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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Following a successful return to the races, 2-year-old champion male Citizen Bull widened his lead on stablemate Barnes in the second week of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top 3-Year-Old poll, released Feb. 4.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A five-time winner in Iowa in 2024, Seventeen Black was named the Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Horse of the Year and top older colt/gelding.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A total of 373 3-year-olds, led by champion 2-year-old male Citizen Bull, were made eligible to this year’s Triple Crown series with a $600 early nomination payment that was due Jan. 27. This year’s total represents a 7.8% increase from last year.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The WhatsApp group titled TDN Europe was abuzz on Wednesday evening of last week, after the Charlie Appleby-trained Opera Ballo (Ire) had announced himself as potentially something out of the ordinary with a jet-propelled performance in the first division of the one-mile maiden at Kempton. “Big day for Ghaiyyath!!” pinged the first message from Brian Sheerin, barely seconds after Opera Ballo had powered past the line in a different postcode to his eight rivals, becoming the second first-time-out winner for his Kildangan Stud-based sire in the space of a few hours. It prompted a call to Eamon Moloney the next day which saw Darley's nominations manager confirm what most of us had already deduced from an SP of 4/9. “I know that the Godolphin team thinks an awful lot of Opera Ballo and they expect big things,” he said. “He's started out on that journey in the best possible way.” Certainly, debuts don't come much more impressive than that produced by the son of Ghaiyyath (Ire), so there was an inevitability about Sean Cronin's later message in said WhatsApp group, confirming that 'TDN Rising Star' status had been achieved. It sees Ghaiyyath stand alone as the only stallion to have provided more than one such horse on the all-weather this winter, after his Chantilly maiden winner Mandanaba (Fr) got him off the mark back in November. Now, after that first leg of Opera Ballo's journey has already been so well covered in TDN, it's the job of Winter Watch to consider what comes next. Specifically, could this be the horse we've been looking for all winter, a bona fide Classic contender to row in behind this spring? Blistering Sectionals from Opera Ballo The boring answer is that it's simply too early to be sure, but then Opera Ballo is already one step ahead of stable-mate Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who made a successful debut in the second division of the same maiden last year on his way to 2,000 Guineas glory. The difference is that, whilst Notable Speech arrived at Newmarket as a 'TDN Rising Star', it took him until his third start on the all-weather to earn that billing. Opera Ballo scaled that peak on debut with a performance of rare authority, even if it's possible to pick holes in the bare result. It was probably a limited bunch of horses who opposed him, admittedly, while the overall time was around 1.6 seconds slower than the second division which followed. However, what's key is that they went a fairly steady gallop in the early stages of the contest won by Opera Ballo. Not only is that not conducive to fast times, but it's also typically harder to win by a wide margin when a race is run in that manner. What set this colt apart was his ability to quicken off slow fractions as he completed the final two furlongs in just 22.12 seconds–including a sub-11-second penultimate furlong–when the next fastest was 23.44 seconds. At the line Opera Ballo was eight and a half lengths clear of his closest pursuer, doing all of the damage with those rapid closing sectionals, and despite jockey Billy Loughnane resorting to no more than hands-and-heels riding. Moloney indicated that the Godolphin team are minded to follow a similar path to what they did in 2024 with Notable Speech, which makes it likely that we'll see this colt back in action at Kempton before the end of the month in the run race last year as the “European Road To The Kentucky Derby” Conditions Stakes. That ought to be a deeper contest and it will give us a clearer idea of where we stand with a horse who was introduced at 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas after his debut romp. The Padre in the Shop Window? Opera Ballo, bred by Ecurie de Cachene out of a full-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Lockwood (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), was the second most expensive yearling by Ghaiyyath to sell in 2023 when fetching €600,000 at the Arqana August Sale, whereas the sire's Dundalk winner the same day, The Padre (Ire), failed to find a buyer at 60,000gns when offered at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. That meant that The Padre sported the colours of his owner-breeder John Halley when he returned an SP of 33-1 for the maiden run over an extended 10 furlongs, with another paternal sibling, Waterford Flow (Ire), being sent off the 7-4 favourite. In the event, it was The Padre who came away with the family bragging rights, and in emphatic fashion, too, with his waywardness in the final furlong clearly not slowing him down as he pulled clear to win by two and three-quarter lengths. To continue the family theme, The Padre is trained by Halley's son, Josh, who told Racing TV afterwards that such a decisive win wasn't as much of a surprise to him as the odds might suggest. “I was hoping he'd do that,” the trainer said, before providing a coy reply when it was put to him by interviewer Fran Berry that the colt had put himself in the shop window with