A new mission for Criquette Head

Article by Katherine Ford

Five years after retiring as a trainer, the handler most famous for the Arc double of Trêve wintered in the Bahamas where she devoted herself to caring for her mother Ghislaine during her final months. A figure in French and international racing and bloodstock alongside her late husband Alec, Ghislaine Head was influential in the running of the Haras du Quesnay. Her colours were carried notably by Arc heroine Three Troikas and homebred Prix du Jockey-Club winner Bering; and she passed away peacefully at age 95 in early June.

Horses were far away in the flesh during this time in the Bahamas but still close to Criquette’s heart and very present in her mind. “When would be a convenient time for a chat?” I texted Criquette Head to arrange this interview. The reply pings back, “You can call me at 11.30am French time; I get up at 5am (EST) here every day for my first lot.”

So it is 5.30am in the Bahamas, and Criquette is in fine form as ever with plenty of ideas to discuss. “I’m always wide awake at this time. I can’t get it out of my system. Of course there are no horses here, just water and boats.” When Criquette retired, she announced a plan to sail across the Atlantic in her yacht, named Trêve. However, in typical altruistic style of the former president of the European Trainers Federation, the adventure has been on hold. “My boat is here, but I haven’t done the crossing yet. I will do it one day, but for the moment, my priority is taking care of my mother. I will stay at her side as long as she needs me.” 

While she had no physical contact with horses in the Bahamas, and no imminent trans-Altantic sail to prepare for, Criquette has been devoting time and energy recently to the association CIFCH (Conseil Indépendant pour la Filière des Courses Hippiques, or Independent Council for the Racing Industry), which she created with long-time friend and associate Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle some three years ago and now presides. 

Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier & Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle.

“The idea came about because I found that our politicians didn’t understand the racing world. I said to myself that as I have some spare time, I would create a little association, and I would try to ask our politicians, those who vote for our laws in the National Assembly or the Senate, to understand what racing means. We are completely separate from any official organisation, and we don’t interfere with France Galop or Le Trot (French harness racing authority). I just want to show the decision makers what racing is all about. I have met a lot of people and invited them to the races. That’s all… I try to make them realise the importance of the racing industry, and the reactions have been very positive.”

An eclectic membership 

The CIFCH counts 140 parliamentarians among its membership and supporters, which is a varied panel composed of racing and non-racing people, from a wide professional spectrum. 

As Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle explains, “Our aim is to share ideas and knowledge, and everyone contributes what they can, depending upon their area of expertise.” Criquette adds, “We wanted to surround ourselves with competent people who are all volunteers. They all like horses, not necessarily racehorses but the horse in general, and the association works in favour of the entire equine sector. The VAT issue is an important one for the CIFCH. If we manage to reduce the rate for equine activity to 10%, the entire horse industry will reap the benefit.”

A key supporter is Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier, vice-president of the CIFCH and who notably assisted in opening the doors of the National Assembly for a meeting with French mayors. Criquette continues, “A year ago, we wrote to all the mayors in France with a racecourse in their municipality with a questionnaire, and most of them very kindly replied to us. However, it’s a shame that the mayors with some of our most important racecourses didn’t respond. We asked them about the economic importance of the racecourses for their municipality; and then we organised a meeting at the National Assembly, which was very productive.” Martine Della Rocca Fasquelle adds, “This was the first time that mayors have been heard singing the praises of racing. We were surprised as we received reactions from very high up, including Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated us for the results of the racing industry.”

Spreading the word

Senators Sonia de la Prôvoté and Valérie Letard and spouses with Criquette Head, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2021.

The CIFCH compiled the responses from 27 mayors, representing communes ranging from Chantilly and Cagnes-Sur-Mer, several municipalities in the West of France (which is a hive of activity for both trotting and gallop racing, training and breeding), to the homes of tracks organising just one or two meetings per year, into an album “Une Ville, Un Hippodrome: les maires ont la parole.” (towns and racecourses, in the words of their mayors). The brochure, which has been distributed to members and interested parties, is an advocacy of the benefits of racing to local communities. 

Naturally, Isabelle Wojtoviez, mayoress of Chantilly, underlines the significance of the racecourse and training centre for the town, “It is impossible to imagine Chantilly without horses. The animal is at the centre of our economy, a pillar of our history and a vital tourist attraction...” 

Bertrand de Guébriant, mayor of 5,000-inhabitant Craon in the West of France, where the racecourse hosts 10 meetings for a mixture of jumps, flat and trotting action, says, “Craon is one of the most popular provincial tracks in France, and we welcome 25,000 people for our ‘Trois Glorieuses’ festival each year, making it a major tourist attraction. The notoriety of our racing means that the town has a riding centre and a nearby training centre for employment with horses, whose most famous graduate is certainly (leading jump jockey) Clément Lefebvre. During racing periods, Craon enjoys visibility in the media, and finally, the community receives a share of pari-mutuel turnover, which is a real plus for our budget.”

With 80 meetings per year in the three disciplines, the racecourse at Cagnes-sur-Mer plays an important role in the town’s economy. And with its Côte d’Azur coastline, charming old town and proximity to Nice, it already has plenty of advantages.

Mayor Louis Nègre explains, “The image of Cagnes-sur-Mer is intimately linked to the racecourse, especially on an international level. The opportunity for visitors to enjoy racing in a spectacular environment overlooking the Mediterranean represents a unique experience, which contributes to tourists returning to the town. The economic activity connected to the racecourse and training centre is important year-round, while hotels, restaurants and the property markets benefit notably from racing during otherwise quiet periods of the season (during the winter flat and jumps meetings).”

Senator Anne-Catherine Loisier, vice-president of the CIFCH with Criquette Head and Deputy Géraldine Bannier, vice-president of the CIFCH.

The virtuous pari-mutuel model

For Criquette and her fellow CIFCH members and supporters, it is vital to spread positive messages such as these in order to preserve the favourable French system. “Racing has a colossal impact on the economic and environmental state of our country, and this is thanks to our PMU system which must be protected at all costs; however, I get the impression that it is being destroyed. When I see that (online betting operator) Ze Turf has been bought by (lottery and sports betting operator) La Française des Jeux, I fear that racing punters may be tempted away to bet on poker or other markets. We need the PMU and its financial input, which represents our livelihood and that of our regions, our studs and stables. My aim is to valorise and protect this ecosystem which is an example across Europe. France has by far the highest prize money in Europe, and that needs to be preserved. Our system also brings money in for the state; it’s a win-win system. Indeed during the Covid pandemic, the PMU registered good results because the football and all other activity was stopped. We were lucky that the state understood the need for racing and breeding activity to continue. This is a good demonstration of the importance for government to understand the depth of the racing activity and that it is not just a sport like football, for example.”

Racing across Europe and further afield is faced with issues of perception, either from the general public or government representatives. “An association like the CIFCH would have a role to play in other countries,” says Criquette, “but things are more complicated in nations with bookmakers. If you look at the rising powers in world racing nowadays, such as Hong Kong and Japan, they have adopted the pari-mutuel model. I think that the World Pool is a very good concept, which can contribute to promoting the tote system and help racing to raise its level on a global scale.”

“The CIFCH doesn’t get involved in specific debates such as the whip. Personally, I am in favour of limiting the number of strokes, but we must be careful not to overreact. Those who are against racing are people who have never been close to a horse at the races or in training; and one of the missions of the CIFCH is to demonstrate that horse welfare is at the centre of our profession. We are pleased to show newcomers behind the scenes and the quality of care which racehorses receive.”

Opening doors for future owners

After a series of visits, debates and conferences with decision-makers, the CIFCH is set to widen its contacts further in 2023, when a major focus for the committee will be a two-day event in June in Normandy, aimed at business people and potential owners. 

Criquette explains, “We will invite entrepreneurs and business people who have nothing to do with racing to come and spend time at a stud farm and training centre in Normandy. Like a lot of people today, all they know about horses is that they have four legs, a head and a tail… Throughout my career I always welcomed people into my stable to discover the horses, and the reactions were invariably positive. Many of these [people] went on to become owners, not necessarily with me; and I was always pleased to see them develop their interest. I was brought up to be very open and welcoming, and now [that] I have free time, I want to continue to help people find out more about racing.”

Always renowned for her generosity with time and explanations, Criquette inherited these and many other qualities from her late father, the great breeder and trainer Alec Head who passed away last summer at age 97. 

Criquette and fellow CIFCH members at a meeting in Chantilly, 2021.

“He has left us with a fantastic legacy, and I owe him my success. He always loved his profession and defended the racing industry; and along with Roland de Chambure, he was a precursor in opening up the market with the USA. One thing which struck me when I was younger was that he used to say, ‘You should always try to read your horse. Once you have understood your horse, then the horse will tell you what they are capable of’. I used to say the same thing to all the young assistants who came to work with me and who are now trainers. I told them to pick just one horse and ignore the 80 others; study that one horse, and then tell me what they observed as the horse developed. For me, that is the basis of training. Like people, no two horses are the same, and so you cannot follow the same recipe with them all. You can lose horses by rushing them, and during my era, we were fortunate to have plenty of time. Last year, once again, the examples of Flightline and Baaeed proved that it can be beneficial to wait.”

The family dynasty continues

Criquette’s brother Freddy Head called time on his illustrious training career last year, and the family name is now represented in the profession by his son, Classic-winning Christopher and daughter Victoria. “Papa would have been very proud to see Victoria win her first race recently, and Christopher’s success. Christopher spent time working alongside his father, and two years with me, and Victoria worked for much better trainers than me! She was with Gai Waterhouse, Aidan O’Brien and André Fabre, as well as with her father. We have (French racing channel) Equidia in the Bahamas, so I’m often in front of my TV at 6am here! I keep an eye on everyone, not just my family…” 

In addition to owning horses or shares with a range of trainers in France and former assistant David Menuisier in the UK, Criquette also maintains her interest in breeding, despite the heart-wrenching sale of the family’s celebrated Haras du Quesnay last year. 

“There were a lot of us—five including my mother—and we didn’t all have the same ideas, so it was a family decision to sell. I love breeding, so I will continue with five broodmares. My grandson Fernando (Laffon-Parias) wants to be an agent and is interested in breeding, so this year I planned all the matings with him. I did consider buying a farm myself, but finally my mares will stay at the Quesnay as the new owners are taking in boarders and have kept on all the old staff under manager Vincent Rimaud. So, I decided to stay, and I will enjoy returning to the stud. It will be a very different feeling for me to visit, with no pressure or concerns about managerial issues. I will just be able to go and admire my mares and foals!”

As ever, with Criquette, the love of horses shines through in her words. “We talk endlessly about the people involved with the horses, which is logical in a way, but in the end, everything depends upon the animal. At all levels, whether in breeding, training or racing, the horse always has the last word.” If Criquette has her way, this would also be true for politics! 

Willie Browne - trainer profile

Article by Daragh Ó Conchúir

He may be in his 77th year, with a resumé of excellence as an industry pioneer and a well-earned sobriquet, King of the Breeze-Ups, but all along, Willie Browne has had a trainer inside of him, straining to be let off the leash.

Economic pragmatism meant he travelled another route, and it has paid rich dividends. The Grangebarry Stables boss, who operates under the Mocklershill banner in his primary occupation, bought, educated and sold the first ever breeze-up graduate to win a Classic - the 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa. 

Willie and daughter Jane

That came a year after Penkenna Princess was beaten a short head in the Irish equivalent. Derby runner-up and now darling of National Hunt breeders Walk In The Park and Ascot Gold Cup victor Trip To Paris are other alumnae.

Browne has consigned the top lot at all the marquee sales, breaking the million-pound barrier twice, and in Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer, he has a real contender for 2000 Guineas honours in 2023.

Son of Zoffany, Sakheer powers clear to win the 2022 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury for trainer Roger Varian.

Yet greeting a winner of a 0-65 in Dundalk on a wet Friday night would, he insists, give him more of an adrenaline infusion.

Sure, the monetary rewards are oceans apart, but training is about something far more elemental. It is about DNA and who he is.

“I wanted to be a trainer for as long as I can remember,” says Browne over a mug of tea and a plate of sandwiches in his kitchen. Roxy and Chanelle are his two dogs, happy with scratches but with longing eyes on the platter on the table.

“Give me a winner at a small track any day to a big day at the sales, you know? Economically, it doesn’t make sense, but I just love it.”

His father Mickey was a talented jump jockey, who had learned his trade at Athassel House, which is now where trainer Paddy Twomey has built his select but quality-laden empire. From there, Mickey moved on to work for Tim Hyde, father of Camas Park supremo Timmy.

The family moved to Mocklershill from Ballagh when Willie was five. School took a back seat because he was needed to work at home.

“I would regret that now. Apart from the education, in this day and age, it’s so important to go out in the world and see how other people do stuff.”

His equine instruction was top class however, and he would go on to ride around 250 winners in total under Rules and in point-to-points, with the race that became the GPT Galway Amateur Handicap and is now the Connacht Hotel Handicap – Galway’s unofficial amateur riders’ Derby – among the highlights thanks to Troubled Sole in 1965 along with a big handicap hurdle win on Pearl Of Montreal for his father.

With Michael, also a jockey, at home as well, they were struggling to make enough for three families. It was all well and good having this passion and talent but not much use if you were struggling to keep a roof over your head.

Willie noticed Tony O’Callaghan landing a few nice touches by selling two-year-olds he had bought as yearlings. That was in 1976, and he reckoned that maybe it would be worth dipping their toe in this particular water the following year.

It was a life-changing decision; and when the first official breeze-up sales were held in 1978, the Brownes were ready. Willie has been at the sharp end of that sphere since, an amazing feat given how it has changed along with modern trends, demands and fashion. One thing that never changed, of course, was the horseman’s judgement and depth of knowledge.

It was all very satisfying, building houses, putting children through school and all the rest, but it was really just business. 

So, the opportunities that presented themselves in the past 12 months have been manna, miraculous sustenance to satisfy the inner desire. 

After registering a grand total of 18 winners as a trainer in almost 30 years up to the beginning of last season, mostly with horses that didn’t get picked up at the breeze-ups or were not up to scaling the sort of heights some of the clients he pre-trained for (such as Coolmore and the Niarchos family) operated at, Browne has added seven more in 15 months.

Spirit Gal provided two of those, including the most prestigious success of his life as a conditioner when scoring in the Listed Star Appeal Stakes; and she subsequently brought him to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November, a couple of months after he had been there buying yearlings.

