Tuesday 4 March 2014

Freshman sire focus: Equiano

Equiano proved himself one of Europes beat sprinters when he won the Group 1 Kings Stand Stakes twice. He is a son of Acclamation, who finished second in Europe's premier sprint race. Acclamation has already established himself as a sire of sires with his Group 1 winning two-year-old son Dark Angel making huge headlines for himself as a stallion. Equiano also serves in the Southern Hempishere with his first yearlings there proving as popular as his Northern Hempishere stock, where here they averaged over £42,000.

Equiano is the best horse from his dam Entente Cordiale. He traces back to Hessonite, who was champion 3yo filly in New Zealand & Anbandana who was champion 2yo filly in New Zealand. This is also the ancestress of Marchfield who was champion older horse in Canada. Equiano's pedigree is numerous with Stakes winners under his fourth dam who was Grade 1 placed.

If he can replicate his paternal 1/2 brother Dark Angel in the sire ranks he will be well on his way to establishing himself as a sire to note. Equiano was Group 2 placed as a two-year-old. He won twice from six starts placing in three. He was also second in the Group 1 July Cup. He has proved a very good bargain. He stands at Newsells Park Stud at a very reasonable fee of £8,000


Saturday 1 March 2014

Second Crop sires to follow for 2014!

(1).
Sea The Stars (IRE)
Bay Stallion by Cape Cross x Urban Sea by Miswaki
Standing: Gilltown Stud

Sea The Stars retired to stud in 2010. He retired unbeaten in a classic three-year-old campaign. Six Group 1 wins in six months culminating in the Prix D'e L'arc De Triomphe. Not only was he a world champion racehorse, Sea The Stars has one of the most sought after stallions pedigrees in the world. He is a 1/2 brother to 8 Stakes winners/performers including multiple Group 1 winner & global sire phenomenon Galileo, as well as Group 1 winners/placed Black Sam Bellamy, My Typhoon, Melikah, All To Beautiful, Born To Sea, Urban Ocean & stakes placed Cherry Hinton. Sea The Stars first crop yielded him 12 individual winners including Stakes winner & 1,000 guineas prospect My Titania. I've always believed his progeny will improve from two to three with 2014 looking to bring him a first classic winner. There is still so much more to come from this exciting young sire & I hope he can build on his freshman success.

Sea The Stars (Thoroughbred Stallion Book)



(2).
Mastercraftsman (IRE)
Grey Stallion by Danehill Dancer x Starlight Dreams by Black Tie Affair
Standing: Coolmore Stud

Mastercraftsman was champion two-year-old of his year & was also a leading miler as a three-year-old. Many breeders were confident that he could make progress as he was by sire of sires Danehill Dancer. Mastercraftsman did not disappoint he was some bit ahead of his predecessors in the freshman table by number of stakes winners & prize money. His star juvenile was undoubtedly racing post trophy winner Kingston Hill, who is now a leading candidate for the 2,000 guineas & Epsom derby. He also has a 1,000 guineas candidate with Amazing Maria, who was a Group 3 winner at Goodwood. Mastercraftsman's progeny should undoubtedly improve from two to three and with the impressive start he has got off to, here's hoping he can keep that going in 2014.



MasterCraftsman (Thoroughbred Stallion Book)



(3).
Archipenko (USA)
Bay Stallion by Kingmambo x Bound by Nijinsky
Standing: Lanwades Stud

Archipenko is a tremendously bred horse coming from one of the best sire producing families in the stud book. He was a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong , & was also a stakes winner at Group level in Ireland & the UK. Archipenko is a 1/2 brother to Liable, the dam of 2012 Breeders Cup classic winner Blame. His dam Bound is a 3/4 sister to champion sire Nureyev. Bound is also a 1/2 sister to Fairy Bridge the dam of one of the best sires in Sadlers Wells & his full brother Fairy King, who was also a champion sire. This also from the family of American sires Corinthian, Jade Robbery. It is also the family of Breeders cup winner Wrote & leading sire Soldier Hollow. Archipenko sired the winners of 14 races and he also sired dual stakes placed Lady Penko. I am a huge fan of his pedigree and I believe he represents great value for breeders.

Archipenko (Lanwades Stud)


(4).
Dunkerque (FR)
Bay stallion by Highest Honour x Dissertation by Sillery 
Standing: Haras Du Quesnay 

Dunkerque had a realtivly quiet year with his first juveniles siring only a handful of winners. I am still a small fan of this young sire. He is an own brother to Group 1 Prix Foret winner Dedication, while his dam is a 1/2 sister to dual Group winning & dual Grade 1 placed Beau Sultan. Dunkerque never won a Group 1 race but he was a dual Group winner & listed placed. He won 5 times from 16 starts placing in 8 of them. He was a consistent horse. He does have plenty to fine on some of the other sires but I'd be hoping for a few stakes horses in his older crops.

