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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Chapel Stud owner Roisin Close has opened up about the difficulties in standing stayers in the current climate but shared that her new boy Eldar Eldarov (GB) is expected to cover a full book of mares in his debut season at the stud. The Roger Varian-trained St Leger winner, who followed up in the Irish equivalent, had his career cut short after suffering a freak neck injury in the stalls ahead of the G2 Dubai Gold Cup last year. The dual Group 1-winning son of Dubawi (Ire) will be limited to 80 mares in his first season and joins talented middle-distance types like Planteur (Ire) and Bangkok (Ire) at Chapel Stud. Speaking about the new addition, Close said, “Eldar Eldarov has covered some test mares in Newmarket, so we know he can cover, which is a big deal. That takes all of the guesswork out of it. Physically, he is well capable, but we are going to be careful with him, which is why we are limiting him. He is moving pretty well and, apart from the fact he has a slightly funny shape to his neck following the injury, you would struggle to know anything happened to him and he's only going to get better and better when he builds muscle.” She added, “Roger was very good and gave us some quotes when it came to advertising the horse at stud but, one of the most interesting things that he did say was that Eldar Eldarov was getting better and better. So without this injury, he wouldn't be my horse. Absolutely no question. Not only could this horse be standing at a bigger stud in Newmarket, but he potentially could have been standing for a lot more money as well if he ran more and won more. One hundred per cent, if he didn't have the injury, I think he'd be somewhere else right now. I don't wish that kind of injury on any horse but it's because of that that I have him.” Close says a book of 80 mares should be attainable with the horse who cleared over £1 million for owners KHK Racing. However, the stud owner does not gloss over the fact that smaller breeders have never found the going this tough in Britain, and accepted that a number of Flat breeders will find it difficult to breed to Eldar Eldarov in the current climate. She explained, “I'd like to think we'll get to 80 mares with him but it's a little harder when you are at the bargain and basement level of the market, which we are at, as you're not filling up months in advance. That's not how it works and a lot of people will wait until close to the time but I have had good interest and a lot of people can see the merits in a stallion like Eldar Eldarov. At the same time, people are worried. They are very worried. It is tough for smaller breeders and we're losing people to this game hand over fist. But 80 mares is a good number for Eldar Eldarov to cover and I think we'll get there. If we do, we'll be delighted as we think he represents a good opportunity for breeders.” Close added, “Eldar Eldarov is obviously a high-class horse with a fantastic pedigree and a great race record. If breeding stayers was commercial, I'd be laughing. All you've got to do is look at Strad last year. I mean, you couldn't find a tougher bloody horse than Stradivarius (Ire) yet breeders and pinhookers lacked the imagination to row in behind him and that makes things very frustrating. Eldar Eldarov will probably be relegated by most breeders as a National Hunt stallion which infuriates me no end. But I can understand why because, commercially, it's very hard to make things work when you're breeding to sell. “I will give him a chance myself and he will cover a lot of our own Flat mares. But National Hunt breeders are not necessarily like Flat breeders in that, just because you have a first-season sire, it doesn't mean that they will flock towards you. There isn't the same gravitas for a younger stallion in the National Hunt game. We will get the quantity of mares we want him to cover anyway, so I am happy about that, but God I'd love it if people would give these staying horses a chance.” It's not just Eldar Eldarov that Close and the Chapel Stud team have to look forward to this year. Group 2 winner Bangkok will have his first Flat runners this year and, while it is an admittedly small batch, Close explained that the reports have been good. “Bangkok is in a similar boat to Eldar Eldarov,” she explained. “He has a very small crop of Flat runners [five or six] but I think people will be very surprised by them. I know that Andrew Balding is very sweet on the one that he has by him and he thinks he will make a two-yer-old. “Of course, he wasn't as good of a racehorse as Eldar Eldarov was, but it is such a shame that these horses are relegated to the support of just a few Flat owner-breeders or National Hunt breeders. They get overlooked. The GBB Plus initiative will be a help as it offers more prize-money to horses who win over longer distances.” Close continued, “But every single mare that these stallions cover is a benefit. Don't get me wrong, I love sprinters and would love to be able to stand more sprinters. I have Hellvelyn (GB) and he's in fine fettle. He doesn't cover many anymore and, while I would love a few more sprinters to stand alongside him, I can't afford them. I have been completely priced out of the market. And that's not to say that I am only standing stayers because I can only afford stayers, which sounds awful, because that's not the case at all. I believe in my boys and just wish they got more of a chance.” The post ‘If Breeding Stayers Was Commercial, I’d Be Laughing’ – Eldar Eldarov Settling In Well At Chapel Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
Interesting, a friend always used to back number 1 at trots, always maintained anything with a little ability that had the trip was always a chance with the passing lane and a perfect trip, certainly got some big divs over the years, but comming off the rail quite often difference between winning and getting beaten,just the halted momentum costs many, I agree with your thoughts ,but split second decision to be made, but many of them are professional drivers. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Powerful filly Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) was nothing short of sensational when taking out Sunday’s Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m). The daughter of Ten Sovereigns has established herself as the three-year-old to beat in the South Island after scoring a winning hattrick this preparation, including a gusty showing to down Lil Zena in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day. Samantha Wynne, who trains and rides the filly on race-day, had every faith that a return to the firm surface wouldn’t be a disadvantage and punters agreed, closing her favourite at $2.70 ahead of Northern raider Sesimbra. Jumping from barrier five, Wynne found herself in a three-wide position early outside of Alberton Angel and Rapid, deciding to press forward and use the filly’s high cruising speed. Pivotal Ten had much of the three-year-old field chasing at the 600m, and by the home turn, she was off and gone, putting a six-length margin on Show Pony and Mamaea, who filled the minor placings. Wynne was delighted returning to scale, praising her rising star who had handled the occasion despite showing signs of being in season. “She blew me away to be honest, I knew she had improved at home, but you don’t know until you get them here,” she said. “She’s really starting to switch on now, she didn’t know what she was doing before but now she’s getting the hang of it. “They made it hard for me, keeping me three-wide early on and we had to do a bit of work, but when we were turning in, she felt amazing. I’m so grateful to have a horse like her in the stable. “She was definitely toey today, but she’s getting to know what it’s all about, a new track and new surroundings. She’s taken it well and I’ll look after her, making sure she gets to the next race in good order. “I’d just like to thank the owner for the opportunity and all the staff at home, I couldn’t do it without them.” The Gore feature is the first of three lucrative southern Guineas races, with the next being the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m), run at Ascot Park on February 15. Wynne indicated the filly will remain in Southland in the next fortnight, rather than returning to her base at Ohoka in between races. “She’ll always come first so she has to be 100% going into it, we’re starting down to give her every chance,” she said. “It’s very exciting and it’s what it’s all about, I couldn’t be happier.” Pivotal Ten was bred by Valachi Downs and sold through their dispersal sale in 2022, where Colin Wightman purchased the filly for $15,000. In six starts, she has recorded four wins and just shy of $130,000 in stakes earnings. Earlier in the meeting, Wynne had also partnered Kellanzor (NZ) (Almanzor) to win the Hokonui Suzuki/Advance Agriculture (1335m), another promising filly in her care. View the full article
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