She has now been moved to France to be trained by Andre Fabre, and while he was disappointed to see her go, Browne has another project for the same owner-breeder, Charles ‘Chuck’ Fipke. A geologist and diamond prospector, Fipke has seen his colours carried to victory in 16 Gr.1 contests in America, including at the Breeders’ Cup, and is now keen to do something similar in Europe.

Stormy Entry (blue cap) prevailed at the line in a cracking finish to a recent Winter Series race at Dundalk

That said, Stormy Entry’s initial goal this spring was qualification to the Kentucky Derby. Not seen on the track until last December, the Point Of Entry colt was a promising second on the all-weather to the far more experienced Song For Whoever, who followed up with a facile triumph at odds-on subsequently.

Browne’s charge improved to win his three-year-old maiden in January under the septuagenarian’s go-to jockey Seamie Heffernan and scored again before finishing a close third at in the Listed Patton Stakes won by Killavullan Stakes winner Cairo, a Ballydoyle horse that was runner-up to Spirit Gal in the Star Appeal Stakes.

“It was all by accident really,” Browne explains. “I used to pre-train quite a bit for Chuck Fipke—a very rich Canadian man about the same cut and go as myself age-wise. I met him in Kentucky, 20 years ago; and for some reason, we palled up.

“I’d always be pre-training them to go somewhere else—first John Oxx and now Joseph O’Brien or Mark Prescott—and I was dead happy with that, being honest. I trained one or two horses for him okay, but they didn’t amount to anything.

“Out of the blue last year, at the end of January, he sent me six horses over from Florida, which was unusual at that time of the year, and said he wanted the Invincible Spirit and No Nay Never fillies to be aimed for the Doncaster Breeze-Up.”

The Invincible Spirit would turn out to be “a machine” called Spirit Gal, but after breezing like a “jet”, she developed some lameness due to sore shins and was withdrawn from the sale.

“It was a bit of a blow but I tipped along with her when she came back home, gave her a bit of a break after the breeze-up, and she was flying. I said, ‘Chuck, I’m going to keep this filly for a bit, give her a run and see what happens.’ She had a nice first run at The Curragh, was just touched off in Naas and then she won the two including the Listed race which qualified her for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Fipke wanted an American-based jockey on board, though Heffernan had won the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Secretariat Stakes on board Highland Reel in the past and played a significant role in Spirit Gal becoming more amenable to training and racing.

Ricardo Santana Jnr got the nod, but nothing went right for the pair on the day. Spirit Gal broke like a rocket from the stalls, ironically not the norm for European-trained horses, but raced far too keenly and trailed in 13th of 14.

The race aside, Browne enjoyed the occasion and feels that there is a lot that European racing can learn from their US counterparts when it comes to promoting the sport of horse racing.

“It was a great occasion. It was so much different from sitting down at home in front of the telly watching it. It was fantastic.

“The Americans know how to do it. There were busloads of them there every morning—groupies you could call them—watching the horses. You’d never see that in Europe. They were like film stars—that’s the way they were treating the horses.”

He can’t deny that he would have liked to have kept Spirit Gal, having played such a part in her development, but that’s racing and he is eager to see her take things to the next level under Fabre’s tutelage.

Now, he and Fipke are dreaming with Stormy Entry, he's qualified for both The Preakness and Belmont Stakes - the last two legs of the US Triple Crown.

“He is a good horse in his own right. He ran nicely in the Kentucky Derby qualifier at Dundalk behind a good horse [Cairo] of Aidan (O’Brien’s) that was actually beaten by Spirit Gal but I know they like [him].”

Among the half-dozen horses that arrived in January 2022 was Shirl’s Bee, who was only beaten a length in the Gp.3 UAE Derby in February, on just his second run. 

His half-sister is being put through her paces in Tipperary’s Golden Vale now and will begin her juvenile career at least under Browne’s eagle eye.

This is an extremely busy time for him, with the major breeze-up sales looming into view but he has thoroughly enjoyed proving his ability as a trainer.

“If I died 12 months ago, I’d have died wondering, ‘Would I? Or could I?’, but you know the secret of training horses? Get a few good ones. It’s simple. If you feed them and exercise them, that’s the secret. There’s an awful lot of very good people in Ireland who train horses. The problem is they are training 50-rated horses. And if you are dead lucky, you can win one race a year with a 50-rated horse. Most of the time, you’ll come home and blame the horse or yourself: ‘What am I doing wrong?’”

Spirit Gal’s progress didn’t precipitate any offers to train more racehorses. Would he accept if they came?

“I would,” comes the succinct reply, though he notes that perhaps people view a conflict between training and prepping horses for the sales.

“Maybe people would think I’m keeping the best of them for myself? I’m a straight shooter, but it’s hard to know what people think and maybe they’d think that if I got into it more.”

After all, he has always maintained a full licence. That tells you all you need to know about the kid inside him, bursting to spend his time prepping horses to run at the track with his name alongside them, even though laying the groundwork for someone else to do it leaves him far more handsomely recompensed.

Mind you, he tends to keep some sort of lid on his glee when a horse he trains wins. Unlike Michael, who could be heard in the next county roaring one home from the stands. And he would be as animated for Willie as he would for himself.

“I get a good buzz out of him having a winner, of course, yeah. Not as much as him though, he’s a complete lunatic!”

The older sibling smiles. And he has every right to. It’s been a long road from when his father got the show up and running. He has taken things another level and it must be a source of pride.

But seeing a horse trained by W P Browne being led into the winner’s enclosure? Nothing will ever top that.

Sarah Steinberg - One of Germany’s up-and-coming trainers

Article by Catrin Nack

Compared with leading European racing nations, Germany's figures are very small indeed. Roughly 2200 horses, trained by 70 licensed trainers are trained here. With a big chunk trained by a chosen few – think Marcus Klug, Henk Grewe, Andreas Wöhler or Peter Schiergen – the numbers for smaller stables become smaller still. 

Few trainers train more than 100 horses at the best of times; the ‘powerhouse’ yards with 150+ or even 200+ horses – which are so common nowadays in England, Ireland and France – are simply non-existent in a racing country constantly boxing above its weight. 

As does Sarah Steinberg, no pun intended. 

Sarah Steinberg´s official training list comprises 26 horses, three of which are her own. This is small even by local standards. Sarah Steinberg makes no excuses: “I do not want to train more than 35 anyway.” Small, but brimming with quality, it is quality horses that she strives to train. “My owners do not want runners in low (rated) handicaps, and for them I do not want that either. We think big and aim big”

Steinberg is a salaried trainer, employed by the RTC Rennpferde Trainings-Center GmbH. The name behind the entity is that of Hans-Gerd Wernicke, a 93-year-old manufacturer of quality sleeping systems. 

His company Wenatex was founded in Salzburg, and it is under that name that his horses race. Stall Salzburg has 13 horses in training – thus comprising 50% of Steinberg’s inmates. 

A further five are owned by Brümmerhof Stud, a major owner-breeder and supporter of German racing. Famous as the breeder of Danedream – and infamous for selling her early in her 2yo season - Brümmerhofs Gregor Baum just closed his own private training facility in Hannover. His link to Sarah Steinberg could well point to her future. But let's look back into her already remarkable journey in racing before we dare to look into the future. 

Sarah Steinberg is 34 years old, with no family ties in racing whatsoever. Her aunt kept Arabian horses, and early memories consist of watching the Germany Derby on TV; but she can’t recall her first Derby winner, “I wasn’t really interested, and I certainly did not catch fire early on.” Animals – horses and dogs – were part of her upbringing; and while circumstances were traumatic, the following story is early proof of the unusual dedication and commitment to the creature. “My father had a very serious accident. He was hospitalised for months and had to spend long weeks in rehabilitation after. This meant I had to look after the 30 Huskies (we owned) for more than a year, otherwise they would have been given away.” Steinberg was just eight years old. 

She was given a holiday on a pony farm for a job well done after, and it was then that her fascination for horses took root. 

Her education with horses was classic and western style. Racing came into her life by default rather than design. Yet again, it certainly wasn’t love at first sight.

With her parents pressing for a solid education, her growing passion for horses got in the way. A small local permit holder with eight horses – Steinberg had answered an advert in a local (non-racing) paper – could not provide the structure they desired. 

But Germany's formal education system – even in racing – led to a visit to Cologne, still the administrative centre of German Racing. Here she was taken on by Andreas Trybuhl, son of a racing family and the first proper trainer who spotted her talent. Steinberg was on her way. 

Well, sort of. It wasn´t that Deutscher Galopp had waited for a young female rider, with fancy ideas at that. Steinberg rode in a couple of races. Nineteen rides and two wins are hardly the stuff of legends. She then plied her trade as a work-rider — in big yards.

Leaving Trybuhl, she worked for Peter Schiergen, had a short stint with Marcus Klug and was riding out for Jens Hirschberger when he trained Adlerflug. But Steiberg was still ‘just’ a work-rider nonetheless. 

When the opportunity came, Steinberg grabbed it with both hands. Enter Hans-Gerd Wernicke. By the time their paths crossed, Wernicke had been an owner for nine years, with group performer Poseidon Adventure and the wonderful Gp1 winner Night Magic – both trained in Munich by Wolfgang Figge.

Figge retired at the end of the 2015 season, and Wernicke was on the lookout for a new trainer. Again, it was an advert that changed the course of Steinberg’s life. 

“I thought I really had nothing to lose. But I had nothing to recommend me either – no references, no proper job description to boost. After all, I was only a work-rider.” Wernicke liked what he read – liked even better what he heard when Steinberg detailed her ideas about training and didn’t ponder for long. It didn’t take Steinberg long to prove just how good of a choice she had been, either. 

It wasn’t that Wernicke approached his new, young trainer with starry eyes. He was prepared to give her a chance, but at first it was with horses for whom she was second choice – horses from other yards, who for whatever reason didn’t, or couldn’t, fulfil their potential. 

Night Wish, in March 2016, was her first winner as a fully fledged trainer; he was only the second starter she sent out. Better was to come when Night Wish again read the script and became her first pattern scorer when taking the Grand Prix de Vichy (Gp3) later that year. 

In seven full seasons Steinberg has now, at home and abroad, trained 124 winners, 14 of them Group winners. This year she operated at a nearly 30% winner-to-starter ratio in her native Germany. She has trained a Classic winner in Fearless King (German 2000 Guineas, Gp2) – the first female trainer to do so in Germany – and Mendocino, was her first Gp1 winner, when scoring in German´s most prestigious open-age Gp1, the Großer Preis von Baden this past September. 

Trainers simply do not come more hands-on than Sarah Steinberg. She rides six lots a day, she grooms, and she drives the horsebox. She even, unique among her peers, leads up nearly all her charges. 

Finding good staff is a challenge even she cannot resolve, but Steinberg is the first to admit she isn’t easy to work for either. “I expect a lot and cannot tolerate mediocrity. I had to learn that I simply cannot expect employees to work as hard as I do.” 

Invaluable assistance comes in the shape of René Piechulek, of Torquator Tasso-fame. The jockey's rise to fame is worth its own chapter, but he started riding out for Steinberg at the end of 2017, becoming attached to Stall Salzburg in the process. 

With no chances of foreign jockeys, COVID accelerated his rise to salaried stable jockey. And he did become attached, quite literally, to Sarah Steinberg as well; they are life partners now. 

“René is invaluable – simply irreplaceable to the yard; I simply could not do it without him. I am the trainer after all, he does as I tell him, but I would be lost without his feedback.” For Steinberg, training horses is a mission. With her background in classic riding, it is small wonder that above-average riding skills are essential for her staff. 

“Horses need to use their backs, and they can only do this if they bend their necks properly. So much damage is done when horses do not use themselves right.” 

On average, her horses are ridden about an hour a day, with an additional four hours spent in one of the six (four grass) paddocks. Daily, that is. 

With few exceptions, racehorses in Germany are trained directly on the racecourse – Munich in Steinberg´s case – a base she cannot praise highly enough. 

Crucially, Munich´s training centre is right next to the track itself with long and well-maintained grass and sand gallops, and with only a handful of trainers sharing those facilities. 

Wernicke's generous approach and competitive nature developed just what Steinberg wanted in their own stables. “I really have everything I need; it’s top class. I have my private trotting ring; there is a covered hall. I have a salt box, which I use to great effect, and two solariums. The open country next to the training tracks is another plus; we have choices and can give the horses a change of scenery.” 

She works closely with her trusted vets and a chiropractor, not to mention a top-class farrier. Conveniently, the RTC GmbH comes with a racing secretary too, so the time Steinberg has to spend in the office is very limited indeed. 

“Really, I would never want to work self-employed. My system simply would not work with all those pressures attached.” Individuality is the key. “Of course, the basic work is the same for all horses, but the individuality starts creeping in once horses start showing their quirks. We love to get to the bottom of problems and want to bring the best out of every horse in our care.” 

Remarkably, three of her 26 inmates have a German GAG (rating) of 90 or higher – roughly 106 plus in International ratings. Nowadays, Steinberg is responsible for selecting youngsters at the sales. Wernicke is a racing man and not a breeder. 

The stable's flagbearer for the last couple of years has been the above-mentioned Mendocino, bred by Brümmerhof Stud and a son of the late Adlerflug. 

Selected by Steinberg, he represents all she looks for in a horse. “I look at horses, not pedigrees. In fact, I couldn’t care less about the breeding. I need to see the horse's personality. I try to read their eyes, and how they play with their ears tell me something too. They need to be alert – lively. I don’t like the docile ones. A shorter back and strong back hands are essential to me, but I can forgive small mistakes if I feel the attitude is right. After all, it's all down to their character and their will to win.” 

Offspring of the much missed sire Adlerflug, present their own challenges, but in Mendocino, Steinberg has found a horse of a lifetime. 

The now 5yo has won three races from 11 starts and has provided Steinberg with that all-important win at the highest level, and he did take his team to Paris Longchamp on the first Sunday in October. 

“I am accredited as his ‘lass’ and ride him myself every morning.” She rejects the notion that surely she will not lead him up when competing in a big race. 

“Of course I will,” she muses. Steinberg has lost count of the winner´s ceremonies she missed because of her role as a ‘lass’ – something Wernicke had learned to accept. “He was a bit miffed when I kept skipping the ceremonies because I wanted to be with the horse after the race, so I pointed out that it's better to have those winners and no trainer, or not so fast horses. He can see the humorous side now.” 

