Wandering Eyes

Diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in early 2018, Moquett is finally getting back to his old self and ready to take on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. View the full article

Diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in early 2018, Moquett is finally getting back to his old self and ready to take on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. View the full article

From behind his Santa Anita desk, John Sadler mapped the world beyond the four walls of his office, pointing out, barn by barn, the route he took when assistant back in the 1970s to Dr. Jack Robbins, veterinarian extraordinaire who brought to equine medicine at that time what Don Henley and company brought to the West Coast rock scene. “We would start at Noble Threewitt’s barn, great trainer and a good guy. Ralph West. Gene Cleveland. [Tom] Pratt was here, and in this barn here was Keith Stucki. Joe Arena. [Ron] McAnally. Joe Manzi. Gary Jones. Warren Stute. You know, a lot of really strong characters,” Sadler added, not so much wandering memory lane as taking a starry-eyed tour along racing’s walk of fame. “Good trainers, all of them.” Things have since changed a lot in California. “When I came along, Whittingham was the gold mark,” said Sadler. “As he got a little older, that shifted to [Wayne] Lukas, then [Bobby] Frankel, and then [Bob] Baffert.” Personalities have evolved, too. Back when Hotel California wafted daily over the airwaves, those “old time trainers liked to drink heavy and smoke a lot,” said Sadler. Nowadays, things like social media, occupational health and safety and warning labels have had an altogether sanitizing effect. “Seems like things are more corporate now-smoother,” Sadler admitted. And yet, it’s clear those early years left on him a lasting impression. “I think, because you’re young, you’re most impressed with the guys who are directly ahead of you.” Like those hard-boiled trainers he visited with Robbins, he doesn’t much see the point of shipping out of state with races to be won on his doorstep. “I want to be able to win here and then ship out when we want to go out.” Like them, he’s at the barn before the first roosters crow. “I think there’s three of us of left here, myself, [Jerry] Hollendorfer, Bill Spawr, who come in early,” Sadler said. “I mean, there was an era when I came around, [trainers] would make fun of the ones who wouldn’t come in early. Joe Manzi lived in Arcadia. He’d drive to Hollywood Park, take a nap, then go to work. I don’t know what time he left. Two in the morning?” And like them, his own profile as a trainer means zilch if the horses aren’t performing to par. “In this era of social media, I want to be old school. I want the horses to be the stars.” That said, “people in the industry know the kind of work I do, and I do feel appreciated. I think, if you said to someone back East, ‘What about John Sadler?’ They’d say, ‘This guy’s a professional.'” His theory holds water. “Enormously consistent,” said Jimmy Jerkens, when asked about Sadler. “Very well-rounded…very thorough.” According to Shug McGaughey, his West Coast counterpart is “very, very good at racing and placing them…it’s not an easy game.” Now into his 40th year with a license, Sadler is helming a bit of a stable reconfiguration. His big numbers period between 2007 and 2014, when he mopped up 13 California training titles, has been whittled down in size, replaced by what he describes as a focus more on quality, so that there’ll be “more opportunity for us to run out of state.” Indeed, Sadler’s annual win haul has taken on a vintage gloss over the past few years. Hard Aces (Hard Spun) snagged him a first GI Gold Cup (this one at Santa Anita). Stellar Wind (Curlin) stamped herself one of the best race-mares of modern times. “Those races with Beholder were real gems. Classic type races,” said Sadler, singling out three Grade Is during the summer of 2016: the Vanity Mile S., the Clement L. Hirsh S., and the Zenyatta S. “If you watch those, it’s just her and Beholder all the way, and for Stellar Wind to beat her a couple of times, those were just really fun wins. As good as any races you’ll see.” This year has seen the ascension into rarified air of Lane’s End-bound Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), who recently completed the California Triple Crown: the GI Santa Anita H., the GI Gold Cup, and the GI Pacific Classic S. Sadler also has the hugely exciting Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags) to go to war with. Both are being readied for separate Breeders’ Cup assignments. After that, health willing, they could cross swords for the first time in next January’s GI Pegasus World Cup. “I’ve just got a horse who I think will be a good horse in the handicap division next year,” said Sadler about Gift Box, a Twirling Candy ridgling who finished fourth in the 2016 GI Travers S. for Chad Brown. “He came out of New York. You’ll know him next year.” As for Sadler, we could have known him for another equine discipline entirely, had he passed, when just a teenager, the screening trials for the U.S. Olympic show jumping team. “I wasn’t picked and was disappointed,” he said, sounding amused more than disappointed nowadays. But show jumping’s loss was racing’s gain. In fact, the seeds of his future endeavors had been planted long before that by his parents, who purchased a $1,000 share in a new racing venture, Impossible Stables Incorporated. “A guy in Pasadena called Mike Morphy put this group together. He was way ahead of his time,” said Sadler. “I started going racing with my folks. It went for seven or eight years, they made a few successful claims, and they never had to pay a bill. When it all stopped, everybody got back $3,000.” At 22, when most young adults are wet-behind-the-ears college grads, unsure of which road to take, less travelled or not, Sadler took out his training license, the words of Santa Anita racing executive, Frank E. Kilroe, in his ears, telling him to run “a balanced stable.” And though it took a year or two for the balance to lean towards quality (in the form of a one top-notch lickety-split sprinter after another), “I’ve never had an issue of needing more horses,” Sadler admitted. “People knew I was a good trainer and sent me horses to train.” Four decades later, there’s little retrospection on those intervening years. His office holds a lonely win picture, from the early 1990’s. Pride of place in his living room are the eight silver cups signifying his stakes victories from Del Mar this summer. “Of course, I was very proud. But that’s as close as I get to being very proud,” and he admits that most of his trophies are packed away in boxes. Yes, those formative years run deep. Nevertheless, “I’m always thinking ahead, thinking about what’s coming up,” he said. “As you get older, you start to look back on that stuff a little bit, but not a lot. Training racehorses, it’s all about tomorrow. There’s an old expression: ‘Any trainer with 2-year-olds in the barn never commits suicide.'” If Sadler has any regrets, it’s starting out as early as he did, before he could take “a trip around the world,” or one of those life affirming things you do before the hooks of adult life sink in deep. “Once you’re here, you’re here,” he added. “The irony is that it would have been a better time to travel back then–half the world’s not safe now.” That’s because, as Sadler has down-sized his stable, he has recently discovered “more balance” in his life. “More time to myself.” Three years ago, he visited Cuba. “I like cultures that don’t have televisions. People who talk to each other.” Last year, he went to Spain-Barcelona and Valencia. It’s tough though, to disengage from life as a trainer. “You never totally can, even if everything’s going well.” And for any California trainer with their eyes on the future, dark clouds hover over the industry in the state. “My concern is the decline in infrastructure in California. We don’t have the tracks we used to have, the training centers and the farms,” he said. “A lot of the solutions are not difficult. If we left Del Mar open year-round for training, that would move us up a million miles. More horse farms. If you did that, the other thing would be to get another revenue stream through something like sports betting, hopefully get in on that and get a good deal.” Nevertheless, the “positive and the surprising part” is “how well we’re doing,” he said. “We’re still going strong.” Going strong–those have been bywords of Sadler’s career the past 40 years. Week-in, week-out, the winners at all levels have arrived with the precision frequency of a Swiss clock. “I do take a lot of pride in being consistent,” he said. “That’s been my hallmark throughout my career, consistency.” So, what is it that drives him towards that? “The part that has never wavered is the creative process,” he replied. “You get a 2-year-old, it’s a raw piece of clay. You form it and you work with it and you see how it develops and where it goes. That’s the part I’ve always loved the most, the creative process.” Another neat part of the job, he said, is seeing the horses train early on a morning, when the first watery rays of sunlight have yet to creep over the lid of the San Gabriel Mountains, and the track, dotted with a handful of solitary horses only, has yet to become a congested highway. “You’re here, you’re looking at the horses before everybody else gets yapping at you, before anybody else is out there,” Sadler said. “You can be quiet and reflective, and have those moments to yourself, time to think.” “About what?” I asked, and he considered the question. “About what I’m going to be doing with the horses going forward.” View the full article