Dunkerque (Thoroughbred Stallion Book)


(5).
Champs Elysees (GB)
Bay stallion by Danehill x Hasili by Kahyasi
Standing: Juddmonte Farms

Champs Elysees had a good freshman year, with his best juvenile being the listed winning and Group 2 placed filly Avenue Gabriel. It is hard to dismiss this sire as he has a huge amount of potential. Not only is his dam Hasili one of the best broodmares of all time, he is a brother to a champion sire in Dansili, their other brother Cacique has also had success as a sire. Champs Elysees full sisters include multiple Group 1 winner and Group 1 producer Banks Hill as well as Intercontinental who was also a Group 1 winner. While his half sister Heat Haze was also a dual Group 1 winner. They come from a top class female line with such names as leading sire Leroidesanimaux, Group 1 winner Promising Lead, champion two-year-old Three Valleys and Group winner and Group 1 placed Visit featuring as their close relatives.

Champs Elysees (Juddmonte Farms)


(6).
Soldier Of Fortune  (IRE)
Bay stallion by Galileo x Affianced by Erin Isle
Standing: Haras Du Logis Saint Germain

I have always been a fan of this horse. He went from winning a maiden to contesting a european Group 1, which he finished runner up. Soldier Of Fortune made huge improvement to run out a nine length winner of the Irish Derby making him champion three-year-old in Ireland. He was also a winner of Group level including the Chester Vase. At four he added the Coronation Cup and was also placed in the Grand Prix De Paris and the Prix D'e L'arc De Triomphe. Soldier Of Fortune is a brother to Group winner and Group sire Heliostatic. His dam Affianced is a 1/2 sister to the top class Sholokhov. This is the immediate family of Intense Focus. Soldier Of Fortune sired the winners of 11 races with over €100,000 in win prize money. I would be hoping he can sire some nice horses in his older crops.

Soldier Of Fortune (Haras Du Saint Germain)






   

First Season Sires: Lope De Vega

Lope De Vega is an interesting sire prospect by leading young sire Shamardal. He is from the sire line of the top class Storm Cat. He stands at the renowned Ballylinch Stud & at €12,500 he is great value for breeders.

Lope De Vega was a very precocious racehorse. He was champion three-year-old colt in France where he won the French guineas & Derby. He was a very useful two-year-old winning twice & placing on his only other start. In all he won four times from nine starts. Lope De Vega was the leading freshman sire with yearling averages at the sales & he has a very well bred crop to come including a half sibling to the ill fated top two-year-old Chrisellium.

Lope De Vega is out of Group 3 winner & Group 1 placed Lady Vettori. His half sister Bal De La Rose was also a stakes winner in France. Lady Vettori has a two-year-old by Sea The Stars, while her three-year-old is an unraced brother to Lope De Vega named Lord Of The Land.

This is from the immediate family of top class American pair Lady Blessington & Gotta Have Her, both twice placed at Grade 1 level.

Lope De Vega,  is also one of the first stallion sons by his sire Shamardal at stud in Europe.  There are plenty of stakes horses in this young sires pedigree and he looks a sire capable of fairing quite well with his first crop. If he can replicate his sires success he will be well on his way to establishing himself as a premier young sire.

First Season Sire Focus: Makfi

The new flat season of 2014 brings the first juvenile runners of top class miler Makfi. Makfi is one of the first sire sons by his sensational sire Dubawi at stud. Makfi stands at Tweenhills stud in the UK at a fair price of £25,000. His first yearlings were very warmly received & there will sure to be plenty of interest in his first runners.

Makfi won his only start as a two-year-old and progressed rapidly from winning his maiden to becoming champion three-year-old miler. He was also a Group 3 winner. Makfi's finest moments came in the 2,000 guineas & proving that win was no fluke when winning the Prox Jaques Les Marois, emulating his sire in the process. When Makfi retired he was rated 4lbs higher then his sire Dubawi.

Makfi boasts a lovely pedigree. He is out a Green Desert 1/2 sister to Alhaarth, who was champion two-year-old, he also became a useful sire at stud. Makfi is also a close relative of Aqaleem, who was placed in the Derby.

Makfi's second dam is Irish River, herself a 1/2 sister to dual Group 1 winner & leading sire Green Dancer, this is also from the immediate family of leading sire Pink, & Group 1 sire Authorized.

Makfi possesses extremely good looks and represents an exciting sire line. He also serves in the Southern Henisphere where he has been very warmly recieved. He is an interesting and exciting sire prospect. He looks an interesting sire for Sadler's Wells & Danhill line mares. I would also like to see how he would fare with Sinndar mares etc.