The whip-debate and animal welfare put extra pressure on German racing. Steinberg has a clear view on both: “The whip is essential – a life-saver for riders. With the short stirrups, we need it to correct but never to abuse. We need strict rules and even stricter penalties. As for animal welfare, I am in the game because I like horses – we all do. We like them, and we want the best. Performance is no cruelty to horses, and I firmly believe the majority of racehorses couldn’t be better cared for. There are black sheep in all walks of life, and much more must be done to educate about the good work that is done away from the public eye.” 

Steinberg is realistic enough to wonder what the future holds, even though Wernicke shows no signs of stopping. The recent trip to Hong Kong (with Mendocino) came at  Wernicke’s insistence and was Germany's sole representative. 

There is no happy ending to report, as Mendocino proved worth his billing as a “character.” After behaving beautifully in the preliminaries, he reared in the starting stalls and refused to jump with the field – the first time he has shown such antics. But Steinberg wouldn’t be Steinberg if she wouldn’t rise to this challenge too.

Which products and services should trainers be using in 2023?

Cavalor - ArtiTech

Low-grade inflammation is common in joints that perform. However, joint inflammation initiates a cascade of catabolic reactions that gradually degrade the cartilage and may result in lameness.

During an extensive research program, Cavalor has designed a multi-ingredient nutraceutical that helps with protecting joints of equine athletes. The effectiveness of Cavalor ArtiTec has been documented by both in vitro and in vivo experiments and the overall efficacy in the treatment of lameness is supported by the results of a clinical pilot study.

The efficacy and especially the synergistic potential of the individual raw materials and botanical ingredients on inflammation, cartilage protection and repair has been studied over 7 years. These findings have led to the final formulation of Cavalor ArtiTec.

Combining botanical ingredients is a widely applied practice to compose effective products. The final result is believed to be of similar or better potency as that of a single herb. The advantage of using suboptimal efficacious dose levels of each botanical ingredient is reducing the risk of potential toxicities associated with the usage of single herbs.

In the follow-up of the results of previous studies, 7 candidate formulations were evaluated (in vitro) to further unlock the mechanism of action of these formulations and their efficacy. The influence on various biomarkers related to joint health and homeostasis were evaluated using primary human chondrocytes isolated from knee joints in various in vitro models. This study has led to the development of the final candidate formulation for evaluation in a combined mechanistic and efficacy horse specific joint inflammation model (Phase III).

In conclusion, Cavalor ArtiTec is a complete multi-ingredient nutraceutical with proven efficacy for optimising joint health in equine athletes. Cavalor ArtiTec delivers everything our equine ‘athletes’ deserve during periods of intense activity and stress. 

For more information contact: Website: www.cavalordirect.co.uk Telephone: +44 1902 213483

Duggan Veterinary - ConfidenceEQ®

Pheromone communication has been at the heart of Duggan Veterinary Supplies expertise for over 40 years, and we are now pleased to announce the launch of the innovative equine appeasing pheromone, ConfidenceEQ®.

A pheromone is a naturally occurring chemical that an animal produces used for intraspecies communication, which means that their presence automatically and predictably affects all members of the same species, regardless of age or gender.

Like many mammals, nursing mares naturally emit a calming pheromone that reassures their newborn foal. When the foal encounters unfamiliar situations and uncharted territory, this pheromone makes the foal feel comfortable, secure, and more self-assured, enabling them to better learn about their surroundings. ConfidenceEQ® is an identical replica of this horse appeasing pheromone. Numerous studies have been conducted since the equine appeasing pheromone was discovered, proving its effectiveness in reducing stress in conditions that occur frequently in horses of all ages.

Donal Duggan is delighted to add ConfidenceEQ® to the Duggan Veterinary Equine armoury, stating: “The ideal time to use ConfidenceEQ® is when you anticipate your horse will be exposed to something new which they may find stressful. ConfidenceEQ® helps reassure horses, helping them focus allowing them to use their own skills to cope with their surroundings and can be used to help build confidence in situations such as: Loading, travelling and recovery after arrival; Environmental changes (new yard, stabling) or competition environment; Social situations (weaning foals, meeting new horses); Dealing with loud noises (large crowds, thunderstorms, fireworks); Breaking young horses and introducing new exercises during training; Farrier, vet, or dental visits.”

Horses in these situations may show signs of stress such as pawing, vocalising, flared nostrils, kicking, lack of concentration, and resistance. These behavioural changes are due to an elevated cortisol level, which when prolonged, also triggers multiple physiological responses like increased heart rate and blood pressure, weakening of the immune system, cribbing, and digestive issues - all of which can develop into significant problems for owners, trainers, and veterinary practitioners.

ConfidenceEQ® is easy and quick to apply. There are no syringes, mixing food, pills or other uncomfortable application methods that can be difficult to administer or add stress to your horse. It takes effect in 30 minutes, lasts 2.5 hours, and can be reapplied as needed.

For more information contact: Email: sales@dugganvet.ie or uksales@dugganvet.com 

Freedom Health - Total Gut Health

Horses actively training and racing commonly struggle with digestive health, problems which manifest most obviously in gastric issues. Additionally, many racehorses experience concurrent hindgut problems less easily recognised. Not eating well, sudden changes in behaviour, resistant and mean attitudes, not fully using the body, and struggling to maintain weight and condition are a few of the problems that can be associated with hindgut health.

It’s important to actively manage the health of the horses’ entire digestive tract to stop the treat-and-repeat cycle and keep your horses in top condition. A healthy gut is a core requirement for a racehorse to perform to its full potential.

Unfortunately, training, travelling, racing, and breeding chronically stress the horse and especially the digestive tract. Management and feeding practices have changed beyond recognition over the last few decades. But the equine digestive tract remains the same, having been accustomed to a low-stress, nomadic lifestyle while consuming a high-fibre, trickle-fed diet. Modern husbandry practices and feeding grain-based feeds, further complicated by competition stresses, can be significant contributors to digestive issues. What, then, can you do for these horses?

Support total digestive health by feeding SUCCEED® Digestive Conditioning Program™ once a day every day. SUCCEED maintains optimal digestive health in athletic horses naturally with science-based, human-food-grade quality, proven ingredients. It serves as an ongoing maintenance program for the health of the entire digestive tract.

Product trials available on a limited basis. Contact Sandra Hughes: shughes@freedomhealthllc.com.

SUCCEED® Digestive Conditioning Program™

The patented and proven SUCCEED formula delivers nutrients the body requires for GI anatomy and function. It provides a variety of benefits including:Oat Oil – specially extracted to preserve polar lipids which support nutrient absorption and bioavailability; Oat Flour – specially processed to preserve ß-glucan, a soluble fibre that provides support for a healthy immune system and a normal, healthy rate of feed transit through the GI tract; Yeast – a combination of a mannan oligosaccharide and a yeast ß-glucan help maintain a healthy, balanced hindgut and natural immunity; Amino Acids – provide fuel for muscles and support production of mucin, a necessary component of the mucus that lubricates and protects the gut lining.

“I have been using SUCCEED, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. You can visually see a big difference in the horses’ condition very quickly. I believe that it is really enabling their digestive systems.”

Richard Hughes, Horse Trainer

For more information visit: Succeed-equine.co.uk or @succeedequine

NAF - Immuforte

Keep the whole yard healthy, and ready to race, with NEW NAF Immuforte. 

The busy racing yard environment presents the perfect storm of challenges for your horses’ immune systems; and any trainer knows when immune challenge hits, training days, performance and results are lost. Keeping them healthy keeps your training regime on track, and ensures the season’s goals remain in sight for every horse on your yard. 

CREDITED TO JESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Regular travel, intense exercise and being stabled in close proximity, often with shared air space, means a daily assault on every racehorse’s natural defences. Add the challenge of frequent new arrivals, particularly young horses, with naïve immune systems, working closely together, and the risk is self-evident. 

Requested by trainers. Formulated by Equine Vets and Registered Nutritionists. Trialled by trainers, riders and professionals in elite equine sport. BETA NOPS accredited, and designed to meet the highest regulatory and quality standards for racing throughout Europe, and beyond. New NAF Immuforte builds on over 30 years of experience at NAF, in innovative evidence-led solutions, to provide targeted immune support for equine athletes. 

Containing a key natural extract proven to boost the equine immune system, Immuforte supports white blood cell numbers and activity, and targets the oxygen load capacity of red blood cells. Uniquely, Immuforte combines the recognised immune support of echinacea with natural antioxidants and adaptogenic botanical extracts, including, rosehip, turmeric, ginkgo and omicha, to regulate cellular responses, and further support the body’s own defence against unwanted attack. 

NAF Immuforte is available as a palatable liquid, in an easy to feed, auto-measured pump dispense liquid. The perfect solution to your yard’s natural defences.

For more information contact: Website: www.naf-equine.eu Telephone: 0800 373 106

Plusvital - Racing Syrup

The globalisation of racing has eroded the margins of success between trainers. High performance is no longer guaranteed based on pedigrees. A study carried out on winning margins in racing suggests that the overall percentage difference between first place and second place  is 0.32%, the difference between first and third was 0.75%. Never before has optimising recovery and nutrition been as important in gaining percentages of improvement which can be the difference between winning and not. 

Days post-race or fast work the body recovers and adapts allowing the horse to become more oxygen efficient and physically stronger. Muscle recovery requires specific vitamins, minerals and amino acids to give the horse the best possible opportunity to maximise its full potential. This vital edge is optimised by correct nutrition. Supporting race horses' mineral and vitamin levels is critical to racing success today. 

Used for 47 years by global racing elite Plusvital Racing Syrup is formulated to provide 30 essential vitamins and minerals exceeding NRC recommendations. Key ingredients facilitate strength and recovery.  

B vitamins are an essential group of vitamins for a horse to perform at its best. The harder they work the higher the requirement for vitamin B is. B vitamins play a vital role in forming red blood cells, responsible for carrying oxygen to muscles allowing the horse to continue galloping at high intensity whilst removing carbon dioxide. When muscle has a high level of carbon dioxide the horse becomes tired and cannot finish the race.

Additional key ingredients include Vitamin E which reduces oxidative stress. Selenium neutralise free radicals supporting the immune system. Branched chain Amino acids and Threonine supports muscle recovery essential for strengthening. Zinc and biotin support cellular repair and hoof growth. Available in 2L or 5L Plusvital racing syrup supports your horse in pursuit of their performance goals. 

For more information visit: www.plusvital.com

Why Choose Pro-Dosa in 2023?
As we all know, horsemen are responsible for the management of horses’ health, wellbeing, and fitness, to ensure they can perform to the best of their ability on the racetrack, but at the same time, a racing stable must be a profitable business and each horse must be economically viable for their owners.  As a result, in 2023, more than ever, horsemen must ensure they are getting the best possible value from the products they purchase.

Quite logically, horses under the added stress of hard work, transport, racing, competition, or illness have increased nutrient requirements.  Unlike people though, who often turn to food when under stress (think chocolate or chardonnay), horses tend to go off feed and drink less than they normally would.  Horses that fail to eat or drink well when travelling and racing will recover more slowly and will often perform below their best.  That is why many stables consider traditional, veterinary-administered, injectable pre-race/pre-travel treatments to be essential. Corrine Hills says “I originally developed Pro-Dosa BOOST, for horses in my own racetrack veterinary practice, as a more economical, less invasive, oral alternative to those treatments.”

Pro-Dosa BOOST is a complete, balanced multi-nutrient paste that I formulated to fill the gap between good daily nutrition and the increased requirements horses have when they are under stress. Pro-Dosa BOOST provides a practical way to deliver essential nutrients to horses that may not be eating or drinking enough, at those times, to support normal metabolism, performance, recovery, and heath.  

It contains a comprehensive range of water-soluble vitamins, trace elements, electrolytes, and amino acids in doses that reflect requirements established in scientific literature.  I have included them in readily usable forms, in good balance with each other, and in balance with the cofactors required for their absorption and function.”

Pro-Dosa International Ltd is GMP registered, demonstrating quality, safety, and security of the product from raw materials through to finished product.  Each batch of Pro-Dosa BOOST undergoes laboratory testing including complete quantitative analysis, demonstrating that each portion contains precisely what is on the label; microbial cultures, to ensure it is safe to feed; and Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substance screening.  

For more information contact: Email: info@pro-dosa.com Telephone: +64 27 238-8482

SPILLERS™ - Perform & Restore Mash

Racehorses need optimum nutrition to help them fulfil their full potential which is why SPILLERS™ has launched their new SPILLERS Perform & Restore Mash. The mash soaks super-fast in under 2 minutes providing convenience especially when travelling and is designed to be fed daily to support optimum condition and recovery.  It’s been formulated to assist hydration and complement the replacement of electrolytes post exercise.  Re-hydrating quickly is important particularly for horses in high intensity exercise as they rely heavily on muscle glycogen (stored glucose) for energy metabolism and although it takes up to 72 hours for glycogen stores to be fully restored, replenishment will be slower in dehydrated horses. 

SPILLERS Perform & Restore Mash is a low starch, molasses free blend of highly digestible fibre and oil to support digestive health and includes probiotic live yeast alongside prebiotic MOS and FOS.  The mash offers a high level of the essential amino acid lysine to support muscle tone and topline and includes branch chain amino acids to support muscle synthesis post exercise. What’s more, it supplies powerful antioxidants including vitamin C to support respiratory health and natural, bioavailable vitamin E to support immunity, muscle health and an athletic performance. 

Finally, SPILLERS Perform & Restore Mash includes an appetising apple aroma which is released when soaking to encourage even the fussiest of fussy feeders. 

All SPILLERS feeds are BETA NOPS approved.

For more information contact:  Website: www.spillers-feeds.com Care-Line number: 01908 226626

Fairfax - Better condition – better performance

Resolve to make 2023 the year you take a closer look at the exercise tack your horses wear on a daily basis – and follow the science when it comes to making choices that will improve performance.

Switching saddles could significantly improve a horse’s back health and movement, as well as reducing time off and vet bills this year. In scientific trials commonly-used exercise saddles (1/2 tree, 3/4 tree, and full tree) all caused areas of potentially detrimental high pressure. The Fairfax Exercise Saddle relieves pressure at a crucial point on the back (T13) so in gallop the hindleg is brought forward more and the quarters come further under the horse. The proven result is increased stride length and therefore more power.

