Turf Angels.com

The timing of boom Group 1 winning three-year-old Al Maher's retirement to stud on Tuesday has been totally influenced by the fact that the outstanding colt is a brother-in-blood to Redoute’s Choice, the hotter than hot super stud of Australia. Not only is Redoute’s Choice profoundly influencing sales rings, race track results, and broodmares in foal to him, his awesome presence is also changing the direction stud masters are thinking. Service fees of his rivals will be adjusted accordingly and this shock retirement of the sound and wonderfully gifted Al Maher is yet another angle covered by this phenomenon.

Both AL Maher and Redoute’s Choice are by multiple champion sire Danehill (USA), from the half-sisters Show Dancing (NZ) and Shantha’s Choice. This is the great sire producing family of domestic star stallions Umatilla (NZ) and Hurricane Sky, both multiple group 1 getting sires - and world acclaimed progenitors El Gran Senor and Try My Best.

In announcing the development on behalf of Emirates Park, the farm’s Director of Operations Dr. Sahu explained: “It was a big decision because Gai [Waterhouse] his trainer said he could win the group 1 Cox Plate this year. She was very disappointed but we thought it was in the best interest of the horse, who retires to stud completely sound.”

Dr Sahu added: “He is such a magnificent horse and, of course, his brother is the most popular stallion in the country. We needed to jump onto his shirt tails right now. We have not fixed a service fee as yet, but we do intend to announce it later in the week.”

Roses In May, the four-year-old son of Devil His Due, solidified his status as a top handicap horse when he convincingly took the Group I Dubai World Cup last Saturday, leading former American horse Dynever and another American, Choctaw Nation, to win by three lengths. As the favorite in the 1 1/4 mile race, Roses In May stalked leader Yard-Arm, and when that horse faded, Roses In May charged up and never looked back. Already an American Grade I winner (he won the 2004 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga), Roses In May seems to really be coming into his own as one of the top horses currently in training throughout the world. Dale Romans trains the Kentucky-bred stallion, and John Velasquez rode the race of his life.

Also on the Dubai World Cup undercard was the United Arab Emirates Derby (Gr.II). It was supposed to be a procession for Godolphin's unbeaten son of Giant's Causeway, Shamardal. But Shamardal unexpectedly finished last, while his 100-1 longshot stablemate, Blues and Royals, took the race and ran away with it. The Florida-bred son of Honour And Glory will now head on to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

A win by Silent Witness is never a surprise, but with each successive race the stakes grow higher. Silent Witness is now one win away from the record held jointly by Cigar, Citation, and the filly Hallowed Dreams.

Every race appears to be a test for Silent Witness, as he has run against the likes of the good horse Cape of Good Hope. At Sha Tin, the five-year-old gelding dueled with the front runners and held off the closers for a two length victory. He will now run in Japan's Sprinters Stakes.

Vinery Australia Sells ALL Its Weanlings
By Ric Chapman

In a stunning multi-million dollar development overnight, Australia's most progressive stud farm, Arrowfield, has entered into an agreement with a silent partner to purchase all of Vinery Stud's Australian weanlings. The cost of the acquisition has not been confirmed by either Peter Orton, Vinery's general manager, or Arrowfield's owner John Messara, but strong industry rumor has it at around $4.5 million (Australian funds, about $3.5 million U.S.).

"From our perspective, we are more than happy with the arrangement and the price," Orton said.

There are 50 weanlings in the package. It is the biggest and most expensive independent weanling sale ever conducted in Australia. Listed among the handsome pedigrees are numerous foals by Red Ransom, a large number by More Than Ready, several by Fusaichi Pegasus and a few by Mossman, Way Of Light, and Brahms.

"We will be moving all of the weanlings to Arrowfield this week," declared Messara. "We paid market price for them and at this stage will just let them all grow out before deciding just what we do with them. Some we will keep, many we will sell as yearlings."

Messara added that the 50-strong weanling package would bring to well over 200 the number of foals he has on the picturesque Scone based farm. "Obviously we will need to have a reduction of some stock in the not to distant future," he added.

