Rip Van Winkle Fee

£30,000

Fair point PM

Mastercraftsman stood for 20k this year so I factored in an extra 5k for the "Fast son of Galileo"

However I may not have factored in that surely stud fees will decrease next year.

Maybe I pitched 5k too high

Way over rated as race horse, won 2 sub standard GR 1's. His dam line is  very poor. He was never given a proper opportunity to run over his optimum trip of 1m 4f. Best two runs were in the Derby and strong finishing win against Twice Over. He is a stayer masquerading as a miler.  Anyone who falls for the "Coolmore" hype deserves what they get. A fee of £7.5k would be a fair price.

new approach started at 30k, teofilo 40k they may pitch rvw at 20k i think as a "face price".

Have you had your 'phone call from the boys Rip Van?As I knew they would ,maximise the Galileo aspect to death minimise the moderate pedigree,I'm not sure if we will send him any yet he has been on the list but we are now thinking again,Coolmore sires are not wanted this year apart from Galileo.
Mastercraftsman imo in this climate looks top heavy plus he's not such a great looker I reckon a lot of breeders will get burnt fingers with him.

They indeed might be all the rage its not the first time they did it before with Fasliyev,Looks do bother me because as you know M'craftsman is leggy and on the plain side,when you sell if its not great looking doubt you will make much of a return,Excellent Art got some very poor sales.

We are all trying to breed runners Rip Van,but with your point above you are obviously not trying to sell a first crop  foal/yearling of Mastercraftsman,and remember even if he is successful as a sire the better looking ones of his will always out sell the not so good looking ones.

One of the most basic rules with breeding horses especially commercial breeding is that you always want a good looking individual,whenever you choose a stallion you should try to always go and look at him,that way you can assess his good points and bad ones,then compare him to your mare always trying to physically 'upgrade'her the result being hopefully a smashing looking individual that there will be if all goes well a ready market.
Countless times we hear of good prices being made form stock with only moderate pages,because those foals/yearlings are superb lookers,anyone who selects stallions simply on form discounting his conformation is imo heading for a very costly and naive mistake.

http://www.windsorparkstud.co.nz/Stallions/Mastercraftsman.aspx

I like the look of Mastercratsfman from this pic..doesn't look particularly leggy to me

BSB I too spotted that photo.

I was nigh on amazed that Mastercraftsmen looks like that already. What do they say about Kate Moss and the camera loving her? I think they are using the same stylist!

I went to see the horse with an old friend who's opinion is very sound. We both thought the horse ordinary, on the leg and a poor walker. Every person who I have spoken to subsequently was pretty much in accord.

The picture though is a conundrum. Assuming they haven't been too busy with the airbrush I don't think I gave the horse enough leeway allowing for him still being a 3yo.

I bet he still doesn't walk though!

I cannot make any decisions Rip Van until after the December sales.

Fees will be crucial (as ever!) but at the moment I am thinking about Showcasing, Equiano, Royal Applause, Kyllachy, Medician, Exceed and Excel, Paco Boy, Starspangledbanner, Rip Van (the equine) and Makfi.

I won't travel to Ireland for a cheapy, but you have a few of those over there that would appeal.

Don't expect that list to get written in stone any time soon!

How are you getting on with your cogitations?

Fee's are crucial with us aswell but on our list so far to name just a few Rip Van Winkle, Starspanglebanner, Arcano, Shamardal (every year so far),Invincible Spirit(might be to expensive though), Acclamation, Nayef. Then on the jumping side theres only a few mares so it'll be between  Milan, Court Cave, Robin Des Champs, Oscar and Westerner. There are many more stallions on the list and it will really depend on stud fees

Among the few mares we've bought one is foal to Mastercraftmans thats why i was trying to see what ye all thought about him , i still dont change my opinion though.

Rip van, Nayef is a brave choice. Any particular reasoning behind that? I've got a mare with big pedigree reasons to use him, but I still don't feel too inclined!

Using Nayef wouldn't be a bad option for me because it is a cross that has worked well before with the family so i'd say that i might send one over to him. HRE is off the list for me aswell he's been such a disappointment was just wondering was he gone.

She's a lovely mare that i bought in foal to Mastercraftsman and she suits him well so i'm looking forward to her foaling. Could you think PD or PM of any stallions under €25000 that would suit a nice strong mare from a good family that isn't really related to much of the stallions standing in Ireland

From your description Rip Van, it's just a case of pinpointing the few stallions she  couldn't  visit.
Mind you, by the time you get the proven/unproven question out of the way as Prima Donna says it's a difficult place to be. Smart mares dictate where they need to be. Cheap mares do much the same and the stakes aren't as scarey but the up to 25 granders are not so straightforward.

If you are really fond of her then I quite like the challenge of staying away from the norm, particularly if she is a litle different and then you could end up with a filly to keep that could go absolutely anywhere.

If you are able to divulge a broodmare sire that would give more of a clue!

I don't know if Slick has used Acclamation off the top of my head but I'd say she more than likely has,I have seen him to my eye he is like his own sire a nice sort but you could say a bit wiry using a strong mare to my mind is the key with this stallion,sure to speed her up a bit I would think.

I have a mare in-foal to High Chap DMCK with the resulting foal prob being kept but not sure will we send him one next year i'd say his fee could rise on his southern hemisphere success

His profile has remained stronger than I think a lot of us imagined DMCK.

However he has had only 17 winners in GB/Ire this year if the Racing Post is to be believed and therein lies the rub. He is very inconsistent. His sales figures have held up well this year which is very interesting, but he remains an unimposing type of horse who would be very scarey to use. I imagine his fee must be pretty flexible as there is a high degree of risk there.

His prowess down under is one of the most interesing facets of the game right now in my opinion. Could there have been a much worse fit in the beginning? Montjeu too has surprised me no end. While the slightly speedier Galileo doesn't cut it!!

It's endlessly fascinating

Ah ha. I defer. . .

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