FAIRYHOUSE, Ireland–Sire power is a crucial factor at bloodstock sales, and one stallion experiencing a resurgence in popularity, following a season that included a Classic winner and a Royal Ascot heroine, is Yeomanstown Stud resident Camacho (GB). The son of Danehill was responsible for the top price of Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Thursday as Luke Lillingston went to €32,000 for Nicola Kent’s filly, consigned as lot 576. The price tag of €32,000 is almost half the high price of the 2017 renewal, during which seven lots surpassed that mark, led by a €60,000 Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) colt. Just as they had for the first part of the September Yearling Sale, Part 2 figures fell across the board, the most worrying being a 149% increase in unsold lots, despite a 7% rise in horses offered (clearance rate 66% down from 86%). Turnover for 172 sold totaled €1,241,300; a 41% drop from 2017, leading to a 38% fall in median (€5,000) and a 29% decrease in the average price (€7,217). In response, Tattersalls Ireland CEO, Matt Mitchell said, “Today’s trade was not forgiving. Reflecting the polarised nature of the market, the trend remains that there is demand for individuals that satisfy strict criteria. Unfortunately, for breeders in particular, limited demand exists at the lower levels.” A much chirpier Luke Lillingston confirmed that the top lot would race for Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, adding, “I’ve always been a big fan of Camacho and he has really come of age this year. This filly has scope and substance, and is a lovely mover. Nicola [Kent] is a very smart breeder and I know the family well, with Michael Bell having trained Pass The Peace (GB) (Alzao) to win the G1 Cheveley Park S.” Bred by Nicola and Eleanor Kent out of their homebred Barathea (Ire) mare Pashmina (Ire), the late April-born is bred on the same cross as My Catch (Ire), a dual stakes winner at the Meydan Carnival. It’s a family that has served the Kents well, the yearling’s full-brother having sold for 68,000gns last year, from a €7,500 covering fee, while the second dam produced Group 3 winner Monsieur Joe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) and Blenheim S. winner Monsieur Power (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), while the aforementioned Pass The Peace (GB) was bred by John Kent. The Castlebridge Consignment topped the vendor table on Thursday, selling five lots for a total of €55,000, but Bill Dwan was not donning rose-tinted glasses on Thursday. “Trade has been very selective; strong at the top and unfortunately, very patchy underneath,” Dwan mused. “I think we’re producing too many horses, and we do not have new buyers to cater for them. There has certainly been less foreign trade than in previous years, with a definite decrease in Italian buyers this week, but I think the Scandinavian market is one this sale could be promoted to in the future. The arrival of Zhang Yuesheng was welcomed by all vendors today and we are very grateful for his continued support of the Irish sales.” BBA Ireland was the biggest spender on Thursday, the arrival of Zhang Yuesheng of Yulong Investments a major factor in their €117,700 spend on 16 horses. The importance of the Italian market was evident in Alduino Botti’s second placing in the buyers’ table, his eight yearlings costing a total of €91,000, with the next largest spend coming in at €35,000. Bloodstock agent Tomas Janda was the only other buyer from outside of Ireland and England to feature in the top 10. The Rogers family’s Airlie Stud was on a high last week with Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy)’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. victory, but were quickly brought back down to earth with the small matter of selling six yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland. Anthony Rogers echoed Bill Dwan’s sentiments on trade, adding that rising costs were also a cause for concern. “It is worrying that production costs continue to rise; I would estimate that they have risen by approximately 10% in the last three years, yet demand is falling. I think the best way to tackle overproduction is to limit stallion books. If each stallion could only cover a maximum of 125 mares, stallion farms would be forced to choose the better mares. I think this move would reward them in the future and reduce the numbers of poor stock.” Not all was doom and gloom, though, as the terrific first season of No Nay Never helped Glenard Stables double the €15,000 foal price of their lot 641 offering, after their filly sold to Joe Foley for €30,000. Glenard Stables, which is run by Batt O’Connell in Ballynoe, County Cork, is better known in National Hunt circles, having sold the likes of Village Vic (Ire) (Old Vic {GB}), and while O’Connell also trains seven to eight point-to-pointers each year, he always pinhooks two foals each year with his brother-in-law, Paul Reed. “I was happy with the sale, especially given that a lot of people have lost a fortune this week. The sire made all the difference and she had been busy showing as a result,” commented O’Connell. An encouraging side story to the difficult trade experienced at this year’s breeze-up sales, and for those out of luck at the current yearling sales, is the good fortune some experience with unsold consignments on the track. The resale market of horses in training is what Tony Mullins had in mind when spending €25,000 on lot 624, a son of Epaulette (Aus) out of a full-sister to dual stakes winner High Society (Ire) (Key Of Luck), herself the dam of the late Group 1 winning sprinter Society Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). “I intend to buy half a dozen horses over the next few weeks, purely with the aim to resell,” said Mullins. “I sold Howling Ridge (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) recently and his selling price, along with that received by Emmett [Mullins, Tony’s nephew] with Ducketts Grove (Point Of Entry), gives you a good incentive to trade 2-year-olds off the track.” Howling Ridge was sent to Mullins after he trained his half-sister, Punked (Ire), to win her maiden in the colours of breeder Danny Coogan, and was subsequently sold to e5 Racing. Punked (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) had been led out unsold as a yearling at €10,000, while Emmet Mullins retained Ducketts Grove after he failed to reach a satisfactory price at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale. His colt later caught the eye when winning his debut at Cork impressively and now runs in the colours of Hong Kong owner PK Siu, under the care of new trainer Ed Walker. View the full article

