SADLY, the most significant stallion news of the week concerns the sale of Poetic Flare (Dawn Approach) to Shadai Stallion Station in Japan. No doubt he will prove to be very popular there, but breeders in Europe will not now have easy access to the best miler of his age.

Poetic Flare has the imprint of his owner, with Jackie, breeder and trainer Jim Bolger going back a couple of generations on either side of the family. The colt won this year’s Group 1 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes, was runner-up to Palace Pier in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois, to stablemate Mac Swiney in the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, and to Alcohol Free in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes. He chased home St Mark’s Basilica and Tarnawa in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes.