The regard with which Left Hand was held by her connections last year was evident when, one month after making a winning debut over a mile at Longchamp, she took her chance in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches over the same course and distance.

She finished fourth that day, behind Ballydoyle, Turret Rocks and Qemah, an effort of sufficient promise to suggest that she would be a likely pattern race winner in 2016. Her seasonal reappearance, however, was disappointing because she finished only sixth of seven in a one-mile conditions event on soft ground at Maisons-Laffitte in April.

A month later she stepped up in distance for the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary, and although finishing a two-length fourth behind Jemayel was a much better effort, she was still sent off at 50/1 in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) over a half-furlong farther at Chantilly in June.

It was that race, however, that confirmed the promise of her juvenile form as she came within half a length of producing a shock in the classic and of ending the unbeaten run of La Cressonniere.

Her victory in the Group 3 Prix Psyche at Deauville was an odds-on success and she was one of the market leaders when beating Endless Time and The Juliet Rose by half a length and three-parts of a length in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille nine days ago.

That prestigious race turned into something of a sprint, as many French races do, thereby making the form had to interpret with confidence. It is no surprise, therefore, that she is available at around 14/1 for next month's Group 1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

She is trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, she is a Wertheimer brothers homebred, and her recent Chantilly success makes her the latest in a long list of Group 1 winners for the distaff side of her family.

​Left Hand is a daughter of Dalham Hall Stud's classic star and outstanding stallion Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium), whose 115 individual stakes winners include 24 who have won at least once at the highest level. His early sons at stud include the classic sire Makfi, and he looks a likely candidate to become an influential broodmare sire.

She is the fourth foal out of the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse (by Singspiel) and that makes her a half-sister to the French 10-furlong listed scorer Bilissie (by Dansili). Her two-year-old half-brother has been named Acrobate (by Oasis Dream) and the mare had another Dansili (by Danehill) filly in February.

The lightly-raced Maniaco (by Galileo), who was sixth in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in July, is engaged in a conditions race at Saint-Cloud on Thursday and that Andre Fabre-trained three-year-old is out of Plumania (by Anabaa), the best of the string of successful siblings of Balladeuse.

She won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Group 2 Prix Corrida, she was third in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and runner-up in two editions of the Group 1 Prix Vermeille, and her two-year-old son, Plumatic (by Dubawi), is very closely related to Left Hand. Plumania's yearling has been given the intriguing name Maniac (by New Approach) and the Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) colt she had in April is her fifth foal.

Balladeuse and Plumania are out of Featherquest (by Rainbow Quest), whose only win came as a two-year-old, and that mare is, in turn, one of eight winners out of the stakes-placed dual scorer Featherhill (by Lyphard).

The star among the octet was Groom Dancer (by Blushing Groom), a prolific colt who won the Group 1 Prix Lupin, Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, Group 3 Prix Daphnis and Group 3 Prix de Conde and who went on to become a successful sire, with winners at all levels. His best included the Group 1 scorers Groom Tesse, Sphenophyta and Lord Of Men, and the classic-placed Group 2 stars Dancienne, Maiden Tower, and Pursuit Of Love (successful sire), to name a few.

His lightly-raced half-brother Tagel (by Cox's Ridge) won the Group 3 Prix Saint-Roman and finished third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Slew The Slewor (by Slew O' Gold) was a pattern-placed stakes winner on both sides of the Atlantic.

Like Featherquest, three of their sisters made their names at stud rather than as racehorses, with Sea Hill (by Seattle Slew) being the only one of the trio who was herself a winner.

Her daughter Legerete (by Rahy) won the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret at Saint-Cloud and finished third in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp before going on to produce the Group 2-placed stakes winner Pilote (by Pivotal), while Sea Hill's one-time scorer Icelips (by Unbridled) made her name by becoming the dam of three stakes winners, most notably the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) winner and blacktype sire Falco (by Pivotal).

Pieds de Plume (by Seattle Slew) was placed once as a three-year-old, but five of her offspring are stakes winners, including the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes winner Hearthstead Maison (by Peintre Celebre), listed scorer and Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Rave Reviews (by Sadler's Wells), and that one's listed-winning full-sisters Fermion and Sail. The fifth one is the French listed scorer Dirgam (by Galileo), and her progeny also include 2013's Group 1 1000 Guineas third Moth (by Galileo).

