Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday July 18

When Carlton House quietly disappeared from the Darley stallion roster after just two seasons it contrasted to a career where he was rarely out of the headlines.

It began in his first year of life when he was one of four yearlings gifted by Sheikh Mohammed to the Queen who had earlier presented the ruler of Dubai with a horse called Highland Glen after he had expressed interest in it to race in Dubai.

A son of the then growing influence Street Cry (IRE) out of the classically-bred Bustino mare Talented, who placed in the Ribblesdale and Lancashire Oaks, Carlton House showed ability from day one for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.

Advertisement

He broke his maiden by nine lengths at his second start in an 18-runner maiden over a mile at Newbury at two.

He returned at three to earn favouritism for the Epsom Derby when defeating the future ATC Metropolitan Handicap winner Seville in the Group II Dante Stakes at York.


He did not get the rub of the green in the derby where he finished an honourable third behind Pour Moi and Treasure Beach.

Three weeks later Carlton House finished fourth in the Irish Derby and he was done for the season.

He captured the Group III Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown at his first start at four before heading to Royal Ascot where he finished a two and a quarter-length second to So You Think in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes.

Carlton House made three more starts at four without winning, culminating in a sixth in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin, but he hit the headlines again when The Queen elected to send him to Australia under the care of Gai Waterhouse.

He failed to flatter in his first couple of starts in his adopted homeland. But he showed improvement when second in the Listed Parramatta Cup before taking a quantum leap when looking all over the winner before being nabbed late by Silent Achiever in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill with Dundeel back in third.

The track career of Carlton House (image Mark Smith ) came to a close with a fighting third behind Dundeel and Sacred Falls in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 19 2014.

It was announced that the son of Street Cry would take up residence at Darley in 2014 at a fee of $16,500 but the response was underwhelming. He left 31 live foals from the 40 mares covered.

A halving of his fee to $8,800 generated little more interest the following year but more concernedly he was experiencing fertility issues that brought an end to his stud career. His final crop consisted of 26 live foals.

With his first two-year-old crop last season Carlton House had one winner from his two runners, good enough to place him the 27th leading first-crop sire.

That’s about where he sits on the second crop sires table this season with four winners from 15 starters.

Two of his 26 second crop of two-year-olds have been in the winners circle this season and we are tipping he makes it three when the Godolphin homebred Farlingaye stretches out to 1800 metres in Saturday’s Super Vobis 2-Y-O Hcp at Flemington.

One of three runners from the international powerhouse in the race, Farlingaye was a strong finishing fourth over 1400 metres at Bendigo when making his career debut on July 5.

The son of Carlton House is the final foal of the Sadler’s Wells mare High School (GB) who is a sister to four stakes-winners including the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, Group 1 Coronation Cup and Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner and successful sire In The Wings.

A daughter of the Group 1 Premio Roma winner and Irish Oaks and Italian Oaks runner-up High Hawk (Shirley Heights), High School (GB) failed to live up to her regal heritage.

She has four winners from her first eight foals although her stakes-placed daughter Giggleswick (Elusive Quality) is the dam of Lonhro’s dual Listed stakes-winning son Plague Stone.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.