The post Without Parole’s First Foal Born At Newsells appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
NEWMARKET, UK–There's still some important business to be done in the sale ring but the Sunday between the foal sale and the mare sale at Tattersalls always has something of an end-of-term feel to it as breeders tour the local studs to view stallions and sample a range of hot sausage rolls.
First stop on a mini tour for the TDN team, which sadly did not include all the studs, was to Lanwades to see an impeccable quartet. One of the most enjoyable features of Kisten Rausing's traditional December open day is that it invariably includes either the owners of or those closely connected to her sires. Sure enough, this Sunday Sir Percy's owners Victoria and Anthony Pakenham were there along with the Derby winner's former trainer Marcus Tregoning and his son George, who posed for the lovely accompanying photograph taken by Nancy Sexton. Sir Percy is now the veteran of the Lanwades ranks at the age of 18 but looked a picture in the winter sunshine with his devoted handler Peter Manuel.
Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz, the proud owner/breeders of the German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Ger), whose popularity seems to grow with each passing season, were also on hand. The Gestut Gorlsdorf owners have enjoyed some good foal sale results of late, including topping the Goffs November Sale with a Frankel (GB) half-sister to Sea The Moon.
The Niarchos family's racing manager Alan Cooper was also at Lanwades and was keenly videoing the French Derby winner Study Of Man (Fr), who has let down into a magnificent specimen. A reminder of the greatness of his sire Deep Impact (Jpn) had been provided that same morning by Contrail (Jpn), who brought the curtain down on a glittering career with victory in the Japan Cup. European breeders are fortunate to have access to his bloodline via Saxon Warrior at Coolmore in Ireland and Study Of Man, a grandson of the great Miesque, in Newmarket.
Sir Mark Prescott, who must be the apple of Kirsten Rausing's eye, having trained Alpinista (GB) to emulate her grandam Albanova (GB) by winning three German Group 1 races this season, was one of a number of trainers at the Lanwades parade, along with Sir Michael Stoute, Jane Chapple-Hyam, Rae Guest, David Simcock and George Margarson. Emma Balding was also in attendance and is an astute breeder in her own right as well as being the mother of Andrew, who trained Sandrine (GB) to win the G2 Albany S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. in the Lanwades colours this season. The filly is an exciting Classic prospect next season for her imposing sire Bobby's Kitten, the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner and son of Kitten's Joy.
That sireline has of course been seen to great effect on these shores via the late Roaring Lion and more recently by 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, who is another sire well worth a visit at Longholes Stud this week with a year at stud now under his belt. Price Bell Jr, who stands another top-class son of Kitten's Joy in Oscar Performance at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, had come to check out the opposition at Longholes and was a welcome visitor along with Dr Chandler.
The handsome dark brown Kameko led a trio of sires from Tweenhills who are in Newmarket for a temporary holiday. One who should feel right at home in the town is Lightning Spear (GB), who spent three of his six seasons in training in Newmarket under the excellent care of David and Jenny Simcock. He always appeared to be a laidback individual out on the Heath in the mornings and that lovely temperament has not deserted him in his second career.
Havana Gold (Ire), one of the faster sons of Teofilo (Ire) who already has his own Group 1-winning son Havana Grey (GB) at stud at Whitsbury Manor, completed the trio. For those trying to breed a durable, early 2-year-old, it's worth remembering that Havana Gold's son Chipotle (GB) won the Brocklesby on the first day of the 2021 season and, eight starts later, completed his year with a win the listed Two-Year-Old Trophy, having also won at Royal Ascot.
Longholes is also hosting the Newsells Park Stud stallion Without Parole (GB) this week and the elegant Group 1-winning son of Frankel (GB) is another who must be seen in the flesh as he is about to embark on his second season at stud.
There is also a collaborative approach between stallion masters at the National Stud, which, along with its own stallions, is temporarily home to Whitsbury Manor Stud's son of Scat Daddy, the statuesque Sergei Prokofiev, and A'Ali (Ire), who has recently retired to Meadow Farm Stud in Marlborough, a new stallion base owned by well-known equine vet Rob Dallas and his wife Catherine. A'Ali, a compact son of the late Society Rock (Ire), has a racing profile and physique which will doubtless make him popular with commercial breeders.
