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A few more breeders 2015

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by Bustino74, Mar 24, 2015.

  1. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    For these three breeders 2014 was a mixed bag. At midsummer Cliveden Stud looked to have a lot to look forward to, but then had a disappointing 2nd half. Mark Dixon looked as if he’d not worry the scorer at all but then got a winner in the Autumn. While Avington Manor Stud had a better year, but with some disappointments with some inconsistent runs.

    Lady Howard de Walden had 4 Avington horses represent her last year: two 3yo fillies and two 3yo colts. Both fillies finished the season as winners, but only Nirva (by Verglas) will be kept. She looked very promising after winning her first race of 2014 but then didn’t progress as expected. The first of her 2yos to run was Gibeon who unfancied won what looked a pretty good maiden at Newmarket. On the strength of that he was made favourite for the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Stakes at Newbury but put in a dismal display finishing last of 5. With his sights lowered he could still only finish 3rd in an ordinary novices race. Maybe he needs further and can be a decent 10-12f handicapper, maybe he needs to be cut but watch his first run. Her other colt was Perrault who is by Rip Van Winkle out of a Daylami mare. He ran only once and ran a nice sort of race over 8f in a back-end Newbury maiden. However the form was far from franked by those behind him. The dam La Persiana improved considerably as a 3yo and I’d expect this colt to do the same: at least a maiden winner.

    She looks to have two 2yos to represent her this year. On paper the most interesting is Girling, who is a Rock of Gibraltar sister to Gibeon out of a Galileo mare called Gravitation whose dam is a half-sister to Fame and Glory (whom the Walden’s conceived). Don’t expect to see her before August. The other 2yo is a colt called Nirvanam and a half-brother to Nirva. Being by Sakhee’s Secret he should be speedy and out a lot earlier. At the moment neither are placed with trainers.

    Looking ahead Avington now have 2 estblished mares in La Persiana (Magic Flute/Grand Lodge family) and Gravitation. The latter has a yearling filly called Gemina (by Holy Roman Emperor) and the mares are in foal to Champs Elysees and Lawman respectively. Now joined by Nirva the stud badly needs a Group horse soon.

    Mark Dixon had a really disappointing 2014 with his main hope Talent (owned, as all the Prowess family is, in partnership with James Rowell of Ashbrittle Stud) just not the horse she was as a 3yo. Her half-sister Much Promise ran only once and was retired to stud. A lot of the other horses either didn’t run or ran disappointingly. And then along came Talent’s sister Forte who ran a good 3rd first time out before winning what looked like a fair maiden at Kempton. She then took her chance in the Fillies Mile and finished 6th in soft ground. She will no doubt start in something like the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Guineas meeting before them considering a tilt at the Oaks. Like Talent she has the bad habit of being too keen at the start of her races but should go on to be a winner at listed class this year.

    Mark Dixon has a few other, often part-owned, fillies running for him this year. Top of the list may be the unraced La Marchesa, who is by Duke of Marmalade and in training with Ed Walker (who did well with another filly from this family, Livias Dream who was owned by Olivia Hoare, this filly’s part owner). Expect to see her sometime in May in a 3yo fillies maiden somewhere. Next comes La Superba who is a Medicean sister to the good stayer Thomas Hobson of 2013. La Superba ran twice as a 2yo in Ireland without troubling anyone but has been transferred to David Elsworth and is reported to be ready to run in April. She should stay 10-12f and if anything like her brother will like it soft. A final filly is the once-raced 4yo Bari, who is by Cape Cross out of mare called Genoa (who is a half-sister to Prowess and the granddam of Thomas Hobson). Bari was sold as a yearling but as Dixon lost Genoa unexpectedly he bought the filly back as an unraced 3yo. She ran a few weeks ago for the first time and finished a satisfactory 4th: she’s likely to reappear soon and could go close. Horses in Training shows he also has a Verglas colt called Ice Boat in training with Hughie Morrison.

    Dixon only has one 2yo and that’s La Superba’s brother Lazio. There is no Prowess 2yo because Dixon and Rowsell sold her colt foal by Fastnet Rock to Coolmore for 320,000guineas: look out for him.