Vinery has had numerous offers to sell its broodmare band, but has committed the mares to public auction in April. "It's probably fairer on everyone if we sell them at auction," Orton said. "We have made the announcement that that is the way we will go with them and we will keep to that." The broodmare band, which will serve as stage two of the overall Vinery sell-off, is valued conservatively at around $20 million.

Fu Peg Giant Gets Second Chance
By Ric Chapman

Every brand new owners nightmare eventuated on Friday in Adelaide when the record breaking Fusaichi Pegasus colt failed his scope, it was officially announced.

At the Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale in Australia, all tongues were wagging on Wednesday when multi-millionaire businessman Rod Menzies agreed to spend A$330,000 on the colt, thus establishing a MM Adelaide Sale record. Just as many tongues were talking on Thursday when it was rumoured all was not well with the hulking colt.

Before that though, Menzies and his trainer Joe Hall, joined the man who bid on their behalf, Tony Cavanagh, and they all whooped it up. They knew on type the had found a superstar. But their partying turned to dispair when the big colt failed his mandatory post-sale scope and Menzies, under the rules of Thoroughbred auctioneering, was allowed to exercise his right to decline to the sale, which he reluctantly did.

It dropped on bombshell on the place. Magic Millions managing director David Chester was mystified. "The horse clearly passed his pre sale scoping," said Chester shaking his head. "That was just 10 days before the
sale so I'd imagine he has just picked up a respiratory virus in the last couple of days."

On that assumption, the under-bidder on the colt, local South Australian trainer Mark Kavanagh decided to take his vet over to the colt. After a long examination, Kavanagh said, "In the opinion of my vet, the problem is nothing more than a throat infection and I have told the vendor that I'd be happy to buy him at the under-bidder's price which was $320,000. He has agreed to sell at that price, so, following that, we have had the horse sent to the Morphetville Vet Clinic to undergo treatment and to monitor him."

Kavanagh did impose a 'get-out' clause which was also accepted by the vendor. "If after 60 days he still has an inflamed throat, the sale will fall through," added Kavanagh.

The decision by Menzies to walk away from an animal he truly admired made for a frustrating sale for him. He was under-bidder on the sale's second highest priced colt, a dashing looking fellow by Encosta de Lago on day one, but at the time reasoned he still had an ace up his sleeve. And it was the Fu Peg baby. He bought it only to lose it to this throat infection and, consequently, ended up with nothing from the sale.

"We will live to fight another day," he said. If the A$320,000 sale goes through, it will stand as a MM Adeliade Yearling sale record. The Fu Peg colt's dam, So Gorgeous, was a multiplestakes winner of A$500,000 and was very fast. If the infection is just a passing problem, Kavanagh may have won the jackpot.

Darley isn't the only one bringing Sheikh owned stars into Australia to stand stud duties.

State City, one of the best sprinters of his era in the world, has been bought by West Australian Turf Club chairman Ted van Heemst to stand at stud in Western Australia.Van Heemst shocked everyone last month by buying then announcing he'd stand Dubai Excellence in Western Australia, a part of Australia not really known for world class genes. But, he's purchased State City from Sheik Mohammed bin Rasheed Al Maktoum and he too will stand in Western Australia at John Andrew's Alwyn Park Stud, in a town named Serpentine. Dubai Excellence is a half-brother to ill-fated champion racehorse and sire Dubai Millennium.

State City, a winner of about US$2 million, beat crack US sprinters Avanzado and Captain Squire in the 2003 Gr 1 Golden Shaheen, 1,200m, on Dubai World Cup night. Australia's Gr 1 Golden Slipper Stakes and Gr 1 Newmarket Handicap winner Belle Du Jour, representing Australia, finished a close up fourth in that race.

