MONTEROSSO LANDS DUBAI WORLD CUP FOR GODOLPHIN

Click above to watch Monterosso winning the Dubai World Cup (G1)…
(Image : Virendra Saklani/Gulf News - Footage : Dubai Racing Meydan)

US$10,000,000 DUBAI WORLD CUP (Group 1)
Meydan, All-Weather, 2000m
31 March 2012

Master of Hounds (Kingmambo) won the World Cup break from the inside stall, but was quickly passed by Transcend (Jpn) (Wild Rush), the 2011 runner-up, as Capponi (Ire) (Medicean) loomed up to make the Japanese raider work on the engine. So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral) slotted in perfectly and enjoyed the run of the race from third, as Monterosso (GB) (Dubawi) was three wide in fifth, but in touch. Game On Dude (USA) (Awesome Again), expected to be a pace presence, was a touch slow to begin and was given rein from jockey Chantal Sutherland to run up into contention outside Monterosso midway up the backstretch. Capponi wrested command from a spent Transcend as they reached the second turn and it was soon clear that Godolphin blue would dominate, as Monterosso crept a bit closer going ominously well. The two 5-year-olds raced on even terms approaching the final furlong, but Monterosso was always doing the better and won comfortably from Capponi, Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) and So You THink (NZ) (High Chaparral), with the recently retained jockey Mickael Barzalona standing up straight in the irons to salute the crowd. “I couldn’t believe when no one was coming after me. This is a dream,” the 19-year-old Barzalona commented. “I have no words to describe what I feel right now.” And how about his celebratory pose, similar to the one following his Epsom Derby score last year? “I just had to. I had no choice.”

Home-bred but raced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum and trainer Mark Johnston at two and three, Monterosso landed the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2010 before a fourth to Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo) in that year’s G1 Irish Derby. Unplaced in two subsequent runs, he was transferred to Godolphin last season and made two starts at the Carnival, defeating stablemate Cavaldos Blues (Fr) (Lando) in the G2 Dubai City of Gold Stakes. That event serves as a prep for the Sheema Classic, but Monterosso was re-routed for the World Cup and took third, beaten 3/4 of a length for the whole pot. He went missing the balance of 2011 and resumed in the G1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3, coming home fourth to Capponi in a race he was certain to need.

Some 11 years ago, Sheikh Mohammed watched as Dubai Millennium (GB) (Seeking the Gold) spread-eagled the World Cup field at Nad al Sheba. Yesterday, he shared a robust embrace with bloodstock advisor John Ferguson and wasn’t immune to a few fist pumps of his own following the win. “We’re absolutely delighted,” Ferguson offered. “You couldn’t get much better than that, could you? It’s wonderful for everybody. The trainer’s a rising star and the jockey, and the owner’s good too. This horse was third in the DWC last year so he was legitimate. Personally, it was a question of whether he needed another race to be ready.” The parentage of the winner is also not lost on connections. Admitted Racing Manager Simon Crisford, “Being a grandson of Dubai Millennium is massively important. Our greatest moments in horse racing with Godolphin were with Dubai Millennium so it’s fantastic.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

REWILDING POWERS TO PRINCE OF WALES'S STAKES WIN

Click above to watch Rewilding winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Gr1)
(Image : SMH - Footage : EuroSport)

PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES (Group 1)
Royal Ascot, 2000m
15 June 2011

For most of yesterday’s G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, it appeared all was going perfectly to plan for So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral), but, in the closing stages, it was Rewilding (GB) (Tiger Hill) who prevailed under a power-packed Frankie Dettori drive.

While all the pre-race emphasis centred around the ex-Australian superstar, Godolphin’s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic hero was under the radar and started at 17-2, opposed to the 4-11 on offer for Ballydoyle’s favorite.

Held on to early as Frankie watched the race unfold in front, he raced enthusiastically while the initially languid Jan Vermeer (Ire) (Montjeu) took up the pacesetting duties after the first quarter. So You Think raced past his stable companion on the final bend and, although he had first run on Rewilding, his early move cost him as the royal blue train steadily usurped the purple where it mattered.

