Tag: zoustar

Seven Days: A Big, Big Moment

An unusually quiet Sunday on the European circuit allows a pause before the meeting that should only ever be referred to as Glorious Goodwood, and also some reflection on a truly special result at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. William Muir, a baby-faced veteran of the training ranks who now shares his licence with Chris Grassick, assessed the greatest win of his 30-year training career as “a big, big moment”, and he deserves to enjoy that moment for days and weeks to come. 

By now, the story of Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) is a familiar one. Bred by brothers Guy and Hugh Leach with their friend Roger Devlin, and on the advice of the much-missed Kevin Mercer, at whose Usk Valley Stud the 5-year-old was born, Pyledriver has grafted his way into the public's affection. Buying him back at the foal sales for 10,000gns was in hindsight the best decision the owner-breeders have ever made as Pyledriver's earnings are now knocking on the door of £2 million.

Despite this being an industry wrought with financial interest and concerns, in many ways money can't buy that feeling of having a horse good enough to turn up on the big days and drag you joyously to the winner's circle on the wisps of his tail.

At Epsom, at York, and at Ascot, at the Royal Meeting and now the King George, the bonny, dark bay Pyledriver has taken his connections for spins on the merriest of merry-go-rounds, not to mention putting in some creditable performances in defeat overseas in Hong Kong and Dubai.

We are also the lucky ones to be able to see Pyledriver in action at the age of five. Of course thoughts turn to a stallion career after a race like the King George, and had Westover not pulled so hard and instead had seen out his race in the imperious manner in which he won the Irish Derby, few would now question his stallion credentials. Pyledriver will be a harder sell, and his connections are all too aware of this fact. At Epsom after his Coronation Cup win last year, Roger Devlin told the TDN, “We thought [Pyledriver] would improve as a 4-year-old. He's fairly modestly bred, like the owners, and we didn't think he had huge stallion potential so it was important for us to get the Group 1 on his CV. That's job done.”

That Pyledriver keeps doing his job so well is all that any of his team should focus on for now. Horses are a long time retired, and every moment of those precious few seasons on the track should be savoured, especially a big, big moment like winning the King George. 

Pyledriver's Not So Modest Origins

In one of the special 3-year-olds of the season, the Prix du Jockey Club and Coral-Eclipse winner Vadeni (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), we have seen how the Aga Khan Studs reaped the benefit of the purchase and gradual assimilation of the stock of Jean-Luc Lagardere in 2005. 

Roger Devlin may have jokingly referred to Pyledriver as being “modestly bred like his owners” but he too has roots in the Aga Khan's breeding operation through another of the operation's key purchases, in this case the 144 horses acquired from the breeding empire of Marcel Boussac in 1978.

Pyledriver's sixth dam Licara (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) was among that group as a yearling and, more than 40 years later, her descendants continue to be successful for a range of breeders. Sylvain Vidal bought Pyledriver's Aga Khan-bred grand-dam Lidana (Ire) (King's Best) for Gerard Augustin-Normand for 140,000gns as a 4-year-old at Tattersalls. For Augustin-Normand she produced the Group 1 winner Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}) and Listed winner Normandel (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who went on to win the G3 Park Express S. for Ballylinch Stud and is now in their broodmare band, with her eldest offspring being a 2-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega (Ire).

Le Havre, a great grandson of Blushing Groom, sadly died earlier this year, but he really does have the potential to become a posthumous force as a broodmare sire. Normandel has yet to prove herself but her full-sister La Pyle (Fr), the dam of Pyledriver, is well on her way. She won twice on the Flat and was then tried unsuccessfully over hurdles before retiring to Usk Valley Stud. Now 11, she has three winners from her three runners, with the amusingly named juvenile Shagpyle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) still to race for her from the same stable as Pyledriver. 

Another of Lidana's daughters, Lillebonne (Fr) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whom she has been carrying when bought by Vidal, won twice in the French provinces and is also now enjoying a fruitful broodmare career as the dam of six winners from six runners, including three black-type performers. They include Isaac Souede and Simon Munir's recent Group 2 runner-up, the 3-year-old Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), while the mare's 2-year-old Thornbrook (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), bred by Peter Henley, John Connolly and Pattern Bloodstock, won well on debut earlier this month. 

Clearly it is a family still full of running, exemplified in fine fashion by Pyledriver's emphatic win over the Arc hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and a classy supporting cast at Ascot.

Godolphin's Next Classic Contenders? 

The dust has not quite settled on the current Classic season, with the St Leger still to be run, but thoughts and bookmakers' quotes are already turning to next spring. Earlier this season Charlie Appleby would have hoped to have been at Ascot on Saturday with Adayar (Ire) to defend his King George crown, and perhaps to have been double-handed in the race with Hurricane Lane (Ire). With one sidelined and the other having a lacklustre season so far, the Godolphin trainer could instead look to the future with a pair of colts posting performances on Saturday that could see them step into the illustrious Classic shoes of that pair, or of this year's stars Coroebus (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Modern Games (Ire).

Appleby won last year's Listed Pat Eddery S. with Modern Science (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who had subsequent Group 1 winners Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) behind him that day. This year the race was won easily by Godolphin homebred Naval Power (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who is now unbeaten in three starts. Earlier at Newmarket, the Appleby-trained Highbank (GB) (Kingman {GB}), bred by Lynch-Bages and Camas Park Stud, became the latest TDN Rising Star with his similarly eye-catching debut. 

