REFUSE TO BEND DIES AFTER COVERING Refuse To Bend, who was standing in France for the first time this season, died of a heart attack on Friday, February 10 after covering. Bred by Moyglare Stud Farm and a half-brother to Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle, the beautifully-bred son of Sadler's Wells was trained as a juvenile by Dermot Weld to win the G1 National Stakes, before taking the 2,000 Guineas on only his fourth start. After contesting Europe and North America’s top races he was purchased privately by Sheikh Mohammed and transferred to Saeed Bin Suroor for his four-year-old campaign, and landed a brace of G1’s in the space of a month including the Queen Anne Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes for Godolphin. He was retired to Kildangan Stud in 2005 and with only four crops of racing age so far, he has sired one of the finest fillies of our time, Champion three-year-old filly Sarafina, who won the G1 Prix de Diane, Prix Saint-Alary and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. In total he has sired 15 Stakes winners and 23 Stakes horses from his stud careers in Europe and Australia. Darley’s director of stallions, Sam Bullard, said, “Refuse To Bend’s death will be a significant loss for breeders, Haras du Logis and to Darley. He was a superb racehorse and he had it all ahead of him as a stallion. Refuse To Bend’s progeny had a wonderful 2010 and 2011 and as a result he was proving very popular in France this year.”

ANOTHER SLICKLY FOR THE LISTED CALAFORNIE The Ecurie des Monceaux homebred Reality, a three-year-old daughter of Slickly, made a great start to her 2012 campaign when winning the Listed Prix de la Californie over a mile at Cagnes-sur-Mer on Sunday. Trained by Didier Prod’homme, Reality was following up on her victory over seven furlongs at Deauville in December and now has two wins to her name from just four starts. A May foal, she is out of the Cozzene mare Rose Des Charmes, a half-sister to the Listed winner and US Grade 1 runer-up Blue Moon (Lomitas). Reality’s win marked the third occasion that a son or daughter of Slickly has won the Prix de la Californie. In 2007, it was the turn Slickly’s tough campaigner Gris De Gris, whose victories include a Group 2, two Groups 3s and five Listed contests, and the following year the race was won by the dual Listed victor Gris Tendre. Slickly, is also the sire of G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Meandre and G3 Prix Miesque winner Lixirova among his 19 black-type performers.

A FIRST FOR ALEXANDROS Alexandros sired his first foal when the Sholokhov mare Zauberlocke gave birth to a filly for her owner Carol Sineux. Described as "a good size with good bone and well-balanced", she is the mare’s second foal. Placed on the flat as a juvenile in Germany, Zauberlocke is a daughter of Champion juvenile Zauberflote and a half-sister to four winners including the Stakes colt Zauberstar. She is also related to many top-class German performers including the Champion Zille. Alexandros, who stands this season for €4,000 Oct 1st SLF, defeated 23 G1-winners in his career that included eight victories. By Kingmambo, whose descendents do so well in France, he hails from the family of Dubawi, one of Europe’s premier stallions.

OPEN DAYS FEBUARY 11 & 12 Open days will be held on Febuary 11 & 12 from 10.30 to 16.00 on each day Stallions will be shown all day and a light buffet snacks and drinks served After last weekends open days saw 500 breeders come through our doors, this second weekend will give an oportunity for those who could not come and people coming to the Febuary sale at Deauville Arqana on Monday 13th

THE SECRETS OUT! Secrecy, by King's Best, runs third in the mile G3 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 on his seasonal debut at Meydan

RICH PICKINGS FOR THE KING Eishin Flash (King's Best) finishes second by three-quarters of a length in Japan's richest race the G1 Arima Kinen over 2500m, and watched by 127,000 racegoers on Christmas Day. The four-year-old, who won the 2010 Japan Derby, struck the front with 150m to go under Christophe Lemaire, only to be bested in the dying strides by Triple Crown winner Orfevre, with Buena Vista among those behind.

REFUSE TO BEND ARRIVES AT LOGIS WITH KING'S BEST Sire of Champion Sarafina and 2011 Prix Saint-Alary winner Wavering, Refuse To Bend has arrived at Logis from the southern hemisphere, as has King's Best, sire of Champion Workforce. Both are now available for inspection.

COUNTRY REEL'S G1 DAUGHTER BAINE SELLS Four-year-old Country Reel filly Baine sells at Arqana for €310,000.

SLICKLY CHAMPION SIRE Slickly topped the French sire's table of 2011 over a half a million euros ahead of his nearest rival. His products also won more races than any other sire in France His star runner of 2011 being the Gr1 winner of the Grand Prix de Paris Meandre. His two year olds showed plenty of promise. Watchout for Mobaco in next years classics His products are consistant tough and love racing. In 2011 his runners have won more or been place in over 350 races this year From sharp two year olds to tough older horses he has the ability to sire horses over every distance! Slickly is champion sire not because of a top class winner but because all his stock like running and winning

KING'S BEST'S KESAMPOUR IMPRESSES Winning for the second time in two startsand by five lengths, the Aga Khan's two-year-old King's Best colt Kesampour left Saint Cloud racegoers highly impressed in the Prix Hauban. Kesampour looks to be a another bright classic prospect for King's Best in 2012.