Opry, Cheyenne Stables and Gaillardia Racing's son of Declaration of War, headlines the Sept. 29 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park off an impressive score Aug. 29 in Saratoga's With Anticipation Stakes (G3T). View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, September 29, 2018 1st-HSN, ¥9,550,000 ($84k), Maiden, 2yo, 1800m SEIUN KOBE (c, 2, Congrats–Royal Card, by Chapel Royal) is a son of a Grade III-placed dam who is responsible for Grade III winner Sorryaboutnothing (Repent). An $80,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $150,000 OBS March breezer, the bay descends from the female family of MGSW De Bertie (De Niro), the dam of GSWs Uptown Bertie (More Than Ready), Get Ready Bertie (More Than Ready) and Whirlie Bertie (Stormin Fever). Seiun Kobe was a debut fourth at Nakayama Sept. 15 (gate 10). B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (KY) Sunday, September 30, 2018 4th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT PARIS TESORO (f, 2, Declaration of War–Patricias Prospect, by A.P. Indy) is out of a daughter of French Group 1 winner Macoumba who is a full-sister to Spendthrift’s perennial leading sire Malibu Moon as well as to MGSP Positively (Distorted Humor) and SP Mutually Benefit (Dynaformer), the dam of MSW & MGSP Compelled (War Front). A $25K KEENOV weanling, the €80K Arqana August yearling is also from the family of Spendthrift’s Temple City (Dynaformer) and G1SW Septieme Ciel (Seattle Slew). B-A Bayle, C Bigheart, S Gross et al (KY) 5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT LE LIEN FORT (f, 2, Noble Mission {GB}–Clare Skies Ahead, by Sky Classic) is the first live foal for her stakes-winning dam, who was also placed in consecutive runnings of the GIII All Along S. for this breeder before her retirement. The chestnut is the first Japanese runner for her freshman sire, a full-brother to Frankel (GB), who has been represented by seven winners and the stakes-placed Life Mission to date. B-Dr Stephen G Jackson & Debbie Jackson (KY) @EquinealTDN View the full article