    The biggest story to be told here is the planned matings for the part-Ashbrittle owned ‘Prowess’ mares. Talent’s (by New Approach) first partner will be Dubawi, Much Promise ( by Invincible Spirit) will be covered in her maiden year by Dansili and Prowess (after 4 racing foals and four winners) goes to Frankel. An expensive set of sires and I’m sure the owners were hoping there would be nothing amiss with Prowess’s New Approach foal. Unfortunately the foal had to be put down soon after her birth: such are the slings and arrows of a breeder’s fortune. With the expense of these matings it is possible that Forte or Much Promise will now have to be sold to fund this expenditure. The aim is high at Ashbrittle.

    Which brings me to the Cliveden Stud: last year they had no 2yos as they had been sold (most of them being colts). But this year it is quite different as they own or part own 4 2yo fillies (again having sold the colts). First up is a Dansili filly called Blue Geranium (with Gosden: does this name have Raymond Chandler connections?).This filly is out of a really good maiden filly called Super Sleuth (by Selkirk) who despite running a number of good races, including a Guineas third, never go her head in front. She is from the most established family in the stud that has produced such good horses as Mils Bomb, Milly Moss, Indian Haven and others. Sending her to Gosden (first time I can recall him being used) may be a sign and I’d expect to see her out in the 2nd half of the season.

    A second filly is the cleverly named Social Media (by New Approach out of a granddaughter of that tough Group 1 filly Fraulein) and she is with Ed Dunlop. The dam’s first foal was the twice-winning flat horse Devilment, who has turned out to be a more than useful hurdler, running a creditable and slightly unlucky 4th in the Triumph Hurdle. The last fully owned filly has pleasingly been sent to Andrew Balding who has had a good score rate with often moderate horses. His new inmate is a Fastnet Rock filly called Brief Visit, the first foal of that good filly Brevity (by Street Cry). Brevity won twice as a 2yo and ran placed in a listed event on one of her few starts as a 3yo. Bred as she is it is likely she’ll be pretty speedy and could be one to watch this year.

    A fourth filly is the well-named Sparring Queen (by War Front) is jointly owned and in training with Beckett. She is the second foal of a Giants Causeway mare called Spa Break from a US family Philipp Freedman bought into a while back. There is a maiden 3yo in training with Jeremy Noseda called Cable Street, whom Cliveden sold for 280,000gns as a yearling. I’d expect him to be running early in the season if he’s going to be anything.

    Before any of this happens there is an important date at Newmarket for Cliveden when their star 2yo colt appears at the Breeze-Up Sales. I am talking of the unnamed Oasid Dream colt out of the stud’s star mare Independence. He went through the ring at the Yearling Sales in October but was led out unsold at 250,000gns. He is a full-brother to the Voltigeur winner Monitor Closely and halkf-brother to the Eclipse winner Mount Nelson. This is the fine family of Cliveden’s superb Derby winner Reference Point. Hopefully he’ll sell well but it is exciting to see a Dubawi yearling filly out of this consistent mare in the wings.

    Cliveden have a good feel about them this year with these four exciting fillies. Though I expect them to have a good year this year it is probably 2016 when they will be seen to their best. Exciting times and I’ll return to these in a few months.
     
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  2. Indian Haven

    Indian Haven New Member

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    Of the fillies Bustino refers to all bar Sparring Partner have only just joined their trainers having been with pre-trainers until 10 days ago. The most immediately promising are Sparring Queen and Blue Geranium, while Social Media is likely to stay middle distances next year and need at least 8 furlongs this year. It is hard to be excited about a Fastnet Rock at present and Brief Visit is a very big filly who will take time. But as he says all are fillies for 2016.

    Of last years three year olds I still hope That Is The Spirit can win a Group race- he certainly needs the ground in his favour and his best run was probably in the Foret when he would have been closer if not suffering interference. Fog Of War remains in training with Ger Lyons so if Pearl Bloodstock have not given up on him that is encouraging.

    Fingers crossed for the Oasis Dream-Independence colt at Newmarket- he has been entered in the Derby and Tattersalls Bonus Races in case he does not sell as everything he has done so far has been very encouraging.
     
