Zoffany

Unlikely I think essexguy, but definitely not impossible.

Dansili is from a stout family and has no problem being the sire of a stayer obviously, and is a full brother to two horses who were effective over further than 1,1/2 miles.

The dam side has plenty of stamina horses all through and is a well known hotheaded family. Those that haven't stayed may well include some whose temperament made them shorter runners than their pedigree suggested.

That said, he was pretty precocious and pretty effective over 6f to fit the profile of the modern Derby runner. Generous and Sir Percy had similar race profiles mind you so you pays your money and . . .

Tony Morris thinks he may get more than a mile http://www.racingpost.com/news/bloodstock/dansili-tyranny-zoffany-could-thrive-beyond-a-mile-at-three/748032/

If Obrien aims him at the derby he may be training like he will get further, the balance is he doesn't want that far though

French Derby if he wants a trip?

thanks for your comments.

Won't train on imo.

PP,why do you think that?And are you sending your mare to Dandy Man?

He had a tough long 2yo campaign starting in April.  Johannesburg had a similar campaign and didn't train on.  I'll happily be proved wrong but it's a viewpoint nobody had mentioned.  Will be finalising plans for my mare next week, all being well she could well be heading to DM, if the price is right.

PP, as for DM's price, they will tell you that they won't go less than 3k. Negotiate, he is available for less, but you will have to go through the charade of "Jane will ring you later to confirm price" Good Luck Posh Paddy, he is a good prospect and superb looker.

Yes they haven't really campaigned him like he is a top horse

I wonder if they (Coolmore) see him as a very precocious son of Dansili a bit like Strategic Prince?Only better, sure to have appeal when he retires.

I know they started him early but that's not too unusual for Ballydoyle is it. Galileo/Montjeus aside they often do a lot at 2 don't they.
I always felt last year that he was a sire prospect and I wouldn't have kept him quite so busy if he were mine!

They do often talk about not wanting 'false' horses at stud

neil d would you explain who 'They' are and what you mean by your statement ( I think I can guess but clear it up for a thicko would you )

I remember AOB stating on several occasions in 07 and 08 that they have a preference for hardy, sound horses with good constitutions with regard to their future careers(don't want a false horse at stud). The line of questioning related to whether they had ran Dylan Thomas too many times that season and it arose again the following year with regard to how early they had started off Duke of Marmalade. Now one could say that these lines were only trotted out to suit tough stayers like Dylan and the Duke. However to be fair they often campaign their quality speed horses with plenty of ambition as well, Henrythenavigator for one(run in the bog in france, BC Classic) I suppose that isn't to say they won't promote a fragile type Footsteps in the sand and all that, but AOB was saying at the time that they love a good tough one, you'd hear him say it about the likes of SSB and Beethoven this year. Why do I think that this could be the funniest thing you've read all year?

Sorry, left out a bit, I also remember him alluding to in the same interview, how they want their horses to take on the best to avoid having a false horse at stud for a false fee. I'd probably take this to mean that while there are the Classics and all the deadlines they bring, Coolmore also have their own criteria and want to see a horse prove itself. Anyone who is reading this probably thinks well yeah, of couse AOB would say that. They will charge as much as they can get away with in stallion fees and one could probably give a list of all the horses they have taken off to stud prematurely. I don't know myself really, but I just reckon that maybe they might be taking the long view these times. Maybe they could have learned more about Footstepsinthesand and HRE on the racecourse.

Thanks  for that neil d.

As you say who knows what part of Coolmore/Ballydoyle is the part to be listened too. We all take an educated guess at best.  Freaky Hawk Wing is the one that springs to mind for me. I think that there is probably truth in Aidan's words (and there's certainly much truth in the ideaology) that they as an organisation like to properly prove their horses in sofar as deciding which ones will enhance the operation of Tower, Southern, Quay Bloodstock et al. But as you ellude to, it makes bog all difference to what they actually stand!

It's one of my favourite little avenues of research - the stallions they actually use and or support themselves versus those that are left to whistle for it.

Oh god the spelling's gone again. . .

You put it much better than I did there potential

Not atall neill d, but re-reading, Footstepsinthesand is an odd one because there is plenty about his record that is laudable. Can he find a longer term slot I wonder? Mind you he started from a quite lofty place and nothing disappoints like disappointment, so praps not.

I think there's mileage in Footsteps yet, may be even bold enough to say expect minimum Grp2 winner this year.  Hope so come yearling sales time

Well I don't share any hopes for the mighty Footstepsinthesand,I'm never very sure why so many seem to have used him,one of the most overrated GNS winners of all time so bad he only ran 3 times due to him being so sound[;)].The fact is he has only just about done enough to make people still feel he offers a chance, staggered to see he had over 200 mares last term,perhaps now we can all understand why Steinbeck was SO hyped.......lemmings springs to mind![smiley:crazy]

I thought that Footstepsinthesand would go to America this year but that never happened surely that is where he will end up eventually.

I couldn't agree more about the ammount of mares F.inthe has covered, he has never made my list and as you all know I keep that list pretty damn extensive .

I do have sympathy with a general lemmingness though. Reading Ted Voute recently when he was recounting how some of his clients are paying stud fees that have increased by 20% happily, because it buys them into currently fashionable sires, when in reality the industry is further away from guaranteeing a return on those fees than ever. There's safety in numbers is obviously a much believed mantra . . .

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