Unforgotten highlights early entries for Chairman's Sale

Written by

Bren O'Brien

6 min read

G1 Australian Oaks winner Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) headlines the early entries for the Inglis Chairman's Sale in May, with the sales company confident it can build on the success of 2019.

Trained by Chris Waller, Unforgotten is a winner of six of her 21 starts, with her Oaks success at Randwick in 2018 the highlight of a career which has also featured victories in the G2 Phar Lap S. and G2 Chelmsford S. as well as Group 1 placings in the Vinery Stud S., Epsom H., Chipping Norton S. and Queen Of The Turf.

She is being readied for an autumn campaign, which is set to begin in the G2 Emancipation S. in March and her trainer believes the 5-year-old represents an elite quality racehorse, whose physical make-up and pedigree makes her an ideal broodmare prospect.

“It’s easy to talk up a horse who has won at Group 1 level but when people see her she’s got size, she’s got strength, she’s got the temperament and she’s got those bloodlines that everyone’s desperate for and that’s the combination of Fastnet Rock and Galileo bloodlines that have done the job,’’ Waller said.

“She’s a great horse to train because she’s got power, she could cope with her early life of being a 3-year-old in Group 1 races and backed it up as a 4-year-old in weight-for-age races. She made a name for herself.’’

Unforgotten

Getting a mare of the quality of Unforgotten locked in as an early headliner for the Chairman's Sale is obviously a tremendous boost for Inglis, with General Manager Bloodstock Sales and Marketing Sebastian Hutch saying the bar had been raised by the 2019 sale, which saw four mares realise over a million dollars and an average of $422,455 across the 55 lots sold.

"We were fortunate last year that three of the four most expensive pregnant mares offered in Australia went through the Chairman's Sale. We had real depth right the way through the catalogue and to sell at a clearance rate of 93 per cent was an achievement we were all proud of," he told TDN AusNZ.

"It sets a very high standard for the 2020 renewal, but to have a mare of the quality of Unforgotten committed to the sale at this early stage, it’s really very exciting. She's a wonderful racemare and beautifully bred.

"It sets a very high standard for the 2020 renewal, but to have a mare of the quality of Unforgotten committed to the sale at this early stage, it’s really very exciting." - Sebastian Hutch

"A significant vendor and mare buyer said to me last year, how important it is for these elite mares to have been really good looking yearlings. She fits that bill perfectly. She was a beautiful yearling, sold well and lived up to that as a race filly. It's a real feather in our cap to have her in the sale."

Unforgotten was sold by Curraghmore at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka for NZ$360,000 to Waller. She is out of the imported mare Memories Of You (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to four stakes winners including multiple Group/Grade 1 winner Matiara (USA) (Bering {GB}).

Watch: Unforgotten parade, a NZ$360,000 yearling purchase

Group 1 performers add depth

Also among the early entries for the Chairman's Sale are Group 1 performers Arabian Gold (Dubawi {Ire}), who is in foal to I Am Invincible, and Volks Lightning (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), who is in foal to Zoustar. Six-time stakes winner Celebrity Dream (NZ) (Thorn Park), in foal to American Triple Crown winner Justify (USA), and Group 2 winning Foxwedge mare Noire are also set to feature.

"We are keen to get mares in foal to the best stallions because the demand for those pregnancies is close to insatiable. It's great to be able to have mares of the calibre of Arabian Gold and Volks Lightning at this early stage," Hutch said.

"We have a number of other nice mares tentatively locked in and we will look to build on that momentum in the next six to eight weeks."

Volks Lightning (NZ) when racing

Hutch said that while 2019 was a significant success and the broader expectation was that the elite broodmare market would remain strong, there was no room for complacency in pulling together the catalogue ahead of the May 8 sale.

"The broodmare market is a very competitive market, not just from the point of view of competing with other public auctions, but the private market is very strong as well," he said.

"The broodmare market is a very competitive market, not just from the point of view of competing with other public auctions, but the private market is very strong as well." - Sebastian Hutch

"It is competitive. Putting it together is a year-long exercise. It’s not something that we ever lose focus on, we are looking at it right the year round.

"We have had a number of early commitments to the sale and that's hugely exciting, but we want to build on that further. It’s not an easy thing to do and credit to our bloodstock team who have already been working on it."

Market positivity and stallions strength drive optimism

The yearling sales market in Australia is in rude health through the start of 2020, and Hutch sees the positivity in that aspect of the market as an influential factor in the success of the breeding sales.

"I think people were buoyed by the work we put into our yearling sales series in 2019 and that gave vendors confidence with what we were doing at the Chairman's Sale. I think that confidence and the service we were offering is a very significant factor in engendering support in all our sales," he said.

"Breeders want to re-invest on the back of a solid yearling sales series and it’s certainly started in a very positive fashion and it would certainly be reasonable to think that the weanling and broodmare sales series should be strong."