Whitsbury Manor and the National Stud have gone into partnership, along with Coolmore and Nick Bradley, to stand Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) in Newmarket. Lope is the operative word for the 4-year-old, who has a long, loose walk and appears to be pretty relaxed about life. The winner of the G3 Round Tower S. as a juvenile, the son of Lope De Vega (Ire) was then third in the Irish 2000 Guineas and placed in three further Group 1 races at three before returning at four to run second to Palace Pier (GB) in the G1 Queen Anne S.
Time Test (GB), one of the emerging success stories of the season for the British stallion scene, will return to the National Stud from New Zealand on Dec. 20 and looks set to have a very busy season in Newmarket.
Breeders in town for the sale this week can also take advantage of visiting the stallions at Juddmonte, Cheveley Park Stud, Shadwell's Beech House Stud and Darley's Dalham Hall Stud. The latter is showing the new recruits Palace Pier (GB) and Space Blues (Ire), who are bound to attract plenty of visitors.
Our thanks to all the studs who have opened their doors, and especially to the stallion handlers for their hard work and patience on a cold day.
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Newsells Park Stud has become one of the most steadfast sights of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale-being, as it has, leading vendor at Book 1 for the past three years, and five of the past eight years–and while many of the familiar faces behind the stud remain the same, it has in fact undergone some significant changes this year, with entrepreneur Graham Smith-Bernal having purchased Newsells Park in June from the Jacobs family.
Not that Newsells Park is new at all to Smith-Bernal-he had been a client of the stud for a handful of years, boarding his small broodmare band there before the opportunity came along to expand his bloodstock interests in a major way.
“Fortunately, Graham had enjoyed being an owner at Newsells because he decided to buy the stud when the opportunity came along,” said Newsells General Manager Julian Dollar. “That was very fortunate. He's a very nice guy, he's incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about it, which is so important.”
Newsells Park has a storied history that dates back to 1086, and the Newsells that we know today was incorporated by Klaus Jacobs in 2000. Jacobs's German influence is still very much prevalent in the bloodstock that emanates from the stud today, and Dollar noted that Smith-Bernal and his wife, Marcela, have become fully immersed in the experience.
“Graham and Marcela have became enchanted with Newsells Park–the grounds, the paddocks and the land–and they're spending a lot of time here, which is wonderful,” he said. “They really enjoy that additional benefit of the place; not just the horses and the fact that it's a business, but they're enjoying that it's a beautiful place to live. They've really embraced the stud and everything about it.”
Smith-Bernal stressed in a TDN interview in June that he is not looking to reinvent the highly successful wheel when it comes to Newsells Park, but that he is keen to explore branching out into other areas, in particular breeding and racing partnerships.
“I know he is interested in partnerships and I think he has a lot of friends and acquaintances that have been investors with him along the way in his businesses, and they're keen to support and they're interested in racing and breeding,” Dollar said. “A lot of them have been to see Newsells and really enjoyed that. I think there is a possibility that will happen, but there is no firm deadline. It might happen this year, it might wait until next year.
“While Graham continues to get his feet under the desk and understand the place, things remain pretty much as before. He'll gently tweak things as he goes along based on what he enjoys and what he'd like to see the stud do. He loves his racing and he'll be around to enjoy his racing so there is maybe the possibility that we'll be able to retain a couple more fillies than we have in the past. I think we all see partnerships as something quite important to the future, so I could see that happening and he's enthusiastic to welcome friends, acquaintances and business investors into that.”
The first order of business, however, will be the Tattersalls October yearling sales, and for Book 1 alone Newsells Park brings 29 yearlings, 19 of which are siblings to stakes horses and 19 of which are out of stakes mares.
Newsells's commercial star during the past decade-a reputation that has been upheld by her progeny on the racecourse-has certainly been Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), the dam of Group 1 winners Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (1.3-million gns) and Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (3.4-million gns), G2 Middleton S. winner and triple Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 International S. winner Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (3.6-million gns) and listed winner Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}). Shastye's current 2-year-old filly by Galileo (Ire), now named Skylark (GB), cost MV Magnier 3.4-million gns at Book 1 last year, and while the mare doesn't have a yearling or foal of 2021, two of her daughters feature with yearlings in the Newsells consignment.
