St Nicholas Abbey has suffered a serious setback, developing the beginnings of laminitis. The next few weeks will be crucial for him.
First mare in foal to Frankel was sold at Fasig-Tipton (Kentucky) yesterday for $2.4million. IN LINGERIE, a G2 winner and G1 placed daughter of Empire Maker, was sold by Bluewater Sales to Shadai Farm.
It's here! The 2013 Return of Mares has been published, so over the next few days I will do a write up of Frankel's first book of 133 mares, just as I did for Sea The Stars.
Decided to buy it again this year, so I won't be worrying you as I have done the last two years. Hopefully I'll get it soon! Mastercraftsman and (surprisingly) Intense Focus did very well this year. The battle of the former's 3yos with Sea the Star's should be interesting next year. Apparently Oxx, who I believe has 13 StS 2yos, had a nightmare with viruses hitting him all year. Oxx's results are his worst for a long time. Did you hear anything about the Meehan change with the Sangsters? It was announced quietly on Meehan's website and I'm not sure exactly what it means. Does Meehan now own Manton? What are the Sangsters doing differently?
Ours arrived yesterday, so imagine it should be with you on the next few days. Re Manton, I'm not 100% sure what the situation is there for Meehan, however I did read the other day that the Sangster family have put in a planning application to build a country park/nature reserve on the estate, in exchange for a land swap to build some houses. More here.
Got it yesterday. One comment for now is Duke of Marmalade and Dylan Thomas have very rapidly got shrinking reputations. In addition Hurricane Run has almost been put to grass. Have you heard anything about any of these pN?
PN, I was going through the mares catalogue of sales entries at Tattersalls. A few mares in foal to Frankel there. What struck me though was the huge amount of foals that never get to the racecourse. Are there any percentage figures out there and is there a bigger disparity between flat breds and NH breds?
Bustino, Hurricane Run has been shipped to Germany. Both DT and DoM have committed the cardinal sin of not enough good horses in their first few crops! Stick, it is unclear why there is such a large "wastage" figure. Around 10,000 foals are bred every year in Britain and Ireland but only about 4,000 horses are registered in training at 2, and of course some of these are imported from abroad. Obviously a large number later enter training at 3 and also later still as NH horses. The stats generally say that 75% of foals born in Britain are bred for the flat and in Ireland the number is about. 55%. I'm keeping track of the mares being sold in foal to Frankel on the Frankel's first Book thread.
MMmmm... worrying for Coolmore. Juddmonte seems to be ruling the roost at the moment.....you lucky people who went there!
I'm being told that Chiquita was bought for Coolmore. It was confirmed on Sunday that she will stay in training, but the Doyle's would not comment on which client had purchased her other than to say it was not for Qatari interests.
Noticed the first two in the Japan Cup were by Deep Impact. Your eye initially goes to his sire Sunday Silence, but then you look downstairs and there's his grand-dam Burghclere, a Busted daughter of Highclere, so a three-parts sister to Height of Fashion. R of M informs me that the one quality member of that family the Queen had left, Fairy Godmother, died in 2013 in foal to Oasis Dream. In the last 25 years that family has thrown top class horses again and again yet one person has had no part of it. She now must rest her hopes on Caraboss, who had her first foal last year (she does have 3 or 4 relations of so far unproven ability still in training). Someone really messed up big time.
Someone being a certain racing/bloodstock manager no doubt I should have mentioned before that the Tattersalls Foal sale is well underway, having started yesterday. Top Lot so far is a Teifilo half-brother to RED CADEAUX, sold to Charlie Gordon-Watson (agent) for 220,000. Quite probably for Red Cadeaux's connections.
Did I see a Sea the Stars foal getting a reasonable price? What day does Talent's Fastnet Rock foal brother sell?
Yes a full-sister to SEA THE MOON made 320,000 last night, sold to STS connections. She's currently the 5th top lot with a New Approach filly from a Ballymacoll family leading the way on 400,000. The Talent half-brother sold earlier today for 320,000 to Coolmore.
Dancing Rain will be offered for sale at Tattersalls tomorrow. She's expected in the ring at about 6pm. Picture here
pN, here's a game for any number of players. You have a mare called Prowess who has just bred you a Group 1 winner to New Approach called Talent. A further foal by Fastmet Rock of Prowess's you've just sold for 320,000g. Prowess has only one cross of Northern Dancer through his son Nureyev, other than that she only has 4X5 inbreeding to Raise a Native. Talent is by New Approach so has 4 X 4 inbreeding to ND. Who do you send Prowess and Talent to next year? What do you think? My money is on Talent to Sea the Stars ( Reserve Fastnet Rock) and Prowess back to New Approach (Reserve: Dalakhani) We should know by February.
I'm sure New Approach is top of the wish list for Prowess, though they could also be tempted by Frankel if they have the money. Talent would be interesting to see with a Danehill, or other Danzig-line, sire. The cross with Galileo has worked well enough in the past! Don't forget, Dancing Rain will be up at around 6pm. She is lot 1533, with lot 1498 currently in the ring. 3 lots later a second mare in foal to Frankel, Drops, is also due in.
1516 currently in the ring. The standard pace is 20 lots per hour, though this can vary. I can't put up a link to the live video via my phone, but if you Google Tattersalls Sales and follow the links to their Live Video you'll find it.
