Soldier's Call

The late Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}) carried the Godolphin blue to victory in the GI Man o' War S. at Belmont Park fully 25 years ago and it didn't take long for the Dubai-based operation to strike again, as the outstanding Fantastic Light (Rahy) followed suit just two years later.Both stars would go on to prove victorious in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in 1999 and 2001, respectively. No one will confuse Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with either of those luminaries, but the homebred bay should jump favored to...

Saturday may be April Fools' Day but there will be no fool's errand for the 17 juveniles charged with getting their racing careers off to a bright start in Britain's traditional turf season opener, the Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby S. Love it or loathe it, the Brocklesby carries with it that great sigh of relief from Flat fans that winter is at last over and 'proper racing' can now commence. For the men and women behind the stallions with their first runners this season, it is also an important marker,...

Blue Point (Ire) has been installed as the 2-1 favourite to be crowned leading first-season Flat sire in Britain and Ireland by Paddy Power. Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) has been inserted at 5-2 next best in the betting while Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns (Ire) has been quoted at odds of 3-1. Tally-Ho Stud, responsible for two of the past three champion first-season sires Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB), are represented by 4-1 chance Inns Of Court (Ire). It's 10-1 the field. Blue Point stands at Kildangan Stud for €35,000...

Whether it was Bayside Boy (Ire) at Ballylinch, Minzaal (Ire) at Derrinstown or King Of Change (GB) and Dubawi Legend (Ire) at Starfield, one of the main takeaways from this year's Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail was that the pedigree buffs and bloodstock fans love nothing more than getting a glimpse at the new stallions this country has to offer.  "Don't dream of putting a picture of that lad up on Twitter otherwise I'll have Eddie O'Leary tweeting that it's not the only pig down in Ballyhane," - Joe Foley. Few...

A large part of the fun that comes with following racing and the bloodstock game is predicting the future. Who will win the Derby? Who might top the Orby Sale? What freshman sires are here to stay and which ones will drift into the abyss? Well, we've looked deep into the TDN Europe crystal ball for 2023 to see if we can come up with the answers to the burning questions for the year ahead. Enjoy! January If you think he had a good Christmas, wait until you see how...

TDN: First job in the Thoroughbred industry? Believe it or not, the one I'm in! I have worked for Tattersalls now for 22 years, having answered an advert for a marketing executive in the Racing Post back in 2000. I had previously run a very amateur racing website called Ausracing, but since it brought me no income, it could hardly be called a job. TDN: Biggest influence on your career? Always a hard one, but perhaps it was the friend who took me to Sandown racecourse in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry   After a hectic few months perusing this year's foal and yearling crops, we asked the buyers to share their thoughts on the young stallions with first foals and yearlings.  Dermot Farrington, agent: "If you look at the list of people who have bought yearlings and foals by Advertise, it's a long time since a young stallion has attracted the who's who of the bloodstock world, and that's exactly what he has done. Whether it be yearlings to breeze, yearlings to race or foals...

The insatiable demand for foals was evident in the figures recorded at Goffs last week with turnover rising 16% to €29,561,000 and the average climbing 16% to €40,110. At the top end of the market, Kingman (GB) dominated with three foals by the Juddmonte-based stallion selling for a combined €1,540,000 and one of Europe's leading pinhookers Philipp Stauffenberg signing for the €550,000 top lot by the sire.  Tally-Ho Stud may be best known for being sellers but they pipped Stauffenberg for the biggest spenders title by signing for 19 foals...

The Havana Grey (GB) train is showing no sign of slowing down and, after a booming debut season at stud that saw his fee at Whitsbury Manor Stud bumped up to £18,500, he supplied the sales-topping filly on the final day of what Henry Beeby described as a "sensational" November Foal Sale at Goffs. That €68,000 filly (lot 962) was signed for by renowned judge Paul McCartan of Ballyphillip Stud, best known for breeding speedballs Harry Angel (Ire) and Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and was consigned by Olive O'Connor...

Not since Elon Musk became infatuated with space has there been so many rockets assembled in the one place at any given time than at Doncaster ahead of the Premier Yearling Sale.  These particular starships have been bred to fly and, lurking among the 411 yearlings getting ready for takeoff at Goffs UK over the next few days could be the next Acclamation (GB), Dark Angel (Ire), Wootton Bassett (GB) or Tasleet (GB), all of whom are graduates of this sale.  Joe Foley knows a thing or two about rockets....

In the latest edition of our Value Sires Series, we arrive at stallions with their first yearlings in 2022. The Darley duo of Too Darn Hot (GB) and Blue Point (Ire) retired as the two breakout horses of this group on fees, and that is how they wound up their first sales season. Too Darn Hot, the beautifully bred son of Dubawi who was a champion at two and three, retired at £50,000 at Dalham Hall Stud, and his 11 foals sold last year averaged €131,148/£111,964-the best foal sale average...

Ballyhane Stud, home to five stallions, has released its fees for 2021, with newcomer Sands Of Mali (Fr) set to stand at €6,500. Established sires Dandy Man (Ire) and Elzaam (Aus) were both represented by Group 1 winners this year, and Dandy Man's fee will remain at €15,000, while Elzaam's has been set at €5,000. Ballyhane Sud owner Joe Foley said of his stalwart Dandy Man, "Our flagship stallion has had another stellar season with another Grade 1-winning colt in River Boyne (Ire) and four stakes-winning 2-year-olds including the explosive...