Dollar noted that 20-year-old Shastye was scanned in foal to Dubawi early in the season, and she has an important scan in the coming weeks.
“We have three daughters of Shastye, which is wonderful,” Dollar said. “Shastye is going to be checked next week; last year we scanned 95 mares on the stud for the October 1 checks and 94 of them were in foal, so it was a bit sad that the one that wasn't in foal was probably the most important mare that we have on the stud, Shastye. But she is, we hope, back in foal to Dubawi and I hope that we might get one, if not two, more babies out of her. She looks fantastic, she is getting on these days but she doesn't look like an old mare–she looks 15, 16 tops. She looks great and I'm hopeful we could get one or two more.”
Lot 260 is a Lope De Vega (Ire) filly and the first foal out of Shastye's daughter Secret Gaze, who cost Qatar Bloodstock 1.35-million gns at Book 1 in 2016. Secret Gaze didn't make it to the racetrack, and her first foal is bred by Qatar Bloodstock in partnership with Newsells Park.
“Secret Gaze probably reminds me the most of Shastye,” Dollar said. “She had some problems in training as a 2-year-old and never really overcame those. This is her first foal, and there's lots of mum and plenty of dad in her. People that have seen her on the farm seem to like her, and I like her; she has a good step to her and an honest way about her. She just wants to please and she's been a delight to do anything with. But that's the whole family.”
Following Secret Gaze's filly through the ring as lot 261 is a Kingman (GB) filly who is the third foal out of Secret Sense, a winning daughter of Shastye.
“Secret Sense is a proper, big Shamardal mare and this girl is rather magnificent,” Dollar said. “She has a great way about her, a great step to her and a great character.”
There will be few individuals at Park Paddocks on Thursday morning around 11 a.m. under as much pressure as Dollar will be, as Newsells sends the first three lots of the day through the ring, and four of the first 10.
“It's going to be a bit of a nightmare,” Dollar admitted, but, as far as nightmares go, even he would admit it is more of a daydream considering the quality of those four yearlings. First up is lot 336, a Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to the 2019 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and four-time Group 1 scorer Waldgeist (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as the group winners Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Waldkonig (GB) (Kingman {GB}) out of the G3 Prix Penelope scorer Waldlerche (GB) Monsun {Ger}). Waldlied's first foal, a colt by Kingman (GB), is next up as lot 337, while lot 338 is a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of the German listed winner Waldnah (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is a half-sister to Waldlerche. Lot 346 is John and Tanya Gunther's full-brother to G1 St James's Palace S. winner and young Newsells sire Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
The three 'W' family yearlings are extra special to Newsells as they descend from Waldmark (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who was bought as a foal by Klaus Jacobs and was the first horse he purchased for Newsells after buying the stud in 2000.
“It's nice for us now to have developed a couple generations of that family,” Dollar said. “We haven't always had the opportunity to do that because we've been so commercial.”
Newsells raced Waldlerche, the fifth foal out of the Classic-producing Waldmark, in partnership with Deitrich von Boetticher's Gestut Ammerland, and they too teamed up with Waldgeist, who was her first foal, and are co-breeders of the mare's Dubawi filly.
“What I think is so interesting about this mare is that every foal she produces has a bit of her and a bit of the stallion,” Dollar said. “This filly is absolutely no exception. She's probably one of the stronger fillies that this mare has produced. She's very much Dubawi– very strong, powerfully built, a very tidy model–and yet you have mum's colour, head, and a lot of mum's characteristics.
“She does have a very good mind; we know Waldlerche throws horses with very good temperaments, otherwise they wouldn't be good racehorses, and Dubawi is extraordinary for the temperament he passes on. We own her in partnership, but we felt we had to disperse the partnership; Dietrich wasn't particularly keen to race her because he might be cutting back a bit. We'll be there to support her; we're not going to let a filly like that just go, but she might be too valuable for us to race, unfortunately.”
Waldlied is the second foal out of Waldlerche, and though her record reads well as the winner of the G2 Prix de Malleret in only four starts, Dollar said there is more than what meets the eye.
“She won the Prix de Malleret but if you watch it she won it in a canter,” Dollar said. “The jockey didn't move and she won by four or five lengths. I know Andre Fabre thought the world of her and he thought she was a filly we'd supplement to the Arc that year. We didn't because sadly she did a tendon and never came back from that.”
