The Royal Stud 2019

So well past half way and the score on the door for the Queen is 19 wins (The Royal Stud has slightly more because of sold horses, specifically Hammer Gun). While this is only one less than the whole of last year I can't help be disappointed there isn't more (she does have a lot in training and a lot aren't running), and that there isn't the quality there.
Some key horses:
Sextant has won 3 times this year but when upped to Gp3 was found wanting.
Magnetic Charm ran a good race with top weight at Royal Ascot but then disappointed in a listed event.
Eightsome Bells also ran well at Royal Ascot but hasn't been seen since.
She's had two 2yo winners (Otago and Cloud Drift) but Otago looks limited and Cloud Drift may be the same.
Kings Lynn made a pleasing debut at Windsor and should be capable of winning a maiden.
Calculation is improving all the time but soon will have to step up to Listed/Group3 level. He does however appear a stayer in the making.
Invictus Spirit continues the Queen's bad luck with Frankel offspring as he appears of little account.

So what is there to look forward to. Well hopefully some good 2yos. First Receiver ran a good debut at Newmarket in mid-July but has not been entered since. The same for Award Scheme although she did worryingly flash her tail early in the race: could have been greenness, could have been temperament. Two 2yos have recently been entered. The first is Eight Bells who is already gelded but has shown promise on the gallops. The other is Fruition (Haggas) who is an Oasis Dream colt out of a new mare from the family of Dancing Brave. As regards further ahead Haggas has entered Dusty Dream in the Fillies Mile (a Haggas big entry has been the kiss of death recently though).
I got very sour about Shrewdness after two disappointing runs but on her latest start she really looked as if she was getting the hang of things. She's a big filly and may improve a good deal more.

A lot of horses have departed. Most notable was that Fabricate appears to have been retired. Just last year he was just beaten by Crystal Ocean at Sandown! A great servant he had some good seasons. A sad loss, probably due to injury, was the filly Equal Sum who looked classy on both her 2yo studs. She is now down to about 50 in training with a couple of winners (West Newton and Regular being sold).

It would be nice to have more runners. The fact that the Queen had only 3 runners at Ascot, 2 at Goodwood and only one at York is illustrative that something is missing.

 

Nice update Bustino. I know next to nothing about the Royal Stud mate, could you give me a bit of a heads up on who runs the breeding program? Who selects which mare goes which stallion?

And what sort of budget would the place have, are they big spenders?

 

The Royal Stud story is an interesting one, with a wonderful heritage dating back to Henry VIII, when the stud bred war horses. In Charles II time changes took place and racehorses eventually became the aim. When the Queen inherited the Royal Stud she also inherited her father and grandfathers’ Racing manager Captain Charles Moore. The ‘50s were probably the Queen’s golden period when she had a whole set of top racehorses led by Aureole but not far behind horses like Almeria, Pall Mall, Mulberry Harbour and High Veldt (she also owned Carozza who won the 1958 Oaks: she did not breed her as she was bred by the National Stud whose produce at that time raced for the Queen). The ‘60s saw a dip and at the end of the ‘60s Lord Porchester (later Carnarvon) was appointed as her racing manager with Michael Oswald as bloodstock manager. The ‘70s were not bad and she bred 2 double Classic winners: Highclere (1000G and Prix de Diane) and Dunfermline (Oaks and St Leger). Oswald who had been in the Royal Stud in the ‘50s and knew Aureole well said that of all the Queen’s horses Dunfermline was the best followed by Highclere and Aureole.

After Highclere’s daughter Height of Fashion (top staying 2yo of 1981 and eventually sire of Derby winner, Nashwan) the Stud went into a dip from which it has never really recovered. In about 2003 Carnarvon died and was succeeded by his son-in-law, John Warren, who then combined the role with that of Bloodstock manager. So to answer your question Cyc it is Warren who probably has the greatest direct influence on decisions regarding matings. However there is little doubt that the Queen herself will have some influence as she is very knowledgeable on bloodlines.

As far as I know the costs come out of the Queen’s purse and she owns her own studs and stands stallions (Aureole and Bustino were probably the most famous but she also stood Motivator and Royal Applause). Impossible to say how much her stallion nominations cost as there is a view that such is the goodwill towards the Queen in Racing that stallion owners offer nominations at improved terms. It’s hard to imagine the Queen being able to afford the Galileo and Dubawi nominations of the last 5 years.

Despite these high quality nominations the results have not followed on. An exercise that started 10 years ago has on paper changed the shape of the Royal Stud. Leading breeders, Godolphin, the Aga Khan and Juddmonte, have made 2yo fillies available to the Queen that eventually joined the Royal Stud (a great example is the Gold Cup winner, Estimate). Hopefully these initiatives will result in better horses in the near future.

In addition to this colts from Godolphin have raced for the Queen. The most notable being Carlton House in 2011 who was favourite for the Derby but only finished 3rd. There is little doubt that the racing fraternity would dearly love the Queen to win the Derby, but the sands of time are running out.

So Warren is the man. He’s done a reasonable job but not a great job, and I'm sure he's been influential in the direction of the stud. The next 5-10 years may improve the situation.

 

Thanks mate, I appreciate the effort you put in on my behalf.

