First-Season Sires In The Spotlight: Britain

AL KAZEEM (GB), 2009, Oakgrove Stud
Dubawi (Ire)-Kazeem (GB) (Darshaan {GB})

Al Kazeem had a racing career of two halves and it looks as if his early stud career will be the same. The top-class John Deer homebred won his maiden at two but really came into his own as a 4-year-old when he notched consecutive Group 1 wins in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Prince Of Wales's S., and Eclipse S.

Retired to the Royal Studs the following year, his patchy fertility meant that he returned to Roger Charlton's yard that spring, and he duly added the G3 Winter Hill S. to his tally of wins. Better was to come, however, as Al Kazeem went on to win the G2 Prix Harcourt at six and signed off with a second G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup victory. Having been bought back by John Deer, he returned to his birthplace to continue his stud career, his fee having been reduced from £18,000 in 2014 to his current price of £12,000.

Among his 23 juveniles listed, four are with Charlton, including Al Kherb (GB), a half-brother to Group 3 winner Perfect Tribute (GB), while William Haggas has been charged with the training of Alexana (GB), a half-sister to the classy stayers Duncan (GB) and Samuel (GB), for owner-breeder Philippa Cooper.

Expect to see some of this select group emerging in the second half of the season and improving as they mature.

CITYSCAPE (GB), 2006, Overbury Stud
Selkirk-Tantina (Distant View)

A half-brother to classy sprinter Bated Breath (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who made a very encouraging start with his first 2-year-olds last year, Cityscape was at his best over a mile, winning from the ages of two to six, including the G1 Dubai Duty Free (1800m) at Meydan. Like his brother, he also had a number of near misses at the top level, and was runner-up twice to Excelebration (Ire), in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., as well as being beaten a neck by Able One (NZ) when second in the G1 Hong Kong Mile.

His top-priced yearling was a filly, very much in Cityscape's image bar her bay coat, and she was bought by Amanda Skiffington on behalf of Paul Shanahan and MV Magnier for 68,000gns. Now named Momentarily (GB), she is in training with Hugo Palmer, while other Cityscapes have found their way to the yards of William Haggas, Amy Murphy, Richard Fahey and Ralph Becket.

Siena Firenze (GB), a half-sister to last year's G1 St Leger winner Harbour Law (GB), is catalogued as lot 81 for Arqana's Breeze-up Sale in May.

It's unlikely that many of Cityscape's 60-plus juveniles will be out very early, but it would be no surprise if he produces some talented individuals.

FARHH (GB), 2008,
Pivotal (GB)-Gonbarda (Ger) (Lando {Ger})

A member of a classy German middle-distance family, Farhh was himself highly talented, winning the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Champion Stakes. Raced sparingly at two and three, but unbeaten in just one start each season, he then ran consistently well at four and went on to win both his Group 1 races at five––his only two runs that year.

Charlie Hills is listed as the trainer of Farhh's most expensive sales yearling, a £170,000 colt out of Comeraincomeshine (Ire) bought by Jill Lamb from breeder Newsells Park Stud at the Goffs UK Premier Sale and now named Newborough (GB). An as-yet unnamed half-brother to the decent and durable stayer Dandino (GB) is in training with Harry Dunlop.

Farrh didn't cover a huge book of mares in his first season and has only 38 juveniles listed, but we should start to see some runners in the second half of the season.

HAVANA GOLD (Ire), 2010, Tweenhills Farm & Stud
Teofilo (Ire)-Jessica's Dream (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire})

Bred by the late Sir Eric Parker at his Crimbourne Stud from a dual Group 3-winning sprinter, Havana Gold was a talented 2-year-old for Richard Hannon, winning four of his six starts culminating in the G3 Somerville Tattersalls S. at Newmarket. Second to stablemate Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G3 Craven S., he was beaten less than a length when fifth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and went on to win the G1 Prix Jean Prat over a mile.

Sensibly priced by Tweenhills at £8,500, he received plenty of support and posted a first-crop yearling sale average of 24,125gns for 76 sold. The most expensive of these was a 200,000-guinea colt out of Waveband (GB), a Listed-winning sister to Bungle Inthejungle (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) who is now named Sallab (Ire) and is in training with Hannon for Al Shaqab Racing.

Three went through the ring for the first European breeze-up sales of the year at Ascot where the Cool Silk Partnership paid £64,000 for a filly out of dual Listed winner Esloob (Diesis). Another four colts and a filly will be offered at the Goffs UK Breeze-up followed by a Lynn Lodge Stud-consigned colt at the Craven Sale.

With more than 100 potential first-crop runners, Havana Gold should make a decent impact this season.

LETHAL FORCE (Ire), 2009, Cheveley Park Stud
Dark Angel (Ire)-Land Army (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire})

An inexpensive foal and yearling, Lethal Force nevertheless went on to be one of Dark Angel's best runners. Successful in his first start at three, he won the G2 Hungerford Stakes later that year and improved again at four, winning the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 Darley July Cup.

