Montjeu Long Gone, but Not Forgotten
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SATURDAY, 17 DECEMBER, 2016 OP/ED: MONTJEU ESTIDHKAAR RETIRES TO TARA STUD With more than 40 new stallions standing in Europe for the LONG GONE, BUT 2017 breeding season, another new name has been added to the list with the news that NOT FORGOTTEN Shadwell's Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Danetime Out {Ire}, by Danetime {Ire}) is to join the ranks at Tara Stud in Ireland. A ,200,000 yearling at Goffs UK's Premier Sale in a year which also featured fellow Group winners Baitha Alga (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Markaz (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) among Estidhkaar | Racing Post Photo the top lots, Estidhkaar was bought by Peter and Ross Doyle and trained by Richard Hannon for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. Montjeu wins the King George | Racing Post by Emma Berry We hear plenty about Galileo (Ire), and rightly so. He is the IN TDN AMERICA TODAY stallion of our generation whose influence will be discussed by PEGASUS PREP FOR CHROME SATURDAY pedigree aficionados for decades, if not centuries, to come. For as much as I'm glad to be alive and writing about breeding under Leading older horse California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) will prep for his reign, I've long harboured a preference for Galileo's the lucrative GI Pegasus World Cup in Saturday’s Winter Challenge erstwhile stablemate Montjeu (Ire), who was lost to us almost S. at Los Alamitos. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. five years ago. Montjeu came along at the right time for me. My early years as a racing fan were spent swaddled in thermals and tweed, sinking into a deep despair after the Whitbread meeting at the prospect of a summer of boring Flat racing while my beloved jumpers enjoyed their holidays. A job at Pacemaker set the tide turning slowly. Being whacked over the head with a Timeform annual by the magazine's editor Julian Muscat every time I mentioned the name Istabraq (Ire) ensured that I swiftly acknowledged the error of my ways. Istabraq may have been another regally bred son of Sadler's Wells, but to the purist Muscat the multiple Champion Hurdler was merely a Afailed Flat horse.@ Then along came Montjeu, the bad boy from France who I knew I shouldn't fall for but couldn't help doing so anyway. Never mind his two Classics and his Arc victory, Montjeu's day of days came at Ascot, in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. of 2000. The Racing Post's in-running comments of that race, in which he beat Fantastic Light by a length and three-quarters, end with, ACruised into lead over 1f out, soon clear, not extended and most impressive.@ Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 2 OF 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 17 DECEMBER, 2016 Montjeu Op/Ed cont. from p1 Such faultless behaviour where it mattered most no doubt atoned for the fact that some 20 minutes earlier Montjeu, displaying the diva-like tendencies of a catwalk model, had refused to enter the parade ring until one of the two handlers with him was legged aboard and he was ridden in. His hauteur had me hooked. Fast-forward five years to a Classic June of unforgettable importance for this far from impartial witness. At Epsom, Motivator (GB) strode home five lengths clear of his paternal half-brother Walk In The Park (Ire) to give Montjeu exactly the first-crop boost his team back at Coolmore must have longed for. And more was to come three weeks later when he sired another Derby quinella, this time at the Curragh, with Hurricane Run (Ire) and Scorpion (Ire) charging over the line half a length apart and four lengths in front of Shalapour (Ire). Also trained in France for Michael Tabor, though by Andre Fabre instead of Montjeu's trainer John Hammond, Hurricane Run would go on to emulate his father by adding the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to his tally of four Group 1 wins. His premature death this week at the age of just 14 is a cruel blow to his breeder, Gestüt Ammerland, where he had returned to stand in 2013. The years since Montjeu's own premature death haven't dimmed my admiration for his enigmatic brilliance. In fact, a little over a month after his demise it seemed we'd been sent some form of consolation in his son Camelot (GB), who continued his unbeaten juvenile season by becoming Montjeu's first Group 1 winner at a mile in the 2,000 Guineas. It's probably time to let it go but I still haven't quite come to terms with Camelot's narrow defeat by Encke in the St Leger, robbing us of perhaps the last chance we'll ever have to see a Triple Crown winner in Britain. That bitter disappointment for the horse who became Montjeu's fourth and