Free Eagle a top-class grandson of Sadler's Wells

FREE EAGLE (IRE) - 2011 bay horse

With 22 Group 1 winners among a current total of 119 blacktype scorers, dual Derby and dual Breeders’ Cup hero High Chaparral is among the most successful stallion sons of the great Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer). Sadly, like Montjeu, he died in his teens.

It is early yet for his handful of stallion sons, although So You Think has done well ‘down under’ and both Dundeel and Toronado have made a promising start with their initial runners, whereas Irish National Stud-based Free Eagle has his first yearlings on offer now.

Such was the impression that this Dermot Weld-trained colt made when thrashing Orchestra by five and a half lengths in a mile maiden in August of his juvenile year that he was a 2/5 favourite to beat Australia in a Group 3 contest over the same course and distance the following month, and widely regarded as a major Derby contender for 2014.

As is widely known, Australia beat him by six lengths that day, and while that chestnut went on to add the Derby, Irish Derby and Juddmonte International Stakes the following year, Free Eagle missed a full 12 months off the track before returning to action with a pair of efforts that saw him earn a Timeform rating of 128p.

First he beat Elleval by seven lengths in the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes over 10 furlongs on fast ground at Leopardstown and then he chased home Noble Mission and Al Kazeem, on heavy ground, in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

His final two outings at four were disappointing, but he’d started that year by short-heading The Grey Gatsby in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot and taking third to Golden Horn and Found in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, beaten by a length and half a length. Timeform kept him on a mark of 128.

Free Eagle is a half-brother to multiple Group 2 winner Custom Cut (by Notnowcato) – who is effective at around a mile – and also to Sapphire (by Medicean), who won the Group 2 Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes and filled the runners-up spot in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes.

Their dam, Polished Gem (by Danehill), is a winning full-sister to Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes heroine Dress To Thrill and so a daughter of Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Trusted Partner (by Affirmed). That classic scorer – whose descendants also include Group 1 Criterium International scorer Vert De Grece (by Verglas) – is a full-sister to three stakes winners and she is out of US juvenile filly champion Talking Picture (by Speak John).

Those siblings include Group 2 scorer Easy To Copy, whose descendants include Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Gallante (by Montjeu) and dual US Grade 2 winner Amira’s Prince (by Teofilo), who is a young stallion in the USA.

They also include pattern-placed stakes winner Epicure’s Garden who became the dam of Group 2 Blandford Stakes and dual US Grade 2 heroine Lisieux Rose (by Generous) and grandam of Group 1-placed, Group 2-winning stayer Forgotton Rules (by Nayef).

This is a top-class racehorse pedigree and it makes Free Eagle an interesting stallion prospect. There were 80 foals in his first crop, and although some will win as two-year-olds, that is likely to be in the second half of the season. In the long term, he looks likely to get his best winners in the broad seven to 14-furlong range, with the chance that a few will become Cup horses.

