Vive les anglophiles! Perhaps we should pay you to stop sending your immigrants over to our coastal resorts.
Not the 541 million euros you have paid us of course!
Monsieur Starmer, he is most welcome anytime. More cash for our coffers.
Bustino's Breeding Bits
- Thread starter Bustino74
- Start date
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Vive les anglophiles! Perhaps we should pay you to stop sending your immigrants over to our coastal resorts.
Not the 541 million euros you have paid us of course!
Monsieur Starmer, he is most welcome anytime. More cash for our coffers.
I thought this article would be of interest:
https://www.racingpost.com/news/opi...s-at-yorks-ebor-meeting-so-poor-aciYM4K6mr2z/
https://www.racingpost.com/news/opi...s-at-yorks-ebor-meeting-so-poor-aciYM4K6mr2z/
If races like the Juddmonte can only attract six runners for a prize nigh on 750 grand- which has been more or less commonplace in Group Races for years now- then perhaps a different tack has merit.
Why not halve the Group Races’ prize money and invest it into handicaps, many of which have almost vanished into obscurity or mediocrity eg. Ascot Stakes, Cesarewitch, Lincoln, Victoria Cup, etc.
Perhaps then Group 2 and 3 horses would be attracted into handicaps, even if carrying top weight.
Something needs to be done because Flat Racing is dying a death with a glut of fixtures immersed in second rate entertainment and devoid of excitement.
Amazingly I’ve only watched two races at York this week- and not one today. Tell me I’ve missed something!
Why not halve the Group Races’ prize money and invest it into handicaps, many of which have almost vanished into obscurity or mediocrity eg. Ascot Stakes, Cesarewitch, Lincoln, Victoria Cup, etc.
Perhaps then Group 2 and 3 horses would be attracted into handicaps, even if carrying top weight.
Something needs to be done because Flat Racing is dying a death with a glut of fixtures immersed in second rate entertainment and devoid of excitement.
Amazingly I’ve only watched two races at York this week- and not one today. Tell me I’ve missed something!
In 2015 Barry Hills son John sadly died at a cruelly young age. He'd recently been added to the roster of Shadwell trainers and the future had looked bright. Barry took over the running of the stable until a replacement was found. That replacement was Owen Burrows who for the previous 12 years had been assistant to Sir Michael Stoute.
It's fair to say he didn't make an initial splash. He certainly didn't have any big names representing him. His breakthrough horse was Hukum who disappointed first time out and then had a pleasing win at Kempton. He was a colt by Sea the Stars out of a useful racemare called Aghareed, who in turn was out of a very useful racemare called Lahudood who'd won amongst other races the 2007 Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares Turf race. But for breeding pundits it was Hukum's 5th dam who raised the eyebrows as it was Height of Fashion (owned by the Queen but sold by her racing manager as a 3yo to Hamdan).
Hukum looked a potential Derby horse but he didn't get the chance as Covid destroyed his 3yo season and his first run was in Royal Ascot's King George V Stakes, which he won. However Hukum went on to win two Group 1s: the Coronation Cup as a 5yo and the King George as a 6yo. In all he ran 18 times and won 11 races. When he won the 2022 Coronation Cup he was Burrow's first Group 1 win. 3 months later Burrows won a further Group 1 with Minzall. It was Burrows' breakthrough year.
Meanwhile in Newmarket in 2021 an unraced 3yo brother to Hukum was ready to make his debut : actually at Leicester in early June. He won easily and was then gradually built up by William Haggas so that his 4th start (and win) was a Group 3 at Goodwood, He then went on to win the Prix du Moulin and then the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (beating the favourite Palace Pier by a neck). The thing to notice here was although his full brother Hukum was a stayer (favouring 12f) Baaeed was very much a miler: arguably the 2021 champion miler. Whereas Hukum seemed to take after his sire and dam, Baaeed seemed to take after his damsire Kingmambo. Of course Baaeed went on to win the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes as a 4yo, showing he was the best miler in Europe. He then went on to win the Juddmone over 10f from the tough Mishrif but found the same distance in Good to Soft ground at Ascot too much and only finished 4th to Bay Bridge. He was definitely a better horse than his brother, though at a different distance. Next year we will see his first 2yos.
