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A couple of Breeders

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by Bustino74, Aug 9, 2012.

  1. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    At just past mid-year I thought I’d look at a couple of owner-breeders I follow and look at their fortunes so far this year, their prospects for the rest of the year and what is happening at the stud (as far as one can tell).

    The first is the Ballymacoll Stud, who after the cracking years of 2008/9, when they had the fine colts Conduit, Tartan Bearer and Patkai, have been living on slim pickings since. Last year they had 5 wins and this year so far have had 3. For a stud that boasts its past record and about 22-24 supposedly choicely bred mares, that doesn’t look good enough. Their best performer this year has been Fiorente, who was appearing a bit of a disappointment until he won a muddling Princess of Wales Stakes (in admittedly good fashion). It appeared that he relished the softish ground and was not stopping at the end of the 12f. But this reported to be ‘2nd best horse in the yard’ (a comment made May 2011) is going to struggle to be a Group 1 horse unless he picks up one overseas.

    Their chief hope amongst the 3yos this year was El Greco (a Monsun half brother to Patkai and Modun out of Islington’s full-sister Olympienne). He was their only entry in the Derby and was expected to pick up a maiden before going onto better things. Unfortunately he died in the Spring. Of the other inmates of either Stoute’s or Meehan’s yards a whole pile was sent to the July Sales, so that by mid-July there were only five 3yos left out of an original army of 15: again not healthy statistics. Two have won, the first being the Sir Percy colt Sir John Hawkwood, who is from what I’d call the 3rd Ballymacoll family, that being the one started with the purchase of a Sir Gaylord filly called Gaily in 1972. Gaily went on to win the 1974 Irish Guineas and finish second in the Irish Oaks. Her most famous great grandson was that tough colt Pilsudski. He didn’t really get going until he was a 4yo and then improved dramatically. Sir John Hawkwood may be the same. He won of his debut like a really good horse but then trailed in last in bottomless going. He keeps getting good gallops write-ups but may be a better horse next year. The only other horse from the Gaily family in the fold is the 2yo filly Supernova Heights (by Oasis Dream), who has run two reasonable races but doesn’t look another Gaily. As the mare Athene (Gaily’s only relative in the stud) is 21 I’d be surprised if this filly doesn’t retire to their stud whatever she does.

    The rest of the 3yos appear underwhelming. Scottish Vespers (a Dylan Thomas gelding out of the Irish Oaks second Scottish Stage) appears a rogue, although he did manage a weak maiden. Fleur de Cactus (by Montjeu out of a half-sister to Islington) may win her maiden sometime but again appears no world beater. Debating Society (an Invincible Spirit half-brother to Scottish Stage and Eleanora Duse) is very ordinary. That leaves the unraced Dansili filly, Star Rating, who is the third living foal of the excellent Islington. This mare’s stud career has been very disappointing with one small victory to her offspring’s tally despite being sent to excellent sires (although often barren in her first 4 seasons). Star Rating has not been entered nor mentioned on the gallops and I can’t help thinking this Dansili filly will find herself at the December Sales this year.

    After that disappointing lot Ballymacoll must hope that there’s something to shout about amongst the 2yos. Best out so far has been Theodore Gericault (a Sir Percy colt out of a grand-daughter of Hellenic's dam). He looked very promising on his debut and should go on from that. He was expected to run well (but green) so there’s maybe more to come. Curiously Ballymacoll sold the dam and the granddam so with only a full-brother yearling to this year’s 2yo this branch of the Country House family (Ballymacoll’s best family and the family of Reform, Hellenic, Islington, Golan etc.) will now die out. But there are plenty of other branches of the Country House line.

    Looking at that family first the 2yo Auld Alliance (by Montjeu and a half-sister to Golan and Tartan Bearer) catches the eye. The dam has been pretty consistent as a broodmare and if it wasn’t a Montjeu filly one would probably expect a lot from this cleverly named filly. The other Country House 2yo member is a full-sister to Star Rating called Bohemian Dance. Surprisingly this filly has been mentioned on the gallops (!), and mentioned as being a good mover but at the moment not showing a lot of speed. Islington ran twice as a 2yo, so it is strange that they are not getting to the track. Islington’s dam, Hellenic ran once as a 2yo, but after Islington her produce showed a real disinclination to appear as 2yos. All Ballymacoll’s classic winners and best horses appeared as 2yos so this trend is a concern (for example Conduit ran three times). I think this statistic speaks for itself.

