The Royal Stud 2018

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For the last 15 years or so it has been the son-in-law of her previous Racing Manager Lord Carnarvon (earlier Porchester).
I’m sure HRH takes a big interest but it’s John Warren taking the big decisions.
 
John Warren was a Bloodstock Agent who came to prominence in the early '90s. I believe he bought Lyric Fantasy for Carnarvon and then seems to have worked alongside Harry Herbert (Carnarvon's son) with the Highclere Racing Club horses. He purchased for example Petrushka and Harbinger, who were distinctly useful. Through the offshoot The Royal Ascot Racing Club he also purchased Motivator.At some stage he married Lady Carolyn Herbert, so he also has a say in the running of the Herbert's Highclere stud. They have stood Paco Boy and Cable Bay, sires who have had the Royal mares sent to them.
While Warren has been successful in terms of the Highclere club I feel his success has been sketchy when it comes to the Royal Stud and racing. Aided by the good feeling towards the Queen Warren has succeeded (surely playing some part) in getting the relationship whereby the Queen has received fillies and some colts from The Aga Khan, Juddmonte and Darley. What the exact terms are or were are not clear though in the case of the Aga it seems that if she received a foal she paid for the nomination to the sire.
The biggest impact of this strategy has been to win the Ascot Gold Cup with Estimate (from Aga). The mares in the Royal Stud are wholly different because of this strategy to 10-15 years ago. What is not there is success with horses she is breeding from these fillies. Some of the mare's records have been woeful. For example Key Point (a half-sister to the Aga's Kalanisi) has produced a series of disappointing horses. The same can be said of Sequence (a hs to Sinndar). I know it is early days but I'd have expected more. The victory of Eightsome Reel last week was the first Royal bred horse from the Aga exercise.
Warren is in a powerful position as he is both racing manager ( Carnarvon's position) and Bloodstock adviser (Michael Oswald's position). I have little doubt the Queen has some input, but probably has more influence in 'deals' for sire nominations. The Royal Stud comes out of the Queen's purse (the state does not own Sandringham for example, her father bought it from his brother in 1936/7), so I think there is little doubt she gets good terms on nominations. How else do you afford 4 or so nominations to Dubawi in one covering season? Behind this I'm sure is the Racing World's desire for the Queen to win the Derby and if not that some other Classics/Group 1 races. I do believe if the Queen had had more input that the two disasters (and their corrolleries) of the 1980s may not have happened. One was the sale of Height of Fashion and the other was the sacking of Dick Hern.Nuff said.
She does choose her horses names.

I'm sure pN knows a lot more about Warren. Personally I think he has a lot to prove. .
 
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Another 2yo winner, her third in 3 weeks, brightens things up. Equal Sum won her debut maiden at Wolverhampton. Pleased to see her win (20-1) as I put her up back in March. On a literal reading of form she comes out 4 lengths ahead of Youthful. A win at Wolverhampton is hardly a big event but it's a start. She should stay at least 10f.
Her dam Hypoteneuse is proving a consistent matron. Her 5 foals to have raced have all won, the best being Maths Prize (Royal Applause) who has won 4 races. Next year the Queen will have 3 of her produce running for her; Sextant (Sea the Stars) who hopefully can win again next year and improve too; Equal Sum; and a 2yo full-sister to Equal Sum called High Shine (by Paco Boy). They obviously think something of the mare as her foal is another filly but by Kingman and she is in foal to Golden Horn. Hypoteneuse (by Sadler's Wells) is a full sister to an Oaks 2nd, and there is another full-sister in the stud. Of the three sisters she was probably the least distinguished on the track, yet appears the best at stud. Funny how this often happens.
 
The shutters must just about be ready to come down for 2018 and the final total is 19 wins. While I think the whole year was disappointing, the biggest disappointment were the 3yos. None got anywhere near listed level, let alone Group.
The big difference with 2017 was that last year there were three 2yo winners (one of which was sold and another which was retired).This year there were seven 2yo winners. That has got to be promising. Three of the winners are just one-time-raced, so may improve considerably next year. The more exposed fillies Magnetic Charm and Flarepath showed enough for one to expect some more improvement next year. Sovereign Grant was the most talked about 2yo and at last hit his stride on his 3rd start. So something to look forward to.
Gosden was sent 2 horses, neither of which have made it to the races. They were both brought-in (Darley) horses. Entries for the 2020 Derby seem to indicate that he is now a full-blooded Royal trainer as he seems to have been sent Dauntless, a Dubawi colt out of the Royal mare Enticement. She has 4 other entries. They are:-
First Receiver by New Approach out of Touchline,
Glittering Gift by Dubawi out of Golden Stream,
Portray by Dubawi out of Placidia (so out of a mare from the Peintre Celebre, Pawneese family), and
Vindicate by Lope de Vega out of Aurore.

The Queen has a stack of 2yos next year (as well as quite a few unraced 3yos). A well-named filly is Quick Waltz by Australia out of Momentary. She also has a Dubawi filly out of Estimate called Approximation.
 
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Janabelle13 said:
The Royal horses invariably seem to have well thought out names
Click to expand...

A good one is Punctuation, a colt by Dansili out of Key Point, while another is Eight Bells a colt by HenrytheNavigator out of Dawn Glory.

Looks as if I was a bit premature in saying the season was probably over for the Royal team as Equal Sum is entered for 2 Novice events next week. Also Gosden may make his debut as a Royal trainer with Pianissimo who is a Teofilo colt out of a mare from the Rahy/Singspiel family.
 
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