The third of Featherquest's notable sisters is Keltshaan (by Pleasant Colony). She was unraced but is the dam of the dual Japanese Group 1 scorer Kinshasa No Kiseki (by Fuji Kiseki) and grandam of the Group 1 Australasian Oaks-winning full-sisters Abbey Marie (by Redoute's Choice) and Absolutely.

All of this Group 1 talent falls under the first three generations of Left Hand's family, and its branches from those, and yet to stop there would be to leave out a major part of the family's story.

The fourth dam of Left Hand is Lady Berry (by Violon d'Ingres), and in addition to being a winner of the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, and an ancestor of all those aforementioned Group 1 stars, she is also one of those rare mares who produced at least three top-level winners at stud.

Her son Le Nain Jaune (by Pharly) won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in 1982, her daughter Indian Rose (by General Holme) was the Group 1 Prix Vermeille heroine of 1988, and Vert Amande (by Kenmare) won the 1993 edition of the Group 1 Prix Ganay, seven months after finishing third to Subotica (no relation) in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

And that's not all, because Rose Bonbon (by High Top), a dual stakes-placed daughter of Lady Berry, is the grandam of the outstanding filly Danedream (by Lomitas), winner of the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Grosser Preis von Berlin and two editions of the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden, in addition to the Group 2 Oaks d'Italia.

It remains to be seen if the classic-placed Group 1 scorer Left Hand can add to her top-level tally, but she is bred to achieve anything, both on the track and at stud, and that places her highly among the most intriguing members of her generation.

There were 46 individual Group/Grade 1 winners among a career total of 198 blacktype scorers by the great stallion Danzig (by Northern Dancer), and although many of his stallion sons got at least one top-level winner of their own at stud, there are only two who went on to forge their own powerful branch of his line.

There are two notably successful sires among the last of Danzig's sons – War Front and Hard Spun – and there is a chance that one or both of them could do the same, but to have the sort of impact that Danehill and Green Desert have had will be a difficult feat.

The latter's stallion sons feature the Group 1-winning sprinter Invincible Spirit, who stands at the Irish National Stud, and there is a growing number of that horse's sons getting stakes and pattern winners of their own.

Ballylinch Stud's classic-winner Lawman was one of Invincible Spirit's first sons to go to stud, and although his overall tally of 20 stakes winners is decent yet unremarkable for a stallion whose oldest progeny are seven, what is notable is that five of that number have won at the highest level and two of those are classic stars.

Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes winner and young Coolmore Stud stallion Most Improved (first yearlings) represents his first crop. Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Just The Judge, who went on to add the Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes, came from his second crop, as did the Group 1 Gran Criterium scorer Law Enforcement (aka Rocket Fly).

When Marcel won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster 11 months ago there were many who thought that there could be a Lawman-sired classic star from among his fifth crop. There is, but it's not that Peter Chapple-Hyam trained bay.

Marcel was among the market leaders for the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in the spring but performed a long way below expectations, coming home last behind Galileo Gold. The colt has not been out since, but the day after this defeat another member of the crop won a 12-furlong Salisbury maiden, an event of no apparent significance at the time.

It was his first start for the Epsom-based Laura Mongan team, he had been runner-up in a similar contest over 12 furlongs on the artificial track at Lingfield on his debut in mid-March, and he followed-up in a 14-furlong handicap at Sandown before finishing a three-quarter-length runner-up to Sword Fighter in the Listed Queen's Vase over two miles at Royal Ascot.

A few weeks later he finished fourth to Housesofparliament in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over 13 furlongs at Newmarket, clearly talented but without making an impact on the racing public's consciousness. Now, however, he has earned his place in the history books.

The recent Group 1 Ladbrokes St Leger was quite a dramatic renewal. The hot-favourite Idaho, a full-brother to Highland Reel and placed in two classics before beating the aforementioned Housesofparliament impressively in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, stumbled and unseated his rider about three furlongs from home.

His stable companion and York victim looked set for glory when sweeping to the front over two out, but then got into a duel with Ventura Storm, that colt bidding to give his excellent young sire Zoffany (by Dansili) a first-crop Group 1 star. A furlong out, the Richard Hannon-trained bay appeared to be getting the better of the Aidan O'Brien-trained chestnut, with 22/1 Harbour Law looking likely to take an honourable but probably soon forgotten third.

The Ballydoyle colt fought back and narrowed the deficit to inches, but Harbour Law also stayed on strongly. The George Baker-ridden colt hit the front shortly before the line and went away to win by three-parts of a length. There was a short-head between second and third, and the first three finished 10 lengths clear of the fourth.