    The other family (and not far behind Country House’s family) is that of Sunny Gulf, the family of Conduit, Spectrum, Sun Princess (and Sharmadal and Street Cry) and many others. They are much better represented amongst the 2yos. I’ll only mention two for now: the first is a Monsun colt out of Spring Symphony called Arab Spring. He is therefore a half-brother to Ballymacoll’s most recent Group 1 winner Glass Harmonium. Spring Symphony is closely bred to Conduit being by Darshaan (Conduit’s sire was Dalakhani by Darshaan) out of Conduit’s dam Well Head. The second I’ll mention is a filly called Centred, who is a Dalakhani half-sister to Eleanora Duse and Scottish Stage: both of whom were Group 1 placed.

    Looking further ahead to next year’s 2yos there is a Sea the Stars half-brother to Centred etc. and a Galileo half-sister to Golan. There is also the admirable mare Olympienne’s Pivotal colt. But there are many other choicely bred animals. One thing I will not be surprised to find is that a handful of these yearlings go off to the sales this autumn. Ballymacoll cannot afford to carry on without horses that win big races or colts that can be sold as stallions. The cupboard has been bare since 2009 so an infusion of cash from selling some yearlings (which they last did in 2007) would not surprise me at all, especially as they usually have their yearlings named by now but have not so far done so. The point being that owners like to name their own horses.

    Actually it’s not quite true that Ballymacoll has only had 3 wins, Ballymacoll Stud have had 5 wins because Ruscello (by Cape Cross out of Sea Picure: Theodore Gericault’s granddam) was sold as a once raced 2yo out of Stoute's stable but has won 2 races this year.
     
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  2. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    So that’s one owner breeder. The other is the Royal Studs. A few years ago they appeared to be concentrating on two families, but probably the biggest change to the Royal Stud and its inmates (in the last 80 years) has taken place over the last 5 years and the scene is very different.

    The Queen has had 12 winners this year, but 5 of them were not bred by her and this is a reflection of that change. The most famous is probably Carlton House, last year’s Derby 3rd. No doubt this season was about creating him as a stallion to perhaps stand at Sandringham, but that is all now in tatters. Despite his decent seasonal win and acceptable 2nd in the Prince of Wales to So You Think, he now appears a horse without a distance after running an awful race at Ascot in the weakly contested Summer Mile.

    A better performer this year has been Queen’s Vase winner Estimate. This filly by Monsun was bred by the Aga Khan and is half-sister to his champion filly Ebadiyla. Having won twice over 12 and 16f she looks to need every yard of 14f already so will not be a source of speed when she retires to the Royal Stud. Perhaps a better paddock prospect is Set to Music. This filly has won one race this year but I can’t help but feel she is slightly disappointing. She is however a descendant of Petite Etoile’s only daughter Zahra, who is the source of his Z family. This must be a great addition to the Queen’s mares. The Aga Khan has also supplied the other ‘bought-in’ winner this year in Sequence. This Selkirk filly is a half-sister to Sinndar, and looks a reasonable racehorse, even if late maturing. These three fillies will join another eyecatching mare, Key Point (by Galileo), who is a half-sister to Kalanisi, and has been sent to Elusive Quality for her first covering.

    The Aga Khan has also supplied a 2yo filly to The Queen in the shape of Cape Cross’s Dalliefour (with Bell) who is from the Darshaan family. Apparently she is showing promise but needs time. Bell has another 2yo filly of the Queen’s called Gamble who is reported more forward. This Galileo filly is out of a half-sister of Elmaamul and Reams of Verse, so presumably supplied by Juddmonte. The Queen appears to have supplied Juddmonte with an Oasis Dream colt out of Hypotenuse (a Sadler’s Wells full sister to the Queen’s Oaks 2nd Flight of Fancy). I noticed that this 2yo colt is named Pythagorean and is in training with Roger Charlton. He was a decent third on his debut at Newmarket.