The name Blandford Bloodstock can be found against the purchases of the dams of both Naval Power and Highbank but in quite contrasting circumstances. Highbank's dam Bristol Bay (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) was bought for 400,000gns from Ballylinch Stud/Gestut Ammerland when carrying a full-sister to her Ammerland-bred Listed winner Bay Of Poets (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Naval Power's dam Emirates Rewards (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) went through the ring last November at Goffs and was bought by Richard Brown on behalf of Simon Sweeting's Overbury Stud for €18,000. She is now in foal to Overbury's young sire Ardad (Ire).

An even bigger bargain was found just two weeks ago at Tattersalls when Naval Power's 4-year-old half-sister Late Morning (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) was sold to Sami Racing for 2,200gns. There could well be further black-type updates to come. 

Young Guard in the Vanguard

While Ralph Beckett would have been disappointed with Westover's run in the King George, his stable started the day well at Ascot on Saturday when emerging star Lezoo (GB) got back on the winning trail in the G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S. She has now won three of her four starts for Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen, and arguably should be unbeaten, having been hampered in the closing stages of the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. by the eventual winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

Importantly now Lezoo is a group winner, having become the first northern hemisphere stakes winner for her sire Zoustar {Aus}) at Newmarket in June. The race also provided another boost in a good season for Chasemore Farm, who bred Lezoo, and also had their own colours carried to third place on the homebred Breege (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). 

It was a good week for a number of freshman sires. Havana Grey (GB), still romping ahead and now on 28 individual winners, including three on Saturday, notched his first listed winner. That came via the enterprising young trainer Alice Haynes, who took Lady Hollywood (GB) to Naas to plunder the Marwell S., the filly's third win in a row from five starts. Compiling a similarly impressive strike-rate is Havana Grey's Star Of Lady M (GB), who won her fourth race in six starts at Musselburgh last week. Their sire is not just top of the freshman sires but is currently the leading sire of juveniles in Europe ahead of No Nay Never, who is enjoying his own good season. Admittedly, Eddie's Boy's pot for winning the Weatherbys Super Sprint has helped to push Havana Grey narrowly ahead on prize-money, but his nearest challenger on individual winners is Kodiac (GB) on 20. And it is easy to see where this brand of hardy precocity comes from because by the time Havana Grey arrived at Goodwood this week five years ago to win the G3 Molecomb S. on a relentlessly rainy day, he had already run five times and bagged two Listed victories as well as a novice success. 

Cracksman (GB) continues to be the delight of the freshman sire ranks (to this observer at least) and his highly promising start of eight winners from just 12 winners was augmented on Thursday by the victory of the unbeaten Dance In The Grass (GB) in the Listed Star S. at Sandown. She was bought at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale from her breeders Anne Dalgety and Willie Carson for 57,000gns by trainers Charlie and Mark Johnston. And in case you missed Brian Sheerin's fascinating interview in last week's TDN with Mark Johnston on his approach to buying yearlings and more, it is worth pouring yourself another cup of coffee, clicking this link, and having a good read. 

Dance In The Grass continues a good run for the family of Shadow Dancing (GB) (Unfuwain), who was also bred by Carson with his former boss Major Dick Hern, who died just a month before she finished third in the Oaks of 2002, trained by his former assistant Marcus Tregoning and running for a syndicate led by Anne Dalgety. Shadow Dancing is now the dam of five winners, the best of them being Dance In The Grass's dam Dance The Dream (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}). But in another division the family has also been represented by one of the stand-out juvenile hurdlers of last season, the Aintree Grade 1 winner Knight Salute (GB), who is Dance The Dream's full-brother. 

Good News First, Then The Bad News

In this column, we prefer to reflect on all that is good about racing, particularly cheering the winning breeders for whom a big-race success can often be earned on the back of hard-luck stories and heartbreak along the way. A winner, however small, can do so much to lift the spirits and protect one to a degree from the bad news that we know will be lurking round a corner  wherever horses are concerned. 

In the realms of the big breeders, we can enjoy the fact that dear old Galileo (Ire) potentially has at least a couple of corkers for the 2023 Classic season in the form of G3 Tyros S. winner Proud And Regal (Ire) and the well-related Tower Of London (Ire), who had my discerning colleague Tom Frary conjuring up comparisons to Camelot (GB) when awarding the full-brother to Capri (Ire) a TDN Rising Star. 

Incidentally, I'm not sure if it has been done before, but Ryan Moore rode two Rising Stars in two countries on Thursday as five hours earlier at Sandown he had been aboard the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Juddmonte homebred Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}). If people still used notebooks then his name would have been writ large in many, and on the same page as Coolmore's Tower Of London.

Now, having acknowledged the good stuff (and there has been much, much more on that front that should have been mentioned), I am afraid that this column has to end on a more negative vibe.

Last week we touched on the comments by American trainer Phil D'Amato, notably his view that the bloodstock market in this part of the world is “ripe for plunder”. That same weekend Chad Brown won the GI Diana S. with In Italian (GB), one of five European-bred runners in a field of six.

On Saturday night, D'Amato's words echoed across Del Mar, where he won the GII San Clemente S. with Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who was bought privately from Jessica Harrington's stable with a mark of 83 following a nursery handicap win at Naas last autumn. In California, Bellabel led home an Irish-bred trifecta, and five other British- and Irish-bred horses featured among the 12 runners. 

There is no doubt that international buyers are a vitally important aspect of our bloodstock market, and British and Irish breeders can rightly pride themselves on the fact that our horses are among the most coveted and successful in the world. But, fewer breeders now ever intend to put a saddle on a horse's back in this part of the world unless they absolutely have to, preferring instead to play the equine stock market in the sale ring. And that comes down to one thing: poor prize-money. 

