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Derby Winner Harzand Sold To Kilbarry Lodge Stud

The Aga Khan's homebred dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Hazariya {Ire}, by Xaar {GB}) has been sold to continue his stallion career in Ireland at Kilbarry Lodge Stud.

Trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Pat Smullen, Harzand overcame a last-minute foot injury scare to win the 2016 G1 Derby to give his owner-breeder a fifth triumph in the Epsom Classic following Shergar (GB), Shahrastani, Kahyasi (Ire) and Sinndar (Ire). He then followed up with victory in the G1 Irish Derby.

Among Harzand's Flat runners this season is the 3-year-old Mostly Cloudy (Ire), whose five consecutive wins since mid-May have shone a light on the stable of his young trainer Gemma Tutty, who now has group-race targets in mind for the progressive stayer. From his first crop, members of which are now four, Harzand has been represented by the David Pipe-trained treble hurdle winner Kolisi (Ire).

“Harzand has sired some useful individuals from his initial crops conceived at Gilltown Stud, the oldest of which are now 4-year-olds,” said Pat Downes, Aga Khan Studs Director in Ireland.

“However in recent years he has predominately been supported by the National Hunt division and now moves to Con O'Keeffe's Kilbarry Lodge Stud where I am sure he will continue do very well, given he has stock yet to race out of some talented National Hunt race mares and broodmares.”

Harzand will stand alongside fellow Group 1 winner Success Days (Ire), Diamond Boy (Fr), and the Juddmonte-bred Pillar Coral (GB), a Sadler's Wells half-brother to the late Martaline (GB), at his new home in Co Waterford.

Con O'Keeffe, owner of Kilbarry Lodge Stud, said, “We are thrilled to acquire a horse of the calibre of Harzand for Kilbarry Lodge Stud. A dual Derby winner by the sensational Sea The Stars, he has the physical attributes, race record and pedigree that Irish breeders want in a National Hunt stallion. I have been in touch with Pat Downes over the past few years regarding purchasing this horse and my interest in the horse was strengthened on seeing the quality of his foals at the last two years of National Hunt foal sales. A tough, talented racehorse who achieved a Timeform rating of 126 when winning the Epsom Derby, in conjunction with great bone and presence, Harzand has all the qualities to be an exceptional National Hunt stallion.”

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Tattersalls Online August Sale Catalogue Features Showcasing Breeding Right

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Online August Sale is now online. Beginning at noon on Aug. 9 and lasting for 24 hours, the sale features 35 lots, divided between breeding rights, fillies and mares, yearlings, and Flat and National Hunt horses-in-training.

Among the choicest lots is a lifetime breeding right to Group 1 sire Showcasing (GB) (lot 34) who has sired 60 group and listed winners to date. There are also breeding rights in young sires Aclaim (Ire) (lot 35), whose daughter and 'TDN Rising Star' Cachet (Ire) landed the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas; and lot 33, a breeding right in crack miler Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). Runaway first-crop sire Havana Grey (GB) is represented by lot 5, Smoke Without Fire (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}), who is carrying to that Whitsbury Manor resident; while lot 8 is Barbados Blue (Ire) (Getaway {Ger}) in foal to the recent Overbury Stud transplant Golden Horn (GB). Listed-winning hurdler Flaming Moon (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) (lot 29) will also go under the hammer from Matthew Smith Racing.

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Owner/Breeder Catherine Wills Dies At 71

Racing has lost another dedicated owner-breeder with the sad news that Dr. Catherine Wills has died aged 71 after a long battle with cancer. Enjoying success as a breeder in notable races across Britain, Ireland, France and the States, her runners carried the blue-and-white cross-belted colours of her famous philanthropist father Sir David Wills whose broodmares she inherited upon his death in 1999. Among them were the James Fanshawe-trained Flamboyance (Zilzal), whose visit to Dynaformer in the millennium year saw the arrival of the Christophe Clement-trained heavyweight Dynever who raced for a partnership between Wills and Peter Karches and captured the GIII San Bernardino H., was third in the 2003 GI Breeders' Cup Classic and second in the 2005 G1 Dubai World Cup. Four years later, Flamboyance's daughter Flagrant (Rahy) was responsible for a GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and GII Kentucky Cup Classic winner in the Wills-bred Furthest Land (Smart Strike) from the Michael Maker barn.

