SUNDAY, 29TH JANUARY 2017 Invincible Spirit EBN EUROPEAN BLOODSTOCK NEWS FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL: +44 (0) 1638 666512 • FAX: +44 (0) 1638 666516 • [email protected] • WWW.BLOODSTOCKNEWS.EU STAKES RESULTS | NH STAKES RESULTS | INDUSTRY NEWS | STAKES REVIEW TODAY’S HEADLINES NATIONAL HUNT RACING REVIEW TRAGEDY STRIKES AFTER CLOUDS CRACKS THISTLE The Gr.2 Cotswold Chase was billed to be another opportunity for picture courtesy of RACINGFOTOS.COM Thistlecrack (Kayf Tara) to showcase his talents and take more scalps of the chasing world, but it ended in tragedy. Last year’s winner Smad Place (Smadoun) made the running tracked by Many Clouds (Cloudings), jumping with his usual exuberance, and Thistlecrack, who made several jumpings errors. Many Clouds surged into the lead four fences out and, though Thistlecrack did his very best to overtake him in the battle to the line and briefly got his head in front, Many Clouds fought back, proving the World Champion Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) coasts home stronger in the closing stage to score by a head. Disaster struck in the inaugural Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup last night however, as, after crossing the line, Many Clouds collapsed. Initially, it was thought that he just required cooling off and today doing what he does best. He wanted to win that race, he was oxygen, as he had when he won the Gr.3 Grand National in 2015, beaten and then fought back in the last 50 yards to win. It’s sad for but it was subsequently revealed that he had failed to respond to Trevor and my team at Rhonehurst; I’ve been in the game 32 years treatment and died. and horses like that don’t come along very often. You’ve got to enjoy The winner’s trainer Oliver Sherwood said: “We’ve got to look it and it happens to us all, we all go one day. We’ve got to be forward and not look back. He’s been the horse of a lifetime and I philosophical and celebrate the Hennessy and National wins and always said he would die for you and he’s died for me and the team that was almost a career-best performance.” w w w CALL: +44 (0) 1638 66 65 12 1 NATIONAL HUNT RACING REVIEW EBN: SUNDAY, 29TH JANUARY 2017 Former jockey Nathan Horrocks, who rode Many Clouds on the card at Cheltenham, following the abandonment of the meeting gallops, told Racing UK, “It’s a shock, from shouting him home to 10 at Ascot, where it is usually run, last weekend. Special Tiara (Kayf minutes later he’s not even with us. He’s a massive loss for everybody, Tara) and Royal Regatta (King’s Theatre) cut out the early he’s of huge importance to the yard, but also to Lambourn and the running, but as the latter ran out of steam, the nine-year-old son sport. He captured the nation, but that is our sport; it makes us love it of Denham Red moved up to join Special Tiara. The winner put in and hate it. What was great about him, and was also his downfall, a flying leap at the fourth last, which sealed the deal and he was that he didn’t know when to quit.” powered clear to win by five lengths from Uxizandre (Fragrant Colin Tizzard, trainer of the second Thistlecrack, commented, Mix), who put up a pleasing performance on his return to the “We were just beaten by the better horse on the day, two fantastic course after an absence of 688 days. horses ran right to the line. Poor old Many Clouds. My initial thought Winning trainer Willie Mullins said, “He was very good. He jumped when we got beat was that I was disappointed, but it’s as sad as can very big and fresh late on, which shows how well he is, but then I be, he was a lovely horse and he beat us on the day. We ran our race, started to wonder if he’d have enough left for the finish.To be able to we’re not making any excuses; today, on winter ground, we were do that after coming back to Ireland and going to England again is beaten by a better horse, no question. They had a battle and it’s just very impressive. As for the Festival and which race, I’ll have to chat to a tragic end to the race. This is what happens in our sport occasionally the owners but, at this stage the Ryanair [Festival Chase] is possibly and you’ve got to face up to it.” his race. We know for a fact he stays two and a half miles, so there are The winner of twelve of his 27 starts and victorious in this race no stamina doubts. I suppose it depends on Douvan