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“Minor Setback” Means Mishriff Not Fit To Cover Mares Until Mid-March

Mishriff (Ire), the brilliant Prix du Jockey Club winner and globetrotting star, has met with a minor setback at Montfort et Preaux in France and is unlikely to cover mares until mid-March as a result.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff amassed almost £12 million in career-earnings and is set to stand for €20,000 for his debut season at stud.

A spokesperson for stud said, “Sumbe regrets to announce that our new stallion Mishriff has suffered a minor setback which may delay his stud duties until mid-march 2023.

“Although his condition is of non-threatening nature and does not put his stallion career in jeopardy, Mishriff will be in stall rest for a while. Equine welfare ranks at the top of our values and we are taking every precaution to ensure Mishriff's swift and complete recovery in accordance with our standards.

“This unexpected situation is a big blow for us, all the more considering Mishriff's tremendous early popularity and his soaring first book of quality mares. We will soon confer with the owners of all booked mares and find individual solutions.

“We are thankful for the great anticipation Mishriff has triggered and we are hopeful for your continuous support today and in the future.”

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Rajasinghe: ‘A Few People Have Cottoned On To The Stats’

Everybody loves a bargain, especially in January in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. The latter may barely have affected the bloodstock sales so far, but a knock-on effect may be felt if smaller or syndicate owners start to reduce their racing investment, which in turn would surely have a bearing eventually on the lower end of the yearling market. The top tier generally takes care of itself, while the middle market has been given a great boost by increased international participation, though that in itself is not necessarily a great boost for the long-term health of racing and breeding in Britain and Ireland.

Breeders with mating plans still to be decided, and who may be wincing at some of the stallion fees advertised, could do worse than adding the name of Rajasinghe (Ire) to their list of sires under consideration.

We talked to Rajasinghe's owner Phil Cunningham back in April just ahead of the son of Choisir (Aus) being represented by his first runner, Talamanca (GB). That Mickley Stud-bred gelding has now run 11 times for three wins and is the most prolific of his sire's runners. As noted by Brian Sheerin when assessing the last year's freshman sires in Saturday's TDN, the group numbers only 10 to date, but remarkably eight of them won races in 2022, and three achieved an official rating of 80+, headed by the listed-placed Waiting All Night (GB), a Cunningham homebred.

Last spring, Cunningham told TDN: “He's had limited numbers and limited support so I think we've got to do it the hard way, which is to do it ourselves.

“We've got a nice little crop this year, some more next year and a few more the following year. Hopefully he will become more popular with everyone else by then and he'll have a few more runners.”

Doubtless the owner-breeder is delighted with the start made by his stallion, who, like Cunningham's dual Classic winner Cockney Rebel (Ire) before him, is standing at the National Stud. The Newmarket farm is sure to have plenty of visitors this spring, with Stradivarius (Ire) still exerting plenty of pulling power and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) likely to be busy again. But those visiting should not ignore the well-made son of the late Choisir, who was a very good stallion in his own right and whose prowess continues to be so well advertised by his Irish-based son Starspangledbanner (Aus).

It doesn't necessarily follow that Rajasinghe will be similarly successful, and of course he will need to build on that 80% strike-rate with some proper stakes horses if he is to take his career to the next level, but he has dropped enough hints during the last year that he can get your mare a runner if given the chance.

So far, outside the backing of his owner, he hasn't been given many opportunities. He had 24 foals in his first crop, 14 in his second, which are the juveniles for this coming season, and 26 born in 2022. Only once has he covered a black-type winner, and in his most recent season he is listed with Weatherbys as having covered just nine mares, mostly owned by the Cunningham family. One of the outside breeders, Morecool Racing, will be pleased to have supported him again this year as, since they sent New Road Side (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) back to be covered, her Rajasinghe son Hougoumont (GB) has won two of his four starts for Julie Camacho.

The majority of the stallion's offspring of racing age are in the stable of Richard Spencer, the retained trainer for Cunningham's Rebel Racing and for whom Rajasinghe was a breakout star when winning the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 in Spencer's second season with a licence.

The Newmarket trainer admits with a smile that he is of course biased, but he is also well placed to have a handle on plenty of Rajasinghe's runners so far. He says, “He's basically stamped his offspring very much like himself. He was very laid-back. He thrived on his work and was very easy in himself and had a great attitude with everything he did.

