Bloodstock Bites
By Chris Hill
Last Updated: 18/07/14 9:07am
Chris Hill brings us the latest bloodstock news and reflects on the action on track and in the sales ring.
In Saturday’s July Cup at Newmarket, Slade Power (Dutch Art) confirmed himself the best sprinter in Europe over six furlongs when doubling his Group One tally at the distance, having landed last month’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The Eddie Lynam-trained colt was only recently purchased by Saturday’s big-race sponsors Darley to stand at their Kildangan Stud in Ireland but he will continue to race in the colours of his breeder Mrs Sabena Power until the end of his racing career, which is expected to conclude with a trip to Australia at the end of this season.
The first foal bred by Mrs Power at Horse Park Stud in County Wicklow, Slade Power is one of two winners produced by her five furlong winner Girl Power (Key of Luck), the other being the seven furlong winner Cool Power (Verglas), with both descending from the family of the Grade One Hollywood Gold Cup winner Slew The Dragon, the U.S. Grade Two winner Slew The Knight and the Italian Group Three Premio Primi Passi winner Balqis.
Friday’s Falmouth Stakes saw the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Integral (Dalakhani) record her maiden Group One success following her victory in last month’s Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.
A Cheveley Park homebred out of their 2007 Group One Matron Stakes winner Echelon (Danehill), herself a half-sister to the stud’s dual Group Two Celebration Mile winner Chic (Machiavellian), Integral is bred along the same lines as the 2011 Irish St Leger winner Duncan being by Dalakhani, with the four year-old filly becoming her Arc winning sire’s seventh individual Group One winner.
In the Grand Prix de Paris on Sunday, the Pierre-Charles Boudot ridden Gallante (Montjeu) became trainer Andre Fabre’s thirteenth winner of the Longchamp Group One and his late sire’s third winner following the victories in 2005 of Scorpion and 2008 of Montmartre, when holding off the challenge of last year’s Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Prince Gibraltar (Rock of Gibraltar).
A full brother to Aidan O’Brien’s dual Grade One-placed hurdler Plinth (Montjeu) being out of Crazy Volume (Machiavellian), a winner over six furlongs in the U.S., Gallante is from the further family of the U.S. Champion Two Year-Old filly Talking Picture, the dam of the 1988 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Trusted Partner who is herself the dam of the 2002 Grade One Matriarch Stakes winner Dress To Thrill.
Staying in France, Bastille Day saw the Freddy Head-trained Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) also record his first Group One with victory in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly under Olivier Peslier.
Bought by Head for €140,000 at the Arqana October Yearlings Sale in 2012, Charm Spirit is the first winner out of the two-time French winner L’Enjoleuse (Montjeu), a half-sister to the Group Three Athasi Stakes-placed Megec Blis (Soviet Star) and Grade Two Finesse Novices’ Hurdle-placed Squadron (Sakhee).
The victory of the Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al Thani owned three year-old colt continues the fine season for Irish National Stud stallion Invincible Spirit who was also responsible for the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palaces Stakes winner Kingman, who finished three places ahead of Charm Spirit when a narrow runner up in the English 2000 Guineas.
Tattersalls held their July Sale last week with a total of 8,342,700 guineas traded over three days, an increase of 20% on the 2013 renewal , with the average of 16,685 guineas and median of 10,000 guineas being improvements of 4% and 25% on respectively.
Bobby O’Ryan signed for the top lot when paying 185,000 guineas for New Street (Acclamation), a two-time winner on the flat when trained by Richard Fahey, who was bought on behalf of James Smith and is set for a jumping campaign with trainer Jim Best.
Brendan Brackan (Big Bad Bob) was the sale’s second priciest lot when David Redvers Bloodstock purchased the Group Three Solonaway Stakes winner for 145,000 guineas and the five year-old gelding is set to remain with trainer Ger Lyons having been purchased on behalf of Sheikh Fahad al Thani who already has a number of horses in Ireland with Lyons.
In stallion news, it has been reported that Starspangledbanner, the four-time Group One winning Australian sprinter is set to return to Coolmore for next season’s Northern Hemisphere covering season following a perhaps surprisingly sensational start to his stud career.
Having suffered from low fertility during his first seasons at stud and having returned to Australia where he currently covers a carefully managed book at Rosemont Stud in Victoria, the multiple champion sprinter has made a blistering start to his second career being responsible for a pair of Royal Ascot Group Two winners in The Wow Signal and Anthem Alexander, making him the bookmakers favourite to be leading first season sire by progeny earnings.
Finally, this week saw the first Frankel filly pass through the ring when the March-born daughter of Goodwood March (Foxhound) was offered by Mishima Farm at the JRHA Select Sale in Japan. The half-sister to the Hong Kong Group Two Jockey Club Mile winner Gold-Fun (Le Vie Dei Colori) and Redcar Listed Two Year-Old Trophy winner Body And Soul (Captain Rio) was purchased by Toshio Terada for ¥96,000,000 (£550,930).
Chris Hill
Chris is a Pedigree Researcher for Weatherbys Ltd, the company that provides the majority of pedigrees for thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Britain and Ireland and who offer a range of products and services to suit your Bloodstock needs.
For further information please visit http://www.weatherbys.co.uk/bloodstock