Dollar admitted Waldlied's Kingman colt, likewise bred in partnership with Ammerland, will not be on the lists for those shopping for a Royal Ascot 2-year-old.
“This guy is a big, strong horse; he's magnificent,” Dollar said. “I think he has some x-factor about him. He's not going to be winning a Royal Ascot 2-year-old race, that's for sure, but hopefully his future is more exciting than that as a 3-year-old.
“If you think about who is the best or the second-best son of Kingman, you'd have to say it's Persian King. We have Persian King's dam here and I know what Persian King looked like, and they're not dissimilar. He wouldn't be beautiful, but he's a rather fine, handsome horse and he has a great athletic step on him. To be fair, if I showed you the mare you'd understand the yearling a bit better. She's about 17 hands, she's very long and in deference to her–she is the most lovely person so I couldn't be rude about her– but she doesn't have the prettiest noggin, as they'd say in America. She's the most lovely character you could ever deal with, but she's not pretty.”
Lot 338, the Sea The Stars colt out of Waldnah, has had a few important updates since the catalogue was printed; the mare's first two foals, both sons of Le Havre (Ire), have won, with the 2-year-old Wanees (GB) an exciting prospect for Shadwell, which bought him for 325,000gns at Tattersalls last year. Wanees broke his maiden at Ascot on Sept. 4 and followed up in a Salisbury novice race last Thursday.
“The Waldnah/Sea The Stars is a lovely horse,” Dollar said. “They think quite a bit of the 2-year-old, Wanees, who is with Charlie Hills. We are very passionate about that family. We wanted to get a Le Havre filly out of the mare, we tried twice but we didn't get lucky. Sea The Stars is a mating we really wanted to try, too.”
Dollar and the Newsells team won't have much time to digest the results of the 'W' yearlings before another of their big-ticket offerings enters the ring, the full-brother to Without Parole, who is the ninth foal out of the Gunthers' Without You Babe (Lemon Drop Kid), who has also produced the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and young sire Tamarkuz (Speightstown) as well as the American listed winner and Grade III-placed She's Got You (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Without You Babe's most recent progeny to see a sales ring was her 2018 Dubawi colt, who was bought by Kevin Ryan on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for 1-million gns at this sale.
“He's just a beast,” Dollar said of Without Parole's full-brother. “He's not as beautiful as Without Parole-Without Parole is just such a lovely looking horse. But he's magnificent. He's incredibly strong. He looks very much like an American turf horse. I'd be amazed if the guys coming over from the States didn't zoom in on him.”
Without Parole won the St James's Palace S. while unbeaten in 2018. He joined Chad Brown in the States as a 4-year-old and while he didn't manage to pick up another win, he did place in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at four and the GI Shoemaker Mile and GI Shadwell Turf Mile at five despite meeting trouble in running on numerous occasions. He stood his first season at Newsells Park this year, covering just shy of 100 mares for £10,000 apiece.
“He's been well received, not really surprisingly,” Dollar said. “He's a Group 1-winning miler by Frankel, who looks like he might be the horse to succeed Galileo, if any horse ever could really succeed Galileo.”
Fifteen yearlings by Galileo grace Book 1, and Newsells Park offers a filly by the late, great champion sire (lot 365) who is the first foal out of the G2 Duke Of Cambridge and G3 Atalanta S. scorer Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal), who Newsells bought for 1-million gns from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale of 2018.
“The Galileo filly is an absolute belter, she's just lovely,” Dollar said. “She's beautifully balanced, walks beautifully and looks a real racehorse.”
Dollar also nominated a Dubawi filly who is the first foal out of German Group 3 winner Peace In Motion (Hat Trick {Jpn}) as being “very special.” Newsells offers five fillies on behalf of Al Shahania Stud, including a Dubawi filly out of G2 Diana Trial winner Longina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (lot 127), and a Siyouni (Fr) colt for that breeder out of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner and stakes producer Vorda (Fr) (Orpen) (lot 333).
“They're exceptionally nice horses, a very strong, level bunch with a few extra special ones,” said Dollar of the draft. Referring to Newsells's sale-topping filly out of Shastye last year, he added modestly, “I don't have a 3.4-million guineas filly, but we have some lovely horses. I just hope they all go there in one piece and that there are enough people there that like them and want to buy them and that our clients are happy with the prices they make. It's a nerve-wracking time and I'm always a bit anxious about these things, but I'm hopeful.”
