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The Sunday Syndicates Post – Vol. 3, Issue 30

It’s rare you see an Irish 2yo maiden won by 4 3/4 lengths however that is exactly what Orderofthephoenix achieved on Friday evening in Dundalk. A member of our #BargainBreezer23 squad she was picked up for €60,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Gorsebridge Breeze-up sale in partnership with Shamrock Thoroughbreds on the strong recommendation from Justin Timmons of Dolmen Bloodstock.

Phoenix of Spain ex. Santa Anabaa at the breeze-up sales.

She made a promising start to her career in Listowel finishing fourth in a competitive field on unsuitably soft ground. She wasn’t given a hard time that day and her jockey Ronan Whelan reported that she would come on a ton for the run. How right he was! She jumped a lot smarter from the gates on Friday evening and settled just off the pace. She cruised into contention coming round the bend 2f from home and when Ronan asked her to extend she duly put the race to bed and won going away by an extended four lengths.

She’s a filly that will only go on improving with a step up in distance and time as her pedigree suggests. Her sire, Phoenix Of Spain, couldn’t have got his stud career off to a much better start operating at an almost 50% winners to runners strike rated including a Group 2 winner. He was an Irish 2000 Guineas winner himself and given how much size and scope his progeny have he looks a sire for the future.

Owners in the Winners Enclosure with Orderofthephoenix

Special mention must go to Ado McGuinness and Stephen Thorne who have handled this filly with supreme professionalism and patience to get us a day like Friday. Justin Timmons had faith in the filly from day one and was duly rewarded with an impressive victory. Breeders Sinead Whelan and Paul Leahy of Beech Tree Stud knew that she was a runner from the day she was born and they look to have a very smart broodmare on their hands so congratulations to them and thank you for breeding such a smart filly for us.

Busy yearling sales come to an end

We managed to add a few very exciting new additions to our 2yo crop of 2024. Fillies by Harry Angel, Ravens Pass, Starspangledbanner and Study Of Man were all picked up from Fairyhouse, Goffs, Tattersalls Book 2 and Book 3. Johnny Murtagh will take control of the Ravens Pass after not being able to believe that she was picked up for just €22,000. Joseph O’Brien will take charge of the Starspangledbanner filly after a short bidding duel against us we decided to team up and join forces. Joseph is obviously well acquainted with the sire having trained four time Group 1 winner State Of Rest.

The other two fillies will go to two freshman trainers who have made mightily impressive starts to their training careers with their first runners during the 2023 season. Details will be announced very soon but if you would like to get involved please do get in touch with one of the team. Hopefully there’s another Orderofthephoenix lurking amongst them.

Sharp rise in Object’s fortunes

In Issue 29 of the SSP we reported on Sharp Object’s mightily impressive debut performance. Two weeks later she added very valuable blacktype to her page when chasing home Aurora Vega who could be Willie Mullins best bumper filly in training. She is out of Quevaga and a full sister to Facile Vega who took the Novice Hurdle division by storm last season.

Sharp Object in the parade ring before her excellent 2nd in the Listed Mucklemeg Mares Bumper. Photo credit: Emma O’Brien

Sharp Object looks like she could be our next star national hunt filly and has achieved so much in such a short space of time. Next on her agenda is the Cheltenham November meet and giving that goes to plan she has the Grade 2 Mares Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival in her sights before a possible tilt at the Cheltenham Festival, with the Fairyhouse Easter Festival, Aintree Grand National Meeting and the Punchestown Festival all possible future targets.

Diamond Boy ex. Kilbarry Medoc filly part of the next generation of Syndicates.Racing national hunt fillies.

Sharp Object’s bright start to her career has us very excited for the next generation coming through. We’ve made no secret of how well we think we bought at this years store sales and none more so that our Diamond Boy filly who shares the same sire as Sharp Object. This filly also received an exciting update when Redstone got his career off to the perfect start when winning his maiden hurdle a shade cosily in Fairyhouse beating G1 performer King Of Kingsfield. It’s one of the best pedigrees in the book and we hope that this lady can follow in the footsteps of her illustrious family and her paternal half sister.

Far Above on fire

It’s safe to say that Far Above has exceeded even our own lofty expectations of him this sales season. His first yearlings have been bought by all of the top judges and will be trained by some of the best trainers next year. He had a whopper Book 3 when the Tinnakill bred colt out of Bittern fetched 70,000gns from the sires trainer James Tate. It was somewhat of deja-vu situation as the man responsible for breezing Far Above, Matty Whyte, pin-hooked the strapping colt for €27,000 at the Goffs foal sales last year.

The day previous a very bullish Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock had to see off a determined challenge from ourselves, Alice Haynes and laterally Byron Rogers and Tally-Ho supremo Tony O’Callaghan for the half sister to Group 3 winner Corazon. She brought the gavel down at 65,000gns and was bought on behalf of Sheikh Juma.

Far Above ex. Bittern colt who sold to James Tate for 70,000gns

There were four Far Above’s offered during Book 3 averaging 39,000gns and a median of 41,500gns. Not bad for a €6,000 covering fee. Top judges SackvilleDonald (x2), the Doyles, Anthony Bromley, Linehan Bloodstock, Ard Erin Stud, Mickey Cleere, Hyde Park Stud, Peter Nolan have signed for sons and daughters of the uber exciting FSS. Top trainers such as Richard Hannon, Hugo Palmer, Eve Johnston-Houghton, Noel Meade, John McConnell will all take charge of Far Above 2-y-o’s next season so he has a mighty chance of succeeding at stud.

Bouttemont on the bridle

It’s not very often you see a horse finishing a Group 1 sprint on the bridle but such was the luck of Bouttemont in last weekend’s Prix de l’Abbaye. A troubled run saw Christophe Lemaire caught in a pocket with nowhere to go and ultimately getting no run. He came back into the parade ring and said had they not ran into trouble he would’ve been bang there at the finish. See the video below and tell us what you think.

First Australian winner

We broke new ground during the week as we registered our first winner down under courtesy of Grand Larceny’s hugely impressive victory in Newcastle. He won eased down with ears pricked and has us dreaming of what is to come. He is a regally bred colt being a Zoustar half brother to Everest Winner and Coolmore Australia stallion Yes Yes Yes so the sky’s the limit it seems.

It has been an exciting and educational experience having runners on the other side of the planet. We’ve learned a lot from out Australian counterparts and we were delighted to get our owners into the winner enclosure on another continent.

Fifty family in demand

Fifty Stars will have his first foals going through the ring this winter and listening to breeders it will be a very exciting couple of months to come. Meanwhile his full sister fetched 360,000gns during the Tattersalls Book 1 sale from Jane Mangan for the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation.

As you can see from the video above she has that same superstar walk of her older brother and she’s definitely one to keep an eye on over the next few seasons.

Buzzing for debut on Tuesday

Absolutely Buzzing has been declared to make her racecourse debut in Gowran Park on Tuesday with Declan McDonagh handed the reins in what looks a competitive race. She gained valuable experience last month in a barrier trial and she is very much a filly who we look towards next year with.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading. It’s been an extremely busy and fruitful period for us so thank you for joining us on the journey. If there is anything that we can do for you please get in touch john@syndicates.racing.

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