December 27th, 2008

Mibar stepped up on his victory over six furlongs (1200m) in Rome in November to land the Listed Premio Criterium Mediterraneo at Siracusa during the month.

The Italian-bred colt by Refuse To Bend is out of the Rainbow Quest mare Bow River Gold and was bred by Grapestock LLC. He has now run five times for two wins and two places.

Refuse To Bend is the sire of 16 winners of 24 races in Europe, including the Group Three-placed Canwinn and Listed runner-up Favourite Girl. His top ten runners have a Timeform average of 98, putting him ahead of the likes of Galileo (95), Danehill Dancer (93), Dansili (91) and Pivotal (87) in their first seasons.

Refuse To Bend covered mares in Australia this spring and he arrives back at Kildangan Stud in Ireland for the 2009 season at the end of the month. His fee in Ireland will be €12,000 (October 1, Special Live Foal).

During his time in the southern hemisphere, Refuse To Bend is based at Aberdeen in the Hunter Valley, where his fee was $16,500.00 (inc GST). His first crop of Australian-bred yearlings have sold well - up to $250,000 and he will be represented by his second crop at the forthcoming yearling sales.

November 16th, 2008

Darley first-season sire Refuse To Bend sired his 15th winner of the northern season on Friday when his son, Mibar easily landed the 1200m Maiden at Rome by one-and-three-quarter lengths. Settled midfield early, the Gianluca Bietolini trained colt smoothly crept into the race and took the lead over 200m out to score in convincing style.

Bred in Kentucky by Grapestock LLC, he is the second winner for Rainbow Quest mare Bow River Gold and a close relative of US G1 winner Labeeb.

Refuse To Bend has made an excellent start to his career and is available to Australian breeders this spring at Darley's NSW base for a fee of $16,500 (inc gst).

October 12th, 2008

In England during the week, Madamily relished the test of ten furlongs (2000m) around Pontefract's hilly terrain and duly became the thirteenth winner for her sire Refuse To Bend.

The filly was making her third start from John Quinn's Yorkshire yard, having been runner-up on her last start over seven furlongs (1400m). A daughter of the Rainbow Quest mare Rainbow Dream, she was bred in Ireland by Dermot Brennan and Associates.

Refuse To Bend, whose winners include the stakes-placed duo of Canwinn and Favourite Girl and some highly-rated individuals such as Liberation and Courageous, is now in fourth position in the first-season sires' table. 

August 31st, 2008

Refuse To Bend celebrated his eighth winner on Thursday with the easy victory of Croisultan in a five-furlong (1000m) nursery at Bellewstown. He led home Brown Vixen (Kheleyf) by two-and-a-half lengths. Bred by Derek Iceton of Ireland's Tara Stud, Croisultan is out of the Ezzoud mare Zoudie.

Among Refuse To Bend’s other first-crop winners are Canwinn and Favourite Girl, both of whom earned black type in the past week when each was narrowly beaten in Listed contests in Deauville and England respectively.

Three yearlings by the freshman changed hands at Doncaster this week for an average of £45,666 ($96,709).

February 10th, 2008

STALLIONS’ takes a look at the outstanding array of talent among the sires with first crop yearlings for sale in 2008. 

Amongst them is Refuse to Bend.

Arguably, the most successful son of Sadler’s Wells in Australia – especially when opportunity is taken into consideration – is Scenic. He was a group one winner at two, and a group one performing miler at three.

This must be an encouraging omen for Refuse to Bend, a son of Sadler’s Wells, who not only parallel's those criteria, but exceeds them. Refuse to Bend, was in fact a group one winner at two, three and four. At two, he started just twice, but took the seven furlong National Stakes (G1) accounting for the previously unbeaten Van Nistelrooy (a Storm Cat son who made a very good start to his stud career in 2007). First time out at three, Refuse to Bend captured the Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial, and he took his record to four-for-four in the 2,000 Guineas (G1), a race in which he demonstrated considerable cruising speed, to stay close behind the leaders in a 20 horse field, before quickening to take command inside the final furlong. In the Epsom Derby (G1), a race for which he started favourite, Refuse to Bend clearly failed to stay, but he added to his laurels when brought back to a mile for the Desmond Stakes (G3). Carrying 61 kg., and giving weight all-round, including to some older rivals, Refuse to Bend won decisively by three lengths. Refuse to Bend returned at four, and added lustre to his record with a pair of back-to-back victories which emphasized his toughness, versatility and courage. In the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), run over a mile on good-to-firm ground at Royal Ascot, Refuse to Bend outstayed the top-class filly Soviet Song to score by a neck. Returning in the Eclipse Stakes (G1), a ten furlong event contested on good-to-soft ground, he fought on gamely to withstand the challenge of four-time group one winner Warrsan.

In addition to being a son of Sadler’s Wells, Refuse to Bend, has a lot of credentials on the distaff side of his pedigree. His dam, Market Slide, is a graded stakes placed daughter of Gulch, a Champion Sprinter, and Champion Sire in the U.S., and best known in Australia as the sire of Thunder Gulch. Market Slide has also made her mark in Australia as she is dam of the Melbourne Cup (G1) winner, Media Puzzle, a son of Theatrical (who in turn is by Nureyev, a three-parts-brother to Sadler’s Wells). Market Slide is half-sister to Twilight Agenda, winner of the Meadowlands Cup (G1) and himself a graded stakes sire, and to the dam of the Belmont Stakes (G1) Go and Go. The grandam, Grenzen, is another smart runner with wins in the Santa Susana Stakes (G2), Santa Monica Handicap (G2) and Santa Maria Handicap (G2) on her resume. 