Sebastian Hutch

Hutch also pointed to the number of quality prospective stallions likely headed to stud in the next one or two years as another factor which is set to drive interest in the broodmare market.

"You look at the colts around at the moment, whether it be Exceedance, Super Seth or Castelvecchio or a number of others, all of whom are slated to go to stud or potentially so, I think that helps," he said.

"That's what we saw last year, seeing mares bought for the likes of The Autumn Sun and Trapeze Artist and these types of horses. Cumulatively they add up to a series of influencing factors that make a big difference."

Bell River back and eyeing Classic impact

Written by

Bren O'Brien

6 min read

Bell River Thoroughbreds re-enters the yearling market as a vendor for the first time in four years at the upcoming Inglis Classic Sale and the Ferguson family has every confidence that its new farm at Glen William can replicate the success it experienced from its previous base at Wellington.

Cover image courtesy of Bell River Thoroughbreds

Andrew and Georgie Ferguson and sons James and Jock have spent the past 18 months planning and building their new 175-acre farm, based south of Dungog, which cost them $2.4 million at auction in October 2018.

"We aim to have 30 or 40 broodmares here, with the idea of selling 20 quality yearlings every year. The boys have come up with the motto 'Small Farm, Big Results' and that probably typifies what we hope to do. We want to be a small boutique farm that aims to produce quality yearlings that succeed on the racetrack," Andrew Ferguson told TDN AusNZ.

The team at Bell River Thoroughbreds

Originally used for dairy farming as well as lucerne, corn and rye grass crops, the former Croom Park has undergone a massive change, with the Fergusons effectively starting with a clean slate.

"That's been a massive advantage. My wife and both boys have had input into how we have designed and planned it. You never get everything perfect but it's very functional, works well and hopefully the next thing is to have the success we had with the farm at Wellington, in terms of the horses that have come off it," he said.

"It’s been a lot of work and very challenging, but it’s coming together and everyone that visits the farm is blown away. It’s a surprising pocket that we managed to find and last weekend, we had 50-60 mls of rain and that's greened the place up no end."

The comeback draft

The first yearlings to be prepared off the farm, a draft of 11, will head to the Classic Sale in what will mark a strong re-entry into the market for the renowned vendors.

Ferguson is confident that the eight colts and three fillies that he will take to the Riverside Stables will be very well received.

"The boys wanted to go back with a bang, and hopefully that's the case," he said. "All these horses have been here for well over six months. It is exciting, especially having the boys on board."

"The boys wanted to go back with a bang, and hopefully that's the case." - Andrew Ferguson

Among the 11, there is a half-brother by Your Song to Group 2 winner Invincible Gem (I Am Invincible) (Lot 99), a Hinchinbrook half-brother the Group 2 winning stallion Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) and Listed winner Sensei (Dream Ahead {USA}) (Lot 434) and another Hinchinbrook colt who is a half-brother to G3 Kindergarten S. winner Furnaces (Exceed And Excel) (Lot 178).

There is also a three-quarter brother to one of Bell River's most famous graduates, Extreme Choice. Lot 451 is by Not A Single Doubt out of She's Our Choice (Duporth), the half-sister to the Bell River bred G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Moir S. winner.

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A Choice of three

There are also three of now Newgate stallion Extreme Choice's first crop of yearlings. Ferguson said the sentiment around the relatively small first crop of the stallion was very positive.

"I didn't get to the Gold Coast, but I did hear very positive thoughts on them. I think the most telling fact is that of the around 40 yearlings in that crop, nearly half of them made the Gold Coast, which is unheard of from a first season stallion," he said.

Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm

"He's going to have to do it a bit tough, because of numbers, but I've got three going to the Classic, and another one as well, and I’d be disappointed if every single one of them couldn't gallop."

Ferguson certainly sees similarities between the stallion and his stock, particularly in their mindset.

"He always had a lovely attitude and good demeanour. Hopefully, if he can push that demeanour into his progeny, he is going to go a long way in terms of getting 2-year-olds," he said.

"He always had a lovely attitude and good demeanour. Hopefully, if he can push that demeanour into his progeny, he is going to go a long way in terms of getting 2-year-olds." - Andrew Ferguson

Ferguson points to one of the Extreme Choice colts, Lot 445 out of Set To Skelter (Reset), as a great example of that.

"Set To Skelter has had three foals and they have all been a bit feisty, especially Prophet's Thumb. This guy looks a dead-set 2-year-old. He's just got a great attitude and has coped with everything," he said.

The other Extreme Choice colt, Lot 276, is out of Magic Zefta (Viscount), making him a half-brother to the Group 1 placed Denmagic (Denman), while the Extreme Choice filly, Lot 158, is out of Frilly Curtain (Mossman), a three-quarter sister to Pure Energy (Mossman) and Segments (Mossman).