    Stoute has two unraced 2yo colts both by Street Cry. Circus Turn appears to have been supplied by Sheikh Mohammed (like Carlton House), while the ‘bought in’ Berkeley House is actually from the Queen’s own Feola family, being a great grandson of Highclere (her dual classic winner). Berkeley House did get some positive mentions in May/June but has not been heard of lately.

    Of the Queen’s 7 homebred winners 4 come from the Phantom Gold branch of the Amicable family. The best racehorses have been Phantom Gold herself, and her daughter Flight of Fancy. Momentary looked to be the most promising but seemed to lose her way after an impressive win in the Sandleford Priory Stakes where she beat dual Oaks second Shirocco Star. She appeared to get distressed at Ascot in the Ribblesdale Stakes and was not as impressive in her follow up race. Maybe she needs some time and to get her confidence back, but this Nayef granddaughter of Flight of Fancy will make a good broodmare. Her close relation Glittering Gold was brought along slowly and won a small 12f race at Folkestone on his second outing. As he was impressive and appeared to have tons of scope this Galileo son of Phantom Gold was expected next time out. Surprisingly he was dropped in distance and ridden from the back in a slow run affair and ran no sort of race. He might do a lot better. The only other 3yo worthy of mention from this family at the moment is Free Verse (by Danehill Dancer out of a full sister to Phantom Gold). She won well over 7f at Newmarket and followed up with a promising effort at Ascot. She may win more and will be a good prospect for the paddocks having had the speed to win at 6f once and 7f twice.

    The other promising 3yo is the gelding Border Legend. He is from a recent bought in Grand Lodge mare and this son of Selkirk ran3 promising races winning the third of them in good style. He appears to be suited by 8-9f and if he can improve come the Autumn may be a candidate for the Cambridgeshire. He still has some strengthening to do, so a 4yo campaign may see the most from this gelding.

    Looking at the Amicable family there are a few interesting 2yos. I’ll only mention a few of them at this stage but the pedigree of Vapour Trail (a Dalakhani half-sister to Momentary looks good on paper). At the moment he is not assigned to a trainer, something the Queen has been doing more of in the last few years. A colt who looks interesting on paper is Domesday Book, who is by Street Cry out of the Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Film Script, so half-brother to Free Agent.

    Now on to the other (and more established) ‘Royal’ family of Feola: this is the family of Aureole and classic winners Hypericum, Highclere, Nashwan and Ghanaati. This family has had one minor 3yo winner this year in the form of Autumn Fire, who is unlikely to find herself amongst the ranks of the Royal mares. A more interesting prospect is the Oasis Dream filly Dawn Glory. Slightly disappointing on her 2yo outing, she reappeared in July to run a race full of promise and with normal progress should follow up. She is a half-sister to the useful Caraboss (by Cape Cross: who is thought enough of to be sent to Smart Strike for her first mating), and as a great granddaughter of the influential Highclere will be a valuable addition to the paddocks. The Queen badly needs her Feola mares to strengthen in quality as while the family has flourished elsewhere she has not matched that success. I can’t get excited about any of the 2yos from this family.

    One mare of the Queen’s who does appear interesting is Medley. By Danehill Dance and bred by the Queen she was a decent 2yo running 4th in the Albany Stakes and winning three other races. She has her first foal in training with Richard Hannon. Called Sea Shanty, this Elusive Quality colt ran a highly promising debut: expect him to get off the mark next time.

    Looking ahead it is obvious from the above that the Royal Studs are going through a revolution. Next year they will have the first foal from the good Montjeu filly Enticement (purchased in 2007) in training (by Street Cry). The stud has also purchased the quirky but talented Memory from the Highclere syndicates. Putting these with the other mares the Queen looks as if she will have a stronger hand in the years to come, and when we are celebrating her 75th Anniversary on the throne she may just have the ammunition to supply her with that much wanted Derby winner.
     
