WAY WEST : IS THIS THE SIGN OF SOMETHING "BIG"

Highveld Juvenile Champion and Dual Graded Stakes Winner, Waywest Goddess,
was a neck away from a National title in the Allan Robertson Fillies Championship Gr 1.

“Leading the second crop Sires…”

The “smart money” will tell you they expected it of WAY WEST. An explosive juvenile, a prince’s pedigree and a flawless physique.

So to be fair, a Highveld Juvenile Champion in his first crop was no more than WAY WEST stepping up to the plate. But given the opposition, you’d have to say that leading the second crop Sires, is a matter of exceeding expectations.

Or is this the sign of something “big” in the making?

LEADING 2ND CROP SIRES
(To 10 October 2010) 

SIRE	WINNERS	WINS	STAKES (ZAR)
WAY WEST	7	7	429 475
RIGHT APPROACH	5	5	357 085
KING OF KINGS	3	3	269 910
TIGER RIDGE	3	3	232 370

Figures courtesy of Sporting Post

For more information please visit :
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HENRYTHENAVIGATOR : Another winner for Aidan O'Brien

Henrythenavigator holds off New Approach (dailymail)Susan Magnier’s Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo) hadn’t been out since finishing third to New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Futurity Stakes in August, but proved resolute in the final yards of Saturday’s G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket to hand that rival his first defeat.

“The race worked well for me and he really answered the call,” said winning rider Johnny Murtagh, who piloted Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) to victory in 2002. “He quickened up well and I thought I would win by a neck, but he got tired and fair dues to the second. He battled back-they are two very high-class horses.”

While Henrythenavigator’s success in the G2 Coventry Stakes came over six furlongs at Royal Ascot in June, the manner of that performance and his pedigree suggested a step up in trip would not pose a problem.

“We were happy with him at home, but it was his first run and all of our horses have been improving a lot for it,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said after greeting his fifth winner. “He was entitled to get tired at the end, and will improve. We thought the world of him last year and he was always exceptional.”

Click here to watch video of Henrythenavigator winning the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket 2008. 

O’BRIEN’S PREVIOUS GUINEAS WINNERS

Year          Winner                                         Sire
2006         George Washington (Ire)     Danehill
2005         Footstepsinthesand (GB)     Giant’s Causeway
2002         Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)         Danehill
1998          King of Kings (Ire)                  Sadler’s Wells

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain

STANJAMESUK.COM 2000 GUINEAS S. (THE 200^TH RUNNING)-G1 , ,375,000, Newmarket, 5-3, 3yo, c/f, 1mT, 1:39.14, gd.
1—HENRYTHENAVIGATOR, 126, c, 3, by Kingmambo
    1st Dam: Sequoyah (Ire) (Hwt 2yo Filly-Ire, G1SW-Ire, $150,827), by Sadler ’s Wells
    2nd Dam: Brigid, by Irish River (Fr)
    3rd Dam: Luv Luvin’, by Raise a Native
O-Susan Magnier; B-Western Bloodstock; T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Johnny Murtagh; ,212,887. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1
2—New Approach (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)-Park Express (Ire), by Ahonoora GB).
3—Stubbs Art (Ire), 126, c, 3, Hawk Wing—Rich Dancer (GB), by Halling.

The Arqana December Sale draws to a close

Arqana’s December sale wound to a close yesterday with a one-day yearling session which featured the sale of a son of Barathea (Ire) for EUR42,000, topping the list of flat bred purchases. Hip 1065 was consigned by Haras de Bois Carrouges and is out of the stakes placed Western Bowl, herself a half to dual graded-stakes winner Powder Bowl.

The colt, who is from the George Strawbridge family of the 1989 G1 Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Silver Fling, was secured by FIPS, who won the day on behalf of Spanish connections. Earlier, Pegasus Farms paid EUR40,000 for Haras de Grandcamp’s hip 947. By Gold Away (Ire) and out of Logjam (Ire), the colt is a half brother to this year’s G2 Prix d’Harcourt scorer and G1 Premio Roma third Boris de Deauville (Ire). A pair of fillies brought EUR20,000, including Haras du Petit Tellier’s hip 922, by King of Kings (Ire), whose extended family includes sires Poliglote (GB) and Indian Danehill (Ire). The second, by Numerous and out of Macotte (Fr), a half sister to Smadoun (Fr), was consigned by Haras des Sablonnets as hip 955. Jean de Roualle purchased the former, while Winning Bloodstock Agency secured the latter.

“The success of the sale shows that the third yearling sale in Deauville serves a useful purpose,” explained Arqana President Eric Hoyeau. “Despite the big increase in the number of yearlings on offer, the demand was constant and diverse throughout the day enabling us to sell 168 yearlings in total, 65 percent of those offered. Over the three yearling sales in August, October and December Arqana sold 100 more yearlings this year than in 2006, which is a satisfactory result.”

Full results are available on www.arqana.com

Extract from TDN 13.12.07