Andrew Caulfield
Andrew Caulfield writes a weekly column for the Thoroughbred Daily News on pedigree analysis, a fascination which crystallised during the 12 years he spent as one of the principal writers at Timeform, where he was responsible for researching the pedigrees of all the two-year-olds. A former editor of The Thoroughbred Breeder, Pacemaker and The European Racehorse, he was also The Sporting Life's bloodstock correspondent for 12 years, He also wrote a weekly racing column for Japan's Gallop magazine for 20 years. More recently his principal role has been as a bloodstock consultant, primarily for Juddmonte Farms. During his 20-year association with Juddmonte, the farm's star performers have included Frankel and Kingman, winners between them of three Cartier Horse of the Year awards. There have also been two winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, three of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, as well as winners of the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger, Belmont Stakes and several French and Irish classics.
Pedigree Insights: Iridessa
October 15, 2018
Every year the freshman stallions face a desperate battle against time in their bid to make an impact before the yearling sales circuit gets fully under way in October. There are rich rewards for any which achieve that target, as was amply demonstrated last week. The quick-maturing No Nay Never, who was represented by his [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Pivotal's Big Weekend
October 8, 2018
Pivotal, the grand old man of British breeding at the age of 25, has been surprising me–and many others–virtually from the moment this top-class five-furlong performer began his stallion career at Cheveley Park Stud back in 1997. Although Pivotal spent his third, fourth and fifth seasons at a fee of only £5,000, we have since [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Uncle Mo Not to Be Overshadowed
October 1, 2018
The story goes that when the great Frankel arrived at Banstead Manor Stud towards the end of 2012, one of the stud's other top stallions, the champion 2-year-old and sprinter Oasis Dream, was so affronted by the media attention lavished on the newcomer that he sulked for a couple of days. So how must Uncle [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Recoletos
September 10, 2018
Bearing in mind that the roll of honour for the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp features that great mare Miesque in 1987 and her first foal Kingmambo in 1993, we shouldn't be too surprised that the 2018 edition fell to Recoletos, a grandson of Kingmambo's brother Miesque's Son. There are aspects of the family [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Too Darn Hot and Ten Sovereigns
September 3, 2018
As a lover of quality two-year-old racing, the action at around 3:30 last Saturday was something of a treat for me, with two wide-margin maiden race winners and 'TDN Rising Stars' proving similarly impressive when they stepped up to Group 3 company. Firstly, the Round Tower S. at The Curragh was taken in very dominant [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Lope De Vega's 2-Year-Olds
August 27, 2018
Although Storm Cat's superstar son Giant's Causeway spent only one season in Ireland, when he launched his stallion career at Coolmore at a fee of IR100,000gns, his efforts that year have left a substantial and hopefully long-lasting legacy in Europe. His impact was seen in three of last week's 2-year-old group winners. The link to [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Nonza
August 20, 2018
I'm not sure exactly what a stallion needs to achieve to merit the title “sire of sires,” but surely the two-time champion sire Smart Strike already qualifies. We've seen his son Curlin do so well that his fee has risen to $150,000, with the escalation being fuelled by the Grade I successes of Exaggerator, Palace [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Best Solution & Worth Waiting
August 14, 2018
For any owner of a middle-distance mare, there is considerable temptation–especially in today's speed-obsessed industry–to try to inject some pace by sending her to a sprinter. The widespread hope is that this type of mating will produce a happy blend of the sire's speed and the mare's stamina, with the resultant foal shining at around [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Polydream
August 6, 2018
How many times after a big race have we been reminded by a disappointed trainer that “horses are not machines”? The same applies to stallions. No matter how successful a stallion has been, we must accept that there is no guarantee that each of his crops will produce a similar quota of top performers. Even [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: With You
July 30, 2018
All good things must come to an end, it's said, and there can be no question that Dansili's stallion career, which ended earlier this year, was good. In fact it was very, very good, as can be seen from his current total of 130 black-type winners, which represents 9% of his output of 1,460 foals [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Sea Of Class
July 23, 2018
As the Oaks winner Forever Together led the seven runners into the final furlong at the Curragh three days ago, it looked as though Galileo was about to land his third Irish Oaks victory in the space of seven years. Although the filly kept on most gamely, she couldn't resist the late thrust by Sea [...]
[ Read More ]
Pedigree Insights: Crown Walk
July 16, 2018
At last week's unmissable stallion parade at Dalham Hall Stud, mention was made of the comparative youth of the Darley stallion team, with the stallions on show featuring such as Brazen Beau, Buratino, Charming Thought, Golden Horn, Night of Thunder, Postponed, Profitable, Ribchester, Slade Power, Territories and The Last Lion. However, youth was not integral [...]
[ Read More ]