This year the spotlight returned to Burrows. On the 5th September another full brother, Raaheeb, made his debut at Ascot and won comfortably from a moderate field (although difficult to say how moderate at this stage). He has no fancy entries but most probably will run once again this season. Will he take after Baaeed and/or Hukum in Class and preferred distance. It will be fascinating to watch.
The story doesn't end there as Burrows has a very promising 2yo filly called Touleen, owned by Shadwell and by Lope de Vega out of a Dansili mare called Talaayeb who won the 7f City of York Stakes and was 4th in the 1000G. Touleen has run twice, winning comfortably both times, and does have some fancy entries (Rockfel and Fillies Mile). Her connection to the above is that she has Height of Fashion as her 4th dam. She should stay a mile but could get further.
So Burrows has firmly established himself as a trainer of very good racehorses. He has at least 2 very promising 2yos and must certainly be looking forward to 2026.
It's fair to say he didn't make an initial splash. He certainly didn't have any big names representing him. His breakthrough horse was Hukum who disappointed first time out and then had a pleasing win at Kempton. He was a colt by Sea the Stars out of a useful racemare called Aghareed, who in turn was out of a very useful racemare called Lahudood who'd won amongst other races the 2007 Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares Turf race. But for breeding pundits it was Hukum's 5th dam who raised the eyebrows as it was Height of Fashion (owned by the Queen but sold by her racing manager as a 3yo to Hamdan).
Hukum looked a potential Derby horse but he didn't get the chance as Covid destroyed his 3yo season and his first run was in Royal Ascot's King George V Stakes, which he won. However Hukum went on to win two Group 1s: the Coronation Cup as a 5yo and the King George as a 6yo. In all he ran 18 times and won 11 races. When he won the 2022 Coronation Cup he was Burrow's first Group 1 win. 3 months later Burrows won a further Group 1 with Minzall. It was Burrows' breakthrough year.
Meanwhile in Newmarket in 2021 an unraced 3yo brother to Hukum was ready to make his debut : actually at Leicester in early June. He won easily and was then gradually built up by William Haggas so that his 4th start (and win) was a Group 3 at Goodwood, He then went on to win the Prix du Moulin and then the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (beating the favourite Palace Pier by a neck). The thing to notice here was although his full brother Hukum was a stayer (favouring 12f) Baaeed was very much a miler: arguably the 2021 champion miler. Whereas Hukum seemed to take after his sire and dam, Baaeed seemed to take after his damsire Kingmambo. Of course Baaeed went on to win the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes as a 4yo, showing he was the best miler in Europe. He then went on to win the Juddmone over 10f from the tough Mishrif but found the same distance in Good to Soft ground at Ascot too much and only finished 4th to Bay Bridge. He was definitely a better horse than his brother, though at a different distance. Next year we will see his first 2yos.
This year the spotlight returned to Burrows. On the 5th September another full brother, Raaheeb, made his debut at Ascot and won comfortably from a moderate field (although difficult to say how moderate at this stage). He has no fancy entries but most probably will run once again this season. Will he take after Baaeed and/or Hukum in Class and preferred distance. It will be fascinating to watch.
The story doesn't end there as Burrows has a very promising 2yo filly called Touleen, owned by Shadwell and by Lope de Vega out of a Dansili mare called Talaayeb who won the 7f City of York Stakes and was 4th in the 1000G. Touleen has run twice, winning comfortably both times, and does have some fancy entries (Rockfel and Fillies Mile). Her connection to the above is that she has Height of Fashion as her 4th dam. She should stay a mile but could get further.
So Burrows has firmly established himself as a trainer of very good racehorses. He has at least 2 very promising 2yos and must certainly be looking forward to 2026.
Almeric must have gone into a lot of notebooks as a possible classic colt when he won back in the Spring. It wasn't to be, but today he at last reappeared at Ayr and won the Doonside Cup in good style, despite running a bit rusty early on. He can now get on with his career but it's likely that 2026 will be his year.
Sad new that Coolmore's Wootton Bassett has died at the age of 17. He succumbed to pneumonia while on duty in Australia. His fee in the UK at the time of his death was €300,000 and he covered 206 mares this covering season.
Legacy Link duly came out and won her maiden at Haydock. Looks like the Gosdens are bringing this one along slowly as she's not entered for any of the key 2yo filly races this Autumn. Despite this I think she could be very good and perhaps a race like the Radley Stakes at Newbury will be chosen for her before she goes into winter quarters. She could easily be a Juddmonte classic filly next year with distances from 8-10f being preferred.
