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With the sap rising the mind turns to fillies | Horse Racing

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by Bustino74, Mar 20, 2013.

  1. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    With Cheltenham over I thought I’d write a thread on the upcoming flat season and on a quartet of likely fillies.

    Those old enough will remember the 1968 retirement of Walter Nightingall and the movement of the horses he trained for Louis Freedman to Peter Walwyn and Noel Murless. Freedman had invested wisely in a number of assets including some choicely bred mares and fillies which he housed at his recently purchased Cliveden Stud. Initially Walwyn seemed to have the upper hand with the victories of Freedman’s two fillies Lucyrowe and Seventh Bride in 1969. But Murless soon hit back with in quick succession the fillies Attica Meli and the full-sisters Milly Moss and Mil’s Bomb. Walwyn then gave Freedman a classic winner when Seventh Bride’s daughter Polygamy won the Oaks in 1974.

    Sadly only one of those families is still in the ownership of Philip Freedman (still trading as Cliveden Stud but that property has now been sold). That family is Milly Moss’s, and a fine family it is. However this piece looks at another family altogether. While all the above fillies were either champions or near champions of their year Peter Walwyn trained an admirably consistent Busted filly called Great Guns. Winning 6 of her 12 races she was a fine handicapper and there was no problem finding a place for her at Cliveden. Prolific on the racecourse she was not so at stud but did produce a Habitat filly in 1978 who at last gave the Freedman’s a champion colt. But the cleverly named Home on the Range was no back-marker herself. Whilst winning as a 2yo, she really blossomed in the hands of Henry Cecil to go on and win 5 races including the then Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes (Cecil had already trained Royal Hive to be a top staying filly in 1977 for Louis Freedman: Attica Meli’s half-sister).

    Sadly she was again not prolific at stud and died after producing only 3 foals to race. One of those was the fine Derby winner Reference Point (by Mill Reef), who also disastrously died early at stud. To say the Cliveden Stud is/was lucky is to only tell half the story! They not only lost Home on the Range and her son but also Polygamy and Seventh Bride as relatively young mares. They did however have a filly from Green Desert’s first crop out of Home on the Range called Sahara Forest. Unlike her relatives she did not make it to the racecourse and nor was she any great shakes as a broodmare either. She left the stud a non-winning maiden (again cleverly) called Yukon Hope (by Forty Niner) to carry on the line. She wasn’t a no-hoper by any means as a racehorse just one of those frustrating ones who never get their heads in front.

    Her endowment to the Cliveden Stud was the Selkirk filly Independence. Mid-summer 2001 she appeared a useful filly and on the Saturday of the Royal Meeting won the Ascot Heath listed Fern Hill Stakes. But after that she improved significantly to win a brace of races including the Sun Chariot Stakes (just like her great-grandam just 20 years before). However at stud she must be what every stud-owner desires and that is that she gets in foal and the horses get to the races: so different to so many that went before. As far as I can see she only didn’t produce in 2012 and only her 2009 foal didn’t make it to the races. She foaled, early in her career, the dual Group 1 winner Mount Nelson (by Rock of Gibraltar), and a few years later the Group 2 winner Monitor Closely (by Oasis Dream). She also produced another decent colt in the talented but unlucky Stone of Scone (by Pivotal). As regards fillies the best so far has been Off-Message (by In the Wings), or that was until this year’s 3yo filly called Singersongwriter (trained by Ed Dunlop) came along. The last week of last year’s turf season she won what looked a fairly useful maiden at Doncaster, and she won fairly impressively. Of course races like these can be pretty misleading but Singersongwriter should be seen early this season contesting a 1000G trial for which if she improves as much as many of her relatives did she could participate in. Whatever she does early on she could be a useful filly to follow as the season goes on. By Raven’s Pass she should not only get a mile well, but given her siblings when bred to similar milers she should stay 12f: she is also entered in the Oaks.

