CHICHICASTENANGO AND NEVER BEND

  • Posted: June 7, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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A few weeks ago, when looking at the emerging French second year sire, Turtle Bowl, we noted that he conformed something  of a recent trend in France, the appearance of a number of good sires with relatively unfashionable pedigrees, other examples that come to mind including Linamix (by Mendez), Muhtathir

GHOSTZAPPER’S EXCELLENT WEEKEND

The most recent weekend’s racing in the U.S. was highlighted by an epic Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) duel between Shackleford and Caleb’s Posse. However, it also featured a notable achievement by a former Metropolitan Handicap victor – Ghostzapper – who was represented by graded winners on all-weather, turf and dirt. On

MAKING AN IMPACT

  • Posted: May 29, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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The astonishing start to his stud career made by the Japanese sire, Deep Impact, continued at the week when he enjoyed a graded stakes double that included a victory by his son Deep Brillante in the Japanese Derby (gr. I). Almost inevitably, Deep Impact is a son of the Halo stallion

TURTLE BOWL – THE NEW FRENCH STALLION STAR

At the end of 2011, the French-based sire, Turtle Bowl drew some attention to himself when his son French Fifteentook the Criterium International (gr. I) to propel Turtle Bowl to a position as Leading Freshman Sire and Leading Sire of Two-Year-Olds in France. Promising as that start was, it is

CAMELOT PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE SIRE MONTJEU

  • Posted: May 9, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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Run a few hours before the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), the first English classic, the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) saw Camelot pay tribute to his late sire, Montjeu. One of the most important sons of Sadler’s Wells, both as a runner and a sire, Montjeu captured six group one events,

ANOTHER DERBY SHOT FOR FLOWER ALLEY

  • Posted: May 8, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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In the 2005 Kentucky Derby (gr. I), Flower Alley was making very promising forward progress, when his momentum was halted by the imploding front-runner, Spanish Chestnut. Winner of the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) and runner-up to Afleet Alex in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) going into the race, Flower

EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES IN AUSTRALIA

Australia is currently witnessing a real purple period, and four of its most exciting performers – Black Caviar, Pierro, Atlantic Jewel and More Joyous were all in action at Randwick last Saturday.  World Champion Black Caviar; Pierro, who completed a sweep of the juvenile triple crown in the Moet &

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY RUNNERS SHOWING CLASSIC POTENTIAL ON DIRT

  • Posted: March 18, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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We’ve always thought that—in retrospect—it would have been very interesting had Giant’s Causeway been sent from Ireland to challenge for the 2000 renewal of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). The son of Storm Cat certainly demonstrated that he was very well-suited to ten furlongs at Churchill Downs when only narrowly-defeated in a Breeders’ Cup

SPEEDSTERS SMART MISSILE, TOORAK TOFF AMONG FIRST NEW AUSTRALIAN SIRES ANNOUNCED FOR 2012 BREEDING SEASON

  • Posted: March 10, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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While we are only in the first few weeks of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season, stallion masters in Australia are already at work on recruiting new stallions to their rosters for the 2012 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, which is still some six months away. Among the first of these announced are Smart Missile, who

RECENT STAKES POINT UP VALUE SIRES

  • Posted: March 1, 2012  by Alan Porter   -  
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A few weeks back we noted Northern Afleet as a stallion who appeared to be great value at his current fee. Looking at last weekend’s results, we’re prompted to note a couple more. >Proud Citizen’s son, Mark Valeski, didn’t add to his sire’s total of stakes winners at the weekend, but he ran with