Sandown success a reminder of why Authorized is no Turkish delight for breeders

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Results over the weekend delivered yet more proof of Authorized’s effectiveness as a jumps sire, if it were still needed after Tiger Roll’s two Grand National victories and Nichols Canyon’s eight Grade 1 successes.

The Derby-winning son of Montjeu was represented by four runners at Sandown on Saturday and three won – Green Book in the Heroes Handicap Hurdle, Goshen in the Contenders Hurdle and Shallwehaveonemore in the novice hurdle – while the other, Mister Coffey, finished second to L'Homme Presse in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

Incidentally, Goshen and Shallwehaveonemore are trained by Gary Moore, who seems to hold the key to the sire. He also sent out another of his sons, the €155,000 Goffs Land Rover Sale purchase Authorised Speed, to win a Newbury bumper by ten lengths last month.

None of Authorized’s three ambassadors at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown over the weekend mustered a win, but Echoes In Rain ran on well to take third in Sunday's Irish Champion Hurdle and Maze Runner was a fair sixth in his attempt to register back-to-back victories in Saturday’s feature handicap hurdle.

There have been plenty of other useful sorts by Authorized this National Hunt season besides. Ciel De Neige has won his last two starts over fences in good fashion for Willie Mullins, I Am Maximus ran second in a Listed novice hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day for Nicky Henderson and An Epic Song showed eye-catching improvement to land a gamble in a Punchestown handicap hurdle on New Year's Eve for Martin Brassil.

Progeny of Authorized have also been lighting up the French scene, with William Menuet’s homebred mare Let Me Love winning the competitive Prix Maurice Gillois chase for four-year-olds at Auteuil in November, and Bimbo Has and Raffles Face also scoring in Graded contests at the track.

All of which will make it all the more frustrating for National Hunt breeders that Authorized has been out of their reach since he was sold to stand in Turkey in 2020 after connections reportedly received a big-money offer for his services from the Turkish Jockey Club.

Turkish breeders would have been particularly keen to lay their hands on the stallion, as his progeny conceived in Britain and Ireland but raced in Turkey include the country’s 1,000 Guineas winner Bici Bici and the local Group 2 scorer Toruk Macto, who has sired a good few stakes scorers of his own.

No doubt about it, chances to purchase young stock by Authorized are running out fast in western Europe. France Galop reports that he has 57 two-year-olds on the ground, the result of mares being sent to him in his last season at Haras du Logis in Normandy, 35 three-year-olds and 52 four-year-olds.

It seems the jumps fraternity are well aware of that increasing scarcity, judging by prices paid in the last year. Highflyer Bloodstock gave €155,000 for a full-brother to smart chaser Belargus and €140,000 for a half-brother to classy Eclair D’Ainay at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale last year, a few weeks after Michael Shefflin and Paul Holden had paid €145,000 for a son of the smart racemare Leah Claire at the Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Breeders are still able to introduce Authorized’s blood into their mating plans, though. Irish Derby winner Santiago has become his first stallion son in Britain or Ireland with his retirement to Castle Hyde Stud this year, while Listed winner and multiple Group 2 runner-up Soft Light is also new to Haras de Colleville in Normandy.

Soft Light: Authorized's son is new to Haras de Colleville for 2022Credit: Haras de Colleville

Kudos to the team behind Bande, a Japanese Grade 1 performer by Authorized and a half-brother to French jumps sire sensation Doctor Dino to boot, for their clever move of acquiring him to stand at Haras de la Haie Neuve in the season his sire was sold to Turkey. He has 81 yearlings in his first European crop, according to France Galop.

This weekend’s racing action also provided more convincing evidence that Authorized mares can be a useful ingredient in a mating, with the smooth victory of Sir Gerhard in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The Jeremy seven-year-old was bred by the late Jonathan Fitzpatrick out of Faanan Aldaar, a Roscommon maiden hurdle winner by Authorized out of Prix du Calvados winner Ya Hajar, as was his dual bumper-winning half-brother Hey Johnny, by Worthadd.

Authorized is also the broodmare sire of Metier (by Mastercraftsman), who got his hurdling career back on track with victory at Lingfield last month, and Navajo Pass (by Nathaniel), a dual Grade 2 winner over hurdles, as well as the smart performers Eragon De Chanay (by Racinger), Me Too Please (by Champs Elysees) and Rowland Ward (by Sea The Stars).

Look out also for the Dan Skelton-trained Doctor Parnassus, a Make Believe half-brother to Metier who won a juvenile hurdle at Ascot by ten lengths on his jumps debut last month, and takes on older horses in a Taunton novice hurdle at 1.15 on Tuesday.

It speaks volumes that a breeder as wise as Ballylinch Stud’s John O’Connor was prepared to pay €115,000 for Authorized’s Grade 3-winning and Grade 1-placed hurdling daughter Surin at the recent Goffs December National Hunt Sale. The purchase was made in partnership with Newtown Anner Stud in order to send the mare to their newly reminted dual-purpose stallion Fascinating Rock at Burgage Stud.

For all this talk of Authorized being an important influence in the winter game, it’s worth reiterating that his sale to Turkey represented a lost opportunity for Flat breeders too.

Santiago was, after all, one of six Group 1 winners for the sire, along with the great Australian export Hartnell and Pretty Polly Stakes winner Ambivalent, whose own daughter Teona won the Prix Vermeille and ran a fine third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year.

Authorized was also showcased to great effect on the Flat in 2021 by the doughty Euchen Glen, winner of the Brigadier Gerard and Gala Stakes and runner-up in the Glorious Stakes and Doonside Cup, and the reliable staying handicapper Calling The Wind.

Only the dwindling number of Flat breeders who still cherish middle-distance and stamina races would likely share that regret over his sale to Turkey, though.

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Must-read story

"Stylistique is a very important horse for Yvonne Jacques. To have raced the dam and bred a stakes winner from her who also raced in her own colours is the pinnacle of a breeder's career,” says Cathy Grassick as she outlines mating plans for Carisbrooke Stud.

Pedigree pick

One Flat breeder who evidently did still have time for Authorized in the latter stages of the sire’s stud career in France is Jean-Claude Seroul, and he has been rewarded with a very well-bred and progressive three-year-old homebred by the sire in the shape of Marianachic.

The Jerome Reynier-trained colt bids to follow up a victory at Marseille Pont de Vivaux in December in the Prix Sky Lawyer over ten furlongs at Cagnes-sur-Mer on Tuesday (12.30pm local time, 11.30am GMT).

Marianchic is a half-brother and stablemate to Marianafoot, who carried Seroul’s silks to victory in seven consecutive races last year, culminating with a comprehensive success in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

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