THURSDAY, 3 JANUARY 2019 bit less of an unknown, especially with a young mare. With an MATING PLANS: older mare you can take a bit more of a chance but with a young mare you don't know what type of stock they are going to FITTOCKS STUD produce." With the uncertainties of Brexit casting a potentially dark shadow over this year's covering season, Cumani admits that they will be cautious in their travel plans for mares en route to Ireland. "We've talked about Brexit and we've tried to stay calm but we don't want to be travelling any horses around Mar. 29," she says. "We do have two due in early April who are booked to stallions in Ireland. We like to have them foal with us in case there are any dramas and then we'd send them at 20 days once our wonderful vet has given his blessing." The Fittocks Stud broodmare band has been enhanced in the last month by the purchase of the Aga Khan Studs-bred Shomaria (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), a daughter of the dual Group 3 winner Shemima (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), at Arqana's Sarah Cumani at Fittocks Stud | Emma Berry December Sale. Cont. p2 by Emma Berry Every breeder aims for Classic success and achieving that feat must have been extra sweet for Luca and Sara Cumani of Fittocks Stud given that the horse in question was named in honour of Luca's birthplace. Coolmore's 2001 St Leger winner Milan (GB) (Sadler's Wells) is now leading all active National Hunt stallions in Britain and Ireland on the sire table for 2018/19 while his dam Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) has just turned 29 and lives in glorious retirement at Fittocks. Two of her daughters are among the 14 mares that the Cumanis will be breeding from in 2019. The G3 St Simon S. winner Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has been graced with a special partner for her first two seasons at stud. She has a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) and is back in foal to the Darley flagbearer. Her rendezvous this season will be no less special as she is set to visit the champion, Galileo (Ire). Koora during her racing days | Racing Post "Koora is precious to us as she is the last of Kithanga's 12 foals and her Dubawi colt is lovely," admits Sara Cumani. Koora's older full-sister Kindu (GB) has also been retained and is in foal to Mastercraftsman (Ire) with a visit to Showcasing (GB) IN TDN AMERICA TODAY in the diary. "Deciding on matings has been more testing than ever this ORTIZ BROTHERS MAINTAIN FAMILY BOND AT THE TOP year if you want to stick to proven sires," she adds. "It's Christina Bossinakis chats with top jockeys Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Jose becoming more and more competitive and you have to have the Ortiz about their successful year. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. right mare. We tend to go with proven sires. Luca feels that it's a TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 3 JANUARY 2019 Mating Plans: Fittocks Stud Cont. from p1 Dream daughter Marketeer (GB) is in foal to Churchill (Ire) and Just turned four, she was bought in partnership with Andrew will visit Camelot (GB). Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who provided Luca Cumani with Pongee (GB) (Barathea {Ire}), now 19 and out of Souk's first his final Group 1 winner as a trainer in God Given (GB) foal Puce (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), is in foal to the former (Nathaniel {Ire}). Shomaria's year-younger half-sister Shendam Cumani-trained Group 1 winner Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) won on her sole start in France for Mikel "for obvious reasons," says her breeder. Delzangles in 2018. "Pongee will go to Cracksman (GB) next year. She's been "She's a very pretty mare and she's going to Lope De Vega mostly to proven horses in the past but Cracksman was a (Ire)," says Cumani. "We hope that Shendam might improve the wonderful racehorse and he's such a fantastic mover." pedigree this year." Pongee's 6-year-old daughter Materialistic (GB) (Oasis Dream The 8-year-old Blue Waltz (GB), a Pivotal (GB) half-sister to {GB}) is carrying her first foal by Churchill (Ire) and will be Fantasia (GB) (Sadler's Wells) who was bred and raced by covered this season by Lope De Vega (Ire). Fittocks in partnership with Andrew Bengough, is currently "In a sense we're broken our own rule here but Camilla carrying to Frankel (GB) and will visit Kodiac (GB). Trotter, who helps us with our matings and provides invaluable "She's