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  3. Janabelle13

    Janabelle13 Well-Known Member

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    Really interesting articles. Thanks Bustino
     
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  4. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Well Fleur de Cactus won her maiden and Sir John Hawkwood won like the really good horse he appeared on his debut. That takes Ballymacoll up to last year's total of 5. (Surprisingly good prices 5-1 and 4-1: shows the lack of confidence!).

    The filly FdC won (in the end) well over 13f but probably needs a strongly run 12f as a minimum and she's now got to take the step up to handicap class. I think she'll go to stud for 2 reasons. The first is that her dam died this year: Desert Beauty, a Green Desert half-sister to Islington, hasn't been the greatest success at stud, but her unraced daughter Desert Bloom has produced 3 winners from her first three foals to run, and they include Fiorente. The second is that Ballymacoll have no daughters of Montjeu (and there aren't going to be too many more) so will be worth having this one just in case.

    I'm really pleased Sir John Hawkwood went in. Amazingly he was entered for last year's HIT sales as an unraced 2yo, but then started getting rave write-ups on the gallops, so was withdrawn from the sales. He was fully expected first time out this year as his gallops again had been superb. The absolute defeat in his second race was somewhat of a surprise, but obviously he just couldn't handle the heavy ground even though he won on soft. This just might be a very good horse and I'll expect him to win a Group 3 this year at some stage before going on to better things. Sir Percy must just about be the cheapest stallion Ballymacoll use. This is their first pop with him and Theodore Gericault is the second (now 2yo). The have a yearling full brother to Theodore Gericault and North Light's half-sister Seeking Kali was covered by Sir Percy this year. Maybe they should send more mares to this underated horse and sire.

    Sir John Hawkwood's near-sale is reminiscent of Reform back in '65. He was not liked as a yearling as he had a deformity in his foreleg. so was sent to the sales but unsold. Also because of this he was not entered for the 2000 Guineas as a foal/yearling, and there were no late entries in those days. He went into training with the idea of getting him going early and then selling him off. He was unplaced first time out then proceeded to win the rest of his 2yo races including the then Rous Memorial Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was even better as a 3yo. He may have beaten Royal Palace in the 2000G but he won the St James Palace, Sussex, Princess Elizabeth and Champion Stakes (beating Royal Palace and the 2000G 2nd Taj Dewan). Not a great sire but you'll find him in the bottom half of Camelot's pedigree as the sire of Polygamy's full-sister One over Parr, who is Camelot's great, great granddam. I don't expect Sir John Hawkwood to be anywhere near Reform sadly.
     
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  5. Tamerlo

    Tamerlo Well-Known Member

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    Great Article, Bustino! I must admit that all these inter-related blood lines can get a bit confusing for simple lads like me- I have half-cousins I never knew existed!
    For everyone else's benefit, I am taking the liberty of resubmitting a relevant Article you posted about 3 years ago on BBC 606. I hope you don't mind.<ok>

    50 Group Ones- by Bustino (July 2009):

    Whilst Conduit’s victory in the KG&QE has been damned by faint praise one thing that must be praised is the milestone of 50 Group 1 winners (reached with Conduit’s win) bred by the Ballymacoll Stud. While there are a number of really good horses (such as Pilsudski, Troy and Admetus) who aren’t, most of these winners emanate from just two families. Conduit is part of what I’d call the Sunny Gulf family, but in this thread I’d like to talk about the other family, the Country House family.

    To those with a few years on the clock the name Reform (the best horse trained by Sir Gordon Richards) will be well known. This Pall Mall colt (out of Country House) was foaled in 1965 and won 6 of his 7 2yo races. He was not entered for the 2000Guineas but he did win the St James Palace, Sussex and Princess Elizabeth Stakes as a 3yo. He then rounded of his career with a victory in the Champion Stakes beating Royal Palace, thus becoming the first Group 1 winner of this family bred at Ballymacoll (Ballymacoll’s first Group 1 winner was Dart Board who won the 1966 Dewhurst Stakes). In 1966 a full-sister to Reform was foaled and Knighton House has turned out to be an important founder of one branch of this family. Though not the same class as her full-brother she was useful and won one race and was placed in the Coronation and Sun Chariot Stakes. She is the dam of the Diatome filly Sea Venture, who in turn had the useful Homeric filly Grecian Sea. Sent to Darshaan she produced Hellenic who won the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and was second in the St Leger.