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Timely updates add to positive sentiment

Meanwhile, Saturday's racing provided a very handy pedigree update for a couple of other yearlings in Bell River's draft, with Lot 594 a Deep Field half-brother to Randwick winner She's Ideel (Dundeel {NZ}) and Lot 87 a Spirit Of Boom half-sister to Baroda (Epaulette), who completed a hat-trick of city wins at Doomben.

Both those yearlings are offered on behalf of Queensland's Eureka Stud.

"James has had a bit to do with the McAlpine family and they rang and asked us, because they only had the two, and we were more than happy to accommodate them. We are looking forward to presenting what looks to be two lovely horses," Ferguson said.

Ferguson not only has confidence in the quality of horses on offer at the Classic Sale but also in the current shape of the market, with Bell River's re-entry into the market coinciding with a surge in positive sentiment from buyers.

"The market looks fantastic at the moment. Everyone was probably a bit nervous about what might have happened on the Gold Coast, but credit to the Magic Millions team, it was an unbelievable sale and it looked like it flowed through to Karaka. Hopefully, things are still the same at the Inglis Sale," he said.

James Ferguson

Galileo’s growing influence in Australia

Written by

John Boyce

5 min read

Galileo’s (Ire) reputation as a sire needs no introduction. However, he’s starting to build an equally impressive record as a broodmare sire in both hemispheres.

When Godolphin’s Street Cry (Ire) colt Saamid (GB) won the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in 2010 it was the start of a story that still has a long way to run. Saamid was the first stakes winner out of a daughter of Galileo, and he followed up a year later with his first Group 1 winner when La Collina (Ire) took the Phoenix S. Nearly 10 years on, the Coolmore star is rising through the ranks of great broodmare sires at such a rate it’s quite startling.

Globally, he’s chasing down Danehill’s (USA) 74 Group 1 winners and his own sire Sadler’s Wells' (USA) exceptional tally of 403 stakes winners. With 30 Group 1 winners and 164 stakes winners already in the bag, Galileo has plenty of ground to make up, but the rate at which his daughters are producing major winners suggests he’ll get there in the end, no doubt aided by the fact that he’s still siring blue-blooded filly foals.

Multiple Group 1 winner Marsha and her Galileo (Ire) filly at Coolmore Stud | Credit Coolmore Stud

At the same point in his career, Sadler’s Wells was way behind that sort of pace which is understandable given the smaller book sizes of the day. He had sired the dams of 65 stakes winners and 10 Group 1 winners by the time he’d turned 20.

Galileo’s 30 Group 1 winners are split 20 to 10 in favour of his daughters’ Northern Hemisphere runners. And 20 Northern Hemisphere Group 1 winners is better than any sire born since 1990, with the exception of Pivotal (GB) – foaled five years earlier – who has 22. But given that Galileo was born at the back end of the 1990s, his tally is all the more impressive, and rather ironically it is Galileo that is fuelling Pivotal’s own success as a broodmare sire, siring six of his 22 Group 1 winners.

Galileo (Ire) | Standing at Coolmore Stud

Any thought of an unfair advantage Galileo derives from the large number of fillies he’s sired can be quickly countered by the rate in which his daughters produce stakes winners. His 125 Northern Hemisphere foaled stakes come at a rate of 7.8 per cent, which is a better percentage than the vast majority of stallions can muster in their primary careers.

To put this achievement in context, we can compare his numbers to Pivotal’s who has also gone over 100 stakes winners, siring 102 at a rate of 6.3 per cent as a broodmare sire. Going back in time when foal crops were smaller and more select, Sadler’s Wells managed 6.8 per cent, while Darshaan (GB) – Europe’s most effect broodmare sire by this measure – sired an eye-catching 9.2 per cent stakes winners to runners.

Locally produced daughters

In Australia, where Galileo stood for five consecutive seasons at the outset of his career, he has also been making significant headway of late, but his locally produced daughters were never going to be numerous enough to build and maintain his profile as a broodmare sire there. Of his 10 Group 1 winners in the Southern Hemisphere so far, seven are from European families, headed by multiple Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun, rated 126 by Timeform and therefore one of the very best from a Galileo mare anywhere in the world.

Since 2015 there have been no younger broodmare sires in Australia with as many Group 1 winners, which is quite a remarkable feat given he hasn’t stood in Australia for nearly a decade and a half. On this evidence, we can expect even more of his younger European daughters to head south in the coming years.


