I have long been a great admirer of Galileo, since the 2001 Derby at least, when he looked like the outstanding racehorse his breeding (by multiple champion sire Sadler’s Wells from Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea) had suggested he might become. I then watched him win the Irish Derby impressively and outfight Fantastic Light in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S; and I was disappointed when Fantastic Light reversed the form with the help of superior Godolphin tactics in the Irish Champion S, and when he unsurprisingly failed in a courageous / idiotic (choose the word you think more suitable) attempt, for a son of a turf sire par excellence, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the Arc on his last racecourse appearance – albeit with the immense benefit of a preparatory canter round Southwell.
So, from early days I followed his stud career with interest; and my interest only increased when it became apparent that, like his sire and grandsire, he was one of the greatest stallions in thoroughbred history. Accordingly, it was no surprise that when, 17 years after Galileo’s birth, I began to think seriously about investing in a NH stallion, a son of Galileo came to mind. On 15th May 2015 I watched the Listed Aston Park S at Newbury with particular interest, for a potentially affordable son of Galileo was entered in the race; and there was also a successful son of Galileo’s greatest stud rival, Dubawi.
Actually, two sons of Galileo were entered; the one I thought Peter Hockenhull and I might be able to afford was Gatewood, winner of two Group 3 races and three Listeds over middle distances. However, Gatewood was only sixth; the son of Dubawi, Dubday, finished second – but an easy winner, six lengths ahead of him, was the other son of Galileo, a 5YO horse called Telescope.
Telescope had not figured on my stallion shortlist that day simply because he seemed too good to be obtainable. After winning his second race as a 2YO, he was an early favourite for the Derby but was unable to run after a setback in training. He won on his 3YO debut in July, then finished second in a 1¼ mile Group 3; but, stepped up to 1½ miles, he improved considerably to win the G2 Great Voltiguer S, a noted trial for the St Leger (in last place was a horse that later achieved significant success over hurdles, Nichols Canyon). Telescope looked a serious St Leger candidate but skipped the race due to another setback.
However, as a 4YO he showed real class. He was twice beaten by Frankel’s brother, Noble Mission (later winner of the Champion S), over 10 furlongs, but then put up a scintillating performance to beat Group 1 winners Hillstar, Pether’s Moon and Joshua Tree by 7 lengths or more in Ascot’s Hardwicke S, producing a phenomenal turn of speed from the 2-furlong marker.
He looked a likely winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S the next month, but there he found the concession of 15lb to Oaks winner, Taghrooda, too much, and he went down by 3 lengths but with Group 1 winners Mukhadram, Trading Leather and Magician trailing behind. He completed the season with a third place in the Juddmonte International at York behind Derby winner Australia, before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
The Aston Park S was Telescope’s second race as a 5YO and turned out to be his fifth win from 14 starts, with six second places, one third and one fourth. First time out that year he had been beaten a head by subsequent Group 1 winner Second Step in the Jockey Club S at Newmarket – with old rival Pether’s Moon 18 lengths behind in third – when Ryan Moore perhaps asked for his finishing effort a little too soon. Group 1 form was all around him and the Aston Park was to be his prep run for a repeat challenge for the Hardwicke S, followed by a second attempt at the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S – hence my concentration on stallion prospects likely to be more affordable than a potential Group 1 winner.
However, it didn’t turn out that way. As 6-4 favourite Tele finished only sixth in the Hardwicke, behind previous victims Eagle Top (second) and Hillstar (fifth), with stable second-string Snow Sky coming home in front. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute reported the horse unsuited by the ground, officially good-firm / firm in places; but the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S went by without Telescope and at some stage that summer it occurred to me that he might just be available as a NH stallion after all.
I was sitting in a hotel room in Kalkan, Turkey, overlooking a sunlit sea in early September, when I read in the European Bloodstock News that Telescope had been retired and a place would be sought for him at stud. Dorte immediately told me to call Peter Hockenhull and suggest he make an appointment with Sir Michael for a viewing. I was, of course, swift to obey her orders. It must have been a quiet day at Shade Oak, free from hedging, canter track development or concrete laying, for Peter remembered to do as I suggested; and the next week the three of us set off to see Tele at Freemason Lodge Stables in Newmarket.