    Hellenic has spent a great deal of her stud life visiting Sadler’s Wells. Her first foal was the backward Group 3 winner Election Day. Three years later she produced the Group 1 winner Greek Dance (also 2nd in 4 Group 1s), and hit the jackpot in 1999 when their full-sister Islington was born and who turned out to be a multi-Group 1 winner. Sent to Danehill for a change in 2001 her foal was the Group 1 winner Mountain High. Hellenic has a 2yo in training with Sir Michael Stoute (SMS) called LA DIVINA(by Sadler’s Wells). If such a good mare has a weakness it is that her offspring rarely run as 2yos and none have won as 2yos. However she still has a chance of equalling Urban Sea’s feat of being the dam of four Group 1 winners.

    Hellenic has two other daughters at stud. The eldest is the Green Desert mare Desert Beauty who has a Medicean 2yo filly called BELLEZZA MEDICEA in training with SMS. Her other daughter is Islington’s unraced full-sister Olympienne, whose first foal is the Indian Ridge colt Patkai (already the winner of two Group 3 races). Olympienne’s 2yo colt is MODUN(by Kings Best) and again trained by SMS.

    Grecian Sea has another daughter at Ballymacoll and that is the Royal Academy mare Sea Picture. She has a 2yo gelding in training with SMS called RHYTON(by Rainbow Quest).

    Going back to Knighton House’s daughter Sea Venture, she had another daughter called Sailor’s Mate (by Shirley Heights and a Group 3 winner) who in turn when bred to Last Tycoon produced Naval Affair. Now sold this mare has a 2yo filly called FIELD DAY(by Cape Cross) in training with Brian Meehan.

    But the family doesn’t end there with Islington and her siblings because there was another daughter of Country House. This was the cleverly named Queens Castle (by Sovereign Path) who was one of the first winners trained for the Sobell/Weinstock partnership by Dick Hern in 1971. Not a particularly talented filly she became the ancestor of several group winners and is the founder of the second branch. Sent to Charlottown (and there are few times you see that Derby winner in a pedigree) she produced a filly called Edinburgh, who in turn produced the Shirley Heights filly Scots Lass. To Commanche Run Scots Lass produced the group winning Bonny Scot (and St Leger placed). Sent to Generous she produced Highland Gift and her first foal was the 2000Guineas and KG&QE winning Golan (by Spectrum). She has also produced the Group 2 winning Tartan Bearer, who has three times been second in Group 1 races. She has a 2yo colt HIGHLAND PARK (by Pivotal;one of my favourite malt) and full-brother to the promising Leocorno.

    Highland Gift has a half-sister at Ballymacoll: the Nashwan filly Mary Stuart. A better race filly than Highland Gift she has not been so lucky at stud. She does have a 2yo filly by Verglas called MARIE DE GUISE.

    Edinburgh was also the dam of the Ela Mana Mou mare Greektown. She produced the Group 1 winning colt Gamut (by Spectrum) and has produced Rainbow City (now sold, but who has the Sinndar 2yo colt L FRANK BAUM with Brian Meehan) and then to Groom Dancer produced Wedding Cake, who has the Dr Fong colt SPOSALIZIO in training with SMS.
     
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  6. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Centred is entered Friday at Lingfield with Moore up. Half -sister Scottish Stage won first time out as a 2yo, and then her other half-sister Eleanora Duse ran as a 2yo and won once. She may need the experience, but at least promising that she's running before the end of August.
    Supernova Heights drops back to 6f on Saturday at Newbury after failing as favourite over 7f at Goodwood. Looks another tough event. Will be disappointing if she's not at least placed. Athene her dam has produced stayers and sprinters, and it took a while to realise that both Machinist (won 8 races) and Greek Renaissance (won 5 including a Gp 3),both by Machiavellian, were sprinters and not milers/middle distance animals. It may be that Supernova Heights will be better at 6f than her pedigree at first suggests.
     