“They were two great horses and it was a sheer joy to be in the race,” Dettori said. “It was a tremendous battle and the second never gave up, but I’m delighted for Rewilding, as he is a good horse and doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.”

“If you win these races, it is a great thing, and the preparation and training was perfect,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum commented. Conditioner Mahmood Al Zarooni gave the credit to his boss. “I have to be honest, it’s not me, it’s His Highness - he always gives us direction with the horses,” Al Zarooni noted. “He has been around a long time and has a lot of experience, while we are still learning. The G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, at Ascot July 23, is next.”

So You Think’s trainer Aidan O’Brien blamed himself his charge’s defeat. “I would take total responsibility for this, as he won his first two starts very easily, and I was letting him come along very gently and not training him very hard,” O’Brien explained. “I didn’t like to get stuck into him and, while this was a big step up from his other races, he was a little fresh and tanked for the first two furlongs, and then went to win and got tired. Frankie gave his horse a beautiful ride and his horse stays a mile and a half well, so he just got him in the final yards. It was trainer’s error for not getting him fit enough for this kind of race, as I didn’t want to chase him too much. We must remember that he would never have had this strong and competitive a race in this atmosphere before, and it was my fault, as he had a big heavy blow after. All I can say is sorry, and we will go on from here and see what happens next time. I would expect plenty of improvement, and the G1 Eclipse at Sandown July 2 is a definite possible, but he has a lot of options, so we’ll go home and discuss it.”

Rewilding’s dam, Darara, a Group 1 winner for breeder The Aga Khan, had produced just one black-type performer by the time she went through the ring as an 11-year-old at Goffs in 1994. Secured by agent Charlie Gordon-Watson on behalf of Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber for a sale-topping Ir470,000gns, the bay mare proved a bargain at the price. Her first two foals for Watership Down, Kilimanjaro (Shirley Heights) and Rhagaas (Sadler’s Wells), each brought 500,000gns - from Demi O’Byrne and Godolphin, respectively - as yearlings at Tattersalls. Her 1999 Sadler’s Wells colt established a British record when selling for 3.4-million guineas in 2000; originally named Diaghilev, he developed into a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong under the moniker River Dancer. Dar Re Mi was retained to race under pink-and-grey silks, and bankrolled £2,698,880 for the Lloyd-Webbers. John Ferguson secured Rewilding for 500,000gns at Tattersalls in 2008, and the bay colt has repaid that several times over. Darara was pensioned after producing Rewilding.

PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES (Gr1)
Final Result

#	Horse	Sire	Jockey	Trainer
1	REWILDING (GB)	Tiger Hill	F Dettori	Mahmood Al Zarooni
2	SO YOU THINK (NZ)	High Chaparral	R Moore	Aidan O’Brien
3	SRI PUTRA (GB)	Oasis Dream	N Callan	Roger Varian
4	PLANTEUR (IRE)	Danehill Dancer	C Soumillon	Elie Lellouche
5	TWICE OVER (GB)	Observatory	T Queally	Sir Henry Cecil
6	JAN VERMEER (IRE)	Montjeu	J O’Brien	Aidan O’Brien
7	DEBUSSY (IRE)	Diesis	A Ajtebi	Mahmood Al Zarooni

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

SEPOY SCINTILLATING IN GOLDEN SLIPPER

Click above to watch Sepoy winning the Golden Slipper (Gr1)
(Photo : SMH - Footage : Sky Racing)

AU$3,5 MILLION GOLDEN SLIPPER (Group 1)
Rosehill, Turf, 1200m
2 April 2011

One of the most over-used words in the Australian dialect is ‘sensational’.

Yesterday at Rosehill its use was, however, for once appropriate, writes Darryl Sherer for Australia and New Zealand Bloodstock News.

With half the field loaded for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (Group 1, 1200m) the second favourite Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) became fractious and got his front leg over the stall partition and was then backed out of his stall.

