Shaquille

NEWMARKET, UK -- Britain doesn't yet have its own equivalent of the Irish Stallion Trail or La Route des Etalons, but credit must go to the seven farms in and around Newmarket that have thrown open their doors to breeders for an extended run to coincide with the concluding sessions of the Tattersalls December Sale. Opening times over the next few days vary for each farm but, on Sunday, it was possible to view 26 stallions parading within a 30-mile radius of British Flat racing's headquarters. Spared the fuss of...

If Tuesday's opening session of the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls was all about Dragon Symbol, then Wednesday was the day that the young upstart received a sharp warning should he wish to assume the throne as Whitsbury Manor Stud kingpin, with the present incumbent, Havana Grey, taking his turn to play the starring role on a day of fierce trade at Park Paddocks. By the close of play, Havana Grey accounted for five of the day's top 18 lots, headlined by lot 650 from the Whitsbury Manor draft. The...

NEWMARKET, UK--Improved trade punctuated by a steady stream of notable results for the progeny of Dragon Symbol would be a neat summation of Tuesday's opening session of the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls, with Whitsbury Manor Stud's first-crop sire alone accounting for nearly 25% of the 1,684,200gns that changed hands on the day. That total turnover represented a 23% increase compared to 12 months ago, while the average and the median also painted a much prettier picture as opposed to what was a sluggish start to last year's December Foal...

Ace Stud has announced that Shaquille, the brilliant dual Group 1-winning sprinter, will stand for £10,000 next year. Shaquille was crowned Cartier Champion Sprinter and Longines World's Best 3YO Sprinter in 2023. Trained by Julie Camacho, he won seven times, with those top level triumphs coming in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot followed by the July Cup. Paul Curran, Ace Stud's Bloodstock and Racing manager said, "Champion European Sprinter Shaquille has been really well-supported by top breeders since retiring to stud. He has covered more than 275 mares in...

The Dullingham Park stallions Shaquille (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB) have been bought by Yulong Investments from Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics and will remain in situ in Newmarket. Yulong Investments' European representative Paul Curran said, "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Shaquille and Soldier's Call into the Yulong fold. Yulong Investments is deeply passionate about breeding elite racehorses and spares no effort in ensuring its stallions are positioned for greatness. These two exceptional sires will be supported by an elite broodmare band, giving them every opportunity to succeed and leave...

Uncertainty surrounds the future ownership of Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park, with several owner-breeder operations having been linked to its potential purchase in recent weeks. Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing is the latest name to be tied to the 110-acre stallion stud just outside Newmarket, which is currently home to Shaquille (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB). Contacted by the TDN, Joorabchian said that he was "aware of the opportunity of Dullingham Park". Joorabchian and his associates, which include Nottingham Forest FC owner Evangelos Marinakis, made a splash at last year's bloodstock sales,...

The first reported foal for Dullingham Park's dual Group 1-winning sprinter Shaquille (GB) was born on the morning of Wednesday, January 15. The bay filly was bred by Sarah-Jane Barker of Tibthorpe Stud in Yorkshire and is out of Sable Camp (Ire), a No Nay Never half-sister to G1 Middle Park Stakes winner The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}). "She is a very smart-looking bay filly, nice size with a pretty head - very much in the mould of her sire and we couldn't be happier," reported the breeder. "A...

Dullingham Park Stud's roster for 2025 is headed by European Champion Sprinter and dual Group 1 winner Shaquille, who remains unchanged at £15,000. Dullingham Park's Ollie Fowlston commented, "Shaquille covered a very good book of mares in his first season and we are extremely excited to see his first foals on the ground. If they look anything like him then the breeders will be delighted. He was such an exceptional talent on the track and luckily for us is the standout sprinter over the past few years so will stick...

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin On Tuesday the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced that 42 races are at risk of being downgraded in 2025, including Britain's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Its status will depend very much on its performance in 2024, which will mark the tenth running of the race introduced to the British calendar in 2015 as a readymade Group 1 in order to "create a more balanced programme and better opportunities for high-class sprinters". The Commonwealth Cup, run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for three-year-olds only, was...

LONDON, UK -- Japan stole the show at the Longines World Racing Awards in London, with Silk Racing's Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) named the Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2023 while the G1 Japan Cup claimed the title of Longines World's Best Horse Race. The top-rated three-year-old filly in the world was Japan's Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}). Equinox's top rating of 135 - the highest ever awarded to a Japanese horse - was achieved in his four-length romp in the Japan Cup, his final appearance...

Who would be a stallion master, eh? Sure it's fine if you have a new horse to show off, or one of the elite few who has truly made it, but pity the owner of the stallion who has just faded from fashion through no real fault of his own, merely overlooked as the stampede rushes on to the next new thing. One can't blame breeders either for showing such interest in the new stallions at stud, for they have yet to be judged (though they will be, just as...

It has been a basic tenet of bloodstock since the early days that Classic form is to be respected when a colt or a filly retires to stud. Some Classic results stand out, with the 1984 Prix du Jockey-Club often cited thanks to Darshaan (GB) leading home Sadler's Wells and Rainbow Quest in a trifecta of future superstar sires. As regards fillies, the 1990 Prix de Diane takes some beating, with Rafha (GB) coming home ahead of Moon Cactus (GB) and Colour Chart. All three ended up breeding at least...