The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Mystery buyers step in for Guineas hero Siskin
Europe: Prince Khalid Abdullah has sold the breeding rights to his Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin to an undisclosed group of breeders, thought in some circles likely to involve Coolmore.
However, the world #5 owner’s racing manager, Lord Grimthorpe, confirmed that the unbeaten son of First Defence “will continue to race in the colours and name of Prince Khalid for his racing career”, which would be a first for the Saudi Arabian owner-breeder.
“There’s a business to be run and, when the offer was made, it was considered satisfactory and we took it from there,” said Grimthorpe. “Prince Khalid has sold horses before and I’m sure he will do again.”
The Ger Lyons-trained colt was a hot favourite for last Friday’s Irish Classic at the Curragh and ran out an impressive winner in the hands of Colin Keane. The Sussex Stakes at Goodwood is likely to be his next race.
Galileo’s world record
Europe: Galileo became the most prolific source of G1 winners in Thoroughbred history when the Aidan O’Brien-trained Peaceful won the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas on Saturday.
No less than 85 of his sons and daughters have now won one or more races at the top level, which is one ahead of his former studmate Danehill. Galileo, who has stood for a private fee since 2008, has been champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 11 of the last 12 years, and TRC analyst James Willoughby recently named him the greatest sire of the decade.
Coincidentally, the son of Sadler's Wells’ first G1 winner was also in the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2006 renewal, when first-crop daughter Nightime claimed the fillies’ Classic for trainer Dermot Weld.
Death of dual Breeders’ Cup hero Conduit
Europe: Conduit, winner of back-to-back runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (2008-09) as well as the St Leger at Doncaster (2008) and Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2009), has died aged 15 after a brief illness.
The son of Dalakhani, who was trained by Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket and bred and owned by Ballymacoll Stud, spent the first six years of his stallion career at Big Red Farm in Japan but became Northern Ireland's only Thoroughbred stallion when switched to Tullyraine House Stud in 2016.
His six seasons in Japan have so far yielded 137 winners. His first Irish-bred offspring are three this season.
Tullyraine House Stud owner Hugh Suffern said, “Three weeks ago he was bouncing and his usual self, but within a short space of time it became apparent he had suffered a very acute brain injury. He fought very hard for around three weeks but eventually he succumbed in the middle of last week.”
Now Hartnell begins a new career
Oceania: Almost eight months after Hartnell’s 58th and final race in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, where he finished third, the former Godolphin star is set to begin his second career as a show horse.
The gelding, now nine, winner of four G1s as well as a race at Royal Ascot before he was transferred to Australia, was unexpectedly given to long-time assistant trainer Reg Fleming, who subsequently decided to hand him over to family friend Sheralee Patterson to retrain him.
“Reg has been a longtime family friend, for over 30 years,” Patterson told Racing.com. “When I first saw Hartnell, I said to him, 'God he's a nice horse, he'd make a lovely show horse’ and he [Fleming] said 'you got no hope’.”
Whitney sale proceeds to benefit Saratoga backstretch plan
North America: About 1,500 purses, gowns, necklaces, hats and scarves, as well as a Jaguar sedan, belonging to the late Marylou Whitney are going up for auction.
Most of the sale, which can be previewed starting Wednesday at marylouwhitneycollection.com, is separate from the sale of her designer jewelry and Sir Alfred Munnings paintings sold last winter at Sotheby’s.
While the proceeds from Sotheby’s paid off estate taxes, her husband, John Hendrickson, said all proceeds from this sale will benefit the construction of a health clinic on the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course. The clinic is currently housed in a trailer.
“We've worked very hard on this since September,” Hendrickson said. “It was very difficult for me, emotionally, but I know Marylou would be pleased that so many of her belongings are going toward a greater good.”
Elsewhere in racing …
Far East: Hong Kong racing will offer record prize money of HK$1.4 billion for the 2020/21 season, with the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint and BMW Hong Kong Derby featuring prominently among the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s upward adjustments. More here
Europe: Leopardstown Racecourse and racing stylist Sarah Kate Byrne have launched ‘Leopardstown for Life’, featuring a sustainable and affordable fashion campaign. More here
North America: The catalogue the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2020 July Sale of Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age is now available. More here
Oceania: Jockeys in New South Wales will be given the freedom to ride wherever they please across the state from July 1, with Racing NSW set to remove the Covid-19 zones system. More here