Royal Stud 2023

Not sure. I used to think Bell got the leftovers as you put it: the horses that probably didn't show a lot of scope. I will say, that on paper, the two of them are getting better horses than Balding was 10 years ago. What I would also say is that the other 4 (with 2yos) look to have the most likely 'Classic' horses. If there are Classic horses amongst them.

Noticed that the sold Garner (went for 30,000gns out of Charlton's stable) won on his seasonal debut at Lingfield today: now with A Watson.

 

3yo maiden,Reminder, left her debut form behind when winning her first race at Windsor this evening. Being by Dubawi out of a mare who's produced a Belmont Cup (16f G2) winner you may be surprised to find the victory was over 6f. She seems to take after her dam, Memory, who was a smart 2yo by Danehill Dancer and who won 3 races over 6f, including the Albany and Cherry Hinton. Unfortunately she didn't train on as a 3yo.
There's a 2yo by Night of Thunder called Rainbow's Edge with the Gosdens and yearling filly by Kingman. She is due to foal to Palace Pier. Hopefully Reminder will train on.

This was Balding's first winner for the King but he must be hoping for a good run from 2yo Works of Art (by Zoffany), who makes her debut at Kempton on Wednesday. She is to be ridden by 'job jockey' Hayley Turner and is a half-sister to Tactical.
Perhaps more interesting is the entry of Crown Estate in a 7f maiden at Haydock on Friday. This colt is by Dubawi out of a mare called Castle Lady, who was not bred by the Royal Stud but was bred and raced by Godolphin. By Shamardal, she was very useful and her big day was when winning the French 1000G. Not sure how she came to be owned by the Queen and now is owned by the King. It will be disappointing if this colt doesn't have some real ability.

 

Garner hit a bit by the handicapper this morn. Given an opening mark of 88. Although, I guess, when a horse wins like he did last week, what else is to be expected...

Another sold out of the Charlton's (although now back at the yard after being bought by 'Beckhampton Stables Ltd') actually runs tomorrow at Newbury - Discretion (4.20). Will the 18,000 gns purchase price look equally as attractive as Garner's after the Royal Berkshire race?!?

Meanwhile, yet another sale (although not Beckhampton related) Tactical put in the Wokingham, I see (25/1 available). Miss Camacho has overseen his handicap mark fall 3 lbs (in 2 races), to 99, since the 5YO gelding moved to her barn. Eyecatchingly, this is the first time Tactical has ever had a 2 digit perch (peak was 112).

 

Another sale last Autumn, Juryman (was with Balding and sold for 45,000gns), went to Jarvis and won on his seasonal debut for his new yard. Jarvis tried to follow up a week later with him but he blew the start. Have to see if he progresses: he's a half-brother to Kings Lynn.

All these winning sales are to the good of the Royal Stud and will increase prices of future sales. However, I think the idea should be to keep the good ones and that hasn't shown through yet.

 

Educator has been a huge disappointment from the start. His debut as a 2yo was initially to be in a group race, which showed how highly he was rated. Instead they routed him to an easier maiden on the same card but he was a flop. He did eventually win as a 2yo and indeed again as a 3yo but then trained off. It was no surprise at the end of last season that he was given the unkindest cut.
True to form he started favourite on his seasonal debut but was a distant last. Last Friday he showed a bit of form when 3rd at Haydock. Surprisingly (for these days), 5 days later he reappeared at Kempton and was unlucky not to win. This may be the secret to him, that is that he needs lots of racing and lots of work. This is the sort of horse trainers like Jack Colling and George Todd got wins galore from.
On the same card Works of Art made her debut. She was a bit tardy at the start then ran green. Coming into the straight she appeared outpaced but then went from about last to sixth in just over a furlong. Like Educator, the Racing Post named her an eyecatcher. This was over 6f but she should get 7f easily.
So lost my single bets and EW doubles but came away thinking this is money loaned.I hope so.

Crown Estate, with Havlin aboard, makes his debut tomorrow at Haydock.

 

Since my last post Crown Estate (Dubawi) has run twice. He's either very immature or useless as the best he's managed is a fairly distant 4th. Has to be the best-bred Royal 2yo this season, so a real disappointment. Given how many times the Royal Stud has used top sires Frankel and Dubawi in the last 10 years, you have to say they've not produced much. The best produce out of all of them has been the atypical Light Refrain (Frankel) who won a 6f Group 3 event.

Lady Wulfrun should give the King a winner at Nottingham at the start of Royal Ascot week.

 

Nottingham off, so no Lady Wulfrun run. Though she was withdrawn before the announcement of abandonment was made.

Last year there were 10 or 11 Royal Ascot runners. This year there will be fewer.