AGE OF FIRE (AUS)	2014	G	FASTNET ROCK	DRAGON'S TAIL
ALSON (GER)	2017	C	AREION	ASSISI
BARNEY ROY (GB)	2014	G	EXCELEBRATION	ALINA
FOG OF WAR (USA)	2016	C	WAR FRONT	SAY
GALILEO GOLD (GB)	2013	C	PACO BOY	GALICUIX
GHAIYYATH (IRE)	2015	C	DUBAWI	NIGHTIME
HALL OF FAME (NZ)	2013	G	SAVABEEL	AROUND THE CLOCK
HERO'S HONOUR (SAF)	2014	C	AWAIT THE DAWN	GRAIL MAIDEN
INTRICATELY (IRE)	2014	F	FASTNET ROCK	INNER REALM
INVINCIBELLA (AUS)	2013	F	I AM INVINCIBLE	ABSCOND
LA COLLINA (IRE)	2009	F	STRATEGIC PRINCE	STARFISH
LA CRESSONNIERE (FR)	2013	F	LE HAVRE	ABSOLUTE LADY
LEA (USA)	2009	C	FIRST SAMURAI	GREENERY
LEICESTER (AUS)	2014	G	WANTED	DEFY THE ODDS
MAGICOOL (AUS)	2011	G	FASTNET ROCK	PERFECT TRUTH
MAGNA GRECIA (IRE)	2016	C	INVINCIBLE SPIRIT	CABARET
NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE)	2011	C	DUBAWI	FOREST STORM
QUALIFY (IRE)	2012	F	FASTNET ROCK	PERIHELION
RIVET (IRE)	2014	G	FASTNET ROCK	STARSHIP
ROLY POLY (USA)	2014	F	WAR FRONT	MISTY FOR ME
SAXON WARRIOR (JPN)	2015	C	DEEP IMPACT	MAYBE
SISTERCHARLIE (IRE)	2014	F	MYBOYCHARLIE	STARLET'S SISTER
SOTTSASS (FR)	2016	C	SIYOUNI	STARLET'S SISTER
THE AUTUMN SUN (AUS)	2015	C	REDOUTE'S CHOICE	AZMIYNA
U S NAVY FLAG (USA)	2015	C	WAR FRONT	MISTY FOR ME
UNFORGOTTEN (AUS)	2014	F	FASTNET ROCK	MEMORIES OF YOU
WARNING (AUS)	2016	G	DECLARATION OF WAR	LIVIA
WATCH ME (FR)	2016	F	OLYMPIC GLORY	WATCHFUL
WINNING WAYS (AUS)	2015	F	DECLARATION OF WAR	SKIP ALONG
ZHUKOVA (IRE)	2012	F	FASTNET ROCK	NIGHTIME

Table: Galileo's Group 1 winners as a broodmare sire

Of course every good broodmare sire needs a foil. One or two key stallions that suit a sire’s daughters can light up his career. For Darshaan, that sire was Sadler’s Wells, who sired eight of his 45 Group 1 winners. For Danehill it was Galileo who sired 15 of his 39 Group 1 winners north of the equator. For Galileo himself, that honour goes to Fastnet Rock, who is responsible for seven of his 30 Group 1 winners, three in Australia and four in Europe. His partnership with Fastnet Rock in Europe is remarkable in that 10 of 31 runners (32%) are stakes winners and seven (23%) are Group winners. Moreover, seven of his ten European stakes winners out of Galileo mares are fillies.

Coolmore has also found a rich vein using War Front (USA) on their Galileo mare Misty For Me (Ire) to produce Group 1 winners US Navy Flag (USA) and Roly Poly (USA) and he’s also sire of Canadian Group 1 winner Fog Of War (USA) from a daughter of Galileo.

Misty For Me (Ire) when racing

Dubawi (Ire) (sire of promising young sire Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire)), and Declaration of War (USA) (sire of recent Australian Group 1 winners Warning and Winning Ways) are the only other sires with two or more Group 1 winners from daughters of Galileo. His daughters are also extremely versatile though, having produced stakes winners by 92 different sires. They’re clearly a great fit for the fast stallions of Australia and were always going to suit the European pattern.

Galileo is just about to overhaul Danehill to become the outright leading sire of worldwide Group 1 winners and you wouldn’t bet against him deposing his former great stud companion as the world’s leading broodmare sire of Group 1 winners either.

Amphitrite's parting gift to owners

4 min read

By Bren O'Brien

Group 1 winner Amphitrite (Sebring) may have recently departed for her new life as a broodmare in Japan, but she continues to provide good times for her previous owners after being crowned South Australian Breeders Horse Of The Year on Saturday night.

The 2018 G1 Thousand Guineas winner was recently retired after a 17-start career which also featured victories in the G2 Edward Manifold S. and the G3 Vanity and earned over $750,000 in prizemoney.

It was not surprising then that she was well sought after as a broodmare prospect, and it was announced last month that she would join a growing band of top-class Australian mares at Japan's Northern Farm. After serving her time in quarantine, she left Australia on January 24.

While the journey is over for her band of owners, who were brought together by Flying Start Syndications who paid $50,000 for the filly at the 2017 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, she had one last gift for them by taking out top honours as the 2018/19 Goldners Horse of the Year.

"It was really good for her and the owners had a great time, it was very satisfying," Flying Start Syndications Cameron Bennett told TDN AusNZ.

The victory of Amphitrite denied Viddora (I Am Invincible) a third straight Horse Of The Year Award.

Bennett said that while the Amphitrite era was now over for his company, he was happy to see her given the best chance of success as a broodmare

"It's just good to see her go to one of the best in the world. It gives her every opportunity and they were very keen to get her," he said.

