Soldier's Call

In this corner of the bloodstock world we like to keep our glass half-full, if not topped up to the brim. With that in mind, it is sometimes preferable to look back, rather than forwards. A dive into history via the pages of the Bloodstock Breeders' Review is always entertaining, if not a regular reminder that the more things change the more they stay the same. Take, for example, Lord Rosebery's speech as TBA president in 1947 when he said, "I was perturbed at the Yearling Sales at Doncaster when...

Daylight, a winner of the G3 Prix de Cabourg, will visit Siyouni this year, Jour de Galop reported on Wednesday. Also runner-up in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and third in the G1 Prix Morny, the daughter of Earthlight raced for Gousserie Racing and Sandrine Gavrois. A consistent performer, she accrued five other placings at stakes level. Bred by Haras du Cadran and Pieter Van Belle, Daylight was originally an €85,000 Arqana August yearling buy. In 2024, she was a €2.1-million buy-back at the Arqana Vente d'Elevage when offered by...

Following some pretty roasting foal trade at Goffs last week, action returns to Park Paddocks for the Tattersalls December Sale, which, after a Monday yearling session, features four days of weanlings. Four years ago at Tattersalls, Deborah O'Brien brought a neat and strong Tasleet yearling colt to the market through Bearstone Stud, where the breeder boards her mares, and sold him for 12,000gns. The result, after a further appearance at the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale, was Bradsell, winner of the G1 Flying Five, G1 Nunthorpe, G1 King's Stand and G2...

Ace Stud has announced that Shaquille, the brilliant dual Group 1-winning sprinter, will stand for £10,000 next year. Shaquille was crowned Cartier Champion Sprinter and Longines World's Best 3YO Sprinter in 2023. Trained by Julie Camacho, he won seven times, with those top level triumphs coming in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot followed by the July Cup. Paul Curran, Ace Stud's Bloodstock and Racing manager said, "Champion European Sprinter Shaquille has been really well-supported by top breeders since retiring to stud. He has covered more than 275 mares in...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Silawi at Woodbine. Dubawi Gelding Claims The Canadian International Wathnan Racing's Silawi (Dubawi) earned his first top-tier win in the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine on October 4 (video). Bred by Wertheimer and Frere, he is trained by Hamad Al Jehani. Sold for €380,000 out of the Arqana Arc Sale in 2023, the five-year-old gelding is also a winner of the G3 Winter Hill...

The Dullingham Park stallions Shaquille (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB) have been bought by Yulong Investments from Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics and will remain in situ in Newmarket. Yulong Investments' European representative Paul Curran said, "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Shaquille and Soldier's Call into the Yulong fold. Yulong Investments is deeply passionate about breeding elite racehorses and spares no effort in ensuring its stallions are positioned for greatness. These two exceptional sires will be supported by an elite broodmare band, giving them every opportunity to succeed and leave...

DUBLIN, Ireland--In an explosive turn of events surrounding the ongoing saga involving the ownership of promising young stallion Sands Of Mali, the High Court heard on Thursday of how leading owner Steve Parkin is alleged to have made threats to Ballyhane Stud boss Joe Foley, his business partner and advisor of over 20 years. Parkin, who once described Foley as being "like a brother" and, up until last January was happy to have him in charge of his Clipper Logistics ownership vehicle, is seeking an injunction to have Sands Of...

Dullingham Park Stud's roster for 2025 is headed by European Champion Sprinter and dual Group 1 winner Shaquille, who remains unchanged at £15,000. Dullingham Park's Ollie Fowlston commented, "Shaquille covered a very good book of mares in his first season and we are extremely excited to see his first foals on the ground. If they look anything like him then the breeders will be delighted. He was such an exceptional talent on the track and luckily for us is the standout sprinter over the past few years so will stick...

There will be a lot of I-told-you-sos when looking back on the first-season sires' championship with Blue Point (Ire) living up to his lofty billing by amassing 50 individual winners in Europe including two Group 1 scorers in what can only be described as a dream debut season.  The pledge of support behind Blue Point from a very early stage, in what was viewed by many as the most competitive first-season sires' championship in a long time, was telling.  Perhaps one of the most accurate predictions came from trainer Richard...

As the line-up continues to take shape at Steve Parkin's new stallion operation at Dullingham Park near Newmarket, it has been announced that the G2 Flying Childers winner Soldier's Call (GB) will move from Ireland to join this season's top-rated sprinter Shaquille (GB) on the roster.  In his debut season, Shaquille will stand for £15,000, while Soldier's Call's fee for 2024 will be £8,500. He stood at €7,500 this season and covered 190 mares. One of this year's leading first-season sires, Soldier's Call began his career at Joe Foley's Ballyhane...

It was a day for the die-hards at Part Two of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale where a filly by first-season sire Soldier's Call (GB) led the way at €45,000 to Joe Foley. But the story of the sale was the strength of the Italian buyers, with Cristiana Brivio, who operates under the banner of Razza Latina, and Valfredo Valiani, two of the leading purchasers on the day.  Foley, who also stands Soldier's Call at Ballyhane Stud, was repeating the trick from last year after topping this sale 12...

Seven years ago Churchill (Ire) beat Mehmas (Ire) in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S., and they both now feature prominently in their second careers at stud. For Mehmas, that's nothing new. He was champion first-season sire, then leading second-season sire, and he gave way only to New Bay (GB) last year among his generation. Now with his fourth crop of runners taking to the track, the Tally-Ho Stud resident is back in front among his intake with four group winners to his credit so far this year, including...