4th-BEL, $75K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 3:09 p.m. ET Kiaran McLaughlin unveiled well-related Godolphin homebred KEEPSHERCOOL (Smart Strike) in this spot. A daughter of MGISW Composure (Touch Gold), the bay is a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Penwith (Bernardini), MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy) and GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy). Her second dam is GSW & MGISP Party Cited (Alleged). Chad Brown sends out another well-bred miss in Juddmonte homebred Chamber (Tapit), who makes her second start here after finishing fourth on debut at Saratoga Aug. 16. A half-sister to GSP Raison d’Etat (A. P. Indy), the gray is out of MGISW and multi-millionaire Sightseek (Distant View), who is a half-sister to MGISW millionaire Tates Creek (Rahy) and a full-sister to the dam of European champion Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy). TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

Mark Johnston fears Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead) could have fractured his pelvis when he disappointed in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster. The colt was bought by Godolphin after winning the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood, where he took his unbeaten record to three. However, the son of Dream Ahead never looked comfortable at any stage at Town Moor and trailed home last of the six runners. “He’s been unsound since he ran at Doncaster and he’s on his way to the Newmarket Equine Hospital for a bone scan,” said Johnston on Thursday afternoon. “It looks like he’s got a stress fracture of his pelvis or higher up. He’d still be top of the tree of my 2-year-olds.” View the full article

Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting features more selective fayre on Friday when Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) helps exert a Sir Michael Stoute stranglehold on the G2 Shadwell Joel S. alongside stablemate Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}). Successful over seven furlongs in the G2 Park S. at Doncaster Sept. 15, the rock-solid homebred could yet enter the reckoning for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. which lacks a star at present. “I was very impressed with him at Doncaster,” the sponsors’ racing manager Angus Gold admitted. “He was obviously coming back to seven furlongs that day and looked beaten, but he showed a really good attitude to battle back and win. He’s had a few problems along the way, but he’s doing really well at the moment.” Regal Reality took Goodwood’s G3 Thoroughbred S. on good-to-firm Aug. 3 and was admirable in defeat when third on heavy in Haydock’s G3 Superior Mile Sept. 8. The Johnson Houghtons’ June 19 G1 Queen Anne S. hero Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) is a welcome attendee after his latest 10th in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville Aug. 12. “This is his prep race for the QEII and we’re very happy with him,” trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said. “I think the ground is pretty irrelevant, to be honest. I believe that a couple of the other runners have made the running in the past–but if they don’t go a great pace, so be it, Accidental Agent did twice win over seven furlongs last autumn. He seems in very good form, but Mustashry looks useful–and giving weight to him will be hard.” Also on the card is the G2 Shadwell Rockfel S., where Ballydoyle’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) stages a quick return having been seventh in The Curragh’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. Sept. 16. That rates as a disappointing effort from the blueblood after she had the subsequent G2 May Hill S. winner Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) back in third in the G3 Flame of Tara S. over a mile also in Kildare Sept. 1. Fifth in the Moyglare was Saif Ali’s June 22 G3 Albany S. and Aug. 11 G3 Sweet Solera S. winner Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), but she may have been sucked into going off too quick there. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Sept. 6 G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. scorer Yourtimeisnow (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) moves up from six furlongs, but trainer Roger Varian said he is satisfied she has the requisite stamina. “Yourtimeisnow improved nicely to win the Dick Poole and I was impressed with her attitude in the closing stages,” he said. “I think she will stay the extra furlong no problem and the track ought to suit her. She will need to progress again up in grade, but she’s entitled to.” View the full article

