There is a growing trend of retiring horses to stud after just their two-year-old season, so before they have truly proved themselves, and Prince Of Lir, who won a Beverley maiden in May, the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in June, and then finished unplaced in three starts, is one of the latest.
I reviewed the pedigree of Ballyhane Stud's new recruit after his Ascot success and the big update since then is that Donnerschlag (by Bahamian Bounty) won the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche. That colt, a half-brother to the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes third De Boss Man (by Dandy Man), is out of Dame Hester (by Diktat), a stakes-placed half-sister to the grandam of Prince Of Lir. His winning dam, Esuvia (by Whipper), is a half-sister to the pattern scorer Resplendent Glory (by Namid) and the blacktype horses who appear under branches of the fourth generation of the family feature the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas heroine Platinum Witness (by California Dane). Prince Of Lir is one of a growing number of sons of Kodiac (by Danehill) taking up stallion duties – Adaay, Coulsty and Kodi Bear are also new for 2017 – and he looks likely to be very popular in his new role. PRINCE OF LIR (IRE) – b.2014 – Kodiac – Esuvia, 2 wins inc Norfolk Stakes (Gr2). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.
Invincible Spirit's three-parts brother Kodiac (by Danehill) has developed a strong profile as a sire in recent seasons and he has several sons begins stud careers of their own in 2017: Adaay, Coulsty, Prince Of Lir, and Kodi Bear. The latter joins the team at Rathbarry Stud.
He was a listed winner over seven furlongs at Ascot in July of his two-year-old season and chased home champion Belardo in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his next start. Timeform rated him 112 that year but 123 as a three-year-old after a campaign that saw him add three more blacktype wins to his name. He kicked off that season with listed success over eight and a half furlongs at Windsor, finished only fourth behind Territories in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly, but then bounced back a month later to take the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes in impressive style over a mile at Salisbury, winning by four and a half lengths.
Two weeks after that, he beat Gabrial by three and a quarter lengths in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, and although he was unplaced behind Solow in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on his final start, he was beaten by just under four lengths.
Kodi Bear stayed in training as a four-year-old, taking on some of the best around in four starts over a mile, but he did not manage to reach the frame in any of them. The best of eight winners out of an unraced mare called Hawattef (by Mujtahid), Kodi Bear is a half-brother to the dam of two Italian listed scorers and his grandam, dual winner Madary (by Green Desert) is a half-sister to two broodmares of note. Shining Creek (by Bering) produced the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Cool Creek (by Desert Style) and her half-sister Dievotchka (by Dancing Brave) is the dam of six stakes winners, most notably the classic-placed triple Group 1 mile star Esoterique (by Danehill Dancer). That filly's half-brothers Russian Hope (by Rock Hopper), Russian Cross (by Cape Cross) and Archange D'Or (by Danehill) got their Group 2 wins over middle-distances. Half-brother Russian Desert (by Desert Prince) was a Group 2-placed stakes winner in France, and their half-sister Russian Hill (by Indian Ridge), who won a listed contest and was runner-up in both the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu and Group 2 Prix Corrida, is the dam of the dual pattern-winning sprinter Russian Soul (by Invincible Spirit). There are various other blacktype horses to be found within these first three generations of the family and their branches, and if you go back farther then you will find a host of notable individuals. The fourth dam of Kodi Bear is the classic-placed Princess Margaret Stakes winner Photo Flash (by Match), her descendants also include Group 1 scorer Hello (by Lycius) and Group 2 winners Dano-Mast (by Unfuwain), Atlantis Prince (by Tagula) and Prolific (by Compton Place), among others of note, and her siblings included champion racehorse and notable stallion Welsh Pageant (by Tudor Melody), sire of eight Group 1 winners. Those horses are remotely connected to Kodi Bear and even further removed are the likes of Royal Palace (by Ballymoss), Selhurst (by Charlottesville), Desert Prince (by Green Desert) and Make Believe (by Makfi), who appear in various other offshoots of the family. Kodi Bear is a Timeform 123-rated miler who is by a leading young sire, inbred 3x4 to Danzig (by Northern Dancer), and from a branch of a famous family. He is somewhat closely related to a multiple Group 1 mile star, and his sire is closely related to a leading sire whose early stallion sons are doing well. All of this makes Rathbarry Stud's recruit look like a potentially very busy new member of the team. KODI BEAR (IRE) – br.2012 – Kodiac – Hawattef, 4 wins inc Celebration Mile (Gr2), Sovereign Stakes (Gr3), Midsummer Stakes (L), Winkfield Stakes (L), 2nd Dewhurst Stakes (Gr1). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.