    During the ‘60s and ‘70s a season rarely went by without a Dick Hollingsworth horse making his mark. Having a relatively small stud Hollingsworth wasn’t afraid to use some of the best stallions in Europe. An inspired mating was sending his Big Game mare Kyak to Ribot, the resulting mare Ripeck was a consistent producer of good and top class horses. The best was probably the Oaks winner Bireme (by Grundy) but not far behind her was the Group 1 winning Buoy (by Aureole). After Bireme things became tougher and he couldn’t take on the battalions of horses with impeccable Northern Dancer blood emanating from the Maktoums and Coolmore. In the early 2000s Hollingsworth died but his mares and some means to keep the show on the road passed on to his nephew Mark Dixon. The horses haven’t stopped winning but there have been few of the top horses Holingsworth so often had. Recently Dixon has been going into partnership with stud owners, using better sires and sharing (joint owning) the produce that appear on the rack. The first noticeable one has been Skilful (by Selkirk). This colt has won each season he has raced and won a big handicap at the back-end of last year. Jointly owned by Jack Rowsell and Mark Dixon, he is now joined by his New Approach half-sister Talent (trained by Ralph Becket). Talent is by New Approach out of the Peintre Celebre filly Prowess, who actually contested the Oaks, but won only a 12f maiden at York. Prowess is a daughter of Yawl (by Rainbow Quest), who was favourite for her Oaks in 1993, but ran too freely. Yawl was a daughter of the Oaks winner Bireme.

    Talent appeared mid-season as a 2yo and ran well to finish 3rd. She than won a 7f maiden on the all-weather and was put away to grow up. Look for her appearing in an Oaks trial somewhere and if Becket thinks she’s good enough in the Oaks itself. As a matter of interest John Gosden has the third Prowess offspring in the shape of Much Promise (a filly by Invincible Spirit), and the yearling is a full-sister to Talent. Using better sires from good ND lines may pay off for Dixon.

    The third filly won’t surprise anybody and that’s Liber Nauticus. Running pretty green she couldn’t have been more promising than when winning her only race as a 2yo at Goodwood. She is by Azamour out of an unraced Daylami mare called Serres. Her dam is well connected as she’s a half- sister to Conduit and to the Voltigeur winner Hard Top. Serres dam is the Sadler’s Wells filly Well Head, who was also unraced but from whom Ballymacoll also had a winning Darshaan filly called Spring Symphony (full-sister to Hard Top). This mare has produced the Australian Group 1 winner Glass Harmonium and the near bred Eleanora Duse, who is almost identically bred to Liber Nauticus, being by Azamour out of a great-grand-daughter of Sunny Valley. Eleanora Duse was slightly more exposed as a 2yo than Liber Nauticus, running three times as a 2yo and winning one small all-weather maiden. She started her 3yo career as a 80 rated handicapper and went down narrowly in a race at Ripon (later the quality of this run was revealed when Monterosso , the winner that day turned out to be so good). She was then thrown in at the deep-end in the Musidora and finished a well-beaten 3rd. However she then won a listed race at Newbury and went on to win a Group 2 in Ireland as well as finishing a good 3rd in the Yorkshire Oaks.

    As a 2yo Liber Nauticus appeared better. If she can improve as much as her close relation she can maybe take her place in the Oaks. Expect to see her lining up in the Musidora or something similar. This filly comes from the illustrious family of Sun Prince, Sun Princess, Spectrum, Street Cry, Sharmadal and the already mentioned Conduit. She is surprisingly already heading most Oaks betting lists.

