Cheltenham Hero and Stallion Parade Enhance Tattersalls’ February Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

Stallion viewings have continued apace this week throughout Europe, with many breeders descending on Newmarket farms following the Irish Stallion Trail, while the Route des Etalons is currently underway in Normandy.

There remains no official stallion trail in Britain despite there having been a number of calls over the years for an emulation of the popular incentive which began in France and was swiftly picked up by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. There was apparently no appetite to get behind this in England, though many stallion studs in Newmarket open their doors through the December Sales and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) has up until this year organised the popular stallion parade staged at Tattersalls just before the start of the February Sale. The TBA has now ended its support of that but, fortunately for the many breeders and visitors who have enjoyed the parade over the years, the team at Tattersalls has decided to support it this year and will stage not just a stallion parade but also a showcase of retired racehorses immediately prior to the appearance of the stallions in the ring.

Among the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) parade will be the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River (Ire), while trainer Amy Murphy will be riding her father Paul's former top jumper Kalashnikov (Ire), whom she trained to win eight races, including the G1 Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree. Also among the nine horses in the showcase is Barbers Shop (GB), now 23, and a multiple winner in his racing days over hurdles and fences for his owner-breeder Queen Elizabeth.

The nine Flat stallions to be paraded from 11.30am include two of Britain's new recruits, Isaac Shelby (GB) and Bradsell (GB), with the latter being joined by his fellow National Stud residents Stradivarius (Ire) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire).

During a visit to the National Stud earlier this week it was reassuring to hear that Bradsell is being well received by breeders both in Britain and farther afield, with CEO Anna Kerr reporting that she hopes the sprinting star will be on course to cover a first book of around 130 mares.

Kerr and her team are plainly already fond of the amiable Bradsell, who is now vying for attention with his immediate next-door neighbour and champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire). The duo has already been dubbed 'Brad and Strad'.

There's plenty to look forward to at the Newmarket farm in 2025 with Lope Y Fernandez set to be represented by his first crop of two-year-olds. The same can be said for A'Ali (Ire), who will be joining his Newsells Park Stud mate Isaac Shelby on the trip from Royston to Newmarket for the Tattersalls stallion parade and will be jousting, metaphorically at least, in the first-season sires' table with Lope Y Fernandez and Ubettabelieveit (Ire), who will be joining the stallion parade from Mickey Stud. Chapel Stud's well-bred Bangkok (Ire) will also be on parade and is another stallion with first-crop runners in 2025.

Sophie Buckley's team at Culworth Grounds will be hoping that El Caballo (GB), whose first foals are arriving imminently, can show similar prowess to Havana Grey (GB), who is, like El Caballo, by the late Havana Gold (GB). Breeders will have another chance to inspect El Caballo at Tattersalls, along with Caturra (Ire), who is also returning to the parade from Overbury Stud and completes the nine-strong line-up.

The first few mixed sales of the year around Europe tend to be lower pressure than the yearling and foal sales later in the season and are generally convivial affairs just ahead of the covering season starting in earnest.

It is therefore great to see Tattersalls making a real effort to turn the February Sale into quite an event alongside the two days of trade. The British EBF has got behind the initiative and will sponsor refreshments in the Lower Sale Ring Bar on the first morning of the sale, and there will be trade stands present, occupied by the British Racing School, RoR, the National Stud and the TBA's educational arm TB-Ed.

Tattersalls sponsors a show series for retrained racehorses with finals this year set to take place at the Royal Highland Show in June, Hickstead's Derby meeting that same month, and the Jockey Club RoR National Championships at Aintree in August. Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Retraining of Racehorses charity is a vitally important asset to the British racing and bloodstock industries and we hope that the new RoR Showcase at Tattersalls will celebrate both the talents and successes of former racehorses in their second careers, in addition to increasing awareness of the crucial role played by RoR in ensuring their welfare. The Stallion Parade of young British-based sires has been a staple attraction at the Tattersalls February Sale for many years and alongside the exhibition displays of several key industry organisations, the day will provide an opportunity to showcase many important aspects of the bloodstock industry to breeders and racing and equestrian enthusiasts alike.”

Hats off to Tattersalls for maintaining and expanding on this traditional curtain-up to the February Sale and, if previous years are anything to go by, it is advisable to arrive early to bag your spot in what is usually a packed sale ring. And, who knows, you may even pick up the dam of a future Classic winner at a bargain price, as Stuart McPhee did when purchasing Alianza (GB) from the Darley draft for 800gns ten years ago. She is now the dam of Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr), who is about to embark on his first season at Haras d'Etreham.

 

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