With a Timeform rating of 127, Time Test is one of the most highly ranked individuals in training that does not have a Group 1 win to his name, something that he could certainly rectify by the end of the season. The Juddmonte Farms homebred is trained by Roger Charlton, he is one of the ante-post favourites for the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in two and a half weeks' time and also holds an entry in the Group 1 Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September.
A four-year-old son of Dalham Hall Stud's classic star and outstanding stallion Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium), Time Test has run three times so far this season. He kicked off the campaign with a narrow win the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes on fast ground at Sandown in May, then finished third to Hawkbill and The Gurkha in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse on soft ground at the same venue before beating Mondialiste by three-parts of a length in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes over the extended 10 furlongs at York eight days ago. Winner of one of his three starts as a juvenile – he was runner-up in the other two – he started his three-year-old season with a valuable handicap success over 10 furlongs at Newbury, followed that with an easy win in the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot, and was then fourth behind Arabian Queen in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes before beating Custom Cut by a length in the Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes over a mile at Newmarket. His only other outing is his unplaced run behind Tepin in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland. As a Group 1-placed multiple pattern scorer by Dubawi, Time Test has already done enough to ensure that he would attract plenty of attention as a prospective stallion, especially with the plethora of Group 1 form that his best relations showed during their careers on the track. He has the ability to win at the highest level, and should he fulfill that promise then his potential to develop a notable stallion career would increase. The initial Dubawi stallions include classic sire Makfi and blacktype sire Poet's Voice, and those in earlier phases of their career include the Group 1 stars Akeed Mofeed (stands in Australia), Al Kazeem (UK), Hunter's Light (France), Monterosso (Japan) and Night Of Thunder (Ireland), as well as Group 2 scorers Aljamaaher (Ireland), Universal (UK) and Worthadd (Ireland). Retirement Plan (by Monsun), who is Time Test's older half-brother, is also at stud. He won three times from 11 furlongs to two miles, including the Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap, he was runner-up in the Mallard Handicap at Doncaster, and he took up stallion duties at Tullaghansleek Stud in Ireland earlier in the year. Time Test is the third foal out of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Passage Of Time (by Dansili), he has a two-year-old full-sister named Time Chaser, the mare had another Dubawi colt in 2015, and in April she had a first-crop son of the brilliant miler Kingman (by Invincible Spirit). In addition to her top-level success, Passage Of Time won the Group 3 Musidora Stakes and two listed contests, and she was third in each of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Group 1 Prix Vermeille and Group 1 Nassau Stakes. Her full-brother Father Time won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes, was third in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes and fourth (no blacktype) in the Group 1 St Leger, and she is also a full-sister to listed scorer Continuum. The mare is out of one-time scorer Clepsydra (by Sadler's Wells), she has a two-year-old half-sister named Amser (by Frankel) and, of course, her siblings also include the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes heroine Timepiece (by Zamindar). That flashy bay also won four listed races, she was placed in the Nassau Stakes, Prix Rothschild and two editions of the Prix Jean Romanet – all Group 1 – and her first two foals are Dansili and Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) fillies born in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Clepsydra is out of the Listed James Seymour Stakes winner Quandary (by Blushing Groom) and that makes her a half-sister to Double Crossed (by Caerleon), the stakes-winning dam of the prolific and popular Group 1 star Twice Over (by Observatory). That multimillionaire's dozen wins included the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes and two editions of the Group 1 Champion Stakes, he won several other pattern contests from three to six years of age, and his top-level placings include third to Zenyatta and Gio Ponti in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. He was only beaten by half-length when second to Rip Van Winkle in another edition of the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, beaten by the same margin when runner-up to Byword in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot, and also when third to Virtual in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. Time Over's final race was when finishing fourth behind Frankel at York, at the age of seven, and he took up stallion duties in South Africa. Quandary was out of Lost Virtue (by Cloudy Dawn), who was an unraced half-sister to the Grade 1-placed Grade 2 Shuvee Handicap winner Anti Lib (by Tom Rolfe), and that made her a half-sister to eight winners. Two of them were of particular note and one of the pair was a top-class racehorse that became a producer of influence. Over The Ocean (by Super Concorde) won the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville and the Group 3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud and he was sent to Argentina, but sadly died after just one season at stud. His half-sister All At Sea (by Riverman), on the other hand, earned a Timeform rating of 124 after a three-year-old campaign that saw her win the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Group 