It is now of the utmost importance that the racecourses and bookmakers who benefit financially from the important standing which British racing especially still enjoys internationally, start putting their hands deeper into their pockets to ensure that that is not lost. Currently, away from those high days provided by the likes of the plucky Pyledriver, it is hard to look upon the sport without an encroaching sense of doom. 

While we stagnate, other nations without the solid breeding programmes behind them that we have, are increasing their racing programmes hand in hand with the offer of lucrative prize-money. This only drives the demand for horses from this part of the world, with even moderate maiden winners now subject to rapid offers from abroad. When their owners look at what they could continue to win in Britain, it is hard to turn those offers down, and though that money may well be ploughed back into buying more horses, how long can we continue selling our own dreams?

Presently, every thoroughbred that leaves these shores is contributing to the crumbling of the foundations of a great racing nation that will eventually topple. That we have a governing body seemingly content to fiddle with side projects while the only topic that truly matters to the future of British racing is left consistently unaddressed is a cause for deep concern. 

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Seven Days: Much Ado About Frankie

Such a high-profile split, whether temporary or not, between Frankie Dettori and the John and Thady Gosden stable, has naturally dominated the headlines of the last week. Whatever one's thoughts of the events during and post-Royal Ascot, there was no mistaking the affection in which Dettori is held among racegoers as he was cheered back into the winner's enclosure on his sole ride in Britain since the Saturday of the royal meeting. He has nothing booked for this week either, but intriguingly Dettori has been snapped up by Charlie Appleby to ride in the Belmont Derby and Oaks on July 9 in the Godolphin blue silks that were once synonymous with the rider.

The victory of Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) in Saturday's Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S. on Dettori's home track of Newmarket was therefore a huge shot in the arm for him after he had given a television interview assuring viewers that he was not about to retire. There was a little wobble on landing from his customary flying dismount, but he was back to his showman best as he kissed the veteran former trainer Clive Brittain on both cheeks in the winner's enclosure and then promptly departed for Istanbul and his ride in the following day's Turkish Derby.

Lezoo's win will have been well received at Tweenhills, the northern hemisphere home of her sire Zoustar, who has his first European runners this year. He has had just three winners to date but is one of only three first-season sires to have a stakes winner to his name, along with Tasleet (GB) and James Garfield (Ire), and the second half of the season is always far more telling when it comes to the quality of runners on show.

Lezoo was bred at Chasemore Farm by Andrew Black, who has previously stated his fondness for mares by the late Red Clubs (Ire) and enjoyed notable success with that stallion's daughter Ceiling Kitty (GB), who won the G2 Queen Mary S. ten years ago. She went on to produce another Newmarket Listed winner, Eartha Kitt (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), while her final foal, Arthur Kitt (GB) (Camelot {GB}), emulated his mother by becoming a juvenile Royal Ascot winner when taking the Chesham S. in 2018.

Ceiling Kitty sadly died while foaling Arthur Kitt but her daughter is continuing the line at Chasemore. Eartha Kitt is now the dam of Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was sold last year as a yearling for 525,000gns to Godolphin and won on debut at Ascot on May 7. It has been a good season for the Surrey-based farm so far, with homebred Brad The Brief (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) winning the G2 Greenlands S. at the Curragh last month. 

Lionhearted

There was a further fillip for the Tweenhills/Qatar Racing team when Lion Of War (GB), unbeaten in two starts, became the latest juvenile to be awarded a TDN Rising Star on Thursday, in so doing paying his own tribute to his late sire Roaring Lion. David Redvers spoke to Brian Sheerin about the issue which meant Lion Of War cost only 7,000gns at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year, but his co-trainer Mark Johnston has famously put pedigree ahead of conformation in his yearling selection over the years with notable success, and he and son Charlie look to have a smart colt on their hands.

Roaring Lion has to date been represented by just five runners. The two that have won, including Swift Lioness (GB), are both inbred to Sadler's Wells.

A Summer to Savour

At this stage it is hard to know which big-race contest to look forward to the most in the coming weeks. This Saturday's Coral-Eclipse seems a good place to start, with Alenquer (Fr), Bay Bridge (GB), Native Trail (GB), Lord North (Ire), Stone Age (Ire)  and Mishriff (Ire) remaining among the confirmations at the five-day stage, while the Aga Khan's Prix du Jockey Club winner Vadeni (Fr) was supplemented at a cost of £50,000 on Monday. 

Then there's the potential rematch between Kyprios (Ire), Stradivarius (Ire) and Mojo Star (Ire) in the Goodwood Cup, which, if it comes up soft enough (but not too soft for Stradivarius) could include Saturday's epic weight-carrying hero Trueshan (Fr), who is working his way into the hearts of the racing public as all good stayers who return year after year are wont to do.

Most tantalising of all, however, must surely be the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. It is not out of the question that Ascot's high summer feature could include the Derby and Irish Derby winners of this year and last, not to mention the 2021 Arc winner.

On a memorable day for Ralph Beckett on Saturday, which started with Lezoo's stakes win at Newmarket, Westover (GB) franked the Derby form in emphatic fashion when bowling to a dominant success in the Irish Derby to add to Frankel's Classic haul for the season, which already included the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Prix de Diane.

A big, long-striding colt, the lightly-raced Westover looks to have plenty of maturing still to do, which can also be said of Desert Crown (GB), who was so impressive at Epsom despite still looking like a gangly teenager. 

