MAC (dk b 2005 Astounding - Alektra by King Midas)
Standing at Skambha Stables, Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
5 wins at 3 to 5 (1400 m. and 1600 m.). BOR 70
Previous stallions at Skambha Stables: King Midas, Astounding
First son of Astounding to stand as a stallion in India

Ms. Patrizia Norelli-Bechelet's little establishment, a picturesque setting in Kodaikanal is the ultimate "hobby breeding" venture. The lady, a true lover of horses, has a stallion and a couple of mares and races, in Bangalore and Mysore, with whatever produce that comes up. The stables adjoin her small bungalow. There is one paddock the size of a football field from the edge of which you can see a beautiful waterfall. It is idyllic.

Mac will share a bit of coffee with his owner now and then and lead a good, comfortable life. He will hardly have any impact on Indian breeding but that is not the point of his existence. He brings so much joy to his owner and that is something which cannot be said about most stallions in the country.

Mac was trained initially by Irfan Ghatala, then by Dinesh Pujar and won five races from 32 starts in five years of racing. His sire Astounding, a son of Riyahi, was gifted to Skambha Stables by Mr. Deepak Khaitan. Astounding was a fine racehorse, a winner of the Black Label Bangalore Colts' Trial Stakes, Gr.1, Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and Classic Calcutta Derby, Gr.1 in record time. Mac's dam Alektra won six races for Ms. Norelli-Bachelet and has produced two other winners. Mac's pedigree contains the names of both the stallions who have stood at Skambha Stables previously.

The stallion has just one foal in his 2014 crop out of the imported Dansili mare Great Aunt[GB]. He did not cover a mare in 2014 but four visited him in 2015.

MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE[USA] (dk b 2008 War Chant - Midnight Kiss by Groom Dancer)
Standing at Nanoli Stud, Vadgaon, Pune District (Maharashtra)
3 wins at 3 (1600 m. and 1800 m.; one on turf, two on dirt)
Previous stallions at Nanoli Stud: Cristofori, Storm Trooper, Black Cash, Ikhtyar and Kingda Ka. (Greensmith, Alnasr Alwasheek and Glory of Dancer also had short tenures)
First stallion son of War Chant to stand in India.

Silver haired trainer Bob Baffert was unable to race Mr. Arnold Zetcher's homebred colt Midnight Interlude at 2 and the colt made his belated racecourse debut at Santa Anita in January as 3YO and was third. The following month, he finished as runner-up to Red Sharp Humor and won his first race in mid-March by eight lengths. He was then pitched into the Santa Anita Derby, Gr.1 and ran a game race to enable jockey Victor Espinoza to snatch a head win at the odds of 14/1.  Baffert then took Midnight Interlude on the Triple Crown trail but disappointing runs in the Kentucky Derby, Gr.1 and Preakness Stakes, Gr.1 meant that he was back on the West Coast before the Belmont. Baffert was properly baffled by his charge's performance out east for Midnight Interlude had worked "like a bullet" at Churchill Downs before the big race. The astute trainer took  the blinkers off and gave the colt his first start on turf in the Tsunami Slew Stakes at Hollywood Park. Midnight Interlude won the race by a neck clocking 1.35 and change for the mile. After a fourth in La Jolla Handicap, Midnight Interlude was beaten just a nose in Del Mar Derby, Gr.2 by Banned. In his remaining seven starts -- three as a 4YO -- Midnight Interlude twice got on the board but was never in the money. 

War Chant, the sire of Midnight Interlude, counted the Breeders' Cup Mile, Gr.1 among his five wins. By the great Danzig out of the brilliant racemare Hollywood Wildcat, he commenced his stud career in U.S.A., later on shuttled to Yarradale Stud in Western Australia and is now permanently resident there. A fairly successful stallion, his two Gr.1 winners are Kingsfort and Midnight Interlude. Midnight Kiss, the dam of Midnight Interlude, won two races in New Zealand and placed third in the New Zealand Oaks, Gr.1. She is also the dam of Midnight Crooner (Oceanside Stakes).  The Gold Seal Epsom Oaks, Gr.1 winner Jet Ski Lady is from this stirp of the Aloe family. The Aloe family has produced some outstanding stallions like Round Table, Aureole, Sideral, Nashwan and others. Despite starting his racing career on dirt, Midnight Interlude has a pedigree suited for racing on turf.

The Nanoli Stud has scaled down its operation considerably in size and the new stallion has had a barely sustainable support in terms of numbers in his early years. He has 16 foals in his first crop and two less in the his second. In 2015, he covered just five mares.

SURFRIDER[IRE] (b 2008 Dansili - Ecoutila by Rahy)
Standing at Ruia Stud, Shirwal, District Satara (Maharashtra)
3 wins at 2 to 4 in France and U.S.A. (1200 m. to 1400 m; one on fibresand and two on turf, good going). Best Racing Post Rating 112
Previous stallions at Ruia Stud: Home Run, Cupid, Dilligham, Soft Currency, Warrshan, Mr. Mellon, Chatham Strait and Chevalier.
Previous son of Dansili to stand at stud in India: Home Affairs

Surfrider was sent out by trainer Eric Libaud in the colours of M. Michel Delauzun for his debut as 2YO in August at Deauville. With Olivier Peslier in the saddle, the colt won easily by three lengths at the odds of 15/1. On his next start, Surfrider placed third in Prix des Chenes, Gr.3 over a mile at Longchamp to Godolphin's French Navy and Havane Smoker. Third on his first start at 3, he turned the tables on Havane Smoker in the Prix Djebel, Gr.3 at Maissons-Laffitte and two starts later he was again third, six lengths behind the battling pair of Dream Ahead and Goldikova in the Prix de la Foret, Gr.1. Back on fibresand at Deauville for his last start of the year, he ran disappointingly. He then passed into the ownership of Mr. Herve Barjot and crossed the Atlantic. After a familiarizing run at Kenneland, he won an allowance race at Belmont Park over 1200 m. He lost form completely thereafter and was last in three starts which included two Gr.2 contests.