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  3. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the clarifications and updates Indian Haven.

    Just realised I didn't explain the Cable Street and Sparring Queen tie up. They share the same granddam in Sterling Pound.

    Also realised I got my Blues, Detectives and Writers mixed up. Blue Dahlia was the original screenplay produced by Chandler. Blue Geranium is Agatha Christie and Miss Marple!!
     
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    Last edited: Apr 1, 2015
  4. SaveTheHumans

    SaveTheHumans Well-Known Member

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    Great write up Bustino and good added input from Indian Haven. Have followed the last few years with much enjoyment whether form a punting or watching brief perspective it's nice to see them develop.
     
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  5. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Update

    For these three breeders life has been similar to last year with Cliveden being fastest out of the traps once again. Cliveden only owns four 2yo fillies this year but have a few older horses out there flying the flag but owned by others. Top of their list must be the O’Meara trained gelding That is the Spirit, who after winning 3 races early on last year has just won his 4th race. After a listed win at Epsom last season he seemed to lose his way on firmer ground. This season he ran a disappointing race first time out (Group 3) then picked up another listed race at Haydock. With conditions in his favour (soft and perhaps not challenged for leadership) he could still pick up a Group 3 race somewhere. He is entered for another listed race on Saturday.

    Second time out was also the time his relation More Mischief (by Azamour) picked up an 8f Hamilton maiden for trainer O’Keefe. She ran another good race on Saturday when a squeezed up 2nd at Haydock over 10f. If she is like her mum she should stay a bit more and improve more as well. This daughter of the mare Mischief Making was sold for just 28,000g and her owners may have picked up a nice future broodmare as she is the 2nd foal and 2nd winner of this Lemon Drop Kid matron. The 3rd foal is the already mentioned New Approach filly Social Media. Mischief Making has a yearling Cape Cross full-sister to her first foal Devilment.

    As mentioned by Indian Haven the 4yo gelding Fog of War (by Azamour out of Cut Short) had looked promising as a 3yo but did not race after June last year. Kept in training by Gers Lyons he also won his 2nd start back when he won a 10.5f listed event. The handicapper seems to like him as he’s getting plenty of weight to carry now and it may be difficult for him to score in the near future. Other news is that the stud did sell their full-brother to Monitor Closely at the breeze-up sales and he was purchased by John Ferguson. This Oasis Dream 2yo has a Dubawi yearling half-sister and foal half-brother: a wonderful broodmare. Hopefully we’ll see one of the Cliveden 2yos out soon.


    Lady Howard de Walden has had a quieter time than that with just the two 3yos running. Gibeon has run three times but looks unlikely to fulfil the promise of his debut victory. The Becket trained Perrault (Rip Van Winkle out of La Persiana) won on his 3yo debut but it was a weak event and the facile victory didn’t tell us too much about his ability. His dam did improve dramatically as a 3yo so there’s hope that more will be seen from him, but no entries for him as yet. Still no sign of the 2yos or who trains them I’m afraid.


    Mark Dixon probably had most hope for this season stored in Forte, his full-sister to Talent. She appeared in the identical race that Talent won on her 3yo debut but couldn’t repeat the trick. Hooded to try to calm her down, she fought for her head and finished a long-beaten 6th. It’s back to the drawing board with her.

    In 2011 Dixon sold a Cape Cross filly out of a Zafonic half-sister to Prowess (dam of Talent) for a moderate 6,000g. He’d also sold a Dr Fong half-sister to this filly called Brindisi (a pretty good race-filly) at about the same time, as part of a rationalisation. Having done that the dam he retained (Genoa) died, leaving nearly all his breeding eggs in the Prowess basket. So Dixon and his other racing partner, Luke Lillingston (Mount Coote Stud), repurchased the Cape Cross filly, who by this time was called Bari and was in training with Lucy Wadham. An unraced 4yo at the start of this season she has improved with each run and on her 4th start won a 12f apprentice handicap at Newbury. There was a lot to like about the run and some hope she can build on this and win again over 12-14f. She’s no world-beater but from such beginnings dynasties start.