He has just over 100 2-year-olds listed and 75 of these went through the sales as yearlings for an average price of 33,610gns. His offspring have gone into a decent spread of yards synonymous with having good early juvenile winners but, though he will doubtless have been sent some speedy mares, it's worth remembering that Lethal Force didn't win until he was three, and ultimately rewarded his late owner Alan Craddock handsomely when kept in training at four.

Peter and Ross Doyle were big supporters at the sales, buying his two most expensive colts for 160,000gns and 125,000gns respectively. The former, out of Nutkin (GB) from Lord Vestey's good family of stakes winner and producer Macadamia (GB), is in training in France, while the colt out of Cheveley Park Stud's G2 Lowther S. winner Soar (GB), is with Richard Hannon.

Surprisingly none of the three Lethal Force juveniles offered at Wednesday's Ascot breeze-up found a buyer in the ring, though two were later sold privately. A further two colts and two fillies will come under the hammer at the Craven Sale.

MAZAMEER (Ire), 2010, Kingfisher Stallions, Merrington Stud
Green Desert-Straight Miss (Ire) (In The Wings {GB})

Hailing from a terrific Ballymacoll Stud family, Mazameer is a direct descendant of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gaily (GB) (Sir Gaylord {GB}), while closer up in his pedigree is his dam's half-brother, the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Naaqoos (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Like Naaqoos, Mazameer was dispatched by his owner Sheikh Hamdan to Freddy Head's stable, from which he won on debut as a June 2-year-old before adding the six-furlong G3 Prix de Cabourg to his tally. At three, his best effort in five starts was victory in the Listed Prix Texanita and he was retired under Will Barrons' Kingfisher Stallions banner firstly to Herringswell Manor Stud near Newmarket and is now at Merrington Stud in Warwickshire.

Mick Channon and Tom Dascombe are among the trainers of his 25 registered 2-year-olds so it would be no surprise to see a few early winners.

RECKLESS ABANDON (GB), 2010, no longer at stud
Exchange Rate-Sant Elena (GB) (Efisio {GB})

Reckless Abandon is perhaps unique among Group 1-winning 2-year-old colts in that, as his small first crop take to the track, he is now a polo-playing gelding.

Poor fertility put paid to the stud career of the Clive Cox-trained wunderkind who strung together a sequence that included the G2 Norfolk S., G2 Prix Robert Papin, G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Vision.ae Middle Park S. in a faultless juvenile season. He wasn't quite the same force at three, though certainly wasn't discredited in three appearances in top-class sprints, and he returned to training at four once it became apparent that he was struggling to get his mares in foal at Dalham Hall Stud. Despite placed efforts behind Tropics and Mecca's Angel (Ire), Reckless Abandon's racing career was brought to a close in October 2014.

He does, however, have 18 juveniles to represent him this season, two of whom are with Cox, while another two have been exported to Japan and South Korea respectively.

SWISS SPIRIT (GB), 2009, Whitsbury Manor Stud
Invincible Spirit (Ire)-Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge {GB})

It could be a big year for the already well-credentialed Swiss Lake family of Lordship Stud. The 18-year-old mare's Frankel (GB) 3-year-old Swiss Storm (GB) was bought privately by Godolphin in the close season but will continue to be trained by David Elsworth with his potential engagements including both the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas. Meanwhile, his Group 3-winning elder half-brother Swiss Spirit will be represented by his first runners. A big, solid horse from a fast family, Swiss Spirit's stock were very popular with pinhookers and his 58 yearlings sold at auction last year returned an average of 23,206gns.

Angus Gold was clearly a fan, as Shadwell bought three of his four most expensive yearlings and William Haggas has been charged with training Carmel Stud's 130,000-guinea colt out of the unraced Skiing (GB) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}).

Of 75 registered juveniles, he had two offered at Wednesday's Ascot Breeze-up Sale, with one sold for £45,000 to Kevin Ross. Three colts are catalogued for the Goffs UK Breeze-up nest Wednesday and there are two fillies in Tattersalls' Craven Sale.

 UNIVERSAL (Ire), 2009, Yorton Farm Stud
Dubawi (Ire)-Winesong (Ire) (Giant's Causeway)

Out of a once-raced half-sister to G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Seazun (Ire), Universal was unplaced in three starts at two, but won on his 3-year-old debut over 10 furlongs and set about progressing into a dependable middle-distance campaigner for Mark Johnston. He won another two races that year before adding four victories at four, including the G2 Jockey Club S. and G2 Princess Of Wales's S., both at Newmarket.

Retired to Yorton Farm Stud, which is more closely associated with the National Hunt side of the business, Universal was supported with some Rabbah Bloodstock mares, including Mazuna (Ire), the dam of Godolphin's Group 2 winner Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}, who was recently runner-up to Vazirabad (Fr) in the Dubai Gold Cup. Her April-born filly is in training in Newmarket with Ismail Mohammed.

Don't expect to see many of Universal's first crop out this year, especially as he covered a number of jumps mares, but his Flat mares also included the eight-time winning miler Qeethaara, whose grey colt is with George Margarson.

We will continue this series with a look next week at stallions in Ireland, followed by France and Germany.