OF BALLYMACOLL, CONDUIT, THE BREEDERS CUP AND THE ARC

Conduit and Tartan Bearer
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
(Photo : Bloodhorse)

“IT’S NEVER TOO LATE”

We all know that the racehorse breeding game is a long one, and there are those who would believe that the senior years are an inappropriate time to kick off a breeding operation. Yet you only have to look at some of South Africa’s most celebrated breeders, Graham Beck and Bridget Oppenheimer, and what they’re up to right now in expanding their breeding holdings well into their 80’s, to know that the bug that drives mankind is a closer relative of emotion than it is a matter of cold logic.

We often have this conversation with one of our more “senior” clients at Summerhill, and we’re quick to remind him and ourselves of the story behind the Ballymacoll Stud in Ireland. Founded by the late Lord Albert Weinstock in his 69^th year, here was one of England’s leading businessmen embarking on what some saw as a “madman’s folly”, at his County Meath farm in Ireland, yet by the time he passed away on July 23^rd 2002, His Lordship had left behind a stream of world-class racehorses.

A man of humble beginnings, the success of Lord Weinstock’s breeding operation, largely conducted under the leadership of Peter Reynolds, has resulted in fifty Group One victories from twenty eight individual Group winners stretching back to 1966, following a founding investment in 1960.

From a scant twenty three mares, yielding on average 17 foals a year, this is a staggering success story by any standards. His legacy was never more evident than in the outcome of this year’s renewal of one of England’s greatest races, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr.1), staged at Ascot at the backend of July, in which graduates of the farm, Conduit and Tartan Bearer, finished first and second.

“We’ve kept it going, and we need days like these. Lord Weinstock was nearly here for the last one (King George) when Golan won this race; he’d only been dead a week, God bless him” opined Reynolds.

“Conduit’s won a Classic, a Breeder’s Cup and now a King George, he can run at top speed for a very long time. He’s got great stamina, and when he kicks into gear, he keeps stepping up and up and finds plenty”.

“Obviously the Breeders Cup will be in consideration again. Conduit was supplemented last year, and is an automatic qualifier this year. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) is the one race the team still has to crack, and personally, I wouldn’t mind if we had the two runners in it. It’s a race Lord Weinstock wanted to win really badly, and before the show goes off the road, we have to win the “Arc”. Conduit could go for both (the Arc and Breeders Cup); the timing is fine this year”.

Long live Ballymacoll, just as His Lordship did.

TIMEFORM’S TOP RATED EUROPEAN OLDER HORSES

Yeats
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

Please click photo to enlarge… 

TIMEFORM OLDER HORSES
Up to and including Sunday 30 August 2009 

HORSE	SIRE	RATING
GOLDIKOVA (IRE)	Anabaa	132
CONDUIT (Ire)	Dalakhani	130
PACO BOY (Ire)	Desert Style	129
SEPTIMUS (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	129
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (Ire)	Galileo	129
VISION D’ETAT (Fr)	Chichicastenango	128
YEATS (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	128
FLEETING SPIRIT (Ire)	Invincible Spirit	127
PRESVIS (GB)	Sakhee	127
ASK (GB)	Sadler’s Wells	126
CASUAL CONQUEST (Ire)	Hernando	126
FAMOUS NAME (GB)	Dansili	126
MAIN AIM (GB)	Oasis Dream	126
NEVER ON SUNDAY (Fr)	Sunday Break	126
OVERDOSE (GB)	Starborough	126
TARTAN BEARER (Ire)	Spectrum	126

NEW APPROACH heads Irish Derby field

New Approach
(Newmarket Racecourse)

Princess Haya of Jordan’s New Approach (Ire) (Galileo) will face a maximum 13 rivals in Sunday’s Gr1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby as he bids to become the 13th to complete the Epsom-Curragh Classic double since 1970. Ballymacoll Stud’s runner-up Tartan Bearer (Ire) (Spectrum) and Moyglare Stud’s third Casual Conquest (Ire) (Hernando) are already confirmed as certain starters by connections.

The latter’s trainer Dermot Weld, who also has Bertam Firestone’s Winchester (Theatrical) in the list, is expecting improvement from Casual Conquest. Tartan Bearer’s conditioner Sir Michael Stoute could also be represented by Khalid Abdullah’s Derby fourth Doctor Fremantle (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), while Aidan O’Brien has six remaining headed by Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier’s Washington Irving (Ire) (Montjeu) and Alessandro Volta (GB) (Montjeu), who were fifth and sixth, respectively, at Epsom.

The Curragh’s Manager Paul Hensey yesterday described conditions as “good” ahead of the weekend fixture.

EPSOM DERBY : England's most famous horserace a Triumph for Galileo

New Approach with Kevin Manning aboard
(AP Press)

Much maligned he may have been for his belief that the world was round, the human version of Galileo was not only a man ahead of his time, but his theories cost him dearly for much of his lifetime.

It seems though, that having dispensed his penance for what turned out to be as revolutionary a discovery as any in history, the gods are now smiling sweetly on the equine Galileo, whose feats at stud are beginning to encourage a new belief that, despite his paternal brother Montjeu’s already outstanding achievements, Galileo is on the verge of being anointed the new crown prince.

Their father, Sadler’s Wells has already eclipsed by far the record of the legend, Hyperion, as the most successful stallion in European history, yet for some time there’s been a shadow cast on his status as a sire of sires. Quite why we’re at something of a loss, as he was already the sire to two champion stallions (El Prado in the U.S.A. and Fort Wood in S.A.) besides the very respectable In The Wings in Europe. Montjeu has since stepped up to take a Championship with two winners of the world’s most famous race, and Saturday it was Galileo’s turn to do the same in the English (or “Epsom”, as the poms choose to call it) Derby.

Twice beaten as the pace setter in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas by Coolmore’s Henrythenavigator, Sheikh Mohammed’s hugely expensive investment for his wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, the enigmatic New Approach, did just that in the Derby (took a “new approach”) by sitting in impatiently behind, and swooped to beat the early favorites, Tartan Bearer and Casual Conquest, in the final two furlongs.

Observers of the race would’ve been concerned at New Approach’s obvious desire to get on with things for the first mile and a quarter, as he pulled and tugged at jockey Kevin Manning’s arms, yet he found enough in the closing stages to assert his authority for a comfortable ¾ length victory.

NEW APPROACH wins Epsom Derby for Princess Haya

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein
(Chris Jackson)

New Approach gave Irish trainer Jim Bolger and jockey Kevin Manning their first success in the Vodafone Derby with a game victory at Epsom.

The UK’s Telegraph reports that the English and Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up, sent off at 5-1, just held the persistent challenge of Sir Michael Stoute’s Tartan Bearer (6-1), ridden by Ryan Moore, by half a length. Another Irish runner, Casual Conquest, the 7-2 favourite, was four and a half lengths away in third.

Alan Devonshire and Bashkirov were quickly away but it was the rank outsider Maidstone Mixture who made the running as the field settled down.

Once the latter’s moment of glory had gone it was Bashkirov who went on before Kandahar Run hit the front ahead of Doctor Fremantle as the runners approached Tattenham Corner.

But the pack soon closed in when they straightened up and Tartan Bearer made his bid two furlongs out.

Meanwhile, New Approach had moved up from the rear as Kevin Manning switched him from the outside to the far rail.

The race was between New Approach and Tartan Bearer in the final furlong and it was last season’s champion two-year-old who stayed on the stronger to land the ultimate prize for owner Princess Haya of Jordan, wife of Sheikh Mohammed.

Watch New Approach winning the Vodafone Epsom Derby 2008