The Weekly Wrap: Thanks A Million

It's been a week of landmark achievements, most of them having taken place at one of England's finest racecourses, York.

Mark Johnston's assault on Richard Hannon, Sr.'s record of 4,193 winners may have seemed hesitant in the week leading up to the momentous achievement, but once out in front, Johnston has kept pulling away in typical fashion, with another four winners in the bag since then. Plenty of tributes have been paid to the trainer, and rightly so, but I'm sure he'd be the first to acknowledge the part played by his wife and assistant trainer Deirdre, whose attributes stretch beyond her excellent riding ability on a racehorse, eventer or hunter to seemingly endless good humour and a superb singing voice.

When members of the racing community gathered in the Jockey Club Rooms with a gaggle of the Fourth Estate for the launch of the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million, an exit poll would likely have returned the verdict: nice idea but unwinnable. That was March, but come the morning of Aug. 24, the outcome was as good a thing as there's been in a long time. The mighty Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) arrived on the Knavesmire as 4-11F to take his place in the history books as the inaugural winner of the £1-million bonus.

Over lunch at York a day earlier, racecourse chairman Teddy Grimthorpe had joked that Charles Hamilton was about to lose his no claims' bonus and it's doubtful that any man has ever looked happier to lose £1 million than the Weatherbys Hamilton Chief Executive. Hamilton was instrumental in devising the incentive to give a boost to the stayers' division, receiving full backing from the BHA and was duly rewarded for his enterprise with a first-rate superstar in year one.

Hats off to Weatherbys Hamilton and a resounding congratulations to owner-breeder Bjorn Nielsen. Much has been made of the fact that Nielsen had Epsom in his sights when the bonny chestnut colt was born. A Derby winner he is not, but Stradivarius is now one of most celebrated horses in training. Here's hoping we see him back to bank another bonus next year.

Deauville Dream Run…

In what seems like the blink of an eye, the Deauville season has drawn to a close and Charlie Appleby has certainly notched plenty of frequent flyer points to and from the Normandy coast throughout August, returning on plenty of occasions with a shiny, new trophy.

Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Loxley (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) clearly thrived on the sea air as he also won the Prix Nureyev during his stay to take his lifetime record to four wins and a Group 3 second from just six starts. His dam Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef) had her finest hour at Longchamp when winning the G1 Prix de l'Opera and Loxley would not look out of place in Paris himself during the first weekend of October.

Appleby's good month at Deauville and Clairefontaine also included two important group wins for Beyond Reason (Ire)—a first-crop daughter of Australia (GB)—a Group 3 strike for former Book 1 sale-topper Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), listed victories for more of Dubawi's offspring, Al Hilalee (GB) and Brundtland (Ire), while Salsabeel (Ire) was beaten just a short-head in the G3 Prix Quincey on Sunday by Andre Fabre's Godolphin trainee Graphite (Ire) (Shamardal).

Another Appleby has taken a prominent position in Godolphin's worldwide operation as Charlie's sister, Victoria, widely known as 'Dizzy', has recently been appointed assistant trainer to James Cummings in Sydney. The former apprentice jockey worked for a number of British trainers including Susan Piggott, David Loder and Lynda Ramsden, and is now in her 10th year in Australia. Godolphin's Australian wing has also recently welcomed back another British ex-pat, Kate Grimwade, who had been running Godolphin's pre-training operation in Newmarket for a number of years after stints Down Under with Gai Waterhouse and at Darley's stud in the Hunter Valley. Grimwade is also assisting Cummings but is based in his Melbourne stable.

Lady's Golden Season…

After Doncaster, the sales action moves on to Germany's BBAG Sale on Friday, but the racing is already underway in Baden-Baden where Sunday's G2 Goldene Peitsche fell to an Italian and a Frenchman. A hallmark of Marco Botti's training career has been his willingness to travel his horses and Raven's Lady (GB) (Raven's Pass) is his latest globetrotting flagbearer.

The 4-year-old, bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and selected inexpensively by the trainer from Tattersalls October Book 1 for 38,000gns, has now earned in excess of £140,000 for the owners in the Heart of the South Racing partnership, but more importantly she has increased her future broodmare value significantly with back-to-back wins at group level, both of which have come in the hands of Gerald Mosse.

Raven's Lady also seals another good week for Pivotal (GB) as a broodmare sire after Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) landed the GI Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga and Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won the G2 Lowther S.

Furthermore, Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), out of the Pivotal mare Miss Meggy (GB), was just beaten in the tightest of photo-finishes for the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S.

Nell's Lucky Nine…

It was a big day for small breeder Nell Kent, who celebrated her ninth birthday on Friday by watching the debut of her homebred filly Holy Macaroni (GB) (Heeraat {Ire})—a half-sister to juvenile winner Pastamakesufaster (GB) (Mulitplex {GB})—at Ffos Las.

As one can tell from the sires of the siblings, Nell is a loyal supporter of Mickley Stud stallions, but then she probably has had some coercion from her father Richard, who owns the farm.

The day turned into a celebration for all the family when Mickley's long-term resident Captain Gerrard (GB) recorded his first Group 1 winner with Alpha Delphini (GB)'s last-gasp victory in the Nunthorpe S.

“Captain Gerrard was the leading first-season sire in the country in his day but he covered only eight mares this year,” said Richard Kent at Doncaster on Monday. “Mick Channon has six foals by him this year from only 17 mares covered last year. He's such a lovely, kind horse and we could probably sell him to stand at stud abroad but I don't think any of us could bear to say goodbye to him.”

The 13-year-old sprinting son of Oasis Dream (GB) was trained, like Alpha Delphini, by Bryan Smart and won six of his 27 races including a pair of Group 3 contests. He has now been at Mickley Stud for nine seasons and has never stood for more than £4,000.

Not to be outdone by his younger sister, Fraser Kent will be selling his first yearling from the Mickley Stud draft on Thursday at the Goffs UK Silver Sale.  The 11-year-old pinhooked lot 615, a son of Casamento (Ire) from the family of Breeders' Cup winner Outstrip (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), at Tattersalls last year for 4,000gns.

If At First…

Francois Doumen was on the buyers' sheet at last week's Arqana V.2 Sale when taking home the second top lot of the sale, a daughter of Siyouni (Fr) for €115,000. The filly was bought with his long-term associate Henri de Pracomtal.

The partnership of Doumen and de Pracomtal proved most fruitful via their wonderful homebred dual-purpose campaigner Kasbah Bliss (Fr) (Kahyasi {Ire}), whose 16 victories from 68 starts were split equally between the Flat and hurdles, and included the G1 Prix du Cadran and back-to-back wins in the G3 Prix Gladiateur.

An equally durable but less talented member of the family finally got off the mark on his 71st start on Saturday. Xpo Universal (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}), a son of Kasbah Bliss's half-sister Xanadu Bliss (Fr) (Xaar {GB}), was also bred by de Pracomtal and the Doumens' Haras d'Ecouves and despite being highly tried in France and placed on a number of occasions, went a long time without troubling the judge.

Now trained in the UK by Rebecca Menzies, he won a 'hands and heels' hurdle race under amateur rider Aaron Anderson at one of Britain's quirkiest tracks, Cartmel. Ears pricked throughout, Xpo Universal rallied gamely when challenged after the final hurdle to become a winner at last at the age of nine.