Despite having a relatively few number of runners to his name, the Stonehill Stud resident sire Royal Mo continues to have success.
His chief flag bearer, the Justin Snaith-trained Royal Aussie, added a fourth place finish this year in the country’s premier weight for age mile, the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate, to his third place finish in that race last year. Royal Aussie’s biggest win was of the R7,5 million Gold Rush and he also won the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m last year, beating the champion and soon to to be sire Cousin Casey. Royal Aussie’s other stakes win was in the Listed Jet Master Stakes over 1600m and he also has four Gr 1 places to his name from 1200m up to 1600m, as well as a Gr 2 second over a mile, a Gr 3 second over a mile and a Gr 3 third over 1400m.
Royal Mo scored his second stakes winner recently when the Glen Kotzen-trained three-year-old filly Sweetie Darling won the Listed East Cape Breeders Stakes over 1200m at Faiview.
Tyrion Lannister was a Ryal Mo feature race winner as he won the Newlands Stakes over 1400m in courageous fashion at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in March last year.
Trainer James Crawford thinks a lot of Royal Mo’s three-year-old gelding Count Huhtikuu and said recently, “He is a horse I’ve thought a lot about for a long time. I entered him in the Gr 1 SA Derby early in his career and it probably just came a little too soon for him. I still think he’s going to be a nice horse, he is a full sister to Donna Mo, who I thought was going to win a couple of features for me this season, but she unfortunately had a bit of a problem. I think he’s better than her. He’s really on the up and is a big improver.”
Count Huhtikuu was under sufferance in the Gr 3 Magical Zulu Kingdom 2200 on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and finished just 2,95 lengths back, which saw his merit rating raised to 95.
Another promising Royal Mo three-year-old was the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Count Invicto, who won three out of his four starts and among the horses he defeated was subsequent Gr 1 winner Confederate. Count Invicto has not been seen since December, unfortunately.
Houdalakis also trains the ultra consistent Royal Mo warrior Bob’s Your Uncle. This five-year-old sprint-miler has won six races and has had six seconds and five thirds.
Among Royal Mo’s two-year-olds is the Mike Miller-trained Soldier Boy, who won on debut over 1200m and in his third start on Hollywoodbets Durban July day he finished a 2,50 length fifth in the Gr 2 Omoda Golden Horseshoe over 1400m.
Royal Mo also has the stakes-placed two-year-old filly, the Kelly Mitchley-trained Royal City Girl.
Royal Mo has remarkable success considering his lack of numbers.
The talented Royal Mo won twice from just six starts, and he scored his biggest win when landing the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes of 2017. In landing the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Royal Mo had subsequent G2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Irap three and a half lengths adrift back in second.
His jockey on that occasion, Victor Espinoza, said of the Uncle Mo colt, ““He’s improving a lot.From the last few races to this race, he’s really coming along. He’s going in the right direction. Hopefully, we keep going all the way.”
Following his Robert B. Lewis victory, Royal Mo went on to finish a close up third, beaten just a length, in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, one of the principal trials for the G1 Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, a career ending injury forced his retirement while Royal Mo was being aimed at the G1 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the US Triple Crown.
Royal Mo is a son of champion racehorse and outstanding late sire Uncle Mo. The latter went unbeaten in three starts at two, winning the Gr 1 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by four and a quarter lengths, and the historic Gr 1 Champagne Stakes by a four and three quarter lengths.
North America’s Champion 2YO Colt of 2010, Uncle Mo won all three starts at two by an aggregate of 23 lengths, with the colt having scorched to a 14 length win at the first time of asking.
Despite suffering from various physical maladies, Uncle Mo still managed to win both the G2 Kelso Handicap and Timely Writer Stakes at three, when he was also runner up in the G1 Foxwoods King’s Bishop and third in the G1 Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes. He retired having won five of eight starts and earned more than $1.6 million in prize money.
Retired to stud at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Uncle Mo had instant success at stud and was North America’s Leading First-Season Sire of 2015, and also topped North America’s Leading Sires of 2YOs premiership in 2015.
His stellar first crop produced a staggering 25 black type winners, headed by Kentucky Derby/Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Nyquist and fellow G1 winners Unbridled Mo, Outwork, and Gomo.
The versatile Uncle Mo, whose tally of black type winners was over 100, including 15 individual Gr 1 winners, headed by Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal, dual Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal, and FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Stakes hero Arabian Knight.
The Ashford Stud resident has already become a highly successful sire of sires and an outstanding broodmare sire.
Royal Mo is the only so of Uncle Mo standing in South Africa and breeders should not be missing out on this good value sire.
