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Champion Heart’s Cry Pensioned

Japanese champion and successful sire Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence–Irish Dance {Jpn}, by Tony Bin {Ire}) has been pensioned from stallion duty, according to multiple reports. The Shadai Farm-bred bay is 20 and stood for a private fee this year.

A winner of a 2000-metre maiden at first asking as a 3-year-old, the Kojiro Hashiguchi trainee had won a pair of listed stakes from 10 outings by the end of 2004 and he was also second in the then-listed Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and third in two more black-type races that term. As a 4-year-old, the Shadai Race Horse runner was named the Japanese Champion Older Horse on the back of his victory in the Arima Kinen (now a Group 1 race) from six starts, where he defeated Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). He was also second in the G1 Japan Cup, G1 Takarazuka Kinen and G2 Sankei Osaka Hai in 2005. Kept in training at five, the Apr. 15 foal captured the G1 Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai in March of 2006 and he was third in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot that July. Retired after an unplaced run in the G1 Japan Cup back in Japan, the 2006 UAE highweight's race record was 19-5-4-3 with earnings of $8,054,175.

The bay stood his entire career at Shadai Stallion Station, siring 51 black-type winners–10 at Group 1 level from 1475 foals to date. Tops among his 35 group winners was Japanese Horse of the Year, multiple champion, four-time Group 1 winner and G1 Cox Plate victress Lys Gracieux (Jpn), while Just A Way (Jpn) saluted three times at the highest level in both Japan 92) and Dubai (1). Other Group 1 winners by Heart's Cry include Suave Richard (Jpn), Yoshida (Jpn)-who won on both dirt and turf Stateside, Nuovo Record (Jpn), Cheval Grand (Jpn), One and Only (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Time Flyer (Jpn) and the late G1 Caulfield Cup hero Admire Rakti (Jpn).

As a broodmare sire, Heart's Cry's daughters have already produced six stakes winners, five at the group level and a pair of Group 1 winners. Encouragingly, both G1 Blue Diamond S. hero Tagaloa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and G1 Satsuki Sho victor Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) are both by fellow Shadai residents. His other four black-type winners are all by Lord Kanaloa.

The best foal out of the MSW Irish Dance, Heart's Cry has 20 yearlings and three weanlings entered in the 2021 JRHA Select Sale on July 12-13. His extended family features the G1 February S. winner Nonkono Yume (Jpn) (Twining) and the U.S. Champion Sprinter My Juliet (Gallant Romeo), herself the dam of MGISW Stella Madrid (Alydar) and GISW Tis Juliet (Alydar) among her extensive brood of stakes winners.

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Prize Money Boost For Irish EBF Ballyhane S.

The value of the second running of the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. has been increased from €200,000 to €300,000, the Irish European Breeders' Fund, Ballyhane Stud and Horse Racing Ireland announced on Monday. The median auction race is now the most valuable 2-year-old race that will be held in Ireland in 2021, with the race aimed at EBF eligible 2-year-olds with a sire's median price of no more than €75,000 from last year's yearling sales. It will be conducted over five furlongs and 205 yards at Naas Racecourse on Bank Holiday Monday, Aug. 2 with a maximum field of 24.

The winner of the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. will receive €150,000 with prize money paid down to 12th place. There will also be the Silver Irish EBF Ballyhane S. added to the Naas card that will carry a purse of €50,000 with prize money paid down to sixth place. This race is automatically open to all those horses still entered which receive a ballot number in the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. and 48-hour declarations will apply. June 23rd is the next forfeit stage, with the final forfeit stage on July 28th.

Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud, said, “We are thrilled to again be in a position to reward the owners and trainers who supported the race by increasing prize-money in the main race and staging the extra race, this will positively benefit a wide range of connections. We are looking forward to seeing the build-up to the race from now until Aug. 2nd and if our €50,000 bonus will be claimed this year by a Ballyhane sired 2-year-old.”

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Newsells Park Stud Sold To Smith-Bernal

Newsells Park Stud, which has been owned by the Jacobs family since 2000, has been sold to owner/breeder and tech entrepreneur Graham Smith-Bernal.

The Hertfordshire farm is home to the stallions Nathaniel (Ire) and Without Parole (GB), and the sale agreed with Jacobs Holdings includes the stud's bloodstock and 1,200-acre property.

