He is such a beautiful horse. I was really taken with him in the pre-race parade at Longchamp. So much so that I had to back him. Prior to seeing him in the flesh I had no intention of backing him; we just went there to see Treve. Some know all from America asked Amanda for her selection after seeing them and she had no hesitation in naming Golden Horn. He was a picture.
An article I thought Bustino would like: Queen thrilled with first Estimate foal BY TOM PENNINGTON 8:33AM 11 FEB 2016 THE Queen's Royal Ascot Gold Cup heroine Estimate has delivered her first foal, a colt by Darley linchpin Dubawi. The Monsun seven-year-old, from one of the Aga Khan's top families, will return to Dubawi this year. Estimate developed into a leading stayer for Sir Michael Stoute, winning five of her 13 starts, including the Doncaster Cup, Queen's Vase and most memorably the Gold Cup. "Her Majesty saw Estimate's colt foal this week and was absolutely thrilled with him," said the Queen's bloodstock and racing adviser John Warren. "He's everything you'd hope for in a first foal and Estimate will return to Dubawi this year." Outstanding Australian mare Sweet Idea joins the Queen's broodmare band for 2016 and is in line for a visit to seven-time champion sire Galileo. Trained by Gai Waterhouse, Sweet Idea showed a very high level of form as a juvenile, scoring in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes before finishing third in the Golden Slipper - Australia's top two-year-old race. At three, she scooped a Group 2 contest and was just touched off by Steps In Time in the top-level Coolmore Classic. She bowed out in style last year, winning two more Group 2s and the Group 1 Galaxy at Rosehill on her last start. "I have been more involved in Australia for about the last five years, since Carlton House went there," said Warren. "Sweet Idea was trained by Gai Waterhouse, who I'd been working with at the yearling sales. She told me how highly rated Sweet Idea was - one of the best fillies she'd ever trained. "It then came to our attention last June that Sweet Idea was being sold and, to coincide with that, the Queen was asked whether she would consider selling her good Paco Boy three-year-old Peacock to Hong Kong after he had finished second at Royal Ascot. This was the way of obtaining a top-class broodmare prospect, as breeding is Her Majesty's fundamental interest". Sweet Idea is a daughter of leading Australian sire Snitzel - a grandson of Danehill - and Warren believes she will be a good fit for European sires. "The reason she was of tremendous interest to Her Majesty is twofold - first, she suits Galileo exceptionally well, being from the Danehill sire-line and built like a powerhouse," said Warren. "She was a brilliant two-year-old, but trained on and was equally as good at three and four. Second, Sweet Idea's dam is by Timber Country, who is a son of Fall Aspen, and Dubawi's great-grandmother is Fall Aspen, so it will be fascinating in-breeding to one of the all time great broodmares. "It means she is the ideal match for either Galileo or Dubawi."
And here's the article with a photo of Estimate and her colt http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/ne...hrilled-with-first-estimate-foal/2031089/top/
Happy start of the covering season to all the new recruits! In about 3 weeks time we'll hopefully start to get reports of mares scanned in foal.
Valentines Day yesterday and this today? All together now ....................... "Love is in the air .............................."
Press Release from Tattersalls about their Craven Breeze Up Sale: Frankel Colt To Sell At Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up The first chance to see a FRANKEL two year old at Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse looks set to be at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale which takes place Monday 11th April to Wednesday 13th April. The FRANKEL two year old is a March foaled colt out of the Grade 1 placed mare NOAHS ARK, already the dam of four winners including the French Listed winner TEMPS AU TEMPS and the multiple Group 3 placed AFTER. The colt is one of six two year olds in the Craven Breeze Up Sale coming from leading consignor Malcolm Bastard and is the only two year old from the first crop of the incomparable FRANKEL to be catalogued in a British Breeze Up sale. Commenting on the FRANKEL colt, consignor Malcolm Bastard said; "I am very pleased with the colt by FRANKEL. He is one of six smart two year olds I have for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale and I am sure he will attract plenty of attention." The breeze for the Craven Breeze Up Sale will take place at Newmarkets Rowley Mile Racecourse on Monday 11th April starting at 9.00am, and the sale will take place on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th April, after the conclusion of racing on the first two days of Newmarkets three day Craven Meeting.
