Wandering Eyes

The ITV racing team is bringing viewers action at the British Champions Day from Ascot on Saturday. There are four Group 1’s to sink our teeth into with Champion Stakes arguably the best race of the day. This day really marks the end of the flat season and gives racing enthusiasts one last chance to see equines elite on European soil. The Group 2 Lomg Distance Cup opens proceedings on this star-studded Saturday and it’s the £1 million bonus winner Stradivarius that’ll be top of most peoples lists. John Gosden’s leading stayer has won all four starts this season and is, without doubt, the best stayer in training. That being said the son of Sea The Stars has been beaten on all four starts with the word soft in the going, including when finishing third in this race last season. Stradivarius wasn’t beaten far that day behind Order Of St George and although the ground conditions are a worry, there is nothing of the same calibre in the field this year. The main danger will come from Ballydoyle as Aidan is represented three of the seven runners, chief among them being Flag Of Honour. The impressive winner of the Irish St Leger has won his last three starts all of which since he’s been upped in trip. Flag Of Honour seems to be on an upward curve and looks like a Cup horse for next season but I would add a caveat that the forecasted soft underfoot conditions won’t suit this good moving horse. Considering the ground reservations about the principals it may open the door for one of Aidan’s lesser know inmates Sir Eric, who has only run four times but was an impressive winner of a listed race on heavy ground at Limerick seven days ago. If this race doesn’t come too fast he may be able to capitalise and surprise a few people. The other horse of note is the Willie Mullins trained Thomas Hobson who had a fantastic duel with stablemate Max Dynamite in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup when last seen in action. He is also a course winner having landed the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting last year. This dual-purpose performer looks sure to give a good account of himself may come up short. Selection: Sir Eric The Tin ManChampion Sprint Stakes The logical starting point in this is The Tin Man who heads the market following a snug victory in the Haydock Sprint Cup over Brando. That was the first time Oisin Murphy rode Jame Fanshawe’s stable star and unsurprisingly he retains the partnership. He is already a dual course and distance Group 1 winner having won the Diamond Jubilee and this race back in 2016. On his favoured track and with the ground conditions unlikely to inconvenience The Tin Man, he justifiably tops the market and will be tough to beat. Librisa Breeze took the contest twelve months ago when getting a great ride from Robert Winston to come fast and late. He beat many of today’s rivals last year on similar ground and although Dean Ivory’s charge has been disappointing in three runs in Europe this season he will undoubtedly have had this as a target and holds strong claims of landing back to back renewals. Another horse that is re-appearing in the race having finished fourth last year is Harry Angel who like Librisa Breeze has been slightly disappointing this year. He started the season with a victory in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes cosily beating Brando. There were excuses when he trailed in behind Merchant Navy in the Diamond Jubilee but there were no such excuses when he finished sixth in the Sprint Cup behind The Tin Man. Harry Angel is still very lightly raced and I’m sure Clive Cox will get him back on track and this may be the race to prove he is still top class. Of the others, Brando has run well in many of the top races this season but always seems to be the bridesmaid and never the bride. Tasleet has only run twice since finishing runner-up in the race last season and should run well. The final runner of interest of the Fozzy Stack trained Son Of Rest who landed a gamble in the Ayr Gold Cup most recently. Prior to this, he had finished runner-up in a Group 1 at the Curragh and this is his tie of the year so there could be some further progression to come from him. Selection: The Tin Man Lah Ti DarChampions Fillies & Mares Stakes This race is all about Lah Ti Dar who is bred to be a superstar and she may just live up to that billing. She won all three of her open career starts and although she came up short against Kew Gardens in the St Leger, this was only her fourth run and first against the Colts. She is now back down in trip and against her own sex which are both big positives, throw in her weight for age allowance and it looks like a penalty kick for John Gosden’s filly. The only real danger comes from France in the form of Kitesurf who won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille beating Magic Wand by a head. This was Andre Fabre’s filly’s first Group1 success and although she looks sure to run a huge race I think she’ll struggle to give Lah Ti Dar weight. Hydrangea won this last year but she has been a bitter disappointment in three runs this season. That being said Aidan’s horse weren’t on song for much of the season so perhaps she suffered more than most and considering we haven’t seen her since July, we could see a different horse on Saturday. Coronet finished in behind Hydrangea