First Season Sires 2014

It's getting to that time when we start to think about the forthcoming Flat turf season. HCE has its finger on the pulse of two-year-old racing. A topic which many pundits focus is first season sires. British 2yo Racing is a great website for finding gems of wisdom and they have a page which details this information in the justice it deserves. Here are a few of the most expensive stallion fees and background information. There are over 20 new sires who will be trying to make an impact on the breeding scene. It will be interesting to see whether a few two-year-old talents come from these stallions.   

Blame (by Arch) Fee: $30,000

Owner bred in the US by Adele Dilschneider & Clairborne Farm. Trained by Albert Stall. Successful in one of his two juvenile starts when winning a 7f maiden at Keeneland. 41 sold with an average sales price of $182,512. Located at Claiborne Farm, Kentucky. 

Looking At Lucky (by Smart Strike) Fee: $15,000

Successful in five of his six outings as a juvenile beginning with victory in a 6f maiden. Later won a Grade 2 over 6.5f and a Grade 1 over 7f. Followed that with a pair of 8.5f Grade successes and then second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile over the same distance (behind Vale Of York). 58 sold with an average price of $83, 252. Located Ashford, Kentucky, Coolmore. 

Makfi (by Dubawi) Fee £25,000

Owner bred by Hamdan al Maktoum but sold off at the end of his 2yo season for 26,000gns. He had been in training with Marcus Tregoning at 2yo but the Shadwell team took the decision to 'cull' him unraced at the Tattersalls 'October Horses in Training' Sales. Bought by French trainer M. Delzangles who was specifically looking for a son of Dubawi at the Sale. Mr Delzangles ran him in a 7f maiden in France on November 27th which he won. 55 sold at average price of 65,699gns. Located Tweenhills Farm & Stud 

Rip Van Winkle (by Galileo) Fee: €20,000

Won two of his three starts as a juvenile in a 7f maiden in June and the 7f Group 3 Tyros Stakes in July. 7th of 13 in his final outing that year when 6/4 favourite for the 7f Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. That a muddling race and only beaten 2 lengths. 60 sold with average sale price of 70,439gns. Located Coolmore.

Lord Shanakill (by Speighstown) Fee: €5,000

Ran eight times as a juvenile for two wins and 5 places. Successful in a 6f maiden in mid May, having been placed on his 5f debut in April, and the 6f Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes. Placed in the Coventry, Richmond, Prix Morny and the 7f Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. Beaten a nose in a four-way photo finish in the last of those events. 45 sold with average sales price 24,323gns. Located Irish National Stud.

For full list visit British 2yo Racing. 

  

Top Ten Horse Racing Websites

Horse racing websites.  In truth, race fans have never had it so good! Now I'm sure you have your favourites - from familiar big names with vast readership to those niches websites which specialise within their field. They might have a fraction of the traffic of their peers, but none the less  they're outstanding  in their knowledge, data & resources. The most important factor for me is that all these websites are basically free to use. In the days before the internet where would we have been?  As High Class Equine specialise within two-year-old racing a few of our favourites will be of particular interest to our niche. Read more... because we want your input, too. 


Racing Post & Sporting Life

These two website are probably the most recognised in the industry and very few punters would get by without their daily input. Whether you want race cards, data or resulst they are an excellent resource. Personally, I prefer the format of the Racing Post with regard to its race cards, although the Sporting Life seem to be much quicker off the mark with their results. Also, the latter show Racing UK (RUK)  ace review free if you have an open an account with Sky Bookmakers. Both websites are excellent covering all sports & news. I really would be lost without these big guns. 

At The Races

Another familiar name, this website is an offshoot of the racing channel featured on Sky 415. This website has race cards, results, and most importantly you can watch live racing and review past performances. A great database for dedicated race fans which means you can do away with the dvd recorder. Also, the ATR Tracker is a handy feature which allows you follow your chosen horses.      

British 2yo Racing

A lot of punters may not have heard of this website but it is a cracking resource for those who follow the juveniles. They detail a wide variety of information and ideas to help you understand and analyse the 2yo season highlighting Paddock Reviews & Trainer targets. They also feature Articles, Picture Archive, A - Z of Sires from 2002 - 2012, Individual Trainer Reviews for nearly 700 Stables. Their 2002 - 2012 2yo Racing Review features a brilliant database, which really needs to be seen. 

Horse Trainer Directory

This new website has burst onto the scene and a very useful portal to Flat & National Hunt Trainer Websites, Blogs & Twitter Links. It is very easy to navigate and useful to those who want to know the latest news straight from the horse's mouth. The Trainer Locator is ideal for potential owners to find a stable on their doorstep. It also feature every UK racecourse website and twitter link so you can keep up to date with the latest information. No need to bookmark individual websites with this great facility. 



Now, I know what you are thinking...why has he only detailed 5 websites when the title says Top Ten Horse Racing Websites? Well, that's where you come into play. Please leave  a comment highlighting your favourites and we will add the most popular to our list.