and what he in 2015, Many Clouds earned more than £900,000 during his does in his next race.” career. Bred in France by Haras de la Rousseliere and Monique Bred by Aidan Aherne and a Tattersalls Ireland graduate, he is a Choveau, he is a half-brother to a winner, out of Hotesse De half-brother to the dual Gr.1-winning novice hurdler The Tullow Sceaux (April Night), who is a half-sister to three winners in Tank (Oscar). Their dam is a full-sister to the Listed-placed Back France. On Line (Bob Back), from the family of the smart chasers Battle Axe, Very Very Ordinary and Inishowen FINESSE JUVENILE HURDLE Defi Du Seuil maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles with CLARENCE HOUSE CHASE an easy victory in the Gr.2 Finesse Juvenile Hurdle. The four-year- Un De Sceaux collected another Gr.1 victory when taking the old son of Voix Du Nord was always travelling strongly and, Gr.1 Clarence House Chase, which was hastily added to yesterday’s approaching the last, he took the lead before skipping clear of his A son of first-crop sire and G1 Investec Derby winner Ruler“ Of The World (Ire) caused a stir as the last lot through the ring when selling to Glenvale Bloodstock for €96,000. The bay, offered by Middlelane Farm, is the third produce of the winning Crystal Morning (Ire).” TDN, 17 Nov. Epsom Derby-Gr.1 winner like his sire Galileo. Top quality first foals sold for A half-brother to a Gr.1 sire and from the family of champion sire €96,000, €50,000, A.P. Indy, leading sires Lemon Drop Kid, Summer Squall etc. €50,000 etc. 2017 fee: €8,000 Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars or Jason Walsh Tel: 353-52 6131298. David Magnier, Tom Gaffney, Joe Hernon or Cathal Murphy Tel: 353-25 31966. Kevin Buckley (UK Rep.) 44-7827-795156. E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.coolmore.com All stallions nominated to EBF. 2 CALL: +44 (0) 1638 66 65 12 NATIONAL HUNT RACING REVIEW EBN: SUNDAY, 29TH JANUARY 2017 rivals to win unchallenged by nine lengths and registering his third win at Graded level, the others including the Gr.1 Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle last month. “His jumping got better as the race went on,” said trainer Philip Hobbs. “There was no pace, with only a few runners, so I’m delighted everything went right. He’s only ever run on soft, but I don’t think he needs it. I don’t think good ground would be against him. He’s very tough, takes racing well and is very straightforward. He’s very easy to deal with. Richard Johnson would be the first to admit that he was in front far too soon at Chepstow and that might have been why he jumped like he did in the straight. We schooled him the week after Chepstow and he jumped well, as he always does at home. He won’t run again now before the Festival.” Bred by Catherine Boudot, he is out of the winning Lavirco mare Quarvine Du Seuil. His second dam, Fleur De Tennis (Video Rock), won six times and is a full-sister to the Gr.2-winning chaser Jimmy Tennis, and comes from the family of the Listed The stallion men from Kildangan Stud, who have worked winning hurdler and Gr.1-placed Coo Star Sivola (Assessor). tirelessly to parade the roster of Darley horses over the past two days to hundreds of people on the ITM Stallion Trail. CLASSIC NOVICES’ HURDLE Wholestone, who won the Gr.2 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle at the same course in December, added to that victory when winning and a half-sister to the dual Gr.3 winner and Gr.1-placed Spirit the Gr.2 Classic Novices’ Hurdle yesterday. Always prominent, the Leader (Supreme Leader; dam of the Gr.1 Christmas Hurdle six-year-old son of Craigsteel look the lead at the fifth and, winner Prince Of Scars and the Gr.3 Grand National Trial Handicap though he landed awkwardly at the last, he stayed on well in the Chase winner Folsom Blue). closing stages, which were extended due to the removal of the CLEEVE HURDLE last flight, to score by three lengths from William Henry (King’s Unowhatimeanharry extended his winning run to eight with a Theatre). flawless performance in the Gr.2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham. Nigel Twiston-Davies commented, “Wholestone is a great galloper and the rain last night really helped. If it had stayed good ground, then maybe the others might have been too quick for him but he is a galloper and a stayer.