(Waajib - Flying Melody (Auction Ring))
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| PICTURE |
- 1993 foal. Owned by Maktoum Al Maktoum and trained by BW Hills winning nine races from 5f to 6f between 2yo to 4yo. Successful in all four runs at 2yo in 5f maiden on May 31st, the 6f Group 3 Coventry, 6f Group 2 Gimcrack and the 6f Group 1 Middle Park Stakes. At 3yo won one from four in a 6f conditions race having earlier been unplaced in the 2,000 Guineas on debut. At 4yo won four 6f races finishing with the Group 1 Sprint Cup.
- To stud in 1997 and made an instant impact with his first crop in 2001 and was the leading first season sire. That group included a raft of precocious sprint winners and also some good quality with Group 2 winner Mister Cosmi, Listed winner Kulachi and major sales race winners Acclamation and Madame Boulangere. That first crop was typical in that he has proved to be a sire notable for good results with precocious sprint 2yos and less good with those horses developing at older ages. His only older Group winners to late 2005 were Acclamation and Ticker Tape (who went to the US as a 3yoto win uncompetitive turf Grade 1 races) and the majority of his better wins by his 2yos.
- His race record and early success has meant that he has regularly had quite large groups of 2yo runners each season and he has a consistent record. However, it is interesting to note that his winners to runners percentage and strike rate have both shown a steady decline through his five seasons from high levels to just above average. The quality of the 2yo winnershas gone down a little as well with 2001 and 2003 his best years and the period 2004-5 producing just two Listed level successes in 2004 (for a sire whose reputation is built on his 2yos performances primarily).
- Notable recent winners - Sir Albert (5f Listed) & The Bonus King (6f Listed) in 2002; Auditorium (6f Listed), Majestic Missile (5f Group 3), Nevisian Lad (6f Group 3) & Peak To Creek (7f Group 3) in 2003; Moth Ball (6f Listed) & Prince Charming (5f Listed) in 2004; Expensive (Watership Down fillies' sales race) in 2005.
- Gets winners at 5f to 6f mainly from early season with wins at 7f relatively rare. His first three crops suggested he was one of the few sires whose progeny showed a real bias towards a particular going type - good to firm or faster but, as usual, the last two crops have seen an increased number of winners on softer going to place a question mark against that correlation.
- 56 yearlings sold in 2005 with the colts averaging over 45,000gns and the fillies just over 30,000gns. A continued decrease in his returns for strike rate and winners to runners in 2006 and no winner above maiden level. 61 yearlings sold for an average of 40,000 guineas.
- 2005 to 2012 Wins List.