The 63-year-old Smith-Bernal is described in a press release announcing the sale as “a leading figure in legal technology, [who] revolutionised the operation of law courts, tribunals and arbitrations around the world through the introduction by his company, Opus 2 International, of paperless trials a decade ago”.

His interest in racehorse ownership and breeding grew throughout that time and he has boarded mares at Newsells Park for the last six years, as well as having horses in training in Newmarket with William Haggas.

Over the last two decades Newsells Park Stud, which was founded in 1926 by Sir Humphrey de Trafford, has played a leading role at the major European yearling sales, and has bred a number of top-class horses, including the treble Group 1 winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and her fellow Classic winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). It is also the co-breeder of the 2019 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and Ballylinch Stud stallion Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

“Newsells Park Stud dates back almost a century and is part of the fabric of British and International horse racing,” said Graham Smith-Bernal. “As an existing client, I have had the pleasure of witnessing at first hand the meticulous professionalism, attention to detail and service provided by Julian Dollar and his team, both in preparing horses for racing and yearlings for the sales ring. I consider it a huge honour and a privilege to have acquired Newsells Park and look forward to building on the legacy of Klaus J. Jacobs and the previous owners, to ensure that the stud remains at the pinnacle of breeding and racing.”

Nathalie Albin-Jacobs, whose late father Klaus purchased the stud in 2000 and who was chair of Newsells Park until the sale, said, “Newsells was a passion of my late father. He would have taken great pleasure and pride in the stud's many successes and especially Waldgeist's win in the Arc in 2019 which would have been the culmination of his ambitions as a breeder.”

She added, “The time has come now for my family to focus on our other businesses and we know that with Graham, the stud will find a passionate and successful custodian and owner of Newsells Park for a new successful journey both in maintaining and building further on its many achievements.”

Julian Dollar will continue in his role as general manager of Newsells Park Stud, a position he has held since 2006. During that time, the stud, which was also the birthplace of the 1959 Derby winner Parthia (GB), has been the leading consignor at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on five occasions, including the last three years. It topped last year's sale with a Galileo filly out of its star broodmare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), who was sold for 3.4 million gns to Coolmore. The filly is a full-sister to the Newsells Park-bred Group 1 winners Japan (GB) and Mogul (GB), as well as the Oaks runner-up and Group 2 winner Secret Gesture (GB).

“The team and I are very grateful for the vision and investment made by the Jacobs family to date, which has seen the stud grow to be one of Europe's foremost commercial stud farms,” he said. “We now really look forward to working for Graham and making the most of this excellent opportunity to further develop Newsells Park Stud as a leader in its field worldwide. We will continue not only breeding, raising and selling exceptional racehorses, but also offering domestic and international clients professional boarding services, sales preparation and top-class stallions.”

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Martin Dwyer Appointed Second Retained Jockey to Imad Al Sagar

Martin Dwyer has been named as second retained jockey of Imad Al Sagar of Blue Diamond Stud. Hollie Doyle is first retained rider for Al Sagar.

“We are delighted to add Martin Dwyer to our team,” said Imad Al Sagar in a statement. “I look forward to working with him and envisage a fruitful partnership. Hollie Doyle remains our first jockey. However, the addition of such an experienced and Classic-winning rider such as Martin Dwyer gives us another dimension and adds further support to our team.”

Dwyer booted hom Sir Percy (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) in the 2006 G1 Derby, as well as Casual Look in the G1 Oaks in 2003. He rode Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) to victory in the 2021 G1 Coronation Cup earlier this month.

“I am looking forward to riding for Imad Al Sagar and excited to be part of a good team,” said Dwyer. “Imad Al Sagar is breeding and racing some lovely horses and it's exciting to be riding for an owner-breeder at that level-as a jockey, that's what you strive to do.”

Al Sagar has co-owned Group 1 winners Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Araafa (Ire) (Mull Of Kintyre) and stands the first-named stallion at the Irish National Stud. Blue Diamond Stud is home to 38 mares, among them Pearling (Storm Cat), the dam of Decorated Knight, and black-type producers Nouriya (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Nessina (Hennessy) to name a few.

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