 

Nice to see a Royal winner (Kings Lynn) at Doncaster today

 

Cyc

These are a couple of books which give a good bit of info on the Royal Stud - the first book is especially good but only goes up to the mid 1970s

1. All the Queen's horses by WRF Curling (it hails from the 1970s)
2. Her Majesty's Pleasure: How Horseracing Enthrals the Queen by Julian Muscat (first published 2012)

I've seen both for sale on Amazon

 

Agree totally with Janabelle, 1 is an excellent book.

 

Two weeks back the Queen equalled her 2018 wins score when the 2yo Vindicate won on the all-weather. Then a couple of weeks when quite a few dreams and bubbles were burst. The most disappointing was perhaps Dusty Dream's debut but not far behind was the total eclipse of Calculation.
Yesterday's victory by Kings Lynn was therefore a great filip for her and the Royal Stud. A big value race that will keep the wolf from the door for a few weeks. This colt's breeding is a little different to what you usually expect from the stud.He is by a fast horse called Cable Bay, who is by Invincible Spirit out of a Diktat mare. He was at his best over 7f. What is not surprising is he stands at the Highclere Stud. He's had a good first season and Kings Lynn is the second best Cable Bay seen so far.
Unlike many Royal families this one goes back 6 generations to a mare called Lyrical that found its way into the stud in the 1970s. Her best son for the Queen was a good handicapper called Rhyme Royal (by Tudor Melody) who also ran 2nd in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes. His half-sister Contralto ( Busted ) won twice from 3 starts. Her daughter Soprano (by Kris) was good enough to be placed in the Coronation Stakes and win a couple of Listed races. When sent to Shirley Heights she produced a staying filly called Zenith, who didn't quite reach the level of her dam but was felt good enough to stay in the stud. Her daughter by Alzao (Spinning Top) hardly ran but did win and was 2nd in the Lupe Stakes. She now has two daughters in the stud. The first is Humdrum, (Dr Fong) who has so far had 5 foal to race all of which have won. Her sister Kinematic (by Kyllachy) was a fast 2yo, who in fact holds the course record for Chester (5.5f).
I was totally surprised when Kinematic was retained for the paddocks. She was by a sprinting sire and had won but only once as a 2yo but not as a 3yo. Maybe the Royal Stud should look to inject more speed into their mares.
Kings Lynn is the first foal of Kinematic. There is a yearling full-brother, an Oasis Dream foal and this year she was sent to Recorder. I think an uptick in partner may take place now. As to Kings Lynn he should easily stay 7f. He seems to have a nice temperament so maybe 8f isn't out of the question, but for now 6-7f should be about right.

Of the Queen's 4 2yo winners so far this year, one is a son of Spinning Top (Otago), one a son of Humdrum (Cloud Drift) and now Kings Lynn giving Spinning Top and her daughters 3 out of 4.

 

The Queen at last had a winner sired by Frankel when Invictus spirit won his maiden at Chester. Sadly, just after the post he broke down and was later put down.

 

The Queen has named all her GB bred yearlings. As ever some well-named individuals. The yearling missing is the Japan bredd Deep Impact filly out of Diploma.


Pineapple Ring f Kingman - Ananas
Sergeant Major f Siyouni - Aurore
Sentence f Dubawi - Caraboss
Safe Passage (GB) f Paco Boy - Daring Aim
Eastern Dawn (GB) f Iffraaj = Dawn Glory
Secret Haunt (GB) f Dubawi - Enticement
Evaluation (GB) c Dubawi -) Estimate
Shepherd's Delight (GB) c Golden Horn - Fiery Sunset
Bookmark (GB) f New Approach - Free Verse
Chalk Stream (GB) c Sea The Stars - Golden Stream
Encourage (GB) c Iffraaj - Good Hope
Humming Bee c Oasis Dream - Humdrum
Geometrist f Kingman - Hypoteneuse
Collinsbay c Cable Bay - Kinematic
Light Refrain f (GB) Frankel - Light Music
Tactical (GB) c Toronado - Make Fast
Thought Process f Galileo - Memory
Wink of An Eye c Dubawi - Momentary
Closeness f Iffraaj - Pack Together
Pied Piper c New Approach - Pure Fantasy
Tynwald c Toronado - Queen's Prize
Sun Festival c Toronado - Raymi Coya
Orderofsuccession f Siyouni - Sequence
Orchestral c Lope de Vega - Set To Music
Stimulate f Motivator - Shama
Realist c Camelot - Silver Mirage
Companionship f Galileo - Sweet Idea (AUS)

 

Really seems to lean towards the dam side when naming her horses

 

Yes, you are right. A couple for the sire and perhaps Pied Piper is the only one possibly taking on both parents names. Quite like his breeding.
Lots of homebred 2yos for next year: 27 yearlings, possibly 28, that's a lot more than usual.

 

I wish she would send Estimate to a more pacey sire

 

There’s a colt foal by Frankel and she’s in foal to Siyouni. That’s a bit better. I’d send her to Blue Point (a bit of rough).

 

Since Stick pointed out horses in the Autumn sales, those horses have won 5 races and had a Group 3 2nd. All except one was withdrawn from the Sale.

 

I'm sure she really enjoys naming the youngsters

 

I bet she has to meet them before she decides. Would be a really cool thing to do, name your own racehorse.

 

Some of the names sound like crossword cryptic clues.

 

Been slow to realise that Shepherds Delight could be seen as a little risqué.

 

Last yearling named: Portfolio f by Deep Impact out of Diploma.

That makes it 28 2yos next year: 50% of each sex.