Day1: Saga in Wolferton Handicap
Day 2: Reach for the Moon in Hunt Cup; Circle of Life in Queen's Vase
Day 3: Desert Hero and Market Value are possibles in the King George V handicap
Day 4: Circle of Fire still entered in King Edward VII Stakes; Educator entered in Duke of Edinburgh Stks
Day 5: Candle of Hope entered in Sandringham Stakes Hcp; Kings Lynn entered in Wokingham; ; Market Value entered in Golden Gates Hcp

So, altogether 8 horses entered across the meeting.

 

The King must be unimpressed by his runners. Saga was fancied a bit but didn't seem to last home over 10f. However that was nothing compared to Reach for the Moon's last in the Hunt Cup. Looks as if the leaders went too fast and Dettori had RftM right up the front from the start. I'd imagine he's July Sales bound.
Squeeky bum time for Mr Warren.

 

That's better. Desert Hero was always the most likely of the 3 good 2yos the Queen appeared to have and always seemed the most likely to be suited by 12f+. He's by Sea the Stars out of an unraced full-sister, Desert Breeze, to Dartmouth. He won the Yorkshire Cup and the Ormonde Stakes, while his biggest day was a Hardwicke win. So Desert Hero has every chance of getting further. Will he be aimed at the Leger?
Unfortunately Desert Breeze was barren to Sea the Stars but has a yearling filly by Fastnet Rock. She hopefully will have produced a foal by Kingman this year.

 

Disappointed that Market Value doesn't get her chance on Saturday. With Haggas in good form I thought she might have done something.
They don't seem to have decided on her distance yet as she was originally entered in 3 races between 10f and 14f at the Royal meeting.
Perhaps the firm ground put them off or they decided she needs more time. A nice race at Newbury or York should be planned.

Lady Wulfrun takes a trip up the M6 to Carlisle next week. Can't remember a Royal runner at Carlisle, though the turf is always good up there.

 

Have I missed something as there are no entries for Slipofthepen. Has he been retired or destroyed?

 

Good question Gladness. Not sighted in the gallops reports. Gosden said he found his first try on turf a bit sticky. In which case, you'd have thought he'd be being entered at the moment.

Maybe he was injured at Sandown so now on the easy list. You'd hope there was some excuse as it wasn't a very inspiring run.

 

On Friday one of the choice bred 2yos gets an entry. Haggas runs his first 2yo, the filly Hard to Resist, in a 6f maiden at Newmarket. She's by Dubawi and well named, being the first foal of listed winner Magnetic Charm. Her first race being over 6f hopefully points to her being speedy.

Lady Wulfrun is also entered in the same race, which hopefully is also a positive for this interestingly bred filly. I trust only one of them will run.

 

After a hiatus of 25 days The King has his 7th winner of the year when Value Added at last gets off the mark at Wolverhampton. Considering she was entered, just this year, for two Classics it is not before time. She was always at the head of things and slipped her field coming into the straight. Though she won by only a length from Gosden's promising Queen Regent, she looked as if she could have won by further. The first two were 6 lengths ahead of the field. A win for Hughes, who worryingly has not so far been allocated any 2yos.

A few runners lined up in the next few days. Works of Art, who was an unfancied but promising 6th on her debut reappears at Kempton: Buick, who rode Value Added, rides. Those 2yos that have managed to get to the races have hardly covered themselves in glory but it is to be hoped that Balding gets a second 2yo winner for the King with this promising Zoffany sister to Tactical.
Between now and Sunday a further 2yo, Lady Wulfrun, and older horses Circle of Fire, Candle of Hope, Educator and Kings Lynn are set to run. So by the end of the weekend the King, with some luck, could be at 10 winners for the season..

 

Like London buses.......Works of Art gives the King his second 2yo winner for the season. She was always positioned well in 3rd or 4th on the inside and made ground quickly after the cutaway to lead at the distance. Though pressurised, she asserted easily and was coming away in the last quarter furlong. Her dam clearly stayed 7f and may have got further. This straightforward filly looks as if she will at least get 7f, but has the speed to win at 6f..

 

The 2023 foaling season is over and 19 Royal foals have been reported so far:-

Colt by Frankel out of Castle Lady
Colt by Lope de Vega out of Sweet Idea
Colt by Siyouni out of Companionship
Colt by Showcasing out of Make Fast
Colt by Kingman out of Award Scheme
Colt by Frankel out of Portfolio
Colt by Kingman out of Desert Breeze
Filly by Dark Angel out of Kinematic
Filly by Palace Pier out of Memory
Filly by Dubawi out of Thought Process
Filly by Ulysses out of Good Hope
Filly by Night of Thunder out of Light Music
Filly by Sea the Moon out of Approximate
Filly by Sottsass out of Queen’s Prize
Filly by Camelot out of Daphne
Filly by Camelot out of Desert Flyer
Filly by Too Darn Hot out of Shama
Filly by Sea the Stars out of Diploma
Filly by Dubawi out of Magnetic Charm

No returns for these mares:-
Nathra (covered by Dubawi)
Light Refrain (covered by Dubawi)
Estimate (covered by St Marks Basilica)
Enticement (covered by Night of Thunder)
Medley (not covered)
Momentary (not covered)
Hypoteneuse (not covered)
Golden Stream (not covered)
Craftiness (not covered)
Star Value (not covered)
Not covered mares (in 2022) could have been rested, retired or dead.