We've so far been denied a sighting of Adayar (Ire) this year but it would be fantastic to see him attempt to defend his King George crown, while Hurricane Lane (Ire) will surely come on from his comeback third in the G2 Hardwicke S.

We also shouldn't overlook the claims of Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who has drawn favourable comparisons with another Gosden star by the same sire, Taghrooda (GB), who landed the King George after winning the Oaks in 2014. At this stage, Britain's premier 1m4f weight-for-age contest really does look the race not to miss this summer.

No Slacking

It has been a good couple of weeks in Europe for South African owner/breeder Mary Slack, whose UK arm of her famous Wilgerbosdrift Stud bred Saturday's G3 International S. winner Aikhal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Slack owns the Aidan O'Brien-trained 3-year-old colt, who remains among the acceptors for this Saturday's Eclipse S., in partnership with Coolmore and Westerberg. She raced his dam Diamond Fields (Ire), a half-sister to Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), whom she bought through Form Bloodstock as a yearling. The daughter of Fastnet Rock (Aus) won the G3 Gladness S. and was runner-up in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot, where Slack enjoyed success this year with the G3 Hampton Court S. winner Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}).

The latter is trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, the resident trainer in Newmarket's historic Abington Place, which is also owned by Slack.

Twomey in Form: I Should Coco!

There was a time when Paddy Twomey was more regularly seen on the sales grounds as a consignor and pinhooker, but over the last ten years his training business has gradually taken hold to the point where he currently boasts the finest strike-rate in Ireland, where he is in seventh place in the table for this season with significantly less ammunition than those above him.

Some of the shine was taken off his first Group 1 victory with La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) when his third-place finisher Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Star {Ire}) was disqualified after Wayne Lordan weighed in 5lbs light, having reportedly been asked to remove 5lbs of lead from his weight cloth by the clerk of the scales when weighing out. An appeal will doubtless ensue, but when the frustration subsides, Twomey can take great pride in the progression of Team Valor's La Petite Coco, who has won her last four starts, stepping up from a median auction race success at Killarney last July to win at Group 3 and Group 2 level before returning from a 287-day absence to land the G1 Pretty Polly S.

She thus became the second winner of that race for her now-Italian-based Derby-winning sire after Iridessa (Ire), and was another feather in the cap for the small Co Offaly town of Rhode, where she was bred by Bernd and Ute Schone.

Twomey had already reached a Group 1 landmark in another field, as he was the breeder of Serious Attitude (Ire) (Mtoto {GB}), winner of the G1 Cheveley Park S. and GI Nearctic S. for Rae Guest. Since being sold to Shadai Farm, she is now the dam of Grade II winner and GI Tenno Sho runner-up Stiffelio (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}).

In what is well on its way to becoming his best season, Twomey, with a strike-rate of 35%, also saddled Sunday's Irish Derby third French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}).

Going Rogue

Rogue Millennium (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided an enormous thrill for 80 members, friends and family of the The Rogues Gallery syndicate who turned up at Epsom to watch her run seventh in the Oaks after winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial. The smartly-bred filly added more black type to her record when second in the G3 Hoppings Fillies' S on Friday evening.

Earlier that day, her trainer Tom Clover unleashed the second smart 2-year-old to race this season for the Tony Elliott-run syndicate when Rogue Lightning (Ire) ((Kodiac {GB}) bolted home at Newmarket for an easy debut success. 

That followed the second victory of Rogue Spirit (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who got off the mark at Beverley in May and then beat subsequent G2 Norfolk S. winner The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) when second in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at the same course before winning easily at Wolverhampton on June 20.

All three horses mentioned were purchased relatively inexpensively by Clover with bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops, who married Lily Gredley at the weekend. 

Rogue Spirit was an 11,000gns purchase at the Tattersalls December Sale, at which Rogue Millennium was also recruited for 35,000gns, while Rogue Lightning was picked up for 42,000gns at the Craven Breeze-up Sale. All three look set to provide plenty more fun outings for the jolly band of rogues.

A Knight To Remember

The quiet achiever of the week award must go to the Irish National Stud resident Decorated Knight (GB), who was represented by a pair of smart novice winners over the weekend. Ferrari Queen (Ire) zoomed to success on her debut for Charlie and Mark Johnston, winning by six lengths at Doncaster, to become her sire's first winner from his second crop. A half-sister to two Group 2-winning stayers in Pale Mimosa (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) and Nearly Caught (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), she looks well bought by her trainers at €18,000 at last year's Orby Sale.

The following day Prince A A Faisal's 3-year-old Kind Gesture (GB) won her second race on the bounce, this time by ten lengths at Windsor for Roger Varian and David Egan, who had also ridden Ferrari Queen.

Kind Gesture was bred, like her sire, by Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud, which celebrated its first homebred Classic winner the previous weekend with Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Prix de Diane. The stud will be offering Nashwa's half-sister by Decorated Knight as lot 93 in the forthcoming Arqana August Yearling Sale. It is the first time that Blue Diamond Stud will appear on the list of consignors in Deauville and its draft of three also includes an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-brother to Kind Gesture (lot 252). Gerry Meehan took the helm as yearling manager at Blue Diamond Stud earlier this year and anyone who perused the Newsells Park Stud yearling drafts during Meehan's lengthy stint there will know to expect a well prepared consignment. 