If a horse is girthy or aggressive when being tacked up, consider the girth it wears on a daily basis. When straight girths were tested at gallop on a treadmill, the pressure was so high that the pressure mat was unable to record it. To achieve a significantly freer gallop with increased hindlimb extension, make the switch for 2023 to the Fairfax Race Exercise Girth which is shaped to avoid a peak pressure zone behind the elbow. It may also be an effective part of a multi-disciplinary approach in supporting horses with ulcers.

You could reduce or eliminate sore or rubbed withers this year by using a medical-grade closed-cell foam pad with a shaped central webbing spine. The Fairfax Race Exercise Pad provided superior pressure reduction without slipping in a pilot study where foam, gel and polyfill pads were compared. Gel pads increased pressure at the front of the saddle and those without a central spine (such as polyfill pads) slipped down onto the back at speed. In addition, using multiple polyfill pads does not relieve pressure – it increases bulk and instability. 

Scientists have proven that changing to a bridle that reduces pressure at the TMJ has a significant positive effect on the horse’s power, straightness and efficiency of stride. This is because the TMJ area is massively influential when it comes to locomotion. The Fairfax Race Bridle relieves pressure at the TMJ and other areas on the face resulting in improved front and hindleg range of motion. In addition, the Mexican grackle helps keep the bit stable in the mouth reducing sores and hanging associated with bridle pressure.

For more information visit: Fairfaxracing.com

Baileys New Race-Pro Cubes for the “Challenging Temperament”

Baileys’ new Race-Pro Cubes are a reduced starch alternative to oat-based racing feeds, delivering a highly palatable combination of slow and fast release energy to fuel racehorses of all types, in training, racing and recovery, throughout their season.  Ideal for horses whose temperament can be challenging when fed high starch mixes, these high fibre cubes support sustained performance and stamina, while also fueling speed.  

They contain a blend of highly digestible super fibres and oil, for slow release calories, with micronised wheat for readily available energy, and boosted antioxidant levels support muscle function and recovery.  Digest Plus prebiotic and a live probiotic yeast are included for optimum gut health, while a reduced starch content encourages a healthy gastric environment.  To complete the package, Race-Pro Cubes contain a full performance range of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, for healthy hoof growth, bone and tissue integrity and general well-being.

Where a low starch, high energy feed is required, for those prone to gastric ulcers for example, Baileys’ renowned Ease & Excel blend and Ease & Excel Cubes are proven to deliver, with starch levels of just 8%, yet Digestible Energy (DE) contents of 13MJ/kg and 12MJ/kg respectively.  Race-Pro Cubes provide 12MJ/kg of DE with a 17% starch level, compared to Racehorse Cubes (starch 26%/DE 13.5MJ/kg) and Racehorse Mix (starch 32%/DE 14MJ/kg).

For more information contact Baileys UK Racing Specialist, Will Humphries, on 07731 997580 or will@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

Outside of the UK, contact Export Manager, Mark Buchan, on  + 44 (0)7711 701565 or mark@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk  www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/racing

Bloomfields - Professional Raceline

This is the ultimate horsebox for young or difficult horses, stallions, & bloodstock.

Designed and precision engineered in the UK specifically for the transport of Bloodstock, the unmistakable & seamless Bloomfields Professional Raceline oozes class & elegance as well as its evident suitability for the industries demands.

A twist to our popular Professional model, which has been a market leading design used by amateurs and professionals throughout the world for over 15 years, we have designed with the involvement of industry experts to meet the needs of the end user, comfort and practicality for both the travelling staff and the horses.

The Professional Raceline is fitted with our one piece composite floor. Sliding partition, wall, door and roof padding is fitted as standard for superior comfort of the horse. Our woven, thermally bonded panels, doubled with our captive design are, in our opinion, the strongest on the market, but for extra peace of mind we also add an aluminium kick board throughout the horse area.

Bloomfields have designed and developed a slam locking system for the individual doors to each horse. Knowing that some travellers can be difficult, this gives super easy exit and entry to the grooms area without needing to bend down in front of the horses. Our Double catch slam locks make shutting the doors effortless and safe plus super easy access to each horse for easy preparation.

A very popular option for the Professional Raceline is the exquisite sliding partition. Absolutely indispensable for transporters and studs who carry mares and foals. Effortlessly glide the full height partition to the far wall with one hand and back to the centre point when required, meaning there is no need for more than one person to alter the stalls. Our 4 point locking system adds superior strength when in the central position.

The seamless under-sprung ramp gives a progressive lifting pivot meaning opening and closing the ramp is effortless. We never use gas rams, meaning the weight of the ramp will not change from the day of purchase.

What sets the Raceline apart from any other is the careful consideration into the practicality of the grooms area and how it can be a useful and resourceful place for storing everything from tack to veterinary medication and water barrels. Thorough research was undertaken to maximise the use of the space in the grooms area, with this in mind we have the option of a washable removable Hammock that is, as standard, mounted securely on the bulkhead. This allows travelling staff to relax without taking up essential weight or space.

One of the main factors considered when designing the Raceline was to put preventatives in place for cross contamination, particularly in the racing industry this is essential, So we have, as standard, supplied individual storage compartments for racing equipment & feed etc.

With safety in mind, believed to be the safest way to travel horses, The horses are separated by means of a full height, grilled partition, head divider, two full height grilled access doors, eliminating the need for a breast bar. The professional Raceline comes fully padded with an oversized rear door and dual reinforced glass fibre and Coat-X coated wheel arch covers. 

With an expansive list of optional extras to suit almost any requirement, including the 4.5t crewcab option in 2023, the Bloomfields Professional Raceline is the first and only form of 2 horse transportation you’ll need.

Our Professional Raceline is used throughout the world by professional transporters and riders, proving the strength and durability is second to none.

Contact us today to arrange a yard visit or for further details.

Telephone: 01558685117 / 07534849749 Email: BloomfieldsRaceline@Gmail.com Website: www.bloomfields.co/horsebox-models/raceline-professional

Jérôme Reynier - The French horseman’s pathway to success

Article by Katherine Ford

Take a look at the French trainers’ standings in September, and hot on the heels of the Classic powerhouses of Rouget, Fabre and Graffard in fourth place was Jérôme Reynier. Based in his native Marseille, still a couple of years shy of his 40th birthday, the discreet yet determined professional has climbed step by step to racing’s top table, and his ascension is far from over. 

I met Reynier at Deauville during the August meeting and interrupted his breakfast with half a dozen staff. “We have a family atmosphere and a good relationship. I’m not a difficult boss, but if there are decisions to be made, that’s my job. I don’t want anyone else to take initiatives without consulting me first. That’s why I’m always available in case there’s a problem,” Reynier admits.

What is striking with Reynier is an attention to detail, whether that be in the organisation of his training regime, his assiduous desire to answer any queries from any quarters, or his true passion and almost encyclopaedic knowledge of bloodstock and racing. Going back to the origins of his love of racing, he explains, “I caught the virus from my father who was an architect but passionate about racing and breeding. I was born in 1985, and that was the year that he bred his first horse, called Shaindy.” 

Reynier goes on to recount in great detail the destiny of Shaindy, who was bought back as a yearling and ended up Group-placed as a juvenile and winner of the then Listed Prix Djebel. It is easy to forget from the vividness of the description that at the time he was still in nappies and has no direct memories of the time. “It was magical, for a first homebred, carrying my grandfather’s colours. That caused a snowball effect with my father who bought more mares. He was lucky, but then you make your own luck.” 

Learning the trade

Just a few years later Reynier’s father sold all his burgeoning thoroughbred interests when his son was still too small to remember, in order to devote more time to his wife and family. 

However, the marriage broke down and his son remembers, “My parents separated when I was 12, and I went to live with my father who took me to Deauville sales to see if I took to the bloodstock world. It was all new to me, but I loved it and thought of nothing else from then on. 

“At school, I put sales catalogues inside my textbooks; so during lessons I was engrossed in the pedigree pages. I had never touched a horse in my life—my experience all came from books as there wasn’t even [French racing channel] Equidia at the time.”

At 15 years old, Jérôme Reynier had his first hands-on experience during a summer at Alain Brandebourger’s Haras de Chartreux, and the following summer his father sent him to Newmarket to learn English. “I spent two months with David Shekells at Old Mill Stud. He had two yearlings for Deauville sales, but I was only tiny and not strong enough to hold a yearling weighing 400kg. They were both monsters—a Nashwan and an Unfuwain—so my job for two months was to walk behind them to keep them moving forward. 

“Then during the journey from Newmarket to Deauville, I had to travel in the back of the horsebox at their heads all the way to stop them from fighting. It was a real test of my enthusiasm!”

Full marks for effort

Jérôme passed the test with flying colours, and his enthusiasm remained intact, more so than his academic career, which suffered from his obsession with thoroughbreds. “I failed my Bac [baccalauréat], and things weren’t easy then as I had no qualifications, contacts or references. When I went to the races at Deauville, I didn’t have access to any of the reserved areas; I saw racing as a very closed environment. For me, it was unattainable. During that summer, I worked at the Forien’s Haras de Montaigu to prepare the yearlings. After that, I applied to do a season at Coolmore, and they took me on from January to June in 2005; so I went to Ireland and passed my Bac as an external candidate.”

A fascination for pedigrees

Jérôme Reynier has stars in his eyes as he remembers his stint at Coolmore. “I worked in one of the small yards with barren or maiden mares, so there were no foals but some amazing pedigrees, and we took them to stallions like Sadler’s Wells, Galileo and Montjeu. I got to see the stallions and how the system worked. I was always more interested in the pedigrees and breeding aspect than the racing in the afternoon.” 

The Irish National Stud course followed in 2006 and while there, the determined and precocious Jérôme applied for and was accepted onto the Darley Flying Start programme. “I didn’t waste a minute!” he remembers. “In 2008 I was 22 years old and found myself with qualifications from the Irish National Stud and Darley Flying Start. The problem was that I was overqualified for my age. I needed work, but everyone considered that I was too young to take on the jobs in the breeding industry that I was qualified for. At the same time, my father fell ill so I went back to Marseille and as nobody would employ me, I set up my own business as a bloodstock agent. But I soon realised it was very difficult to earn a living without a large volume of trade. I knew a few people, but I didn’t have a network of clients. I was young and based in Marseille, so I didn’t tick the boxes…” 

It was therefore by default that Reynier began his successful training career, initially as a private trainer for the Ecurie Camacho Courses. “I was employed to train around 15 horses for them at Marseille, and in two years we had 38 winners and €800,000 in earnings with modest horses. It was a great way to start off, but after two years, I wanted my independence.” 

Starting from scratch

From four horses at the outset in March 2013, the ambitious professional soon made himself noticed and his stable grew. “I was getting good results, including in the Parisian region where I could find favourable entries and make a name for myself, rather than focusing on local races at Marseille. I’ve always tried to look beyond my immediate horizon. I had horses of a limited quality, but my passion was to find winnable races. I was back to what I loved—really hands on, mucking out in the morning, going to the track, driving the horses to races myself. I wouldn’t hesitate to make a long journey for a made-to-measure entry. I think that was the best period in my career as a trainer.” 

Reynier was hit hard by the untimely death of his father in November 2014 and doubled down to bury his grief in work, “to make him proud from where he is now.”

He was satisfied with his 40-capacity stable but in 2018 received a career-changing offer from powerful local owner Jean-Claude Seroul, whose orange and grey colours were a familiar sight in Marseille. They are now known far beyond, thanks notably to the exploits of prolific top-level winners Skalleti and Marianafoot.

Reynier took on the job as private trainer to Seroul’s 50-55 strong string, based just across the road from his own yard at the Calas training centre, 30km north of Marseille, “Mr Seroul has his own stable, his own horses and his own staff; it didn’t affect my own structure. They are two separate operations, and the strings don’t go out at the same time; so instead of having four lots with 30 riders in each, I have eight lots with 15 riders each time. It’s much more manageable as I like to give each rider precise instructions for including the exact position of every horse in each lot. All the details are indicated on the list, which is sent out the previous evening, and that organisation now allows me to delegate more; and for instance to spend the month here in Deauville where we have an allocation of 14 boxes and a rotation of horses. If we win six races here and a few places, it will be a good result.”

That August target was achieved with the highlight being a Listed victory for the Seroul-owned filly, Rose Premium.

Calas ticks all the boxes

The conversation moves back to Calas, described by Reynier as a “perfect” facility with a main 3km round track, which gives the opportunity to work left- or right-handed depending upon the day. It also offers an incline for interval training, as well as turf, sand and jumps schooling tracks. “We have all that we need, and the results are proof of that. I will never abandon Calas because it is a good training centre with a wonderful climate, and it allows us to create a very progressive programme for the horses. We all—Christophe Escuder, Fabrice Vermeulen and myself—like to run our horses as much as possible rather than over-train them, so we provide a lot of runners for the PMU. Our owners want to see their horses at the races, so as soon as the horse is ready, whatever his level, I find a race for him. I find the French programme clear and simple, with opportunities for all categories.”

Marseille was rocked in late 2021 as dawn raids saw three members of the Rossi family among several professionals taken into police custody under suspicion of the use of forbidden substances and conspiracy to defraud and fix races. Frederic, Cédric and Charley, who were responsible for around 150 horses at Calas, are currently suspended from training and under police investigation. Reynier comments, “It saddened me because I know Cedric and Charley (Rossi) well, and I am sure that they are not cheats. It’s been a tough time for the region to be in the spotlight for negative reasons, and there is also the risk that if we don’t generate enough runners for turnover on the PMU, they will reduce the number of races at our tracks.” 

The city’s best racecourse, seaside Marseille-Borély, is already under threat of closure and Reynier adds, “The lease has been extended until 2024. It’s perfectly situated for development, but it will be a disaster if it is lost; so that’s why it is important to keep an open mind geographically. I wouldn’t exclude creating a small satellite yard in Chantilly to start with to avoid too much travelling for some of the horses. Then why not extend the Chantilly stable to have two bases… But it is certain that the future lies in Paris, or maybe abroad.”

Plotting a path to success

Jérôme Reynier has always had the opposite of a blinkered approach and loves to see a well-made plan come to fruition, as his first stable star Royal Julius, winner of the inaugural Bahrain International Trophy, demonstrates. “When Bahrain created the new international race, the prize money was very generous. And the conditions were optimal for Royal Julius, who was a true right-hander who loved a fast surface and ten furlongs, so I set out to prepare and qualify him for that race. He needed to keep a high rating, so I sent him to Italy where it was easy for him to do well in Stakes company; whereas if I’d run him in a Gp. 3 in France and he’d finished fifth, his rating would have dropped and I would never have been invited there or to Qatar. He was a great horse for the stable, as was Master Spirit who was a “second hand” horse we received; and from being a handicapper, we managed to take second place in the Grand Prix de Deauville with him. I’ve been lucky to train some good horses, but it’s important to take good care of them to age well.” 

