Seven Days: A Second Wave of Superpowers?

It's been tricky to focus on the racing of late with all the theatrics at Tattersalls, so let's call this fourteen days and attempt a catch-up in the brief period between the sales starting up again at Arqana on Tuesday.

The extraordinary prices of Books 1 and 2 at the October Yearling Sale tell only half the story, and we all know that in any sales season there are tales of the haves and the have-nots. Perhaps the most interesting element of the top end is what feels like a new wave of major investors, many from the Gulf nations, and seemingly intent on eventually establishing breeding operations based in Britain. 

Depending on when you were born, you either lived through the 1980s emergence of the Godolphin, Shadwell and Juddmonte operations as Sheikh Mohammed, in particular, went toe to toe with Robert Sangster, MV O'Brien and the early Coolmore partners in those glory days in Kentucky, or you have read about it in Horse Trader.

This was the birth of the bloodstock superpower. Now comes a sort-of renaissance. It is not only now, of course. Sheikh Fahad Al Thani's Qatar Racing (initially Pearl Bloodstock) appeared on the scene around 2010 and has certainly been a force to be reckoned with in the intervening years, standing stallions and owning broodmares in various jurisdictions. Dunaden (Fr), Roaring Lion and Elm Park (GB) are among the operation's key successes on the track. It has been acknowledged that Sheikh Fahad's focus has shifted in recent years, though it must be said that Tweenhills, where the stallions have been based, looks to have a promising young sire on its books in the 2,000 Guineas winner Kameko.

The operation of Sheikh Fahad's cousin Sheikh Joaan Al Thani also flexed its muscles at a similar time and, based predominantly in France where its stallions stand at Haras de Bouquetot, has been associated with the dual Arc winner Treve (Fr) along with Group 1 winners Galileo Gold (GB), Shalaa (Ire) and Toronado (Ire) among others.

If it felt like Al Shaqab went a little quiet for a while that is no longer the case. In a notable new partnership, Al Shaqab's COO Mohammed Al Mansour was alongside the team from Amo Racing throughout much of the early books of the October Yearling Sale and together they signed for 10 yearlings through Books 1 and 2 for 4 million gns, while Al Shaqab Racing bought another nine in their own name for 2.5 million gns.

Notwithstanding that Godolphin remains a really major force in the sale ring and was the largest individual purchasing entity during Book 1, it was Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing which really raised eyebrows at Tattersalls over the past fortnight. In addition to those bought in partnership, Amo Racing alone signed for 23 yearlings for more than 21 million gns. 

“We were going for pedigrees of an outstanding nature and that's why we played hard at Book 1,” said Joorabchian, who has been working in partnership with Nottingham Forest owner and shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis. 

While Joorabchian is no newcomer – he owned his first racehorse 20 years ago – this is obviously a serious change of focus in his bloodstock interests. On Friday, Amo Racing announced that its 2023 Champion Stakes winner King Of Steel would be joining its G2 July Stakes winner Persian Force (Ire) at Tally-Ho Stud. The operation also has a number of other stallion prospects on its books, including the G1 Phoenix Stakes winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB), who, like King Of Steel, is a son of Wootton Bassett (GB).

That same stallion was involved when Amo set a new European record price for a yearling colt in its purchase of Lodge Park Stud's son of Park Bloom (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for 4.3 million gns. Joorabchian also bought the top-priced filly of the sale for 4.4 million gns. That daughter of Frankel (GB) is being sent into training with Ralph Beckett in a renewal of their association. 

While Amo has been prominent in the sales headlines in recent weeks, one of the running stories of this season and last has been the steady acquisition of a serious team of horses – for presumably serious money – by Wathnan Racing, which is owned by Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, the emir of Qatar and the brother of Sheikh Joaan. 

The team includes of course Saturday's G1 Qipco British Sprint Stakes winner Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), who is plainly now a stallion prospect, though hopefully we will see plenty more of him on the track next year and perhaps beyond. Wathnan also has a number of broodmare prospects, including this year's G2 Queen Mary Stakes winner, Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). Wathnan representative and agent Richard Brown insists that, for now, it is all about enjoying the action on the track, but it is not hard to see a time when Wathnan Racing will also incorporate a significant breeding operation.

Don't forget, either, the Bahraini racing teams of KHK Racing and Victorious Racing. They too have been significant spenders in recent years and each of them has at least one stallion heading to stud this year, including Vandeek (GB) and Bradsell (GB).

From Saudi Arabia, too, is Mohammed Saleh Bin Laden's Salhia Stud. Bloodstock agent Richard Knight has been representing this owner at the sales in recent seasons and said after spending 2.2 million gns on four well-bred lots during Book 1 that it is the intention of Bin Laden, who is a major owner and breeder of Arab horses in his homeland, to establish a broodmare band in Britain.

The Buzz Abounds

Through its Qipco Holdings, members of the Qatari royal family, including Sheikh Fahad's brother Sheikh Hamad, have been major backers of British racing for 14 years through the British Champions Series, which has its finale on British Champions Day at Ascot.

Yes, soft ground took its toll to a degree on this year's Champions Day, as it has done in the past, but the sun made an appearance just at the right time, and there was no denying the buzz at Ascot on Saturday. The roar through the last few scrimmaging furlongs of an eventful Champion Stakes was on a par with any day at the royal meeting. 

The day rightly kicked off with another stellar performance from the mighty Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). His tale of recovery from serious illness has been well told, but you would never know there's been a thing wrong with him as he cantered to post under Ryan Moore, those lovely chestnut ears rammed forward in anticipation, and later pogoed his way out of the winner's enclosure as if it say, 'Would you look at me – I've done it again!'

