Monday 18 December 2017

Apple's making a forever impact as a broodmare

Apple's For Forever was no wonder as a racehorse, she won five races from twenty one career starts and was pulled up in stakes races over jumps in France, her record as a broodmare though is what has brought this seventeen year old mare by Nikos into the limelight. From her retirement to the paddocks in the autumn of 2007 to 2014 , she was sent exclusively to rising jumps stallion Saddler Maker, who sadly died in 2016. It was her fourth consecutive filly foal by the ill-fated sire that produced six time Grade 1 hurdler Apples Jade owned by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Gordon Elliott. Her previous engagements with the sire yielded minor winners Apple's Maely, Madame Apple's and Le Sete For Forever, the exploits of their full sisters have since established them as premier broodmare prospects. The five-year-old Apple's Jade first exploded onto the scene when she ran out a forty one length winner of the four-year-old hurdle at Aintree following that up with success in the equivalent race at Punchestown. She has since added the Mares hurdle and Hattons Grace to her resume and looks set to defend her mares hurdle crown next March. Apple's For Forever did not produce a foal until 2014, that resultant produce was a full sister to Apple's Jade. Susequently named Apple's Shakira she was sent to Nicky Henderson in June of this year and won her british debut by seventeen lengths in the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial and at the time of writing is the current market leader for that race in March. The future looks very exciting for their dam, her latest offspring include Grisy Apple, a juvenile colt by Montmartre, Apple's Du Pont, a yearling brother to Apple's Jade and Apple's Shakira. Her latest is Apple's Pierro a weanling colt by Martaline. With two of her offspring clear favourites for their respective Grade one targets the 2018 Cheltenham Festival could yet prove a very fruitful one for Apple's For Forever.