Shade Oak Stud's Logician making heads turn at Goffs UK

As a Classic-winning son of a champion sire and bred by one of the pre-eminent stud farms in the world, it is little wonder that Logician caught the eye of many during the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association National Hunt Stallion parade at the Goffs UK January Sale on Tuesday.

Emphatic winner of the 2019 St Leger for Juddmonte, Logician was one of 18 stallions lining up for breeders and sale attendants at the Doncaster complex, just a few minutes' walk from where he enjoyed his greatest moment on the racecourse.

One person who is clearly enthralled to the striking Classic hero is Bryan Mayoh, a major shareholder in the son of Frankel who retired to Shade Oak Stud last year having suffered serious illness after the conclusion of his three-year-old season, when connections decided against challenging for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Logician returned to race at four and five but was unable to recapture the form that had made him one of the stars of 2019.

A TBA board member and the prime architect of the popular and ever growing Great British Bonus, Mayoh was thrilled with the reception that the Shropshire-based stallion received on an ice-cold Donny day having seen the six-year-old stride up and down the B stable complex with purpose and elan.

"We said he'd be limited to 175 mares but it's still early days," said Mayoh. "He's got the pedigree, he's very good looking and he was a really good racehorse who could have been even better.

"Juddmonte thought they maybe should have run him in the Arc when Enable went for her third one."

He added: "The effort involved was to get five people in a syndicate to buy him; each one has got very good broodmares as we want to make sure he gets off to a good start."

Mayoh was also not shy of expressing his thoughts when it came to Frankel and how he has made such a fine start to his second career after a flawless record on the track.

The fact he succeeded his late, great sire Galileo to be crowned British and Irish champion in 2021 was of little surprise to the breeder of Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John.

Mayoh said: "My stats say he's nearly as good as Galileo. I do a lot of stats and I've no doubt that, along with Galileo and Sadler's Wells, he is the best sire in the last 25 years.

"The biggest difficulty is that a number of the broodmare population isn't open to him, the Danehills and the Sadler's Wells, and Juddmonte has said that. But he is simply an outstanding stallion."

Connections will clearly be hoping that gallant grey Logician, who starts his new job off a fee of £4,000, will follow in the illustrious footsteps of his paternal line.

Read more

Winter Million bumper star Our Jester and his fittingly unconventional pedigree

On the roads of Normandy: Five nuggets from my weekend on the Route des Etalons

Goffs UK announces appointment of Bernard Condren as head of sales

How the shrewd Fiona Denniff has been rewarded for constantly backing her stock