A new focus on breeding is central to Qatar Racing’s blueprint for the future, according to racing manager David Redvers – plus a list of horses to note
GB: Qatar Racing is approaching Sunday’s Qipco 1,000 Guineas hoping that the filly Mise En Scene can become the team’s first homebred Classic winner and thereby demonstrate that the operation is on the right path to self-sufficiency.
Qatar Racing has been busily acquisitive since being established in 2012, the year after Dunaden showed Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and his brothers what was possible by landing the Melbourne Cup.
The rewards have come via Classic and G1 success around the world – to the extent that many of its star performers have become the bedrock of a breeding operation that means homebreds now outnumber purchases among a string numbering more than 100 horses.
The fruits of that labour may not fully ripen until the first offspring of four-time G1 winner Roaring Lion start their careers – but in the James Ferguson-trained Mise En Scene and Buckaroo, trained by Joseph O’Brien, there are at least two potential early-season flagbearers.
Mise En Scene, in whom the micro-share ownership group the Racehorse Club is also now involved, is out of an unraced half-sister to 1,000 Guineas winner Speciosa. She won the G3 Prestige Stakes last year before finishing fourth in the G1 Fillies’ Mile.
Derby entry Buckaroo, out of the Galileo listed-winning mare Roheryn, was beaten a short head in the G3 Ballysax Stakes this month on his first run since finishing fourth in a G1 in France.
“We have a lovely filly in the 1,000 Guineas in Mise En Scene,” said racing manager David Redvers. “She is going there fit and well and James Ferguson is as hopeful as he can be. We also have a smart three-year-old colt in Buckaroo with Joseph O’Brien.
“Both of those are homebreds, which rather shows the direction the operation has gone as we are breeding more of our own stock and buying much less, just filling in the gaps that the breeding operation hasn’t supplied. It’s nice that our two Classic hopes are both homebreds.”
Mise En Scene will be ridden by Cieren Fallon. The 22-year-old has been temporarily promoted to first jockey as champion jockey Oisin Murphy serves a 14-month suspension though he remains involved in the background
“Oisin rode her in a piece of work at James’s on Tuesday morning and was delighted,” added Redvers. “He feels confident she is going to run very well. There are fillies that have run already and Coolmore will have a few too in the 1,000 Guineas. You can’t go with any confidence, but you can go with a bit of hope.”
As well as a select batch of broodmares, Qatar Racing stands the stallions Kameko, Zoustar, Lightning Spear and Havana Gold at Redvers’ Tweenhills Farm, while much emphasis this year will be placed on the first runners by the late, lamented Roaring Lion.
“The focus this season is very much on our homebred two-year-olds coming through,” said Redvers. “It’s also very much about our stallion operation.
“We have a very nice bunch of Zoustars and a big bunch of Roaring Lions. I don’t think we’ve ever had that volume of horses by one stallion but when we lost him we decided to keep everything we had and acquire one or two.
“We have 33 Roaring Lions, over a third of his only crop, who will be running in our colours. Kameko has his first foals this year, something like 110. Again we have quite a lot of those and they look magnificent.”
He continued: “We have some two-year-olds that were bought as yearlings as well but the focus is very much on our homebred team and that gives Sheikh Fahad and his brothers a huge amount of pleasure. They have a long-term plan which is to emulate some of the great owner-breeders, bring on our own stock and generate an income through the stallions.”
As Qatar Racing is a subsidiary of Qipco Holding, sponsor of both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, the Qipco Guineas Festival at Newmarket has special significance.
“We had the most successful honeymoon with Frankel winning the first edition in 2011,” said Redvers. “That’s been capped off by our own Kameko winning the tenth running of the race in Qipco sponsorship.”
The Derby, in which Roaring Lion finished third in 2018, remains a holy grail. “We would undoubtedly like to win the Derby,” added Redvers. “There is such a sense of history and prestige. It’s the race I personally would more like to win than any other and I know that Sheikh Fahad is equally smitten and focussed on trying to do so. “It’s not hard to spot that the stallion with the largest number of entries in next year’s Derby is Roaring Lion. We’ve had horses finish in the frame without managing to win it. It’s an unfulfilled ambition.”
Qatar Racing notebook
David Redvers with quick thoughts on some horses to follow
Three-year-olds
Buckaroo Joseph O’Brien IRE
Joseph is now talking about the possibility of running him in the Irish 2,000 Guineas or the Derrinstown Derby Trial. Also entered in the Amethyst Stakes so clearly showing a bit of speed. We are very much hoping that he is a genuine Derby horse. He stepped forward dramatically first time out in the Ballysax Stakes. He had won before and after the post but just got touched off on the line.
Electress Ralph Beckett GB
Gorgeous Galileo daughter of Just The Judge. Still a maiden but the form of her last start is working out well; hoping she will be a black-type filly.
Hierarchy Hugo Palmer GB
Shared in partnership with David Howden. Ran a blinder in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and could go for the Commonwealth Cup.
Mangoustine Mikel Delzangles FR
Heading to the French 1,000 Guineas and a filly we hope will come to Royal Ascot.
Mise En Scene James Ferguson GB
A lovely filly. James Ferguson always wanted to go straight to 1,000 Guineas with her. She is fit and well and James is as hopeful as he can be, confident she is going to run very well.
Nobel Andrew Balding GB
Very expensive Lope De Vega yearling. Won his only start with his head in his chest then suffered an injury and won’t be seen until the end of the season.
Rakurai John & Thady Gosden GB
A nice Deep Impact filly out of Lightening Pearl who has loads of talent but has been proving a little fragile.
Spartan Army Joseph O’Brien IRE
Middle-distance three-year-old colt who has been working very well.
Suspicious Ralph Beckett GB
Hasn’t come in her coat yet but an Oaks-style filly. Would expect to see her in something like the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
Older horses
Caravel Brad Cox USA
Very fast filly in America. There is a chance she might come over for the King’s Stand; that normally looks one of the weaker races but this year could be an absolute classic.
Riot Johnny Murtagh IRE
Third in last year’s Buckingham Palace Stakes and will probably come back for the same race.
Ocean Road Brendan Walsh USA
Was trained here initially by Hugo Palmer and won very well at Keeneland the other day. Looks like a Group prospect.
Ruling Joseph O’Brien IRE
Won a Curragh maiden by half the track last year but sadly got injured in the process. Won’t be out until the end of the season.
Swoon Sir Michael Stoute GB
A really lovely filly, has been working very well and looks definitely a black-type prospect.
Shedaresthedevil Brad Cox USA
Runs on Kentucky Oaks night, apparently going very well.
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