last year but has taken her form to a new level this season, with a Group 2 win and placings in Group One’s on her last three starts, behind the likes of Sea Of Class. She looks sure ot run well but may just ack a bit of quality. Selection: Lah Ti Dar Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (British Champions Mile) One of the standout horses of the season has been Roaring Lion, who’s won the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes in a fantastic year. John Gosden will be hoping the Group One wins haven’t stopped as he bids for a fourth straight win in the British Champion Mile and he could be difficult to contain. This will be his first time dropping back to a mile since finishing fifth in the 2000 Guineas. It’s another French raider that may prove the biggest threat, Recoletos won the Group 1 Prix Du Moulin at Longchamp beating Wind Chimes when last seen and has run well all season. He was well fancied in the Queen Anne at the Royal meeting but came up well short and I believe a similar fate lies ahead here. Another horse looking to add the cherry on top of what’s already been a great season is Laurens. Karl Burke’s charge has won four Group Ones in six starts this year which is incredible and if it were not for Alpha Centauri, she would have got far more credit. She is a very simple mare that races prominently and rarely has a hard-luck story. This will be her first time taking on the colts and she will have to improve to beat them but in receipt of the weight allowance, she may continue her fine run of form. One of the most interesting horses in the race is Addeybb who hasn’t bee seen since running disappointingly in the Lockinge back in July. This was his first time stepping into Group 1 company having previously been an impressive winner of the Lincoln and Group 2 Sandown Mile on his previous two starts of the year. Both of those victories were on ground with soft in the description and perhaps he just found things happening too quickly in the Lockinge. If he runs to his Lincoln form then he has a major chance. Others of note include Lord Glitters, Beat The Bank and Happily. Selection: Addeybb CracksmanChampion Stakes Eight horses go to post for the Champion Stakes but in reality, only three have chances of landing this Group 1. The three that count are Cracksman, Crystal Ocean and Capri. Cracksman heads the market but it has to be a concern that we haven’t seen him since going down to Poet’s Word in the Price Of Wales’s Stakes. In truth, he didn’t look like the real Cracksman in his last two racecourse outings as he raced lethargically when just getting the better of Salouen in the Coronation Cup two starts back. It’s no surprise to see John Gosden reaching for first-time blinkers and hopefully, they will have the desired effect. Crystal Ocean is another horse that’s had a stellar year, having won his first three season starts and was only just denied by Poet’s Word in the King George. Sir Michael Stoute then ran him in the September Stakes at Kempton where all eyes were on Enable including Crystal Ocean as Enable was three lengths ahead of him. He looks sure to run another big race. Aidan O’Brien’s Capri is the biggest priced of the leading fancies but he has beaten his two main rivals. In the Irish Derby, he beat Cracksman and he defeated Crystal Ocean in last season’s St Leger. Capri showed a real sign of revival when he finished fifth in the Arc behind Enable two weeks and if that run didn’t take too much out of him then he’s my idea of the winner. Selection: Capri The Balmoral is the only handicap on British Champions day and it brings the meeting to a close. There is unsurprisingly a big field going t post for this valuable 1-mile handicap. Jamie Osborne is responsible for Raising Sand who heads the market following a win in the Challenge Cup at Ascot. The slight step up in trip won’t inconvenience Raising Sand and Nicola Currie gets on well with him. Top weight Flaming Spear finished in behind Raising Sand in the Challenge Cup and he was flying home at the finish, with the extra furlong today I think he will reverse the form. Rober Winston takes over the reins again which means he carries more weight but he still looks sure to run a huge race. Safe Voyage hasn’t been seen since landing the Ahonoora Handicap at the Galway festival on August. John Quinn engaged the services of crack claimer, Sean Davis, that day and he retains the partnership in a bid to land this big handicap. This was his third win in his four starts which means he has crept up the handicap. I still get the feeling that he is on an upward curve and must go close. Of the outsiders, Waarif peaks my interest having run very well behind Just hiss at York last week. The softer underfoot conditions won’t inconvenience Richard Fahey’s inmate and he may outrun his odds. Selection: Safe Voyage The post British Champion Day Preview – Will The Lion Roar Back Over A Mile? appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Top British jockey Silvestre de Sousa will ride in Hong Kong from November 1 to February 28 – @DRFAnderen The worst-kept secret in Hong Kong racing was confirmed on Thursday with the Jockey Club announcing De Sousa will spend the winter based at Sha Tin. It is easy enough to fill short-term riding positions in Hong Kong – the likes of Ryan Moore, Alexis... View the full article