Kodiac (by Danehill) was only blacktype placed but, like his Group 1-winning half-brother Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert), he has become a leading sire who has a growing number of sons going to stud. His new recruits include Coulsty, who looks likely to become a popular member of the team at Rathasker Stud.
A five-length debut winner over five furlongs in late May of his juvenile season, he was stakes-placed in France that year, won the Group 3 Prix de Meautry over six furlongs at Deauville the following summer, and was a Group 2-placed stakes winner at the age of four. That notable placing was a half-length second to Adaay (by Kodiac), another new sire for 2017, in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes. Timeform rated Coulsty 110 at two, 113 as a three-year-old, 116 at four, and he was also a stakes-placed winner at the age of five.
He is the best of several winners out of triple scorer Hazium (by In The Wings), a mare whose unraced dam, Safe Care (by Caerleon), was a full-sister to the stakes-placed Alaflak and half-sister to Lugana Beach (by Tumble Wind).
That high-class sprinter won the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes and Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert, he was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, third in the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes, and Timeform rated him 116. Lugana Beach sired winners from limited opportunities. Aunty Eileen (by Ahonoora), a half-sister to Safe Care and Lugana Beach, has done her part for the family by being the dam of three stakes winners, one of whom reached a Timeform rating of 123, and ancestor of three more. That highly-rated son is The Tatling (by Perugino), the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes winner whose placings included two editions of the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and three runner-up spots in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes. Safe Haven (by Blakeney), the unraced third dam of Coulsty, was out of one-time scorer Amazer (by Mincio) and that made her a half-sister to five blacktype horses, most notably the dual champion Mtoto (by Busted), winner of the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and two editions of the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes, runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Timeform-rated 134. Mtoto was a notably successful stallion whose progeny featured Derby hero Shaamit, star stayer Celeric, and dual Group/Grade 1 star Serious Attitude, and he has made an impact in the National Hunt sector as his Group 2-winning son Presenting is a multiple champion sire. There are many other stakes winners under the various branches of the fourth generation of the family, including the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Blue Canari (by Acatenango) and Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes scorer Mutamam (by Darshaan), although their relationship to Coulsty is remote. Coulsty represents the Danehill (by Danzig) sire line, he was precocious, durable and talented, and he is related to the notable sprinters Lugana Beach and The Tatling. He looks a likely candidate to do well with two-year-olds, with sprinters and also with milers. COULSTY (IRE) – b.2011 – Kodiac – Hazium, 5 wins inc Prix de Meautry (Gr3), King Charles II Stakes (L), King Richard III Stakes (L), 2nd Hungerford Stakes (Gr2), Queensferry Stakes (L), King Richard III Stakes (L), 3rd Prix Francois Boutin (L). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.
The early Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) stallions are doing well and that augurs well for the prospects of those by his three-parts brother Kodiac (by Danehill). The latter has an increasing number of sons going to stud and those who will be starting their new careers in 2017 include the dual Group 2 scorer Adaay. He will stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud.
A €54,000 Goffs foal who made 240,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, the William Haggas-trained colt made a winning debut over six furlongs at Newbury in mid-May of his juvenile season, beating subsequent Group 2 star Kodi Bear, another of the new sires for next year. He followed that with victory over the same trip at Yarmouth, was unplaced in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot and then finished third to Limato in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes. He was off the track until the following April, when he was again placed behind Limato, and he followed that effort with wins in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes and Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes, in the latter beating his old rival and subsequent Group 1 star by a length.
Although unplaced behind Muhaarar in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, he bounced back two months later to beat Coulsty – another new sire for 2017 – by half a length in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes, his first start over seven furlongs.
Adaay is the best of six winners from the first six foals out of Lady Lucia (by Royal Applause), a mare who was herself only placed as a juvenile. The sextet include nine-times scorer Pour La Victoire (by Antonius Pius), five-times winner Bushcraft (by Bushranger), and the multiple stakes-placed sprinter Mullionmileanhour (by Mull of Kintyre) who has been siring some useful winners from few opportunities. Lady Lucia is a half-sister to the pattern-placed winner Creative Mind (by Danehill Dancer), she is out of the dual juvenile scorer Inventive (by Sheikh Albadou) and her grandam, two-time winner Ingenuity (by Clever Trick), was a half-sister to the prolific stakes winner Empire Pool (by Sharrood). Adaay looks likely to a popular member of this new group of stallions and every winner for his half-brother will be another advertisement for him until his own progeny appear in the ring and on the track. ADAAY (IRE) – b.2012 – Kodiac – Lady Lucia, 5 wins inc Hungerford Stakes (Gr2), Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr2), Carnarvon Stakes (L), 2nd Criterion Stakes (Gr3), 3rd Park Stakes (Gr2), Pavilion Stakes (Gr3), Rose Bowl Stakes (L). Sire in England. First foals in 2018. |
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