'Ribchester got better as he got older' - Fahey assesses former star's stock

Saturday’s Lincoln meeting at Doncaster marks the beginning in earnest of the new European Flat turf season, a period during which the industry will have a first on-track glimpse of several runners by first-season stallions who have shuttled to the southern hemisphere, with their first two-year-olds set to grace Australian and New Zealand turf from October.

The first runner for Caravaggio, Coolmore’s Group 1-winning two- and three-year-old, represented the Joseph O’Brien stable on Sunday at the Curragh, finishing a creditable fourth, while two-year-olds by fellow Coolmore stallions Churchill and Highland Reel, who shuttles to Swettenham Stud in Victoria, as well as New Zealand residents Ribchester, Almanzor and Time Test will have their first runners step out on to a racecourse for the first time this European summer, having just taken to the ring as yearlings in Australia and New Zealand.

Leading trainer Richard Fahey knows a thing or two about one of the exciting first-season stallions to showcase their offspring on the turf this year, having trained four-time Group 1 winner Ribchester throughout his 16-race career.

“I always thought Ribchester got better as he got older,” said Fahey. “He was a decent two-year-old but I felt his stock would be the same and they’d take a bit of time, but we’ve been surprised and they could be sharp ones by him and have a couple run early.”

Fahey supported his stable star in his post-racetrack career at stud and has eight two-year-olds by the stallion, who won the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury as a juvenile, having been purchased by the might of Godolphin after placing second in the Gimcrack Stakes at York.

A standout is a filly out of Hard Spun mare Mahsooba, a winning Shadwell mare whose granddam is the Group 3-winning juvenile Muhbubh, purchased for £22,500 from the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale.

“They’ve been showing a bit of early speed and there’s a filly there out of Mahsooba that’ll run very early, she goes very well," he said.

“But then there are a couple like himself, some big scopey horses. He covered a broad spectrum of mares here, from speed to stout, and they’ve come out a little bit like that, but I’ve been very pleased with them.”

Ribchester, who went on to win the Jacques le Marois at three and Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes and Prix du Moulin, all over a mile at Group 1 level at four, stood his first season in the southern hemisphere at Darley’s Kelvinside stud in New South Wales, where he covered 116 mares, before standing the 2020 season at Haunui Farm in New Zealand.

His first yearlings in the northern hemisphere sold for up to 350,000gns and at an average of almost £60,000.

"He did have big ones (yearlings) and small ones and everything, but I don’t think that was his fault, I think it was his girlfriends’,” said Fahey. “He was covering every mare. A lot of breeders used him and I can see why. He was a pretty smart two-year-old and got better with age.

“He won the Mill Reef and then broke the track record at Royal Ascot after winning the Lockinge on heavy ground, so you can see why the breeders used him.”

Fahey, a renowned trainer of juveniles who also handled Wootton Bassett through his unbeaten, Group 1-winning two-year-old campaign, has yearlings by first-season sires Caravaggio, Churchill and Time Test within his stable.

Wootton Bassett, pictured here at Coolmore, is now one of Europe's leading sires, but it certainly didn't start out that way, as his trainer Richard Fahey recalledCredit: Coolmore

On the last-named, who was a surprise package from the southern hemisphere juvenile sales, averaging over A$74,000 from a A$10,000 service fee, Fahey has been impressed by the filly out of Leap Of Joy within his training ranks, who is from the family of 2006 Melbourne Cup second Purple Moon.

“We’ve got only one Time Test two-year-old," he said. "Time Test wasn’t, when I went to the sales, one that was top of my list. But I soon turned to him and couldn’t buy them. They were quite expensive for a first-season sire, well the ones I wanted anyway. The one we’ve got, she’s a gorgeous filly. He’s stamped them well.

“The filly is a little bit behind after a colic operation but she’s a nice filly. I like her. I did like the stock, but the ones I wanted were quite expensive.”

Fahey is formulating his string for the early-season two-year-old races, with a key gallop in the next week or two likely to separate those that press on with their campaigns.

Among them is a Churchill colt out of Abhasana, an 85,000gns purchase from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 and a half-brother to the Listed winner History Writer.

“Nice colt, I’d give a few quid for him,” said Fahey. “Everyone likes him. He’s worked a couple of times and we’ve been very pleased. He’s one that would be on our early list and we’ll work him probably this week and we’ll find out.”

Coolmore stallion Churchill's yearlings sold for up to 350,000gns in the UK, with a filly out of Date With Destiny selling to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, and Fahey has a filly of his own to look forward to.

He said: “I also have quite a nice filly by him out of Ivory Choice. She’s a nice filly as well but big and strong.

“The colt definitely looks like he'll be going early, the other filly is quite tall and we might have a bit of waiting to do.”

The success of Wootton Bassett, who on Monday it was announced by Coolmore would be shuttling to the southern hemisphere this breeding season, gives great pleasure to Fahey, who recalls how they struggled to find him a place at stud after his racing career.

“Funnily enough, I’ve got a couple of breeding rights to him,” said Fahey. “There wasn’t a man on the planet that wanted him when we tried to find him a home. He was champion two-year-old in France and then we got some interest in France, but only because of that.

“It’s been great to see his success over the last few years.”

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