The Juddmonte horse Dansili was a decent miler. As a stallion, Dansili has been an unqualified success having sired several Gr.1 winners like Flintshire, Harbinger, Rail Link, Magog, Foreteller, The Fugue, Miss France and others. With sons like Harbinger, Rail Link, Bated Breath, Zoffany and Strategic Prince -- among others -- now at stud, Dansili bids fair to be called an emerging sire of sires. Dansili as a sire has not only been very successful but also very versatile. The dam line Surfrider is equally impressive for he comes from a family that has provided sires like Storm Bird, Steady Effort, Gold Crest, Tralos, Signal Tap, Green Tune, A.P. Warrior and others including Storm Trooper and the short-lived Sunday Doubt in India.

Surfrider had 18 foals in his first crop and a dozen in his second. In 2015, he had his largest book as 28 mares visited his court.

WESTERN ARISTOCRAT[USA] (dk b/br 2008 Mr. Greeley - Aristocratic Lady by Kris S.)
Standing at Capricorn Stud, Nandoor (Maharashtra)
4 wins in England and U.S.A. at 2 to 4 (1400 m. to 1800 m; three of turf and one on AW). BOR 113
Previous stallions at Chanhill/Capricorn Stud: Tirol, Emerald Cat, Juniper, Mull of Kintyre and Whatsthescript
Other sons of Mr. Greeley to stand at stud in India: Rebuttal and Net Whizz (progeny yet to race)

Whatsthescript's first crop has not completed a year of racing as we discuss Western Aristocrat. Both the stallions are owned by Broadacres Stud but stand at Capricorn Stud. Both started their racing in Europe but went across to U.S.A. to get their black-type wins to boost their CVs (as did Senure and Storm Trooper before them).  We are now just waiting for Mr. Marthand Singh Mahindra to get another stallion whose name starts with a "W" so we can have the "Three Ws" !

Western Aristocrat was owned by Mr. Tom Ludt, President of Santa Anita Race Course, Vinery Stud and the former Chairman of Breeders 'Cup. The American-bred colt was entrusted to Jeremy Noseda who had commenced his training career on the West Coast in U.S.A. It was at the very end of October that Noseda was able to get the colt to race and he made a pleasing winning debut under Ryan Moore at Newmarket. He won his first start as a 3YO at Haydock but his hat-trick attempt was foiled by Strong Suit -- now a stallion at Manjri Stud -- and Codemaster in the Jersey Stakes, Gr.3 at Royal Ascot, finishing within a length of the winner. That effort made him favourite for the RSA Thoroughbred Stakes, L, at Goodwood over a mile. Once again he finished a close third with Neebras and Chef ahead of him and Tazahum -- now a stallion at Sans Craintes Stud -- in fourth. He was then sent to York for the Skybet Mobile Strensall Stakes, Gr.3 where he ran down the field. That was obviously not his true running for Tazahum finished second. Switched to All Weather track at Kempton, Western Aristocrat returned to winning ways over a mile.

He was shipped to U.S.A. and donning the colours of Vinery Stables, he bagged the Jamaica Handicap, Gr.1 at Belmont winning by a length from Brilliant Speed. He then traversed the entire breadth of America to run in the Hollywood Derby, Gr.1. He ran a fine race but was narrowly defeated by Ultimate Eagle and Imagining. Taken to Dubai, his only start there was in the Godolphin Mile, Gr.2 over a mile on tapeta. He was slowly off, trailed the field and Ryan Moore pulled him up before the final bend. That ended Western Aristocrat's racing career.

Some stallions prove far more successful than what their own racing performance may presage. Western Aristocrat's sire Mr. Greeley is one such stallion. Though he placed second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Gr.1, the only black-type race that Mr. Greeley won was the Lafayette Stakes, Gr.3. As a sire, though, he has been outstanding and with enough winners on turf to make his appeal universal. Several of his sons -- Reel Buddy, El Corredor, Greeley's Galaxy, Whywhywhy, Belgravia, Captain Red, Kentucky Bear and others -- have made it to the stallions ranks to confirm his status as a sire of sires. Rebuttal was a Champion Freshman Sire in India and though he went off the boil after his first crop, he was never short of winners. Western Aristocrat is from the immediate family of sires Well Decorated, Victorious, Benny The Dip and French Suitor who had a brief tenure at A.B. Stud. The tail female line goes back to Tea's Over from whom descend the sires Ragusa, Rainbow Corner, Rainbow High, etc.

Western Aristocrat, who like Rebuttal is bred on the Gone West/Fappiano cross, has 53 2YOs in training. He had 29 foals in his second crop while he covered 31 mares in 2015.

PAST THE POST

If bookmakers were to open odds for who will finish as the Champion Freshman Sire from this lot of eight newcomers, Excellent Art will be a very short-priced favourite. A gigantic first crop almost hands him the title on a silver plate. Ace with 51 starters and Arzazan with 72 bagged the titles in their years. Both, however, have disappointed in the larger context. It is to be hoped that Excellent Art proves better than his predecessors.