A change in riding tactics combined with a claiming apprentice jockey may hold the key to unlocking the potential of Caspar Fownes’ once highly touted Joyful Trinity. The French import, who is a two-time Group Three winner along with multiple Group One place-getter, has struggled to continue his promising racing career in Hong Kong. After winning two of his first five starts, the now six-year-old has managed to win just one out of his past 21 attempts. However, Fownes is hopeful that... View the full article

Beauty Generation is seven weeks from his Longines Hong Kong International Races grand final but John Moore cannot hide his excitement, saying his superstar is “the horse to beat” in Sunday’s Group Two Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy. Reigning Horse of the Year Beauty Generation stunned Moore with a dominant victory first-up three weeks ago and the veteran trainer expects the six-year-old to be better again this weekend. “It was a little bit of a surprise, the facile win... View the full article

Trainer John Gosden hopes he won’t be left eating his “famously silly words” after his glowing assessment of Roaring Lion ahead of Saturday’s Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1,600m) on Champions Day at Ascot. Gosden has decided to run his star three-year-old over the mile, as opposed to the Group One Champion Stakes (1,993m) where he also has favourite Cracksman, and expects big things. “Roaring Lion has a fantastic constitution and doesn’t strike me as... View the full article

More relaxed Zac Kasa stamps his class View the full article

Flak Jacket a perfect fit in Class 3 View the full article

Nizar hits target for first time with Silent Arrow View the full article

Jomo blitzes rivals on debut View the full article

Early scratching October 21 View the full article

Horses' body weights October 19 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings October 19 View the full article

Collett on the mend after surgery View the full article

Le Grange's Gold Cup team hinges on QEII Cup day View the full article

Early scratchings October 19 View the full article

In his first start since being claimed by owner Michael Hui and trainer John Ortiz, Zulu Alpha became the first graded stakes winner for his new conditioner when he put away favored Arklow in the Sycamore Stakes (G3T). View the full article

Officials at Keeneland have announced the addition of four supplemental entries to its upcoming November Breeding Stock Sale. Eaton Sales will consign a filly by Tapit that is the second foal produced by champion La Verdad (Yes It’s True) (see Before the Hammer) as hip 116A. Vinery Sales, agent, will offer hip 245A, Peruvian broodmare of the year Almudena (Per) (Silver Planet {Arg}), the dam of Peruvian champion and MG1SW Cascanueces (Smart Strike), as well as Group 3 winner More Than Words (More Than Ready). Almudena sells in foal to Candy Ride (Arg). Somalia (Mineshaft), the dam of recent GIII Durham Cup S. winner Lookin For Eight (Lookin At Lucky) and GIII Selene S. victress Miss Mo Mentum (Uncle Mo) is offered as hip 245B by Bill Murphy, agent, and is part of the first book of mares bred to Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}). A weanling colt from the same mare is cataloged as hip 198. Greenfield Farm (B. D. Gibbs Farm), agent, will offer hip 245C, the MG1SW La Extrana Dama (Arg) (Catcher In the Rye {Ire}), as a broodmare prospect only. Winner of eight of her 21 career appearances and in the money on 16 of those occasions, the 5-year-old is a daughter of US Grade I winner Toda Una Dama (Arg) (Cipayo {Arg}). “These are exciting additions to the November Sale catalog and ones that will appeal to an international clientele,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. A total of 4,510 horses, including broodmares in foal to the world’s leading sires, broodmare prospects, weanlings, horses of racing age, stallions and stallion prospects, are cataloged to Keeneland’s November Sale, which will be held Nov. 5-16. Keeneland will continue to accept supplements until the November Sale begins. View the full article

