The race for future studs!!!

Race : The Sprint Cup – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Berkshire (ENG)
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : Six furlongs on the Turf
Race: 4435.3414

We are at Haydock Park today which you can see off the M6 motorway not a million miles away from Liverpool or Manchester. It is an easy course to get to by road. It is a fair course flat and galloping as well. This race is run over the straight 6 furlongs. Since the mid 1980’s it has become the one of the most important races in the world for uncovering future stallion talent. That may sound a bold statement but is easy to back up some could argue it’s winners are the most important in shaping the breed once at stud. Some of the winners since the mid 1980’s are listed below.

Green Desert he has been a top class stallion over a long period of time. He is also doing well as a broodmare sire 20 winners over the last 7 years is not bad at all. His real worth though is as a sire of sires. The leading sire Oasis Dream is a son of his as well as Cape Cross another sire in the world’s top ten on graded winning offspring in 2010, in fact one other sire has two son’s in the top 10 and he also won this race!!!! He has another very good sire son in Invincible Spirit that in the top 20 sires in terms of graded winner in 2010.

Danehill the most prolific sire of graded stakes winners since the pattern system was introduced. In the last 7 years he has sired 106 graded winners no other sire has managed 75. As a dam sire over that period only Mr. Prospector and Sadler’s Wells have more graded winning offspring. He was an outstanding sire and sire of sires (still is) in fact he is the only other sire with two sons in the leading 10 of graded stakes winners worldwide in 2010. He should be one of the best dam sires in the game. His sons are very badly treated as are Green Desert’s in the sim. These two sires alone prove the claim this is the world’s most important race in terms of future stallions and their influence on breeding

Polar Falcon won this race he was not a great sire but has been proven a good sire of sires. His son Pivotal is also in the world’s leading ten sires based on graded winners in 2010. That is half the list who are descended from winner of this race. He is in general a good influence another son hardly used Passing Glance is a decent sire his offspring have the same average Timeform rating as Street Cry which when you consider the quality of mares show you what a good job he is doing. Imagine what he could do with the mares Street Cry has covered.

Royal Applause is a prolific sire of winners and has been one of the leading sires of winner in England over the last 10 years. Most of his offspring are though and take a lot of racing as well. He has had 15 graded winners over the last 7 years and should be capable in the sim of getting a couple of graded winners per full crop as well 6 or 7 listed winners.

Diktat has been an ok sire now based in Spain. Problem in the sim is Spain is linked with Germany for regional racing seems somewhat unfair. He is capable of siring stakes winner each year from full crops and therefore should be able to in the sim. He has 9 graded winners in real life and should be able to get around one per every other full crop in the sim.

Invincible Spirit as mentioned above is one of the better sires in the world right now and should be rated in the top 40 in the game without a shadow of a doubt. He is very capable and as well as producing graded winners should also get a decent number of stakes winners. From a full crop expect about 5 graded winners. This does tell you how much certain sires are over producing in this department. Though the more diverse the stallion roster is in terms of graded winners the better for the game long term.

Red Clubs is a first season sire at the yearling sales. He has an outcross pedigree and has been very well supported at stud with books over 100 each year. Tony Morris has tipped him to be leading first season sire in GB and Ireland next year. He should get plenty of winner and some very good including graded winners. I think Mike has done an excellent job accessing this horse potential worth as a stallion in the game.

The pedigrees of the runners in the race this year was as follows.

Green Desert-Nashwan-Shadeed
Rahy-Grand Lodge-Diesis
Shinko Forest-Darshaan-Artaius
Mujadil-Indian Ridge-Be My Guest
Choisir-Made Of Gold-Vain
Pivotal-Kingmambo-Blushing Groom
War Chant-Unbridled’s Song-Corridor Key
Compton Place-Touching Wood-Damascus
Carson City-Indian Ridge-Pharly
Avonbridge-Ashkalani-Shaadi
Mark Of Esteem-Sharood-Teenoso
Bertolini-Superlative-Canadian Gil
Invincible Spirit-Celtic Swing-Polish Precedent

GRANGE (AUS) ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) x EL PRADO (IRE) x RAHY

I was singing the praises of this horse last time I covered a race he ran he. He did not win but has run decent speed figures since then. He was not beaten far in his last race. A repeat of that kind of form would again put him in the mix here and he has place prospects. He is the sire of leading sprinter Sacred Kingdom in real life and has another very good sprinter in Hong Kong as well at present. He has had 48 graded winners over the last 7 years which is very good and puts him easily in the top 50 sires in the world.