At the time Peter had been negotiating with Michael Owen to stand the leading stayer Brown Panther at Shade Oak, and an agreement had virtually been reached. Alluding to this on the way to see Tele, and concerned about the possibility of taking two new stallions in the same year, Peter commented: “I hope I don’t like him!” My response was “I think you might have a problem then.”
Telescope had retired from racing due to bone chips in the knee, but when we met him he had really been in the wars, since he had kicked out when put on the horse walker as a break from box rest, suffering a hairline fracture to a hind cannon bone. He was doddery when led out of his stables and when he had to turn around, but when he walked in a straight line we saw something of the stride he shows when he ‘struts his stuff’. Peter fell for him at once.
Over the next few days things developed rapidly. Peter discussed the purchase of Telescope with Highclere’s representative, John Warren, whilst we awaited what was meant to be Brown Panther’s final career start in the Irish St Leger on the Sunday. That Sunday morning Peter called to say he had been told our offer was ‘near but not quite enough’ and we had been encouraged to ‘go another fifty’. I agreed to put in a further £25,000 and we upped our offer by that amount. That afternoon, Brown Panther suffered a catastrophic fracture to the hind leg whilst running in the Irish Leger and had to be put down. From two prospects we now had one – and maybe none, as we had made our final offer.
However, to our relief the offer was accepted, but there was still another problem: we had to be able to obtain insurance on a horse that had bone chips in the foreleg and a hairline fracture in a hind limb. Telescope went back to Highclere to recuperate; veterinary opinions were sought; and a few weeks later Peter, his father David and I went down to see the patient.
On the way down I suggested that there were three possibilities: (1) the hind leg problem in particular was so chronic he would be unable to stand as a stallion in 2016; (2) the leg was recovering but we would be unable to obtain insurance, in which case we could offer to lease him for his first stud season with an option to buy after that; (3) there had been a miraculous recovery, the fracture had healed and we could go ahead with the purchase. I am by no means expert in veterinary matters but my strong belief was that option (2) was by far the most likely, and this was what I was expecting to propose to Mr Warren.
When we arrived at the office, John showed us X-Rays of the cannon bone, the first taken on Telescope’s arrival at Highclere and the second most recently. The transformation was, even to my uninformed eyes, miraculous, with the fracture essentially healed. We then proceeded to Tele’s box and the prospective stallion was led out. “He’s lovely” exclaimed David, who over the years has been involved in assessing many such prospects; and the stride was long, powerful and free-flowing. This no longer looked like an injured horse. It would be possible to obtain insurance and proceed with outright purchase.
The Magic of Advertising
In the first week of November 2015, two months after I first read about Telescope’s retirement whilst enjoying the Mediterranean idyll, our Marketing Supremo, ace journalist Ivor Scoop, was able to issue the following press release to the Racing Post.
TELESCOPE TO STAND AT SHADE OAK STUD
Shade Oak Stud has announced the purchase of Telescope to stand at the Shropshire-based stud next year, along with Black Sam Bellamy, Fair Mix, Lucarno and Recharge, who has returned after a two-year spell in France.
Whilst Telescope will be aimed largely at the NH market, stud owner Peter Hockenhull is keen to emphasise the stallion’s potential to sire high-class Flat performers: “On Racing Post Ratings Telescope is the third-leading son of Galileo at stud in Great Britain, behind only Frankel and Nathaniel. For a Flat owner / breeder prepared to ‘think outside the box’ he offers a fantastic opportunity to access an outstanding stallion prospect at a reasonable price.”
During his racing career Telescope won or was placed in 13 of his 14 races with earnings of £763,293. His most spectacular performance came in last year’s Hardwicke S, which he took by seven lengths from subsequent Group 1 winners Hillstar and Pether’s Moon. He also won the Great Voltiguer S by 2 lengths and was placed second in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S, giving 15lb to Taghrooda, and third in the Juddmonte International behind Australia and The Grey Gatsby.