First, the facts, bare and unvarnished: In 2017, 17% of the 37,483 flat races in the United States were on turf, up from 5% of 71,454 races in 1991. I wrote about this shift to turf and its relationship to the breeding industry here in March. At face value, this is a significant increase, but it’s bigger than I thought, because turf racing at some of the most prestigious race meets is even more impactful when filtered for quality. After removing claiming races from totals and using only races with purse values of $50,000 or more, the combined numbers in 2017 for 2,394 qualifying races at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Kentucky Downs (which races on turf only), Belmont, Saratoga, Santa Anita, Del Mar, Oaklawn (dirt only), and the “championship meet” at Gulfstream were 46% turf and 54% dirt. Those are head-turning figures for turf racing, and it’s likely that the differences between turf and dirt will be even narrower this year, when, believe it or not, there were more races scheduled for turf than dirt at Saratoga. These selected races, by the way, comprised only 6% of all races in the US last year but offered money and prestige at many more times their weight. For instance, almost half of leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy’s total earnings from North America and Europe last season came from this narrow circuit at the top of the game. The heft of turf racing is further amplified by another fact: 39% of all graded races in the US last year were on turf. Or, framed another way, there were 178 graded races on turf from a total of 6,271 turf races versus 277 graded races from a total of 31,212 races on mostly dirt (including a smattering of synthetic tracks). The distance composition of the 2,394 races? Sprints at seven furlongs or less made up 33% of the dirt races compared to 15% on turf, while 18% of races at a mile and a sixteenth or more were on turf versus 13% on dirt. For races at more than seven furlongs but less than a mile and a sixteenth–the miler category –13% were on turf while 8% were on dirt. Turf racing clearly leans towards stamina. These are the facts. Sire Stats Researcher Chris Rossi, an astute observer of the racing landscape, picked the tracks for this survey after consulting with me and then compiled sire stats based on the criteria noted above. The two accompanying charts separately rank the leading 25 sires on turf and dirt by progeny earnings, and they offer an interesting look at how well these sires performed at top-tier or purse-rich venues. The active leading dirt sires (Unbridled’s Song at #1 is deceased) were led by such established big guns as Lane’s End’s Candy Ride (Arg) ($80,000 fee in 2019) at #2, Hill ‘n’ Dale’s Curlin ($175,000) at #3, Lane’s End’s Quality Road ($150,000) at #4, Gainesway’s Tapit ($225,000) at #5, Adena Springs’s Ghostzapper ($85,000 in ’18; ’19 fee not announced yet) at #6, Spendthrift’s Malibu Moon ($75,000) at #7, Darley’s Medaglia d’Oro ($200,000) at #8, and Spendthrift’s Into Mischief ($150,000) at #9. The stats are illuminating, but beware that a glimpse at one year doesn’t necessarily provide the entire picture, as any horse can have an “off” year. And younger horses are at a disadvantage by a lack of numbers. This is particularly evident on the dirt list. Nonetheless, WinStar’s Bodemeister ($25,000), with only two crops racing through 2017, was #10 on the dirt list with a first-crop Kentucky Derby winner; Lane’s End’s Union Rags ($60,000), also with two crops, but with four Grade l winners in them, was #16; the Darby Dan duo of Shackleford ($20,000 in ’18) and Dialed In ($25,000 in ’18), also with two crops each, were #24 and #25, respectively; Ashford’s Uncle Mo ($125,000), who had a first-crop Derby winner in 2016, was #15 with three crops; and Quality Road and Ashford’s Lookin At Lucky ($17,500), with four crops each, were #4 and #14, respectively. That’s an impressive showing