SEEKING A CAUSE (KY) GIANT’S CAUSEWAY x SEEKING THE GOLD x KRIS S.

Giant’s Causeway is a sire that has done extremely well at stud in terms of graded winners he has had 45 in the same period as Encosta De Lago from a lot more foals so they should be given a similar rating. It is becoming apparent he is a better dirt sire than turf sire saying that he did have a nice winner in Ireland last week Await The Dawn. That horse looks like it would improve switched to dirt and would be an interesting bet if going to the BC Classic as it will stay the trip. This horse has suffered from lack of graded races for 3yo only of late. Mind in real life they would be running against older horses and should in the sim as well. The problem here is that the sim does not seem to factor in weight for age. Assuming he can handle the flip to open company he has prospects of making the frame.

VESPUCCI (KY) STORM CAT x GOLD LEGEND x NORTHERN DANCER

Storm Cat is one of those sim sires way over rated. He has had 43 graded winners in the same period of the sires above. He is I think rated more on his sales figures than actual ability of his runners. He has also lost a lot of luster as a sire of sires as he has not really cut it in this area given the hype. He has done well as a broodmare sire though to be fair. This is a decent horse who has been running well in graded races most of the year. Problem is though he does not win very often. I would also say the owner has done a good job in placing him as well. He has to improve to be a major factor here.

ALTYR (ENG) CACIQUE (IRE) x A.P. INDY x MR. PROSPECTOR

This horse’s sire was really overrated in the sim when you consider he was lined up for Dansili rejects and only a grade 2 class horse. The fact he has basically been impotent made matters worse. He was also a bleeder another bad trait to have. I can see no reason whatsoever a horse with this pedigree could a top class turf sprinter but he is. The change to sprinting has worked wonders for this horse and has seen him show improved form. I was very much in the jury’s out position when I reviewed his first run back sprinting. If he does not bounce after two good runs he has good prospects of at least making the frame in this race.

NORTHERN TIP (JPN) FANTASTIC LIGHT x GALILEO (IRE) x DYNAFORMER

Fantastic Light has been a poor sire. There were reports he was a little shy of the ladies as well when first at stud (so obviously not a good stud). He has had 12 graded winners over the period so is well below the quality of the sires above. His best winner was an Italian grade 1 not exactly top class. He was rightly downgraded in the sim. He is another of those sires that did not hit top form until four who has failed to do himself justice at stud. Mike should be wary of this kind of sire in future think Harbinger. This is a decent animal and can be forgiven running a bit flat last time on an off track. If at his best he can handle the class and is capable of high class speed figures. He has to be considered a contender in this race.

SCREAMO (KY) GIANT’S CAUSEWAY x DANZIG x LYPHARD

Yet another Giant’s Causeway in this field and he is not a sire of sprinters. Of his stakes winners over the period only 4 have been at 5 or 6 furlongs. One of those a 2yo and another in South Africa the other two in Australia where there is a massive bias to sprint races. It is therefore hard to believe he can sire this many top class sprinters. If we look at this horse form we will see that she is not though. She was beaten in an ungraded stakes last time out. This is a big step up in class for a 3yo filly and though in real life it is not so hard given weight for age and sex allowance in the sim these balancing benefits are not in place. It is hard to make out a case for this filly in here.

URKO’S KING (IRE) SADLER’S WELLS x KINGMAMBO x ROBERTO

As with the horse above this horse is not bred for sprints. To be fair Sadler’s Wells sim rating is all over the place in terms of ability and distance likes and more importantly surface preferences. It does though appear that Mike is making big strides in improving the surface requirements of horses in the sim which is good news hopefully no more Awesome Again grade 1 turf horses. This is an excellent horse that had his bad run in the July Cup. He bounced straight back to form in his next race. He has to be a major contender in this field and given his quality and ability to run high class speed figures ahs to be on the short list.