So out of 29 possible mares, 23 were covered of which 19 have produced live foals. The remaining 4 are unlikely (though not too late) to be reported to have produced a live foal. 6 mares were not covered.

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At the end of last year much was made, in the press, of the King reducing his racing interest. So, I thought I’d look back 5, 10 and 15+ years to see corresponding figures for mares in the Royal Stud and to get some perspective.
Five years ago, 2018, The Queen had 29 foals, 5 no returns (probably barren) and one dead mare, there were no rested mares that year.
In 2013 there were 23 live foals, 3 no returns (all barren) and one dead mare.
In 2008 there were 17 live foals, 3 no returns and one dead mare. One mare was rested.
In 2005 there were only 14 live foals and 4 barren mares, there were no rested mares.

This means that in the last 18 years the broodmare band grew from around18 mares in 2005 to 27 in 2013. The band grew further to 35 in 2018 but reduced to 29 mares this year. So, the Queen doubled her involvement between the mid-noughties to say 2020. The culling of mares and fillies of breeding age seen last year only brought the numbers back to where they were in say 2014/5. Importing of new blood started in the mid to late noughties (mentioned over the years by me) drove that growth of the number of broodmares in the Royal Stud. With a few exceptions it hasn’t been particularly successful. So perhaps a period of consolidation is needed. Personally, I’d like to see the number of broodmares trimmed to perhaps 24 to 26.

The King had 2 new mares join the ranks this year and presumably Mellow Yellow and Perfect Alibi have been covered this Spring. That raises the figure to perhaps 31 (I don’t know if some of the band were retired this Spring) plus he has 9-10 3yo fillies in training. I would not be surprised if a dozen mares and fillies of breeding age are sold this Autumn and December. He also has 14 2yo fillies, which means there are more opportunities to sell breeding stock next year (he may even sell some 2yo fillies this year, as he did last year). There’s no point in keeping poor or unsound stock.

 

Two runners on Friday, a first time for me, with a Royal runner at Hamilton. Circle of Fire didn't seem to get 14f so is dropped to 11f for the listed Glasgow Stakes. He re-opposes Checkpiece who beat him at Royal Ascot but the softer going should suit Circle of Fire.
The Glasgow Stakes used to be run at the York Dante Stakes meeting as a 'sort of' silver version of that race. It attracted more immature types than the Dante. I'm sure Commander in Chief won it. Similarly the silver version of the Musidora used be the Middleton Stakes. I was there the day Hellenic won it. It's now a Group2/3 race for 4yo+ fillies.

A new 2yo appears on the same day and that's King Lynn's full-sister Welsh Harbour. Over 6f at Haydock you'd hope for a promising run. The dam of these two horses is Kinematic, who won over 5.5f as a 2yo and was by Kyllachy. Her first 4 foals have all won, with Group 2s and 3s won. She's mainly been bred to fairly cheap sires (Cable Bay 3 times) but has a foal by Dark Angel.

Desert Hero seems to be pleasing the gallops watchers. He's got an entry for the St Leger and Great Voltigeur. He may take the Gordon Stakes route, which is midway between Royal Ascot and Doncaster.

 

Two miserable performances.

 

After a string of poor performances by his runners Desert Hero gave the King the biggest winner of his ownership.

Keeping up the spirit of not keeping horses when not required Kings Lynn has been sold privately and runs in new colours in Saturday's Stewards Cup.

About time we saw some new 2yos run.

 

Well an old 2yo, Serried Ranks, ran and won very well at Goodwood. He beat his stablemate (and the favourite) by 4 lengths with the rest of the field 14 lengths adrift. With 2lb per length that comfortably makes him the best horse in the field and at least underrated by 8lb. His rating must go to 92 at least, and I'd imagine 95 isn't out of the question.
A lot of fuss was made about him after his winning debut but he then ran a shocker on his subsequent start. Maybe he needs the easy going he got today.

The disappointing thing is that his mare, Pack Together, was sold last year in foal to Serried Ranks sire (Land Force) for 11,000gns: she looks cheap now. This was the other Feola (Hukum is the latest big winner from this family) mare in the stud. There is a yearling filly by Cable Bay.

The King's 10th winner of the year.