BORN TO SEA, the last foal out of Blue Hen URBAN SEA, and therefore half-brother to GALILEO, BLACK SAM BELLAMY and 3/4 brother to SEA THE STARS has is due to make his debut in the mile maiden at The Curragh this Saturday. The colt had been due to make his debut in July but suffered a minor setback with sore shins. John Oxx said "He's a promising horse, but we're not expecting him to be his half-brother reincarnated." It is worth noting that, of Urban Sea's ten foals of racing age (not including Born to Sea), 8 made it to the racecourse; 7 of them were winners; 4 of them G1 winners, 2 G1 placed and the other 2 (Cherry Hinton and Urban Ocean) were placed 5th in the Oaks and 6th in the Irish Derby. Not a bad record to follow!
From a prospective breeding point of view, what happens if the horse shows them in private that he's not up to group status? As he's so well bred, do they retire him immediately? (Shin soreness or the like as a possible excuse.) Even if he can't run out of sight on a dark night, some will chase him as a cheap stallion.
Princess, seems to me the colt has a good chance of success, if statistics are repeated. Cyclonic, you never know what a horse can develop into. There was a horse once whose trainer said that ..."His action was so bad you could drive a wheelbarrow through his hind legs." The trainer was Tom Dreaper and no prizes for guessing the name of the horse!
plodder was it Tam? PN, this damline is basically the Tuilagi family of horse racing. I just hope he lives up to the family traditions.
The two colts that never made it to the racecourse - ATTICUS (by Sadler's Wells, trained by O'Brien) and SEA'S LEGACY (by Green Desert, originally trained by John Oxx but sold to a Dubai based owner) have not appeared anywhere at stud, but it is very plausible now that BORN TO SEA would be snapped up as a stallion prospect. Nass, the only other female line that comes to mind as being as good, possibly better, than URBAN SEA's is that of HASILI (9 foals, 8 to race, 5 G1 winners, 2 G1 placed). Off the top of my head there are two other mares that have outstanding broodmare records - DAHLIA (14 foals, 11 to race, 8 winners, 6 of them at group level and 2 group placed), the other mare's name escapes me but I believe she was Australian.
Good luck to John Oxx with Born To Sea. He has done all he can to play down the hype but the famous relatives and publicity are likely to see him a warm order for his debut. Oxx should spend the whole race with his mobile pegged to his ear getting excuses from the Ballydoyle master in case Born To Sea does not run a place at least. Let us not forget, Sea The Stars did not win on debut. Cyc, I am the eldest of three brothers and I do pity my younger siblings trying to live up to the high standard of their genius elder. Despite charging no covering fee at all, there is a distinct lack of mares queuing outside my breeding shed, though.
QuarterMoonII, " there is a distinct lack of mares queuing outside my breeding shed, though. " That may result from your name....Full Moon would have been better- it's brighter than a second generation 'quarter moon!
This breeding game is a strange one QM. I have a brother who used to able to scamper over the ground, another brother who wasn't all that fast, but had a you beaut brain on a rugby league field. He was a hooker who loved ordering forwards to run close to the play the ball area. He had the knack of putting a bloke through a hole. Me? Well I looked really good propping up a sideboard in the local tote. I got dad's shifty gene.
I can't find the name of the Australian mare at the moment, but you'd also have to include the likes of FALL ASPEN and TOUSSAUD in a list of blue hen mares.
Princess, if you're looking for a champion breeding mare from Australia's past, could you be referring to Dark Jewel? If so the link below can give a quick sketch of who she was. http://www.breedingracing.com/pdfs/ARCHIVE/79/p8_14_broodmares.pdf
You could be right Cyc, I can only pull up what pedigreequery.com have on her at the moment (not very up to date!), but the name certainly rings bells as I remember doing a full write up on the produce of Urban Sea, Hasili, Dahlia, Toussaud and DARK JEWEL when Sea the Stars won the Guineas.
Obviously it is wonderful for Urban Sea's final progeny to make it to the track, and indeed very exciting. But I guess we have to just give the horse time to develop. Princess would you think that on breeding, Born To Sea might have a touch more speed than his famous relatives? Intriguing to see, if he has the ability, whether John Oxx goes to the 2000 Guineas or looks to go longer in trip immediately.
TopClass, the vast majority of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT's progeny are best at no further than 9f, though his most successful horses tend to be 5f-6f horses, so I wouldn't necessairly bank on seeing BORN TO SEA in the Derby, despite the family's amazing record at Epsom!
I have another top notch mare who cast a HUGE shadow. The UK born Eight Carat, by Pieces Of Eight-Klairessa. The sire won the Eclipse and Champion Stakes, the mare a half sister to European 3yo filly of the year Habibi. Eight Carat threw 5 G1 winners. The G1 winners from these were amazing.
I do hope there hasn't been an error made in the entries as, according to the Racing Post website, rather than being entered in the 1m colts and geldings maiden race on the card at The Curragh, he has instead been thrown in the 6f Listed race instead! http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/card.sd?race_id=539256&r_date=2011-09-10#raceTabs=lc_
attheraces have also listed Born To Sea as being in the 6f listed heat. Would prefer him to be in the mile race!