Three wild cards have been added to the Oct. 6 Arqana Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud, will all three winners of their most recent starts. Lot 10, Controvento (Fr) (George Vancouver), was a six-length debut winner at Divonne-Les Bains going 1700 metres last Sunday for trainer Alessandro Botti in the silks of Paolo Zambelli. The juvenile colt’s third dam is responsible for G3 Prix Gladiateur hero Varevees (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}), who was runner-up in the G1 Prix du Cadran. Ardara Belle (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) (lot 20) won at first asking over 1200 metres at Fontainebleau for conditioner Gina Rarick on Tuesday. Out of a half-sister to SW and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. bridesmaid Rinterval (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}), the bay’s third dam, French Group 2 winner Interval (Ire) (Habitat), was third in the G1 English 1000 Guineas in 1987. Rounding out the wild cards is Joel Boisnard’s Bopedro (Fr) (Pedro the Great) (lot 30), who has yet to run worse than second in four starts with two wins, including a one-mile test at Fontainebleau a week ago. A homebred for Daniel Cherdo, the colt is from the same family as 2018 MGSW and G1 Commonwealth Cup S. second Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis). View the full article

Benefitting from a strong pace, Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi’s Arctic Sound (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) overcame a slow start to come home best in Thursday’s G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket. Having won with top weight in a seven-furlong Doncaster nursery last time Sept. 12, the 5-1 shot missed the break and was forced to race in rear early under Silvestre De Sousa. Angled widest of all to challenge running towards the “dip”, the bay overhauled Bye Bye Hong Kong (Street Sense) in the last 100 yards to score by a length, with 1 1/4 lengths back to Prince Eiji (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third. “He ran really well last time, but that was a bit of a recovery mission after his disappointment [when sixth in the Aug. 24 Listed Stonehenge S.] at Salisbury so weren’t absolutely sure what to expect,” trainer Mark Johnston said. “This was us trying to get back on track at pattern level and he’s seen it out well. They’ve obviously gone very fast early on and have been slowing up at the finish, but it’s still an impressive performance. Silvestre said his blind got stuck on his bridle which is why he was slow away but he was struggling to go that pace early on anyway. We’ll have to go back and see what there is for him and while I’m a huge believer of running if a horse is thriving he has experience now so he could be put away for the winter. From what we’ve seen today, he’s going to want every inch of a mile next year and probably further. It’s a question of whether we go for those early mile races or wait until May for the mile-and-a-quarter races, so I’ll talk to the owner, who is a new owner for us this year.” 1–ARCTIC SOUND (GB), 126, c, 2, Poet’s Voice (GB)–Polar Circle (SW-Eng), by Royal Academy. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (36,000gns Ylg ’17 TAOCT). O-Saeed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi; B-Lofts Hall Stud & B Sangster (GB); T-Mark Johnston; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, £52,972. View the full article