When Sadler’s Wells is in the sire line, one has to start a list of possible mates with mares from the Never Bend line, the two branches that have done particularly well being that of Mill Reef (particularly through Shirley Heights) and Riverman (whose son, Irish River was represented by Brief Truce). Loup Sauvage is interesting being by Riverman out of a mare by Nureyev. Don’t Say Halo, brings in Never Bend through his dam line, and is by Halo, grandsire of grade winner Twilight Agenda from this family, and Hula Chief, a half-brother to the dam of Don’t Say Halo, is out of a Never Bend mare, as is the prolific Switch in Time. Last Tycoon, out of a mare by Mill Reef, is bred on somewhat similar lines to Sadler’s Wells and has started to combine very well with that strain. New Zealand stallion, Straight Strike is out of a Never Bend mare.

Straight Strike is by Mr. Prospector, and Refuse to Bend is out of a mare by a son of Mr. Prospector. Galileo, who is by Sadler’s Wells out of a mare by a son of Mr. Prospector has done well when bred back over that line, and Mr. Prospector could be profitable here too. Gulch has some background similarities with Bellotto, giving one Mr. Prospector stain which looks particularly good here. Miswaki (sire of Umatilla) has been good under Sadler’s Wells, and Woodman, who shuttled, has a very similar pedigree. Kingmambo (sire of shuttler, King’s Best, is out of a mare by Nureyev, a three-parts-brother to Sadler’s Wells). Other Mr. Prospector line stallions who either shuttled or stood in Australia include Distorted Humor (who could be very interesting here), Elusive Quality, Grand Slam, Mr. Greeley, Zafonic and his son Xaar, Secret Savings, Lujain, Vettori, Geiger Counter (who is half-brother to the grandam of Sadler’s Wells), Jade Hunter, Thunder Gulch (who would be interesting, doubling Gulch) and Rhythm. Sadler’s Wells has also done well with Mr. Prospector’s sire, Raise a Native through Alydar (Alysheba is particularly interesting and Exclusive Native (sire of Zoffany).

Sadler’s Wells and his sons have done very well with Blushing Groom in general, but particularly with Rainbow Quest. One good source of Rainbow Quest is Spectrum (who carries Never Bend, and comes from a family that has done well with Sadler’s Wells) and Quest For Fame is another. Nassipour, Pre Emptive Strike and Fantastic Light are other Blushing Groom line stallions whose daughters might work here. Blushing Groom is a Nasrullah line stallion, and another branch of that line, Grey Sovereign, through Kenmare has worked very well under Sadler’s Wells. Kenmare, himself, Kenvain, Kendor and Metal Storm, are all potential sources.

Sadler’s Wells and his sons did very well with Habitat, and also has a very respectable record with Habitat’s sire, Sir Gaylord through Sir Ivor/Sir Tristram. Sir Gaylord is a son of Turn-to, and the Hail to Reason branch of Turn-to via Roberto has also been a successful one with Sadler’s Wells. Lear Fan and his brother, Pirate Army, both out of mares by Lt. Stevens (brother to Thong, the third dam of Sadler’s Wells) is particularly interesting. At Talaq, another son of Roberto, is broodmare sire of four Sadler’s Wells line stakes winners. 

Having mentioned Sir Tristram, we should note that Scenic sired four grade one winners out of that other great domestic sire line, that of Star Kingdom, and Sadler’s Wells has enjoyed success over Star Kingdom through most of the principal branches, notably Marscay, Kaoru Star/Luskin Star and Biscay/Bletchingly .

As far as crossing back over his own male line, that of Northern Dancer, in addition to the previously mentioned Last Tycoon, among the strains easily found in Australia, Sadler’s Wells has done well with Danehill, Alzao, Bluebird, Green Desert (whose sons have seemed very suited by New Zealand in particular) and Western Symphony. Since the dam has bred a grade one winner by a son of Nureyev, the three-parts-brother to Sadler’s Wells, it could pay to experiment with this strain through Fasliyev (who gives a very interesting pedigree, since he has Mr. Prospector and Never Bend), Spinning World and Peintre Celebre. Fairy King is a brother to Sadler’s Wells, and he would be very interesting through Encosta de Lago. Perugino is a Danzig three-parts-brother to Sadler’s Wells.

Refuse to Bend has seven yearlings listed for sale at the William Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (March 1st-6th) in Victoria. He has four on offer at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale (March 10th - 12th) and he has another 12 on offer at the Magic Millions Premier sale at the Gold Coast (March 22nd - April 2nd). 

-Alan Porter

November 21st, 2006

  The 2006 Goffs' sale final day saw extraordinary action for Darley Stud's young stallion, Refuse to Bend recording an average of €108,571 (A$181,415). 

  His son, out of Yeomanstown Lodge’s mare Bella Bella was widely regarded and Epona Bloodstock went to €210,000 (A$350,776) to secure him. 

  He has a number of lots catalogued for Tattersalls including, lot 1197, a half-brother to Grey Swallow, a leading two-year-old who went on to win the Irish Derby. A colt, lot 810, out of a Rainbow Quest half-sister to Beat Hollow and Lot 1134 may also prove popular in a market looking for well-related fillies – she is a half-sister to Group 1 Dewhurst winner Tout Seul.