A few weeks ago we looked at the superb start Bertolini has made on the all-weather this year. He had another great year with his juveniles last season with 25 individual winners from 63 runners earning him leading two-year-old sire honours. But he also finished second in the all-weather sires' table for 2007 and has thus far has claimed the top spot in 2008, with 15 winners from 40 runners (to 22 February), giving him an impressive 38 per cent strike rate.
Top-rated among his scorers so far this year is Come Out Fighting, who has a Timeform mark of 103. Now five, the Paul Blockley-trained entire is a member of Bertolini’s hugely successful first crop, whose exploits saw their sire crowned leading first-season stallion in 2005. A durable individual, he has now won four races, most recently at Lingfield on 19 January, and has been placed a further eight times in 22 starts for earnings of £59,445. He is out of the College Chapel mare Ulysees Daughter and was bred by Geoffrey Hamer.
Another recent winner at the Sussex track is the Templeton Stud-bred Baylini, ex Bay Of Plenty (Octagonal). She clearly loves Lingfield, having recorded all three or her wins there and some crucial black type with third spot in the Winter Derby Trial on Saturday, 23 February.
With 77 two-year-old winners to date from his first three crops of racing age, Bertolini is known for producing precocious stock but durability and consistency are equally essential attributes in a racehorse. Boasting all three traits is Mogok Ruby, a winner recently at Kempton. The grey gelding also won as a two-year-old on the turf at Sandown and has been in the money for ten of his 18 starts to gain a Timeform rating of 92.
In second place behind Bertolini in the all-weather sires' table is King's Best who has nine winners from 21 runners so far this year, for a 43 per cent winners to runners ratio. Royal Applause is in third, also with nine winners.
Bertolini and King's Best stand at Kildangan Stud in Ireland at a fee of €10,000 and €15,000 respectively. Royal Applause is at The Royal Studs, Sandringham and stands for £9,000. All October 1st Special live foal terms.