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Foals Keep Up Market Momentum at Tatts

by Chris McGrath

NEWMARKET, UK — The world certainly looks a different place from when these babies slithered into the straw. A less frightening one, thankfully, to many breeders, who have been relieved by a remarkable strength and depth in all levels of the market after the global economy absorbed the shock of Covid. So while the Tattersalls December Foal Sale opened in the customary low register, business on Wednesday unequivocally maintained the buoyant morale established in other sectors. Indeed, the clearance rate of 84% was a session record, and likewise the 16 transactions of 40,000gns or more.

In fact, even if you set aside a sale that performed rather better than anticipated last year, business comfortably outstripped even the pre-Covid levels of 2019. Year on year, meanwhile, a virtually identical offering (204 entered the ring, three more than 12 months ago) yielded turnover of 2,624,800gns, up no less than 66% on 1,585,100gns. That translated into a giddy 15,350gns average, up 31% from 11,741gns (10,091gns in 2019); and a 10,000gns median up from 8,000gns (a mere 5,000gns in 2019). Just 33 lots failed to find a new home, compared with 66 last year.

And these figures, in a way, perhaps represent a more instructive harvest than those recorded at the top end. For it is days like this that can tell you most about horses and horsemen alike, and how they respectively cope with the attrition of the market's lower reaches. Many more “obvious” foals will doubtless be offered on Thursday, but the real judges were already at work and their acuity and diligence should, if only the wind keeps blowing behind them, find due reward many of these animals return to market next autumn.

Passing Every Test…

Time Test (GB) is the only rookie stallion in Europe to have mustered four black-type winners from his debut crop but here he owed his latest headlines to the people who stand his rival Ardad (GB), who has matched him with two group scorers.

For it was Overbury Stud who presented a son of the National Stud stallion to achieve the top price of the opening session, at 75,000gns, from Redpender Stud. And Time Test must share the credit for Lot 362 with his dam, Wild Mimosa (Ire) (Dynaformer), who had further decorated what is already an excellent family when the result of their first mating, Love Interest (GB), made a stylish winning debut for David O'Meara at Newcastle since the publication of the catalogue.

Wild Mimosa was confined to a single start in a frustrating career for the Lloyd-Webbers and was culled for 52,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock in this ring four years ago–despite a productive start as a broodmare, and counting two Group 1 winners (Compton Admiral (GB) (Suave Dancer) and Summoner (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) and the dam of champion The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}) among her siblings. It is not difficult to understand why, however, judging from the testimony of Simon Sweeting.

“She's a mare we have to take the foals off straightaway as she savages them,” explained the Overbury Stud manager. “She has done it twice. So we were told not to let her see the foals, and to raise them on foster mares: we have one organised every time now. But she's been a huge success.”

Indeed, her yearling colt by Ardad brought six figures at the October Sale here.

“The 2-year-old looks like she might be okay,” said Sweeting. “She'll go back to Time Test. She was in foal to Ardad, but sadly lost it at 42 days.”

Sweeting declined to be partisan about Ardad's rival, describing him as a very different sire–while “almost” as good. In fact, he has a breeding right in Time Test. “He's a fabulous stallion,” he said. “And he's got a lot farther to go, we're very excited about him. It's great that the National Stud has such a good horse, I'm thrilled about that.”

The new owner of this colt, Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud, said: “He's a nice-looking horse by a promising young sire. I've never had a Time Test before, but this one is well-made, so we'll hope for the best. There's a bit going on in the pedigree. I thought less would buy him, but you have to keep bidding if you want one.”

Time Test had another colt stoke up the embers of the session when one of the very last into the ring, presented by his home farm as Lot 433, brought 66,000gns from Michael Fitzpatrick. This is another pinhook project, interestingly about an Apr. 25 foal, but he was certainly an elegant one.

“Time Test is a son of Dubawi and they're doing well,” explained Fitzpatrick, after signing as Good Will Bloodstock. “It's a trend that is becoming apparent. I'd like to have a Time Test to sell next year as I think his first crop will go on again as 3-year-olds.”

 

Hoping For the Stars To Come Out…

The market is gradually waking up to the gift made by Tweenhills in introducing the Australian sensation Zoustar (Aus) at such an inviting fee, and if his first Northern Hemisphere crop lives up to expectations next year then he may prove a very fertile pinhooking medium.

Sure enough, the March colt consigned by Highclere Stud as Lot 355 brought one of the top prices of the day from Billy Jackson-Stops.

“This is for a new pinhooking venture for Tony Elliott's Rogues' Gallery,” the agent explained, after signing a 70,000gns docket as JS Bloodstock/RGS. “He's a good physical, and hopefully there will be good upside with Zoustar. He's likely to be prepped for next year's sales back here.”

His dam is also entitled to contribute, of course, as a listed winner on both sides of the Channel. Making Eyes (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) is catalogued as Lot 2067 in Highclere's mare consignment here next week.

Railton Boards The Ulysses Bandwagon…

As the son of a Derby winner and Oaks winner, Ulysses (Ire) appears eligible to do better still as his debut crop benefits from maturity and middle distances next year. That obviously makes his achievements already still more auspicious, with 16 juvenile winners from 37 starters including G3 Eyrefield S. runner-up Piz Badie (Ire).

Some pinhookers were ahead of the curve, as they would hope to be, most notably Hegarty Bloodstock in converting a 4,000gns punt on a colt by the Cheveley Park stallion in this ring 12 months ago into a bumper payout of 150,000gns in Book 3. Demand has risen accordingly, and Jamie Railton was obliged to pay 60,000gns–the highest price of the morning–for a colt offered as Lot 279 by Bearstone Stud.