for these young horses because as a rule first crops tend to be more productive than second crops and fourth crops are frequently the least effective in a stallion’s early career. [Because Pimlico wasn’t included in this survey, Hill ‘n’ Dale’s Maclean’s Music ($25,000), with two crops and the sire of a first-crop Preakness winner, lost all chance to make the dirt list.] Turf Sires In contrast to the dirt list, the turf list is populated mostly by older stallions, with a few standouts from Europe (Dubawi {Ire} and Galileo {Ire}) and more than a few dead sires (Scat Daddy, Giant’s Causeway, Unusual Heat, Northern Afleet, City Zip, Arch, Harlan’s Holiday, Smart Strike, and Exchange Rate). With little crossover from the dirt list (Medaglia d’Oro, Candy Ride, Tapit, Into Mischief, and More Than Ready stand out), what this means, to use a baseball analogy, is that a lot of qualified rookies are going to get playing time in the near future. The opportunities are there and the positions will need to be filled, but until that happens–because demand for quality turf horses is exceeding supply–expect a greater number of foreign imports in the immediate future to compete against the progeny of the few veteran turf sires around. One of those veterans is Calumet’s English Channel ($25,000 in ’18), ranked #6 last year on the turf list and the sire of four Grade l winners in 2018–all on turf. He was profiled here two weeks ago. Warranted or not, stallions, like actors, get typecast early, and after that it’s difficult to play against type, especially if they find success in a particularly notable way. Danzig’s War Front ($250,000) at Claiborne, the most expensive stallion for 2019, is such an example. His first crop contained Gl Malibu S. winner The Factor and Grade ll Fountain of Youth S. winner Soldat on dirt, but then a deluge of European success came so forcefully that he hasn’t been able to extricate himself from grass since, though Claiborne’s Walker Hancock and Bernie Sams maintain to this day that he’s a top dirt sire and told me this summer that they’ve sent high-quality dirt mares to him in recent seasons to prove exactly this. In the meantime, he remains an outstanding source of high-quality turf runners both here and abroad and was #3 on the turf list with six graded winners, despite having some of his best runners in Europe. Note that 90% of his overall earnings in this survey came from turf. There’s no such equivocation about Kitten’s Joy ($75,000), #1 on the turf list with 98% of his earnings on turf. A son of the Sadler’s Wells stallion El Prado (Ire), as is #2-ranked Medaglia d’Oro, Kitten’s Joy came up during the synthetic age and in 2013 became the first horse in North America to lead the general sire list with non-dirt horses. Relocated from Ramsey Farm to Hill ‘n’ Dale for the 2018 breeding season, his exceptional ability has been on display in Europe in recent years, first with Group 1 winner Hawkbill and this year with Group 1 winner and the top-rated 3-year-old colt Roaring Lion, but the grass-friendly environment here has also allowed for the development of high-quality all-turf domestic runners like Oscar Performance, a Grade 1 winner at two, three, and four in North America and so far the earner of $2.3 million without ever setting foot on dirt. He enters stud at Mill Ridge next year and is the type of horse that could fill vacancies available on the turf list down the road. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Oscar Performance is destined to be a turf-only sire, like his sire. Ashford’s late Scat Daddy, for example, #4 on the turf list last year, came up with the Triple Crown winner this year, and More Than Ready at #5 is the sire of the 2018 Travers winner. It does mean, however, that it will pay to follow those turf stallions that are poised to inherit a landscape that’s ideally set up for them. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