More recently, flag bearers Skalleti and Marianafoot have rewarded the patience and skill of their handler, along with Thunder Drum who joined Reynier for owner Lady Bamford. “It was particularly satisfying for me to receive beautifully bred horses for Lady Bamford and exceptional to win the Prix du Royaumont (Gp. 3) last year on Jockey-Club day with Thunder Drum, who couldn’t win a maiden in England as a juvenile. We had intended to run her in the Italian Oaks that weekend but made a last-minute change of plan due to a modest field and rain in Chantilly; and it worked perfectly! As for Skalleti and Marianafoot, they both had their best seasons last year at six years old, which is amazing. In fact, I was the leading French trainer on Gp. 1 wins, with the three victories of that pair. Cédric Rossi and André Fabre had two each!”

Prize money for happy owners and trainers

“We don’t have a star this year, but a lot of horses are earning their keep and that keeps the stable going. Take the example of Happy Harry, a son of Zarak that we claimed in January; in six months, he has earned €70,000 (the gelding boosted his earnings by a further €14,000 in prize money and owners’ premiums for a handicap win days after our interview). If I have 50 Happy Harrys, I’m happy! The French system makes this possible if you have a healthy horse who can run regularly. In England, if you have a decent horse, you either try and win some good races or you try the commercial route, win on the debut and then sell it on. It’s impossible to earn money with prize money in England, and I couldn’t train there. It’s a different policy. The French way of constructing a career is with a horse that might be just 80 percent ready for his debut and he will progress as he races. So, we can think of the long term rather than the short term. As long as we can keep our system in France with the PMU and decent prize money, we are privileged. We are the best country for racing in Europe or maybe in the world, but a whole generation of punters is on the way out, and I don’t see many young people betting on racing, so I often feel pessimistic.”

Despite his concerns, Jérôme Reynier is, as always, aware of upcoming opportunities and a changing of the guard, which may enable him to move even further up racing’s top table. “There is a whole older generation of trainers in Chantilly who are on the way out, so there will be opportunities. The new trainers who are there now and setting up soon will create a new dynamism. Maybe I will be a part of it and maybe I won’t…” 

One thing is certain, whatever Jérôme Reynier does or doesn’t become a part of will depend upon a carefully constructed plan, leaving little to chance and attracting more good luck his way. 

Michael O'Callaghan - an up and coming Irish Trainer with a plan

Words - Daragh Ó Conchúir

More melodious than cacophonous, the chirp from the lush foliage enveloping the drive into Crotanstown Stud on a spring morning is louder than anything emanating from the yard itself.

The horses, though fed, are shaking off the influence of Morpheus as first lot is tacked up, dreams of carrots and zoomies, crystallised while immersed in deep beds of Willie Fennin’s winter barley straw, still lingering.

Michael O’Callaghan emerges to proffer a greeting. The canines, Samhain and three-legged Liath bound over to add their greetings. Samhain is everybody’s friend and has no problem with Twilight Jet having a friendly nibble on his ear. 

The pace is brisk but at the same time unhurried; relaxed O’Callaghan won’t be 34 until September, but despite growing up in a housing estate in Tralee without any exposure to equines until the Damascene conversion that occurred when he first sat on a pony as a 12-year-old, he has been involved in the industry long enough to experience plenty of slings and arrows.

He knows what he wants though, in horse and human. The latter is a key element of any successful operation—his wife Siobhain setting the tone with her level of graft and care for the horses. In a time when staffing is a huge problem throughout the industry, from office to rider to yardmen, he has a team he is very happy with. He knows the truth in the old proverb, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

“Everyone that’s in the yard now is an asset,” O’Callaghan notes.

Success attracted significant owners very quickly and among those, past and present to link up with the Curragh-based Kerryman include Michael Iavarone, Qatar Racing, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum. Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing has lived up to its name by providing significant ammunition this term—Malex and Crispy Cat winning early maidens. One of Joorabchian’s famous clients, the Aston Villa and former Barcelona and Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, is a part owner of Olivia Maralda.

Twilight Jet—or TJ as he is known in the yard—is the apple of the Crotanstown eye. Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup-winning owner, Iavarone bought half of the Twilight Son colt prior to his Breeders’ Cup run last year, while O’Callaghan and his partners, who include his father of the same name, retain the other half.

A £210,000 purchase at Goffs UK Breeze-Up in April 2021—an outlay that would a fair bit north of O’Callaghan’s average outlay—TJ ran a remarkable 11 times in his juvenile campaign from five furlongs to seven, winning twice at the shortest trip, including a Gp. 3 and finishing third twice more at group level.

Despite not being anywhere near peak fitness, he pulverised the field in the Gp. 3 Lacken Stakes at Naas on his seasonal reappearance over six furlongs last month; and Leigh Roche had to be at his strongest, not to win, but to pull his charge up. Jet has a season of Gp. 1 targets now. That Jet isn’t the only Crotanstown resident for which this may be the case is a testament to the genius of the man who has selected the vast majority of the 40 horses in the yard—and trains them. 

The string leaves on the dot of 7.30am, riders hi-vis jacketed though it is a clear, bright morning. They must cross at least two, sometimes three, main roads however, depending on what gallops O’Callaghan chooses to use on the vast training grounds. This morning, it’s the Old Vic.

“The first thing I do is I’m watching them as they’re jogging over, to make sure they’re not lame or not abnormally so. Some of them have their own way or take a little while to warm up. And this is a very good warm-up. None of them were on a walker beforehand as they jog a mile to the gallop.” 

Anyone from the outside world looking for one magic secret to training racehorses is on a fool’s errand because obviously, there is a conglomeration of factors. What is certain is that while you may have a system, dependent on the facilities available to you, a one-fits-all approach can never work. As far as O’Callaghan himself is concerned, observation is one watchword. Having people that understand horses and their individuality is another integral element.

“Good horsemen, I think, would make good psychologists... [because] what you’re trying to do is think the way horses think. That’s why I say to young people who ask what would make good horse people, ‘Start thinking the way the horses think.’ 

“They might say, ‘How [do] you do that?’ Quite simple. Put yourself in its head space. Why is he after jumping there or acting the fool? Then you learn very quickly and you become a better horse person for it, instead of just fighting them all the time. You can’t rule with an iron fist.”

It must be difficult though, and frustrating, when the horse cannot talk to you or you to it.

“But no animal can talk, and yet they can understand each other. So maybe the talking complicates things. Some people talk for the sake of talking.”

An articulate communicator, he prefers to look and listen. Interestingly, as he gathers information, he doesn’t take notes, even at the end of the day, for the purposes of refreshing the mind when attempting to solve a puzzle.

“Everything’s in my head. If I wrote it down, I’d forget it straight away. If you want to remember it, you’ll remember it, I think. They say if you said something to Michael Stoute after work, and commented that the horse gave two coughs, he’d write it on his hand with his finger.

“Two coughs,” he verbalises, as he traces the words on the palm of his hand, reconstructing how he imagines the most famous non-cricketing Barbadian doing it.

First lot is headed by Twilight Jet and the returning Steel Bull. Also included are three two-year-olds and an unraced three-year-old. We pause as they cross the bridge to the gallop.

“It’s a simple routine. They ride out six days a week and walk on a Sunday. If they’re running next week or need it, they’ll ride out on a Sunday. They do their regular two seven-furlong canters every day—nice pace. And then they work twice a week. Some horses work three times a week, some only once a week. And some fillies, you might only work them every second week.”

He breaks off to draw your attention to his main man.

“Look at Jet. Some boy, isn’t he? Well behaved. Stands there. On the way back now, he will power walk. You wanna see him. He’s power-walking and the others are jogging just to keep up. He’s just so happy with himself, he knows he’s good. And you see him there heading over now, he’s so laid back, with a bed head still on him.”

We move ahead of the string, to be at the top of the rising track. Willie McCreery is ahead of us. 

“You’re looking that they’re going the pace you want them to go so you’re bringing them forward,” says O’Callaghan, when asked what he wants to see. “Ultimately, you’re building, trying to get them fitter from the last day to the next day.”

The horses approach and gallop past—nostrils flaring, hooves rhythmically pounding. The next lot comprises O’Callaghan’s four acquisitions from the previous week’s Tattersalls Goresbridge breeze-up. 

“It’s the first time I watched them stretch their legs. And they weren’t hanging around.”

The feedback is positive, too. Potential starting points are discussed. There are some tracks he likes to kick off on more than others, including Cork (“The new straight course in Cork is the closest thing you’ll get to a perfect flat track.”), Navan, Leopardstown and of course, the home turf at HQ; but wherever you go, the opposition will be fierce.

“It’s mad when you think about it. We were disappointed when Crispy Cat was beaten by Blackbeard, but then he wins a Gp. 3 by six lengths and becomes [the] favourite for the Coventry. I would say the standard of two-year-olds this year in Ireland is red hot. With Ger Lyons and Jessie Harrington having so many well-bred horses; and then you have obviously Aidan and Joseph and Donnacha (O’Brien)—it has never been as competitive.

“There’s no hiding place in Ireland. None whatsoever.”

That makes winning difficult, but it is upon the resultant demand and market for Irish racehorses that can show promise in such an environment that the trainer’s business model is rooted.

The love of racing came first from picking up the Evening Echo newspaper for his granddad, also Michael, to select a few bets on a Saturday, and then waiting for the results to come up on Teletext.

Once he joined a friend at the nearby riding school, he was hooked. Gradually, he dragged his parents, and particularly his father—another Michael but with no clue about horses—into the web. Junior got a holiday job working for Tom Cooper. His dad, who after retiring from ESB set up a utility infrastructural development company (TLI Group) with his partner Thomas Fitzmaurice that was now booming, decided to buy a mare and some land so he could dabble a bit in breeding and share the journey of a new interest.

He is still doing it now, long since sold on his son’s gift. It is in Michael Sr’s now very recognisable silks of dark blue jacket with red epaulettes and red cap with dark blue star that most of the horses run in. 

O’Callaghan prepped yearlings and worked with stallions at Kilsheelan and Castlehyde Studs, where Paul Shanahan was a valued mentor. 

When his father sold a Galileo foal for €200,000, a plan was hatched to embark on a pinhooking enterprise together. He took the Irish National Stud management course in 2008, which is where he met Siobhain, and rented Millgrove Stud in Rathangan as a 20-year-old, when determining that he needed to be more central to continue his trading operation.

“It was a little bit stupid maybe, but for someone that comes from a background that’s not in horse racing, that hasn’t got a yard to walk into when the father retires, or a farm, or any of that crack, you have to kick on.”

O’Callaghan took out a restricted licence in 2012 and Bogini, bought out of Tracey Collins’ yard to breed from, won in Bath, Sandown and Leopardstown. She produced three winners, including Twitter sensation Caribbean Spring, or Bean, as he is known to his near 7,000 followers.

Bogini sadly died as a nine-year-old, but she sent O’Callaghan on his way. When five of the colts he sold at the breeze-ups the following season won on debut, it dawned on him that he could just move a step further down the line, use his breeze-up knowledge to buy at the sales and increase his profits by trading horses with form. For the most part, it has been a phenomenal success.

He began renting Crotanstown in 2013; and Blue De Vega, Now Or Never and Letters Of Note were early stakes winners, having been bought cheaply—the first two bought by Qatar Racing. More recently, Steel Bull won a maiden three weeks after being bought and the Gp. 3 Molecomb Stakes seven days after that. Twilight Jet is the latest to shine a light on O’Callaghan’s talents.

“I don’t look at the catalogue before I go to the sale,” O’Callaghan reveals. “I can’t let the catalogue taint what I’m seeing. You can’t train a piece of paper… when you can’t afford the pedigree, what comes first is a physical.

“I generally don’t look at a horse before I see them breeze. I watch them all breeze first, pick out by eye what I like the look of by the way they breeze. Generally the times aren’t out in time, so I head down the yard and look at 50 horses that I liked the look of breezing. It’s funny how often it works out that the horses I like the look of breezing; and then you get the team sheet and most of them are there in the top. You get a few ones that are there you didn’t like the look of and a few that you liked the look of that are down further, so you just have to weigh it up.”

So, time isn’t the be-all.

“It’s a big jigsaw, and you’re trying to put all the pieces together. There’s lads trying to make it scientific, analysing strides and this and that. My thought is if you can’t see it with your eye… you have to be able to recognise it.”

Physically, he places a good deal of store in the head, the eye and the ears. It was good enough for Vincent O’Brien, after all. After that, there is a physical make-up he relishes, and his description includes geometric lines from back and front that intersect in the middle of the back. It is easier for him to recognise it, than describe it; but you get the picture. 

He deals primarily in mature, fast horses that will hopefully make into milers.

“You’ve a quicker result,” he reasons. “You’ve a quicker debt if they’re no good.”

It is a balancing act around the business model because as a sportsman, he wants to be in the parade ring on the big days, as he was with Malex in the Irish 2000 Guineas earlier this season. Blue De Vega finished third in the Classic six years ago, Now Or Never filling the same slot in the fillies’ Guineas, 24 hours later.

“The whole world recognises that Irish racing is the most competitive racing there is. You run well in any maiden in Ireland, your horse is sellable; and that’s essentially what I’m doing. Now, I’m training horses for other people as well, and you’re still trying to get the best out of everything; but for the ones we own ourselves, we’re training to trade them.

“That doesn’t mean the first day they turn up at the racecourse, it’s their Derby. They still have to progress. People don’t belong copping on if the horses don’t improve. Part of what I pride myself in is in horses going on and being good horses elsewhere, that I haven’t emptied them. You have to do the right thing by the horse because at the end of the day, if you don’t get to sell them, you still want them progressing. This quick flash is no good to anyone.

“And that doesn’t mean that you don’t go and try and win [the] first time with horses, if they’re good enough. If they’re good enough, the way you train them up to that point, they’ll still progress. 

“Look at Twilight Jet last year.”

He is quick to point out that you would not run too many two-year-olds as often as Twilight Jet bounced out, but this rare type has “an unbelievable constitution” and only failed to fire in the final engagement at Del Mar. He doesn’t believe in wrapping up good horses in cotton wool either. If they are fit, they should run.