that performance, adding with a laugh, “We'll see what tomorrow brings.” Wherever and for whomever The Padre races next, he's certainly one to keep on the right side with a pedigree which suggests it wouldn't be a bolt from the blue should he turn out to be a black-type performer. He is one of eight winners from nine runners out of the G1 Prix de l'Opera scorer Shalanaya (Ire) (Lomitas {GB})–who was sold by the Aga Khan Studs for €55,000 at the 2019 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale–with the others including the G3 Premio Ambrosiano third Shalamba (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Farrell Family Keeps on Giving Joseph O'Brien was out of luck with Waterford Flow, a 220,000gns purchase at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale, but he made no mistake with another three-year-old on Friday's evening card at Dundalk, with the newcomer Snapaurum (Ire) running out a comfortable winner of the one-mile maiden. Like his stable-mate, Snapaurum was well touted beforehand and this one was never in much doubt as he rewarded favourite backers at odds of 6-4. He was still travelling well within himself when moving up to challenge the leaders with less than two furlongs to run and from there he quickly asserted to win readily by three and a half lengths. Already gelded, JP Farrell's homebred Snapaurum is from a family that O'Brien knows very well, having trained the dam, the dual Group 3 runner-up Snapraeceps (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), as well as several of her siblings, including the three-time Listed winner and G2 Beresford Stakes third Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}). With Coolmore castoff Ten Sovereigns (Ire) as the sire, Snaupaurum's pedigree is one of contrasts, being by a sprinter and out of a mare who showed her best form at around a mile and a half. The way he cruised through this contest suggests you wouldn't be in a hurry to move up in trip and, with further improvement on the cards, he could perhaps emulate Snapraeterea by developing into a useful miler for his powerful yard in 2025. Balding Eyeing Opera Ballo Clash The ammunition at Andrew Balding's disposal in 2025 would be the envy of many trainers, headlined by the high-class older filly Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) and exciting three-year-old Cool Hoof Luke (GB) (Advertise {GB}), the only horse to have beaten the subsequent dual Group 1 winner Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}} when landing last year's G2 Gimcrack Stakes. It might be asking a lot to expect Quai De Bethune (Fr) to shoulder his way into that company, but the son of Persian King (Ire) certainly isn't one to sleep on following his victory in the second division of the one-mile maiden at Kempton on Wednesday, as mentioned, in a quicker time than the first won by Opera Ballo. Beaten over eight lengths when finishing third on his debut at Sandown in September, when the electric winner Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}) earned 'TDN Rising Star' status, Quai De Bethune had nothing of that calibre in opposition on his second start as he completed a routine success at odds of 2-5. Shaken up to lead entering the final furlong, he just needed to be kept up to his work thereafter to score by two and three-quarter lengths. It would be fair to say that his performance on the clock–the overall time was also at least 1.5 seconds faster than both class 5 handicaps staged on the same card–provides more substance to the form than the horses who chased him home, while assessing the relative merits of this colt and Opera Ballo will be made much easier should Balding follow through with his plan to target the same conditions race run at Kempton later this month. Quai De Bethune's connections certainly have no reason to shy away from that clash with their €75,000 purchase at the BBAG September Yearling Sale. He is the first foal out of an unraced Wootton Bassett (GB) mare who, in turn, is out of an unraced half-sister to the three-time Group 1 heroine Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), the dam of the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner and sire Erevann (Fr). Price Tag Lottery at Dunstall Park Before we move on to Godolphin's latest big-money purchase to make a successful debut at Wolverhampton on Monday, it's worth giving an honourable mention to another recent winner at Dunstall Park who was picked up by trainer Jack Jones for just 1,600gns in last year's Tattersalls Online August Sale. Jones has already made quite the impression since sending out his first runners with a licence in May 2022, notably winning last year's Weatherbys Super Sprint with 24,000gns buy Caburn (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}), and Enola Holmes (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) looked another speedy sort cut from the same cloth when landing the six-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton on Saturday. Raced just once as a juvenile when trained by Ollie Sangster, Enola Holmes immediately looked a shrewd purchase in opening her account at the second attempt at odds of 12-1, scampering clear in the final furlong to win by two and a half lengths with plenty in hand from one who came into the race with a BHA rating of 75. Clearly, this is a filly with a good level of ability, speedier too than most on the distaff side of her pedigree. She is the first foal out of the Nathaniel (Ire) mare Jane Marple (GB), who gained her sole career victory over a mile and a half and is a full-sister to the G3 Bronte Cup winner Precious Ramotswe (GB). As for Godolphin's Alpine Trail (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who cost them €550,000 at the same sale where they forked out €600,000 for Opera Ballo, he too is blessed with plenty of stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree as a son of the G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Pollara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Pollara herself is a half-sister to the multiple Listed scorer Stormina (Gulch), the dam of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). Sent off the 4-9 favourite for the novice run over an extended nine furlongs at Wolverhampton, Alpine Trail duly obliged in fairly straightforward fashion, impressing most with his strength at the finish after it had taken a while for the penny to drop. This three-length winner is already crying out for a mile and a half and he has the makings of a smart performer at around that trip. Winner in Waiting Lady Lilac (Ire) Inns Of Court (Ire)–Lilac Mist (GB), by Spectrum (Ire) An SP of 100-1 suggests very little was expected of Lady Lilac in the maiden won by Snapaurum at Dundalk, which isn't untypical for one trained by Joseph Murphy, whose horses usually improve for the run. The fact that she ended up being beaten a little over seven lengths in fourth, having made steady headway from her position in rear, was a notable effort under those circumstances, certainly promising plenty for the future. Her half-sister by Gale Force Ten (GB), Galtee Mist (Ire), was a Listed winner for Murphy over seven furlongs, and this filly is one to watch next time when she's unlikely to be a three-figure price. Dancing Teapot (Ire), runner-up at Dundalk (November 22) since publication Padua (Ire), seventh at Kempton (December 4) since publication Marhaba Ghaiyyath (Ire), winner at Lingfield (December 3) since publication Safe Idea (GB), third at Wolverhampton (December 21) since publication Indian Springs (Ire) Spanish Voice (GB) Noble Horizon (GB) Dixieland Blues (GB) City Of God (Ire), winner at Southwell (January 17) since publication War And Love (GB), runner-up at Chelmsford (January 11) since publication Cupola (GB) The post Winter Watch: Opera Ballo Makes Big Statement at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
From Havana Grey (GB) to Blue Bresil (Fr), the whole gamut of sires is represented among the youngsters on offer at the Goffs February Sale, which takes place this Wednesday and Thursday. Flat and National Hunt yearlings, stores, horses in training and broodmares will all come under the hammer, with one of the earlier offerings including an unraced Shaman (Ire) half-sister to Group 3 winner and G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}), who is consigned for breeder John Cullinan by Baroda Stud as lot 27. Spurred on by a decent result at this sale last year, Whatton Manor Stud is taking just one horse to Ireland: a yearling colt from the first crop of Baaeed (GB) out of the three-year-old winner Anasheed (GB) (Frankel {GB}). “Under someone else's name we sent a Havana Grey colt last year out of How High The Sky and he came close to topping it,” said Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud. “Our clients were keen to give it a go. He's a lovely horse who has really pulled himself together in the last few weeks and there are a lot of people looking so hopefully he can shine and sell well.” He continued, “The other thinking was that a lot of pinhookers were short on numbers last year and this was an opportunity with a sexy sire. His brother last year, a gorgeous colt by Night Of Thunder, made 260,000gns as a yearling so they've got a chance of an update so we just thought we'd test the market. “We're all for trying to think outside the box a bit more and hopefully it will work. Obviously my brother-in-law Nick [Nugent] is here and we love trying to support Goffs, they do a great job. Most of ours get sold at Tattersalls but we like to support Goffs as well.” Also of note from the Castlebridge Consignment is a colt (lot 239) by European champion sire Camelot (GB) who is a half-brother to three-time Group 3 winner Shamida (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Meanwhile, Ballynure Park Stud offers a yearling colt by Ghaiyyath (Ire) as lot 104, whose dam Entertainment (GB) (Halling) was runner-up in the Listed Cheshire Oaks and is a half-sister to the GI Arlington Million winner Debussy (Ire) (Diesis). Moyglare Stud Farm is the breeder and consignor of the sole yearling by Study Of Man (Ire) in the sale, lot 267, a colt out of the Listed-placed Titanium Sky (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who has already produced the two-year-old winner and G3 EBF Naas Juvenile Sprint Stakes runner-up Sparkling Sea (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Moyglare also consigns a colt by Blue Point (Ire) from the immediate family of Classic winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) as lot 266. The dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) was represented by his first Grade 1 winner over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival over the weekend when Hello Neighbour (Ire) won the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, and there will doubtless be some interest in the yearling colt by the stallion (lot 100) who is offered by The Glebe Farm. The late May foal is out of the eight-time winner and Grade 2-placed hurdler Ejayteekay (GB) (Big Bad Bob), who is herself out of a half-sister to the GI Yellow Ribbon Stakes winner Janet (GB) (Emperor Jones). A colt from the second crop of Space Blues (Ire) features as lot 230 from Charel Park Stud and he is well related to some decent National Hunt runners, notably the multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler Appreciate It (Ire) (Jeremy). Action gets underway at Goffs at 11am on Wednesday and 10am on Thursday. The post Annual Curtain Up at Goffs as February Sale Gets Underway appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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