Coolmore

Fifty years ago this spring John Magnier moved into Coolmore Stud ahead of the now infamous and audacious annual raids on the Kentucky yearling market. At the Keeneland July Select Sale of 1975, Magnier, along with the esteemed trainer Vincent O'Brien and key ally Robert Sangster, started their recruitment drive of what O'Brien described as "baby stallions".  In his biography, O'Brien stated, "We would try and turn the tide: we would organise a syndicate to buy yearlings which I would train, and from which we could make our own stallions."...

By Renee Geelen/TTR AusNZ With the decision by Godolphin to stop shuttling up-and-coming sire sensation Too Darn Hot (GB), Australian breeders will have an opportunity to breed to a stallion with a very similar profile in Henry Longfellow (Ire), who joins the Rosemont Stud roster for 2025 at a fee of A$22,000 inc. GST. After Too Darn Hot, Henry Longfellow is only the second Group 1-winning two-year-old son of Dubawi (Ire) to ever stand in Australia. Too Darn Hot won all his four starts at two, including the G1 Dewhurst...

The only rule is that there are no rules. Some of our most expensive freshmen are entering precisely the end game that drove their purchase: Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Muth (Good Magic) cost $2.3 million and $2 million respectively, as juveniles; Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) was a $950,000 yearling. Yet the GI Kentucky Derby remains as likely to be won by a $30,000 claim like Rich Strike (Keen Ice) or, most recently, a son of the $10,000 cover Goldencents. Last week, we saluted the advent of a $2,500 yearling...

1st-Oaklawn, $110,000, Msw, 2-23, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.48, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. CLEVER AGAIN (c, 3, American Pharoah--Flattering {Ire} {GSW-Ire, SP-Eng}, by Galileo {Ire}) finished runner up in his debut going 4 1/2 panels at Keeneland last April and was benched for the remainder of the season. Marking his return while stretched past a mile for the first time, the 2-1 favorite took control from the onset, led at every call and was 3 1/4-lengths clear of Shepherd (Laoban) at the wire. A full-sister to English and Irish champion Love...

Quadruple Group 1 winner Paddington (GB) sired his first reported foal on Wednesday morning. The bay filly, out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Amalna (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), was born at Ecurie des Monceaux. The dam is a half-sister to 2024 G3 Prix Vanteaux heroine Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). Their dam, Debutante (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}), is a half-sister to four group winners led by G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}). "She is a very well-balanced filly with a lot of class and presence,"...

Okay, so possibly Magnitude (Not This Time) won't ever do anything quite like that again. But let's enjoy the moment, at least, and relish the sheer theater of his GII Risen Star performance--much, for instance, as people did the astounding sophomore debut of Dr. Carter in 1984. He had won two of seven previous starts; Magnitude, two of six. But even though so unpressured that he won by 17 lengths, Dr. Carter equalled the Hialeah track record. Their trainer John Veitch declared him better than Alydar. The stage was set...

Coolmore are to continue its sponsorship of the first German Classic of the year, the G2 Coolmore City of Troy German 2,000 Guineas, which will be run at Cologne on Sunday May 18. "German breeders have been terrific supporters of Coolmore over the years and we have been long-time race sponsors in the country. We are thrilled to be sponsoring the Group 2 Coolmore City Of Troy German 2000 Guineas again." said Coolmore's Joe Hernon. City of Troy, whose name will be carried on this year's race, was rated European...

The first foal by Little Big Bear (Ire), Europe's champion juvenile of 2022, was born on Saturday when Unchained Melody (Ire), owned by Aidan and Annmarie O'Brien's Whisperview Trading Limited, produced a bay filly. "She's a pretty filly with a good hind leg," said Ana O'Brien. "[She's] a very good first foal and a great start for the mare. We're very happy with her and will definitely be supporting Little Big Bear again this year." Unchained Melody is a daughter of Fastnet Rock (Aus) and hails from the famed Ballymacoll...

Fashion Faux Pas (Flatter), in foal to former champion sire Snitzel (Aus), brought A$1.15 million from Coolmore's Justin Carey to top the Inglis Digital January (Late) Online Sale on Wednesday. Consigned by Newgate on behalf of the James Harron Bloodstock broodmare partnership, the 9-year-old stakes-winning mare is a half-sister to GIII Arlington Oaks third Ire (Political Force), as well as two more stakes-placed half-siblings. One, Flashy Campaign (Political Force), is the dam of two stakes winners that have both placed at graded level. Her third dam is the blue hen...

Dual Group 1 winner and leading 2,000 Guineas hope Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has been crowned the European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2024 with a rating of 120.  The Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes winner joins fellow Charlie Appleby-trained colts Pinatubo (Ire) and Native Trail (GB) on the Champion Two-Year-Old roll of honour.  "I would imagine he'll go straight into a Guineas," Appleby said at the European Two-Year-Old Classification Press Conference on Tuesday. "I don't really want to test him over the mile beforehand. Firstly, timing-wise and...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opened with the first of its three sessions Monday and figures at the end of the day were well ahead of the pace set during the opening session of its four-day 2024 renewal. "It was a good, solid day," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "I think it was a continuation of November in large part. We saw good, solid trade for quality horses." For the session, 200 horses sold for...

Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky will open its doors to prospective breeders Jan. 13 through Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00pm. Light refreshments and hot beverages will be available to guests. The operation's stallion roster will be available for inspection, including new addition Domestic Product (Practical Joke-Goods and Services, by Paynter). Winner of the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the dark bay also won the GIII Dwyer and GIII Tampa Bay Derby. For more information, click here.