New Bay
The rise and rise of New Bay is becoming irrepressible. With just 19 runners to have represented him in his maiden season, the former French Derby winner gives every indication of being a sire of genuine significance.
From a limited pool of runners, it can be easy to become carried away, but New Bay’s trajectory is bursting beyond that initial period and currently sees him as a sire of 10 individual winners. He currently sits fifth on the First Season Sires Table for GB/Ireland by prize money and fourth by winners, despite being represented by a fraction of the number of runners of those above him in Mehmas (80 individual runners), Kodi Bear (37 individual runners) and Adaay (45 individual runners) and despite an expectation that the best of his stock will only be seen as they get over more ground.
The first season sire is clearly on the march driven, not only by a peerless winners/runner strike rate, but the emergence of a genuine crack performer in New Mandate. The Ralph Beckett trained colt showed promise in two starts in July and has subsequently strung together three booming wins, most recently in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes.
The Newmarket mile event has been the launching pad of some exceptional performers in its time with its honour roll including luminaries like Roaring Lion and Frankel. The former saluted before going on to be crowned the Longines IFHA World’s Best Racehorse in 2018. The latter scored by a staggering 10 lengths in 2010 before going on to dazzle the racing world in 2011 and 2012.
The Royal Lodge Stakes triumph was New Mandate’s second consecutive stakes win. In adding his name to its tally of winners, New Mandate was presented with an immediate and automatic invitation to the USD1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (1600m). An opportunity connections have confirmed they wish to take up. A positive performance would only frank the growing opinion the marketplace has of the Ballylinch Stud based sire.
“He’s a good horse,” champion jockey Frankie Dettori said post-race of New Mandate.
“They went slow and it was a bit of a sprint finish. We’ve got to go to group one level now and try.”
Ballylinch Stud’s managing director John O’Connor has never been one to be unnecessarily bullish. But even he has been unable to hide his excitement about the emergence of New Bay. In August, when New Bay lay claim to seven individual winners, he was sought out by the Racing Post newspaper for comment.
“New Bay has made a fantastic start – possibly the best start statistically of any stallion we’ve ever had,” O’Connor said at the time.
“He’s got 78 per cent winners to runners from his UK and Ireland runners. I don’t know if any stallion has ever made a start like that.
“He wasn’t a precocious or early two-year-old himself but his stock is well ahead of that schedule. If they step up like we expect them to then this could be a major stallion to come.”
New Bay was purchased from Juddmonte Farm and is managed by syndicate that includes Juddmonte, China Horse Club and Ballylinch Stud. The trio of high-profile operators has supported the son of Dubawi providing a solid base that encouraged the wider market of breeders to support his cause. The results to date have ensured demand for him and for his stock is running high.
China Horse Club has been a strong advocate of New Bay sending quality mares to him in each of his three seasons to date. That faith has already been rewarded by a slew of New Bay winners headed by Imperial Yellow (also stakes placed), Saffron Beach, Vafortino and Perotto. A quartet of quality 2020 New Bay foals are also on the ground for China Horse Club, foaled down by D’Oro Princess, Inconceivable, Madernia and Praden.
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