GAIN to Sponsor New Curragh Race Series

GAIN Equine Nutrition will sponsor a series of three 2-year-old races at The Curragh billed as the “Champion Collection”, the racecourse announced on Tuesday. The company initially sponsored the G1 Irish St Leger in 2012, switched to sponsoring the G2 Railway S. in 2014 and added the Listed First Flier S. in 2020. The G3 Marble Hill S. will be added to GAIN's sponsorship portfolio for the first time this term. In addition, the winning horse from the GAIN Railway S. will receive a free entry into the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S.

Joanne Hurley, Irish Country Manager, GAIN Equine Nutrition noted, “We are delighted to strengthen our support of The Curragh racecourse this year by launching the Champion Collection series. This partnership has grown over the years and truly reinforces GAIN's commitment to both the racing and bloodstock industries. We have enjoyed an excellent long-standing relationship with The Curragh and look forward to three very keenly-contested races.”

Evan Arkwright, Racing and Sponsorship Manager, commented, “We are excited to extend our very valued partnership with GAIN this year. There is already a natural synergy between all three races consistently attracting some of the best juveniles in Europe, so we are delighted to be able to officially link them through their generous sponsorship.”

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Sibling To Sizing John Heads Goffs UK Stores

A Telescope (Ire) half-brother to the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John (GB) (Midnight Legend {GB}) is among the 301 entries for the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale.

The 3-year-old gelding, who is being offered as lot 138 by Elms Bloodstock, is also closely related to recent G2 Jane Seymour Mares' Hurdle winner Abythingforlove (GB), who is by Black Sam Bellamy (Ire), the late brother to Telescope's sire Galileo (Ire).

Also included in the two-day sale, which takes place in Doncaster on May 17 and 18, is a 3-year-old Dunaden (Fr) half-brother to last weekend's G1 Aintree Stayers' Hurdle winner Thyme Hill (GB) (Kay Tara {GB}), who is slated as lot 234. A recent update has also been provided for the pedigree of lot 100, a half-brother to shock Irish Grand National winner Freewheelin Dylan (Ire) (Curtain Time {Ire}), by the late Presenting (GB).

“Shortly after our team started inspections earlier this year it was apparent that there was likely to be unprecedented demand for places at this sale and that has indeed been the case,” said Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent. 

“Early feedback also indicated that there was a clear increase in the quality of horse being aimed at the sale and that standard has followed right through our inspections which bodes very well for the sale in a few weeks.

“The result is arguably the finest selection of stores we have catalogued for the Doncaster Spring Sale and clearly the best catalogue we have produced in recent years. The higher demand and increased quality means we have produced a larger catalogue, 301 horses this year, and expanded the sale to two high-class days.”

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Bloodstock Agent Chris Richner Dies At 68

Chris Richner, a popular face on the French sales circuit who combined his bloodstock agency with being a longtime representative of the Agence Francaise and Arqana, has died at the age of 68 from Covid-19.

The Swiss-born horseman worked in banking in England and Switzerland before putting his equine knowledge to good use in his role as an agent particularly focused on assisting Eastern European clients. 

Among the Classic winners purchased by Richner for Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are Border War (Fr), Czech Chardonney (Fr), Eminens (Fr) and Magnas (Fr), while Autor (Ire) won the G3 St Leger Italiano. He was also responsible for buying Tzigane Du Berlais (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}), winner of the famous Velka Pardubice steeplechase, as a yearling from Arqana for €26,000.

Two of Richner's best known purchases were Subway Dancer (Ire), a dual Group winner in France who was also third in the G1 Champion S on British Champions Day, and the G2 Prix du Gros Chene winner Tour To Paris (Fr).

Acknowledging his contribution to the sales company, a statement released by Arqana said, “We sincerely thank [Chris] for all these years spent at our side. Always a friendly face at the sales, his joie de vivre and kindness will be missed by all.”

