Coolmore

Just three days after he and partner Michael Tabor spent €3 million on Group I winning filly Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, owner Peter Brant got a most unwelcome surprise. Rougir's trainer, Cedric Rossi, was arrested Dec. 7 as part of a probe into equine doping that also involved two other members of the Rossi family, Frederic and Charley. That brought into question whether or not he and his partners had purchased a horse whose successes on the racetrack were, at least in part,...

Trident (Fr) Wootton Bassett {GB}), runner-up in the G1 Prix Morny for Andre Fabre and the Coolmore partners, has been sold to continue his career in Hong Kong. Bloodstock agent Jamie Piggott, who brokered the deal, told TDN, "We bought him for a seven-figure sum for Mr Ho and he will go to Caspar Fownes. Coolmore were brilliant to deal with. The horse is now in Newmarket and starts his quarantine on 10 February." Bred by trainer David Smaga and Marie-Benedicte Fougy, Trident was a €140,000 yearling at the Arqana...

Four time Grade I-winning champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day--Lil Indy, by Anasheed) sired his first foal at Dell Ridge Farm this morning when Pussyfoot (Tiznow), a full-sister to Grade I winner Morning Line, foaled a bay filly at 5:39 a.m. The filly was fittingly bred by Gary and Mary West, who also bred and raced Maximum Security, an earner of over $12 million on the track with wins including the GI Florida Derby, GI Haskell Invitational, GI Cigar Mile H., inaugural Saudi Cup and GI Pacific Classic. "She's outstanding....

Having taken place as a virtual event last year when played out solely on social media, the ITM Irish Stallion Trail returned by popular demand this week, though attendance was limited to those directly involved in the breeding industry. As a seasoned trail-hopper who has partaken in each event since its inception seven years ago, my preferred modus operandi in order to see as many stallions as possible is to be at Coolmore Stud for the opening 10 a.m. show and make my way back towards Dublin from there via...

Echo Town (Speightstown)'s first foals have arrived. Miss Sephora (First Samurai), a half-sister to GSW Pataky Kid (Rockport Harbor), produced a bay filly by Echo Town bred by Allen Poindexter. "She's a good, correct, leggy quality foal," Tim Hamlin said. "Delighted with her. We'll be sending mares back to Echo Town in 2022." Then on Thursday, My Tempo (Declaration of War) foaled a chestnut colt at Chesapeake Farm by Echo Town bred by Crown Chase Farm. "He is a really nice colt, very correct with plenty of bone and quality,"...

Coolmore will sponsor the $1-million GI Turf Mile for 3-year-olds and up on Oct. 8, 2022 as part of the Keeneland Fall Meet's opening FallStars Weekend. The 2022 Coolmore Turf Mile will mark the 25th year that a Keeneland stakes race will be sponsored by the powerful international operation, which owns nearby Ashford Stud in Lexington. Coolmore sponsored the GIII Lexington S. from 1998-2015 and GI Jenny Wiley S. from 2016-2021. "Coolmore is a long and loyal supporter of Keeneland from the sales ring to the race track, and we...

European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue (War Front--Chatham, by Maria's Mon) has been acquired by Pegasus Farm in South Korea, according to a report in the Blood-Horse. From two crops of racing age, Air Force Blue is responsible for five black-type winners, including Astronomer, who won Del Mar's Qatar Golden Mile S. on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard; and Canadian Classic winner Haddassah, who captured Fort Erie's Prince of Wales S. Air Force Blue, bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, brought $490,000 from Magnier, Tabor and Smith at the 2014...

We continue our Value Sires Series with a look at stallions with their first foals arriving in 2022, and what looks a very intriguing bunch. Not only do we have Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal), the outstanding 2-year-old who was rated higher than Frankel as a juvenile, but also Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Dubawi's best son yet to retire to stud; the Classic-winning Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who trained on to add the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at four; and the three-time Group 1 and Classic winner Persian King (Ire),...

Champion 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is preparing to stand his first season at Coolmore Stud next year for €65,000, and his book is already set to include a plethora of Group 1 winners and producers. Gold Cup winner Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Matron S. victress Fiesolana (Ire) (Aussie Rules), Prix Marcel Boussac winner Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and Moyglare Stud S. winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor) are among the Group 1 winners already booked into the five-time Group 1 winner, as well as Northern Farm's triple...

Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}-Shastye {Ire}, by Danehill), winner of the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. at two and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Hong Kong Vase at three, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at The Beeches Stud in 2022 under the Coolmore National Hunt banner. He will stand for €4,000. Among those that Mogul beat in his top-level wins were the G1 Deutsches Derby scorer and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up In Swoop (Ger), who he will stand alongside at The...

Coolmore and trainer Wesley Ward have started to put together a 2022 schedule for their star grass sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and it's likely to include at least two trips abroad. With an eye on showcasing the colt and future stallion to as many people as possible around the world, Coolmore is planning on running Golden Pal in the June 14 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, as well as a yet-to-be-determined race in Australia. Golden Pal has raced twice in Europe, finishing second in the 2020 G2...

So finally we come to a group of stallions that has at least offered some initial indication of their competence actually to produce a runner. Not that the market tends to enjoy this process! Its nervousness about sires at this stage of their career makes it easy to see why so much investment is instead concentrated in that period of grace when they haven't yet been exposed in such heartless fashion. Yes, the one or two that are prompt to seize their chance are instantly on their way: their second...