“From the mares that have been sent to him, and this is no disrespect to any of them, they weren't the best mares that you could have asked for, but he has definitely upgraded them judging on progeny they've produced in the past. Their attitudes are great, wind great, and for what is on offer for breeders at that level in England, you can't really find anything much better, I don't think, on the market.”

Spencer continues, “I know I'm probably biased, but we've had such great success this season from the horses that have run, and everything has won or been placed. The ones that have been placed that haven't won will win. And the ones we haven't run, for various little reasons, that will run in this year coming have all got ability to win races. There's not one amongst them you think, 'Oh God, we're not going to win with him.'

“They are all capable of winning, from relatively low-grade mares, and they've got size and scope. I think a few people have cottoned on to the stats, but I think [his offspring] are value for money and real 'trainers' horses' at the moment, whilst they're able to be bought.”

Spencer has had a fresh intake of horses who have just turned two and says that better results could be seen this year.

“I genuinely think the ones we've got coming through are a better quality again. Phil had some some fillies with decent ratings that have gone to stud to support him and I think in the next couple of years we'll see even better quality coming through,” he notes.

“So it's exciting from our side of things, seeing it behind the scenes with what we've got to come, and with the GBB scheme running as well now, which is fantastic, it's a big incentive to be sending a mare to a British stallion.”

Rajasinghe was 15th overall in the first-crop sires' table for Britain and Ireland on prize-money. When judged by number of individual winners, he achieved a top-10 finish with far fewer runners than any of his rivals in that top echelon–and of course on his percentage of winners to runners he was best of all at 80%.

For a stallion standing right down the bottom of the fee table at £3,000, a strike-rate at the top of the table should perhaps open a few eyes, hopefully followed by a few wallets.

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From Havana Grey To Rajasinghe – Which Freshmen Are Here To Stay?

Not only did Havana Grey (GB) record more individual winners and total wins than any of his first-season sire rivals in Great Britain and Ireland, but he also broke the £1-million marker for total earnings, which is why he deservedly wears the champion freshman stallion crown.

Those earnings were propped up by big sales race winners Shouldvebeenaring (GB) and Eddie's Boy (GB), with the latter going on to bag a Group 3 before selling for 320,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in October.

Havana Grey had 36 winners for 76 runners this year and his progeny recorded total earnings of £1,074,697, which was almost £420,000 more than his nearest rival Sioux Nation could manage in what was a pulsating race for first-season sire bragging rights.

But with four stakes winners and 57 total wins achieved in 2022, Whitsbury Manor Stud's emerging force confirmed himself the undisputed top dog of the young sire brigade, and earned himself a fee rise from £6,000 to £18,500 in the process.

Joe Callan, head of Whitsbury's bloodstock and sales, said, “We knew Havana Grey was going to be popular after what his first runners achieved this season but the demand for him has been unprecedented. It's been crazy and it's got to a stage where we've stopped counting [the number of mares who have been put forward to visit the stallion next year]. You can see why people are so keen to use him. He's had a fantastic season with 13 stakes horses and is operating at 16% stakes horses to runners and almost 50% winners to runners in Britain and Ireland. He has big crops coming through over the next couple of years so he deserves the accolades that he is getting.”

Havana Grey was kept honest all year by Coolmore's Sioux Nation, who had an excellent campaign in his own right and earned a fee rise to €17,500 for 2023. By Scat Daddy, Sioux Nation ended the year with 29 individual winners from 65 runners and his progeny amassed £657,000 worth of total earnings in Britain and Ireland.

Matilda Picotte (Ire) was Sioux Nation's biggest earner having accounted for £124,667, highlighted by victory in the Listed “Bosra Sham” Fillies' S. at Newmarket in October.

That effort came off the back of a busy campaign with Kieran Cotter's star juvenile winning her maiden at the Curragh on debut in May, placing in two Group 2s and finishing runner-up in the valuable Ballyhane S. at Naas. Sydneyarms Chelsea (Ire) also secured Group 3 glory for Sioux Nation at Deauville in August for Charlie Hills.

Little separated Harry Angel (Ire) and Kessaar (Ire) in third and fourth, respectively. The Dalham Hall Stud-based Harry Angel had 21 individual winners from 45 runners and recorded £433,814 in earnings while Tally-Ho Stud's Kessaar made a similarly respectable start with 20 individual winners from three fewer runners and amassed £351,906 in prize-money.

