Tom Clover | Horse Racing Free Tips

TDN Horses of the Year: Rogue Lightning

Continuing the profiles of the favourite horses of TDN Europe's editorial team in 2023, Sean Cronin selects an unheralded sprinter who could hit the big time next year.

Royal Ascot's 2023 edition produced its plethora of lip-quivering moments and there was scarcely a dry eye in this quarter when Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) halted a seven-race losing streak by annexing the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. for Tom Clover's Fordham Road yard. Purchased for 35,000gns as an unraced two-year-old out of the Shadwell draft at Tattersalls' 2021 December Sale, she became the Kremlin House incumbent's first Royal scorer and instigated joyous scenes among the multitude of Rogues Gallery syndicate members assembled in the hallowed winner's enclosure.

Her best effort, in four subsequent outings, following that career high was a runner-up finish in Leopardstown's G1 Matron S. on Irish Champions weekend, but she made little impression and was not unduly punished when finishing last of 11 in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day. Earlier on the card, Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) had wowed the Bois de Boulogne throng with an Arc performance for the ages, but it was a notable performance in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye, one race and 35 minutes after the Opera, which piqued this correspondent's interest.

Rogue Lightning (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), another well-bought Rogues Gallery representative, had backed up a brace of five-furlong handicap triumphs with a black-type breakthrough in September's Listed Scarborough S. at Doncaster. An 80,000gns October Book 2 yearling-turned-42,000gns Craven Breezer, his next assignment was the final stakes race of the Arc weekend extravaganza, but Rogue Lightning was allotted a nightmare draw in the car park, stall 18 in a field of 18, for the five-furlong dash. The die had been cast and all hope was lost, or so it seemed.

The gelded three-year-old broke alertly and, with little fuss from Robert Havlin in the plate, was soon among the pack racing towards the stands' side rail. Rogue Lightning was a hostage to fortune throughout, but picked off rivals from halfway and somehow weaved a charmed passage into contention. He closed relentlessly inside the final furlong only to run out of real estate, finishing fifth in a four-way photograph for second place, just one length and a flurry of pixels adrift of Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) at the line. The vastly underrated Havlin had earned every cent of his riding fee in getting his mount so close.

Rogue Lightning had one further assignment to fulfil and accompanied stablemate Rogue Millennium on the journey to Ascot for the British Champions meet, where the latter was no match for the supreme performance of Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S., running a never-nearer fifth in the one-mile procession. Rogue Lightning was not in Berkshire to race, but to compete for bids as one of five lots catalogued for the boutique Goffs QIPCO Ascot Champions Day Sale. Another performance of note transpired as Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock signed the £1-million docket on behalf of Wathnan Racing's burgeoning operation. Much to the relief of Clover, Rogue Lightning will remain at Kremlin House and is set to target the majority of Europe's top sprints in 2024.

“He's been a great horse for the Rogues and for us, as an ambitious yard, to keep him for some fantastic new owners in the yard is very exciting,” the trainer reflected. “We'll have to speak to Richard Brown, but the plan for now is that we'll bring him back fresh in the spring. He's the type of horse where you'd hope that the programme would work itself out and he should shape into a top-class sprinter.”

Royal Ascot's G1 King's Stand, York's G1 Nunthorpe and another crack at the Abbaye are on the agenda and maybe, just maybe, Clover will be savouring his maiden Group 1 success in 2024.

The post TDN Horses of the Year: Rogue Lightning appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Royal Ascot Winner Rogue Millennium Set For Sceptre Sessions

Trainer Tom Clover says that Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided him and his owners with a day they will never forget when winning at Royal Ascot but described her date with the Tattersalls December Mares Sceptre Sessions as the perfect way of seeing the Group 2 winner off on her next chapter as a broodmare.

Rogue Millennium, who was bought by Billy Jackson-Stops for just 35,000gns from Shadwell at this exact sale in 2021, has carried the colours of The Rogues Gallery with great distinction and brought Clover to some of the biggest meetings in Europe.

Not only did she justify her supplementation fee when landing the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot, but she also ran a gallant second to Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Matron S. at the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown.

