Bloodstock briefing: Star Tern's legacy.
THE death of Arctic Tern might have passed unannounced, but his influence on European bloodstock is likely to endure.Arctic Tern, to the best of my knowledge the last son of Sea-Bird at stud, had stood since 1993 at Haras du Petit-Tellier. That was his second stint in France. His first came at Quesnay, where he was retired in 1978, having won the previous year's Prix Ganay and finished third behind Artaius in the Eclipse.
Arctic Tern, who shared his grand-dam Almahmoud with Halo and Northern Dancer, sired Harbour and Escaline in his first two crops and was exported to Kentucky, where he stood at Walmac and then Lane's End. Left behind in France was his son Bering, who won the 1986 Prix du Jockey-Club and was second to Dancing Brave in the Arc.
Bering stood in Kentucky before returning to Quesnay, where he is one of the most fashionable French stallions. His male progeny include 2,000 Guineas winner Pennekamp, Grade 1-winning juveniles Steamer Duck and Peter Davies, and 1997 St Leger second Vertical Speed. Among his fillies are Pouliches winner Matiara, 1997 Fillies' Mile winner Glorosia, and recent Group 2 Prix d'Astarte winner Miss Berbere.
Arctic Tern is also responsible for 1988 Derby second Glacial Storm, now a jumps sire, and Cyborg, best known for chaser Cyborgo.
Escaline has done respectably as a broodmare, producing smart Kaheel (by Darshaan) and 1997 Listed winner Arabian King (by Arazi), while her sister Encorelle foaled high-class miler Royal Abjar (by Gone West). Even more effective was another Arctic Tern mare, Group 2 winner Angela Serra, dam of Group/Grade 2 winners Miswaki Tern (by Miswaki), Via Borghese (Seattle Dancer) and El Angelo (El Gran Senor) plus Group 3 winner Porto Varas (Miswaki).
HERO'S HONOR, who was at the same stud, is also dead. The 18-year-old, a Grade 1 winner for Paul Mellon, was sire of last month's Group 3 Prix Chloe winner Khumba Mela plus smart fillies Ballykett Nancy and Poolesta.
LURE, whose first season at stud was wrecked by poor fertility, opened his Pattern account when Orpen took Sunday's Group 1 Prix Morny Piaget. Orpen, one of just 11 first-crop foals for the dual Breeders' Cup Mile winner, had also been the Coolmore resident's first winner, at Goodwood this month.
SNURGE was represented by his first winner when Lady Borgia took a 7.5- furlong conditions race at Dax in southern France. Snurge, who has a reported 25 two-year-olds, stands at Haras du Val Henry.
CATRAIL had his first stakes winner when Felicita took the Criterium du Bequet (Listed) at La Teste last Wednesday. The Storm Cat eight-year- old stands at the Irish National Stud, but is currently in Australia.
WIND And Wuthering, winner of the 1981 Dewhurst Stakes and second to Zino in the 2,000 Guineas for owner Richard Cyzer and trainer Henry Candy, has been put down at stud in California.
LOVE SMITTEN, the dam of Swain, has ended what looked like a permanent sequence of barren years by conceiving to Singspiel. The 17-year-old Key To The Mint mare had not produced a foal since Group 3 winner Thief Of Hearts-whose sire In The Wings is also responsible for Singspiel-in 1995.
Josr breaks Darshaan's duck
JOSR ALGARHOUD, remarkably, was Darshaan's first juvenile Pattern winner when he took last Wednesday's Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes.
Darshaan does get the odd smart two-year-old-last year City Honours and Mutamam were third in the Royal Lodge Stakes and Racing Post Trophy respectively. But he has had only one other juvenile winner in Britain or Ireland over six furlongs. His progeny generally improve greatly from two to three and when stepping up to middle distances.
That, however, does not necessarily mean Josr Algarhoud will turn into a Derby candidate. He is certain to stay the Guineas trip, but his dam Pont-Aven is likely to prevent him staying too much further.
A high-class sprinter by sprint influence Try My Best, Pont-Aven is also dam of Sainte Marine, second to Lochangel in the Nunthorpe on Thursday.
Sainte Marine is the best sprinter by miler Kenmare, whose progeny feature Poulains winner Kendor, Ispahan winner Highest Honor and Ganay winners Vert Amande and Saint Andrews. Clearly Pont-Aven, rather than Kenmare, dictated her penchant for five furlongs.
You only have to go back two years to a top-class Darshaan colt best at a mile. Mark Of Esteem picked up his stamina limitation from dam Homage, a half-sister by the sprinter Ajdal to high-class juveniles Local Talent and Local Suitor. Josr Algarhoud looks like being in the same stamina mould.
It's farewell to our Rod
ROD GIBSON, a fixture in the bloodstock advertising department of the Racing Post since its inception over 12 years ago, is leaving at the end of this week.
Ever the entrepreneur, Rod, the newspaper's bloodstock director, has quite a few plans for his future, including some work for Thoroughbred Advertising and a possible stint as a postman!
He has also booked his usual annual tickets to the main yearling sales.
In many ways it was a wrench for Rod to make the decision to go, but one thing he will not miss is the journey across Surrey to the Post's new offices in Canary Wharf. "The travelling got too much," he says.
RAPHANE, a smart and precocious two-year-old for Con Collins in 1996, has been retired to Holly Bush Farm in Gloucestershire. The Rahy four-year-old, out of an Ack Ack half-sister to Grade 1 winner Caline, raced only at two, when he had seven outings.
He won a Group 3 and a Listed race over five furlongs in Ireland, and was second to Tipsy Creek in the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes and to Easycall in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes.
He will stand alongside Whittingham, who is responsible for Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner Inya Lake and had another big winner when Blue Star took the pounds 18,990 Weatherbys Dash at Wolverhampton on Saturday. The pair are among a first crop of just 16 for the son of Fayruz.
DEFACTO, whose five wins included the Grade 3 Young America Stakes at two, is to stand at Norton Grove Stud in North Yorkshire next year. The five-year-old, by Diesis out of a Roberto half-sister to North American champion juvenile filly Althea (dam of Japanese champion Yamanin Paradise), Foreign Courier (dam of Green Desert) and seven other stakes winners, will cover for pounds 1,750 (October 1).
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Title Annotation: | Sports |
|---|---|
| Author: | Hickman, Janet |
| Publication: | The Racing Post (London, England) |
| Date: | Aug 26, 1998 |
| Words: | 1072 |
| Previous Article: | Betting bureau: Rum Lad a fine tonic. |
| Next Article: | Ryan plans autumn comeback. |