While even a cursory period in the modern theatre of European racing can seem stretched out beyond its timeframe, the names Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire})–Wana Doo, by Grand Slam) and Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}–Acidanthera {GB}, by Alzao) still rest in the forefront of the collective cortex of the sport’s movers, shakers, fans and bettors. Their advanced athletic technique was complimented by the elan of Richard Hughes in the saddle and the positive results of that symbiosis were felt on several occasions in the early part of the decade. Just two moments easy to recall involve Toronado assailing Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in one of the better editions of Goodwood’s G1 Sussex S. in the recent era and Olympic Glory rampaging up Ascot’s rain-afflicted straight to G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. victory. While the electric current they generated on the premier tracks of Europe still survives to an extent, it is now at the glorious Haras de Bouquetot that both have to generate a different kind of voltage. Thanks to some serious home support and a spot of moonlighting in the Southern Hemisphere, with Toronado catching the imagination at Swettenham Stud and Olympic Glory well-received at Arrowfield Stud, that is more than possible. On Sunday at the neighbouring provincial venues of Mont-de-Marsan and Dax in Southwestern France, juveniles by Olympic Glory pulled off an afternoon double to take his tally to 14 winners and keep him in the top five in the list of first-crop sires. Toronado is on a dozen at present, with his best so far being the colt Watan (GB), who was runner-up in York’s G3 Acomb S. in August. He is trained by, guess who? Of course it’s Richard Hannon, junior that is, which is particularly pertinent given that the campaigning of both Olympic Glory and Toronado straddled the winding up of Hannon Senior’s impressive career and the rudimental stage of his son’s. The most indicative vane of Olympic Glory’s eminence at stud is the Listed Tipperary S. runner-up Mintd (Ire), now with Chad Brown and considered Grade I material. That freshman moment of carpe diem is imminent for the pair of Al Shaqab frontiersman. Al Shaqab’s Sebastien Desmontils is keen to express satisfaction with the current state of play as the European season enters its frantic crescendo with many of the key juvenile heats clustered together in little more than a month. “We are seeing them winning everywhere and that is a great achievement,” he said. “Olympic Glory was fairly precocious in terms of his form, but we are seeing his 2-year-olds winning right now so maybe they are not as precocious as him. There are a lot fewer 2-year-old maidens in France and there are a lot of them in training there, but they are winning and can go in again after. He has 35% winners-to-runners, which is good and so far we are very happy with him.” “Toronado has almost the same strike-rate, but with three black-type horses already and we have been supporting him at the sales and also in the covering shed with good mares,” Desmontils continued. “He has Watan and also [the Listed Criterium du Bequet third] Baylagan (Fr), so it shows there is support from us in order to commercialise him during the season. At the sales, they are still making a good bit of money and their averages are holding, so with more black-type they’ll go again next year.” Physically, both were standouts during their racing and that is translating in their second career. “Toronado is stamping them a lot–they are copies of him and when you see them you are sure they are his,” Desmontils said. “Toronado was a bull and you can see this in his progeny. They move very well and they are athletes. Olympic Glory doesn’t stamp them as much, but you can always see the shape of him and you can recognise them also.” “What trainers say about the Olympic Glory’s is that they have good minds, are hard workers and are easy to train. Toronado’s can be a bit more electric, without being tricky. You need the big one, obviously, to keep them going commercially but with all those winners coming through the ranks I’m sure one will show the ability to perform at the highest level.” Asked to pick out a potential gem among the homebreds, Desmontils mentions the as-yet unraced colt Muraikh (Fr), a Toronado out of the Wertheimer mare Plumba (GB) (Anabaa). The dam was a €600,000 Arqana December acquisition by virtue of the fact that she is a full-sister to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine and significant producer Plumania (GB). Also a half to the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}), herself the dam of the 2016 G1 Prix Vermeille scorer Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), her March-foaled son is in training with Henri-Francois Devin. “He looks quite decent and Henri has a couple he likes, so we’re waiting for them,” he said. “We still have some in the boxes we bred and who we bought last year for a bit of money, so we should have a few more bullets to fire in the Al Shaqab silks by our stallions before the end of the year.” With nine European Group 1 races for juveniles around the corner and the Australian 2-year-old season about to launch with the $8-million Inglis Race Series a key part of that, the Al Shaqab duo have a crucial time ahead. “We are just seeing the Olympic Glory’s picking up now and he’s having a few first-time winners, but maybe they’ll have some more distance in their legs than he did himself. Maybe the way we train in France might give them more stamina. Maybe they will be more mile to 10-furlong horses than just speed horses. Toronado puts a lot of strength into his horses, which they like in the Southern Hemisphere. While he wasn’t as popular at the sales there as Olympic Glory was, that was possibly because he was not seen as being as precocious as Olympic Glory, but he has appeal for Australia being by High Chaparral.” “We are all hopeful,” Desmontils added. “They are away, but they need the horses to be right on the good days.” View the full article

Born To Sea (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}-Urban Sea, by Miswaki) will relocate from the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud to stand at Haras des Faunes in France next year, according to Racing Post. Born To Sea, a three-quarter brother to Sea The Stars (Ire) and a half-brother to Galileo (Ire), won the Listed Blenheim S. on debut at two and was second to Camelot (GB) in the G1 Irish Derby. He stood his first two seasons at Rathasker Stud and was transferred to stand alongside Sea The Stars at Gilltown after showing promise with a first crop that was headed by G3 Flame Of Tara S. winner Sea Of Grace (Ire). Born To Sea has yet to hit those same heights again, however, and he covered just 10 mares in Ireland this year. Born To Sea’s Faunes studmates will include Vale of York (Ire) and Kheleyf. View the full article