“We will just have to see how Ulysses turns out, but he has certainly made a promising start,” Railton said. “I've not been fortunate enough to have one yet, but he was a top 10-furlong horse so looks a sire with a future. Let's hope this horse matures and develops and goes the right way: I just thought he was a nice, attractive individual–and that is what they cost.”

There should be an injection of extra speed from the dam, as one would expect from a speed-oriented nursery like Bearstone. A five-furlong winner by Indesatchel (Ire), she has already managed to produce a stakes-winning sprinter in Vintage Brut (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}). That horse is clearly the best by his own sire, on ratings, and the mare has also produced winners by Firebeak (GB) and Equiano (Fr) from her only surviving foals so far on the track. As such, Railton is entitled to hope that Ulysses, with ripening stock to fly the flag in the meantime, will appear a real upgrade by the time he returns this Feb. 8 foal to the yearling sales.

The young stallion still has an awfully long way to go, of course, before he can aspire to the status of farm legend Pivotal (GB), whose death in peaceful retirement, aged 28, was mourned five days before the sale. Pivotal was a sprinter whose progeny often had more stamina than expected, but in threatening to reverse that paradox Ulysses is playing a commercially useful game.

The Force Is With Rookie Sire…

Needless to say, a lot of the energy in this market traces sooner to a newer cycle; to the search for a future Time Test, Ardad or Ulysses. And plenty of rookies predictably prompted an early roll of the dice.

One was Land Force, the G2 Richmond S. winner by No Nay Never who, after a single start at three in Australia, returned to Europe to cover 155 mares at Highclere Stud. That gave him quite a footprint here and he landed a couple of breakthrough punches in his home farm draft–both ending up in the day's top six transactions.

“They look runners,” said Con Marnane, such a good judge of the evolving physical, after giving 65,000gns for a February colt (Lot 380). “This is a lovely, quality colt, and we had to go an extra bid or two to get him. But I think the stallion could have some quality yearlings next year. Of course, he was a very good racehorse himself.”

But the dam could certainly contribute in that respect, too, having been placed in the G3 Princess Margaret S. and herself being out of a stakes-placed half-sister to dual Classic winner Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr. Greeley). She was bought by Avenue Bloodstock at the end of her career with Paul Cole, at the December Sale here three years ago, for 190,000gns.

Lot 356, similarly, had the benefit of a young dam with a useful page: she's an unraced Redoute's Choice (Aus) half-sister to G1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup Regal Parade (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and G3 Acomb S. winner Entifaadha (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Farther back, this is the famous Juddmonte family of Zafonic (Gone West), Reams Of Verse (Nureyev) and Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). That steeled Alex Elliott's resolve in giving 60,000gns for this February colt.

“I'm a huge fan of the Scat Daddy line,” the agent said. “And a big admirer of Land Force. But this colt has a lovely pedigree all round, I've always loved the family. And he's a lovely horse, a good early foal with a lot of upside to him. He's bred to be fast, and should be easy to place in any sale next year. I buy for a few [resale] syndicates and he'll probably go to Ireland in the meantime.”

 

Tested Methods Opens New Territories…

Pinhookers seeking motivation through the toil of the months ahead will keep in mind the inspiring touch pulled off by John Foley of Ballyvolane Stud with a Time Test colt picked up in this ring a year ago for 56,000gns. Having elevated his value to 400,000gns in Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale, Foley was back to play up his winnings on a Mar. 5 foal by Territories (Ire) offered as Lot 234 by Hungerford Park Stud.

“He's a lovely horse with good updates,” Foley remarked after signing a 50,000gns docket as GHS Bloodstock. “He'll be for resale, I doubt we can repeat what we did but we'll try.”

Those updates concerned the colt's half-brother Wentwood (GB) (Pour Moi {Ire}), who has been in productive form in Australia, notably in winning the G3 Bendigo Cup H. last month. Among those disappointed to see the colt head off to Co. Limerick was Matt Coleman, who gave Foley sporting congratulations as underbidder.

Having kept that powder dry, Coleman was later able to give 55,000gns for the solitary offering [Lot 410] this week by Zarak (Fr), who has shown such promise in beginning to recycle one of the world's greatest pedigrees. He was acting for Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don, previously partners in the Group 2-winning juvenile Fighting Irish (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).

“He has been bought to race, and they were very keen to buy one by the sire,” explained Coleman. “From here he'll probably go to Culworth Grounds and will race in Britain.”

The February foal, sold by Stauffenberg Bloodstock, represents a rising tide in the Haras de Bonneval sire, who retired at €12,000 but rises to €25,000 next spring after including two Group 1 performers among 17 winners from only 32 starters.

 

Tide Remains Strong For Ocean…

Being every bit as brilliant as he was hardy, the designation of Crystal Ocean (GB) as a National Hunt sire offers a depressing commentary of the state of commercial breeding today. So it's good to see that some prospectors have their wits about them sufficiently to grasp that he has every right, as a top-class son of Sea The Stars (Ire), to add to the proliferation of stakes performers in his family tree.

Matt Houldsworth, for instance, gave 46,000gns for a February colt from an excellent German family, presented by Castletown Stud as Lot 365 and now on his way to Aughamore Stud.

“He has been bought for resale,” the agent confirmed. “He's just a really quality individual, a very good-moving horse. I haven't seen many by the stallion, but he was a very good racehorse. I know he's standing as a jumps sire, but that's not to say he won't be a good sire of Flat horses. Hopefully he can go to something like Book 2 here.”

Guy O'Callaghan of Grangemore Stud was another clear-sighted enough to give 30,000gns for Lot 268, a colt who can count none other than Doff The Derby (Master Derby) as fifth dam.

