THE BALANCE OF POWER : TIPPING THE SCALES

The Balance of Power
(Photo : Pontus Edenberrg/Jean Scheijen/Chapman Arts) 

Perhaps at last, there exists a mythbuster
in the ranks of American Sires…

At a time when Great Britain and most of Europe were embroiled in world and other internecene wars, across the Atlantic another game was playing itself out. The American dollar was on the rampage, as the economy of the land of the brave raged like a bushfire, heralding an era in which the custodianship of the best genetics in the world passed from the British aristocracy to American stud farms, funded largely by the enterprise of successful entrepreneurs. Wave after wave of Europe’s best racehorses found their way into the holds of the big ocean liners, and the likes of Herbager, Sir Gallahad III and Bull Dog among the earlier ones, Nasrullah, Royal Charger and Princequillo in the intermediate brigade, and at its zenith, Blushing Groom, Vaguely Noble, Lyphard and Riverman, joined the throng. There were many more, and once it became apparent through the exploits of superstars such as Sir Ivor and Nijinsky, that the best horses in the world were to be found in the United States, any owner with aspirations of winning the best races in Europe, made it his business to dabble in the American market.

Remarkably, though all these stallions had earned their reputations through their exploits on turf, a bias soon developed among European horsemen for what became commonly known as “turf” sires, as opposed to those that were regarded as distinctly “dirt” horses. It wasn’t long before the same people developed an antipathy towards the progeny of Seattle Slew, and perhaps slightly less so, for the Mr. Prospector tribe, believing that these horses were primarily sires of dirt horses. While there is possibly some basis for such an argument, it soon manifested itself in an apathy for the progeny of the sons and the grandsons as well, a case of once the label was on, it stuck. And so it was quickly assumed that, for example, a horse of the stature of the A.P. Indy, (a son of Seattle Slew) was bound, like his sire to fall into the same category. While there are many instances of Graded stakes turf winners emanating from the A.P. Indy male line (more than 80 Graded stakes winners to date) as well as what we’ve seen in South Africa in the achievements of Jay Peg and Consensual (two Group One winning champions from the relatively modestly performed Camden Park), there remains a doubt in the minds of many Europeans about the suitability of this male line for their turf.

We forget of course that Northern Dancer and Danzig, arguably two of the best stallions the world has known, were strictly dirt performers, yet in their era, they stood head and shoulders above the world with their turf runners.

Domestically, our own history of top stallions is replete with horses whose greatest racecourse moments were recorded on the dirt, beginning with Jungle Cove, Plum Bold, Western Winter and Muhtafal. This past weekend witnessed a Graded Stakes winner in the UK and several other promising performances from the first crop of the quality racehorse, Bernardini (a son of A.P. Indy), afforded the opportunity to race in Europe largely because of the influence of Bernadine’s owner, Sheikh Mohammed. Perhaps at last, there exists a mythbuster in the ranks of American sires, a myth buster which could upset the bias against the A.P. Indy’s forever.

What is apparent though, is that in the matter of stallion power, the pendulum has swung eastwards again, and the momentum now rests firmly with Europe and Great Britain. As much as anything, this has probably been a result of the sustained purchase of the best American bloodstock over the years by the Ballydoyle and Maktoum empires. The loss of Storm Cat and Kingmambo in America leaves only A.P. Indy, Giant’s Causeway and Street Cry as legitimate breed shapers, while Europe’s loss of Sadler’s Wells and Danehill has been compensated for through the emergence of his sons Galileo and Montjeu, as well as Pivotal, Oasis Dream, Dansili and Danehill Dancer.

Darley's World Strategy Leaves No Prisoners

Hard on the heels of their purchases of the breeding rights to the first Street Sense (by STREET CRY) and second home Hard Spun (by DANZIG) in America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, Sheikh Mohammad has left little to the imagination as far as his global strategy is concerned, with the announcement of the acquisition of AUTHORISED, last weeks runaway winner of the English version, The Derby.

Street SenseDomination of the world stallion scene is a topic which has received a good deal of attention in this column in recent weeks, and it is quite obvious that the Darley boys (Sheikh Mohammad in their corner) are intent on going the full fifteen rounds with John Magnier’s team at Coolmore.