Tally-Ho Stud has enjoyed top honours with Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB) in recent seasons and, while the early signs are that Kessaar is not on that trajectory, he has proven a solid addition to the ranks. A classy sprinter, Kessaar's progeny appear to stay further than he did, which is somewhat surprising, and it will be interesting to track their progression in 2023.

Cracksman (GB) came up trumps with Listed winner Dance In The Grass (GB) along with a host of promising youngsters with a view towards next season. He sired nine winners from 39 runners and one would expect his offspring to build on that next year.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf success of Victoria Road (Ire) obviously doesn't contribute towards the leading freshman sire championship in Britain and Ireland, but it's worth bearing in mind with a view to the results of Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

Coolmore's G1 2000 Guineas-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) went from strength to strength this year, building to that almighty crescendo in Keeneland with Victoria Road, but he also enjoyed some major triumphs domestically to finish fifth in the British and Irish first-season sire standings.

Saxon Warrior was responsible for 13 individual winners from 41 runners and £351,906 in prize-money. Joseph O'Brien's Lumiere Rock (Ire), winner of the G3 Staffordstown Stud S., and G2 Debutante S. third Thornbrook (Ire) flew the flag for the stallion in Ireland, while Jim Bolger's Gan Teorainn (Ire) enjoyed notable success on and off the track.

After winning her maiden impressively at Naas in August, Gan Teorainn carried the familiar Ennistown Stud silks to finish second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp.

That form ensured that one of Saxon Warrior's highest-rated daughters would be in high demand when selling at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls and so it proved with BBA Ireland paying 1 million gns to secure the filly who is understood to have been bought to continue her career in Australia.

Despite being based in Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Coolmore's Justify enjoyed a notably good first season with runners in Britain and Ireland.

The unbeaten Statuette, successful in the G2 Airlie Stud S., and Group 3 scorer Aspen Grove put the US Triple Crown winner in lights in Ireland this year.

Meanwhile, it was just last week when the Willie Browne-trained Diamondsareforever (Ire) posted a taking debut victory at Dundalk, further solidifying the notion that Justify is a coming force on the international stage. Five winners from just 11 individual runners in Britain and Ireland including £146,963 in prize-money represented a strong start for Justify.

Fellow Coolmore-based US Navy Flag had eight individual winners from 35 runners. It should be noted that two of his best horses enjoyed listed success abroad; Ocean Vision (Ire) in France and Love Reigns (Ire) in America.

Tasleet (GB) is another freshman sire worthy of mention, not least because he sired the brilliant G2 Coventry S. winner Bradsell (GB). Set to stand for just £6,000 at Nunnery Stud next year, Tasleet had a solid 34% winners to runners, which was more than Saxon Warrior, Expert Eye (GB), US Navy Flag, Cracksman (GB) and more.

But the biggest surprise in the first-season stallion ranks came from the figures posted by the largely unheralded Rajasinghe (Ire), who is set to stand for just £3,000 at the National Stud next year.

Winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2017 for Phil Cunningham, who has been a big supporter of the horse since he went to stud, Rajasinghe had eight individual winners from 10 runners which equates to a whopping 80% strike-rate.

All of this has been achieved with average mares which suggests Rajasinghe could have the makings of becoming a pretty decent sire if provided with the right ammunition.

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Bahrain-Based Horses Back on Top in Turf Series

A pair of Bahrain-based horses won the third and fourth Bahrain Turf Series races–the Al Riffa Cup and Al Dana Cup–in Riyadh on Friday. Dark Shadow (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), in the hands of Hector Crouch, produced a sharp turn of foot over 1200 metres to fend off a challenger in the closing stages of the Al Riffa Cup and returned to the winner's enclosure in the familiar colours of Al Mohamediya Racing.

“It all went pretty smoothly for me,” said Crouch. “We were drawn high and he's a horse who needs a fast pace to aim at so today with 16 runners and quick ground that's what he got; so I'm delighted for His Highness Shaikh Sultan and Osama [Hashim].”

The Covex Kid (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), trained by Hesham Al Haddad, made it five wins in a row and a third straight win in Bahrain in the Al Dana Cup over 2000 metres. It was another big-race success for the same ownership, Al Mohamediya Racing and regular series winning jockey Neil Callan.

“It was a very strong race, we were a bit worried when the horse got boxed in at the last furlong,” said Al Haddad. “Neil [Callan] managed to steer him very well and find the sunshine and he came out at the right time. We're very happy and connections are too.”

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