"She's been vital for our business, right at the top there. She's just done really well for us in terms of exposure and to get a Group 1 winner is your number one goal."

"She's been vital for our business, right at the top there. She's just done really well for us in terms of exposure and to get a Group 1 winner is your number one goal." - Cameron Bennett

Seven of the mare's owners attended the function which also saw Amphitrite's dam Ocean Dream (Redoute's Choice) crowned SA Broodmare Of The Year for her owners Goldin Farms, who paid $190,000 for her at the 2015 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale when in foal with Amphitrite.

Willow Grove Stud's Satchell family received the Matrice Award for their continued contribution to South Australian breeding, while Cornerstone Stud was crowned leading South Australian breeder, and Zebedee (GB) the leading SA 2-year-old sire.

Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) was awarded the honour of leading 2-year-old, while his breeder Harry Perks was named Breeder Of The Year for stakes performers.

Dalasan

Tori Park Stud and Alistair MacFarlane claimed the leading 3-year-old horse and breeder title through the deeds of The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}).

Meanwhile, Bennett is focussed on finding the next Amphitrite and Flying Start Syndications were active buying two yearlings at the recently completed New Zealand Bloodstock National Sale at Karaka.

"I bought a Maurice filly outright and went halves with the trainer Kym Hann for the other one, who was by Extreme Choice," he said.

The Maurice (Jpn) filly, from Bradbury Park, cost NZ$130,000, and is out of Listed winner Tip the Wink (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), and the Extreme Choice filly cost NZ$150,000 and is out of Aura d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}), a half-sister to Singaporean champion Better Than Ever (French Deputy {USA}).

"We bought two there last year, a Dundeel and an Ocean Park who both go good. They have trialled well, so I was keen to get back to New Zealand and have a bit of a go there," he said.

Bennett expects Flying Start Syndications to purchase around 15 yearlings this year, depending on the market.

"Prizemoney is so good, it’s driving everything up," he said. "It’s hard as a syndicator, trying to find the right price for the mums and dads to get in."

Pedigree Boosters

3 min read

In the build up to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale at the Riverside Stables, we will pick out three yearlings each day who have had substantial pedigree updates in the past couple of months.

Today, Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}) gives another boost to the pedigree of a Flying Artie filly, a Deep Field colt benefits from a winner from Randwick on Saturday and we look at a colt by Animal Kingdom (USA) from a successful Tartan Fields family.

Lot 75 - Flying Artie x Congenial (Redoute's Choice) - On Account of Newgate Farm

View Pedigree: Lot 75 - Flying Artie x Congenial (filly)

Both this filly and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth boast the Group 2 winning mare Toast Of The Coast (Rory's Jester) as their granddam. Super Seth further enhanced the family's page with an impressive first-up win in the G3 Manfred S. at Caulfield on Saturday.

Lot 75 - Flying Artie x Congenial (filly)

It’s a page already blessed with black-type thanks to this filly's half-sister Pearl Congenial (Gio Ponti {USA}), who has been stakes placed, and Super Seth's half-brother Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom {USA}), who won a Listed Scone Guineas. Atomic Pulse (Deep Field), another of this filly's half-sisters, was recently placed.

Lot 594 - Deep Field x Ana's Mail (Anabaa {USA}) - On Account of Bell River Thoroughbreds

View Pedigree: Lot 594 - Deep Field x Ana's Mail (colt)

This Deep Field colt's half-sister She's Ideel (Dundeel {NZ}) has put together a couple of consecutive wins on the eve of the sale, including an impressive victory in a benchmark race at Randwick on Saturday, when she powered over the top of her rivals. His full brother Rising Star was recently placed, while a three-quarter brother, Elusive Treasure (Northern Meteor), has been stakes placed in New Zealand.

Lot 594 - Deep Field x Ana's Mail (colt)

The dam, Ana's Mail, was a three-time winner and a half-sister to stakes winning pair Shanzero (Danzero) and What’s The Mail (Flying Spur).

Lot 560 - Animal Kingdom (USA) x White Sage (Reset) - On Account of Tartan Fields

View Pedigree: Lot 560 - Animal Kingdom (USA) x White Sage (filly)

This family has been a terrific one for Tartan Fields, with the dam, White Sage, a winner of five of her seven starts, including a Listed Festival S. Her half-sister White Moss (Mossman), a triple Group winner, showed she is in for another big campaign when third in Saturday's G2 Expressway S. behind the impressive Standout (Exceed And Excel). White Sage's full sister White Thyme added further currency to the page with a recent maiden win.

Lot 560 - Animal Kingdom (USA) x White Sage (filly)

The second dam, the stakes winning Pay My Bail (NZ) (Justice Prevails), was purchased for $240,000 by the Esplin family at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and has proven an excellent acquisition.