Like last year's Derby and Arc hero Golden Horn, Harbour Law was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Studs. He is no relation to that Timeform 134-rated champion and he was led out unsold at 24,000gns when offered in Newmarket as a yearling. Six and a half months later he made £30,000 at the Goffs London Sale.

He is the fifth foal out of Abunai (by Pivotal), which makes him a half-brother to the pattern-placed gelding Moheet (by High Chaparral), who was unplaced in both the 2000 Guineas and Derby last year. He has a gelded two-year-old half-brother named Flying Raconteur (by Bated Breath), the mare's yearling filly has been named Siena Firenze (by Cityscape) and she had a Toronado (by High Chaparral) filly in April.

Abunai, who was trained by Roger Charlton, stayed seven furlongs at three but got all three of her wins as a juvenile: a five-furlong Bath maiden, a five-furlong Newmarket nursery and a six-furlong nursery on turf at Southwell. Her final two career outings were losses by a head and by a short-head, and she achieved a peak handicap mark of 85.

There is no surprise that a well-bred mare such as Abunai could produce a Group 1 performer, although when one considers her family's profile it would have been expected that she might get a talented miler or even middle-distance horse by Lawman rather than one who stays so well.

She is a half-sister to the Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes heroine Miss Keller (by Montjeu), to the dual 10-furlong pattern-placed gelding Sir George Turner (by Nashwan), to stakes-placed prolific scorer Tissifer (by Polish Precedent) and to Kotsi (by Nayef), who was runner-up in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes as a two-year-old and listed-placed over 10 furlongs at three.

Abunai's siblings also include two fillies who went on to success at stud. Umlilo (by Mtoto) is one of them, she was only placed, but her successful progeny include Fantastic Pick (by Fantastic Light), who won the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby over nine furlongs at Hollywood Park six years ago.

The other sister of note is the one-time scorer Oshiponga (by Barathea), who is the dam of Group 2 Superlative Stakes winner Hatta Fort (by Cape Cross) and of last year's Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes scorer Blue Bayou (by Bahamian Bounty).

Oshiponga's grandson Ayaar (by Rock Of Gibraltar) won a Group 3 contest over seven furlongs at a juvenile, became a capable handicapper at around a mile, and reached a handicap mark of 102, but another of her grandsons showed more stamina than might have been expected.

Agent Murphy (by Cape Cross) is out of her unraced daughter Raskutani (by Dansili), he won a 12-furlong listed contest at Ascot in May of last year, took third in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and then was a five-length winner of the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes over the extended 13 furlongs at Newbury.

It was he who chased home 11-length winner Order Of St George in the Group 1 Irish St Leger last year, holding off the Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave, who was a neck back in third. That high-class dual-purpose gelding, who was 20/1 on this occasion, has developed into a leading stayer and he sprang a surprise in the same Group 1 event a week ago.

The grandam of Harbour Law is Ingozi (by Warning), who got her listed success over a mile at Sandown. She was out of the Group 2 Child Stakes heroine and Group 1 Coronation Stakes runner-up Inchmurrin (by Lomond) and that popular filly was, in turn, a half-sister to the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes scorer Welney (by Habitat).

Ingozi's string of notable siblings includes half-sister Incheni (by Nashwan), who won the Listed Ballymacoll Stud Stakes, and half-brother Inchinor (by Ahonoora), the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and Group 3 Hungerford Stakes winner who was runner-up in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at two and went on to become a successful sire.

Inchmahome (by Galileo) only made the frame once in six starts and she achieved a peak handicap mark of 66, but that sole placing was victory in an 11 and a half furlong handicap at Lingfield and she is the dam of the talented Venus De Milo (by Duke Of Marmalade).

That Aidan O'Brien-trained filly won the Listed Naas Oaks Trial over 10 furlongs, was a half-length runner-up to Chicquita in the Group 1 Irish Oaks and then an odds-on winner of the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes at Cork before chasing home The Fugue in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

She did not reach the heights at four that this early form promised, but she added the Group 3 Munster Oaks at Cork, was runner-up to Thistle Bird in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and third to Sultanina in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Her first foal is a Lope De Vega (by Shamardal) colt born in February.

Inchyre (by Shirley Heights), another half-sister to Ingozi, won a mile maiden at Warwick and missed out on blacktype when only fourth in listed contests over 10 and 12 furlongs on her only subsequent outings. There are, however, plenty of her descendants who have earned that value-enhancing distinction.

