Record-breaking first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) will see a fee increase to €25,000 at Tally Ho Stud in 2021. The son of Acclamation (GB) stood for €7,500 this year. Mehmas is the clear leader of the European first-season sires standings by earnings and winners, the latter tally of 47 as of Nov. 20 representing a record for a first-season sire. Iffraaj (GB) previously held the record at 38. Mehmas’s four stakes winners include the G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) and G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Minzaal (Ire).
The standardbearer of the Tally Ho roster, however, remains Kodiac (GB), who is available in 2021 for €65,000, the same fee at which he has stood the past two years. His representatives this year have included the G1 Prix Morny winner Campanelle (Ire), G1 Sprint Cup and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. winner Hello Youmzain (Fr) and group-winning juveniles Nando Parrado (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) and Umm Kulthum (Ire).
Cotai Glory (GB) and Galileo Gold (GB) both have their first runners next year and will stand for €5,000, the same fee as Vadamos (Fr), who has had nine first-crop winners this year; Kessaar (Ire), who will have his first yearlings in 2021, and Inns Of Court (Ire), whose first foals arrive next year.
Bahraini-based by globally successful trainer Fawzi Nass has cemented a reputation as a shrewd buyer of European horses in training both at public auction and privately, and his latest project Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) came good on his first start for his new yard on Friday, winning the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy at Sakhir from John Gosden’s Global Giant (GB) (Shamardal) and Aidan O’Brien’s G1 Irish Derby winner Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
The 4-year-old gelding Simsir was plucked privately from the yard of Mick Halford just this fall, having previously run as a homebred for the Aga Khan. Simsir was not seen until the autumn of his 3-year-old year last year, and won two of his first three starts before a campaign in Dubai earlier this year, where he won a 2000 metre turf handicap. Simsir was second in the Listed Silver S. on his second start back in Ireland in July, and the deal with Nass was made after he finished fifth of 22 runners in The Curragh’s Northfields H. on Irish Champions Weekend.
Nass finished first and fourth in his country’s most important race, with 22,000gns Tattersalls Autumn buy Port Lions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) just missing the placings. That 5-year-old gelding has been another success story for Nass; he upset Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) by a head in the Feb. 29 Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup on the inaugural Saudi Cup card.
“To win such an amazing race is an absolute thrill,” Nass said in the aftermath of Simsir’s win. “He has done it so bravely. Mick Halford always assured me that he likes it firm and he was right. For me, it was the jockey’s race. I thought he committed early in the straight, but he proved me wrong.”
That jockey was Scotsman Lee Newman, the UK champion apprentice in 2000 who has since ridden around the globe and has recently been stationed at Sakhir.
Newman said, “I took the bull by the horns at the five-furlong pole and kicked on from there. It’s a track that you can do that at if your horse is a galloper and he is that. It is down to Fawzi for putting his trust in me as he could have asked any jockey from anywhere in the world, but he asked me. I am delighted.”
Newman and Simsir broke sharply from gate two, and after hustling initially to hold a prominent position were content to take a slight hold as Coolagh Forest (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) crossed over from a wide draw to take up the running under John Egan. That rival attempt to stretch his advantage down the backstretch but Newman kept the frontrunner in his sights, and the front two had detached themselves from the rest of the pack by the time they hit the second bend. Newman drove Simsir to the front as they turned into the straight as Coolagh Forest began to pack it in, and while the longshot had a mighty target on his back with some of his more fancied rivals gobbling up ground late, he held on to win by a neck from Global Giant, with Sovereign just nosed out in third.
Following Port Lions in fourth, the order of finish was completed by Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper), Certain Lad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}), Loxley (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Deirdre, Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}), What A Welcome (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling), Coolagh Forest and Lady Wannabe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).
Pedigree Notes
Being a product of the Aga Khan’s program, it should come as no surprise that Simsir hails from a proper pedigree, and indeed he is out of the listed placed Simawa (Ire) (Anabaa), a half-sister to none other than Sinndar (Ire). Simawa has produced two stakes winners: the Listed Loughbrown S. victress Silwana (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and this year’s G3 Amethyst S. scorer Sinawann (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The mare, who was sold to Outsider Bloodstock for €210,000 at Goffs November in 2018, has no 2-year-old of 2020, but has a yearling filly by Gleneagles (Ire) and a colt foal by Motivator (GB).
Sakhir, £500,000, Cond, 11-20, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:00.29, gd. SIMSIR (IRE) (g, 4, Zoffany {Ire}-Simawa {Ire} {SP-Ire}, by Anabaa). Lifetime Record: 10-4-3-0, $487,783. O-Victorious. B-HH The Aga Khan Stud SC. T-Fawzi Abdulla Nass. *1/2 to Silwana (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 14f+, SW & GSP-Ire, $223,199; Summaya (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), GSP-Ire; and Sinawann (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), GSW-Ire, $118,472.
WATCH: Simsir wins the valuable Bahrain International Trophy for Fawzi Nass
Tattersalls has announced that the four-day December Foal Sale, which starts on Wednesday, Nov. 25, will now start at 10am each day, an hour earlier than originally scheduled in the catalogue.
The change has been made in response to a smaller number of withdrawals from the sale than usual, which would in turn have led to a later finish time than originally anticipated.
Commenting on the amendment, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “There is no doubt that COVID-related changes to our selling procedures combined with full catalogues have contributed to some long days at recent sales and we are keen to avoid this scenario if at all possible.
“The original start time of 11am for each day of our December Foal Sale reflected this year’s smaller catalogue and now that we appear to have fewer withdrawals than expected, we feel it is in the best interests of all participants to start each day at 10am, an hour earlier than published in the catalogue.”
The one-day December Yearling Sale next Monday will commence as planned at 11am and the following week’s December Mare Sale will begin each day at 9.30am.
Arqana on Friday added six wildcards to its December Breeding Stock Sale, to be offered on Saturday, Dec. 5.
Newton’s Night (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 110) is a full-sister to Grade III winner and multiple stakes producer Dress Rehearsal, as well as to the dams of group winners Muthmir (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), My Titania (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Majestic Queen (Ire) (Kheleyf). The 9-year-old Newton’s Night is in foal to Advertise (GB).
Also added to the Monceaux draft are Lions Den (Animal Kingdom), an unraced daughter of dual Grade I winner Arravale (Arch) currently in training with Alain de Royer Dupre (lot 120); Zaur’s Heart (GB) (No Nay Never), a 3-year-old half-sister to Group 3 winners Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Silva (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in training with Pia Brandt (lot 130); and a Kingman (GB) filly foal out of G3 Prix de Flore winner Lil’Wing (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 140).
The first round of Arqana December wildcards are completed by this year’s G2 Oaks d’Italia winner Auyantepui (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 160) and Directa (Fr) (Anodin) (lot 170), who has won four of her seven starts this year at three including the Listed Prix Vulcain and G3 Prix Fille de l’Air in her last two appearances.
