Gimcrack,I reckon both Misu Bond and Air Chief Marshal are two very good looking horses,and both had ability but though ACM was at face value better in so much as he was GR1 2nd at 2 the thing that he has against him is that he was a soft ground runner,Misu Bond was more versatile as he ran and won on both heavy and good to firm, generally that's a sign of class plenty of people will tell you a very good horse will go on both,that's one factor in us sending him a mare MB was a very good 2y'old that's another.If ACM does go to stud yes he will be in the cheap bracket if he gets foals/yearlings that are like Misu Bond's stock he will have a chance,I have said above we had the MB foal with us this spring I can't tell you who the person was but I can say he is VERY serious in this industry he picked it out as the best foal he had seen this spring,the person has lots of ultra top class stock and is perhaps the best judge there is here in Ireland.The fact ACM won twice in a week underlines what a tough family he is from,Coolmore have so many potential stallions coming on that they were able to run him so much at 2 as a pace horse for the 'other' runners,if ACM had been with a smaller trainer then perhaps he may of been more positively campaigned.

My viewing of the BC meeting was a bit patchy and having foals in for the sales the Classic was a little late for me!
Did Zenyatta just drop herself out once too often? It's something they get worse with as they got older isn't it.
No matter. The superlative Goldikova gave us all the memories we need. Would you go again next year with her? I think it is a phenomenal inditement of her soundness and mental constitution that they are even considering it. Maybe the Wertheimers are running short of dosh Prima? I think it's time you stepped in with a cheeky offer. . .
Incidentally SB is my 'hero' over in your neck of the woods, I wonder if it was he who was looking at your foals this spring? Don't worry you can claim the 5th [;)]

I nearly forgot SB it was not but he is a great judge!

If Goldikova is wonderful, what is Zarkava?

How right you are Prima, Goldikova was not as good as Zarkava.

However, over a mile right now Zarkava wouldn't be a shoe in.

I think their very different post Pouliches careers made comparisons very difficult.

And, I think unneccesary!

Pot M, Goldikova has indeed gone on to be one of the all time greats no one could argue differently,but we will never know just how good Zarkava really was as she was never tested,she was just so much better than anything pitched against her including Goldikova.
If Zarkava had stayed in training at 4 and even 5 who knows if she herself would of improved even more if she had then imo the results would still be the same with Goldikova.The Aga Khan said that Zarkava "was very special" I would agree with him entirely with his view.Personally I happen to think she would of beat the mighty Sea the Stars had they ever raced together.She is one of my all time greats of the turf.I will look forward to her runners and it goes without saying I would love to own her.(if I did own her she would NOT have gone to slow boat Dalakhani)

We won't know will we and imo I doubt she would of trained on as she looked like she had her own ideas at the end of her 3y'old career, but in their classic years Zarkava was the better and no one could say otherwise.

Pretty sure they are going to keep her in training next year - but not sure it is official yet.

Prima,

        Goldikova didn't stay in the Diane, stumbled quite badly in the Pouliches and continued to improve thereafter. Zarkava may very well have not had the speed to have dominated against improving milers. Life's not black and white!!!

If you breed to race like the Wertheimers then surely going racing with a great horse is why you do it? 'Proving' something is a market place issue perhaps.

And another million smackers into the training kitty would be useful even to them!!

Air Chief Marshal retired to France:

http://www.racingpost.com/news/bloodstock/danehill-dancer-hawala-haras-de-la-cauviniere-air-chief-marshal-retired-to-stud-in-france/787435/top/

There goes the value. Again.

"if I did own her she would NOT have gone to slow boat Dalakhani" do you not conceed the Aga Khan was acting in his own best interest to send his star mare to his Flagship stallion.

DMCK, of course I accept that the Aga Khan was acting in his (and his stallion's) best interests, but the point I made was, if I owned her. In which case I wouldn't care less about the Aga Khan's interests!