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  7. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Sequence goes for the Queen todayand although moving up to an all-age handicap should be there or thereabouts. She also has Traveller's Tales (a great grandaughter of All Along) going.
    Hopefully Centred will give Stoute his first 2yo winner of the year on Friday.
    I'm hoping that Sea Shanty will be the Queen's first 2yo winner of the season on the same day and she may pick up a double as Galleon (with trusted Winston in the plate) and Free Verse are far from out of it.
     
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  8. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Well Sequence went in really well on the 16th and then ran again in the Galtres last week. Having led all the way when winning, Hughes dropped her in-behind in that race, which I didn't understand. She was placed and has black type but I'd like to have seen her used more enterprisingly.
    Ballymacoll's fith 3yo Debating Society (I didn't mention him above) at last got his head in front at Epsom at the sixth attempt. He may go on from that. He keeps up the good record of the mare Drama Class, who has had only one dud so far. Her next year's 2yo is a colt by Sea the Stars, following the promising Centred (who was not given a hard race first time out: expect her to take a 7 or 8f maiden before the end of the season).
    The Queen has two running today, and while Traveller's Tale is not without a chance it is the debutant, Inaugural, that I find more interesting. He is bred by the Royal Studs but from a recently bought in Saddler's Wells' mare called Anasazi. By Invincible Spirit his mum just happens to be a half-sister to Dancing Brave, so Juddmonte must have 'provided' her. The best horse she's produced is Runaway (by Kings Best). Now 19 I guess the stud must be hoping she produces a useful filly to start a new line for the Royal Stud, but for now this may be a useful colt: worth just a watching brief today. I have no idea of her 2011 produce or matings.
    Tomorrow Glittering Gold may get the Winston benefit. A promising winner over 12f on his second ever outing he was dropped to 10f and ridden at the back as if he had blistering pace in his next race over 10f. He was disappointing. They've kept to 10f tomorrow but expect Winston to make more use of him.
     
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  9. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Stoute has at least won a 2yo race and today he may do it for Ballymacoll with the interesting Liber Nauticus. An Azamour filly out of a three parts unraced sister of Conduit. With Fallon on board she may run a big race. Unheard of on the gallops so far.
    Glittering Gold was a bitter disappointment, as was Inaugural!
     
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  10. PNkt

    PNkt Well-Known Member

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    A nice debut for the filly, coming with a wet sail.
     
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  11. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    As pN said a nice debut and Liber Nauticus&#8217;s run yesterday is worth a look if you haven&#8217;t seen it. The penny didn&#8217;t drop until nearly the furlong marker but she then swept past the three in front of her. This is Stoute&#8217;s first first-time-out 2yo winner for Ballymacoll since 2008 (Leocorno) and before that 2005 (Scottish Stage). Liber Nauticus ran very green and she was given the full Fallon treatment, with vigorous scrubbing applied from just after leaving the stalls. Her next run will be very interesting. She will have certainly learnt a lot from yesterday&#8217;s outing and if she can apply it, with the speed she seems to have, then she could be a pretty good filly. As to her next race the May Hill is too near so I&#8217;d expect an October Newmarket or Newbury date to be on the list. Although she needed the full 8f yesterday that was mainly because she did not pick up the bit until the distance. I would not be worried if they dropped her to 7f next time out. Serres has no yearling, but has an Invincible Spirit colt foal.

    A 2yo relation runs on Friday (or Saturday), and this is the Zamindar colt Vodnik. Similar to Liber Nauticus his dam Dance of the Sea, did not see the racecourse but is well related. She is by Sinndar out of River Dancer (a most important mare and the dam of Spectrum (by Rainbow Quest) who won the Irish 2000G and Champion Stakes, his full-brother Streams of Gold who won the Lincoln and Well Head the unraced dam of Conduit, Glass Harmonium&#8217;s dam and Serres [Liber Nauticus&#8217;s dam]). Dance of the Sea&#8217;s first foal was Nibani, who went into many notebooks after his promising first-time-out 4th as a 2yo. But any dreams turned to a ball of chalk after his 3yo debut was such a disaster. The chop and a rest until he was a 4yo were to no avail and he was sold. This is her first offspring to run since and in the meantime she has been sold by Ballymacoll. There is a yearling filly by Dalakhani. Given these circumstances I&#8217;d only advise a watching brief tomorrow.