Demonstrating its commitment to the fight against doping in Argentina, a new chemical services area has been opened at San Isidro Racetrack in Buenos Aires. Professional staff at the lab belong to the Association of Official Racing Chemists (AROC) and regularly take part in the proficiency testing program, designed to check and detect the use of prohibitive substances in horses. The Argentinian Jockey Club has invested about US$1.4 million in equipment and facilities over the last two years as it works towards certification from the International Federation of Horseracing Authority (IFHA) to become an IFHA reference laboratory to analyze samples from all Group 1 races conducted across South America. View the full article

GoldMark Farm owner T. Paul Bulmahn, bloodstock agent Nick de Meric and Laurine Fuller-Vargas have been named to the board of directors of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, while Richard Kent remains on the board for a second term. Past president George Russell returns as an ex officio director. Each will serve three-year terms that run through 2021. Jacks or Better Farm’s Fred Brei and Joe O’Farrell III will leave the board according to the by-laws of the FTBOA. Brent Fernung was re-elected president of the Association. The board also named the executive committee for 2018-19 with Fernung as president while Phil Matthews, DVM was named first vice president and Greg Wheeler was named second vice president. George Russell will serve as treasurer and George Isaacs as secretary. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK–Now this is a proper horse sale. A place to sort the wheat and chaff—and not just among the horses, but among buyers too. No more hiding behind the blatant pages and physiques of last week; or the commercial sires who had tended to dominate Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The first of two Book 3 sessions brought out the traders and trainers, the horsemen with an eye that reaches deeper than their pockets. Time after time, the name on a mid-priced docket matched that of the sire, rowing away against the tides of fashion. And from the moment, a few minutes into the session, that a filly by Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})—current fee €135,000, his reputation freshly gilded by Sea Of Class (Ire)—was knocked down to a judge as seasoned as Mick Easterby for 800gns, you could picture the queasy looks on the faces of the big spenders who, having left town the previous evening, peruse the returns this morning. It says everything that the top lot of the day should have been an impressive pinhook nonetheless knocked down to a pair of expert judges who must depend on the animal’s continued development, by next spring, to draw out some extra value. Norman Williamson and Mags O’Toole gave 135,000gns for a Kodiac (GB) (Danehill) colt out of a group-winning full-sister to G1 2000 Guineas winner King Of Kings (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). Lot 1617 duly repaid his first investors after being picked up for Ballyhimikin Stud by LTM Bloodstock for €40,000 at Goffs last November. “He was just a beautiful foal, with a wonderful action,” recalled Ballyhimikin’s James Hanly. “A big strong Kodiac, and we love Kodiac. And he has that great pedigree.” “I saw him this morning with Mags and he was the standout colt today,” Williamson said. “He has come from a great farm, he has size and hopefully he will come back here to breeze in the spring.” He acknowledged that the bar had been set high for that project, but reasoned: “Trade has been very strong at all levels. We’ve all been here through Books 1 and 2 and it’s been fantastic all the way through. Us breeze-up pinhookers will be complaining we couldn’t buy them—but if we could get them all there’d be no point to it, would there?” Sure enough, as in the first two catalogues, the clearance rate kept up a very businesslike clip of 84%, with 250 of 297 changing hands. (Last year 249 were processed out of 306, at 81%). Other indices held exceptionally steady: the gross of 5,349,600gns inched past 5,256,550gns last year, at an average 21,398gns, likewise virtually unchanged from 21,111gns; the median slipped marginally to 16,000gns from 17,000gns. Remarkably, the only yearling to have changed hands for a greater sum in Book 3 was also a son of Kodiac consigned by Ballyhimikin, for 200,000gns in 2016. Still more impressive, then, that the only other six-figure sale on Tuesday—one of the final yearlings by Society Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) to come under the hammer—was also presented by the Co Tipperary farm. Until the Kodiac colt’s arrival late in the evening, in fact, the 100,000gns docket for this colt seemed to have put Alex Elliott’s signature on the highest of the session for the second day running. (The agent had topped the closing business of Book 2 with a 450,000gns No Nay Never {Scat Daddy} colt.) Presented as lot 1496, he is the first foal of a Falco (Pivotal {GB}) half-sister to Italian Group 3 winner Stop The Fun (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and was signed for here last December for 40,000gns by Anthony Stroud. He was a poignant discovery for Hanly, who was the ill-fated sire’s part-breeder. “And he was the image of his father,” he said. “We loved him, and thought him a ready-made 2-year-old, ideal for the sales race [£150,000 Tattersalls October Auction S.]