International News Wrap

10 min read

Thousand Words Stays Undefeated in Robert B. Lewis

Thousand Words (USA) (Pioneerof the Nile {USA}) has made a rapid rise to the top, winning two graded stakes only a few months after breaking his maiden in October.

Running in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis on Saturday, the colt jumped to the top of the ranks in California with his third victory in as many starts. Trained by Bob Baffert, who trained Pioneerof the Nile’s Triple Crown winning son American Pharoah (USA), Thousand Words was near the back of a tightly bunched front group in the 1900 metre race.

It wasn’t an easy win with the colt having to work all the way down the straight to run down stablemate High Velocity (USA) (Quality Road {USA}) while also holding off the late closing Royal Act (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}). In the end, it was another heart pounding race for his connections with the colt winning by .75l for his largest winning margin yet. It was also a major milestone for Baffert, who won his 3000th race with the victory.

He is the first stakes winner from Grade II winner Pomeroy’s Pistol (USA) (Pomeroy {USA}), who looks like an astute purchase for Mike Ryan, who bought the mare for US$475,000 (AU$709,590) last month at the Keeneland January Sale.

Tiz The Law Back to Winning Ways in Holy Bull

Tiz The Law (USA) (Constitution {USA}) suffered a bump in the road when finishing third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club S. to end his 2-year-old season but was back among the leaders on the Kentucky Derby trail when winning the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Saturday.

Breaking strongly in the 1900 metre race, Tiz The Law looked comfortable on the rail behind the leader. Needing to check down the backstretch, he rerouted to the outside of the pack and was more than ready to go after the leader as they entered the turn.

By the top of the straight, Tiz The Law had the lead and pulled away to win by 3l and put Sackatoga Stable and Barclay Tagg back on the Derby trail 17 years after the duo won with Funny Cide (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}).

“He ran like I expected him,” jockey Manny Franco told Thoroughbred Daily News. “He got out of there and I was able to decide where I wanted to be. For a second, I had to make the turn and I was back on the rail, but when I saw those guys putting pressure on I was able to drop back and get outside where I wanted to be. After that, he jumped in the bit and I was traveling like I wanted.”

By leading young sire Constitution, he is a three-quarter brother to Listed placed Awestruck (USA) (Tapit {USA}) and one of three winners for his dam. Tiz The Law comes from the extended family of US Horse of the Year Favorite Trick (USA) (Phone Trick {USA}), Venezuelan Champion Cacciatora (VEN) (Point of Entry {USA}), and dual Grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}) .

Max Player On Derby Trail For Honor Code

It was an important stakes victory in his stakes debut for Max Player (USA) (Honor Code {USA}) when the 3-year-old colt was the best in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct to join the Kentucky Derby trail.

Breaking well, Max Player was in midpack with just two horses beaten early on in the 1800 metre race. The 3-year-old colt didn’t start his challenge until the field was nearly in the straight but when he got down to business he easily made up the distance. The leaders were in a tough battle in front of him and were overtaken before they could react with Max Player winning by 3.25l over Shotski (USA) (Blame {USA}) with Portos (USA) (Tapit {USA}) in third.

“He’s becoming more professional all the time in his morning workouts,” trainer Linda Rice told Thoroughbred Daily News. “Anyone that watched his two races at Parx could see he ran pretty green… He got pinched out a little bit into the first turn and Dylan [Davis] did a nice job of getting him back into the race and into the clear. He had a bit of a wide trip, but it was a great ride by Dylan. He’s shown us in the morning that he’s had a lot of run at the end of his workouts.”

The winner of two of his three starts, Max Player is the first stakes horse for his second crop sire and Champion racehorse Honor Code (USA), who stands at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. The colt is the fourth stakes horse from five to race out of Listed winning Fools In Love (USA) (Not For Love {USA}).

A US$1-million mare at the 2017 Keeneland September Breeding Stock sale, her best runner to date is Group 2 and Group 1 placed Seahenge (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}), who now stands in France.

Banner Day For Into Mischief

Last year’s US Champion Sire Into Mischief (USA) had a banner day on Saturday when he had two stakes winners across the country.

The Spendthrift Farm stallion started in the Grade 3 Swale when Mischevious Alex (USA) blitzed through the 1400 metres on the dirt. Only behind a horse at the first call, Mischevious Alex had a lengthly lead coming into the straight and was seven in front at the wire.

But Into Mischief’s headliner of the day was the Juddmonte-bred and raced Taraz (USA), who stayed undefeated in her third start when romping in the Listed Martha Washington S.

A filly who has shown talent in every start, Taraz put herself square on the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks trail with an all-the-way win at Oaklawn Park.

The filly is one of two winners from two to race out of her dam with both by Into Mischief. Typical of a Juddmonte family, Taraz is well bred and hails from a family that includes Group 1 Derby winner Commander In Chief (GB), dual-champion Warning (GB), and G1 South Australian Derby winner Leicester.