This is developing into a world class battle, with Coolmore having held the upper hand for decades now, largely through a combination of spectacular horsemanship and the resources to back it, and it will take a man of at least the Sheikh’s unlimited cash to upset the balance even marginally.

Yet there are signs, in America at least, that the “impossible” might just be on the verge of happening, with Darley now standing three stallions commanding fees of six figures and beyond – STREET CRY, ELUSIVE QUALITY and BERNADINI, and so dominance in the USA is no foregone conclusion.

Authorised (Getty Images)It seems these latest acquisitions, no doubt for money we cant even begin to contemplate, are just another little tightening of the screws.

Tighten your seatbelts – we’re in for one helluva ride!

Sheikh Mohammed pays dearly: Julian Muscat

According to The Times of London, Sheikh Mohammed is paying heavily. A recent article by Julian Muscat reflecting on the Maktoum family’s boycott of horses produced by the Coolmore stallions, reflected on the price the Ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed, has paid for the stand-off.

Muscat uses as his example the fact that the Godolphin horses are currently experiencing a substantial dearth in positive results at the races, from the current crop of three year olds right through the ranks, and cites as best evidence, the very substantial numbers of horses Coolmore has engaged in the various European classics, and the almost complete absence of Godlophin competitors in the same races.

Of course, when Sheikh Mohammed and his brothers initiated this boycott, they must have been aware that this was a possible consequence, though they might’ve expected it to be less severe than it has been. What was well known to them in advance of their decision to go that route, was the fact that the Coolmore stallions occupy a near-monopoly on the European stallions log, and it was probably axiomatic that any selection against their progeny would mean a corresponding lack of success at the races, unless by some miracle, the alternative options available in the way of stallions were able to throw up a stream of serious competitors.

That was highly unlikely, given the fact that there was a history among the proven sires of Coolmore’s ongoing dominance, and any strategy involving a withdrawal from bidding on the progeny on any of the Coolmore stallions, was bound to open the way for Coolmore to buy those progeny without having to endure the fierce competition of the Maktoums in the sales ring. This was likely to enhance Coolmore’s position rather than hurt it, and some, given that Coolmore are represented by some of the shrewdest judges in the world. The prospects were then that would experience an even greater wave of success possibly even on an unprecedented scale, which is saying something, knowing how strong they had been in the past.

Not all the reasons for the boycott are in the public domain, and several strands must’ve goaded Sheikh Mohammad into it, but the effect has been unilateral. In Muscat’s words, “it is he who suffers, while Coolmore prospers”.

He also suggests that the Sheikh mighth’ve taken heed of the late Lord Weinstock, who some years ago was annoyed with the way Coolmore managed a stallion he had sold them. Asked why he continued to do business with Coolmore, he reported impatiently: “because they are the best at what they do”. Weinstock’s pragmatism is not Sheikh Mohammed’s style. The Sheikh is more Baroness Thatcher: he is not for turning.

Of course, we are reflecting on a snapshot in time, but it is quite possible that the odds could shift with the emergence on the “blue side” of a stallion or stallions comparable to or even superior to those presently at Coolmore. However unlikely that might be in the immediate future, the possibility still exists, and certainly, for the time being, it is equally possible that a shift to racing on a larger scale in the United States, where the Maktoum family have enjoyed considerable success in the recent past with the likes of Bernardini, Discreet Cat, Invasor and Henny Hughes. In that domain, the Maktoum’s have at least one highly proven stallion in Elusive Quality, and another highly promising one in Street Cry, sire of this season alone of seven individual Stakes winners (five at Graded level, including the hero of this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby, Street Sense). A refuge in America for the time being could give the Maktoums the breathing time they would need to resurrect their fortunes in Europe. With their Godolphin operation as widespread as it is, this is not an entirely unfeasible alternative.

For as long as Coolmore’s dominance of the stallion scene in Europe continues (and it’s possible it could endure for many years, given the expertise at their disposal), the likelihood at the races in Europe, is they will retain their ascendancy. As Muscat has already said, Sheikh Mohammed is not for turning. His determination ensures he will sit it out and together with his brothers, and the endless patience for which the Arabs are known, (not to mention their resources) will persist. Muscat’s conjecture that it might not be good for racing in Europe if their dearth of top winners maintains itself, it is probably far off the mark. Anyone who has any sort of intimate understanding of how the Dubains work, will attest to the fact that patience is one of their strongest virtues, as is a will to stay.