final Epsom Derby winner in the space of eight years could yet be assuaged if Camelot can pick up the baton laid down by his father and become a Classic sire in his own right. At this stage we have only the physical appearance of his young stock as evidence of his prowess but far more experienced judges than this one agree that the early signs are good. In the meantime, it would be remiss not to highlight the promising start made by another of Montjeu's high-class sons, Jukebox Jury (Ire), who may well soon offer some consolation to German breeders for the loss of Hurricane Run. From his base at Gestüt Etzean, the lovely 10-year-old grey, whose nine wins include his dead-heat with Duncan (GB) in the G1 Irish St Leger, has flown under the radar with his first runners this year. It is worth noting, however, that he has sired 11 winners from his 29 runners--at a thoroughly respectable strike-rate of 38%-- predominantly in Germany where the juvenile programme is nowhere near as expansive as in Britain and Ireland. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 3 OF 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 17 DECEMBER, 2016 Montjeu Op/Ed cont. IRISH PRIZE-MONEY TO REACH RECORD Appropriately, Jukebox Jury's sole winner in Britain, Dominating {Ger}), is trained by his sire's former trainer Mark HIGH IN 2017 Johnston and runs in the colours of his former owner, Alan Horseracing Ireland (HRI) has announced record prize-money Spence. It is perhaps not for 2017, along with an increased allocation in funding for much of a surprise to find integrity services. that his dam, the German A rise of i3.7 million will see Irish prize-money stand at i60.5 Oaks runner-up million next year, with minimum race values also being Dominante (Ger), is by increased to i10,000 and at least one race to the value of Monsun (Ger), and his i15,000 being programmed for every race day. At least 75% of pedigree certainly gives fixtures will have a feature race worth i20,000 or more, and every reason to hope entry fees for races falling below this value will be cut from 1% that there will be more to Jukebox Jury after winning the to 0.9%--a measure that is estimated will collectively save come from Dominating G2 Prix Kergolay owners in Ireland i600,000 per year. next year. A budget of i9.6 million will be dedicated to integrity services, Whether dominating will be a word that can be applied to which will incorporate capital expenditure on laboratory Camelot as he is judged among the freshman sires of 2017 i remains to be seen, but if there is any horse named to become a equipment for the forensic unit, while a total of 745,000 has legend in the fullness of time then surely it has to be him. been allocated to training and education. HRI's CEO Brian Kavanagh commented, AThe HRI Board is committed to increasing prize-money, improving integrity Estidhkaar cont. from p1 services and reducing costs for all participants in the industry, Having won his juvenile maiden at Newbury in June, he which is reflected in the budget decisions made for 2017. The notched back-to-back wins in the G2 Superlative S. at prize-money increases will be aimed at the races in which most Newmarket and G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster before finishing owners will be competing. We are able to deliver the benefits fourth to Belardo (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the G1 Dewhurst outlined due to increased commercial revenues and the S. increased allocation to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Estidhkaar was just a quarter of a length behind subsequent recently confirmed by Minister Creed. The budget has an top-class sprinter Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) when emphasis on improving the situation for many participants in the providing his owner with a one-two in the G3 Greenham S. on industry who have been struggling in recent years and is his seasonal debut at three for his best run of that year. He designed to deliver a positive impact throughout the country.@ signed off in 2016 with just two starts, his swan song being HRI has also committed Asignificant investment@ for expanding victory in the Listed Ben Marshall S. the ownership base in Ireland, with a marketing support scheme Estidhkaar, who was bred by Jimmy Murphy of Redpender designed to help trainers promote their businesses. Stud under the name of BEC Bloodstock, provides his dam Kavanagh added, A2016 has seen increases in ownership and Danetime Out (Ire) (Danetime {Ire}) with a notable new-year horses in training numbers, and the new HRI ownership function double as she is also the dam of Group 1 winner Toormore (Ire) will actively promote the recruitment and retention of owners in (Arakan), who is set to stand his first season for Darley at Dalham Hall Stud.