Her son Ursa Minor (by Galileo) won the Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes over 14 furlongs at the Curragh shortly before finishing fourth behind Encke in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.

Inchiri (by Sadler's Wells) sprang a 25/1 surprise in the Listed Galtres Stakes at York, shortly after finishing third in a similar contest at Chepstow, and her progeny include Hawk's Eye (by Hawk Wing), who was a dual 10-furlong winner in England before becoming a blacktype performer in South Africa.

Another daughter, Inchberry (by Barathea), picked up some blacktype when a six-length runner-up in a mile listed contest at two and, although she retired a maiden – she was disqualified after passing the post in front at Hamilton as a juvenile – her performance-of-a-lifetime effort was one for which she earned no blacktype. She was only beaten by a total of two and half lengths when fourth, at 100/1, to Casual Look in the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom.

Inchberry's son Measuring Time (by Dubai Destination) was placed in the Select Stakes at Goodwood, Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield, Classic Trial at Sandown and in the Solario Stakes, also at Sandown – all Group 3.

Inchyre is also the dam of Whirly Bird (by Nashwan), who reeled off a five-timer from nine and a half furlongs to 11 furlongs and who was listed-placed at Windsor on her final start before eventually going on to produce Malabar (by Raven's Pass).

That Mick Channon-trained filly won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at two, she added a three-length score in last year's Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes over a mile at Goodwood, and missed out on additional blacktype when fourth in each of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac and Group 1 1000 Guineas.

Despite all of this mile and middle-distance talent, there is another talented horse in the family who stayed two miles. His relationship to Harbour Law is remote, but his grandam is a full-sister to the younger colt's third dam.

Balnaha, a full-sister to Inchmurrin, is best known as being the dam of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes heroine Balisada (by Kris) but, in addition producing the 12-furlong listed scorer Galactic Star (by Galileo), that high-class miler has given us El Salvador (by Galileo).

He was listed-placed a few times, including when beaten a nose by Tarana in the Listed Martin Molony Stakes over 12 and a half furlongs at Limerick, but he was also placed in the two-mile, five and a half-furlong Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished his career with victory in the two-mile Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh in 2014.

Harbour Law is the latest high-class performer to represent a well-established blacktype-producing family, one that is usually associated with milers or middle-distance horses. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his career turns out and, eventually, what sort of opportunity he gets at stud. He is, after all, a classic-winning relation to Inchinor and represents the Green Desert sire line.

Dark Angel's rise to fame has been remarkable and Yeomanstown Stud's Group 1-winning son of Acclamation (by Royal Applause) is well-established as a leading European sire. His string of stakes winners in 2016 include a filly who is putting her unbeaten record on the line at Leopardstown during the opening day of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

Persuasive, one of a growing number of talented horses bred by John Tuthill of Owenstown Stud, made her first public appearance when taking her place as Lot 187 in the 2014 Goffs Orby Sale in Kill. She fetched €180,000 that day and was bought by Cheveley Park Stud.

The John Gosden-trained grey made her debut in a mile maiden on the polytrack at Kempton in November, making her yet another high-class graduate of the artificial surfaces. She was odds-on in a handicap at Goodwood in May, followed-up at Chelmsford 12 days later, and then extended her winning run to four in the Listed Sandringham Handicap on soft ground at Royal Ascot.

Two months later she made it five-from-five when beating Blond Me by three lengths in the Group 3 Redrock Entertainment Atalanta Stakes at Sandown. It was impressive and the runner-up there advertised the form when picking up a Group 2 contest in Turkey on Sunday.

It will be no easy task for her at Leopardstown as she is taking on the Group 1 stars Alice Springs, Jet Setting and Qemah, plus Group 2 scorers Devonshire and Hawksmoor and the talented duo Creggs Pipes and Now Or Never in the Group 1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes.

A half-brother to the Ismail Mohammed-trained gelding Amazour (by Azamour), whose most recent of three wins came over six furlongs at Newcastle in late June, Persuasive is the second foal out of the high-class performer Choose Me (by Choisir), who was also bred by Owenstown Stud.

The mare's third foal, Tizbutadream (by Dream Ahead), finished out of the frame in a six-furlong maiden on soft ground at Newmarket in late June, she had an Iffraaj (by Zafonic) filly in 2015 and a first-crop Slade Power (by Dutch Art) colt in April.