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The entrepreneur Victor Kiam once starred in his own commercials for Remington Products with the memorable catchphrase, “I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company.”
Now an entrepreneur of a different kind, Graham Smith-Bernal, finds himself in a similar situation with Newsells Park Stud. Until last week, he was a relatively small owner/breeder with four broodmares and six horses in training. Now Smith-Bernal has gone from being a client to the new owner of Newsells Park Stud, along with all the farm's bloodstock formerly owned by the Jacobs family.
The Herfordshire-based operation, which was set up in 1926 by Sir Humphrey de Trafford, breeder of the 1959 Derby winner Parthia (GB), was bought in 2000 by Klaus Jacobs, whose father Walther owned Gestut Fahrhof. That renowned German stud remains in the family's ownership and is run by Klaus's son Andreas, who also owns Maine Chance Farms in South Africa.
Since the death of Klaus Jacobs in 2008, Newsells Park Stud has been run on an increasingly commercial footing under the management of Julian Dollar, with boarding mares from leading breeders around the world being a key part of that business.
“I've had the pleasure of being a client of the stud,” says Smith-Bernal. “It's a bit like having five years to take a wonderful car for a test drive before you make a decision on whether you want to buy it. It's an established, successful business. For the last three years, and five years out of the last eight, Newsells has been the top consignor at Book 1 so they are obviously doing something right.”
He adds, “The mixture of the team there and the bloodstock is pretty amazing. We have some wonderful mares, and Julian is very excited about the foals that have been born this year, and there are some nice yearlings coming to the sales this autumn. We're effectively going to be doing more of the same, and we are very interested in attracting another stallion or two.”
Early in his working life, Smith-Bernal was employed as a court stenographer, which led to him devising the legal deposition software LiveNote. He sold that company in 2006 and two years later set up another legal technology firm, Opus 2, which operates a globally renowned cloud-based litigation platform.
Like an increasing number of people involved in racehorse ownership, his interest in the sport started with him being encouraged to take a share in a syndicate some 30 years ago.
“At my younger son's school one of the parents was interested in racing and suggested that a small group of us have a leg in a couple of horses,” he recalls. “It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed the social side of it. Then about 10 years ago a friend of mine asked if I wanted to invest in a horse he'd bought. The horse raced in his colours and I named him Opus Too, after my company, but I should have have called him Hopeless Two.”
Appropriately, Opus Too (Ire) was a son of Lawman (Fr), and while his best result in 20 starts was a runner-up finish over two miles at Kempton, his existence set the ball rolling for Smith-Bernal's next step into breeding.
He explains, “While we were in Newmarket to see him, the foal sale was on at Tattersalls. I was having lunch in the restaurant watching these lovely foals go round and, of course, after a bottle of wine or so it got the better of me and I saw this filly who I thought was gorgeous. I ended up buying her for 8,000gns.”
To the filly, who would become known as Mercy Me (GB) (Mawatheeq), was added a companion, Celestine Abbey (GB) (Authorized {Ire}). The duo eventually went into training with John Ryan in Newmarket, winning six races between them before becoming Smith-Bernal's first broodmares.
“I bred a couple of foals from them and that gave me some exposure to the breeding side, which I find even more interesting because it is much more a commercial environment,” he notes.
The original pair has since been moved on and, prior to his recent purchase of Newsells Park, Smith-Bernal and his wife Marcela had upgraded their stock to four mares, including La Mortola (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a half-sister to the G1 Derby Italiano winners Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal) and Awelmarduk (Ire) (Almutawakel {GB}). Her first foal by Frankel (GB) sold through the Newsells Park Stud draft at October Book 1 for 300,000gns to Godolphin and is now in training with Charlie Appleby under the name Fabrizio (GB).
“What I liked about Newsells Park Stud was the level of service, and the fact that I had been able to build up a relationship with Julian and the team. It wasn't a stark arrival when I came to buy the place,” he says.
