Independent Bloodstock Agent Armando Duarte & MM Stables Racing Manager Talks Horses 2022

Hi Craig there is a few words like you asked. 

2021 was a good year on the track for MMSTABLES, with ALENQUER winning at sandown derby trial G3 , then winning at royal ascot G2 then a gallant 2nd in G1 Judmonte International behind the highest rated racehorse in the world. 

What a day we had! Thanks for all kind messages, I still can’t believe it. Huge team effort from everyone @WilliamHaggas and my fantastic owners MMSTABLES. #skyisthelimit #alenquer pic.twitter.com/5yd2HvV7vW

— Armando duarte (@Armandoduarte14) June 19, 2021

Also we had a 2 year old I bought at the breeze ups for quite a bit of money named Maglev rated 102 before we sold him well at the horses in training October sales in Newmarket to America, and he since finished a great 2nd in a stakes race on his first start for his new connections and we wish them the best of luck with him.

💫 New stakes horse for GALILEO GOLD! 💫

Very good American debut for MAGLEV, a closing 2nd in the Eddie Logan Stakes.

Last year’s joint @GoffsUK Breeze-Up topper, he was smart for the William Haggas and was resold for 300,000gns to continue his career in California https://t.co/GlYuzs8RWX

— Tally-Ho Stud (@HoStud) January 3, 2022

Last year sales once again hard to buy but we manage to buy 2 yearlings even with a huge budget I had I only bought those 2. I could bought a lot more for the sake of it but I want to look after my clients and spend their money like was my own. Not a bad statistic having 2 horses in training and both being rated above 100 and stakes horses. 

At the sales last year, I bought a Fast Company colt at Doncaster premier sales for £80.000 and a Saxon warrior colt for £120.000 at Book 1 Tattersalls in Newmarket. 

I really like the Fast Company colt at the moment, he is doing everything very well and easy. Great mover and great head too. Hopefully he can make Royal Ascot. 

The Saxon Warrior first season runners but I like him too , easy mover but he will more backend season and 3 year old campaign in mind but he is doing everything we ask him. 

Both will go to William Haggas. 

We will keep you updated with the names of these two horses. 

Regarding plans for ALENQUER we haven’t made any plans for him, he's cantering steady at the moment. We hope he got stronger through the winter and improved too. He is already a good horse but if he could improve 2 lengths from 3 to 4 he could be very competitive at the highest level. There is some valuable races abroad so we have that in mind but also we would like him to win a G1 in UK then hopefully make him a stallion. 

Great times ahead . 

Regards, 

Armando

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Armandoduarte14 

Gosden Hoping To Fire Some Bullets At Newbury (September 19th)

What a great ride jockey Tom Marquand gave Arousing at Yarmouth yesterday, alright it was because I wrote about the William Haggas trained Kodiac filly in my last post that I mention it, but serious Tom is at the top of his game and even though Arousing was slowly away and behind a wall of horses Tom managed to battle his way through and get Arousing up to win nicely. 

My other selection was Elland Road Boy for Kevin Ryan, now I did mention if drifting would be a negative so hopefully anybody who actually bets on my fancies left the Dandy Man colt alone as he took a huge drift to 28/1 at the off. I do add these little pointers for a reason and I know i’m no Hugh Taylor but as part pf my selection process I like to take into account the stats of trainer for instance Kevin Ryan second timeout winners in Novice and Maiden 2-year-old races over 10/1 are very poor, in fact he’s never had a 28/1 winner over the 4-year study, after writing this you just know it’s going to happen ha but on a serious note it’s worth checking these things out if you want to get a better angle on horse racing. Right lecture over, as always Saturdays are very competitive especially first timeout 2-year-olds at Newbury and Newmarket. I did say to myself I wouldn’t bother with these big races but yes I still can’t stop myself so here we go but be warned tough races to be honest. 

13:05 Newbury 19 Sep 2020

MITHRAS could start the day off nicely for trainer John Gosden. Owners Haras De Saint Pair could have a nice one here after an eye-catching debut at Sandown last month. I’m pretty sure the Dubawi colt went into a few notebooks as it looked like a hot little race with the winner finishing third in a Listed race at Doncaster and the second, third, fifth and sixth all winning. Mithras looked a bit clueless in that race but powered home when the penny dropped. Dam Irish Rookie was no slouch herself for Martyn Meade winning her first two races as a 2-year-old including the Montrose fillies Listed Stakes and contesting group races throughout her career. It’s by no means a given that Mithras will win here as Aerion Power also looks a future winner and a few unraced nice looking types in the field but hopefully even though Mithras will be short in the betting he can take a step forward here. 

