Brilliant miler Kingman (by Invincible Spirit), whose only defeat in an eight-race career came when a half-length runner-up to Night Of Thunder in a vintage edition of the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, has an impeccable stallion's pedigree and he has made an eye-catching start to that second career.
The four-time Group 1 star, whom Timeform rated 134, stands alongside established leading sires Dansili (by Danehill), Frankel (by Galileo) and Oasis Dream (by Green Desert) at Banstead Manor Stud, his classic-winning dam Zenda (by Zamindar) is a half-sister to the latter of that trio, and his sire's other stallion sons include Group 1 sires Lawman and I Am Invincible. His early runners have already yielded several winners, with Calyx being not just the best of them so far but also having the distinction of being Timeform's current top-rated juvenile of the year, on a mark of 118p. The John Gosden-trained colt, a Juddmonte homebred, looked an exciting prospect when taking a six-furlong novice event at Newmarket by five lengths and six lengths on his debut in early June, and further advertised that promise when taking the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot 10 days later. The field split into two in that six-furlong contest, and although he beat Advertise and Sergei Prokofiev by a length and a neck at the line, they were in the far side group and he finished six and a half lengths clear of his closest stands' side pursuer, Blown By Wind.
Calyx's performances have understandably generated plenty of talk of next year's classics. Those are, of course, a long way off yet and all sorts of stars could emerge from the current juvenile crop, but it is hard not to imagine that this colt will take high rank among his peers at the end of the year.
He is the fourth foal out of the Group 3 Prix d'Aumale winner and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Helleborine (by Observatory), a full-sister to Group 1 Sprint Cup heroine and Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest second African Rose. The latter has since boosted her profile by producing the first-crop Frankel (by Galileo) filly Fair Eva, the dual Group 2-placed Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner who last ran when fifth to Winter in the Group 1 1000 Guineas. Their dam, New Orchid (by Quest For Fame), was third in the Group 3 Lancashire Oaks and has two siblings of note. Distant Music (by Distant View) won the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, Group 2 Goffs International Stakes and Group 2 Champagne Stakes and he was third in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket. His full-sister Allegro Viva was unraced but has achieved a perfect strike-rate of winners to runners with Group 2 Prix Chaudenay scorer Canticum (by Cacique) and prolific middle-distance winner Uphold (by Oasis Dream) among them.
Musicanti (by Nijinsky), the third dam of Calyx, won once in France and she is not only a half-sister to a US champion and multiple Grade 1 star but can also boast of being out of a half-sister to a similarly credentialled horse. Her star half-brother is Vanlandingham (by Cox's Ridge), who won 10 of his 19 starts including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Grade 1 Washington DC International Stakes, Grade 1 Suburban Handicap, and Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap en route to being crowned US Champion Older Male of 1985. Those descended from their siblings include Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Termagant (by Powerscourt), Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks heroine Funny Moon (by Malibu Moon), and Group/Grade 2 scorers Kirkwall (by Selkirk) and Second Summer (by Summer Bird), but their achievements are dwarfed by those of their dam's half-brother Temperence Hill (by Stop The Music). He won 11 of his 31 starts, took the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 1 Travers Stakes, Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and Grade 2 Arkansas Derby on his way to a championship title at three, and came back the following year to add the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap and Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. With the market showing an obsession with early two-year-old speed, there are likely to be some already viewing Calyx as a potential future stallion. Should he fulfil his considerable potential then, no doubt, there will be a busy breeding career ahead of him, and although Distant Music, Vanlandingham and Temperence Hill (sire of Grade 1 scorer Temperence Sil) got blacktype winners without making a real impact, it can be argued that Calyx represents a male line that's more strongly associated with producing good stallions than they were, which could aid his cause. Before any chance of a lucrative stallion career, of course, this colt has plenty more racing to do. He has shown speed and precocity but has the pedigree of a horse who could become a top-notch sprinter or miler as a three-year-old. Comments are closed.
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