Acclamation filly Daban has Group 1 potential

DABAN (IRE) - 2014 bay filly

Acclamation (by Royal Applause) is a veteran of the stallion ranks, a well-established source of speed and of precocity. His son Dark Angel is among the leading sires in Europe, last year his top-class son Equiano made a breakthrough at stud when getting his first Group 1 winner, and it was also in 2016 that Marsha gave her Rathbarry Stud-based sire his third winner at the highest level.

Now, in 2017, Acclamation has a potential classic contender as his John Gosden-trained daughter Daban won the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

Her only other start was in a seven-furlong maiden on the polytrack at Kempton in early November and, despite her sire's speed, she looks likely to stay the extra furlong of the Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas.

Daban's pattern success was achieved by three-quarters of a length from Unforgettable Filly, with another length and a quarter back to Poet's Vanity in third and a slightly larger gap back to the Andre Fabre-trained Pampelmousse in fourth.

Pattern winners Sea Of Grace and Kilmah came next, although the performances of Roly Poly (seventh) and Brave Anna (tenth) – two of last year's leading juvenile fillies – are best ignored as they were well below what we know that pair can do.

Daban by Acclamation won the G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket racecourse, trained by John Gosden, ridden by Frankie Dettori. pic.twitter.com/sQ8FwuAkjG

— Dubai Racing Channel (@DubaiRacingTV) April 19, 2017

Daban was bred by Kildaragh Stud, she is a 260,000gns graduate of Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale and, in addition to being a half-sister to the pattern-winning miler Thikriyaat (by Azamour), she could be described as being a three-parts sister to the similarly talented Johnny Barnes (by Acclamation).

His wins include the Group 3 Prix Quincey, his places feature second in the Group 1 Criterium International, and he is out of Listed Prix Imprudence scorer Mahalia (by Danehill), the grandam of Daban.

Mahalia is the dam of the Group 3 Prix de Flore winner and Group 2 Prix de Sandringham third Albisola (by Montjeu) and, in addition to Daban's dam Malaspina (by Whipper), she has two other offspring who also require mention.

Bufera (by King's Best) was placed in both the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs and Listed Criterium de Lyon as a juvenile and is the dam of Chartreuse (by Lawman), who was also third in that same Deauville pattern event but won the Listed Prix La Sorellina and took the runners-up spot in both the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly and the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey at Deauville.

More notable, however, are the achievements of the two blacktype sons of Mahalia's unplaced daughter Tonnara (by Linamix). Ectot (by Hurricane Run) has won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes over 12 furlongs at Belmont Park and the Group 1 Criterium International over a mile at Saint-Cloud, while Most Improved (by Lawman) won the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes before joining the Coolmore stallion team. His first two-year-olds will be in action this year.

Mahalia's success and influence at stud is no surprise. She is by one of the great sires and broodmare sires, she is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Muroto (by Busted) and to two listed scorers, and her siblings also include the stakes-placed four-time winner and excellent producer Zivania (by Shernazar).

That mare's sons Ivan Luis (by Lycius), Stagelight (by Montjeu) and Zero Problemo (by Priolo) were Group 2, Group 3, and listed race winners respectively, but three of her daughters have also made contributions to the family's honour.

Stakes-placed Viscaria (by Barathea) is the grandam of the high-class Irish gelding Onenightidreamed (by Footstepsinthesand) whose wins include the Group 3 Gladness Stakes and Group 3 Amethyst Stakes.

Hathrah (by Linamix) won the Listed Masaka Stakes by nine lengths at Kempton and finished third to Attraction in the Group 1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket before becoming the dam of Hadaatha (by Sea The Stars), a listed scorer who got her Group 1 placing when third in the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp, beaten just a neck and a neck by We Are and Ribbons.

Amathia (by Darshaan), who is inbred 3x3 to Mill Reef (by Never Bend), got her listed race win at that same Paris venue. She is the dam of the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes scorer Distant Memories (by Falbrav) and also of Mutatis Mutandis (by Mastercraftsman), the Listed Nottingham Oaks winner who went on to take third in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park.

In addition to being descendants of a once-placed mare called Maresca (by Mill Reef), what all of the talented horses noted above have in common is that they have shown talent over at least a mile.

That tilts the odds in favour of Daban staying that trip, one over which her three-parts brother has done well, and that makes her both a classic candidate and a potentially prominent performer in some of the other top fillies' mile prizes of the year.