She will now embark on her next chapter as a broodmare and Clover says that he is hopeful that the 4-year-old will prove quite an attractive prospect to all the big stud farms come December.

Recapping on that memorable triumph at the Royal meeting, Clover said, “It was just the most incredible day at Royal Ascot. It's the type of result you dream of when you start training. For a syndicate of really good friends and people now, who are such racing enthusiasts, to have a day like that together; we'll remember it for the rest of our lives. We'd a great big picnic in the car park beforehand and had a fantastic day. A day we'll remember forever.”

The trainer added, “She's a filly who we always had in mind to put through the ring at some stage. Being a daughter of Dubawi (Ire) and a Group 2-winning miler at Royal Ascot will hopefully make her quite attractive. Tattersalls has just been fantastic to us and the Rogues. I know Tony Elliott [syndicate manager] really wants to support them. Going there to the Spectre Sessions will be a fantastic way of seeing her off.”

Rogue Millennium reached an official rating of 110 and amassed over £300,000 in career earnings. She has won three times from 14 starts and placed on a further five occasions. She was last seen running fifth behind Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S.

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Jackson-Stops On the Lookout For Next Rogue At Tattersalls July Sale

Buoyed by one of his biggest results this summer with Royal Ascot winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) putting his name in lights, leading bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops will be on the lookout for his next headline act at the Tattersalls July Sale this week.

However, the man who sourced Tom Clover's brilliant G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. heroine on behalf of The Rogues Gallery Syndicate [along with the trainer's wife Jackie] shared feelings of caution on the eve of the eagerly anticipated horses-in-training sale given the amount of international footfall at Park Paddocks on Monday.

The purchase of Rogue Millennium for just 35,000gns from Shadwell at the 2021 Tattersalls December Mares Sale was an inspired one. The Dubawi filly has gone from strength to strength under the care of Clover, a big supporter of Jackson-Stops, which made the Royal Ascot success extra special.

The agent explained, “To do it on the biggest stage of all at Royal Ascot meant the world to me. But, not only that, to enjoy it with Jackie and Tom Clover, it meant so much more as we work very hard together as a team trying to find the right horses at the sales.

“Tom was at Kempton the day we bought Rogue Millennium, so Jackie and I did all the work together at Tattersalls. We were very lucky to land on the filly and to have been given the order from Tony [Elliott, of The Rogues Gallery Syndicate], who has been a superb supporter of both myself and the Clovers.

“He runs a very successful syndicate and told us to go out and buy a well-bred filly to run for the syndicate. Finding a Dubawi out of a stakes-placed mare, like we did, it was just great for everyone involved and then to get her to the big stage at Ascot and to win like she did, it was pretty emotional.”

Jackson-Stops added, “I have been lucky enough to have bought some nice horses, the likes of Shadn (Ire) (No Nay Never), who won a Group 2 for Andrew Balding, but to do it for a tight-knit team meant the world really. To do it for Tom Clover, who trained Rogue Millennium so well in bringing her back in trip, for Tony, game as ever in paying the supplementary fee, it was huge. “It's an angle that I like to pursue a lot, fillies in training. Tom Blain [Barton Stud managing director] and I bought a filly last year at the December Mares Sale called Wonderful Times (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) and we didn't pay a huge amount [85,000gns] for her. We managed to get a listed win out of her in France and she runs in a Group 3 in Vichy next week. There are various other fillies who we have done well with in the past and it is a good angle to explore.”

Soldanelle (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) is another. Sourced at Arqana last year for €65,000, she went on to secure black-type in Germany and is now a valuable broodmore prospect. But it's Rogue Millennium who is Jackson-Stops's shining light. She may not have been sourced at this exact sale but Jackson-Stops, a former assistant trainer to John O'Shea in Australia, explained how finding gems at the horses-in-training sales is something he has always tried to do.

He said, “I absolutely love selecting horses in training. Buying horses for Australia is a big part of my business and, having been an assistant trainer for a long time, form is something I am very strong on. Shiraz, Future Score, and Taramansour have all done very well in Australia. I pay a lot of attention to the form and it's a great part of the business for me.”