State City (Carson City-Wajna) had 12 starts in the United Arab Emirates for six wins and three places. His other successes were in the Jebel Ali Sprint, in which he set a course 1000m record of 57.3sec, the Sheikh Saeed Trophy, 1200m, the United Arab Emirates Two Thousand Guineas Trial, 1400m, the Khaleej Trophy, 1200m, and the Al Futtain Trophy, 1600m. He was Champion Sprinter and Highweighted Older Horse on the United Arab Emirates Free Handicap from 1000m-1400m. Taken to the United States, State City was third to Aldebaran (Gr 1 Metropolitan Handicap, Gr 1 Forego Handicap and Gr 1 San Carlos Handicap) and to Peeping Tom (Gr 1 Carter Handicap) in the Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park.

Vinery Stud Dispersal Sale
By Ric Chapman

The Australian arm of Dr Tom Simon's massive Vinery Stud organisation, has announced it will sell all its mares and weanlings through the Inglis Sales company in Sydney on the 3 of April. The bloodstock will be sold with the mares going through on the first day of the Broodmare Sale (April 3) and the weanlings being sold during the traditional Australian Select Weanling Sale in May. Early estimates have the livestock valued at around A$22 million (U.S.$17 million). Their sale represents an unprecedented opportunity for rival farms to cash in on some of the finest bloodstock in Australia. But, warns Vinery's managing director Peter Orton, it doesn't mean the farm is closing down. "In fact, quite the opposite," he said. "We are opening the farm to outside clients and making it more commercial." This statement closes the door on much industry innuendo about the farm in Australia being up for sale.

"Obviously if offers came along, Tom would look at them as any businessman would, but at present Vinery Stud will continue to operate independently, standing its current exciting line up of stallions headed by Red Ransom, More Than Ready and Mossman. The farm will continue to agist and care for client bloodstock, thus running as a more public stud rather than the semi private farm it has been with Dr Simon's bloodstock. This creates the opportunity for many more breeders to base their mares in the heart of the Hunter Valley on one of the most respected thoroughbred studs in Australasia," said Orton.

The Vinery broodmare band represents one of the best collections of young mares to be offered at public auction for many years. Headed by names such as Mannington, Euphoria, Rose Of Danehill, Rose O'War, Lady Jakeo, French Bid, Zacheline, Damaschino, and Sorrento the band has 20 individual Group or Listed winners and 13 producers of stakes winners. The strength of their female families is evident by the fact there are 17 half or full relations to group 1 victors including Golden Slipper winners Belle Du Jour and Merlene as well as Shogun Lodge, Bollinger (who is now in the US in foal to Gone West), Zeditave, Assertive Lad and Assertive Lass.

Sired by some of the highest credentialed and most recognised Australian and international broodmare sires including Anabaa, Bletchingly, Bluebird, Canny Lad, Centaine, Danehill, Danzig, Darshaan, Dehere, Flying Spur, Gulch, Kingmambo, Last Tycoon, Marauding, Marscay, Miswaki, Red Ransom, Rory's Jester, Sadler's Wells, Snippets, Straight Strike, Zabeel and Zafonic the mares offer impeccable pedigrees.

Progeny from the Vinery broodmare band raced and sold off the farm have enjoyed great results on the track, testimony to its depth and quality. This season already, the stud has produced a list of exciting 2-year-olds including:

The Vinery mares are in foal to stallions such Anabaa, Brahms, Dehere, Flying Spur, French Deputy, Fusaichi Pegasus, King's Best, More Than Ready, Mossman, Red Ransom, Success Express and Way of Light, ensuring their impressive produce records continue.

Boom Aussie Star On Parade
By Ric Chapman

It didn't take long for the check books to appear after boom four-year-old entire Garrison Savannah absolutely destroyed a strong field in a Rosehill barrier trial on Tuesday. The imposing son of Danehill out of Savannah Success (by Success Express) was ridden by Darren Beadman and won his trial under a throttle hold by 5 lengths. Only Group 1 winner Spark Of Life ran a faster time. Garrison Savannah is owned by Glenlogan Park Stud's racing syndicate and the manager Jon Haselar confirmed an attractive offer has already been received. "We have waited until he's four before really letting him go and we have faith he is a genuine group horse. We'd like him to win at that level to be a Glenlogan stallion but this is a trading business and we will sell if the right money is offered." Haselar is famous for selling stock that have shown barrier trial and or racing form. He sold Group 1 winner Savabeel as a young horse, Group 1 winner Savannah Success as a young horse and Group 1 winner Sixty Seconds as a young horse, all well before they reached silk level.