A Classic victory is just the kind of endorsement every sales company hopes for ahead of the yearling sales season. When that firm just happens to be offering that Classic winner’s full-sibling at its flagship sale, well, the marketing campaigns nearly write themselves. That’s exactly what happened for Goffs on June 1 when Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) posted an emphatic score in the G1 Investec Oaks. Eight weeks later, Goffs announced that it would offer her full-sister at its Orby yearling sale, which takes place in Kildare on Oct. 2 and 3. The placement of the latest yearling out of the blue hen producer Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}) by her breeders Vimal and Gillian Khosla at Orby wouldn’t likely have been a complete surprise to many; three of the mare’s four yearlings to be offered at public auction in Europe have gone through the Orby ring. At €900,000, Forever Together was the highest-priced filly at Orby two years ago when bought by MV Magnier. Her full-sister, the G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), had cost Magnier €680,000 in 2013. The Sea The Stars (Ire) filly Signe (Ire) had cost Amanda Skiffington €1.1-million on behalf of Fiona and Ian Carmichael-Jennings in 2015. The fact that Green Room is responsible for a third Group 1 winner-the Prix Jean Prat winner and sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown)-makes the page all that more appealing. Like Together Forever and Signe, this year’s Galileo filly out of Green Room will be offered by Ballylinch Stud, as lot 318. “It is vital to us that people such as the Khoslas, who are one breeder, have happily done well with us in the past with this very good pedigree and have given their confidence and placed their trust in us again by sending us this beautiful filly,” said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby. “And trust me, she’s a beautiful filly.” While the Green Room filly is expected to be the star attraction on day two, day one will have a headliner in its own right in another Galileo full-sister to a Group 1 winner: Glenvale Stud’s sister to the triple Group 1 winner Alice Springs (Ire) (lot 165). The dam, Aleagueoftheirown (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), has also left the stakes-placed Criteria (Ire), Kingston Jamaica (Ire) and Crocodile Rock (Ire), all by Galileo. Alice Springs was herself a 550,000gns yearlings, and her 3-year-old full-sister Hence (Ire), the most recent progeny of the mare to be offered for sale in 2016, set an even higher precedent at 2.1-million gns. Beeby was quick to assure that the physical of each of the Galileo fillies matches up to the pages. “The own-sisters to Forever Together and Alice Springs, I’d stand behind all day long against any horse, anywhere, being offered this year,” he said. “They are two outstanding yearlings on paper and two Grade ‘A’ yearlings in terms of physical attributes.” Just as a sale catalogue isn’t about just two horses, neither is a sale’s impact measured by one graduate alone. Forever Together’s Oaks tour-de-force has been supported this year for the Orby sale by wins by standout juveniles Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Angel’s Hideaway (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G2 Qatar Richmond S. and G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S., respectively. Land Force was plucked out of the Orby ring last year by MV Magnier and Mayfair Speculators for €350,000, while Angel’s Hideaway cost Cheveley Park Stud €390,000. Way up at the top of the leaderboard at that same sale at €1.6-million was Zayat Stables and the Coolmore partners’ Old Glory (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who provided the sale another timely boost last week when breaking his maiden at first-asking in a ‘TDN Rising Star’ performance. Last year’s Orby sale saw 373 youngsters-from 468 catalogued and 433 offered-change hands for an average of €109,122 and a median of €65,000. Both of those figures were down just a shade, but when considering the 2016 renewal of the auction had featured yearlings from the coveted Wildenstein dispersal, the numbers hold up well. Furthermore, the clearance rate improved to 86% from 84%. The talking point upon conclusion of this year’s breeze-up season was the over-saturation of the market and the impact that would have on the yearling market as the breeze-up consignors re-evaluate their strategies. Beeby pointed out that Orby is the only major yearling sale to have reduced its numbers-and fairly significantly-this year. Four-hundred eighteen yearlings are in the book this year, down from 468 last year. “What we felt last year was that, we have a two-day sale that we promote as a world-class sale with pedigrees to match any catalogue in the world, and maybe there were just a few that fell short of that aspiration last year,” Beeby explained. “So we decided we’d set ourselves very stringent targets this year. We ignored the numbers we were accumulating and just said to ourselves, ‘go and find the best horses you can find, the horses we can promote as world-class horses.’ So we ended up with 418. It’s not a round figure, it’s significantly less than last year, but it’s what we set out to do. We believe we can stand behind every single horse in the catalogue and we provided alternative sales to horses that last year may have got into the Orby. We have the Premier and Silver Sales across at Doncaster and we have the Sportsmans Sale here at Goffs. We tried to, and hope we have, set a very high standard.” “When we were on the farms talking to the breeders and consignors they very much agreed with that. A certain standard is required. The Orby is a select sale both on pedigree and on the physicals and we are therefore hopeful we’ve got the balance correct.” Beeby is mindful of the fact that reverberations from the tricky breeze-up market could be seen at the yearling sales. “In the middle market in particular, that could have an effect,” he said. “On the one hand, the breeze-up boys are a remarkably resilient bunch of people and I take my hat off to them every year. By the same token, it was a tough breeze-up market this year, everywhere. It has to make them at least review their approach and their spend.” “The foal crop growing is also a concern,” he added. “For the Orby sale, that’s probably one of the reasons we’ve tightened it up and zoned in on our quality. It seems to be black and white and very little grey. It’s either yes or no and very few maybes. Zoning in on quality will hopefully have the desired effect.” While the state of the market won’t be known until the evening of Oct. 3, what is known now is that Orby shoppers won’t be short of quality to sift through. Galileo and his heir apparent Frankel have 11 and 5, respectively, catalogued, and they of course carry the quality that befits both this sale and their sires’ respective accomplishments. In addition to the aforementioned fillies, Galileo has lot 397, the second foal out of the dual Group 3 winner Maureen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), whose first produce, Mary Somerville (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), was second on debut earlier this week; lot 374, a colt who is the first foal for the dual Guineas second Lightning Thunder (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}); lot 61, a half-brother to G1 Middle Park S. winner Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus); and lot 43, the second foal out of dual graded winner Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Frankel’s haul includes lot 2, a half-sister to the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil); and lot 142, a daughter of the young stakes-winning mare Velvet Flicker (Ire) (Fasliyev). The upwardly mobile Mastercraftsman (Ire) has eight representing him, including a daughter of the stakes-winning and producing Arosa (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) (lot 179). Galileo’s half-brother Sea The Stars (Ire) matches his half-brother Galileo’s haul with 11, including lot 388, a half-sister to the dam of Invincible Army (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and two other stakes producers. Irish National Stud flagbearer Invincible Spirit (Ire) has 10 catalogued, and those include a full-brother to Cable Bay (Ire) (lot 57) and a half-brother to Group 1 winner Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and stakes winner Marie de Medici (Medicean {GB}) (lot 393). Given his start at stud this year, it is likely the No Nay Nevers will fly off the shelf, and his 21 include a half-sister to Italian Group 1 winner Ventura Storm (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 69). Buyers also have the chance to get their hands on the second crops of the likes of Kingman (GB) and Australia (GB), and the latter’s bunch includes a three-quarter sister to Grade I winner Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and a half to Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) (lot 127). First-crop sires include champions Muhaarar (GB), who has a half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Signs Of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (lot 109); Gleneagles (Ire), with a half-sister to stakes winners Esentepe (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) and Mythical Magic (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) (lot 418); and Golden Horn (GB), who has a half-sister to G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Steeler (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) and three other stakes horses (lot 262). The ever-popular Dark Angel (Ire) has 18 catalogued, including a half-brother to G1 Dewhurst S. winner Intense Focus (Giant’s Causeway) and to the dam of Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) (lot 254), while Kodiac’s 15 include a full-sister to the G2 Flying Childers S. winner Ardad (Ire) (lot 315). Another proven sire with a handful of strong lots on pedigree is Zoffany, with lot 42, a half-brother to this year’s G1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}); and lot 43, a half-brother to Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and to the dam of champion Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also the dam of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (lot 46). A full-sister to a Group 1 winner will still be available towards the end of the sale in the form of lot 398, a sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy victor Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). “I do think we’re getting a bigger share of the best horses in Ireland coming to the Orby sale,” Beeby said. The work is never done, we’ll never be complete on that and a whole load of other things, but I would say we provide the best service we can. We think it’s a very good hands-on service provided by a very passionate and knowledgeable team. When Forever Together won or when Land Force, Angel’s Hideaway or Old Glory won, we were shouting as loudly as anybody because it matters to us. We take enormous pride in the work we do.” The Goffs Orby Sale takes place at Park Paddocks in Kildare on Oct. 2 and 3. The one-day Sportsmans Sale follows on Oct. 4. View the full article