“It was witnessing the level of professionalism and attention to detail and then seeing how that transferred into being successful as a vendor with my own horses. They really do treat all horses there as if they are their own. I was able to experience that first hand and I can say, hand on heart, that it's exactly what we are going to continue to do for our clients. I've actually made money from it and done quite well. Maybe I was just lucky.”
Among the clients at the stud are John and Tanya Gunther, breeders of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin) at their own stud, Glennwood Farm, in Kentucky. From their group of boarding mares at Newsells Park, the Gunthers have bred the G1 St James's Palace S. winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has gone full circle from the nursery paddocks there to the stallion barn, where he stands alongside Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
“Newsells has been very much in a holding pattern for the last couple of years and they haven't been able to go out and sail the ship full steam ahead,” says Smith-Bernal. “We have various ideas, very much in their infancy, but which include establishing a high-end breeding and racing club. We also very much hope to establish partnerships with other main players within the industry with a similar mindset to us in terms of wanting to breed top-quality horses. Half the stud is occupied by mares owned by other people and we're looking to embellish and build on some of the infrastructure for outside boarders. One example would be the manor itself. We're going to turn that into a guest house for our clients when they come to visit.”
The number of power partnerships has grown in recent years across the globe, whether in breeding stock or racehorses. Notably, Newsells Park Stud's most illustrious recent graduate, the 2019 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was bred by a partnership which included Andreas Jacobs, his fellow successful German breeder Dietrich von Boetticher of Gestut Ammerland, and Coolmore.
“If you race a horse that costs a million quid that's a lot of eggs in one basket and the chance of it being as successful as necessary to give you any kind of payback is quite remote, so spreading the risk makes a lot of sense,” says Smith-Bernal. “That's been my way of doing things in my other business interests, which is to very much stay focused on your core competency, on what you do best, and forge relationships with key players who have assets and skill sets in other areas. Win-win partnerships, if you like.”
He continues, “At Newsells, there's also the integrity and the honesty that is important to me as a businessman. Things don't always go well but they tell it to you straight, even if it is not good news. That's what I have with Newsells, and with my trainers, and with my bloodstock agent Jill Lamb.”
The owner currently has horses with John Ryan, who trained his best horse to date, the listed winner Grey Britain (GB) (Arcano {Ire}), as well as William Haggas, who has one of his key hopes, the dual winner Skyrunner (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
In partnership with his friend Alan Dee, he also has horses in training with Charlie Fellowes. Of course, with his purchase of the Newsells Park stock, which runs to 53 mares and “40 to 50 yearlings and around 45 to 50 foals”, Smith-Bernal's Thoroughbred portfolio has now blossomed significantly.
“We are not looking to increase that number, we'll be looking to maintain that sort of number and improving and investing in the quality of the bloodstock, even though it is already of a very high quality,” he says.
The bar is indeed set high by his new additions. The top-class broodmare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), star of the sales ring and racecourse through her offspring which include the Galileo siblings Japan (GB), Mogul (GB) and Secret Gesture (GB), is now 20 but she she is far from the only big name. The deal also includes Yummy Mummy (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), the dam of Classic winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and a share of Waldgeist's dam Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}). Smith-Bernal, who lives not far from Sandown Park racecourse in Surrey, also aims to have around 15 horses in training.
“In the next 12 months I am not really looking to interfere with a business that is already working effectively. I'm looking forward to forging a close relationship with Julian and the team and then discussing what changes we may want to make. For the next six months it's look and learn,” he says.
“I'd like to think our clients' experience of Newsells won't go south of what they have been experiencing, and I'd like to think that it will actually go north. I'm very keen to listen to their opinions.”
As Newsells Park Stud–whose paddocks have already nurtured a Derby winner, 1000 Guineas winner and St Leger winner–closes in on its centenary, it is reassuring to see it pass into the ownership of a man who aims to uphold that Classic heritage.
“I'm not an expert, I really am a novice at this compared to the experts so I don't want to interfere,” says Smith-Bernal with endearing humility.
“But there are a couple of stallions out there that I really adore. One would be Sea The Stars (Ire) as I love middle-distance races, even though it's not the most commercial thing. I would love to win either the Oaks or the Derby. I had a runner in the Derby two years ago [Hiroshima (GB)]. He was never going to win but just having a runner in the race was special. Having a Derby winner would be the dream for me.”
The post Classic Dreams Live On In New Era For Newsells Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