Winning the Champion Sire title for the first time in 2019, Kentucky-based Into Mischief had two yearlings offered at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with a colt from Shy Girl realizing $400,000.

Iffraaj’s Speedy Move Wins Meydan Feature

Iffraaj’s (GB) evergreen runner Speedy Move (Ire) broke the bridesmaid streak he’d put together in his two January starts when winning a 1200 metre turf handicap at Meydan on Saturday.

Leading the near side pack early on, Speedy Move took complete control of the race 200 metres out and ran home strongly to beat Shajiy (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) by 1.25l.

“Yesterday was great at Al Ain to ride a double and to follow up here today with my first winner at Meydan is just brilliant,” Apprentice Sean Kirrane said of winning at Meydan the day after riding a double. “I have to thank Mr Seemar and his team for the opportunity. I was always pretty happy today and had the runners on the other side in sight, so everything went perfectly when he quickened to the front before running on strongly to win well.”

A half-brother to Raven’s Pass’s (USA) Group 3 winner Raven’s Corner and Sepoy’s Group 2 winner Unforgetable Filly (GB), Speedy Move’s granddam is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Fire The Groom (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}), who is the dam of successful sire Stravinsky (USA).

One World upsets in Sun Met

One World (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}) made amends for his recent defeat in the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate to edge out with Rainbow Bridge (SAf) (Ideal World {USA}) in Saturday’s G1 Sun Met at Kenilworth in Cape Town, with favoured Hawwaam (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) coming from further back to be third.

Unbeaten through his first five runs at two, One World picked up a Listed win at the end of that season and earned a first pattern win at three in the G2 Concorde Cup before finishing third in the G1 Cape Guineas.

He took the R5-million (AU$500,000) CTS 1600 on this card a year ago and picked up a Group 3 win going a mile off a three-month rest last April. He picked up another Group 3 dropped back to seven furlongs at Durbanville in October before taking a Kenilworth conditions race and finishing second to Vardy (SAf) (Var {USA}) in the G2 Green Point S. on Dec 14. He was again second to that rival in the Queen’s Plate but turned the tables here while racing beyond a mile for the first time, with Vardy failing to factor in sixth.

Spotting the pacesetting Head Honcho (SAf) (Querari {Ger}) a length through the first mile of the race, One World was left with the lead when that rival promptly retreated turning for home. Defending Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge emerged from the pack and looked likely to blow right by One World, but the latter was game on the rail and held his rival at bay to win by a head.

Count Jack salutes for Big Five

The Big Five Syndicate, a group of familiar industry faces from Ireland and the US, celebrated its victory in the CTS 1600, Africa’s joint-richest race with a purse of R5-million (AU$500,000) at Kenilworth Racecourse with the ascendant 3-year-old colt Count Jack (SAf) (Jackson {SAf}).

The Big Five comprises Mick Flanagan, Tom Ryan, Craig Bernick, David Cox, Justin Casse, Ross Doyle and Anna Doyle, the latter of whom was in Cape Town to collect the trophy with husband Peter. The CTS 1600 was one of two sales races staged on the G1 Sun Met undercard, in addition to the CTS 1200. Both are non black-type races restricted to graduates of Cape Thoroughbred Sales yearling sales and are the joint-richest races in Africa with purses of R5-million apiece.

Flanagan and Doyle purchased Count Jack for R250,000 (AU$25,000) at the 2018 Cape Premier Yearling Sale and he was sent to trainer Brett Crawford.

"We saw this colt at the Kieswetters’ farm [Highlands Stud, in the Western Cape and formerly owned by the Beck family] and liked him. We all sat with each other at the sale and ate and drank together, and ended up buying him together,” Flanagan said.

“Tom Ryan is in the partnership, and at the time I asked him to come in he said, ‘don’t spend more than $10,000,'” Flanagan recalled. “Well, I ended up spending about $50,000 on the two horses. I gave him the bad news a few days later, but he was game and he’s had a blast as well.”

Count Jack didn’t step out until after his third birthday last September, and after running fourth first out he graduated at Kenilworth on October 29. He slipped back to fifth in a 1400 metre handicap two weeks later but bounced back to win a pair of handicaps over the CTS 1600 course and distance prior to Saturday’s mild upset win.

“Brett was always high on this horse,” Flanagan said. “He gave him a bit of time but once he hit the track he hit it running. [Jockey] Pierre Corne Orffer, who is a great friend of mine who I used to pal around with when I worked for Mike de Kock in Durban, he gave the horse a great ride [on Saturday]. It’s good for a number of different reasons and everyone’s gotten a kick out of it.”

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Daily News Wrap

Breakthrough for No Nay Never

Coolmore shuttler No Nay Never (USA) has secured his first Southern Hemisphere winner, with Need I Say More victorious in a 2-year-old race at Matamata on Sunday.

Need I Say More is just the fourth Southern Hemisphere bred runner for the son of Scat Daddy (USA). Owned by Te Akau Racing, he was on debut for Jamie Richards and scored a decisive 2l win in the 1100 metre race, beating Cornflower Blue (NZ) (Savabeel).