Choose Me was trained by Kevin Prendergast and although she only won four of her 28 starts, those included the Listed Fairy Bridge Stakes over seven and a half furlongs at Tipperary and the valuable Tattersalls Ireland Sales Stakes over six at the Curragh, both in heavy ground.

She stayed 10 furlongs, won over that trip on fast ground at Naas and was multiple blacktype placed at that distance too, most notably when coming off worst in a three-way photo, with Eleanora Duse and She's Our Mark, for the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh.

This record ranks her as the best of several winners out of one-time scorer Hecuba (by Hector Protector) and as that mare is, in turn, out of the Listed Sandy Lane Stakes third Ajuga (by The Minstrel), that makes her a half-sister to the German Group 2 scorer Bad Bertrich Again (by Dowsing), to Group 3 Scottish Classic winner Prolix (by Kris), to the talented dual-purpose gelding Bangalore (by Sanglamore) and also to Alumni.

That daughter of Selkirk (by Sharpen Up) got her only win in the Listed Cheshire Oaks but her star son is prolific, won a 10-furlong listed contest at Newbury, has useful mile form at Bratislava and in the Czech Republic, and also the speed to have won a valuable five-furlong handicap at Meydan.

Indeed, Dux Scholar (by Oasis Dream) is also pattern-placed over the minimum trip, he was only beaten by three and a quarter lengths when out of the frame in a Group 1 sprint two and a half years ago, and his string of pattern placings include races over seven, eight, nine and 10 furlongs, in England, France, Germany and Dubai.

A Rail Link (by Dansili) half-brother to Dux Scholar is catalogued as Lot 1211 in Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in Newmarket, and Lot 434 of the Goffs Orby Sale is the Iffraaj half-sister to Persuasive.

The fourth dam of Persuasive is Cairn Rouge (by Pitcairn), the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Group 1 Champion Stakes and Group 2 Coronation Stakes heroine of 1980, rated 127 by Timeform. Her many notable descendants include US Grade 1 star Ventura (by Chester House), Group 1-placed pattern scorers Trade Fair (by Zafonic) and Silver Touch (by Dansili), and recent Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes and Group 3 Glorious Stakes winner Kings Fete (by King's Best).

Persuasive earned an official handicap mark of 112 after her latest success, so a lot more improvement is required if she is to be up to winning at the highest level, especially against a field like the one she will meet at Leopardstown. But she is talented and progressive and it would be no surprise to see her hit the top before long.

She also holds an entry in next month's Group 1 Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and it would be fascinating to see how she might get on if staying in training as a four-year-old. It will also be very interesting to follow her eventual stud career as, with her pedigree connections, she could become a broodmare of considerable note some day.

Stellar Mass was clearly held in high regard early in his career because, although placed in two maidens, he made his third start in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes over a mile at the Curragh. He finished fourth that day, but was only beaten by a short-head, a neck and half a length, which was an encouraging performance. But then he was a beaten favourite in a maiden at Leopardstown a month later.

He was runner-up in another maiden on his seasonal reappearance, then finished only fourth and fifth in a pair of them over 10 furlongs, before finally opening his winning account at the eighth attempt.

That is not the sort of profile that one would expect to see on a colt who was just weeks away from making the frame in Group 1 company, but the step up to 12 furlongs has transformed him from a disappointing runner into one who is a classic-placed pattern winner whose best may still be ahead of him.

The Jim Bolger-trained Stellar Mass was bred by the partnership of Tinnakill House and Alan Byrne, and he made €280,000 in Goffs as a foal. After his maiden success he took the Magners Ulster Derby, a premier handicap, over the extended 12 furlongs at Down Royal and, just one week later, he chased home Harzand and Idaho in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

He was an odds-on winner of the Listed Her Majesty's Plate Stakes over 14 furlongs at Down Royal in July, followed that with a half-length defeat of subsequent listed scorer Almela in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes over a mile and a half at Leopardstown, and is due to take on the classic-placed pair Bondi Beach and US Army Ranger, and the high-class filly Zhukova, in the Group 3 KPMG Enterprise Stakes over the same course and distance tomorrow.

Stellar Mass is a son of Gilltown Stud's Timeform 140-rated standout Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) and he is one of four blacktype earners out of Juno Marlowe (by Danehill), a mare who is a full-sister to three stakes winners. Her son Fairmile (by Spectrum) is a stakes-placed prolific winner, daughter Sun of Jamaica (by Cape Cross) was Group 3-placed in Germany, and the other sibling of note is Marzelline (by Barathea).