Rausing and Balding musing over sending him to Champions Day for the Champion Stakes.
It was sad to see the return of Economics to the racecourse ended in him running a poor race and bleeding again. EIPH, Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage is an unusual affliction of racehorses but results in blood in the lungs, which inhibits breathing. It can lead to death and I'd say it's unlikely Economics will run again. Whether he will go to stud it must be doubtful but there's not great statistics that predicts Bleeders will produce Bleeders. In fact many famous Sires were either Bleeders or had Bleeders close up in their pedigrees. The most famous is Hermit, who was champion sire 7 times. Northern Dancer had 29 crosses of Hermit in his pedigree. So perhaps someone will take the chance with Economics.
Of course the USA has Lasix which is an anti-bleeding drug.
Probably the end of what could have been an outstanding racehorse.
Of course the USA has Lasix which is an anti-bleeding drug.
Probably the end of what could have been an outstanding racehorse.
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Retired as expected. Apparently Jake Warren is looking to place him at a stud somewhere. In the breeding game you pays your money and takes your chance.
Though his victory over the year older August Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes is trumpeted as his finest win I always felt I've not seen many horses mop up his field as he did in the Dante. For the first mile he looked like a country gentleman out for a hack canter, then in a few strides became a supreme racing machine.
St Jean......who he?
Well he's an Irish bred (born in Ireland) stallion by Teofilo who has just had his 5yo son, Half Yours, win the Melbourne Cup.
The interesting thing is that his dam is from the famous Royal family of Feola. In fact his 3rd dam is none other than Height of Fashion (dam of Nashwan, Unfuwain, Nayef and countless daughters who've produced Group 1 horses).
This one escaped from Shadwell.
Well he's an Irish bred (born in Ireland) stallion by Teofilo who has just had his 5yo son, Half Yours, win the Melbourne Cup.
The interesting thing is that his dam is from the famous Royal family of Feola. In fact his 3rd dam is none other than Height of Fashion (dam of Nashwan, Unfuwain, Nayef and countless daughters who've produced Group 1 horses).
This one escaped from Shadwell.
Well the fireworks came with some big price tickets Tuesday evening. Top of the list was Barnavara, a Calyx filly trained by Mrs Harrington, who won a series of races over the Summer culminating in a victory in the Prix de L'Opera. She went for 4,800,000gns and is from the family of Lope de Vega. This filly was owned by the Alpha Racing Syndicate of prominent Irish racing figures.
Second on the list was that marvelous racefilly Porta Fortuna who went for 4,500,000gns. Owned by Taylor Made (another syndicate of rich Americans) and trained by Donacha O'Brien she is by Caravaggio. She was bought by M V Magnier.
Then a bit of a gap to the 3rd, Tamfana who sold for 2,600,000gns for the Quantum Leap Racing syndicate of ordinary racing enthusiasts. A top class filly who unluckily finished 4th in the 1000G, finished 2nd in the Prix de Diane, 4th in the Grand Prix de Paris and won the Sun Chariot (so top form over 8-12f). By German sire Soldiers Hollow, she was bought for €20,000 and trained by Menusier: a great result for those enthusiasts. Again bought by Magnier.
Plenty of other choice mares and prices.
Second on the list was that marvelous racefilly Porta Fortuna who went for 4,500,000gns. Owned by Taylor Made (another syndicate of rich Americans) and trained by Donacha O'Brien she is by Caravaggio. She was bought by M V Magnier.
Then a bit of a gap to the 3rd, Tamfana who sold for 2,600,000gns for the Quantum Leap Racing syndicate of ordinary racing enthusiasts. A top class filly who unluckily finished 4th in the 1000G, finished 2nd in the Prix de Diane, 4th in the Grand Prix de Paris and won the Sun Chariot (so top form over 8-12f). By German sire Soldiers Hollow, she was bought for €20,000 and trained by Menusier: a great result for those enthusiasts. Again bought by Magnier.
Plenty of other choice mares and prices.
Yes Tamfana was unlucky in the 1000 GNS - she had Spencer on her back
She was only beaten half a length by Barnavara in the Opera and could have done with more help than Keane gave her. Probably cost the QLR shareholders a million or so.