THURSDAY, 18 APRIL 2019 SKARDU EMERGES WITH CRAVEN SUCCESS SECOND TIME=S A CHARM By Tom Frary FOR INVINCIBLE COLT Like Tuesday=s G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Qabala (Scat Daddy), Skardu (GB) (Shamardal) entered his Newmarket Guineas trial with just a course win to his name but like that filly emerged from Wednesday=s G3 bet365 Craven S. with his reputation significantly enhanced. Only 3-1 this time as opposed to the 33-1 he had been when scoring with panache over seven furlongs here in September, Abdulla Al Khalifa=s homebred was restrained by James Doyle in last of the tightly-bunched field throughout the early stages. Waiting for Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to move first, the chestnut swooped on the outer of that rival to lead passing the furlong pole and outstay Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) by a neck, with 1 3/4 lengths back to Set Piece in third. The 13-8 favourite Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven=s Pass) never threatened to land a blow and wound up a further 3/4 of a length behind in fourth. AThat was pretty smart and you=d have to be impressed,@ the winning rider said. AIt=s proven hard yesterday and today to Gary Halpin keeps it cool aboard the session-topper after his rein make up ground and it was just a mediocre pace, so you can broke at the breeze show on Monday | Tattersalls upgrade the performance.@ Cont. p6 By Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK--A broken rein that could have signalled disaster for lot 122 and cool-headed jockey Gary Halpin during the breeze shows on Monday instead led to a repeat gallop at the end of the session during which Oak Tree Farm's Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt showed professionalism and talent to post one of the fastest gallops of the day. That impressive take two meant that the half-brother to dual Group/Grade 1 winner Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) topped the second session of the Craven Sale on Wednesday evening, selling to 575,000gns to Sheikh Mohammed after agent Anthony Stroud outbid Justin Casse. Bred by the Niarchos Family, the colt was bought privately for i90,000 after failing to find a buyer in the ring at the Goffs Orby Sale. Norman Williamson, who struck on Tuesday with a great Skardu | racingfotos.com pinhooking return via a 300,000-guinea son of Farhh (GB), was again the man responsible for another decent profit. He said, IN TDN AMERICA TODAY "He proved that he is a good sound colt, he did a fantastic breeze and is a lovely horse. I have been lucky with the breeder LASIX PHASE-OUT PLAN YET TO INVOLVE HORSEMEN before." T. D. Thornton reports on a proposed phasing-out of race-day Lasix starting in 2020 that is being discussed by track operators in That luck came through the sale of Kentucky Derby hopeful Kentucky and New York. War Of Will (War Front) at the Arqana Breeze-up last May. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 18 APRIL 2019 Craven Sale report cont. from p1 Williamson's Oak Tree Farm ended the sale with the leading vendor tag, selling four juveniles for a total of 1,135,000gns. Stroud said, "[The colt] showed a remarkable temperament to essentially breeze twice and did a good breeze the second time. He is from a strong Niarchos pedigree and Norman does a great job producing these horses." Godolphin added another three juveniles to Tuesday's haul of four, accounting for almost 3-million gns of the sale's turnover of 10,343,000gns, a drop overall of 22% on last year. The average was also down, by 14%, at 121,682gns, but the median was up by 13% to 85,000gns and the clearance rate also improved to 78%, with 85 of the 109 juveniles offered being marked as sold. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock, the colt is the first foal of the unraced Patronising (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), whose illustrious aforementioned half-sister is also the dam of six-time Group 1 Norman Williamson sold the session topper | Alayna Cullen winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He was previously bought by Brendan Holland for 150,000gns during Book 2 of the October Sale. Early in the session Stroud had also signed for lot 78 at Rabbah turned vendor for the following lot through the ring, 280,000gns. The Medaglia d'Oro first foal of the 135, a son of young Darley stallion Night Of Thunder (Ire) who Henrythenavigator mare Fire And Flame, a half-sister to G1 was bought from breeder Clare Castle Stud for i65,000 at the Champagne S. winner A P Valentine (A P Indy), had failed to Orby Sale. This time around the chestnut colt out of the reach his reserve at