Catalogue is also now available for the Goffs UK (formerly known as Doncaster Bloodstock Sales) Breeze Up: Goffs UK catalogue 168 lots for Breeze-Up Sale By Zoe Vicarage 3:39PM 17 FEB 2016 GOFFS UK have catalogued 168 lots for their Breeze-Up Sale which begins its two-day run at Doncaster on April 19. Eye-catching two-year-olds set to go under the hammer include a Bated Breath half-brother (lot 6) to the Group 3-placed Moheet who is out of a half-sister to Group 1 heroine Miss Keller, and an Oasis Dream half-brother (79) to dual Group 1 winner and Lanwades Stud sire Aussie Rules who is out of the Group 2-winning mare Last Second. Other interesting lots to go through the ring include a Dark Angel filly (31) out of the Grade 3 winner China Storm, and a Makfi sister (156) to the Group 3-placed Return Of The Mak. Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "As Europe's first the Doncaster Breeze-Up has a rich history in the sales ring and on the racetrack and never more so than in 2015 where records were broken and further Classic success was recorded. "Those results were backed up by more talented two-year-olds in the UK and Ireland with the likes of Quiet Reflection and Now Or Never leading the charge. "The 2016 renewal features some very attractive sires and pedigrees and I would like to thank our vendors for supporting us with another quality line-up of horses. "We will be taking this catalogue around the world in the next few weeks as we spread the message of consistent quality and value with the aim of growing this sale's international buying bench and we hope to bring a number of new faces to Doncaster in mid-April." The catalogue is available to view online now.
Hi Princess, watching a race you notice how a jockey in all on his own once the race is on as in many sports. I wonder has it ever been mentioned as an idea for a jockey to wear an ear piece and get instructions during a race, i.e get closer, when to kick on etc a bit like a boxer does from ringside or footballer do during a game. I would not want to see it myself but it must of been mooted at some time to do this.
Good question and my over-fertile imagination got working on some possible instructions to well known jockeys: "Ruby, you're not on Faugheen today, get nearer the pace and mind that last hurdle" "Spencer, get nearer the pace, man" "Darryl, this thing may have cost 300 grand but you do need to actually ride it man"
Sorry for the delay in replying, I've certainly not seen any suggestions about the addition of such a piece of technology, but you can never say never!
Interesting article from TRC: Kentucky Derby hero War Emblem had to be gelded to stay in the U.S. please log in to view this image Fully recovered: War Emblem in his paddock at Old Friends. Photo: Rick Capone Amanda Duckworth February 24, 2016 The odd saga of War Emblem’s stunted stallion career took a rather dramatic and final turn about three weeks ago, when the champion was gelded to meet United States quarantine laws. “We did it because of the regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture,” said Michael Blowen, the founder and president of Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. “We wouldn’t have done it otherwise, but I think the great side effect of this is that it might make his retirement a lot easier. He’s recovered from the surgery, and he came out of it really, really well. It’s all healed up, and now he’s running again.” War Emblem and his fiery temperament became well known in 2002, when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. A confirmed front runner, his bid for the American Triple Crown came to an end at the start of the Belmont Stakes, when he stumbled and missed the break. However, War Emblem added another Grade 1 to his resume, the Haskell Invitational Handicap, on his way to being named champion 3-year-old male that year for The Thoroughbred Corporation and trainer Bob Baffert. Japan’s Shadai Corp. purchased War Emblem for an estimated $17 million, and he began his stud career in 2003. Expectations were high, but War Emblem’s desire to be a stallion was not. He proved to be an extremely reluctant breeder and sired only about 120 foals during the course of his career. Adding insult to injury was the fact his foals proved to be quite useful, most notably his daughter Robe Tissage, who was named Japan’s 2012 champion 2-year-old filly. After various and multiple attempts to help War Emblem warm to his job, Shadai decided to retire him from stud duties in 2015. He was subsequently donated to Old Friends and arrived back in Kentucky at the end of last year. Under U.S. law, even pensioned stallions being imported into the country must cover two mares twice to make sure they are not infected with, or a carrier of, Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM). War Emblem, who is now 17, spent a month at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital but could not be persuaded to cover mares. He was sent to Old Friends but it was determined he either had to be gelded or returned to Japan. War Emblem’s love of carrots helped his recovery “Once you get over the hump of him coming out of the surgery without complications and recovering well, everybody took a big, deep breath,” said Blowen. “Obviously, he was such a valuable stallion, and he is an older horse. It’s always risky when you are doing surgery, and we were very fortunate to have the crew that we had to perform the operation. We couldn’t have put together a better crew.” The surgery was done by Rood & Riddle’s Dr. Brad Tanner with assistance from Dr. Colt Daughtery, while Dr. Hui-Chu Lin of Auburn University administered the anesthesia. War Emblem was gelded in his own paddock and was back upright within 