The Aga Khan objective is probably to race and in that case he can wait until the foal is 4 or 5yo to show its best form, most likely over about a 2m trip, however my objective would be to sell the yearling and my stallion choices would be influenced in that way. I would look at covering her with either Oasis Dream or Invincible Spirit. She was a top class 2y'old and is a physically nice type so OD would be ideal. IS is another proven sire who is commercially acceptable but could still get a good runner for her first foal. Danehill Dancer would be on the list but he rather uncomfortably can fall short in the sale ring.

DMCK,If I wanted to breed an Epsom Derby winner out of Zarkava then perhaps I would send her to Montjeu,but when you think about it being as she is out of a mare by Kahyasi could you see that poss' winning the Ascot Gold Cup?The same goes for Dansili who like her is out of a Kahyasi mare so the foal would be 3x3 to Kahyasi that to me would suggest it would want a trip and unlikely to win at the desired 2y'old.Galileo yes is a good choice for the sale ring and he might get a good sort but again with her page I reckon that would want time and maybe a trip.She is one of the great filly's we have seen race but if she were mine then like I said above she would go to high class sires that get top class 2y'olds with plenty of speed as she has enough stamina in her pedigree to use stallions like these and not go for stamina laden stallions like 'slow boat Dalakhani'.If I rang Coolmore with a view to using High Chaperal with her I reckon they would grab my hand off..........but at the same time I'm sure they would think I've gone completely mad!!!

Sure it is a gamble Rip Van,I don't know what their plans are but it would not surprise me if they indeed go down that route again,I suppose it depends on what she has colt or filly for the Aga Khan both hold plenty of appeal as if she had a colt and it did go on to be a GR1 winner then that colt has massive appeal as a stallion,again with him a filly even if its a non runner its got paddock appeal for his enormous broodmare band.Personally I doubt the Dalakhani will be much cop he is a stallion I would only use with care as for me he is too stamina laden.I could see her going to either Oasis Dream or Invisible Spirit as for the Aga both are from high class producing family's something he is very keen on,that's only if they send her to anything other than his own stallions.Just out of interest what would cover her with?

Have a look at the darley fees pd

The Shamardal hike was a hike and a half wasn't it. I am not sure he has a consistent future as a reliable sales source to be playing that game.

I think that the Authorized/Manduro types will have a pretty flexible 'farm price' if they are to cover more than 12 mares between them.

Was thinking the same but it doesnt really matter anyways

Coolmore fees out:
Alfred Nobel 5k
Aussie Rules 6k
Danehill Dancer 75k
Duke Of Marmalade 25k
Dylan Thomas 17.5k
Excellent Art 10k
Fastnet Rock 30k
Footstepsinthesand 10k
Galileo private
High Chaparral 25k
Holy Roman Emperor 10k
Hurricane Run 15k
Mastercraftsman 17.5k
Montjeu 75k
Oratorio 9k
Peintre Celebre 15k
Rip Van Winkle 20k
Rock Of Gibraltar 17.5k
Starspangledbanner 15k
Strategic Prince 4k
Thewayyouare 6k
Yeats 9k

At least coolmore thou still expensive are grasping the reality of the current climate. Most of the other studs are in cloud cuckoo land with their headline fees. Alfred Nobel looks interesting nice family.

^^^

I like Alfred Nobel they all seem to be 5k this year,what a pedigree soft ground horse.......almost could I live with him...........yes!I agree about the new sires at good prices,they need to be good prices mind to get us all back into them.

Anyone got any thoughts on Thewayyouare? Stood one season in Kentucky. I remember Coolmore did a similar thing with Powerscourt before swiftly shipping him out, so I'm a bit apprehensive about why they have decided to switch him already. I Probably shouldn't be comparing Thewayyouare to Powerscourt for that reason, but unfortunately I am.

I suppose you would say he's possibly not the most commercial on face value, but he was out in July as a two year old and has one of the best pedigrees in the book. Christy Grassick mentioned an issue with his back that prevented him from really running up to what was expected of him, so this is something else to consider. All in all, you would probably say he could be value at €6k?