A NZ$65,000 weanling buy for Kilgraven Lodge, he was then picked up for NZ$130,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

“There has always been a little question mark around this horse because he has just been so lazy around home,” Richards said. “Get him out here when the speakers are going and put a set of blinkers on him and he really wakes up."

Richards confirmed the gelding will now contest the G3 Waikato Stud Slipper on February 22.

No Nay Never has already had over 100 winners and 20 stakes winners in his two Northern Hemisphere crops .

Dalasan ride up for grabs

Trainer Leon Macdonald is looking for a new rider for his 3-year-old star Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}), who was beaten into third in his racetrack return in the G3 Manfred S. on Saturday.

Macdonald told Racing.com that he hadn't confirmed a rider for the colt for the G3 CS Hayes S. or the G1 Australian Guineas after Craig Williams took the ride on Saturday.

Dalasan

“I thought he let him get too far back,” Macdonald said before being asked if Williams would ride second-up. “No. I haven’t got a rider.

“He pulled up well and went home and did well, so there’s no problems there.

“There are options, but it would probably the CS Hayes (next) I would think. The other option is to give him three weeks and go to the Hobartville, but I think he’ll go to the CS Hayes. I’m pretty sure he will.”

Marquand cleared of serious injury

In-form jockey Tom Marquand has been cleared of neck and shoulder injuries after falling from Ronstar (Zoustar) at Randwick on Saturday.

Marquand claimed a stakes double aboard Away Game (Snitzel) in the G3 Widden S. and Prague (Redoute's Choice) in the G3 Canonbury S. but was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital when dislodged from Ronstar near the 900 metre mark in the second last race.

He was subsequently cleared of serious injuries but will require a post-concussion medical clearance before he can resume riding at Gosford on Tuesday.

Tom Marquand

Waller has Group 1 Ambition

Promising stayer Shared Ambition (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) will return to racing in next Saturday's Gardenia H. at Warwick Farm with Group 1 ambitions this autumn.

Trainer Chris Waller was pleased with what he saw from the 4-year-old, a winner of five of his six starts, during a track gallop at Randwick on Saturday and can't wait to get him back to the races.

Shared Ambition (Ire)

“I love his action,” Waller told Racenet. “When Nash Rawiller asked him to quicken the last 600 metres. The next few runs will tell us where he is at.”

Waller wants to target the G1 Ranvet S. with the import and will likely go to the Listed Parramatta Cup in February 22 on his way there.

Shared Ambition galloped with Youngstar (High Chaparral {Ire}) on Saturday and will meet that mare again in next Saturday's race.

James is Derby dreaming

Roger James is eyeing a sixth G1 New Zealand Derby success with Reggiewood (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), who was an impressive 3l winner at New Plymouth on Saturday.

James, who trains with Robert Wellwood, is confident the progressive stayer can measure up to Derby class in the Group 1 test at Ellerslie on February 29.

“He’s a highly promising staying 3-year-old, and he’s improving significantly with every start," James said.

“The Derby seems to be the natural progression for him now, and I don’t think the mile and a half (2400 metres) will pose him any problems. It’s an exciting position to be in.

“We’ll just see how he pulls up before deciding on a plan between now and the Derby. We may not need to give him another run at all, but if we do, the obvious one will be the Avondale Guineas at Ellerslie on February 15.”

Dragon Leap (Pierro) is currently the short-priced favourite for the NZ Derby.

Tiptronic ready for Group 1 shot

Trainer Graham Richardson is confident Tiptronic (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) is spot on for his Group 1 test in next weekend’s Herbie Dyke S. at Te Rapa as he looks to go one better than last year.

Coming off a 2100 metre win at his most recent start at Ellerslie, Tiptronic has worked well for Richardson.

“His work on Saturday was spot on and he is at peak for his upcoming task,” he said.

“He has improved since his Ellerslie win and I’ve got Chris Johnson booked to ride him, so all we need now is a decent draw.

“He has been missing away a little lately but he began well last time and that made all the difference. I’d love to draw an inside gate and just let him find a position and then we’ll see what unfolds from there.”

Tiptronic was runner-up to On The Rocks (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) in the Herbie Dyke last year.

Breakthrough double for Dedline

South Australian-based stallion Dedline secured his first two winners with an early race-to-race double at Sale.

Dedline, based at Rosden Park, had yet to produce a winner until Deadly Sins won the first race for Cranbourne trainer John Price. Price and the stallion then doubled up in the second race, with Phyla Vell winning the second race.

Dedline failed to win in three career starts but does boast an impressive pedigree as a son of Fastnet Rock out of Peruzzi (Zabeel {NZ}), a Group 2 winning sister to Don Eduardo (NZ) and three-quarter sister to Octagonal (NZ) and Mouawad (NZ).

He stands for $4400 (inc GST).