    La Superba ran as a 2yo in Ireland without distinction. Transferred to Elsworth she has showed improved form and was expected to run better than 4th in her last race. As a half-sister to Thomas Hobson she may stay further than the 8f she has so far run over, though her next entry is over 7f. She may also need soft going like her brother. Her dam is now the only daughter of Genoa he has as a mare.

    Dixon has one other 3yo filly, who is Brindisi’s last filly before she was sold. La Marchesa (by Duke of Marmalade) is in training with Ed Walker who believes she has talent and was ready to run in April when she picked up a small injury. Dixon part-owns most of his stock now but although that reduces the costs it is almost certain that at least two of these four fillies will find themselves at the sales come December.

    For completeness Talent’s 2yo half-brother (purchased by Coolmore) is called Santa Anita and is in training with O’Brien.
     
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  6. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    This group's first 2yo runs today. Sparring Queen makes her debut in the 7.15 tonight on the all-weather. Beckett seems to like starting his 2yos on this surface. I'd expect a bold run from this well named War Front filly. Group 1 jockey Pat Dobbs takes the ride.
     
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    Last edited: Jul 1, 2015
  7. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Update

    Lady Howard de Walden at last had something to shout about last week at Goodwood when Gibeon took a hot 10f handicap. Since his sparkling winning debut last year he’s been a bit in and out. However upped to 10f his last 3 runs have seen him progress to a rating of 97+ from the 90 he had at the start of the season. Two good seconds to the ill-fated Stravagante and then Resonant were followed by his victory. As a son of Cape Cross out of a Galileo mare (Gravitation: same family as Fame and Glory) he could get a bit further. He certainly seems to have recaptured his appetite for racing. Maybe he will progress enough to pick up a Group 3.

    So both her 3yos have won this year and it is just a shame we have seen nothing of Perrault after his win. Beckett, who trains him, also has Gibeon’s 2yo sister Girling in his stable. Next year’s 2yo will be a Holy Roman Emperor filly called Gemina. There’s a Lawman colt-foal brother to Gibeon. Perrault’s dam La Persiana has a colt-foal by Champs Elysses. Not seen so far has been Nirvanam, a Sakhee’s Secret colt from an Australian family.

    (how can you download an excel file?)
     
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  8. Ron

    Ron Well-Known Member
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    Excel is not one of the allowed extensions for uploading to the forum Bustino. However, depending on how complex/large it is, and assuming you don't need to upload a workable version, there are a couple of ways of displaying an Excel worksheet.

    If you open your spreadsheet, whatever you can see on your screen can be captured by the Snipping Tool and pasted straight into your post. So you might need to do it as a series of snipping and pasting (the snipping actually does the copy for you).

    Or you can select the entire area of the spreadsheet and copy and paste it into your post. This method does not retain alignment so if there are a lot of columns it can get messy. Trial and error I'm afraid.
     
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  9. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Avington picture.png For what it's worth.

    You unfortunately can't read the comments!!! (for anyone reading this and interested if in red means possible future mare, if in bold then current mare)
     
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  10. Ron

    Ron Well-Known Member
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    I can read it all. Clicking on the image enlarges it. Click again to reverse
     
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  11. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Yes, but you can't read the comments. The little red tags open up to give you the name, trainer and wins etc... So you just get the mating.

    Have to think again!!!!!
     
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  12. Ron

    Ron Well-Known Member
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    Probably not much help Bustino but you could have the index of mares in a master worksheet and have a separate worksheet for each mare , with the years going down and the details going across. Then insert a link from each mare in the index to the mare's record
     
    #12
  13. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    No I'll have to do something else. There's only a few bod interested so I'm probably wasting my time anyway.

    Update

    Mark Dixon has had better years. His full-sister to his Oaks winner Talent (Forte) has been a real disappointment mixed with farce. Her last race the jockey took her hood off way too early in the stalls so her race was run by the time the stalls opens.
    One of the bright sparks has been Bari, who keeps improving and having eventually won has run a good race when 2nd last week. She does not seem as flighty as other members of the family and may turn out to be a useful addition to his broodmare pack. However there is talk that Lucy Wadham would like her to remain in traing as a 5yo. La Marchesa has returned to fast work after an injury and we may see her soon.
    The good news is that 7 of Dixon's mares got into foal. Let's hope they happily stay that way. Apparently Uncle Dick Hollingsworth wasn't the most optimistic of men, so it would be nice for his nephew to have 6 bouncing foals next year, a feat not achieved since 2009. Nice matings though!!