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Sensational Invincible Spirit Blueblood A New Rising Star

It may have been one of the 3-year-old contests at Newmarket's Craven meeting that did not carry black-type, but Tuesday's bet365 British EBF Conditions S. witnessed a potential class act that could stand alongside any of this week's established Guineas trial winners as Shadwell's regally-bred Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) made all to blitz his rivals and earn TDN Rising Star status. Doing it the other way around when successful over this seven-furlong trip on heavy ground on debut here in October, the son of the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway) was wide awake from the stalls opening this time and on to the rail applying pressure from the front under Jim Crowley. Chased hard by Ballydoyle's race-fit Duke of Mantua (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Godolphin's well-regarded Noble Dynasty (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) passing halfway, the Charlie Hills trainee simply brushed any threat aside and powered up the hill to win by six lengths from the former, who had performed so well in The Curragh's Madrid H. Mar. 21 which is already looking strong form. There was another two lengths back to the heavily-supported Charlie Appleby-trained Noble Dynasty in third and with the time under a second off the track record there was understandably talk of the main event here on May 1.

“He definitely had an advantage being in front here and got a golden highway there a bit, which might have flattered him but I love the way he galloped out and he's very exciting,” Hills said. “He went right to the top of the hill there after the line. Sheikh Hamdan loved his breeding and Ghanaati is now improving as a broodmare, with Afaak (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a Royal Ascot winner and this fellow lovely and we also have a 2-year-old by Muhaarar (GB) who looks a beauty as well, so it's good to see. Sheikh Hamdan had been a huge supporter of ours, so it's sad that he is not here to witness that. He's got a great team and we'll speak to the management and discuss what's best. He's a gorgeous horse, we left him out of the 2000 Guineas because we were worried he was mentally immature and we didn't want to rush him, but the way he's trained throughout the spring we can probably now have a discussion about that [supplementing]. He could go for a listed race and then Royal Ascot instead. Ghanaati had her quirks, as a lot of the good ones do, so we wanted to keep lid on him and put a hood on before the start but he was very professional and the more racing he gets the better he should get.”

Like Mutasaabeq, the Barry Hills-trained Ghanaati came to Newmarket in the spring of her Classic year with just a maiden win under her belt but with a substantial reputation and duly won the 1000 Guineas on her seasonal bow. Charlie Hills has been graced with all her progeny so far, with the aforementioned Afaak capturing the 2019 Royal Hunt Cup and the year-younger Wafy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) going on to win last year's G3 Mahab Al Shimaal when sold to join Satish Seemar, GSW-UAE, $246,592. Mutasaabeq's full-sister Alandalos (GB) was a handicapper who was tried over 10 furlongs, so there is significant hope that this colt could see out a mile on pedigree and the way he surged past the line here can only add ballast to that view.

Ghanaati's dam, the Listed Virginia H. and Listed Oh So Sharp S. winner Sarayir (Mr. Prospector), also produced Mawatheeq (Danzig) who captured the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. and was second in the G1 Champion S., and the smart Rumoush (Rahy) who took the Listed Feilden S. and was third in the G1 Epsom Oaks. She is in turn responsible for four Shadwell black-type performers including the talented G3 City of York S. winner Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who also carried TDN Rising Star status, while she is also connected to the G2 Queen Mary S. winner and G1 1000 Guineas third Maqaasid (GB) (Green Desert) and this month's impressive All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions S. winner Khuzaam (Kitten's Joy) who is believed to be group 1 material by Roger Varian. In the year of the sad passing of his owner-breeder, Mutasaabeq would be a fitting Classic winner descended from the immeasurable Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}) who provided him with so much glory and fulfilment via Nashwan, Nayef and Unfuwain.

3rd-Newmarket, £15,000, Novice, 4-13, 3yo, 7fT, 1:22.66, gd.
MUTASAABEQ (GB), c, 3, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
     1st Dam: Ghanaati (MG1SW-Eng, $720,406), by Giant's Causeway
     2nd Dam: Sarayir, by Mr. Prospector
     3rd Dam: Height of Fashion (Fr), by Bustino (GB)
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $16,913. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (GB); T-Charlie Hills. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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