FREE EAGLE (IRE) - b.2011 - High Chaparral - Polished Gem, 3 wins inc Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Gr1), Kilternan Stakes (Gr3), Juvenile Turf Trial Golden Fleece Stakes (Gr3), 3rd Irish Champion Stakes (Gr1), Champion Stakes (Gr1). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2017.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED
Brf - Acquifer (by Oasis Dream)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bf - Afilla (by Dansili)     Goffs     October     €5,000
Bf - Alayna (by Cape Cross)     Tattersalls     October     1,000gns
Chc - America Alone (by Dalakhani)     Goffs     February     withdrawn
Chc - Badr Al Badoor (by Acclamation)     Goffs     October     €90,000
Chc - Best Be Careful (by Exceed And Excel)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bc - Bryanstown (by Galileo)     Tattersalls     November     72,000gns
Bf - Burma Star (by Shamardal)     Goffs     November     €10,000
Bf - Calico Moon (by Seeking The Gold)     Tatts IRE Ascot     September     not sold
Bc - Capsaicin (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs     November     not sold
Bc - Carmens Fate (by Cape Cross)     Tattersalls     October     32,000gns
Bc - Champagne Mistress (by Kyllachy)     Goffs     October     €7,000
Bf - Chanter (by Lomitas)     Goffs     October     €16,000
Bc - Cland Di San Jore (by Lando)     Tatts IRE     September     €21,000
Bc - Classic Remark (by Dr Fong)     Goffs     October     €25,000 (p/s)
Bc - Crimphill (by Sadler’s Wells)     Tatts IRE     September     €7,500
Bf - Curious Lashes (by Footstepsinthesand)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bc - Dulcian (by Shamardal)     Goffs     October     €25,000
Bf - Dundel's Spirit (by Invincible Spirit)     Tattersalls     November     20,000gns
Chf - Fafinta (by Indian Ridge)     SGA     September     not sold
Bf - Gelenschik (by Dalakhani)     Tatts IRE     September     €9,500
Grf - Glassathura (by Verglas)     Tatts IRE     September     €4,000
Bf - Indian Maiden (by Indian Ridge)     Tattersalls     October     30,000gns
Bf - Ispa Loquitur (by Unfuwain)     Goffs     October     €140,000
Bc - Jolie Etoile (by Diesis)     Goffs     October     €6,000
Bf - Keilogue (by Invincible Spirit)     Arqana     August     €15,000
Bf - La Hermana (by Hernando)     Baden-Baden     August     withdrawn
Bf - Legs Lawlor (by Unbridled)     Tatts IRE     September     €9,000
Bc - Little Live Wire (by Dubawi)     Tatts IRE     September     withdrawn
Chf - Little Miss Diva (by Diktat)     Goffs     November     ​withdrawn
Bf - Malaspina (by Whipper)     Tattersalls     October     250,000gns
Bc - Marque Royale (by Royal Academy)     Tatts IRE     September     €13,000
Bc - Meet Marhaba (by Marju)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bc - Nebraas (by Green Desert)     Goffs     October     €400,000
Bf - Nitya (by Indian Ridge)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bc - Ohio (by Teofilo)     Goffs     February     €11,000
Bc - Ohio (by Teofilo)     Tatts IRE     September     €40,000
B/brc - Orafinitis (by Oratorio)     Tattersalls     October     60,000gns
Bc - Paisley (by Pivotal)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Chc - Pale Orchid (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs     October     €60,000
Bf - Pavlopetri (by Danehill Dancer)     Goffs     November     €1,000
Bc - Peace Signal (by Time For A Change)     Tatts IRE     September     €21,000
Bf - Penny Rose (by Danehill Dancer)     Tattersalls     October     8,000gns (p/s)
Chf - Perivale (by Street Cry)     Goffs     February     €5,000
Chf - Perivale (by Street Cry)     Goffs     November     €6,500 (p/s)
​Bf - Pesse (by Eagle Eyed)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bc - Pious (by Bishop Of Cashel)     Tattersalls     October     36,000gns
Bf - Poplar Close (by Canford Cliffs)     Goffs     October     not sold
Bc - Princess Savoie (by Tamayuz)     Tatts IRE     September     €30,000
Bc - Quixotic (by Pivotal)     Goffs     October     not sold
Bc - Regalline (by Green Desert)     Tattersalls     October     150,000gns
Bf - Reveal The Star (by Aptitude)     Goffs     October    not sold 
Bc - Rosa’s Cantina (by Paco Boy)     Goffs     October     €75,000
Bf - Serisia (by Exit To Nowhere)     Arqana     August     €200,000
Bc - Shauna’s Princess (by Soviet Star)     Tattersalls     October     50,000gns
Bc - Sleeping Beauty (by Oasis Dream)     Tattersalls     October     70,000gns
Bc - Spinamix (by Linamix)     Goffs     October     €40,000
Chf - Super Saturday (by Pivotal)     Tattersalls     October     40,000gns
Bc - Thermopylae (by Tenby)     Goffs     October     €40,000
Bf - Traveller’s Tales (by Cape Cross)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Chc - Uvinza (by Bertolini)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bf - Velvet Star (by Galileo)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bf - Wandering Star (by Verglas)     Baden-Baden     August     not sold
Bc - Weekend Lady (by Bahamian Bounty)     Goffs     October     €60,000
Brf - Wild Step (by Footstepsinthesand)     Goffs     October     ​€4,000