Stradivarius

NEWMARKET, UK -- It has become the tradition for the Tattersalls February Sale to be preceded by the TBA Flat Stallion Parade and this year's event contained the added incentive of a potential free entry to next year's December Foal Sale. Breeders who booked a nomination to one of the 10 stallions on the day have been automatically entered into a free draw to win one of five places at the 2025 sale for the resulting offspring.  With nine of the 10 stallions stabled in the Left Yard at Park...

Stick or twist? That's the question faced by many breeders this year. Anecdotally, it appears that some will be pulling back and not covering certain mares, which is understandable after a tricky sales season, not to mention the constant reminders from racecourse managers regarding the "significant headwinds" faced by racing. Unlike America, the foal crop in Britain and Ireland has been gently on the rise in recent years, up to 13,438 in 2023, compared to 12,778 in 2020, though within that combined number for last year, the Irish crop rose...

Transatlantic travellers will have to mind their suffixes when the first foals and yearlings of Mutasaabeq start appearing. 'Our' Mutasaabeq - note his (GB) suffix - is a son of the Irish National Stud's long-serving and influential Invincible Sprit (Ire) and has just retired to the National Stud in Newmarket. In America, the other Mutasaabeq of the same vintage was bought by Shadwell for $425,000 and is by Into Mischief. Winner of the GII Bourbon S. and placed in the GI Hopeful S., he is about to embark on his...

Bjorn Nielsen's star stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has become the third horse chosen by a public vote to be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame. This year, the public were invited to choose from a shortlist of five Long Distance legends shortlisted by the Hall of Fame's eight-strong independent judging panel and consisting of Ardross (GB), Le Moss (GB), Persian Punch (GB) and Yeats (Ire). More than 3,000 people voted online via the Hall of Fame website as well as through a special...

Seven-time Group 1 winner Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) has had his first mares scanned in foal at the National Stud. "Stradivarius has taken to his new role extremely well." said National Stud head of bloodstock Joe Bradley. "He has 11 mares scanned in foal and will cover well over 100 mares this year." Stradivarius claimed Group honours 18 times during his career retiring with total earnings of almost £3.5million, plus two individual £1million bonuses. There are sizeable payouts on offer for breeders supporting Stradivarius, with £25,000 for his...

For this final part of the series, we are looking at stallions who have retired to stud since 2021 and will thus have either first foals or yearlings at the sales this year or are about to cover their first book of mares. There is plenty to digest from three years' intake and of course prices can often drop after a stallion's first year at stud, so there could be some value to be found for breeders willing to roll the dice on a stallion about to embark on his...

The micro-share syndicate MyRacehorse is branching into the world of breeding  with a syndicate involving star stayer Stradivarius (Ire) and in partnership with the National Stud. Through the latter the group purchased the Dark Angel (Ire) three-year-old Blackbird Power (GB) at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale. A six-furlong winner for Andrew Balding, she will be sent to Stradivarius next season, with shares of both the mare and her resulting foal will be sold before both are reoffered at the Breeding Stock Sale at the end of 2024. "When The National...

The latest addition to the National Stud roster, seven-time Group 1-winning stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), will stand for an opening fee of £10,000. He joins Time Test (GB), whose fee is unchanged at £15,000, while Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) will also remain at his fee of £8,500 as he embarks on his second season at stud. Rajasinghe (Ire), who has a strike-rate of 67% winners to runners from his first crop of juveniles this year, is also unchanged at £3,000. "Time Test has had a steady stream...

Stradivarius, the three-time Gold Cup winner and the undisputed champion stayer of his generation, has been retired to stud.  Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) won three Yorkshire Cups and two Doncaster Cups but will be best remembered for those epic Gold Cup triumphs at Ascot. Owned by Bjorn Nielsen, who told TDN Europe about his intention to support the popular chestnut at stud upon his retirement, Stradivarius will join the roster at the National Stud.  The 8-year-old bows out from the game as...

GOODWOOD, UK--The banner on Trundle Hill overlooking Goodwood read, 'Thank You Stradivarius'. Inside the racecourse the message was repeated on branded flags, readied to wave him on his way. But it would seem that Stradivarius is not for retiring. And hurrah to that.  It is almost poetic, in a bloodstock kinda way, that two of the best horses of the modern era, Derby-winning half-brothers no less, should feature in an epic battle between their two sons for a race that was so much more than just the Goodwood Cup.  For...

Andrea Atzeni will take over from Frankie Dettori aboard Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in next week's Qatar Goodwood Cup, according to the legendary stayer's owner, Bjorn Nielsen. Dettori came in for heavy criticism from Nielsen, who revealed to TDN Europe recently that the man who has partnered Stradivarius to three Gold Cup triumphs ignored instructions at Royal Ascot this year and last year by sitting too far off the pace.  Nielsen said, "What people don't know is what the riding instructions were. With what happened last year, twice...

We have heard much about Frankie Dettori since his ride in the Gold Cup at Ascot, but less so about his luckless mount, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). By his owner and breeder Bjorn Nielsen he is referred to as 'The Strad', talked of as one would a favourite son or best friend. The eight-year-old stallion has earned his place in Nielsen's heart, just as he has earned the wider affection of the racing public. He remains equine box office, with this season regarded by many as a prolonged...