    And for you twig-hopping fans out there Thomas Hobson (that's the La Spezia by Halling) can certainly run, he just needs to learn how to jump.

    (bugger, didn't work this time).
     

    Attached Files:

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  14. Ron

    Ron Well-Known Member
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    please log in to view this image
     
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  15. Janabelle13

    Janabelle13 Well-Known Member

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    Very interesting Bustino.

    Will be fascinating to see what the 2016 foals turn out to be.
     
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  16. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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  17. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Forte has been retired. Apparently brilliant at home she wouldn't show it on the track. Choices will need to be made by Dixon and his partners about what goes to the sales this autumn. La Superba at last got her head in front, in fact Graham Lee rode her totally differently to anyone else, switching her off and winning quite handily. Thomas Hobson, her elder brother, seems to have retained his ability and just needs to jump the things instead of trying to kick them over.

    Cliveden has had a slimmer period though More Mischief has had two nice handicap wins to take her score to 3 wins for Jedd O'Keefe: which makes it disappointing, that with the mare Mischief Making now lost, that her 2yo Social Media seems hors de combat. Initially listed in Ed. Dunlop's string as a 2yo, which she is, she is now off that list, though strangely listed as a yearling. Let's hope she is well. Cliveden do have a final filly out of Mischief Making by Cape Cross. This is the last of the Fraulein line.

    Cliveden have had only one of their 2yos run and that was Sparring Queen. She ran promisingly enough but has not been entered since. The other two 2yos Blue Geranium and Brief Visit have had no entries..Looking ahead the pick of the yearlings looks to be a Dubawi filly out of Independence and they also a have a foal full-brother who will most likely hit the sales ring next year.

    Cliveden.png

    Sorry the attachment hasn't worked again!
     
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    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  18. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    La Superba has won again over 8f, this time on good to soft at Windsor. Tom Marquand's 5lb must have helped, but as in her previous race she was dropped out. It seems to suit her and I still believe she can get further. Dixon might be reviewing whether he keeps this one as though he has no daughter of La Spezia, with matings getting expensive, there needs to be money coming in from somewhere. Difficult decisions, not made easier by the fact that he has two partnerships who may see things differently.
     
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    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
  19. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Yes it will be. I wrote an article about 6 years ago hoping Dixon would use better sires some of the time. He certainly hasn't held back this year and with Frankel leading the pack there is not a weak choice in there. But the foals from those matings won't hit the track until 2018 and won't be proper horses until 2019. What does he do in the meantime? Keep up that level of investment or shift down a gear. And does he sell some of them off. It is only a hobby really. His Uncle Dick may have been reasonably wealthy but it was an expensive hobby even for him as a stockbroker: they're not sheikhs

    The first thing is to get 6 healthy foals next year. That will be a step forward as he's had so many barren mares over the last 4-5 years.
     
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  20. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Update
    La Superba did the hat-trick for Mark Dixon, but couldn't make it 4 in a row. She still has a chance to get to 4 wins in the remaining weeks especially on soft ground. Forte was found to be wrong when returned to Ashbrittle Stud and may have a year out in the Middle East to pick up some winnings. Lazio, an Intikhab half-brother to Thomas Hobson and La Superba may make his debut tomorrow at the Curragh. In training with the prolific JJ Murphy (5 runners and no winners this year) this colt may do the same as La Superba and transfer to the UK as a 3yo.

    The big news for Cliveden Stud was the sale of their Invincible Spirit colt out of Brevity for 330,000g to Shadwell last week. The 2yo Brief Visit has yet to be entered. Social Media (New Approach sister to winners Devilment and More Mischief) has been entered and should hopefully run soon (earlier panic over).

    Lady Howard de Walden has had a quiet time with Gibeon not reappearing after his Goodwood win, but has his half-sister Girling entered today. Beckett has had a reasonable time with his 2yos and she should be prominent in what looks a quality field.
     
    #20
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2015

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