16:00 Newbury 19 Sep 2020 

The division 2 also looks a nice race and another Gosden runner turns up here this time for owners Mrs J Magnier, Mr M Tabor & Mr D Smith. The Gurkha colt RIFLEMAN is related to plenty of winners including the useful Aloft. John Gosden does pretty well with his first timeout 2-year-olds at Newbury and last year won this race with Cherokee Trail who is owned by the same owners as Rifleman. As always betting could be the key and any big drift would be a big negative. Plenty of unknowns here but hopefully Rifleman can make it a nice day for Mr Gosden at Newbury. 

Other tracker to note: 

13:00 Chelmsford City 20 Sep 2020 

DECISIVE EDGE 

Good luck and stay safe

Haggas Hoping For An Arousing Debut At Yarmouth (17th September)

My last selection definitely needed a bit of Fergie time at Kempton the other day. The Andrew Balding trained Florence Street ran a decent race to be honest and looked to be getting the hang of things late on but the first two had flown well by then. Interested to see if she can finally get her head in front next timeout. 

Tracker Wise Judgment ran a promising debut at Beverley today when looking professional, I actually thought she was going to win until the hot favourite came from a mile away to win easily in the end but a promising second on debut. 

Hot favourite Ready To Venture despite being slow away won like a favourite should at Yarmouth today and will be contesting pattern races soon. 

16:10 Yarmouth 17 Sep 2020 

The Sir Michael Stoute trained Ville De Grace looks a worthy favourite here after a winning debut at Kempton back in June. The second that day Glesca Girl ran a decent race next timeout in a class 2 but apart from her it didn't look the strongest race but you can only beat what's in front of you hey. It will be a tough ask with a win penalty, so I will be putting forward a William Haggas' unraced filly called AROUSING and hoping I can get a run for my money at least. Ideally an each way bet but I would be very surprised to get that. The Kodiac filly has a lovely pedigree and is a half-sister to the brilliant One Master who is also trained by William Haggas and owned by Lael Stable. I always keep an eye out for William Haggas 2-year-olds at Yarmouth because he has a pretty good strike rate and hopefully Arousing can add to that but as always debut races can be frustrating at times. 100/30 at the time of writing. 

13:15 Pontefract 17 Sep 2020 

My next one is a bit of a speculative one and hopefully I can get an each way price. ELLAND ROAD BOY is a pretty cheap purchase for Kevin Ryan, the Dandy Man colt was purchased for £26,000 and owned by Mr Roger Peel & Clipper Logistics. Queen Jo Jo was an excellent purchase by the same owner and trainer at the 2018 Craven Breeze Up Sales who has got better with age and this season won the Group 3 Summer Fillies Stakes at York. Another from the same owner and trainer combo is Romantic Vision who won twice last season. Elland Road Boy was easy to back on debut at Chester and finished last of six, hopefully the wind op will bring some improvement and make the frame against the hot favourite Sir Maxi. 11/1 at the time of writing but any drift will be a negative with this Dandy Man colt. 

EYE-CATCHER 

14:50 Sandown 16 Sep 2020

This looked a pretty nice race and the Queens horse Just Fine won well for Sir Michael Stoute but one who was a big price who will be worth keeping an eye out for is the Andrew Balding trained LANDING SYSTEM who was a 40/1 shot today. Landing System was never really involved but kept on steadily and will have learnt a lot from his first taste of the racecourse. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

The Best Horses Trained by William Haggas

After another smash and grab in Australia by the William Haggas team this weekend I thought I would look back at a few talented horses to come out of Somerville Lodge Stables over the past four years. 

You may have remembered Hanibal Smith from the A-Team saying “I love it when a plan comes together” but I Imagine William Haggas was saying the same thing in the early hours of Sunday morning as ADDEYBB won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Australia. A well-hatched plan was executed to perfection as Addeybb won by over 2-lengths. The Pivotal chestnut gelding is owned by Sheikh Al Maktoum and was bought at the 2015 October Yearling Sales for 200,000 gns. It's safe to say that was a great investment as Addeybbs prize money has already hit a high of £1,469,283 with his last two Group one victories bumping it up significantly in what has been an outstanding career for the 6-year-old. 