Here we address your thoughts, questions and statements from the previous meeting. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Congratulations to Caspar Fownes training his 800th winner in Hong Kong last night. A great achievement in 15 years – and to think he was initially denied the licence application – @hkdarren Fownes’ feat on Wednesday night is noteworthy considering he is fourth on the list of current trainers to reach the 800-win milestone in Hong Kong, but... View the full article

Australian trainer David Hall’s meticulous 11-month plan will come to fruition on Monday when talented galloper Little Giant makes his return to the races after an injury-enforced lay-off. The former New Zealand-trained gelding who thrashed the likes of three-time Australian Group One winner Humidor as a three-year-old has had just three starts in Hong Kong despite coming into his third season this year. Plagued by continual foot problems since his arrival in Hong Kong, Hall has been... View the full article

He staked his claim as one of the stars of Hong Kong racing last season and trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing is hopeful Seasons Bloom has plenty more to give. The six-year-old is one of a number of big guns resuming at Monday’s National Day meeting at Sha Tin and he enters the Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m) in good order. After finishing second in the same race last year, Seasons Bloom went on to win the Group One Stewards’ Cup in January and this preparation Shum has his sights... View the full article

JOCKEY Luke Nolen is looking forward to what Prince Of Caviar can do in the autumn after the son of Black Caviar finally broke his maiden at Bendigo. View the full article

Multiple grade 1 winners Accelerate and West Coast are set to face off in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park, but while one is in top form, the other might need some time to get to his best. View the full article

Even before Game Winner's 1 1/2-length victory in the Sept. 3 Del Mar Futurity (G1), trainer Bob Baffert felt the 2-year-old Candy Ride colt would be better around two turns. View the full article

Falcons to keep Clements on crest of a wave View the full article

Beau Mertens to ride at 5 and 7 October Kranji meetings View the full article

Collett gets chance to Just Shine in Metrop View the full article

Early scratching September 28 View the full article

Opry, Cheyenne Stables, and Gaillardia Racing's son of Declaration of War, headlines the Sept. 29 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park off his impressive score Aug. 29 in Saratoga's With Anticipation Stakes (G3T). View the full article