“This is a great-looking foal, by a champion racehorse out of a good, proven Shamardal racemare and with a good back family,” he said. “What's not to like? Simple as that. Crystal Ocean was a top racehorse by a brilliant stallion.”

Crystal Ocean has made a strong start in his “day job” and ended the recent Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale third in the averages at €35,257 for 30 lots sold, with a top price of €120,000.

A more conventional commercial newcomer to register a decent early strike was Tally-Ho's Inns Of Court (Ire), whose son out of a half-sister to Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) from Highfort Stud [Lot 431] made 49,000gns from Trev Group.

The post Foals Keep Up Market Momentum at Tatts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Lions Ready To Roar At Arqana

Buyers at this weekend's Arqana August Yearling Sale will have the chance to get their hands on an extremely rare commodity when eight yearlings from the lone crop of 2018 Cartier Horse of the Year Roaring Lion go up for sale in Deauville.

Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion was euthanized in August 2019 in New Zealand after suffering several bouts of colic. The grey had not long before finished covering a debut book at Tweenhills Stud in Britain that resulted in 90 registered foals.

David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing and owner/managing director of Tweenhills Stud, said, “We've seen quite a lot of the Roaring Lions that are around and we have a good number here, somewhere between 30 and 40. They're a very good, level group of miler, middle-distance type of horse very much in Roaring Lion's image at the same stage.”

Redvers would know. He and his team picked out Roaring Lion at the same point in his life, on the first day of Keeneland September in 2016, for $160,000-not quite a steal, but certainly under the radar of the $305,171 session average. Placed under the tutelage of John Gosden, Roaring Lion won his first three starts on the bounce, including the G2 Royal Lodge S., before finishing a neck second to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Racing Post Trophy. Third behind eventual Derby winner Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Craven S. and fifth behind Saxon Warrior in the Guineas, Roaring Lion bounced back to win the G2 Dante S. by 4 1/2 lengths before finishing third in the Derby. He then embarked on a remarkable four race Group 1 win streak taking in the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion S. and Queen Elizabeth II S., the Group 1 winners in his wake including Saxon Warrior, Laurens (GB), Addeybb (Ire), Study Of Man (Jpn), Rhododendron (Ire), Thunder Snow (Ire) and Hawkbill.

“When the horse has been and gone it's easy to forget what a brilliant racehorse he was, but there have been so many by him that are similar in their action and that have his quality,” Redvers said. “The ones that have just started their prep, we love their outlook, movement, everything. We're delighted with what we're seeing and we're massively invested. Qatar Racing is going to have 25 to 30 in training by him.”

Redvers said he and his team will also be on the lookout for the Roaring Lions at the sales, likening the scenario to another Horse of the Year that was lost too soon, Dubai Millennium, and Dubawi, the champion sire he left in his lone crop.

“We'll be trying to identify one or two of the best horses [at the sales] and the hope is that we will identify the Dubawi in the Dubai Millennium crop,” Redvers said. “And while we know what we like the look of, we don't have a crystal ball, so there will be plenty of opportunity for other people there as well.”

Roaring Lion finished second only to Saxon Warrior by average among first-crop sires at the foal sales last year, his eight sold averaging £61,027/€71,985, and his first yearling to step into a sales ring will be lot 4 at Arqana on Saturday, a colt out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Every Time (GB). He is a homebred for Haras d'Etreham, which purchased the mare for 300,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2015. Every Time is a placed half-sister to the dams of G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Mot Juste (Distorted Humor) and G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G3 Albany S. winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor), whose half-sister Willow View (Lemon Drop Kid) is the dam of American Grade I winner Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The Roaring Lion colt is the fifth foal out of the mare, whose first foal is a winner. The mare's second foal, a filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire), was injured before she could go into training and her third, the Zoffany (Ire) filly Villa Wagram (Ire), has been placed this year at three. She also has a 2-year-old colt by Camelot (GB).

“He's a colt we've always liked; he has size, scope, a bit of quality about him, and a good walk,” said Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure. “He looks a Classic type of horse to me. He looks mature already, and as the Americans would say, he's a real two-turn type of horse. We're very happy with him. He has that bit of class that Roaring Lion had.”

Etreham also sends the final Roaring Lion of the sale through the ring. Lot 321 is out of the winning Amarysia (Fr) (Medicean {GB}), a two-time winner and half-sister to the stakes-winning and producing Skia (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). Lot 321 was a €65,000 Arqana December foal.

“He is being pinhooked by one of our clients,” de Chambure said. “He has a very good mind as well, and that's something those [Roaring Lion] colts have in common. He has a bit of scope, and he looks a bit earlier. He's a bit more compact and more close to the ground, but he has that good walk as well and some quality about him.”

Ecurie des Monceaux offers a homebred Roaring Lion colt (lot 96) out of Secrete (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}). The 12-year-old mare has repaid the €250,000 Monceaux invested when it purchased her out of the Wertheimer et Frere draft at the 2012 Arqana December Sale; her first foal, Normandy Eagle (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), was Group 3 placed and her third foal, Solage (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was a listed winner in Ireland. Her fourth foal, Rumi (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) won this year's G3 Prix Vanteaux. Both Solage and Rumi were €700,000 yearlings at this sale.

“I was quite impressed with Roaring Lion and I wanted to send him a nice mare,” said Monceaux's Henri Bozo. “Secrete is the mare we sent him and she's a really nice one-she's produced three black-type horses including Solage who won a stakes in Ireland and Rumi who won a Group 3 in France this year. It's a very proven family in Europe. The Roaring Lion colt is quite similar to the stallion; he has a good walk and a good temperament so I'm happy with him. He's a nice horse and I think it's interesting to have the Kitten's Joy bloodline.”