Operating under the umbrella entity St Clare Hall Stud, Wills utilised the nearby Kirtlington Stud where she also bred Selino (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) who she raced initially before selling to Qatar Racing and who won last year's G1 Sydney Cup in the OTI Racing colours. Selino is out of Air Kiss (GB) (Red Ransom), a daughter of her father's celebrated broodmare Applecross (GB)

(Glint Of Gold {GB}), who was responsible for three notable runners including the G1 Prix du Cadran hero Invermark (GB) (Machiavellian). She also produced the G2 Princess of Wales's S. winner Craigsteel (GB) (Suave Dancer), whose success in that July meeting feature coincided with Sir David's final racecourse appearance in 1999. Wills also bred the 2007 G2 Gimcrack S. winner Sir Gerry (Carson City), a grandson of another St Clare Hall stalwart in Fetlar (GB) (Pharly {Fr}), dam of the G3 Jersey S. scorer Ardkinglass (GB) (Green Desert).

Among the trainers she was associated with were Sir Henry Cecil, who provided her with listed success with Succinct (GB) (Hector Protector), a relative of Ardkinglass, in 2002; James Fanshawe who saddled her first black-type winner Eilean Shona (GB) (Suave Dancer) in 1999; Sir Mark Prescott, Nicolas and Christophe Clement and Fanshawe's former assistant Kevin Philippart de Foy. It was with a relative of Eilean Shona that she enjoyed her final win in France in a ParisLongchamp handicap last month, the Nicolas Clement-trained Sunray (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), while at Kempton on Wednesday night the Fanshawe-trained Murau (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), a grandson of Applecross, paid the ultimate tribute by winning the closing handicap.

A Jockey Club member and art historian, Catherine was also a trustee of the Sandford St Martin Trust, The Dulverton Trust, the HDH Wills Charitable Trust and the Ditchley Foundation which was among the most celebrated of her father's enterprises. She also helped to create the Martin Wills Memorial Trust and was a judge in the Martin Wills Writing Awards, which honoured her brother. Those awards ran for 25 years and offered budding journalists a way into the industry.

A widely respected figure who was generous with her time and cared greatly for her horses' welfare, her funeral is to be held at St Martin's Church at Sandford St Martin, Oxfordshire on Aug. 11 at 11 a.m. There will also be a memorial service at Knockando Parish Church, Moray, Scotland on Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. Garden flowers only.

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Three-Time British Champion De Sousa To Continue Career In Hong Kong

Silvestre De Sousa, crowned champion jockey in Britain three times, is set to continue his career in the saddle in Hong Kong.

De Sousa has been granted a licence by the Hong Kong Jockey Club from Aug. 20 to Feb. 20, with the season kicking off at Sha Tin on Sept. 11.

The Brazilian native has ridden 67 winners in Hong Kong previously, including the 2018 Hong Kong Cup aboard Glorious Forever (GB) (Archipenko), as well as landing the Longines International Jockeys' Championship the same year.

De Sousa said, “I am delighted to have been asked to go back out to Hong Kong for another stint. It's a brilliant place to ride and it was just too good an opportunity to turn down.

“My plans to go back out there last year were scuppered by Covid, so it will be great to get back out there again. The quality of racing in Hong Kong is second to none and it's a real honour to be part of that. I'll be heading out there later this month and look forward to the season starting in September.”

De Sousa returned to the freelance ranks in Britain this year after his retainer with King Power Racing was not renewed and he has partnered 31 winners so far this term.

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