    The Queen is yet to get off the mark with a 2yo this year but has an interesting candidate at Salisbury tomorrow. Sweet as Honey is a Duke of Marmalade filly out of Tempting Prospect. The dam was a reasonable 2yo and is one of 5 daughters of Trying for Gold currently in the stud (there were 6 at one time) and this is the family of Flight of Fancy and this year&#8217;s reasonable filly Momentary. Tempting Prospect has had 2 good offspring so far in Promotion and Tactician, and has the recent 3yo winner Galleon (who also runs Thursday and should follow up). This filly is in training with Hannon (usually Stoute gets the stouter bred horses) but I expect this filly (with Hughes riding) to put up a good show on Thursday and to be in the shake-up.
     
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  12. PNkt

    PNkt Well-Known Member

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    Another very good name from Her Maj with SWEET AS HONEY!
     
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  13. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Sweet as Honey ran an OK debut and racewatchers seemed to think she wasn't particularly wound up for her debut. Need to see improvement next time out.

    Difficult to know what to make of Vodnik's debut today. He goes straight to a conditions race (of sorts) and it looks to be a 3 runner field with one good competitor in the already winning Hamdan runner. Stoute rarely does this although he did run an unraced colt of the Queen's in this race in 2003 (strangely enough a Hamdan favourite was turned over by a Tregoning trained Ballymacoll debutant: who turned out to be good enough to win the Royal Lodge and come 2nd in the 2000G). I'm still put off by the fact the mare has been sold, but they've sold a mare before and then had a good horse from its last few produce (Field Day was the most recent but the mistake was Pilsudski). I expect Vodnik to run 2nd today, but no more. I hope he shows lots of fight and promise, something Nibani didn't do.

    Debating Society has surprised me by winning his second race (on Wednesday). He seems to have grown up. Ballymacoll have now won 8 races. I should have written this article a little earlier in the year. There are still a lot of choice bred 2yos to get out from Ballymacoll and the Queen.
     
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  14. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Centred appears for the second time tomorrow and I'll be really disappointed if she doesn't win this Leicester maiden. By Dalakhani out of the Caerleon mare Drama Class, she comes from the family of the Oaks/Leger winner Sun Princess, who is Drama Class's grand dam. Drama Class was out of Stage Struck (by Sadler's Wells) so is inbred to Northern Dancer and Centred's sire provides the Never Bend line to give the cross or nick that is so favoured at the moment. Drama Class has had six foals to race and 5 of them have won. The best two were Scottish Stage who finished 2nd in the Ribblesdale and Irish Oaks, and Eleanora Duse who won a Group 2 as a 3yo, as well as being placed in the Yorkshire Oaks. Both these fillies won as 2yos with the former being the better animal at that age.

    She is to be ridden by Buick so I assume Stoute means business. She ran well first time out but she wasn't asked too many questions. It will be disappointing for the stable and owners if she doesn't deliver when asked the question tomorrow.
     
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  15. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Centred couldn't have been more disappointing (annoyingly called CENT RED by the ignorant Sporting Life caller) . Backed into odds on favouratism she didn't show the expected improvement and finished 6th. Eleanora Duse did exactly the same on her second start ( and the came out and won at the third attempt) so if this filly appears again this year she will be there to lose her maiden.

    Supernova Heights won at the fifth attempt when dropped to Class 5. But she won quite handily and there may be more to come. She has now surely booked her place in the Ballymacoll paddocks in 2014.

    Sweet as Honey doesn't look up to winning as a 2yo and it'll be better to wait until next year on this one.
    Inaugural runs again tomorrow and will have to do a lot better to keep his privates or at least his place at Beckhampton.
    But I do believe Sea Shanty will get it right this time for Hughes and Hannon.
     
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  16. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Well Supernova Heights came out again and ran a decent 4th in a good nursery at Newmarket. That may be it from her for the season and it may be almost the last we see from Ballymacoll this season as they have no entries and nothing being mentioned on the gallops. Fiorente has been sold and is to be aimed at the Melbourne Cup by her new trainer Gai Waterhouse. She described him as the most beautiful horse she'd ever seen.