    The fourth filly also hails from Ballymacoll and is the least exposed of the quartet. Auld Alliance did get a run in at the back-end of last year when unfancied she ran a pleasing 2nd in a Kempton maiden. This filly is a half-sister to two very fine full-brothers in Golan and Tartan Bearer, who similarly ran only once as 2yos (Golan did win). It’s worth looking at Tartan Bearer’s 3yo campaign. He reappeared in a small Leicester maiden, winning in a workmanlike fashion. He then took the big step up in class to win the Dante, when a relatively unfancied 4th favourite. He then ran an excellent 2nd in the Derby itself. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Auld Alliance reappear in a Newbury race in April and then step up to one of the trials. What is partly against her is that she is by Montjeu, a much better sire and racehorse than Golan's sire Spectrum, but who has always produced better colts than fillies. Maybe now he’s dead he’ll reveal a really good filly. Being the same family as Reform, Islington, North Light and those mentioned above she is bred well enough: she has an Oaks entry.

    Not all of these fillies will be successful, maybe none of them will, but for me in the early months of the season they’ll be the ones I’ll mostly be looking out for. And most of them will go to stud to produce another generation from these fine families.
     
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  2. NassauBoard

    NassauBoard Well-Known Member

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    "the mind turns to fillies"

    my mind was already at that point after seeing the tobacco ladies at Cheltenham.

    A nice read Bustino, thank you for posting it, I will watch with interest.
     
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  3. PNkt

    PNkt Well-Known Member

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    Great post Bustino.

    I understand that Singersongwriter is going nicely at home.
     
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  4. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Well Talent went in.
    At 11-1 too, I thought it was a sound E-W bet. I guess she may to have another run before contesting the Oaks, the one doubt being that she will have to settle better than she did yesterday.

    The other two runners, Singersongwriter and Auld Alliance, didn't quite fire. I'm sure they'll both still win races. The big one is next week when Liber Nauticus comes out at York.
     
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  5. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Sorry suddenly realised there was a small error in my original post, so repaired it.
     
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  6. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Well two of these got to the Oaks: the 3rd favourite Liber Nauiticus and Ralph Becket's 2nd string Talent. I like Liber Nauticus a lot, and I'm not discouraged by her only just doing the job in her two outings so far. This is Ballymacoll's first Classic runner since Conduit in 1988, so they hardly spray them around. What's most to like about her is her straightforward manner of running. They say she pulled in the first furlong at York but it was nothing really. She moved up very purposefully and when given a crack responded to go away. Stoute will have left a bit to work on and although she's a lazy worker I'm sure she will have improved. She has a good enough pedigree for this with a balance of speed and stamina and I'm hopeful she'll go in.
    Talent is no backmarker and has won the Pretty Polly Stakes, a race quite a few Oaks winners have taken. She should have enough stamina for this unless they make it a really searching gallop. Crowley was always going to ride the other one but I can see Talent being a filly who could run into a place today.

    The other 2 fillies didn't make it. But Auld Alliance will win over 14f somewhere, while Singersongwriter was overtried and will come back late summer.
     
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  7. Tamerlo

    Tamerlo Well-Known Member

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    That March Article was tremendous, Bustino, but I must admit that I had to read it very slowly to digest "which horse was sired by what mare/stallion- which then sired what offspring." Maybe it's in my breeding!
    I liked the resolute, workmanlike attitude of Liber Nauticus when she won. The trouble is she'll have to contend with those Galileo offspring in The Oaks, and his surge as a sire is irresistible. I'd have to say that Moth finished so strongly in the 1000 Guineas that she has a chance second to none today.
     
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  8. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    20-1 not bad
    Nice to see that Hollingsworth blood to the fore again
     
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  9. Dexter

    Dexter Well-Known Member

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    Well done Bustino...great foresight.
     
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  10. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    Brilliant, brilliant insight Bustino, I bow to thee
     
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  11. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Ha ha , you wouldn't want to follow my losers though.
    Hopefully there will be more to come from Talent and the others.

    Just to finish this bit with something about the mare and the family. Prowess won one race as a 3yo at York when given a very good ride by Michael Hills (trained by Barry). She was a good looking filly and I don't think ran again after mid-summer. Although owned by Dixon (and running in the beautiful Hollingsworth colours: too like these new set as Dexter pointed out) she went to the Ashbrittle Stud and the produce are jointly owned by Dixon and Jack Rowsell, wearing the colours of the owners for alternate produce.
    Prowess's first foal was a Selkirk colt called Skilful who won 3 races and was well above average (H colours). She was then barren before producing Talent. There is the already mentioned Much Promise (invincible Spirit) filly who is in training with Gosden. As a yearling there's a full-sister to Talent and hopefully there should be a foal by Fastnet Rock.

