Lope de Vega (Ire)

Tattersalls has released a catalogue of 163 juveniles for its Craven Breeze Up Sale, which takes place on Apr. 12 and 13 with the breeze happening on the Rowley Mile on Apr. 11. This year's graduates will have big shoes to fill, as last year's sale produced not only the champion 2-year-old and unbeaten G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 National S. winner Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), but also Group 2 winners Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). Among the Group 1 siblings...

Group winner Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) has had his first quartet of mares pronounced in foal, The National Stud announced on Monday. Happy Holly (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), a half-sister to Group 1 winners Lily Of The Valley (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of the foursome. Other mares in foal to the G3 Round Tower S. hero are Seven Empires (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), herself a half-sister to four black-type winners; and Spain Blues (Fr) (Anabaa Blue {GB}), the...

On a crisp, bright morning at Ballylinch Stud last week, there was just cause for enthusiasm from managing director John O'Connor, and not just for the tea and cake on the table in front of us.  Not much more than a hop, skip and a jump from the office, via a path right past the headstone of The Tetrarch, the stallion yard is about to crank into top gear as the mares start rolling in for the season. There may only be four stallions, but there will be plenty of...

Most young mothers call on their own mothers or even grandmothers for help with childcare but that is rarely the case with Thoroughbred mares. At Chasemore Farm, however, a slightly unusual solution has been found to help a foal rejected by her first-time mother four days after she was born.  The mare in question is the G3 Prestige S. winner Boomer (GB) (Kingman {GB}), whose maternal role has now been taken on by her grand-dam Veiled Beauty (Royal Academy). The 22-year-old was one of the earliest broodmare purchases by owner/breeder...

The real Lope de Vega, dubbed the Spanish Shakespeare, was as prolific a playwright and poet as he was a lover, and is believed to have fathered about 15 children, some legitimate, others not so.  That's small fry for a stallion, of course, and the horse who has carried his name with such distinction, both on the racecourse and at stud, could well end up with at least that many sons following him to stud. So far, in Ireland, he is represented by Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) and Lucky Vega...

Classic heroine Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will be covered by Juddmonte's Kingman (GB) in 2022, Meon Valley Stud confirmed to the TDN. Bred by Meon Valley Stud and raced by Helena Springfield Ltd., the bay captured the G1 Investec Oaks in only her fourth start. She added the G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu later in 2019 and was top of her division in France that year. The daughter of listed winner, G1 Yorkshire Oaks second and G1 Meon Valley Stud Mile third Dash To The Top (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) is...

A breeding right (lot 1) and a nomination (lot 4) to promising young stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will be offered at the Jan. 19 Tattersalls Online Sale of Breeding Rights and Nominations. Bidding will open at 10 a.m. and will close at noon. The National Stud's Time Test already has the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. winner Romantic Time (GB) and the German Group 3 victor Rocchigiani (GB) to his credit. In addition, his Sunset Shiraz (Ire) placed in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Of his 11 winners,...

The ascent of Frankel (GB) to the head of the stallion ranks in Britain and Ireland was documented in some details in Monday's TDN, and it has lent a touch of poignancy coming in the year in which his great sire Galileo (Ire) left us. In the extraordinarily long reigns of both Sadler's Wells and his son Galileo we have become accustomed to having a superstar stallion in our midst, and Frankel will do well if he is to come anywhere close to the 14 sires' championships of Sadler's Wells...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-brother to Group 3 winner Love Locket (Ire) (No Nay Never). 5.30 Kempton, Novice, £6,500, 2yo, 8f (AWT) NOBEL (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a 825,000gns purchase at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, is a half-brother to the G3 Leopardstown Fillies Trial S. winner...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a half-brother to Group 1 winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). 7.0 Southwell, Novice, £6,800, 2yo, 7f 14y (AWT) TEUMESSIAS FOX (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is the 10th foal out of Princess Serena (Unbridled's Song), who has produced the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero...

Sunday Times (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), best known as the dam of dual Grade I winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), was knocked down for 1.8 million gns to MV Magnier to become the new Tattersalls December Mare Sale topper. Consigned by Goldford Stud, agent, lot 1810 is carrying a full-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine and will visit Wootton Bassett (GB) next year. Also the dam of listed winner and G3 Chipchase S. victress Classical Times (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), Sunday Times won the...

In life and in bloodstock, the confluence of a few small factors--decisions that may seem minute at the time--can quickly amalgamate into life-changing moments. Like, for instance, when Martin Cooney and Elaine Shaw opted to raise their hands at €21,000 during the 2018 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale on an 8-year-old daughter of Hard Spun whose first two foals had not yet found the winner's enclosure; while, simultaneously, another bidder hesitated, and ultimately changed their mind too late. "Too late, sir," the auctioneer called, hammering Plying down to Jossestown Farm....