He has forged one of the most powerful sire lines ever seen in National Hunt racing.
As with most top flat stallions, Sadler’s Wells got National Hunt Grade 1 winners of his own, with standouts such as Istabraq, Theatreworld, French Ballerina, and Synchronized heading his roll of honour.
Many of his best flat stallion sons have also got Grade 1 stars over hurdles and/or fences, and there is an increasing number of his male line descendants who are excelling almost exclusively with their jumpers, some even retiring directly to National Hunt studs.
His star National Hunt sire sons include horses who were themselves unraced, who were blacktype placed, or listed scorers, or pattern winners, and as the Beeches Stud stallion Ask is among the most highly-rated of them to retire straight to a National Hunt stud, that arguably makes him one of the most promising.
His first win came over 12 furlongs at Chepstow as a three-year-old, a seven-length score at odds of 2/9. He was short-headed in the Melrose Handicap at York two months later and then finished fourth behind Sixties Icon in the Group 1 St Leger.
His only appearances at the age of four were wins in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester and in the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot and a nose defeat in the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine.
His five-year-old season was not as glittering as might have been hoped, but he did win the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes and he was not disgraced when beaten under four lengths into sixth place behind Zarkava in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
It was as a six-year-old, however, that he reached his peak, winning the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup by six lengths, beating Youmzain by a nose in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom, finishing third behind Conduit in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and then winning the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp.
Ask is the best horse produced from Request (by Rainbow Quest), a half-sister to the Grade 1 placed Group 2 scorer Blueprint (by Generous) and to Fairy Godmother (by Fairy King), the stakes-winning dam of the 10-furlong Group 1 scorer My Kingdom Of Fife (by Kingmambo).
Request is out of the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes runner-up Highbrow (by Shirley Heights), the next dam is the King George-placed dual classic star Highclere (by Queen’s Hussar), and so Ask comes from the family whose Group 1 stars include Wind In Her Hair (by Alzao), Deep Impact (by Sunday Silence), Fly To The Stars (by Bluebird), Fallen For You (by Dansili), Right Approach (by Machiavellian), Nashwan (by Blushing Groom), Nayef (by Gulch), Lahudood (by Singspiel), and Ghanaati (by Giant’s Causeway). Of those, Deep Impact, Nashwan and Nayef are the sires of Group 1 winners, as is Unfuwain (by Northern Dancer), the Group 1-placed, Group 2-winning half-brother to that latter pair.
It is hard to find a better-bred stallion than the dual Group 1 winner Ask. His first store horses should be on offer in 2015.
ASK (GB)
Race record: Winner of 7 races, over 12-15.5f, from 3-6 years inc Prix Royal-Oak, Gr.1, Coronation Cup, Gr.1, Yorkshire Cup, Gr.2, Gordon Richards Stakes, Gr.3, Cumberland Lodge Stakes, Gr.3, Ormonde Stakes, Gr.3; 2nd Canadian International, Gr.1; 3rd King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Gr.1, etc.
Stud record: Retired to stud in 2011. First crop are 2yo.
Stands at: The Beeches Stud, Lismore, Co Waterford.
Contact: Robert McCarthy, Bobby McCarthy or Peter Kenneally on 058 56254.
E-mail: info@coolmore.ie
Website: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €2,500
COOLMORE NH STUDS
Coolmore's 16 National Hunt sires are based mostly at the Beeches Stud in Lismore, Co Waterford and Grange Stud in Fermoy, Co Cork. There are also some based at Castle Hyde Stud, which is also in Fermoy, and at the main Coolmore Stud in Co Tipperary.
The Beeches is home to seven stallions and the roster is headed by Flemensfirth (by Alleged), who is well-established as being one of the very best National Hunt sires around. Ask (by Sadler’s Wells), Imperial Monarch (by Galileo), Mahler (by Galileo), Mountain High (by Danehill), Recital (by Montjeu), and Sans Frontieres (by Galileo), each of whom is in early stages of his stallion career, complete the list.
The outstanding National Hunt sire Oscar (by Sadler’s Wells) heads the team at Grange Stud, and he is supported by the successful pair Milan (by Sadler’s Wells) and Vinnie Roe (by Definite Article) as well as Fame And Glory (by Montjeu) and Getaway (by Monsun), neither of whom has runners yet.
Scorpion (by Montjeu) and Westerner (by Danehill) stand at Castle Hyde Stud, Group 1 sire Dylan Thomas (by Danehill) is listed on both the flat and the National Hunt roster in 2014, and the line-up is completed by the multiple Group 1 star Yeats (by Sadler’s Wells).