The relationship with Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum was founded on winning maidens with three breezers O’Callaghan had obtained for the Dubai royal. He was subsequently sent eight homebreds with fantastic pages, but they weren’t up to the mark. Lesson learned.

“It was a case in point of being sent horses and not having control in buying them, and what you’re given. If José Mourinho put a pair of football boots on me, he wouldn’t turn me into a footballer. It set me back a couple of years because I wasn’t buying as many horses because I hadn’t the space. I quickly realised that you need to control your own destiny. I had to go back to doing what got me there in the first place: buying horses. 

“It takes a lot of funding—takes a lot of balls. It creates a lot of stress [and] takes a lot of support. At the end of the day, you have to make up your mind in what you’re going to do. You have to commit and believe in it. You have to put enough thought into it that it’s not a shot in the dark. 

“It seems to be working and bringing me in the direction I want to go.”

And that is to a thriving, self-sustaining operation. 

“I don’t want to just train horses for a wage. We’re building a new yard at the minute, on the far side of Gilltown Stud between Craddockstown and Dunlavin. Like anyone in business, I like making money, but it’s not all about that. There’s the competitor in me as well that wants to win races. There’s the person that wants to train these good horses and get to these big meetings. 

“What I really love is going to the breeze-ups, finding the horses and then bringing them home, getting them into our system and getting to the track. That’s where I get a lot of satisfaction from… It’s not just about money, but you need to turn them into money because they cost a lot of money; and they don’t all work out.”

A new premise means a modern, clean building made from concrete and steel, full of air, non-porous and conducive to healthy animals. One of his primary focuses is on the storage barn for feed and bedding, which he says cost as much as building another 40 boxes. He places a lot of store in that element of training horses, recalling the words of Mark Johnston: “If we feed them more, we can train them harder.” And bad bedding can wipe out an entire season.

While he will continue to use The Curragh, he is installing a five-furlong uphill gallop built on land that is already 700 feet above sea level. There will be a 10-horse walker and an indoor covered ride. In time, he would love to put in a swimming pool, having seen the benefits with Twilight Jet and especially Steel Bull recovering from getting badly jarred up.

While the emphasis will always be on breezers, there is always a bit of a spread, such as the small breeding operation. He has an eye on a new angle with Twilight Jet: the possibility of turning him into a stallion. 

“You don’t go around touting it because it’s so hard to do, but it’s another way of getting paid. They’re a very valuable asset if you make them up into that sort of a horse and hopefully, Twilight Jet will make it into a horse that will be attractive to stallion men. He’s by Twilight Son, a commercial stallion; he’s such a good-looking horse, he was so hardy as a two-year-old with so much racing. He was a sale-topping two-year-old out of an Exceed And Excel mare. He’s going to be very commercial as a stallion if we can get him to win a Gp. 1 or even be placed in a Gp. 1 because he was such a two-year-old and he’s still so fast.

“We sold 50% of him to Michael Iavarone to go to the Breeders’ Cup, but we retained [the other] 50% of him. You have to get paid when you’re getting paid.”

Around 40–60 horses is his “sweet spot” at the moment, though he doesn’t rule out expanding that in time. But while there are plenty of rewards and he has prospered, it is a stressful life.

“When it’s getting on top of you, that’s the last thing you think about at night, what you think about when you wake up in the middle of the night, and what you think about when you wake up in the morning.

“With horses, a lot of it is out of your control… you have to be able to realise that.” 

He reminds me that Henry Cecil used to go shopping as an escape. While cutting a dapper figure in his suit on race day, O’Callaghan prefers racing Formula Vee cars at Mondello Park to the high street. He learned to fly planes before that but as well as providing an adrenaline rush, racing has the added benefit of being competitive, without him ever thinking he is going to usurp Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton any day. 

What often strikes this observer is the talent O’Callaghan has for procuring horses—at what often turns out to be value and turning them into a profit, which might quite easily have never been discovered, given his background. Is what he sees innate, or can anyone learn it?

“You can learn. You have to have the head to learn, and maybe there’s an innate ability there. I don’t know. I’ve learned everything. I’ve the type of brain that if I have an interest in something, I’ll immerse myself in it and I’ll learn as much as I can about it. I’ll nearly become addicted to it. I think everybody that excels in a sphere, they have to have that.”

He has certainly immersed himself in this racing world, combining high-stakes poker with a business plan. 

“This game, the way I’m doing it, you’re all-in, every day. A bad year would wipe you out. What you’re doing is you’re trying to get a right beano of a year to put you on a footing with a bit of comfort. But look, Jim Bolger is all-in, every day, too. At this stage of his life he is probably not actually, but there was a point for a long time that he was.

“You have to back yourself.”

And deliver. So far, so good.

Remembering Sunday Silence and his lasting global influence

By Nancy Sexton 

For over a quarter of a century, there has been an air of inevitability within Japanese racing circles. Sunday Silence dominated the sire standings in Japan for 13 straight years, from 1995 to 2007—his last championship arriving five years after his death. He was a true game changer for the Japanese industry, not only as a brilliant source of elite talent but as a key to the development of Japan as a respected racing nation. Any idea that his influence would abate in the years following his death was swiftly quashed by an array of successful sire sons and productive daughters. In his place, Deep Impact rose to become a titan of the domestic industry. Others such as Heart’s Cry, Stay Gold, Agnes Tachyon, Gold Allure and Daiwa Major also became significant sires in their own right. Added to that, Sunday Silence is also a multiple-champion broodmare sire and credited as the damsire of 203 stakes winners and 18 champions. “Thoroughbreds can be bought or sold,” says Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, which bought Sunday Silence out of America in late 1990 and cultivated him into a global force. “As Nasrullah sired Bold Ruler, who changed the world’s breeding capital from Europe to the U.S., one stallion can change the world. Sunday Silence is exactly such a stallion for the Japanese thoroughbred industry.”

Sunday Silence ant Pat Valenzuela winning the 1989 Kentucky Derby

Sunday Silence has been dead close to 20 years, yet the Japanese sires’ table remains an ode to his influence. In 2021, Deep Impact landed his tenth straight sires’ championship with Heart’s Cry and Deep Impact’s rising son Kizuna in third and fourth. Six of the top 11 finishers were sons or grandsons of Sunday Silence. Deep Impact was also once again the year’s top sire of two- and three-year-olds. Against that, it is estimated that up to approximately 70% of the Japanese broodmare population possess Sunday Silence in their background. All the while, his influence remains on an upswing worldwide, notably via the respect held for Deep Impact. A horse who ably built on the international momentum set by Sunday Silence, his sons at stud today range from the European Classic winners Study Of Man and Saxon Warrior—who are based in Britain and Ireland—to a deep domestic bench headed by the proven Gp 1 sires Kizuna and Real Impact alongside Shadai’s exciting new recruit Contrail. In short, the thoroughbred owes a lot to Sunday Silence.

Inauspicious beginnings

Roll back to 1988, however, and the mere idea of Sunday Silence as one of the great fathers of the breed would have been laughable. For starters, he almost died twice before he had even entered training. The colt was bred by Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds Ltd in Kentucky with appealing credentials as a son of Halo, then in his early seasons at Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm. Halo had shifted to Kentucky in 1984 as a middle-aged stallion with a colourful existence already behind him. By Hail To Reason and closely related to Northern Dancer, Halo had been trained by Mack Miller to win the 1974 Gr 1 United Nations Handicap.

It was those bloodlines and latent talent that prompted film producer Irving Allen to offer owner Charles Englehard a bid of $600,000 for the horse midway through his career. Allen’s idea was to install Halo in England at his Derisley Wood Stud in Newmarket; and his bid was accepted only for it to be revealed that his new acquisition was a crib-biter. As such, the deal fell through, and Halo was returned to training, with that Gr 1 triumph as due reward.

Queen Elizabeth II meets Halo

Would Halo have thrived in England? It’s an interesting question. As it was, he retired to E. P. Taylor Windfields Farm in Maryland,  threw champion Glorious Song in his first crop, Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo in his third and Devil’s Bag—a brilliant two-year-old of 1983—in his fourth. Devil’s Bag’s exploits were instrumental in Halo ending the year as North America’s champion sire. Within months, the stallion was ensconced at Stone Farm, having been sold in a deal that reportedly valued the 15-year-old at $36 million. Chief among the new ownership was Texas oilman Tom Tatham of Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds. In 1985, Tatham sent the hard-knocking Wishing Well, a Gr2-winning daughter of Understanding, to the stallion. The result was a near black colt born at Stone Farm on March 26, 1986.

It is part of racing’s folklore how Sunday Silence failed to capture the imagination as a young horse—something that is today vividly recalled by Hancock.

“My first recollection of him was as a young foal,” he recalls. “He was grey back then—he would later turn black. 

“I was driving through the farm, and I looked into one of the fields and saw this grey colt running. The others were either nursing or sleeping, but there was this colt running and jumping through the mares. 

"We had a number of foals on the place at the time, and I wasn’t sure which one it was, so I rang Chester Williams, our broodmare manager. I said, ‘Hey Chester, who is this grey foal in 17?’ And he told me it was the Wishing Well colt. He was flying—he would turn at 45 degree angles and cut in and out of the mares. And I remember thinking even then, ‘Well, he can sure fly.’

“Then on Thanksgiving Day later that year, he got this serious diarrhea. We had about 70 foals on the farm, and he was the only one that got it; we had no idea where he got it from. Anyway, it was very bad. I called our vet, Carl Morrison, and between 9 a.m. and midday, we must have given him 23 litres of fluids. 

“We really thought he was going to die, but Sunday Silence just wouldn’t give up. Obviously it set him back some; he was ribby for a few weeks. But I have never seen anything like it in a foal during 50 years at Stone Farm, and at Claiborne before then; and I remember thinking then that it was a spooky thing for him to get it and then to fight through it the way he did.”

Arthur Hancock

As Hancock outlines, Sunday Silence was very much Halo’s son—not just as a black colt with a thin white facial strip but as a tough animal with a streak of fire. Halo had arrived from Maryland with a muzzle and a warning. Confident that a muzzle was an overreaction, Stone Farm’s stallion men worked initially without it, albeit against Hancock’s advice. It wasn’t long until the muzzle went back on. Not long after his arrival, Halo ‘grabbed the stallion man Randy Mitchell in the stomach and threw him in the air like a rag doll.’

“Halo then got on his knees on top of Randy,” recalls Hancock, “and began munching on his stomach. Virgil Jones, who was with Randy, starts yelling at Halo and hitting him with his fist. Halo let go, and they managed to get him off. “After that, the muzzle stayed on.”

Sunday Silence possessed a similar toughness. Indeed, that mental hardiness is a trait that continues to manifest itself in the line today, although not quite to the danger level of Halo.

“Sunday Silence had a lot of guts and courage, even then,” remembers Hancock. “I remember being down at the yearling barn before the sale and hearing this yell. It was from one of the yearling guys, Harvey. Sunday Silence had bitten him in the back—I’d never had a yearling do it before then and haven’t had one since.”

He adds: “When he came back here after his racing days, we had a photographer come to take some shots of him. Sunday Silence was in his paddock, and we were trying to get him to raise his head. I went in there and shook a branch to get his attention. Well, he looked up, bared his teeth and started to come after me—he was moving at me, head down like a cat. And I said, ‘No you’re ok there boy; you just continue to graze’ and let him be.

“He was Halo’s son, that’s for sure, because Wishing Well was a nice mare. Sunday Silence had a mind of his own, even as a yearling. I remember we couldn’t get him to walk well at the sales because he’d pull back against the bit all the time.”

It was that mental toughness and the memory of Sunday Silence flying through the fields as a young foal that remained with Hancock when the colt headed to the Keeneland July Sale. Then an individual with suspect hocks—a trait that still sometimes manifests itself in his descendants today—he was bought back on a bid of $17,000.

Staci and Arthur Hancock

“I thought he’d bring between $30,000 and $50,000,” he says. “So when it was sitting at $10,000, I started bidding and bought him back at $17,000. I took the ticket to Tom Tatham out the back of the pavilion and said, ‘Here, Tom, he was too cheap; I bought him back.’ And Tom said, ‘But Ted Keefer [Oak Cliff advisor] didn’t like him, and we don’t want him.’ 

“I remember we had another one that was about to sell, so I just said, ‘Ok Tom,’ put the ticket in my shirt pocket, walked away and thought, ‘Well, I just blew another $17,000.’ 

Another scrape with death

Hancock then tried his luck at the two-year-old sales in partnership with Paul Sullivan. The colt was sent to Albert Yank in California and catalogued to the Californian March Two-Year-Old Sale at Hollywood Park, again failed to sell—this time falling to World Wide Bloodstock (aka Hancock)—on a bid of $32,000, well below his owner’s valuation of $50,000.

“I told Paul and he said, ‘Well, I’ll take my $16,000 then,’” recalls Hancock.

So the colt was loaded up for a return trip to Kentucky. Then more ill-luck intervened. The driver suffered a fatal heart attack while on a north Texas highway, and the van crashed, killing several of its load. Sunday Silence survived but was injured.

“Sunday Silence was in the vets for about a week,” says Hancock. “He could hardly walk, and then Carl Morrison rings me and says, ‘Arthur, I think he’s a wobbler.’ I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ He said that all he could do was leave him in a paddock and see what happened. 

“So he left him out there, and about a week later, he rings me and says, ‘You need to come to barn 16 and see this Wishing Well colt.’ It was unbelievable. I went down there, and there he was, ripping and running around just like he was a foal. It was a miracle—a spooky thing.”

Therefore Sunday Silence had already lived a pretty full life by the time he joined Charlie Whittingham in California. A true master of his profession, Whittingham handled over 250 stakes winners during his 49 years as a trainer, among them such champions as Ack Ack, Ferdinand and Cougar alongside the European imports Dahlia and Exceller. Appropriately, Cougar would go on to stand at Stone Farm, where he sired Hancock’s 1982 Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol.

“Charlie Whittingham had seen Sunday Silence in California and rang me to ask about him,” says Hancock. “I told him I’d sell him half to $25,000. And he said, ‘But you bought him back for $32,000.’ Well the year before, we’d had Risen Star [subsequent winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes] go through Keeneland for $250,000. Charlie had asked about taking half of him, but we had wanted $300,000, so said, ‘Sure you can buy half for $150,000.’ And he had declined. 

“I reminded him of that, and he chuckled and said, ‘Well, I’d better take it this time.’”

He adds: “Charlie was a brilliant horseman with a lot of experience. He was very smart. He had a sixth sense about horses. And he had great patience, like those great trainers do. Without Charlie, I don’t think Sunday Silence would have reached the level that he did. He just took his time with him.” 

