunny Lebowski’s daughter Velma Valento (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) in the listed Prix du Pays d’Auge at Clairefontaine.

The following day, there was cause for further celebration for Benaych who co-owns Keira’s son Port Guillaume (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) with Claudio Marzocco and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. The 3-year-old colt, who started his career winning the same newcomers’ race, the Prix du Suquet, as his mother on Jan. 23 of this year, has since progressed into a worthy Arc contender. His sole defeat came when fifth in the Prix du Jockey Club and his latest victory was Saturday’s strike in the G2 Prix Hocquart Longines.

The continuity of these two families will be similarly pleasing to the trainers of Velma Valento and Port Guillaume, Christophe Ferland and Rouget, who in each case also trained the sire and dam of the winner.

Cup Runs Dry For Europeans
Opinions are divided as to whether the increasing international allure of the Melbourne Cup is a good thing for Australia’s iconic staying contest. Those who believe that the high number of overseas participants in a field limited to 24 runners has irreparably changed the profile of the race for “battlers” may find some consolation in this woeful year that there will be reduced competition from European stables.

With heightened coronavirus restrictions now in place in Melbourne, it was confirmed last week that Godolphin’s Newmarket stables of Saeed Bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby will not be sending runners to the Spring Carnival. Lloyd Williams, who has won the Melbourne Cup six times, most recently with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Rekindling (GB), has also stated that “health is paramount” when it comes to considering which, if any, of his horses currently in training with O’Brien will travel this year.

While the OTI Racing-owned San Huberto (Ire) (Speightstown), winner of the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in June, looks set to make the journey from Fabrice Chappet’s stable, plans are still uncertain for his fellow resident Skyward (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). The 4-year-old won Sunday’s G3 Prix de Reux and has now triumphed in four of his six starts, including last season’s listed Prix Turenne. He is owned in the majority by Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara.

“He’s only lightly raced and has a lot of upside,” Messara’s son Paul told our sister publication TDN AusNZ. “We bought him for the Melbourne Cup, so we’d like to go down that direction if at all possible. We will have a discussion this week. We need to work out what we can do with him and what options we have in the current environment.”

When Rekindling won the Cup in 2017, he led home an Irish-trained trifecta filled by Aidan O’Brien’s Johannes Vermeer (Ire) and the Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite (Fr). The following year it was won by another 3-year-old, Cross Counter (Ire), trained by Charlie Appleby. The Hughie Morrison-trained Marmelo (GB) was second and Prince Of Arran (Ire), representing Charlie Fellowes, was third, delivering a clean sweep for Britain.

In 2019, Flemington-based trainer Danny O’Brien scored a massively popular home win with Vow And Declare (Aus) (Declaration Of War), who narrowly held off runners trained by Aidan and Joseph O’Brien as well as Prince Of Arran again. While Danny O’Brien will set Vow And Declare for a return mission on the first Tuesday of November, he also has the exciting northern hemisphere 3-year-old Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) as a potential Cup runner. The stable-mates are due to have a jump-out at Flemington on Tuesday and could take each other on over a mile in the G1 Makybe Diva S. on Sept. 12.

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