She began her career in England, trained by Walter Swinburn, and she won a 10-furlong Lingfield maiden on her second start. She was placed a couple of times after that, but it was not until she crossed the Atlantic that she hit her peak.

There she won a listed handicap over 11 furlongs at Del Mar, was beaten by just a nose when runner-up in the Grade 2 San Gorgonio Handicap over nine furlongs on turf at Santa Anita, and then chased home Santa Tersita in the Grade 1 Santa Maria Handicap over a half-furlong less on the Pro-Ride surface. Another notable performance was her fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes over 10 furlongs, also at Santa Anita.

Juno Marlowe got her wins over seven furlongs at Kempton and Newmarket and she achieved a career-peak handicap mark of 97. Her full-brother Leporello won the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor and Group 3 Select Stakes at Goodwood, and full-sister Calypso Grant won the Listed Masaka Stakes at Kempton.

Poppy Carew, another full-sister, was runner-up in that mile listed contest but won the Listed John Musker Stakes at Yarmouth. She was also a runner-up in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood as a juvenile, and finished third in the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

They have a stakes-placed half-sister called Flora Trevelyan (by Cape Cross), who is quite closely related to Stellar Mass, and of the rest of their winning siblings the one-time scorer Oh Hebe (by Night Shift) deserves a mention. That is because she has produced three blacktype horses at stud, most notably the ill-fated Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby scorer Devious Boy (by Dr Devious).

Why So Silent (by Mill Reef), the unraced grandam of Stellar Mass, was out of the Group 3 Lancashire Oaks and Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner Sing Softly (by Luthier), a filly who also performed with merit when runner-up in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and third in the Group 2 Park Hill Hill Stakes.

The best of her five successful offspring was Supreme Sound (by Superlative), who won 10 times, including the Listed Winter Derby at Lingfield and the Grade 3 Hawthorne Gold Cup, and he was runner-up in the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park.

In addition to Why So Silent, his half-sisters included Eliza Acton (by Shirley Heights) and Rosy Lydgate (by Last Tycoon). The former won once as a two-year-old and the latter was placed just once, but they are notable because of the horses who appear under them on a catalogue page. Rosy Lydgate is the grandam of Treaty Of Paris (by Haatef), who won the 2013 edition of the Group 3 Acomb Stakes.

Mile scorer Eliza Acton, on the other hand, is the dam of Stotsfold (by Barathea). He emulated his relation Leporello by taking both the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes and Group 3 Select Stakes but then improved on that by adding the Group 3 La Coupe, Listed Gala Stakes, and Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, and he was only beaten by about one and a half lengths when third to Gio Ponti in the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Sadly, he died of colic shortly after his listed-race success.

These are the highlights of the first few generations of the pedigree, although if you go back farther you will find that the sixth dam of Stellar Mass is 1962's dual classic-placed Yorkshire Oaks heroine West Side Story (by Rockefella), who was a grand-daughter of 1944's 1000 Guineas winner Picture Play (by Donatello) and whose only start at two had been quite remarkable: she was runner-up in the Cheveley Park Stakes! Timeform rated West Side Story 127.

This means that he represents a branch of the famous Joel family from which standouts such as Royal Palace (by Ballymoss), Welsh Pageant (by Tudor Melody), Desert Prince (by Green Desert) and Make Believe (by Makfi) emerged or descended, but his connection to them is so distant as to have no relevance to his talent or potential.

It will be interesting to see how much further upwards in the rankings Stellar Mass can go, and he could be a talented stayer in 2017, perhaps even making a return visit to Irish Champions Weekend but, instead of this year's target, for the Group 1 Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

Oasis Dream was an excellent racehorse, one of the best by his sire, and he is now well-established as being one of the top stallions in all of Europe. Banstead Manor Stud's son of Green Desert (by Danzig) is also beginning to show considerable promise as a sire of successful stallion sons.

Just over a week ago, for example, the pattern-winning sprinter Captain Gerrard added his name to Oasis Dream's growing list of sons with at least one blacktype winner among their offspring when his son Alpha Delphini took a listed contest in England. And on Saturday the feature race in that country went to a daughter of Showcasing.