From stayers to sprinters the action jumped, and there was no sellers' remorse for Jan and Peter Hopper as they stood in the parade ring cheering in Kind Of Blue (GB) at Ascot on Sunday. The couple bred the son of Blue Point (GB) with Mike and Michelle Morris and, until his previous start when beaten a head in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup, he raced in their colours.

The three-year-old, who is the third Group 1 winner from the first crop of Blue Point, was one of a number of high-profile purchases for Wathnan Racing this season, and he became their second Group 1 winner in Europe after Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“We really ought to let someone else win this race,” said Peter Hopper with a smile as Kind Of Blue was led out triumphant. 

“A lot of credit must go to the National Stud,” added Jan. “They looked after him all the way through and the mare still lives there. She's in foal to Pinatubo and we hope to go back to Blue Point next year.”

The mare in question is Blues Sister (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), well named in this case as she is indeed a sister to Deacon Blues (GB), who won the inaugural running of the Qipco British Champions Sprint in 2011 when it was still a Group 2. By the time his half-brother The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) won it five years later it had been promoted to Group 1 status. Remarkably, The Tin Man ran in the race in six consecutive years. 

One of the key links in these three winners is the Bishop Of Cashel (Fr) mare Persario (GB), dam of the first two and granddam of Kind Of Blue, who was owned by the Hoppers in partnership with Ken and Elizabeth Grundy. Another important link is their trainer James Fanshawe, who also trained Bishop Of Cashel to win three group races for Cheveley Park Stud back in the mid-1990s, as well as his daughter Persario.

That tells you a little about Fanshawe's longevity, but his admirable career has never been just about training sprinters. He is one of the most versatile trainers in the business, with two Champion Hurdlers to his credit along with top-level runners across myriad distances on the Flat. It can get a little wearying to hear people banging on about Royal Ascot two-year-olds. A racehorse's career should be about much more than that, and owners looking for a trainer to get the best out of their horse could do worse than send their charge to Fanshawe's Pegasus Stables. Kind Of Blue, who only made his first appearance on a racecourse this April and is now a Group 1 winner, is merely the latest case in point. 

Study In Excellence

'She's such a legend,” said a beaming Tyla Macfarlane, the daily rider of Kalpana (GB), who was watching on with her friend as the Juddmonte filly returned following her first win in the big time. Moments later Tyla was whisked into the winner's circle by Annalisa Balding. “The prince wants to meet you,” said the trainer's wife to the young rider.

Prince Ahmad Abdullah, the youngest son of the late Juddmonte founder Prince Khalid, was also beaming, and with good reason. It has been a terrific season for the Juddmonte fillies in particular, with Kalpana's Champions Day success following on from the win of Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in the Arc.

It is scarcely believable that Kalpana was once entered for Part II of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. Sensibly, she was withdrawn, and she is now the star performer for her sire Study Of Man (Ire), whose profile is rightly rising to the degree that members of his 57-strong crop of yearlings this year have been in demand at the sales over the last few weeks. Five of his nine yearlings in Book 2 returned six-figure sums, with Andrew Balding (unsurprisingly), Joseph O'Brien, Dylan Cunha, Tom Clover and Charlie Johnston among the trainers who have added a Study Of Man juvenile to their stable for next year.

Kirsten Rausing, who stands the stallion at Lanwades Stud, has lent considerable support to the Niarchos-bred son of Deep Impact (Jpn) and she was understandably another one to be thrilled with the result of the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes – a race she won herself 10 years ago with Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko). Indeed, that mare's current three-year-old Sinology (GB), a winner at Newbury in April, is another from Study Of Man's first crop. This spring he also covered the Arc winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Lanwades among what was his first three-figure book of mares. 

By his percentage of black-type winners to runners, Study Of Man is ahead of his contemporaries Blue Point and Too Darn Hot (GB), and he is clearly a stallion to follow closely in the coming years. 

Angel Rising

Charyn (Ire), the standout miler of the season in Europe, has been winning from March to October and he added a third Group 1 to his record in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday.

It won't just have been trainer Roger Varian and owner Nurlan Bizakov who delighted in that victory as Charyn's valuable win promoted his sire Dark Angel (Ire) to the top of the sires' table for Britain and Ireland. 

Charyn was bred at Grangemore Stud by brothers Guy and David O'Callaghan, whose family has stood Dark Angel throughout this long and honourable career. There would be few people in the bloodstock industry who would not revel in the championship going to the Yeomanstown Stud resident, who has worked his way up through the ranks by siring sound and genuine horses, and is also becoming a notable broodmare sire. 

If you are in any doubt as to what Dark Angel means to Yeomanstown's Gay O'Callaghan, then have a quick watch of this TDN video interview with the stallion master from earlier in the year. 

Dukes Rules Caulfield 

The superb season of Lope De Vega (Ire) continued in fine style on Saturday when his son Duke De Sessa (Ire) claimed a major international victory in the G1 Caulfield Cup. Homebred by Maurice Regan of Newtown Anner Stud, who still races the five-year-old with partners, the gelding started his racing career with Dermot Weld before switching to the stable of Ciaron Maher early last year. A dual Group 3 winner in Ireland and fifth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, he has been a consistent campaigner in Australia, with several Group 1 placings prior to this major breakthrough victory.

It has already been quite the year for Lope De Vega around the world. Look De Vega (Fr) and Rouhiya (Fr) each won Classics in France, Program Trading (GB) and Carl Spackler (Ire) have won Grade 1s in America, and of the youngest generation, Goldolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) is a standout with his victories in the Dewhurst and the Middle Park Stakes.