. If they are prepared to put up a prize like that, you could have confidence there would be a market for a good horse.” Elliott was acting on behalf of Jeremy Noseda. “We’ve tried on a lot of horses the last few weeks, been underbidders plenty, so I’m delighted to get him,” the agent explained. “He looks a real 2-year-old, strong, beautiful colour, the kind of fast horse we were looking for that Jeremy does so well with.” What A Week For Whatton Manor… Whatton Manor Stud had some splendid results through Book 2 and put the icing on the cake with the 90,000gns sale of Lot 1538—a classic example, as a son of Champs Elysees (GB) (Danehill), of the kind of proper horse that could be unearthed in this catalogue. A sire scandalously neglected by Flat breeders has been in predictable demand since being exported to a National Hunt farm—having meanwhile produced a Classic winner, after all—but had at least been given a chance with a well-related mare in Elpida (Giant’s Causeway). Out of a half-sister to none other than Poet’s Voice (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), she has produced a group winner at the first attempt in Sporting Chance (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and this imposing chestnut was in due demand with Charlie Johnston. But it was Kevin Ross who gained the day on behalf of Paul and Claire Rooney. “He’s a beautiful individual,” Ross said. “And we knew we’d have to push the boat out a bit to get him.” Ed Player of Whatton Manor was delighted on behalf of the breeders: namely, Algy and Scrap Smith-Maxwell in partnership with Andrew Stone of St Alban’s Bloodstock. “The horse was born with us and we got him back this time last year,” Player said. “He’s always been a great, big, good-moving type, who’s been incredibly popular here. Not for the first time this week, though, I didn’t imagine we might get that price. I’m so pleased for the owners, who have put so much into the industry.” No consignor, however, has been able to lie up with Newsells Park through Books 1 and 2, and their Dutch Art (GB) (Medicean {GB}) filly out of Group 3 winner Gossamer Seed (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) (Lot 1567) kept up the good work by raising 70,000gns from Michael Dods. Unsurprisingly, she was bought for David and Emma Armstrong, for whom Dods has just added another Group 1 chapter to their incredible story through Mabs Cross (GB)—likewise a daughter of Dutch Art. “She’s a sweet filly,” Dods said. “And it’s all speed, which is what the Armstrongs want for their potential broodmares. Obviously David likes the stallion and same with the Pivotal filly we bought earlier [Lot 1424, for 50,000gns].” Never Again – And Again… The sire on a roll in Book 2 was at the other end of the spectrum from Champs Elysees—and No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) remained the toast of pinhookers when lot 1548, consigned by Jamie Railton, was sold to Katie Walsh for 90,000gns. That is some dividend on the €17,000 paid by Jill Lamb for a filly with notable antecedents at Goffs only in February: bred by Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien’s Whisperview Trading, she is from the family of Group 1 winner and producer Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). Since that sale her 3-year-old half-sister Damselfly (Ire) (Power {GB}) has been group-placed, while her 2-year-old half-brother Cosmic Horizon (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) was recently off the mark before being placed under 10st in a nursery at Cork last week. With her sire’s first crop having created such demand for his second, the idea is that this April foal can turn a second pinhooking profit for Walsh at the breeze-ups. “That would be the plan,” she said. “It’s a lot to pay but everyone wants a No Nay Never, and there’s plenty going on in the family.” Of those sires on the next round of the carousel, meanwhile, Hot Streak (Ire) (Iffraaj GB}) has certainly been living up to his name this week—and he registered another good sale when Mouse O’Ryan gave 62,000gns on behalf of Richard Fahey for lot 1466 from the New England Stud draft. Fahey was hardly going to miss the presence of his multiple Group 1 winner Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) on the page under the Classic-winning third dam Mehthaaf (Nureyev). “The sire is stamping them very well,” O’Ryan remarked. “This looks a fast horse from a good family, and we wanted one for the [sale] race.” The colt was bred by Tom and Ben Harris, whose father Trevor owns Lordship Stud, from a Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare picked up for just 10,000gns at the Horses-in-Training Sale here in 2013. She was acquired as a mate for the farm’s new sire Swiss Spirit (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and duly produced juvenile winners from both their trysts. Ben Harris appeared to be playing up his winnings when later making the 70,000gns bid that landed lot 1530, a Tamayuz (GB) (Nayef) filly out of stakes-placed Dutch Rose (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}) consigned by Lodge Park Stud. But it turned out that he was acting on behalf of Ed Walker, filling an order for Middleham Park Racing. “She’s a smashing filly, an absolute belter,” Harris explained. “The mare’s meant to be gorgeous and it’s obviously rubbed off. And there’s obviously a good update with her first foal [triple winner Sunsprite (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})] who is now ]isted-placed and rated 99.” Glebe House Lands Running… A 80,000gns docket from Richard Frisby for a homebred Poet’s Voice (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) filly [lot 1463] was another valuable boost to a nascent consigning outfit in Glebe House Stud. “This is the first year we’ve been doing this under our own banner,” explained farm manager Carwyn Johns. “And it’s gone very well. We had a very nice pinhook at Donny and sold a Mastercraftsman (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) first foal for 150,000gns on Monday. This is a big, strong filly for an April foal, but we couldn’t come here with any great expectation for this filly, in Book 3, out in EE [Solario Barn]. So we brought her up early and spent more time pulled out of the ring than walking round it—and she didn’t put a foot wrong.” The dam, a sister to dual Group 2 winner Trumpet Major (Ire) (Arakan) and half-sister to the dam of recent French Group 3 winner The Black Album (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), was admittedly sold “to sunnier climates” last December but this was a fine parting gift. Her daughter is evidently staying put in Britain, albeit Frisby could not name either her buyers or her likely trainer as yet. “I thought she looked a nice sharp filly,” the agent said. “It was hard to buy fillies at that level earlier in the week, and she stood out well as an individual.” That being so, Stroud Coleman may turn out to have done well to sign a 62,000gns docket for lot 1509, a Footstepsinthesand (GB) (Giant’s Causeway) filly consigned by Avalon Bloodstock. Her dam, culled by Juddmonte, is an Oasis Dream (GB) (Green Desert) half-sister to Monarchs Glen (GB) (Frankel {GB})—who lines up for the G1 QIPCO British Champion S. at Ascot on Saturday. View the full article