    Great families like this fail if they are not sent to good stallions. Hollingsworth was a rich stockbroker and used good to very good stallions all his life (trailled off a bit in the mid-90s). Although slightly saddened not to see Talent win in the Hollingsworth crimson red it's better that through deals like this that these families are preserved.

    What else is about? Well intriguingly Dixon has a colt by Dalakhani out of a daughter of Talent's great grandam called Lake Superior, who for some reason is in training with Jackie Harrington in Ireland and is probably jointly owned with Luke Lillingston of Mount Coote stud. Next years 2yos look interesting as in addition to Talent's full-sister there is a colt by Verglas out of Yawl (Talent's grandam) and a Duke of Marmalade filly out of Brindisi (a grandaughter like Talent of Yawl): some will be sold to cover costs.

    Hope springs eternal and I hope this family persists. I like seeing these smaller operations succeed with their well-established families. I miss owner-breeders like the Mollers, Jim Joel and Jakie Astor. But I watch out for those that remain and I'll bore you lot with writing about them.
     
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  12. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    Excellent Bustino. I posted the following on the daily thread yesterday but it got somewhat lost, I would be interested to hear more opinions on Talent:

    I've just watched back the replay of the Oaks and I must say that was a staggering performance from Talent and I think the race will prove to have been a very good one when the runners reappear.

    I think Secret Gesture and Moth have probably improved a couple of pounds for their previous runs and would have them fairly closely matched around the 118 and 115 mark respectively. The Lark came into this unexposed and has shown definite improvement on her previous rating of 93 and you'd have to put her somewhere around the 115 mark as well.

    But I think Talent is a way above-average Oaks winner. At the highest point of the course she is joint-last with Madame Defarge, and fighting for her head just like her dad did around this course. She is going so well and wanting to go faster that Richard Hughes makes 2 or 3 attempts to force his way out past Madame Defarge but has to sit and suffer down the hill as he is boxed in. Coming round Tattenham Corner she is still fighting for her head and wanting to go faster, and then the first gap appears as they straighten up. Hughes tried to go between Moth and Banoffee but just had the door slammed right in his face. Then Moth quickens away and Hughes tries to follow her but is again checked by Gertrude Versed. Approaching the furlong marker Talent finally gets a clear run and showed a staggering turn of foot to sweep past the principals and put the race to bed within about 50 yards. Truly sensational and a performance I would rate somewhere around 124p. She met so much trouble in running that she must surely have been value for several more lengths. I think this is a serious contender for the top middle distance honours this season and (unless Dawn Approach wins the Derby in a hack canter tomorrow) she will surely be taking on the colts during the summer, maybe already in the Irish Derby????
     
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  13. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    First of all sorry for the late reply. I could only dip in now and then over the weekend.

    I agree with much of what you wrote and relooking at the race and watching the Derby I wouldn't be surprised if the Oaks wasn't the stronger event. My concern about Talent was that she would settle. Whereas Bireme was a straightforward animal her daughter Yawl just run away with her 3yo races and so lost her chance in the Oaks. Yawl's daughter Genoa looked a great prospect but just would not settle. I only saw two of Prowess's runs: the first in the Oaks when outclassed anyway and her only win when she led all the way and when the opposition came she outstayed them. I was worried Talent would waste her chance but she seemed fine until they steadied the pace at the top of the hill and as you say she was suddenly fighting for her head. She was wanting to get on with it. So while some of it may be her sire, some of it is a family trait.
    She did have a lot of trouble in running and while Becket made excuses for Secret Gesture more could be made for Talent. I thought Hughes rode a super race as he himself said his initial plan was to lead with her. I don't think she'd have won if he'd done that. What she must have in the future is a good lead as she stays and has that important turn of foot.
    I'm surprised Becket plans for both of them to go for the Irish Oaks. I would have thought Secret Gesture would go for that and like you say Talent maybe take on the colts. But why not the King George?
    If there is a fear for Talent it's that she's such a spare filly that she may not stand up to a lot of racing. Fortunately she doesn't do a tap at home so that may be of some help. Like you I rate her a very good Oaks winner. Let's hope she goes on from here.