Whittingham paid Hancock $25,000 for a half share in the colt and later sold half of that share to a friend, surgeon Ernest Galliard. Within no time, that looked like a good bit of business. 

It is a fine reflection of the trainer and his staff, in particular work rider Pam Mabes, that Sunday Silence’s temperament was successfully honed. In Jay Hovdey’s biography of the trainer, the colt is likened to ‘Al Capone singing with the Vienna Boys Choir’—his morning exercise routinely punctuated by bad behaviour.

“They’d take him out every day before dawn,” recalls Hancock. “I remember he had a thing about grey lead horses. Every time he saw one, he’d just go after it. 

“Charlie called me one morning—4 a.m. his time; he’d always get to the barn at 4 a.m. I answered, thinking, What’s he doing calling me at this time? I said, ‘Hey Charlie, what you doing?’ He said, ‘Just waiting on the help.’ I knew he had something on his mind. Then he said, ‘You know what, this big black son of a bitch can run a little’—Charlie was a master of the understatement.’” 

Brought along steadily by Whittingham, Sunday Silence romped to a 10-length win second time out at Hollywood Park in November 1988. And after running second in an allowance race, he returned at three to win his first two races: an allowance and the San Felipe Handicap.

While he was emerging as a potential Classic candidate on the West Coast, Ogden Phipps’ homebred Easy Goer was laying down the gauntlet in New York. A handsome red son of Alydar with regal Phipps bloodlines trained by Shug McGaughey, Easy Goer was evoking comparisons with Secretariat, capturing the Gr1 Cowdin and Champagne Stakes at two before running out the 13-length winner of the Gotham Stakes in a record time early on at three. To many observers, he appealed as the likely winner of the Kentucky Derby, if not the Triple Crown. Indeed, theirs would become an east-west rivalry that would enthral racegoers during the 1989 season.

The pair met for the first time in the Kentucky Derby. Sunday Silence, partnered by Pat Valenzuela, was fresh off an 11-length win in the Santa Anita Derby. Easy Goer, though, had won the Wood Memorial in impressive style and was therefore the crowd’s choice. Yet on a muddy track, Sunday Silence had the upper hand, winning with authority over an uncomfortable Easy Goer in second.

“Of all his races, the Kentucky Derby stands out,” says Hancock. “We’d been fortunate enough to win it with Gato Del Sol, and I’m a Kentuckian; so to win it again meant a lot. “It was an extremely cold day, it was spitting snow, and Sunday Silence was weaving all the way down the stretch. Yet he still won.” 

With many feeling that the track had not played to Easy Goer’s strengths, he was fancied to turn the tables in the Preakness Stakes. However, once again, Sunday Silence emerged as the superior, albeit following an iconic, eye-balling stretch duel. Easy Goer did gain his revenge in the Belmont Stakes, making the most of the 1m4f distance and Belmont Park’s sweeping turns to win by eight lengths. The Triple Crown was gone, but Sunday Silence would later turn the tables in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where his ability to deploy tactical speed at a crucial moment turned out to be a winning move against his longer-striding rival.

Charlie Whittingham and wife Peggy with jockey Pat Valenzuela after winning the 1989 Preakness Stakes

“The Breeders’ Cup just sealed everything—champion three-year-old and Horse of the Year,” says Hancock. “It was the great showdown. Chris McCarron was able to use him at just the right time and Easy Goer, with that long stride of his, was closing. It was a great race.” Crowned Horse of the Year, Sunday Silence underwent arthroscopic knee surgery which delayed his four-year-old return to June, when he won the Californian Stakes. A head second to Criminal Type in the Hollywood Gold Cup next time out brought the curtain down on a spectacular career.

No takers

Sunday Silence in the paddock at Belmont Park

Plans called for Sunday Silence to join his sire Halo at Stone Farm. A wonderful racehorse who danced every dance, there were grounds for thinking that Sunday Silence would be an asset to the Kentucky bloodstock landscape. But breeding racehorses even then also adhered to commercial restrictions, and as a cheap yearling with suspect hocks and an underwhelming female line, he did little to spark interest. This was in contrast to Easy Goer, who retired to much fanfare at Claiborne Farm.

“We tried to syndicate him and called people everywhere—Kentucky, England, France, and the answer was always the same,” says Hancock. “It became apparent very quickly that people wouldn’t use him.

“It was spread around the industry that he was a fluke, another Seabiscuit or Citation who could run but that would be no good at stud. It was said that he was crooked, which he wasn’t, and that he was sickle-hocked, which he was as a young horse but grew out of. He was an ugly duckling that grew into a swan.

“We had three people on the books to take shares and two that would send mares. Then I spoke to my brother Seth at Claiborne, and he had 40 contracts to send out for Easy Goer. 

“At the same time, [U.S. President] Ronald Reagan changed the tax laws, and land became worth a lot less, as did shares in horses.”

The Yoshidas had already bought into the horse and suddenly, Hancock was left with little choice.

“At the same time, I got a call from a representative of Teruya Yoshida saying that Shadai would be interested in buying the whole horse,” he says. “They were offering $250,000 per share. I talked to a number of people about it—Bill Young at Overbrook Farm, Warner Jones; and they all said the same thing: that it was a no-brainer to sell. 

“At the end of the day, I had two contracts and three shares sold. I owed money. I had to sell.

“The day he left, I loaded him up myself; and I don’t mind admitting that when that van went down the drive, I cried.”

He adds: “Basically, the Japanese outsmarted everybody.” 

An immediate success

Out of a first crop of 67 foals, Sunday Silence sired 53 winners. A total of 22 of 36 starters won at two, led by champion two-year-old Fuji Kiseki, whose success in the Gr1 Asahi Hai Futurity set the scene for events to come. A tendon injury restricted Fuji Kiseki to just one further start when successful in a Gr2 the following year. Yet that failed to stop the Sunday Silence juggernaut. 

Genuine and Tayasu Tsuyoshi ran first and second in the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and later dominated the Japanese Derby, with Tayasu Tsuyoshi turning the tables. Dance Partner also landed the Japanese Oaks. As such, Sunday Silence ended 1997 as Japan’s champion sire despite the presence of only two crops.

That first crop would also come to include Marvelous Sunday, who led home a one-two for his sire in the 1997 Gp 1 Takarazuka Kinen. In no time at all, Sunday Silence had sealed his place as a successor to earlier Shadai heavyweight Northern Taste.

“I believe Sunday Silence was a stallion that possessed the potential to be very successful anywhere in the world,” reflects Teruya Yoshida. “We were just lucky to be able to introduce him to Japan as a stallion. 

“He changed the Japanese breeding industry completely, especially as he sired successful sons as race horses and stallions. Those sons have again sired successful grandsons.

“It is extraordinary that one stallion continued to produce good quality stallions over three generations. Today, it is said that approximately 60-70% of the Japanese broodmares have Sunday Silence in their female lines.”

Another top two-year-old, Bubble Gum Fellow, emerged from his second crop alongside a second 2,000 Guineas winner in Ishino Sunday and St Leger hero Dance In The Dark. Stay Gold, Sunday Silence’s first real international performer of note by virtue of his wins in the Hong Kong Vase and Dubai Sheema Classic, followed in his third while another Japanese Derby winner followed in his fourth in Special Week, also successful in the Japan Cup.

And so it continued. In all, his stud career came to consist of six Japanese Derby winners (Tayasu Tsuyoshi, Special Week, Admire Vega, Agnes Flight, Neo Universe and Deep Impact), seven 2,000 Guineas winners (Genuine, Ishino Sunday, Air Shakur, Agnes Tachyon, Neo Universe, Daiwa Major and Deep Impact), four St Leger winners (Dance In The Dark, Air Shakur, Manhattan Cafe and Deep Impact) and three 1,000 Guineas winners (Cherry Grace, Still In Love and Dance In The Mood). While a number of those good Sunday Silence runners became fan favourites, there’s no doubt that the best arrived posthumously in the champion Deep Impact. A member of his penultimate crop and out of the Epsom Oaks runner-up Wind In Her Hair, Deep Impact swept the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown and another four Gp 1 races, including the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen, at four. One of Japan’s most popular horses in history, he also ran third in the 2007 Arc.

Fittingly, Deep Impact was also quick to fill the void left at Shadai by his sire’s death from laminitis in 2002.

International acclaim 

The Japanese bloodstock industry during the mid-1990s was still relatively isolated from the rest of the world, better known certainly in Europe as the destination for a slew of Epsom Derby winners. Sunday Silence would change all that.

As word of his dominance at stud grew, so did international interest. Teruya Yoshida was swift to capitalise. In 1998, he sent his homebred Sunday Silence filly, Sunday Picnic, to be trained in Chantilly by André Fabre. It was a successful endeavour as the filly won the Prix Cleopatre and ran fourth to Ramruma in the Oaks. By that stage, Shadai had also entered into a partnership with John Messara of Arrowfield Stud with the principal idea of breeding mares to Sunday Silence on southern hemisphere time. Again, the move proved to be a success. Out of a limited pool of Australian-bred runners, Sunday Silence threw the 2003 AJC Oaks heroine Sunday Joy, who would go on to produce eight-time Gp 1 winner More Joyous and Listed winner Keep The Faith, subsequently a Gp 1 sire.

Sheikh Mohammed also joined the fray, notably by sending a relation to Miesque, the Woodman mare Wood Vine, to Sunday Silence in 1998. The resulting foal, the Irish-bred Silent Honor, was trained by David Loder to win the 2001 Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket. Silent Honor was the opening chapter of a successful association for the Sheikh with Sunday Silence that also came to include Godolphin’s 1,000 Guineas runner-up Sundrop, a JRHA Select Foal Sale purchase, and homebred Gp 3 winner Layman. Layman was foaled in the same 2002 crop as the Wertheimer’s high-class miler Silent Name. Initially trained in France by Criquette Head-Maarek, Silent Name was a dual Listed winner before heading to the U.S., where he won the Gr 2 Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup for Gary Mandella. Similarly, patronage of Sunday Silence also reaped rewards for the Niarchos family as the sire of their influential producer Sun Is Up, subsequently the dam of their top miler Karakontie. At the same time, several Japanese-trained horses were advertising the stallion to good effect on a global scale, notably Zenno Rob Roy, who ran a close second in the 2005 Juddmonte International, and Heart’s Cry, who was third in the King George a year later.

Sunday Silence at Shadai Stallion Station, Japan

Sire of sires

Meanwhile, it was becoming very apparent just how effective Sunday Silence was becoming as a sire of sires. Shadai was initially home to plenty of them, including the short-lived Agnes Tachyon, who left behind a real star in champion Daiwa Scarlet, and Fuji Kiseki, the sire of champions Kinshasa No Kiseki and Sun Classique. Stay Gold’s successful stud career was led by the household names Orfevre, who ran placed in two Arcs and is now a proven Gp 1 stallion for Shadai, and Gold Ship. Japan Dirt Derby winner Gold Allure became a leading dirt sire—his record led by champions Copano Rickey, Espoir City and Gold Dream. Manhattan Café is the sire of five Gp 1 winners. As for Special Week, he sired champion Buena Vista and Gr 1 winner Cesario, now regarded as something of a blue hen. 

Those sons still in production are entering the twilight years of their stud career. The death of Deep Impact in July 2019 robbed Japan of its international heavyweight stallion. Similarly, the announcement that fellow Shadai stallion Heart’s Cry would be retired ahead of the 2021 season removed a very able substitute. Often in the shadow of Deep Impact, Heart’s Cry evolved into an exceptional sire for whom an international profile consisted of the British Gp 1 winner Deirdre, American Gr 1 winner Yoshida and Japanese champion Lys Gracieux, the 2019 Cox Plate heroine. 

However, another Shadai stallion, Daiwa Major, remains in service at the age of 21. Well regarded as a fine source of two-year-olds and milers, he earned international recognition in 2019 as the sire of Hong Kong Mile winner Admire Mars, now also a Shadai stallion. Neo Universe, best known as the sire of Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa, and Zenno Rob Roy are also proven Gp 1 sires as is Deep Impact’s brother Black Tide, the sire of champion Kitasan Black. The latter is also now based at Shadai and the sire of Gp 2 winner Equinox out of his first crop of two-year-olds.

As such, even without Deep Impact, Sunday Silence’s influence as a sire of sires would have been immense. Deep Impact, however, took matters to another level. To date, he is the sire of 53 Gp 1 or Gr 1 winners. As far as Japan is concerned, they cover the spectrum, ranging from Horse of the Year Gentildonna to the 2020 Triple Crown hero Contrail—one of seven Japanese Derby winners by the stallion—and a host of top two-year-olds. Significantly, Deep Impact had been exposed to an international racing audience when third past the post in the 2007 Arc and that played out in a healthy level of outside support when he retired to Shadai for the 2008 season. 

For the Wildenstein family, that reaped major rewards in the form of their Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Beauty Parlour, her Listed-winning brother Barocci and French Gp 3 winner Aquamarine. That early success, as well as his growing reputation in Japan, helped to pique the attention of Coolmore. The Irish powerhouse began sending mares in 2013 and were swiftly rewarded by the 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior, now part of the Coolmore roster in Ireland, and the Gp 1-placed September out of a limited pool of foals. The Prix de Diane heroine Fancy Blue followed in 2020. 

Yet better was to come in 2021 in the top three-year-old Snowfall. Bred by Coolmore in Japan out of Best In The World, a high-class Galileo sister to Found, the filly made giant strides from two to three for Aidan O’Brien to sweep the Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks. Her wide-margin victories in those summer highlights placed Snowfall in rarefied company while further illustrating just how well Deep Impact clicked with some of those high-flying Galileo mares. The same cross has one final chance to shine through the stallion’s last, small crop which includes two-year-olds out of the top Ballydoyle race mares Rhododendron, Minding and Hydrangea. Aidan O’Brien’s yard also houses a brother to Saxon Warrior who is out of the top two-year-old Maybe. Similarly, the Niarchos family, who patronised him from the outset, bred Le Prix du Jockey Club hero Study Of Man, whose Classic campaign in 2018 coincided with that of Saxon Warrior’s. Indeed, Deep Impact was at the height of his international powers when succumbing to a neck injury at the age of 17 in the summer of 2019.