    Berkeley Street made a long overdue debut in a Nottingham maiden yesterday and while not getting into the real race with a couple of good 2yos did at least show promise. By Street Cry this is a purchased animal but looks like a Royal bred horse as the dam is a great grandaughter of Highclere and so traces back to the 1930's purchased Feola. Few families are as dominant as this one. I'd guess they may try to get another run into him just as they did with Carlton House (another Street Cry purchase). Like Carlton House Berkeley Street may turn out to be a miler.

    One horse bred by the Queen that's been getting some applause on the gallops is the unraced 2yo colt Bold Sniper: a clever name for the produce of New Approach and Daring Aim. This mare has so far produced 2 winners, the best of which was probably Highland Glen, who was a real handful at the start and despite winning 3 times often didn't get off. In a way he was taking after mum, as Daring Aim was as Jimmy Lindley would eloquently say '' a right cow''. Beautifully bred, this colt could be anything but I'll be hoping he doesn't show too many mulish traits first time out. (By the way Daring Aim was one of the horses Fallon is supposed to have given as a loser back in 2004. However Fallon then proceeded to ride his back off to win on her despite her best efforts to do otherwise).

    I'm still hoping Sea Shanty will redeem himself in the coming weeks as he is being entered but withdrawn because of the going. The form of his debut still looks good.

    Meanwhile another Feola family 2yo makes his debut in the next few days. This is the Tiger Hill colt White Month (Balding), whose dam is the Rahy mare Purple Heather (a grand-daughter of Highclere). It must be a long time since the Queen has not had a 2yo winner in a season. Balding did have a 2nd winner for the Queen this season when Bank Bonus went in at Chester. This colt's form highlights Sir John Hawkwood who left him for dead on his debut.

    Finally Carlton House will come out next week to make up for his disappointing run at Ascot in the Summer Mile. He is being aimed at the big Ascot Mile Race as they have definitely decided that 8f is his distance.
     
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  17. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Sea Shanty at last returns to the track. His first start sees him way ahead of this field, as he was only beaten by the Middle Park Stakes 2nd. A reproduction of that form should see him safely home but surprisingly Hannon doesn't give him a mention on his news column. An interesting newcomer for Roger Charlton in this race with Mawson, who Cyclonic should know all about being by Starcraft out of a daughter of Bravery.

    Hopefully Sea Shanty will be the Queen's second winner of the day as Inaugural steps out for the third time in the first. Charlton was somewhat dismissive of his first run but seemed to warm to him after his fair 4th at 50-1 on his second outing. That was on firm ground and it remains to be seen if he will handle soft.

    Tomorrow the Queen has 2 runners in the mile maiden, Candoluminescence and Sweet as Honey. Both of these could run big races. Here's hoping the Queen at last gets a 2yo winner this season as time is running out.

    If one Ballymacoll horse has been talked up by the gallops reporters this year it has been Sir John Hawkwood. Tomorrow he makes his fifth start (2 wins with form of 1010) in a handicap at Newbury. On his best form he must go close. But while the gallops reporters like him they've also said he looks a touch weak and will be a better 4yo. It looks as if he'll be Ballymacoll's only 4yo next season. I expect him to win tomorrow.
     
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  18. PNkt

    PNkt Well-Known Member

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    I see the Ballymacoll-bred GLASS HARMONIUM runs in tomorrow's Cox Plate. He's had a good run in Australia, picking up a G1, a G2 and placing in numerous other Group races.
     
    #18
  19. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Runs totally differently in Australia. In England he was always at the back of the field and Moore attempted to come through the lot in the last 2 furlongs. In Australia he's at or near the front. If Moore has a weakness it's that, and to be fair he wasn't doing it as much this year. Ballymacoll in Sobell/Arnold Weinstock days used to like their horses to be ridden to come from behind, and Reynolds was in charge then and still is. Each horse is different.
     
    #19
  20. PNkt

    PNkt Well-Known Member

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    Nice debut from Cliveden homebred SINGERSONGWRITER at Doncaster this afternoon. A half-sister to Mount Nelson, she looks to be a nice prospect for next year.
     
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