a speedy mare from the family of Blue Duster and her facts and figures, says we need to take the odd plunge with first foal by Oasis Dream (GB) is now in training with William unproven sires and she can be very persuasive," says Cumani. Haggas," says Cumani. "It's very much a team effort when it comes to deciding on Fittocks Stud will forever be synonymous with the stallions." wide-reaching success of the family of Souk (Ire) (Ahonoora So Silk (GB), by Rainbow Quest out of the Cumani-trained dual {GB}) and four direct descendants of this celebrated foundation Group 1 winner Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells), could be seen mare remain in the paddocks at Upend, just outside Newmarket. as having been an understandably sentimental purchase by Souk's 13-year-old daughter Barter (GB) (Daylami {Ire}), the dam Fittocks Stud from the dispersal of her late breeder Gerald Leigh of Group 3 winner Haggle (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), is in foal to Siyouni back in 2008. (Fr) and is booked to Kingman (GB), while Barter's unraced Oasis Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 3 JANUARY 2019 Mating Plans: Fittocks Stud Cont. Two of her daughters remain at the farm: the G2 Park Hill S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who is in foal to Dubawi (Ire) and will visit Sea The Stars (Ire), and Dreamlike (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who is carrying to Dark Angel (Ire) and is another who will be on her way to Lope De Vega (Ire). "Her first foal is a colt by Siyouni who we didn't manage to sell but we've named him Bonneval (GB) and he will be going into training with Sir Michael Stoute," notes Cumani. Another homebred, the 8-year-old Got To Dream (GB) (Duke Vice President, International Operations Of Marmalade {Ire}), has returned to the fold after being sold as Gary King a yearling, and she is in foal to Tamayuz (GB) with a visit to Twitter: @garykingTDN Zoffany (Ire) on the cards. [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Yearlings at Fittocks Stud | Emma Berry Alayna Cullen "We bought her back when we thought her half-sister Lady Of Twitter: @AlaynaCullen Dubai (GB) was going to win the Oaks," explains Cumani. The [email protected] daughter of Dubawi ended up finishing third to Qualify (Ire) at Contributing Editor Epsom and is also the winner of the Listed Height Of Fashion S. Alan Carasso Representing some new blood on the farm are Umniyah (Ire) Twitter: @EquinealTDN (Shamardal) and Slatey Hen (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Cumani says of the latter, "She is a pretty, sprinter mare and is a Cafe Racing half-sister to the dam of Tiggy Wiggy (Ire). She's in foal to Kodiac Sean Cronin Cno surprise thereCand will go to Churchill." Tom Frary Umniyah by contrast was bought from Godolphin and is out of [email protected] a half-sister to Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian). After Irish Correspondent delivering a foal by Sea The Stars this season she will be covered Daithi Harvey by Dark Angel (Ire). Completing the set is Baltic Best (Ire) (King's Best), bought in Regular Columnists December 2017 from Gestut Ammerland and representing one Chris McGrath of the stud's foundation families. Her grandam was the Andrew Caulfield globetrotter Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), winner at home of John Berry the G1 Deutsches Derby and abroad the G1 Hong Kong Vase Kevin Blake Tom Peacock while also being placed in the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf. Cont. p4 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 6 • THETDN.COM THURSDAY • 3 JANUARY 2019 Mating Plans: Fittocks Stud Cont. GF: I'm from Newbury, which is in Berkshire, and it's a really pretty part of Southern England. Watership Down Stud is there, The Cumanis are the owners of what is likely to be the only and Highclere Stud, and it's near Lambourn. yearling in Britain by Ammerland's young resident Ito (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), to whom Baltic Best was carrying when KR: When did you come to America, and why did you decide to purchased, and the mare is now in foal to Siyouni. As befits her come here? illustrious pedigree, she has a date with Frankel (GB) this spring. GF: I came to America in January 2005. I was working at Watership Down Stud at the time, and I'd spent a year in Australia and some time in Ireland. I had applied for a job in Newmarket that was sort of the next step up, and I didn't get it and I didn't have a plan B.