Global exposure

While Deep Impact would build on the global foundations laid by his sire, there was a determination during the intervening years between Sunday Silence’s death and Deep Impact’s own success to expose the blood to a global audience. Chief among them was French-based agent Patrick Barbe, who sourced a number of sons to stand in France, and Frank Stronach, who purchased Silent Name to stand at his Adena Springs Farm. Barbe was the force behind importing an eclectic group of Sunday Silence horses to stand at Haras de Lonray during the mid-2000s. They were invariably priced towards the lower end of the market, yet Barbe was rewarded for his foresight, in particular through the addition of Divine Light, whose first French crop yielded the 1000 Guineas and Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Natagora.

“I have worked with Shadai for over 35 years,” he says, “and I thought it would be interesting to bring the Sunday Silence bloodline to Europe—it hadn’t been tried very much at the time. It can be difficult to educate breeders about different blood, but people had already had slight exposure to Sunday Silence, so it wasn’t too bad. 

“Rosen Kavalier was one of the first we brought over. Then we imported Divine Light. Teruya Yoshida had mentioned to me that he thought he was going to do well at stud, as he had been an extremely good sprinter. But he covered only nine mares in his first season in Japan. So we brought him to France, and in his first crop, he sired Natagora.”

As fate would have it, Natagora’s true ability came to light in the months following his sale to the Jockey Club of Turkey. Divine Light left behind just under 100 foals from his time in France and went on to enjoy further success in Turkey as the sire of champion My Dear Son.

“Divine Light was a good-looking horse,” says Barbe. “He was out of a Northern Taste mare and was compact—very similar to Northern Dancer.” He adds: “Sunday Silence was a phenomenal sire, but he also had a pedigree that was similar to Northern Dancer. I feel that was the reason that he did very well with Northern Taste, who was obviously also inbred to Lady Angela [the dam of Nearctic] himself.”

Divine Light wasn’t the only success story out of the French Sunday Silence experiment. While Rosen Kavalier was compromised by fertility problems, Gp 3 winner Great Journey sired several smart runners, while Gp 2 winner Agnes Kamikaze left behind a clutch of winners.

“Great Journey was a very good racehorse and became a consistent sire,” says Barbe. “He did well as the sire of Max Dynamite—a very good stayer—and Soleil d’Octobre, who won two Listed races.”

Today, the sole son of Sunday Silence available in either Europe or North America is Silent Name. Now 20 years old, he has found his niche within the Canadian market as a source of durable, talented runners—in a nutshell, what we have come to expect from the sireline.

Silent Name

Despite never standing for more than C$10,000, Canada’s three-time champion sire is responsible for over 30 black-type winners, making him the nation’s leading sire of a lifetime of stakes winners. They include champion sprinter Summer Sunday, Brazilian Gp 1 winner Jaspion Silent and last year’s Gp 1 Highlander Stakes winner Silent Poet. So although entering the veteran stage of his stud career, momentum behind the stallion continues to remain robust at a fee of C$7,500, as Adena Springs North manager Dermot Carty explains.

“Silent Name started out with us in Kentucky, but in 2008, we decided to bring him to Canada along with Sligo Bay,” he says. “He got three good books off the bat. At the same time, he shuttled to Brazil, and then just as his first Kentucky crop hit, he was sent to New York [where he spent two seasons with McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds]. 

“I pleaded to bring him back to Canada. People were starting to buy them, they were liking them, and the smaller trainers were doing well with them. 

“He’s a really good-looking horse—strong, a little bit sickle-hocked but with good bone. And he’s a tough horse, as tough as they go.

“When we bought him, he was really the only big horse in the pedigree, but it’s a typical Wertheimer family, and it’s improved a lot since then.” In fact, Silent Name is a half-brother to Galiway—a current rags-to-riches story of the French scene whose early crops include last year’s Qipco British Champions Stakes winner Sealiway.

“He’s out of a Danehill mare who is out of a Blushing Groom mare who is out of a Raja Baba mare,” adds Carty. “They’re all big influences.

“A lot of them can run on Polytrack, but they also excel on turf.

“He was the leading sire in Canada for three years straight; the last horse to do that was Bold Executive. Frank has sent a pile of mares to him in recent years and done very well. He’s going to get you a tough horse—people who like to race like him.”

Walmac Farm in Kentucky also made an early foray into Sunday Silence blood with the acquisition of Hong Kong Gp 1 winner Hat Trick in 2008. Latterly based at Gainesway Farm, Hat Trick threw top French two-year-old Dabirsim in his first crop and in turn, that horse sired Albany Stakes winner Different League out of his own debut crop. Noted for siring stock that comes to hand quickly, Dabirsim remains popular at Haras de Grandcamp in Normandy, also home to Deep Impact’s talented son Martinborough. Hat Trick died in 2020 and today, Kentucky representation of the Sunday Silence line relies on the young WinStar stallion Yoshida. A son of Heart’s Cry, he was sourced out of the JRHA Select Sale and went on to land the 2018 Woodward Stakes. He was popular in his first season at stud in 2020, covering 145 mares; and his first foals sold for up to $150,000 at the Kentucky winter breeding stock sales.

Fruitful experiment

Meanwhile, the retirements of Saxon Warrior to Coolmore in Ireland and Study Of Man to Lanwades Stud in Newmarket provide European breeders with quality access to Deep Impact blood. Saxon Warrior’s first crop sold for up to €540,000 as yearlings last year and are now in the yards of Aidan O’Brien, William Haggas and Mark Johnston among others. 

The first crop of Study Of Man are yearlings of 2022. As would be expected from a Niarchos homebred who stands at Lanwades Stud, he is being well supported by his powerful connections, as highlighted by the stud’s owner Kirsten Rausing in a piece with The Owner Breeder magazine last June. 

STUDY OF MAN

“I have sent him all my best mares,” she said. “I have nine from the Alruccaba family and a number of others from different families, including a very nice filly out of [Gp 1 winner] Lady Jane Digby and others out of Cubanita [a dual Gp 3 winner] and Leaderene [dam of current Australian stakes winner Le Don De Vie].

“It’s early days, but he looks to be a true-breeding bay. I would also say that a few of them look to have a bit of Sunday Silence about them.”

From the Niarchos’ point of view, utilising Study Of Man allows them to tap into inbreeding to his granddam, the family’s excellent miler and blue hen Miesque. Hers is one of the finest families worldwide and it is indicative of the high regard in which the Niarchos held Sunday Silence that they chose to support him with several members of the family.

“The relationship between the Niarchos family and Shadai dates back to when they bought Hector Protector from us,” recalls Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos family. “We had breeding rights in the horse, and we said, well we better send some mares to Japan and use him, which worked out well as we went on to breed [champion] Shiva. 

“And that led us to using Sunday Silence. The Sunday Silence adventure was very fruitful. It was lovely to get some fillies by him, and we’re still benefitting today from them.”

Among the mares sent to Sunday Silence was Miesque’s Listed-winning daughter Moon Is Up. The resulting foal, Sun Is Up, never ran but went on to throw Karakontie, whose three Gp 1 victories included the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Breeders’ Cup Mile. Study Of Man is out of Miesque’s Storm Cat daughter Second Happiness while another mare, Metaphor, foaled the Listed-placed Celestial Lagoon, in turn the dam of Dante Stakes runner-up Highest Ground.

“We also obviously had a lot of success breeding from Deep Impact through Study Of Man,” says Cooper. “We also have a filly named Harajuku, who won the Prix Cleopatre last year. Another Deep Impact that we bred, Dowsing, is now at stud in Indiana. 

“It’s been a very good experience breeding in Japan. The Sunday Silence line seems to have a bit of character, but I think as with anything to do with Halo, if they’re good, they’re very, very good.”

The Niarchos family are also in the privileged position of owning a two-year-old from the final, small crop of Deep Impact. The filly in question is out of the Listed-placed Malicieuse, a Galileo half-sister to Arc hero Bago.

In Kentucky, meanwhile, the Niarchos family have also thrown their weight behind Karakontie at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. The son of Bernstein is emerging as one of the most versatile stallions in North America, thanks to a clutch of early stakes winners that range from Princess Grace, a Graded stakes winner on both turf and dirt, to Del Mar Derby winner None Above The Law. Interestingly, Princess Grace is the product of a Silent Name mare, meaning that she is inbred to Sunday Silence. Indeed, she is the first stakes winner outside of Japan to carry his inbreeding.

Too much of a good thing?

Can there be too much of a good thing? In Sunday Silence, the Japanese racing scene has been dominated to such a degree—through both his sons and daughters—that outcrosses aren’t always easily available. And when such an animal does retire to stud in Japan, quite often their success is a reflection of their ability to cross effectively with Sunday Silence-line mares—the likes of Lord Kanaloa and Harbinger being notable examples.

In addition, successful inbreeding to Sunday Silence has taken time to gain momentum. However, in recent years, the tide has started to change.

Aside from Princess Grace, one recent major flag bearer has been the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown heroine Daring Tact. Efforia, who defeated Contrail in last year’s Gp 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), is another fine advert among a group of 19 stakes winners from a pool of close to 4,000 named foals. 

One of the greatest

Sunday Silence might be receding in pedigrees, but his influence has never been stronger. Many of the line remain easily distinguishable with their dark coat and rangy stature; for the most part, they are hardy runners with a physical and mental toughness to them. 

“All these horses—they ran forever,” says Barbe. “They’re tough, train on and they’re sound. Whatever their level, they are consistent horses with a longevity to them.”

Granted, those descendants of Sunday Silence now coming through at stud in Japan aren’t always helped by having to compete with each other. But at the same time, the omens remain good, particularly in relation to Deep Impact’s own legacy as a sire of sires, which already includes the successful Shadai sires Kizuna and Real Impact. The latter became the first son of his sire to be represented by a Gp 1 winner when Lauda Sion won the 2020 NHK Mile Cup while Kizuna ends 2021 a top-four Japanese stallion, thanks to the exploits of the recent Gp 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Akai Ito and the Prix Foy hero Deep Bond. 

Another young son, Silver State, is Japan’s second leading first-crop sire of 2021; only a minor four-time winner himself, he has already exceeded expectations by throwing the Gp 1-placed Water Navillera in his first crop.

The presence of Saxon Warrior and Study Of Man in Europe and other Gp 1 performers such as Satono Aladdin, Staphanos and Tosen Stardom in Australasia fuels the idea that this branch of the line is only going to become more powerful on a global scale. In short, international respect for the sireline is also at an all time high.

“Thanks to Sunday Silence, the Japanese racehorses earn respect from horsemen around the world today,” says Yoshida. “In return, breeders tend to find good broodmares to send to good stallions—Japanese breeders today buy a lot of good broodmares in the international markets. 

“This enables Japanese breeding to keep developing. So you can imagine how strong Sunday’s impact is to our industry.”

Stable Staff: How do European governments classify and enforce racing's workforce?

By Lissa Oliver

Just over a year ago, in February 2017, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) served four Compliance Notices on Ballydoyle, the training establishment owned by Coolmore. Irish trainers held their breath as the result of an appeal by Ballydoyle was anxiously awaited. That appeal was rejected in January of this year and will result in major repercussions for the industry.

The WRC was established in October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015 and replaced the National Employment Rights Authority, the Labour Relations Commission, and the Director of the Equality Tribunal. During an inspection of Ballydoyle in May 2016, WRC inspectors identified breaches of the Organisation of Working Time Act, involving failure to provide sufficient breaks and rest periods for five grooms and exercise riders.

View fullsize

This situation arose from what many would argue to be the unnecessary February 2015 Irish Amendment of the 1976 Industrial Relations Act, which was amended to exclude the rearing and training of racehorses from being recognised as agricultural labour. Interestingly, stud farms and their staff are not affected by this ruling, as horse breeding is still considered to be an agricultural activity.

The amendment made was not required by European law, but individual nation states are free to make such exemptions within their own legal system as they deem necessary. Therefore, since February 2015, Irish racehorse training yards do not qualify for the same working hours exemptions that have been agreed in agricultural workplaces, as defined by industrial relations law.

The 2015 Amendment was not widely publicised and escaped the attention of most trainers, but the WRC targets two industries each year for inspections, and the equine industry was among those specifically targeted for 2017, with around 60 inspections carried out.

Why Ireland’s racing staff are not agricultural workers...

TO READ MORE --

BUY THIS ISSUE IN PRINT OR DOWNLOAD -

April - June 2018, issue 61 (PRINT)

£8.95

Quantity:

Add to Cart

April - June 2018, issue 61 (DIGITAL)

£4.95

Add to Cart

Why not subscribe?

Don't miss out and subscribe to receive the next four issues!

EMHF - Our concern for horse welfare takes a myriad of forms

Paull Khan - News from the EMHF

Published in European Trainer - October - December 2017, issue 59

Click here to order this back issue!

In the wake of the now infamous incident in which jockey Davy Russell was seen to strike his horse on the head prior to the start of a race, the marked difference between the media reaction in Ireland (more forgiving) and that in Britain (more damning) was commented upon.

Just one example of the wide variation, as between European countries, in public opinion on horse welfare, and animal welfare more widely. In some regions, the ‘volume level’ of discussion of such matters is turned up high; not so in others.

In a sport with no global Rules Book, it would be strange if these cultural differences were not reflected to some extent in the practices and regulations of individual Racing Authorities. And sure enough, they are. Indeed, what a country’s Rules of Racing says about its culture would make for a fascinating study. One could make a crude start by marking up, on a map of Europe, the number of whip strikes allowed in a race by the various countries. Very broadly, it would resemble a climatic map of the continent, with higher numbers accepted in the hotter south, reducing as one travels north until reaching the point of zero tolerance in Norway.

Skim through the Rules Book in any of our countries and you will find a plethora which promote the welfare of our racehorses. In many cases, that aim is indeed their sole purpose. These Rules and procedures fall into many categories – from the horse-care component of the course which a trainer must pass in order to be granted a licence, to the requirement for a minimum number of vet’s to be present before a race meeting can take place, to enforced stand-down periods following the administration of certain veterinary interventions, to the mandatory abandonment of jump racing when the ground is designated ‘Hard’ – the list goes on and on.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

To read more of this article - subscribe now!

Nationalizing the Rulebook - can it be done?

The Autumn 2008 issue of our sister publication European Trainer includes an article on Worldwide Rules, in which Katherine Ford examines European efforts to establish a worldwide ruling system for governing horseracing. When we looked at running the same article in this issue we realized that America had to first look at coordinating their own rules of racing at a national level before joining in the international debate. 
Frances J Karon
 (14 October 2008 - Issue Number: 10)