Stuart S. Janney III's On Leave will look to notch her second consecutive stakes win when she competes against a talented nine-horse field in the $200,000 Athenia Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up Oct. 21 at Belmont Park. View the full article

There will be no Triple Crown winner in Japan this year but Guineas winner and Derby runner-up Epoca d'Oro would make a smart impression with a victory in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) at Kyoto Racecourse Oct. 21. View the full article

Coolmore and Bridlewood Farm’s Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon) looked well on her way to a divisional championship after back-to-back Grade I wins last September, but a disappointing seventh in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies put a stop to that, and the ‘TDN Rising Star’ will look to make a mark for the first time as a sophomore as the favorite in Saturday’s GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Taking the GI Del Mar Debutante wire-to-wire in her second career start, the $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy stretched out to two turns with alacrity in taking the GI Chandelier S. four weeks later at Santa Anita. Setting the pace before retreating in the Breeders’ Cup, the bay finished second in the Angel’s Flight S. in her seasonal debut May 12 and was no match for division leader Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) when fourth in the GI Acorn S. June 9 at Belmont. Rebounding some with a narrow allowance tally July 19 at Del Mar, she was last seen running a troubled third in the GII Prioress S. Sept. 2 at Saratoga. The third and fourth finishers from the GI Longines Test S. resurface here in Dawn and Ike Thrash’s Kelly’s Humor (Midnight Lute) and Alter Moon (Alternation), respectively. The former finished a good second at 11-1 in the local GIII Beaumont S. Apr. 8 before running eighth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, second in a Churchill allowance and third in the GIII Indiana Oaks. Rallying well from off the pace at Saratoga, the dark bay will likely need some hitting up front to set her up for a victory. Alter Moon sold to Peter Brant for $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in July off of a five-length score in the Azalea S. at Gulfstream, but she made no serious impact when running evenly to complete the superfecta in the Test. Novogratz Racing Stables’ Amy’s Challenge (Artie Schiller) is an interesting player. A winner of three straight to start her career, the $20,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy ran off on the lead before settling for second in the GIII Honeybee S. and GIII Fantasy S. earlier this year at Oaklawn. Dueled into a last-place run in the GII Eight Belles S. next out May 4, she was most recently seen comfortably annexing an optional claimer on the Canterbury turf Aug. 8 and could get brave if able to clear from her rail draw here. View the full article

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's multiple graded stakes-placed Daring Duchess heads a field of ten entered for the $125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles Oct. 21 at Keeneland. View the full article