    Although HIT says Prowess's 2yo is called Much Promise, he's listed as Well Behaved elsewhere.
    I bet they are wishing they sent Prowess back to New Approach this year! Don't know who she went to.
     
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  14. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    Prowess is certainly playing her part in this aim. Her first foal Skilful earned black type with a second-place finish in the Listed Royal Windsor Stakes, while her second foal Talent is now the winner of one of the world’s most famous races. Waiting in the wings is a two-year-old filly by Invincible Spirit, named Much Promise, in training with John Gosden, while Talent’s full-sister is being prepared for Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale. Prowess currently has a colt foal by Fastnet Rock at foot.
     
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  15. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Ah, so they are selling the full sister. Not surprising really as trying to keep Hollingsworth's mares on the road must be very expensive.
    There's another mare called La Spezia who is by Danehill Dancer out of a Zafonic half sister to Prowess. So far she's produced 2 colts to race (both sold as yearlings) and the second one Thomas Hobson (by Halling) who is also in training with Gosden who should at least pick up a race. La Spezia was of a similar ability to Prowess but hasn't been sent to the same quality of sire. Maybe with some injection of funds she will. She does have a yearling filly by Medicean.
    A better racemare was Brindisi (a Dr Fong half-sister to La Spezia) who has produced a couple of winners (including Livia's Dream). She should have a 2yo filly next year by Duke of Marmalade. She was listed class.

    Thanks for the news on the colt foal. Still don't know who they sent her back to this year.
     
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  16. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Stick
    Update from Ashbrittle. They have said that not only will they retain Talent but that they will NOT sell her younger full-sister even though that had been toyed with. The comment was that they wanted to strengthen their broodmare band. Prowess was covered by Invincible Spirit this year. I always like to see that as it generally means that they've liked what they've seen of the 2yo filly they have by him. Apparently Gosden is saying she is above average.
    As far as I know Ashbrittle only have the Prowess ownership link up with Dixon. Becket also has a Refuse to Bend 3yo called Thwart (but she was bred at Ashbrittle even if owned totally by Dixon). She's out of a Night Shift mare called Jumpship, whose dam Flagship was a Shirley Heights daughter of Bireme. I can see Thwart replacing Jumpship at Ashbrittle in some capacity.
     
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  17. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Thwart is progressing nicely and ran a taking race to wear down Fallon on a cleverly ridden pacemaker on Tuesday. Her heart seems to be in the right place and I'd think she was a certainty for the paddocks next year. But I'd be surprised if she doesn't win again, and over 10-14f she could be a nice handicapper for Dixon this year; certainly looks progressive.
     
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  18. stick

    stick Bumper King

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    I dont know if you are a facebook user Bustino but Ashbrittle have a page on there which they seem to update on a regular basis. Some fab photos uploaded to it also (including a lovely pic of Talents full sister) you might want to take a look.
    Congratulations on this feature again. I cant wait for the next one!
     
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  19. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    No I'm too ugly Stick, but Thanks have had a look at some others on the Ashbrittle site after you told me about it.
     
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  20. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    Auld Alliance eventually went in last Friday, but the reason I'm adding this is because of her previous second place back in May (17th). In her maiden at Newmarket she came up against a certain horse called Riposte, who just happens to be a three-parts sister to Frankel's dam. Riposte won well today and that makes Auld Alliance's performance look even better. Obviously more can be expected from both fillies, although Riposte will always have the upper hand.
     
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