With vet Joe Bruyn unable to converse with chief steward Ray Murrihy because of a break in and alleged theft of two-way radios from the Stewards room in the grandstand, the 6/1 second-favourite was withdrawn with jockey Glen Boss’ annoyance visible to all.

Once the barriers opened it was business as usual for Darley-homebred Sepoy (Elusive Quality), who confirmed his place as the best juvenile in Australia or New Zealand convincingly. Enjoying a textbook ride from Kerrin McEvoy, who positioned Sepoy in fourth place along the inside, the powerful chestnut shouldered Foxwedge (Fastnet Rock) out of the way once into the straight and then powered his way to a second Group 1 victory and the double of Australia’s two major juvenile races.

Sepoy had two-lengths to spare over 100/1 chance Mosheen (Fastnet Rock), making just her second start, with Elite Falls (More Than Ready) running on well along the inside to take third place in front of Masthead (Written Tycoon).

In winning, Sepoy becomes just the fifth horse to complete the Blue Diamond Stakes (Group 1, 1200m) / Golden Slipper (Group 1, 1200m) double, joining Courtza (Pompeii Court) (1989); Bounding Away (Biscay) (1986) Manikato (Manihi) (1978) and John’s Hope (Wilkes) (1972). An emotional trainer Peter Snowden was struggling for words afterwards. “I’ve worked my whole life for this,” Snowden told TVN. “Everyone has got a signature race and this has been mine. This is the best feeling of my life.”

The magnitude of the win was not solely confined to Sydney either as John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to Sheikh Mohammed, who watched the race live in Dubai, revealed. “To be here today is very special. I’ve just spoken to Sheikh Mohammed and he said ‘He is a machine’, it’s a very, very special day for all of the 340 people that work for Darley in Australia. Sheikh Mohammed was convinced that Peter (Snowden) had the qualities to be our head trainer and he (Peter) has repaid that 100 times over.”

On the winner, Ferguson described the son of Elusive Quality as a ‘very, very special horse’. Asked about future plans, Ferguson preferred to concentrate on the moment. “He’s a wonderful, champion two-year-old and we hope he can go on and be a top three-year-old, after that, who knows, he can always travel.”

Trainer Anthony Cummings and jockey Glen Boss were with stewards immediately afterwards regarding the withdrawal of Smart Missile. Chief Steward Ray Murrihy explained that the vet had to rule if a horse was strung up for any length of time and in Smart Missile’s case it was 40 seconds.

Cummings said he will give Smart Missile a jump-out early next week to satisfy stewards the colt is able to run in the Sires’ Produce (Group 1, 1400m) on Saturday.

“It doesn’t make it any easier that he had beaten Sepoy,” he said, “but he’s still the only unbeaten horse to go home tonight.”

Sepoy (2 c Elusive Quality - Watchful, by Danehill) has now won five of his six starts and earned AU$2,908,500.

Extract from ANZ Bloodstock News

GONE MISSING : SHEIKH MOHAMMED

Sheikh Mohammed
(Photo : Daily Mail / Keeneland)

KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE

According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, it was another strong night of selling at Keeneland September, the world’s biggest racehorse auction. But, for the first time in well over a decade, very little of the good news was attributable to the participation of Sheikh Mohammed and his bloodstock agent John Ferguson. Over the years, Sheikh Mohammed has spent hundreds of millions of dollars at September, and the sight of his 747 jumbo jet sitting on the tarmac at Blue Grass Airport was reassuring to many sellers. And it’s easy to see why.

From 1999 through 2009, Ferguson led all buyers in spending 10 out of the 11 years. (Coolmore’s Demi O’Byrne was the lone exception, in 2007.) Ferguson has signed for September toppers four times, including the $9.7 million Jalil (Storm Cat) and the $11.7 million Meydan City (Kingmambo).

His expenditures reached a staggering $59 million plus in 2006 - the year he acquired Meydan City - when he bought 34 horses. And while Sheikh Mohammed’s participation dropped dramatically over the past three years, he still was a major force. Last year, Ferguson purchased 34 yearlings at September, paying $13,980,000 for them. Other operations with ties to Sheikh Mohammed, such as Rabbah Bloodstock, also contributed to the outlay.

