TDN Q&A With Tom Pennington of Shadwell

Shadwell stallion Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) swept all before him in a quartet of European Group 1 sprints in 2015. Alayna Cullen sat down with Tom Pennington, Marketing and Nominations Manager for Shadwell Stud in England, to discuss Muhaarar and his exploits in advance of his first yearlings going to the sales.

TDN: Muhaarar was an exceptional race horse, remind us about what he achieved in his career?

Tom Pennington: Muhaarar was an outstanding race horse. He was trained by Charlie Hills and was a high class 2-year-old winning the G2 Gimcrack and then he was third in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket. He progressed tremendously from two to three, winning the G3 Greenham on his seasonal debut, breaking the track record. After that he went on to the G1 French Guineas where a combination of the draw and the ground probably played against him.

It was probably a blessing in disguise because from there we dropped him down in trip and he went to Ascot for the G1 Commonwealth Cup where he blew them away, winning in tremendous style and in a course record time. He went on to Newmarket for the July Cup and he beat older horses that day. He also won in France and then it all culminated at Ascot again for the G1 QIPCO Champion Sprint where again he was hugely impressive. In all he beat 15 Group or Grade 1 winners, so he was a high class, phenomenal horse. For a sprinter to go back to back in all those sprints, not many horses can do that and it's just testament to how good he was.

TDN: Aside from his racing performances what characteristics does he have that make him a great stallion?

TP: I think it's his looks. And his outlook. He's so relaxed and I think he's passed that on to his offspring. He's a great mover as well, which he's passed on too. He's really stamped them like that, he's super athletic and all his foals have got massive walks which commercial breeders are really looking for especially in the sales place and that's why they've gone down so well at the sales.

TDN: How have breeders received him from year one to now?

TP: Very well and on the back of those first foals he covered a better book of mares in year three which I think is unheard of really, and he was oversubscribed again by more than 100 mares which is phenomenal. I think that just tells you all you need to know and we're already getting busy again for next year.

TDN: You mentioned that his first foals were well received, how would you sum up how they sold at the foal sales?

TP: Phenomenally well. 11 sold for an average of £210,000. The median was even more, I think it was £220,000. The highest price was 290,000gns for a colt bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud and sold to Capital Bloodstock, that price was beyond our wildest dreams, we didn't see that coming at all. But as I said, they're all stamped, they all look like him, walk like him and I think that's why they sold so well.

TDN: Have you had any feedback from vendors bringing yearlings for sale this year?

TP: Yeah it's been very positive. We are hugely excited, the first six sell in Deauville this month. Henri Bozo has been a huge supporter and he has a filly out of Pacifique (Ire) whose first foal, by Dubawi (Ire), sold for €2.6 million. He also has a colt out of Prudenzia (Ire) and I think we all know how her yearlings go at Arqana, he's a half to Magic Wand (Ire) who won the G2 Ribblesdale this year and G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire). Haras Du Cadran have got a very nice filly out of Avenue Gabriel (GB), a first foal, who looks phenomenal. There's also a very nice horse coming from Ireland, a filly out of I'm In Love. We've got six there and hopefully they'll get the ball rolling and set the precedent for the year to come.

TDN: Of course Sheikh Hamdan is a massive supporter of his stallions, are there any nice homebreds that we can look forward to seeing on the racetrack?

TP: I was in Ireland recently, at Derrinstown Stud, and I saw a very nice colt out of Rifqah, he looks very nice. I can't wait to see him running next year. Of course this year His Highness sent 15 mares, including Taghrooda (GB) and Ghanaati, so we've really got behind the stallion.