A lightly-raced sprinter who won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes, was second in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes and third in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, Showcasing (by Oasis Dream) stands at Whitsbury Manor Stud, his oldest progeny are four-year-olds, and such is the success he has enjoyed so far, he is becoming one of the most sought-after young stallions in England. His current total is 13 individual stakes winners.

In addition to three pattern winners, a listed scorer and a classic-placed stakes winner from his New Zealand-born progeny, he has supplied the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Toocoolforschool, Grade 1-placed dual US Grade 2 scorer Prize Exhibit, this year's Group 3 Greenham Stakes winner Tasleet and Group 3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) scorer Conselice, and, of course, Quiet Reflection.

The Karl Burke-trained three-year-old is a leading candidate for championship honours in the sprinters' division as she has won both the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot and Group 1 32Red Sprint Cup at Haydock. The former was, of course, against her own age group, she was then third to Limato in the Group 1 July Cup on her first attempt against the older horses, and while it was a pity that the rain-softened ground led to him being withdrawn on Saturday, she was impressive in beating The Tin Man by one and three-quarter lengths.

Quiet Reflection began her career at Hamilton in mid-July of last year, winning a five-furlong maiden by five lengths. She was only fifth behind Besharah in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes next time – one of only two defeats in her career to date – but then won the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes by four lengths at Ayr and followed that with a two and a half length score in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot.

She kicked off her current campaign with a head defeat of Jimmy Two Times in the Group 3 Prix Sigy over six furlongs at Chantilly in April and then beat Donjuan Triumphant by three and three-quarter lengths in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock before her one-length Group 1 defeat of Kachy at the royal meeting.

Quiet Reflection was bred by Springcombe Park Stud and she was sold for £32,000 in Doncaster as a yearling. She returned to that venue for their breeze-up sale the following April and it was there that Burke secured her for £44,000. Her own-brother Full Intention, who made £54,000 at last year's Premier Yearling Sale in Doncaster, is winless in five starts. That said, he is rated 88, down from a peak of 93.

The colt was short-headed when favourite for a Windsor maiden in April, finished third to Mehmas at Chester the following month and was then fourth behind Ardad in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was odds-on in his two subsequent starts but had to settle for second both times, first at Chester and then at Thirsk, and all over the minimum trip.

The pair are the two foals out of the six-furlong juvenile scorer My Delirium (by Haafhd) and she, in turn, is one of two foals and two winners out of the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy winner Clare Hills (by Orpen). The other is the four-times scorer Finesse (by Shamardal) whose first-born is a yearling colt that has already been named Nine Below Zero (by Showcasing). That close relation to Quiet Reflection was followed by a Foxwedge (by Fastnet Rock) filly born in March.

Morale (by Bluebird), the third dam of Saturday's Group 1 star, was unplaced in France and produced just four winners from nine foals, but that was a better strike-rate than that of her dam Shebasis (by General Holme). That unraced mare was responsible for the the listed scorer and prolific Scandinavian winner Bluebeard (by Bluebird), and for the stakes-placed dual US winner Busheto (by Be My Guest), but that pair were among just four winners from the mare's 14 progeny.

Their siblings also include Zing Ping (by Thatching) who, although only placed, became the dam and grandam of a string of winners, the best of whom is the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes runner-up Fear And Greed (by Brief Truce). That one-time scorer is, in turn, the grandam of the ill-fated Listed Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up and Group 2 Prix Robert Papin third Areen (by Kodiac).

These are the highlights of the first four generations of the pedigree, but Quiet Reflection is not the first Group 1 star for her family. The relationship is distant, because he was a half-brother to her fifth dam, Annie Aaron (by Buffalo Lark), but Alysheba (by Alydar) was the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes hero of 1987, when he was champion three-year-old in the USA, and at four he was crowned US Horse of the Year.

His 11 wins also included the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, Grade 1 Woodward Handicap, Grade 1 Meadowlands Cup, Grade 1 Super Derby, and Grade 1 Strub Stakes and he stood as a stallion in the US and in Saudi Arabia. His progeny included the Canadian Horse of the Year Alywow and, in Europe, the high-class Bright Moon, who won the Group 2 Grand Prix d'Evry, Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville, and two editions of the Group 2 Prix de Pomone.

Quiet Reflection, who is one of the ante-post favourites for next month's Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot, is related to an outstanding colt but she is easily the best horse to emerge from the family's most recent generations, and that suggests that a large part of the credit for her talent may go to Showcasing. She is unlikely to remain his only Group 1 star for long.