StableTalk

I thought I'd set up a new thread to concentrate on bloodstock matters in the Northern Hemisphere and particularly with news pertinent to Australasia.

Two items to start this morning: first, today's Racing Post carries an unprecedented 20-page pull out on the Inglis Easter sale and the. end of the Australian flat racing season. There's a piece on Greg and Jo Griffin's move to Australia and other articles on the Australian bloodstock scene.

If anyone wants these or future bloodstock supplements they are available in digital form by emailing bloodstock@racingpost.com and going on their mailing list.

The second fascinating snippet this morning is the news AMERICAN PHAROAH will be shuttling to Hunter Valley for the southern hemisphere breeding season later this year. I can't recall the last time this happened - obviously, AMERICAN PHAROAH was a champion on the track but is unproven as a stallion as this is only his first season.

Sad news today with the death of CAPE CROSS at the age of 23.

He had only retired from stallion duties last year after 16 years as a sire. He has established a huge reputation up here notable via two of his sons, SEA THE STARS and GOLDEN HORN, who were 3-y-o champions.

He was also the broodmare sire of 2014 Derby winner AUSTRALIA having sired arguably his best daughter in OUIJA BOARD.

CAPE CROSS has brought Godolphin and Darley back into the bloodstock game up here having for years been on the back foot against the power of Coolmore and GALILEO. In the two above mentioned Derby winners plus the likes of last year's Irish 2000 Guineas winner, AWTAAD, Darley has a powerful crop of stallions to challenge Coolmore in the years to come and so much of it is down to CAPE CROSS.

Just thought I'd mention the success of last year's freshman stallions in producing classic quality 3-y-o.

Last weekend's Newbury Trials were a case in point - the Fillies' Trial went to a daughter of SEPOY, who will be better known in Australia and New Zealand than in the UK while the winner and second in the colts' trial were sons respectively of EXCELEBRATION and FRANKEL who were both fantastic milers in their generation.

Add to that the Djebel winner who is a son of DREAM AHEAD and this looks like one of the most exciting generation of stallions for some time. GALILEO still reigns supreme through Coolmore but that dominance is under serious threat this year.

As it's quiet on the track at the moment, I thought I'd point you in the direction of a fascinating piece in today's Racing Post about the legacy of HIGH CHAPARRAL whose last crop of 2-y-o will be racing up here last season.

https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/b ... yle/293522

It features a wonderful photo taken at Coolmore in 2007 and features MONTJEU leading GALILEO, SADLER'S WELLS and HIGH CHAPARRAL at the height of Coolmore's power.

Of the four, only GALILEO remains alive.

HIGH CHAPARAAL's legacy is discussed in depth and particularly with reference to the southern hemisphere where the likes of SO YOU THINK, IT'S A DUNDEEL and SHOOT OUT mean he is much more highly regarded than up here.

For the future, the likes of TORONADO and the shuttling stallion FREE EAGLE will have their first foals this year and may yet continue their sire's name for many years to come.

Have a read - it's a great piece.

Plenty of coverage over here of Frankel's first Australian winner, MEROVEE, the other day and of course EMINENT's win in the Guillaume D'Ornano on Tuesday was another advertisement for the former champion.

502 lots will go under the hammer at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and for connoisseurs of bloodstock, this is the place to be in early autumn. I'll try and keep you posted with news from the sales this year. Dubawi has 30 lots, Galileo 21 and Frankel 14 from what will be his third-season crop.

I did see another piece on AMERICAN PHAROAH going to Australia for their covering season but I can't find it at the moment.

Open question - if you owned ENABLE which stallion would you send her to ?

She is by Nathaniel out of a Sadler's Wells mare called Comcentric. Her success has put Nathaniel on the bloodstock map and he ranks sixth in the stallion list over there which is dominated by Galileo.

Sending her to Galileo or Frankel looks too obvious - I'd be looking at a speedier type such as Dark Angel or Kodiac or, outside the box, Fastnet Rock.

What do you think ?

The Tattersalls October yearling sale is under way and I'll try to post some news.

The median price is up 13% but the clearance rate is down from 82 to 71%.

After years of a self-imposed blockade Godolphin have bought another Galileo colt for 400,000 Guineas out of Jacqueline Quest but the big seller of the session was a colt by Dubawi out of Izzy Top who went to Dubawi's owner Sheikh Obaid for 2.6 million Guineas and will be trained at Newmarket by Roger Varian.

The second session of the Tattersalls sales continued the strong trend of the previous day.

In the spirit of goodwill now existing between Godolphin and Coolmore, M V Magnier (John Magnier's son) went to 2 million guineas to buy a yearling colt by Dubawi out of Sky Lantern. This is the dam's first foal and she was a multiple Group 1 winner including the Moyglare at two and the 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at three. The colt will obviously go to Aidan O'Brien's to be trained.

To be fair, Coolmore have periodically bought offspring from Dubawi but the tension between the two big breeding powerhouses up here has frankly eased since the departure of the combative John Ferguson from Godolphin a few months ago.

Magnier went to 1.3 million guineas for a colt by Galileo out of Shastye. He is a younger brother to SIR ISAAC NEWTON who holds the record for the price of a yearling bought at auction in Europe at 3.6 million guineas in 2013.

Details of the Book 1 catalogue are available here:

https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/s ... 2017-10-03

The best was left until the end when Lot 418, a filly by Galileo out of Dank already named GLOAM went through the sales ring.

The main protagonists were as ever Coolmore and Godolphin and the latter went to 4 million guineas to secure the filly who will be trained by Gosden next season.

Contrary to my previous, SIR ISAAC NEWTON was the highest only in his year - the record was AL NAAMAH in 2012 who went for 5 million guineas.

News from Darley/Godolphin up here yesterday of the stallion arrangements at Darley Hall (Britain) and Kildangan (Ireland) Studs for 2018 covering season.

DUBAWI remains the king of the stallion jungle at Darley Hall with a fee of £250,000 with GOLDEN HORN at £60k and IFFRAAJ at £40k while further down the list you have HELMET at £12k and SEPOY at £7k.

In Ireland, SHAMARDAL's fee is private but new boys RIBCHESTER (30k euros) and PROFITABLE (12k euros) have been added to the roster.

Both lists (along with the French equivalent at Haras du Logis) look very deep and I just wonder how many of these might shuttle elsewhere.

This confirms that HARRY ANGEL will race on in 2018.