But Ferguson’s name has been hard to find on the 2010 results sheets. Through Book 1, he’s bought just two horses, a Bernardini - Victory Ride colt Monday for $450,000; and a Street Cry - Hidden Cat colt yesterday for $200,000. And Sheikh Mohammed, who hasn’t missed a September sale in at least nine years, has yet to make a public appearance.

Opinions as to why Sheikh Mohammed has scaled back his spending are varied. Some believe the ongoing economic woes of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates of which Sheikh Mohammed is ruler, have played a part.

Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell, however, points to the worldwide expansion of Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding interests as a major factor.

“John spoke earlier this year and said that Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley would not be as dependent on the yearling market as it has been in the past, with the purchase of Stonerside in this country and Widden Stud in Australia,” said Russell. “So it (the cutback in spending) wasn’t a huge surprise to me, and I don’t think it was a huge surprise to consignors.”

Russell thinks there are even positives to the situation.

“I think that, without the strong participation of Darley, it has opened up opportunities for other buyers who in the past haven’t been successful and have been frustrated,” he said. “Now they are able to buy these horses at a level they are comfortable with. I think that’s better for the whole market - more buyers spread over more horses - and there’s more competition.”

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed’s brother, Shadwell owner Sheikh Hamdan, has continued to be a player at September. Shadwell currently is the second-leading buyer at September after two nights, with six purchases totaling $2,885,000. Last year, Shadwell purchased two yearlings for $1,230,000.

A.P. INDY : THE LEGACY

$4.2 Million Hip 14 A.P. Indy - Balance
(Image and Footage : Keeneland)

KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE

The pervasive influence of A.P. Indy was in evidence at the biggest racehorse sale in the world, Keeneland September. According to Bill Oppenheim’s Apex ratings, A.P. Indy isn’t only the Emperor of American stallions, he is the highest ranked stallion on earth, and the extent to which the top priced colt in the sale exceeded the money paid for the second horse through the ring, exemplifies it.

Admittedly, the colt’s dam was a champion herself, but there are many of these represented in the most prestigious catalogue in the world. It is the towering presence of A.P. Indy that compels the inspection, and after that, it’s a matter of what the richest will pay to beat the richest.

There was a lot of concern and indeed, pessimism about the state of the international market, some of it justified. The biggest concern must’ve centred on the relative silence of the guns of the world’s two biggest sales protagonists, the Maktoum Family of Dubai and Team Coolmore of Ireland, at recent international sales, and particularly Deauville last month. It was encouraging then, to see the under bidder on the $4,2 million son of A.P. Indy, was none less than Coolmore, obviously in an attempt to provide some diversity to the very concentrated strains of Sadler’s Wells and Danehill which have served them so well at their Irish base, and to bolster the ranks of their American operation, Ashford.

It was also encouraging, to see long-time Summerhill patron, Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum as active as his Shadwell Estate Company has been, and to see Sheikh Mohammed’s man, John Ferguson, notching up a couple in the top twenty. Beyond that though, we need to remember that Ben Leon, a new player in these echelons, who made a final bid for this colt, and that just a fortnight ago, Middle Eastern interests paid a reported €11.5 million for the hero of the English 2000 Guineas and the Prix Jacques le Marois, Makfi, by the new sire sensation, Dubawi. Fresh blood is the staff of life, and heavens knows, every industry needs it.

Keeneland’s opening two days were quite remarkable, some 20% up on last year. Here are some salient features of the Sunday and Monday sessions.

KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLINGS
BOOK1 12-13 SEPTEMBER 2010 

Totals	Book 1 Totals
Catagued	211
Number Offered	185
Number Sold	127
RNA’s	58
% RNA	31.3%
Number $500k+	18
High Price	$4,200,000
Gross	$44,305,000
Average (% change)	$348,858
Median (% change)	$285,000