A few bits and pieces of news on the stallion front with the death of PARIS HOUSE, the retirement of MARJU and the arrival of POUR MOI at Coolmore: The first two articles are taken from todayâs European Bloodstock News: Death of Paris House Steve Knowles of the Beechwood Grange Stud in Yorkshire phoned EBN to say that Paris House died from a heart attack on Wednesday. Bred at the Hillwood Stud in Wiltshire by Dr John Hobby, Paris House was a grey, foaled in 1989 by Petong out of the Artaius mare Foudroyer. Trained by Jack Berry, he won six races as a juvenile including the Gr.2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, and was second in the Gr.1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York as well as the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Like so many sprinters he was difficult to place at three, but he did win the Listed Field Marshall Stakes at Haydock and bounced back to his best at four when winning both the Gr.2 Temple Stakes and the Gr.3 Palace House Stakes. He was again runner-up that season in the Nunthorpe (to Lochsong). At stud, he has produced a steady stream of winners (more than 400, earning over £4 million), including his latest star the Henry Candy-trained Amour Propre, winner of the Gr.3 Cornwallis Stakes and Gr.3 Palace House Stakes. Earlier winners of note were Tobruk (Gr.1 Bayer Classic), Misty Eyed (Gr.3 Molecomb Stakes), After Me, Southern House, My Paris, Mecca's Mate and Whinhill House (15 races). Steve Knowles said, âParis House was a pleasure to have at Beechwood Grange â a real gentleman â and I'm now on the lookout for a decent replacement.â Retirement of Marju Marju, one of the most successful stallions of recent years, has stood his last season at stud. Confirming the 23-year-oldâs retirement, Derrinstown Studâs General Manager Stephen Collins said: âAge has finally caught up with him. Heâs been here almost as long as I have and was one of the first horses to stand at Derrinstown. He hasnât been at his best recently and, after a spectacularly successful stud career like his, he owes us nothing.â Bred by Pat OâKellyâs Kilcarn Stud, Marju (Last Tycoon) had a lot to live up to. A few days before he came under the hammer at the Goffs yearling sale in 1989, his year older half-sister Salsabil (Sadlerâs Wells â also bred by Kilcarn and raced by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum) had won the Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Unsurprisingly, the Sheikh had to go to Ir440,000gns to secure the colt, but subsequent events more than justified that hefty price tag. While Salsabil went on to record four further Gr.1 successes as a three-year-old, including the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and Irish Derby, Marju was brought along slowly by their trainer John Dunlop, winning his only start at two by six lengths at York. He kicked off the following season with a game success in the Gr.3 Craven Stakes before disappointing in the Gr.1 2,000 Guineas. No doubt encouraged by Salsabilâs top class form over middle distances, the colt was then sent to Epsom to contest the Gr.1 Derby and put up a decent fight before eventually fading to finish five lengths second behind the European Champion Generous. Brought back to a mile for the Gr.1 St Jamesâs Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, he showed both class and courage to defeat the subsequent Gr.1 Sussex Stakes winner Second Set in a close finish, but then suffered a recurring injury to his stifle which eventually led to his retirement to Derrinstown Stud at the end of his three-year-old campaign. He stood his first season at Ir7,000gns and was an immediate success, siring the Gr.1 Prix Vermeille and Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks winner My Emma, and the Gr.1 Prix de Diane winner Sil Sila from his first crop. Breeders grew to be impressed by his consistency at producing black-type winners (60 individuals to date) and his fee gradually rose until peaking at â¬25,000 in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The Gr.1 winners Soviet Song, Bethrah and Marbye were among those to keep his name to the forefront in Europe but his influence was by no means confined to this continent. Hong Kong Champion Viva Pataca â the winner of eight Gr.1 races â and US Gr.1 winner Chinchon were bred and raced over here before being exported, while the Australian Gr.1 winner Marju Snip was conceived whilst the stallion was shuttling. Marjuâs legacy should not be underestimated. He has always been recognised as a great sire of fillies and an outstanding broodmare sire, an assertion further bolstered by the performances of Canford Cliffs over the last couple of years and now by the emergence of Big Bad Bob (Bob Back) as a sire of note. Perhaps the last word should go to Stephen Collins: âWe have been very fortunate to stand Marju during his long and illustrious stud career. His great looks, superb pedigree and his outstanding stud record certainly made our lives much easier attracting mares to him each breeding season. He was a wonderfully consistent stallion and a pleasure to deal with. He will be a hard act to follow. We all wish him well as he has rightly earned the easy life.â Pour Moi arrives at Coolmore Investec Derby hero Pour Moi arrived at his new Coolmore Stud base in Tipperary today as he prepares to take up stallion duties. The Andre Fabre-trained colt was retired last month after suffering a leg injury. Coolmore manager Harry King said: "Pour Moi is all class and quality - no doubt the best stallion prospect to come to Coolmore since Galileo" Pour Moi's victory at Epsom in June saw him sweep from the rear of the field to beat Treasure Beach, also in Coolmore ownership and subsequent winner of the Irish Derby, by a head, with young jockey Mickael Barzalona famously standing up in celebration before the line. He had been favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe before injury cut short his racing career. please log in to view this image
Sad to hear of Paris House's passing. I'd heard earlier this year that Marju's fertility had been decreasing and this was likely to be his last year at stud. There are a handful of foals due next year, including one out of Affinity (a Saddlers Wells half sister to Soviet Song)
Green Desert was also recently pensioned and I would not be surprised if both Selkirk and Hernando were joining them in the near future.
Not at all! The bulk of the info in this thread comes from European Bloodstock News which is a daily newsletter we receive in the office. It is subscription based (about £200 per year if memory serves) but is totally invaluable. We also get Thoroughbred Daily News which is an American equivalent. Other than that I get my info from talking to people! It is very hard to keep a secret in the racing world, particularly in Newmarket! If a stallion is having problems the mare owners booked to him have to be notified and it doesn't take long for word to spread around.