On his expectation for the week ahead, he added, “I think the market will be very strong. We saw fillies by Lope De Vega (Ire) and Muhaarar (GB) selling very well at Arqana last week and I think that sets the tone. The quality is here and I have already seen a lot of international clients here on Monday, including well-known faces from Australia, and one or two Americans. I have an order to find something for America this week, which I don't think will be too easy. We have a couple of fillies in mind but I suspect that they will make a lot of money.

“I think this will be a big week. It's great that the sale has moved to a four-day sale. The momentum behind the sale is huge and it's such a great place in the middle of the season for English, American, Middle Eastern and Australians to come over and buy horses at a peak time for everyone.”

It was the well-bred mares who played a star role at this sale 12 months ago. Leading the way at 540,000gns was Rihaam (Ire), a Dansili (GB) mare who was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock from Shadwell Stud, while Sea The Rose (Ire) (Kendargent (Fr) and Shining Bright (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) were not far behind at 500,000gns and 450,000gns respectively.

There are plenty of classy fillies with form and well-bred mares that could rock into six figures this week, too. Of the maiden mares with top-notch form on the track, Group 3-winning juvenile Basil Martini (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) may lead the way.

In achieving that Group 3 victory in the Weld Park S. at the Curragh last term, Basil Martini accounted for none other than Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who went on to chase home superstar Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac

before fetching 1 million gns here at the December Mares Sale.

Basil Martini, who forms part of a strong draft from The Castlebridge Consignment, reached a mark of 100 in seven starts for Joseph O'Brien.

Wootton Bassett (GB) is riding the crest of the wave after River Tiber's success in the G2 Coventry S. and Bucanero Fuerte (GB) landing the G2 Railway S., and the mares in foal to the Coolmore-based stallion will command plenty of interest.

On Tuesday, Frankel (GB) mare Pansy (Ire), one of just who are in foal to Wootton Bassett, boasts a classy pedigree being a full-sister to Hidden Dimples (Ire).

Pansy is out of a sister to Gregorian and is being consigned by Baroda Stud. David Cox's operation also offers White Jasmine (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a full-sister to G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S winner Khaadem, the only mare in the sale who is in foal to Baaeed (GB).

Meanwhile, the second mare in foal to Wootton Bassett, Sweet And Lovely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), will be offered by WH Bloodstock on Tuesday.

She is a full-sister to 2016 Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Seventh Heaven, already the dam of a black-type horse in Boogie Woogie (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The four-day sale gets underway at 9.30am on Tuesday morning.

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Prix Rothschild Aim For Rogue Millennium After ‘Special’ Ascot Success

Tom Clover will keep Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to a mile after her Royal Ascot heroics in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. and is now targeting the G1 Prix Rothschild.

Rogue Millennium had done the majority of her racing over 10 furlongs prior to dropping back to the mile at Ascot last week and the move paid off in spades with the filly running out a gritty winner.

Clover has admitted that he is still pinching himself after his royal success and is looking forward to what the rest of the season might bring with the filly.

“It's nice when a plan comes together,” said Clover. “It was just the most incredible day–it was a really, really special day and it is only just sinking in now, I suppose. It has just been fantastic. You work your whole life towards it. It is fantastic, just superb.

“I would say she will go to the Prix Rothschild. It gives us a really nice timeframe. We didn't put her in the Falmouth. She didn't love the Rowley Mile last year and the meeting on the July course, it is quite tight between Ascot and Newmarket.

“I just feel you'd have every chance if you went straight to Deauville instead, so that's what she will be training for.”

He added, “It's lovely to see her getting quicker and she's sharpening up all the time and actually, not to go very quick and to still get up and win was great.”

Rogue Millennium has had four runs already this term and with her trip versatility now confirmed, Clover admits there are plenty of potential avenues she could follow.

“There are all these lovely options now, though how we run in France I suppose will dictate where we go to a certain extent,” he said.

“She went in her coat quite quickly last year and she comes to hand very early in the spring, so it is really hard to know where we will be later in the season.

“The dream, the absolute dream, would be to even think about taking on the boys in the QEII, but that's very far-fetched at the moment. Let's think about the Rothschild now and take it from there.”

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