35 minutes, according to Blowen. He never missed a meal, and his love of food has also helped with his recovery. “We had to get him moving when he was recovering from the surgery, and of course he didn’t really want to move,” Blowen said. “I would give him a carrot and walk down one post length of the fence. He would walk over, and I would give him another carrot. We would do a couple of laps a day with me giving him carrots, and it was amusing for everyone watching. Now he expects it. Every afternoon we do a couple of laps.” War Emblem is not overly keen on people or being in a stall, so he stays outside in the only double-fenced paddock at Old Friends. “He is out all the time,” said Blowen. “He hates being in a stall, and he lets you know that he doesn’t want to go there. His paddock is going to be home. He doesn’t really like people that much, and he’s not going to be the type where everyone is going to be able to feed him carrots. ‘He came after me like I was a wounded chicken’ “You might do something that you don’t think is wrong, but he will take exception to it, and, when he does, he lets you know in a hurry. It’s like being back in Catholic school.” Blowen is not just referring to the visitors that frequent Old Friends, which does daily tours so people can have meet-and-greets with the retired racehorse residents. He himself has also experienced War Emblem’s disapproval. “When he first arrived, he was at Rood & Riddle while we attempted to get him to breed, and people kept telling me I had to watch him,” said Blowen. “Everyone said he was tough, but he was fine when I was feeding him carrots. After about two and half weeks, I decided I wanted to get his halter. I had carrots in one hand and a new halter in the other, and I walked into the stall. He took one look at that halter, and he came after me like I was a wounded chicken. He thought I was going to make him do something he didn’t want to do. He just doesn’t want to be bothered.” Although War Emblem has gone from a stallion to a gelding, it is unlikely he will be turned out with other horses. Nearby residents include 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Amazombie and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer, and Blowen notes that War Emblem likes to keep an eye on them as well as the other geldings in the vicinity. “He’s very curious, and he likes his neighbors,” said Blowen. “I don’t think he would ever want roommates, but he likes having neighbors. The people who had him in Japan from Shadai came to visit him, and they said he was too smart for his own good. From just the short time he has been here, I concur. He is very, very smart. “I am hoping eventually, when he knows he is going to stay out there all the time and that we aren’t going to bug him too much, that he will figure it out and he won’t be as nervous or as bossy or as tough as he is. We try to accommodate our residents, and whatever their needs are, we try to meet them the best we can.”
Just watched Harley ride a poor race on the 5/4 fav Kalahari in the 7.10 Lingfield, the commentator on RUK said that Harley needed an ear piece to tell him to get closer.
Royal Ascot winner CEILING KITTY has died giving birth to her third foal, a colt by Camelot. The colt survived. Her other produce are a 2yo filly by Pivotal and a yearling filly by Invincible Spirit. In other news TIMBER COUNTRY, champion 2yo in the US, has died in Japan at the age of 24. In addition to being a champion juvenile, he finished third to Thunder Gulch in the Kentucky Derby and became the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to win a US Classic when winning the Preakness Stakes. A son of the blue hen FALL ASPEN, he boasted one of the best pedigrees in the book being a half-brother to Champion South African sire FORT WOOD, as well as the dams of DUBAI MILLENNIUM and ELNADIM. As a sire he was responsible for several G1 winners in Japan and Australia and is the broodmare sire of Eclipse winner MUKHADRAM
You need to finish these sad posts with a story about a cuddly cat being rescued from a tree or something Princess, got to keep us up the mood elevator
Lots of first season sires are reporting their first mares in foal now, though it is a little naughty as it is basically an advertisement that they started covering before the official start date on 15th February! Most mares are scanned at 14 or 16 days after covering, with a follow up at 24 days, which means we shouldn't really see any positive reports until now to mid March. Several Irish farms have been reporting positive results for at least a week! Whilst there is no law prohibiting the early coverings, they do come with the associated risk of a premature foal born before 1st January. Personally I think we should follow the Australian model and use the date of covering as the guide when considering pre-1st Jan foals but this would not go down well with those studs who like to cover early and take a risk! In other news, the historic Ballymacoll Stud is to be sold at some point in the next two years. The long-standing manager Peter Reynolds is due to retire and it is hoped someone will buy the farm and stock as a package rather than disperse them all. I know I said I'd try not to do this, but more sad news to report. Successful young sire AUSSIE RULES has passed away after a short illness. The 13yo was standing at Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud and had recently been diagnosed with a tumour. A G1 winning son of Danehill he had been responsible 18 Group winners including G1 winner Fiesolana and German Champion 2yo Filly Djumana. In an effort to cheer everything up, here's a sweet photo of a BUNGLE INTHEJUNGLE filly courtesy of Twitter please log in to view this image