SEA OF CLASS has to be on the list with two Group one wins to her name. The Sea The Stars mare was bought for 170,000 gns at the 2016 December Yearling Sales for owners Sunderland Holding Inc. Unraced at two but certainly made up for it in a tremendous debut season as a three-year-old when winning the Group 1 Irish and Yorkshire Oaks just to name a couple of big wins and in doing so has picked up £1,501,911 in prize money. 

Sire Sea The Stars makes it on the list again this time with a 9-year-old chestnut gelding called MUTAKAYYEF. The Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum gelding was bought at the 2012 October Yearling Sales for 260,000 gns. Mutakayyef is as consistent as they come after only finishing unplaced once in her career, but he can be forgiven for that as it was the Group 1 at Meydan where he faded to finish fifth. Twice a winner of the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot plus other Group victories saw his career total prize money stand at £700,910. 

Owned and bred by Lael Stable, ONE MASTER has been on more holidays around the world than Judith Charmers. On a serious note the Fastnet Rock mare has travelled far and wide in search of Group success and hasn't done too bad to be honest. Group wins in England, Ireland and France have seen her rack up prize money totaling £721,829 to date. A fifth in the Breeders Cup Mile and fifth again in the Hong Kong Mile make One Master a horse who isn't afraid to travel and mix it with the big guns. 

TASLEET is a seven-year-old bay Showcasing horse owned by Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum. A pretty cheap purchase at the 2014 Premier Yearling Sales for £52,000. Tasleet had a decent first season winning the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes and a second in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on his next start. More Group wins followed with the Greenham and the Group 2 Clipper Logistic Stakes making Tasleet a horse to be reckoned with. Currently standing at Nunnery Stud. Tasleet ended his career with prize money totaling £650,153. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Author: Craig Newton

**KNOW THE BEST HORSES IN TRAINING (BEFORE THEY RACE!)**

Convict Hoping To Make Amends (Plus Previews)

13:15 Redcar 25 Sep 2019. 

British EBF Future Stayers Maiden Stakes. Plus 10 | Class 4 | 2YO only. Winner £10,350 - 11 declared to run.: 

Tracker: Bentley Wood. 

Eye-Catcher: Convict. 

A couple of horses that I have noted here in what looks a tricky contest. First up is the Mick Channon trained, owned and bred Sixties Icon colt Bentley Wood. Mick Channon had given Bentley Wood an entry in Class 2 Peter Willett Maiden Stakes at Goodwood in August, but he never ran. His debut race was in fact at Carlisle early this month and even though he wasn't fancied at 22/1 it was a race full of promise. It wasn't the strongest race but the winner Strawman and Bentley Wood had it between them at the finish. It looks like being soft going tomorrow with the amount of rain around the country at the minute and Bentley Wood should relish the going. 

I added Convict to my eye-catcher list after a promising debut at Newbury back in August. The William Haggas trained Australia colt is a half brother to the exciting Hamish also trained by William Haggas. Convict was slowly away on debut until staying on well without threatening the eventual winner Quadrilateral who won a nice Class 2 Conditions race next start and an exciting filly for Roger Charlton. Everything was set up for a good run next start from Convict and I have to admit I had a few quid on. What I wasn't expecting after a furlong was jockey Danny Tudhope to lose his irons after Convict stumbled on the path and the jockey looking more like a rodeo star. I guess that's the gamble you take and these things happen. He was well-supported that day which was a good sign and hopefully I can get an each-way price tomorrow and get a run for my money at least. We also have Talap who tries the cheekpieces after a disappointing run last time out and a Mark Johnston newcomer who needs a market check on debut. 

18:15 Newcastle 25 Sep 2019: 

Designs Signage Ebf Novice Stakes. Class 5 | 2YO only Winner £3,752 - 7 declared to run. 

Tracker: Anastarsia. 

Eye-Catcher: Crystal Pegasus. 

I noted the Michael Stoute trained Crystal Pegasus as an eye-catcher at the start of this month after a promising debut at Ascot. Crystal Pegasus is a half-brother to Crystal Hope who won second time out at 14/1. Ryan Moore gave Crystal Pegasus a nice enough ride, and he stayed on well-behind the John Gosden trained Enemy. The extra distance should bring out more improvement from the Australia colt. He won't have it all his own way though because we have a serious rival in the name of Anastarsia. The John Gosden Sea The Stars filly has a Group 1 fillies mile entry and we all know how John Gosden loves a 2-year-old winner at Newcastle. I won't be betting on this race, I think it's one to enjoy and just watch. 

Good luck and thanks for reading.