Keeneland and was bought in for $190,000 listed-placed treble winner Permission Slip (Ire) (Authorized but later bought privately by Eddie O'Leary, who consigned him {Ire}) changed hands between Sheikh Mohammed and his through his Lynn Lodge Stud. associates when he was knocked down to Godolphin for 300,000gns, having been consigned by Houghton Bloodstock. Shamardal Colt for Hong Kong The pick of Grove Stud's draft is likely to end up racing in Hong Harvey has the Competitive Edge Kong, where his sire Shamardal advertised his merits via Group An Irish-bred first-crop daughter of Ashford Stud's Competitive 1-winning son Pakistan Star (Ger). Lot 134, by that same Edge (lot 93) was one of the earlier highlights of the session world-class stallion and out of a half-sister to the G1 Coronation when knocked down at 280,000gns to Daithi Harvey. The filly S. winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), will remain was bought as a yearling at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale by Cian initially in Newmarket to be trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam after Hughes of CH Thoroughbreds for i32,000 and made plenty of being bought by American-based agent Sam Wright on behalf of appeal to her new buyer on both pedigree and her performance an undisclosed Hong Kong client for 340,000gns. on the Rowley Mile on Monday. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 18 APRIL 2019 Craven Sale report cont. "She's a gorgeous filly who vetted cleanly and posted pretty sharp sectionals in her breeze," said Harvey. "Her dam was 107-rated and got 10 furlongs which gives us hope that she will make up into a nice 3-year-old. She doesn't look like she has been too hard trained." Vice President, International Operations Gary King The daughter of the dual winner and twice Group 3-placed Twitter: @garykingTDN Hug And A Kiss (Thewayyouare) will be trained by Gavin [email protected] Cromwell on behalf of Lindsay Laroche of Highland Yard. Though + 1.732.320.0975 Cromwell has most recently been in the news as the trainer of Champion Hurdle winner Espoir d'Allen (Fr), he also struck with International Editor notable success for American owner Laroche on Arc weekend Kelsey Riley when Princess Yaiza (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) won the G2 Qatar Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN Prix de Royallieu. [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen [email protected] Contributing Editor Alan Carasso Twitter: @EquinealTDN Gavin Cromwell and Daithi Harvey | Emma Berry Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary "We had a lot of luck with Princess Yaiza," added Harvey, who [email protected] also bought that filly for Laroche. "We were particularly looking for a filly at this sale. Lindsay is developing a breeding operation Irish Correspondent so if she proves to be stakes class she could end up there." Daithi Harvey For consignor Cian Hughes, who learned the breeze-up trade under the tutelage of ace consignor Jim McCartan of Gaybrook Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield | John Berry Lodge Stud, the six-figure sale was a huge return on his initial Kevin Blake outlay for his sole offering at the sale. He said, "I was in the U.S. and saw some by the sire and thought they were nice horses. Her page caught my eye in the yearling catalogue--her dam was Group 3-placed in France--so I IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY took a look at her. She is a lovely filly and I didn't think we'd be THE INNOVATORS: AUSTRALIAN STALLION FUND able to buy her." Bren O’Brien speaks with Sam Ellis, who is pioneering the Australian Stallion Fund. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 12 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 18 APRIL 2019 Another Star For Bermuda? The Bermuda Thoroughbred Racing syndicate has already been rewarded for buying at the Craven Sale with Queen Of Bermuda (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a 230,000gns purchase last year through John and Jake Warren who went on to win the G3 Firth of Clyde S. and Listed Prix de la Vallee d'Auge among her four victories. This time around Jake Warren went to the same price for lot 79, a daughter of No Nay Never out of the winning Woodman mare First Breeze. The half-sister to listed-placed sprinter Master Speaker (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was consigned by the Star Bloodstock team who bought her for ,40,000 at Goffs UK last August. "We had some luck last year with Queen Of Bermuda and Simon Scupham is keen to make the next investment for the syndicate--let's hope the success can be replicated," said Warren.