Good Afternoon, Friend
Al Ameed: New French based flat horse, with Amy Murphy in Chantilly.
Time Sensitive, be quick! We've a few days to give Amy an answer as she's got owners lining up, but thankfully likes us as a first port of call...
Secure your share here: https://forms.gle/cyeL1NWsQMrqf8Vk8
Well, this is exciting! Actually, I've not been so excited since, well, Buzz came over my desk a few weeks ago 😂. But, this is a bit different...
I'm emailing you with news of a potential new flat horse with Amy in France who we're hoping to syndicate at least 50% of, under our management and so that he can run in our colours.
Al Ameed (Kodiac x Koubalibre - Galileo mare): 4YO Bay Gelding
For those of you who prefer my videos (a select group I know!), you can watch my walk through below, which is worth a watch as the best way for me to bring him to life, especially his form, which is really eye-popping.
My VIDEO run through: https://youtu.be/L-3pT75puE8?si=xaicYnI21IjhgFWx
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Al Ameed -
Previously trained by the Crisfords and having cost them £110k as a yearling, Amy picked this lad up at the Tatts Autumn HIT sale in October, for 32000 guineas. That is £33, 600, and what with four months of costs to the end of Feb, sales/agent commission, VAT etc, is standing us as a £45 000 , 100% capital cost.
You can find his sales page, including a nice video and his pedigree, here:
https://www.tattersalls.com/sales/autumn-horses-in-training-sale/4DCGI/Sale/AUT24/Main/538/
The horse: He's an 8 race maiden which doesn't tell the full story, with x4 seconds to his name and a third. He has bumped into numerous horses who've proved to be rather good, 95+, including a couple who won big Meydan handicaps in the last two weeks off 100 and 87. Evidently a big lad who needed time to fill his frame, he also took a while to learn how to be a racehorse, drop his head, settle and show his best. He was far too keen at times. I'd expect us to see a different horse again this season.
Amy originally thought this lad would be £50/60k+ and out of her budget. She thinks a change of scenery can work wonders with horses like this, who are pushed hard early, maybe as a lead horse to group horses at home, a holiday can help them and a change of approach (this lad has had 6 weeks off, back in, and ready to run in March - the holiday has done him good and he's even bigger and stronger).
Amy cannot work out why he was so keen in some of his races (settled like a lamb on his final start at Chelm in fairness, as he did in some other races), a chance they over-raced him from Sept onwards, 5 runs in just over 7 weeks, which is a lot of a 10-12f horse, and also a chance they used him as a lead horse for Group horses, revving him up too much at home. Amy says that kids could ride him at home, he's quiet, enthusiastic but settled just fine on the gallops, has never reefed/pulled, looks grown up and a proper racehorse now. She's very excited by him.
As a 4YO with full French Premiums, he gets 45% again on top of all prize money won forever more. France is 'the' place to be in Europe if you wish to make money, or as a worst case cover your costs, from the actual racing side of the game (outside of selling a good horse for a profit). Their baseline prize money is very good, and when you add the French bred premiums on top, it's just ridiculous.
The initial plan is to win a maiden, which on the basis of his form to date, he should do with ease, and hopefully recoups around 29k in one fell swoop. He currently has a UK mark of 82, and while the French will 're-handicap him' no doubt to something similar, he could develop into a very smart handicapper, and should keep picking up plenty of prize money, to the point where we'd like to think he'll be 'cost neutral' over a year, with the excitement of making a profit. He could develop into a 'Saturday' horse, or the French equivalent. (well, a Samedi horse!). They also have a more diverse programme book including conditions races and claimers etc.
It looks as though 10-12f is his distance, much depending on the pace of a race but I suspect a bigger field and strong gallop, will really see him come alive. Assuming he's now settled down (which his homework suggests he has), he can also race from wherever, and could even make-all with ease. He handles a bit of cut which is no bad thing over there (and may not want fast turf), but also handles the all-weather just fine, of which there are many options in France also. We're going to have a lot of fun with this lad.
When he heads into handicaps, the French do not touch a horse's mark for finishing 2nd, so you can run many good races without winning, and still pick up prize money galore, while not impeding your chance of future wins.
At this stage the plan would be to run him this season, and next, a 2 year commitment, we'll then see where we are. If he's still performing as a 6YO and has won loads, we may decide to carry on, or send him to a HIT sale, or a claimer..
However - given the system in France, you're best not tying yourself down to a timeframe, especially in the shorter term. If say in 8 months time we thought he'd done his job, won plenty, and had reached his ceiling, you do have the option of French Claimers, where you can sell them for plenty and make more again. It would be a case of keeping options open, which we'd manage with Amy. It is about having lots of fun, hopefully winning plenty, but being sensible also.
