Victor Ludorum

7.30 Kempton, Novice, 3yo/up, 10f 219y (AWT) WATER TO WINE (FR) (Kingman {GB}) was one of the talking horses for the Derby ahead of the Chester Vase, which he missed but he is back with Royal Ascot in the mind of connections. A taking winner on debut at Newbury last month, George Strawbridge's relative of Dominant and Es Que Love is joined by the fellow John and Thady Gosden-trained newcomer Humphrey (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}), Normandie Stud's half-brother to the G2 Queen's Vase winner and Goodwood Cup third Gregory (Golden Horn)....

12.17 Chantilly, Debutantes, 3yo, f, 8fT DEMAH (IRE) (Mehmas {Ire}) is an intriguing newcomer for Al Shaqab and the Francis Graffard stable, being a half-sister to last year's Prix du Moulin de Longchamp hero Sahlan (Wootton Bassett). Among her peers is Gestut Wittekindshof's homebred Nina's Victoria (Ger) (Victor Ludorum {GB}), an Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Pakistan Star (Shamardal).

And on we go, to a sector of the market that will have great appeal to the shrewd and smaller breeders (you can certainly be both), with the next part of our Value Sires series devoted to those standing in the bracket of £7,500 to £14,999 (approximately €8,500 to €17,000).  There are always deals to be struck in the stallion market, and perhaps that is especially true within the lower price tiers, where your bartering power may also depend on your previous support of a particular stallion or stud, and...

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres in Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, "Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and...

For this final part of the series, we are looking at stallions who have retired to stud since 2021 and will thus have either first foals or yearlings at the sales this year or are about to cover their first book of mares. There is plenty to digest from three years' intake and of course prices can often drop after a stallion's first year at stud, so there could be some value to be found for breeders willing to roll the dice on a stallion about to embark on his...

Few people will go through life fortunate enough to say they have had anything to do with a Group 1 winner--fewer still with one who cost just €18,000 as a foal. But back in 2018, when not many were in a hurry to get behind the little-known Adlerflug (Fr) (In The Wings {GB}), one of the ill-fated sire's most talented sons went through the ring at Arqana for that paltry sum. It was Gerry Burke's eye and pocket who saw something in Alenquer (Ger) long before the horse confirmed himself...

Benoit Jeffroy's Haras de Castillon, a burgeoning force on the French racing and bloodstock scenes, burst into international prominence in December when it consigned the Group 1-winning Grand Glory (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, where she sold for €2.5-million. The quickly growing Castillon has only been in existence under its current guise since 2015, but the Jeffroy family has a history of breeding quality racehorses from their SCEA des Prairies, with just one recent example being Zelda (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), a listed winner last...

Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal-Antiquities {GB}, by Kaldounevees {Fr}), an unbeaten Group 1-winning 2-year-old who trained on to be a Classic winner at three for Godolphin, has been retired from racing and will stand at Haras du Logis in Normandy next year. A fee will be announced at a later date. Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, "Victor Ludorum was a great credit to the Godolphin team--a homebred Classic winner who was exceptional at two. We're delighted to be standing him in France, scene of all his races. He hails...

One of Ballydoyle's least-exposed older horses despite having already collected a GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) drops to seven furlongs for the first time in his career in Sunday's G2 Romanised Minstrel S. at The Curragh. Only eighth on his return in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. June 15, he takes a surprising step considering he was fourth in last year's G1 Irish Derby and won over that 12-furlong trip. He is joined by stablemate Military Style (War Front), who captured the G3 Tyros...

Three of Godolphin's finest make up a stellar six-strong field for Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, with the main focus on the operation's champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal). Back to a mile following his initial 3-year-old success in the seven-furlong G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on July 12, last year's sensational G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. winner has yet to truly convince that he is as effective over this trip as he looked to be outstayed when third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on June...

Saturday's Group 1 action gets underway early in the afternoon, with Cologne's 12-furlong Preis von Europa scheduled for 1 p.m. German time. Hollie Doyle has a gilt-edged opportunity to record a first win at the highest level for the soon-to-be-retired Ed Vaughan as they combine with Anthony Oppenheimer's Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). Impressive on her seasonal bow when capturing Newmarket's G2 Princess of Wales's Tattersalls S. over this trip on July 9, the homebred 4-year-old was in turn justifying the decision to come back again in 2020 even...

Victor Ludorum. With such a name should we ever have doubted him? Fifteen years after his late sire Shamardal blazed to glory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains for the first half of his own Classic double, Victor Ludorum (Ire) set up a double of a different kind at Deauville on Monday, passing the Godolphin baton to his fellow colour-bearer and last year's champion juvenile Pinatubo (Ire) to attempt to complete a posthumous Classic double for Shamardal within a week. Should the much lauded Pinatubo resurface in the manner which...