A record number of international horses will arrive over the next month in Dubai "as the countdown begins to the start of the richest horseracing carnival in the world": the 2005 Dubai International Racing Carnival with US$25 million total prize-money. The carnival begins at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Thursday 20 January with the US$200,000 1st round of the Gr3 HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge.

The carnival is spread over 11 race meetings and culminates on March 26 with the 10th running of the US$6 million Gr1 Dubai World Cup. International trainers returning this year include Gerard Butler (who looks likely to bring 10 horses), John Gosden, Jerry Barton, Clive Brittain, Mike de Kock, Mick Channon, Mark Johnston, John Oxx, Dermot Weld, Jeremy Noseda, Ed Dunlop and a large contingent from Macau. South African De Kock (who won over US$3.4 million prize-money during this year's carnival) will return with 20 contenders, including last year's South African Horse-Of-The-Year Yard-Arm, Grey's Inn (winner of 2 legs of the Triple Crown), champion sprinter Key Of Destiny, champion two-year-old colt Candidato Roy, and South Africa's two top three-year-olds Otter Trail and Grand Emporium. The European new-comers include UK trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam & French-based trainers Richard Gibson & Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, while Brazilian trainer Fabricio Borges has sent 9 horses from South America. Naturally when the big day in March arrives, US trainers and their top horses will show up also.

Kennelly set the benchmark of Silent Witness needing to beat this fieldwith authority in order to improve his international rating and he was convinced he met that. "In fact I rate this performance his best ever. He totally destroyed Japan's best sprinter, Europe's best sprinters and runners from all over the world doing it with ease. What I need is for someone to come in and kindly tell them they are wrong if they don't see this horse for what he is."

HK's Director Of Racing Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges agreed then added, "I will be in Australia for the Easter Sale where I hear his half-sister is being offered." When pushed on whether he'd bid on the horse, he smiled and said, "I will look at her but you can't expect me to tell you how much I'll spend to get her."

He buys horses for the HKJC and they sell at the Club's annual December two-year-old sale. A half-sister to the greatest sprinter the world has seen would probably be of interest to many people one suspects. The filly on offer at Easter is by Encosta de Lago, so you can do the maths on what she'll fetch. Somewhere around the $800,000 mark one suspects.

Silent Witness is now 13 from 13 and the earner of US$4.2 million in stakes.

The mother of the world's best sprinter Silent Witness (El Moxie-Jade Tiara, by Bureaucracy) is in foal to one of the greatest racehorses Australia has ever produced in Lonhro (Octagonal-Shadea). Silent Witness, now chasing Cigar's 16-win streak, made it 13 from 13 by absolutely thrashing his rivals in the Hong Kong Sprint 12 December at Sha Tin race course over 5 furlongs. The ease of his win beating Gr 1 winners from France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and England in doing so, prompted the international handicapping community to rate him not only the best sprinter on the planet (either surface), but some were even suggesting he was now the best turf sprinter ever!

It therefore, is a real coup for Woodlands Stud in NSW, Australia to have Silent Witness' dam visit and as of last week, get in foal to Lonhro, the 12-times Gr 1 winner of A$5,790,510 (U.S$4,402,900) who stood his debut season in Australia this year at a fee of A$60,000 (U.S$46,000). He covered 155 mares first go with a 95% fertility rate. Emirates Park Stud stallion El Moxie (Conquistador Cielo-Raise The Standard, by Hoist The Flag), the sire of Silent Witness, coincidentally also stands in Australia and he too received a big book of mares on the back of his famous son. He covered 125 mares at A$15,000. A half-sister to Silent Witness will by offered for sale at easter time in Sydney with the Hong Kong buyers extected to turn up in droves.

International Racing 2005