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Breeding
He's from a family which tends to get better with age, out of Kodiac and a Galileo mare.
His dam, Koubalibre (a half sister to multiple Group 1 winner Tiggy Wiggy, also by Kodiac), won as a 3YO in France. She's produced Al Ameed and his half brother, Maranoa Charlie, by Wootton Bassett, trained in France, who's turning into a very nice horse including sluicing up in a 2YO Group 3.
It's a very strong page, as you can see, as you can see from his sales page here:
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Form
I touch on this in the video, however...
Kempton (7th Aug), 2nd start and first of the season as a 3YO (one run as a 2YO, big horse), he was 3rd behind Arabian Light who won well. This horse won at 16 runner Meydan handicap 10 days ago, off OR 100. The 4th won a handicap on his next start off 71.
Windsor (19th Aug), ran well 10f, GF, bit too quick, outpaced, stayed on. Brave Call won, rated 85, previously placed in a deep Newmarket C2. The 2nd, No Retreat, sent to Meydan and on 14th Feb, 3 days ago, won a handicap easily off 87. The 3rd, easily won a novice next start. Our lad 4th.
Kempton (4th Sept), our lad a closing 2nd to Ashariba, rated 81 coming into this handicap, won a 11 runner Newmarket Class 2 off 87 on his next start. The 3rd, someway back, easily won a handicap on his next start, off 70.
Kempton (16th Sept), Horse ran well, came clear with Shader, who then stamped his authority on the race, but they had the rest at it. Shader had previously won a Southwell novice as he liked, and is now rated 99. The 3rd, was a close 2nd in a handicap on his next start, off 90.
At Ripon he ran ok, 12f on soft, which may have stretched him for all still second behind a very nice one of Karl Burkes, for all I don't think he handled the ridges/cambers of this unique track, looked all over the place under pressure which happens plenty there for a big horse. He was far too keen on 11th Oct at Kempton, sweated up, made a big mid race move around then before fading, a race to just put a line through
Chelmsford (26th Oct), final run before the sale - ran with great credit, 10f, settled well, moved well, a race that the winner dictated, but he stayed on all the way to the line in 2nd, not beaten far. That winner, Salamanca, came into the race officially rated 95, and he faced him off level weights, rated 84. It was a fine run. Salamanca came into it, after a break, having finished 2nd to Endless Victory in a Newmarket maiden, that horse now rated 104.
As you can see, there is so much substance, and calling him an 'eight race maiden' doesn't really do him justice. Watching his races, there's clearly no attitude issue, he puts his head down, responds to pressure, and gallops. He will win races in France, starting with a maiden.
I'd go as far to say that it will be some time before we come across a flat horse with such a profile, breeding and form, for what is a very reasonable price point. We can't miss out on this opportunity.
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The Racing Manager - obviously this French adventure is new for us all, but our use of TRM will help with comms and your experience from afar. They are 'plugged' into France Gallop, including entries, decs and race replays. We'll be running everything in our usual way this end and with Amy, we have a great communicator. We'll be getting you as close to the action as possible, and of course we will make it out there for the odd race, and stable visits etc.
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We have up to 75% available, and will initially try to syndicate 50%. Your shares will be secured on a first come first serve basis using the form below. I cannot guarantee a spot but in truth I have no idea how popular this offer may be! I need to give Amy an answer in the next few days before others start banging on the door! Jay and I will be keeping at least 10%.
Costs (starting March 1st)
Capital: £45k all in for 100%
1% = £450 one off.
2.5% = £1,125
5% = £2,250
7.5% = £ 3,375
10% = £4500
15% = £6,750
20% = £9000
Ongoing FEES:
1% = £33.99 PM (£407.88 annual)
2.5% = £84.99 PM (£1019.88)
5% = £169.98p PM (£2, 039)
7.5% = £214.97 PM (£2, 579.64p) (£480 discount)
10% = £279.96 PM (£3, 359. 64p) (£720 discount)
Bigger % can be discussed.
There's an expectation of course that this lad is going to bring in a fair chunk of prize money and make a fair dent in all said costs, and hopefully pay for his capital within his first 2-4 starts.
He will be ready to run in around 3 weeks time and is in France as of yesterday, settling in.
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SECURE YOUR SHARE HERE>>>: https://forms.gle/cyeL1NWsQMrqf8Vk8
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As always, thanks for your time
All the best,
Josh
p.s if you have any questions or wish to discuss, do get in contact: 07756545987