The other Roaring Lions on offer are Haras de la Perelle's colt out of G1 Falmouth S. winner Giofra (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 13); La Motteraye's filly who is the first foal out of the listed-winning Lbretha (Fr) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (lot 38); Haras du Cadran's filly out of the dual listed-winning Avenue Gabriel (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) (lot 137); Haras des Capucines's colt out of the listed-winning Cheriearch (Arch) (lot 153); and Normandie Breeding's colt out of New Desire (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), a full-sister to champion Islington (lot 239).

Tweenhills launches another sire at this year's yearling sales, and although categorized as a first-crop sire on these shores he is in fact not at all, having already made waves in the Southern Hemisphere with his first four crops to race. Zoustar won the G2 BRC Sires' Produce S. at two before going on to take the G1 Golden Rose S., G2 Roman Consul S. and G1 Coolmore Stud S. at three, after which Qatar Racing and Widden Stud bought into him. The decision was taken to wait to shuttle the son of Northern Meteor (Aus) until he had proven successful Down Under, and thus when he covered his first Northern Hemisphere book of mares at a fee of £25,000 in 2019 he already had seven stakes winners Down Under led by the brilliant Sunlight (Aus), who had led home a 1-2-3 for her sire in the 2018 edition of the Coolmore Stud S. Zoustar's first Northern Hemisphere book resulted in 103 foals-which averaged £57,028/€67,268 at the foal sales last year–and his proficiency continued in such fashion in Australia that his fee actually rose to £30,000 for his second British book in 2020.

“His best crop is his second crop, which is an extraordinary thing,” Redvers said. “His nomination fee went up and he got a bigger book of mares and that was because his second crop was off the back of his extraordinary results with his first 3-year-olds in Australia,” Redvers said. “He had the first three in the Coolmore Stud S. and produced a couple champions. We've had the benefit of seeing what an extraordinary sire of sprinters and milers he is in Australia and that's as close you can get to an open goal as a breeder.”

“They're a different type of horse to the Roaring Lions,” Redvers continued. “The Roaring Lions are all quality and screaming back-end 2-year-old and a mile to 10 furlong 3-year-old. The Zoustars that are bred on speed lines look like absolute rockets, but they don't look like small, precocious horses; they have big hips and a great action. So many of them have his undeniable, immediately recognizable characteristics: that big broad head and jaw, and you can just see him in them. I'm as excited about him as it is possible to be about a stallion, and hopefully we're going to see a new era in the production of speed horses in the UK and Europe.”

There are five Zoustars catalogued at Arqana, and Etreham offers a colt out of the winning Fortitude (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 181). Etreham purchased Fortitude as a 3-year-old for 90,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2017 and she has enjoyed some major family updates this year, with her 5-year-old half-brother Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) winning four stakes races including the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and her 2-year-old half-brother Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) taking the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot. Fortitude has a 2-year-old by another Australian-bred sire, the Etreham shuttler Scissor Kick (Aus), and the Zoustar colt is her second foal. De Chambure said that in sending Fortitude to Zoustar, he was attempting to replicate the speed-on-speed matings that have worked so well for Zoustar Down Under.

“I thought it would be interesting to breed that Green Desert line to Zoustar,” he explained. “He's done really well with those speedy Australian mares and I thought I'd try to replicate that by sending him a mare that has a bit of speed. Sometimes we probably make the mistake of using those Australian sires to speed up a pedigree and send them a Classic mare or 2400 metre type of mare, and sometimes that doesn't work because it's too extreme. So I thought I'd send him a mare with true speed. We're happy with the colt, he has that good length from Oasis Dream and he's very athletic and a good walker.”

Monceaux's Zoustar filly, lot 269, is the first foal for her dam, the winning Saccharose (GB), who is by Australian champion sire Exceed and Excel. Monceaux bought Saccharose for €170,000 at Arqana December carrying this filly in 2019.

“She's has the physical and she moves well, and she looks quite forward and precocious,” Bozo said. “She looks like she could run early. I have another Zoustar selling in October. I have three of them and they're all very athletic horses; they have a lot of strength.”

The other Zoustars catalogued for Arqana are a filly out of the Listed Lanwades Stud S. winner Arabda (GB) (Elnadim) (lot 134) offered by Arcadia Elevage; Haras de Saint Pair's half-sister to Grade III winner Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) from the family of Almanzor (Fr) (lot 162); and Haras d'Haspel's colt out of Meandering (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to multiple group winner Up (Ire) and a half to multiple Group 1 winner and sire Dutch Art (GB) (lot 224).

It is exciting times for the team at Tweenhills Stud. Although Roaring Lion is much missed, he and Zoustar's first yearlings look to usher in a new era for the stud, which also has some first-crop yearlings by the crack miler Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Its elder statesman Havana Gold has hit another gear this season, and G1 2000 Guineas winner Kameko covered his first book this spring.

“Roaring Lion was the first serious world champion we produced so it's incredibly exciting seeing his first crop of yearlings going through, obviously tinged with a huge amount of sadness that there aren't more crops to follow for him,” Redvers said. “But Zoustar is possibly the horse that excites me personally even more, because we know already that he is the sire of two Group 1 winners from his first crop in Australia and that he's going from strength to strength down there. So it's going to be the most fascinating 12 months. Hopefully this time next year we'll be seeing the fruits of it.”

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