Telescope’s previous connections were full of praise for the horse. Said trainer Sir Michael Stoute:
“Telescope always showed us a great deal of ability and only a top-class horse could have won the Hardwicke the way he did, beating subsequent Group 1 winners by an easy seven lengths. And remember, it took an outstanding filly to beat him in the ‘King George’, when he was giving her 15lbs. He was an honest, consistent and courageous horse with excellent temperament, plenty of size and scope and a good mover – altogether a handsome individual. He seems sure to do well as a stallion.”
Added leading Bloodstock Agent, John Warren, a man responsible for buying many top racehorses, including Telescope:
“In addition to being by the great Galileo, Telescope has a huge element of Darshaan about his makeup. The combination of his performance, pedigree, looks and temperament make him, in my opinion, probably the best horse to retire to a British NH Stud since Kayf Tara. I think that when breeders see him they will be very excited about his chances of becoming the best National Hunt sire prospect in the country.”
Highclere Thoroughbreds Racing Manager, Harry Herbert, another to have been involved with numerous high-class horses, commented:
“Even as a yearling he was a beautiful colt and he matured into one of the best-looking horses you could wish to see. He was also a lovely mover with a great temperament and plenty of courage, With his tremendous racing ability and wonderful pedigree he seems certain to prove an outstanding stallion.”
Said Shade Oak Stud owner Peter Hockenhull:
“At Shade Oak Stud we only stand stallions that we believe in; we stand them for the long-term and we support them with our own mares. I have seldom been so excited at the prospect of standing a new stallion as I am with Telescope. I thought he was an outstanding racehorse, with the ideal combination of cruising speed, stamina and acceleration; I knew all about his marvellous pedigree; and when I saw him I was blown away. I can hardly believe our luck in getting him as a stallion and I hope that British breeders will take the opportunity to use him.”
There are some great testimonials there; sometimes I really don’t know how Ivor gets them!
Clearly the publicity, advertising, mail-shots and telephone calls worked, and Peter and I supported Telescope heavily with our own mares in the hope of establishing him as a potential NH super-sire of the future. He covered over 700 mares in his first five seasons, which is remarkable for a British Jumps stallion; and over 125 of them were ‘TBA Elite Mares’. Now it was up to him to prove us right about his potential.
However, it is fair to say that Telescope made a slower start to his stud career than we expected. Most of his best runners to date began in 4YO Maiden Point-to-Points in Ireland, having been developed and taught to jump by skilled horsemen. For reasons on which I can only speculate (not, of course, involving the thought that many of those involved in their early development weren’t similarly talented) his progeny developed in England have generally been rather less successful.
The best runner from his early crops is undoubtedly Slade Steel, bred by Dena Arstall from her Dr Fong mare Mariet, a Flat-bred mare who won two 2m4f hurdles. Slade Steel began his career by winning a Maiden 4YO Point-to-Point, then was sold to Henry de Bromhead. For Henry he has won the G1 Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and a Grade 2 Novices Hurdle at Navan, also placing in two other Grade 1 hurdles whilst winning four of his seven races and placing in his other three. Slade Steel is likely to run in novice chases next season, probably following the Sizing John route of an attempt at the Arkle – if so, I hope his previous conqueror Ballyburn doesn’t play the part of the new Douvan!
Other good winners for Telescope are the dual Listed-winning hurdler Harvard Guy, successful hunter chaser Fern’s Lock (who acheved an RPR of 155) and useful staying chasers Lessieres Express and Some Scope. Very promising, though slightly unpredictable, is the Eskdale-bred Seeyouinmydreams, who in six races has won a novice hurdle by 13 lengths, a maiden hurdle by 25 lengths, a NH Flat race by 11 lengths and a Maiden Point-to-Point by 15 lengths – with two less exciting efforts in-between. Hopefully, her paternal siblings Pretty Flamingo and Visions of Johana will show even more ability, but with less of the ‘in between’ elements!
Finally, to remind you how handsome Telescope is….
