Timeform 129-rated dual Group 1 star Fascinating Rock

FASCINATING ROCK (IRE) - 2011 bay horse

The Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes has a remarkable record this century of being won by subsequent Group 1 stars and the roll of honour includes Fascinating Rock (by Fastnet Rock), the dual top-level winner whom Timeform rated 127 at four and 129 at five.

The grandson of Danehill (by Danzig) is one of two horses who began their stallion career at Ballylinch Stud in 2017 – the other is New Bay – ​and there are 56 registered foals in his first crop.

A top-class 10-furlong horse, Fascinating Rock was unplaced in both the Derby and Irish Derby but, on his only other attempt at a mile and a half, he beat Panama Hat by six lengths in a Group 3 contest at Leopardstown. Both of his Group 1 wins came at the expense of the star filly Found.

He is an early stallion son for Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock, a horse whose 142 stakes winners include European Group 1 stars such as Diamondsandrubies, Qualify, Merchant Navy, and One Master, and whose overall tally of 36 top-level winners includes reverse-shuttle sire Foxwedge, sire of this year's Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes scorer Urban Fox.

Fascinating Rock is the best of three winners out of Miss Polaris (by Polar Falcon), the other pair include the Grade A Galway Hurdle star Quick Jack (by Footstepsinthesand), and his dam's four blacktype siblings are headed by her stakes-winning full-brother Euro Falcon.

His grandam is the one-time scorer Sarabah (by Ela-Mana-Mou) and as she is out of the prolific Be Discreet (by Junius) that makes her a half-sister to the multiple Group 1-placed triple Group 2-winning miler Gothenberg (by Polish Patriot), to multiple blacktype-placed juvenile sprinter Omaha City (by Night Shift), and to Lindesberg (by Doyoun).

That latter horse is the dam of Group 1 Phoenix Stakes runner-up Amadeus Mozart (by Mozart) and of Listed Masaka Stakes third Madam Hoi (by Hawk Wing) and she is the grandam of the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes winner Nancy From Nairobi (by Sixties Icon) and of Japanese Group 3 scorer Sweet Salsa (by Durandal).

If you go back to the fourth generation of the family then you will find a string of stakes winners, including Japanese champion and US Grade 1 scorer Cesario (by Special Week), who became the dam of the Group 1 Japan Cup and Group 1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) winner and dual classic-placed colt Epiphaneia (by Symboli Kris S) and his Group 1-winning juvenile champion half-brother Leontes (by King Kamehameha).

The fourth dam of Fascinating Rock is Querida (by Habitat) and, in addition to being a half-sister to the Timeform 131-rated sprinter-miler Chief Singer (by Ballad Rock), she was a granddaughter of Oaks, Lowther Stakes, Cherry Hinton Stakes and Park Hill Stakes heroine Pia (by Darius).

Fascinating Rock was unplaced on his only start at two, the mile maiden in late October won by subsequent Group 1 star Adelaide, who was also making his debut. This, combined with his pedigree and overall racing record suggests that, although he will of course get winners in that age group, his best results are likely to be seen with his three-year-olds and older horses, mostly in the broad mile to two-mile range.

FASCINATING ROCK (IRE) – b.2011 – Fastnet Rock – Miss Polaris, 8 wins inc Champion Stakes (Gr1), Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr1), Mooresbridge Stakes (Gr3), Kilternan Stakes (Gr3), Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Gr3), Ballysax Stakes (Gr3), Heritage Stakes (L), 2nd Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr1), Royal Whip Stakes (Gr3), 3rd Mooresbridge Stakes (Gr3). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.

FOALS CATALOGUED:
Grf - Altruiste (by Montjeu)     Tattersalls     November     12,000gns
Bc - Ataahua (by Tertullian)     Tattersalls     November     23,000gns
Bf - Bebhinn (by Street Boss)     Goffs     November     €110,000
Bf - Corsola (by Cape Cross)     Tatts IRE     November     €4,500
Bf - Electras Secret (by Canford Cliffs)     Goffs     November     €17,000 (p/s)
Bf - Featherweight (by Fantastic Light)     Tattersalls     November     not sold
Bc - Golden Shadow (by Selkirk)     Goffs     November     €52,000
Bf - La Chapelle (by Holy Roman Emperor)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bf - Lady Livius (by Titus Livius)     Goffs     November     €185,000
Bc - Morning News (by Dubai Destination)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bc - Nurture (by Bachelor Duke)     Goffs     November     €7,500
Bc - Party Pipit (by Desert Party)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bf - Penthesilea Eile (by Rahy)     Tatts IRE     November     not sold
Bc - Scottish Stage (by Selkirk)     Tattersalls     December     withdrawn
Bc - See Emily Play (by Galileo)     Tattersalls     December     not sold
Bf - Serenity Dove (by Harbour Watch)     Goffs     November     €15,000
Bc - Spirited Girl (by Invincible Spirit)     Tattersalls     November     withdrawn
Bc - Strawberry Leaf (by Unfuwain)     Goffs     November     €14,000
Bc - Wandering Star (by Verglas)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Why Now (by Dansili)     Goffs     November     €37,000
Bc - Yuki (by Lawman)     Goffs     November     ​€18,000