VILLIAN (KY) VINDICATION x SMARTY JONES x STORM CAT

Vindication now dead is one of those sire’s Mike just totally messed up on. He has managed only three graded winners. Interestingly two won the same race in Ireland which clashes with the major early season classics in Europe so is a very soft race. Even the dam sire Smarty Jones has been a total flop at stud and is off to some back water next year. I have to be honest this horse should be on the M1 not M6 as in England its only hope of winning a race is at Southwell in a seller. That being said this horse is capable of massive speed figures. He has not yet won at the graded level but has shown enough to suggest he is capable I am not sure though that is in this race. He can though make a place.

FIRST JOSHUA (KY) TALE OF THE CAT x RELAUNCH x BROAD BRUSH

Tale Of the Cat has had 31 graded winners over the last 7 years. Mike has done a very good job in getting his split of dirt turf runners correct. If anything you could argue he is undervalued in the sim by some way he has only 8 graded winners in last 4 crops before this year. Should be double but then there are plenty of sires that have over produced drastically think Giant’s Causeway and Vindication in this race alone. This horse is decent and is a decent stakes horse. He though does look out of his depth here against some very good sprinters and it would take a 100-1 Nunthorpe style result to see him winning here. On a side note why is the Nunthorpe in the sim not open to older horses?

RA DICKEY (ENG) DANSILI (GB) x DAYLAMI (IRE) x GONE WEST

Dansili is one of the hot sires in the world right now. He is still young and ahs had 8 graded winners in 2010 which puts him well in the top 10. Over the last 7 years he has had 26 graded winners and been improving rapidly. His first runners were in 2005. He get’s runners over all sorts of trips as well which is an added bonus. This horse has been doing ok in sprint stakes races. He has won a couple as well. This though is a much bigger test of his mettle. Is he up to it his best speed figures would make him competitive but he is not a horse that has been destroying lower level horses. The jury is out on if he can bridge the class gap and we will find out today.

LIVING LOUD (AUS) WONDERFUL WORLD (AUS) x REDOUTE’S CHOICE (AUS) x ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS)

I know little about this sire except that his own sire Agnes World was a dog and he was his best runner. He won the Caulfield Guineas which is usually won by a good horse. Winner of last five races good think Starspangledbanner, Whobegotyou, Weekend Hussler and Gods Own. The fact that it was his only grade 1 win and he only one other graded win in another race restricted 3yo’s suggest he was not the best winner of this race. He has the profile of a sire that will get the odd good one but overall not be that great. His back end is to class and Australian horses in general are the best sprinters in the world. This horse has won at graded level before which is a plus. The negative factor is the speed he runs one triple digit figures in last 5 races suggest he is up against it in this race.

PREPOSTERAGEOUS (ENG) MEDICEAN (GB) x DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) x ROBERTO

Medicean has sired four graded winners in 2010 and 14 over the last 7 years though he has not been active as a sire for all that time. He started off very well but has not really built on that greatly unlike Dansili he is still a capable sire though and should get 2 graded winners per full crop. He should have a similar rating to Tale Of The Cat at present (mind he needs a little up lift to around 3 per full crop). This 3yo colt is very good and is unbeaten sprinting. As with so many horses he was tried as a miler and his class carried him so far. This is an obvious race to run in and he has the class and speed figures to be a factor here and maintain his unbeaten sprinting record.

BERT’S PROSPECT (ENG) BERTOLINI x PULPIT x MR. PROSPECTOR

Yes we have a horse sired by a sire of a runner in the real race! I did a piece on Bertolini earlier in the year suggesting his merits as he stands in the same County I live in. It is worth noting that Makfi the best prospect for 2011 in terms of stallion ability based on race record and pedigree so far listed as going to stud retires to the stud farm 7 miles from my home. This fellow has great ability and can shift. He has been running well of late I graded races even winning two earlier this year. If he maintains his form he has to be a major factor in this race.

As for my selections:-

1, Urko’s King
2, Preposterageous
3, Bert’s Prospect