Lope Y Fernandez (Ire)

A breeding right (lot 1) and a nomination (lot 4) to promising young stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will be offered at the Jan. 19 Tattersalls Online Sale of Breeding Rights and Nominations. Bidding will open at 10 a.m. and will close at noon. The National Stud's Time Test already has the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. winner Romantic Time (GB) and the German Group 3 victor Rocchigiani (GB) to his credit. In addition, his Sunset Shiraz (Ire) placed in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Of his 11 winners,...

The 2022 roster and fees for The National Stud were announced on Tuesday. Featuring a young roster of six, first-season sires Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) got off to a bright start with their first runners. The former will stand for £15,000, while Aclaim's fee will be £6,000. Leading the way with more black-type winners than any other European first-season sire in 2021, Time Test is responsible for Group 3 winners Rocchigiani (GB) and Romantic Time (GB), while the filly Sunset Shiraz (Ire) was third...

At his best when the ground is on the quick side, Jim Bolger's G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. hero Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) has to deal with a testing surface as he faces up to his first test against the fillies and older horses in Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex S. Only sixth on very soft in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 16 and a short-head second to Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) on soft-to-heavy in the G1 Irish 2000...

Aidan O'Brien will send a strong Ballydoyle challenge to the Qatar Goodwood Festival next week, and has a trio of colts ready to step forward in the G1 Qatar Sussex S.-Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Battleground (War Front). Runner-up in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, the MG1SP Lope Y Fernandez won the Listed Heritage S. at Leopardstown in April. GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia was last seen in action taking the G2 Minstrel S....

A total of 23 horses have been confirmed for the July 10 G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, including Roger Teal's 2020 victor Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}). Second in the G3 Abernant S. at HQ on Apr. 15, the entire was third behind the reopposing Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in the G2 Duke Of York S. on May 12, prior to doubling his Group 1 tally in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 15. Dual group winner and last out June 19 Wokingham S. hero...

Now I do realise that I am in a minority of one here. But while everyone else seems to perceive some unique alchemy between Galileo (Ire) and Danehill, to me the number of good horses obtained by that cross is pretty much as you should expect when one breed-shaping stallion is mated with the daughters of another. After all, their dams will in turn have been well-bred and/or accomplished runners, simply to have gained access to an elite sire. If we call this "selective breeding", we are surely flattering ourselves....

Well, we know that such Europeans as have been able to make the trip--another lockdown began in England on Thursday--won't be in the slightest danger of catching anything on the dirt track. If we can meanwhile break the shackles of the pandemic as well, maybe someone might feel sufficiently liberated finally to have another go next year. But at least the raiders should again be in the thick of things over on the grass. Now that the Breeders' Cup returns to Kentucky, moreover, they will be expecting an especially congenial...

Dropping back to the seven-furlong trip over which he proved so dominant in 2019, Godolphin's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was duly back to winning ways in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. Vanquished at a mile when third in the G1 2000 Guineas and runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S., the 3-5 favourite was buried in the pack early by William Buick and was at his previous best as he threaded through rivals to take command a furlong out. Threatened by one of last year's foes Lope...