3 Musidora Stakes and Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. She was only beaten by a neck when runner-up to Ruby Tiger in the Group 2 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, chased home prolific Group 1 star Rodrigo De Triano in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes 17 days later, and she was also a runner-up in the Oaks at Epsom. That classic was memorable and not just for the front-running three and a half length victory of User Friendly. All At Sea was favourite, she was cruising with over a quarter-mile to go, but her stamina gave out and she could not catch her rival, who went on to take two more classics. The pair completely outclassed the rest of the field, finishing 20 lengths clear of the third-placed long-shot Pearl Angel. All At Sea's stakes-winning daughter Insinuate (by Mr Prospector) is the dam of the Group 3 Supreme Stakes winner and Group 2 Hungerford Stakes third Stronghold (by Danehill), and of Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner Take The Hint (by Montjeu). She is also the grandam of the Group 2-placed dual stakes winner Stipulate (by Dansili) and that gelding, now aged seven, is trained by Brian Ellison and ran twice in premier handicaps at the Galway Festival, with fourth behind Creggs Pipes on Tuesday being the better placing. Imroz (by Nureyev) was placed in a listed contest at York and in a Grade 3 handicap in California, this daughter of All At Sea is the grandam of last year's Group 3 Prix d'Aumale winner Antonoe (by First Defence) and she is dam of Posteritas (by Lear Fan), who is, in turn, the stakes-winning dam of Group 1 Prix Jean Prat scorer Mutual Trust (by Cacique). Time Test is the latest example of the long-established tradition of Group 1 performers for this family and there is good reason to believe that he could join his dam and several of his relations by winning at least once at the highest level before he eventually goes to stud.
Coolmore Stud's prolific champion sire Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) has been having another tremendous year and his earnings in the combined Ireland and UK sires' championship title race have already passed the £6.2 million mark. His nearest rival on that table is his half-brother Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross), whose earnings of just over £2.4 million are highly commendable and likely to hit or surpass the £3 million mark by the end of the year.
In the past few weeks Galileo has been represented by six individual Group/Grade 1 winners, not all of whom are reflected in that particular earnings total, and the sextet includes Highland Reel, the widely-travelled colt who won the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot eight days ago. An Aidan O'Brien-trained four-year-old, he was somewhat lucky to be able to add that prestigious event to his CV this year as the hot-favourite Postponed, bidding for a repeat success in the 12-furlong feature, missed the race due to a fever. But, to be fair to him, this is Highland Reel's third victory at the highest level, he was classic-placed at three, a Group 2 scorer at two, and he has done more than enough to attract plenty of interest as a prospective stallion. His dam's famous full-brother has had mixed success at stud, as has her top-class half-brother, but the family also includes a multiple Group 1 star who has made quite an impression with his early runners in Europe, success that will, no doubt, also serve to promote their younger relation when his time in the covering shed comes. Highland Reel was runner-up in a seven furlong Leopardstown maiden in June of his two-year-old season and was an easy odds-on winner of both his subsequent starts that year. The first was a mile maiden at Gowran Park, which he won by a dozen lengths, and the second was the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, which he took by two and a quarter lengths. Unplaced when favourite for the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) on his reappearance the following spring, he bounced back to chase home New Bay in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) three weeks later, but then disappointed when well-beaten in the Group 1 Irish Derby. That was his first attempt at 12 furlongs, and although he won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes over that trip a month later, he then dropped back to 10 furlongs for his next three outings. He made all for wide-margin win in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington, finished a three and three-quarter length fifth behind Golden Horn in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, took third behind the outstanding filly Winx in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, and then stepped back up in trip to beat Flintshire by a length and a half in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase over 12 furlongs at Sha Tin. Highland Reel added a seventh country to travels when running fourth behind Postponed in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, then it was back to Hong Kong for an unplaced effort in the Grade 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup over 10 furlongs at Sha Tin, before his narrow defeat by Dartmouth in last month's Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Highland Reel was bred by the Hveger Syndicate and his dam, Hveger (by Danehill), was a talented performer in her native Australia. She won just once, but she was runner-up in the Group 2 South Australia Oaks and finished third in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks, both at Morphettville.
Being a daughter of the Group 1 AJC Oaks heroine Circles Of Gold (by Marscay) and, thus, a sibling of two multiple Group 1 stars, she was always a candidate to make an impact at stud, and to get the very best of opportunities in that role. She has lived up to that potential, and there is a chance that she could have a classic winner to her name by the end of the year. Her Australian-born daughter Valdemoro (by Encosta De Lago) was runner-up in both the Group 1 Storm Queen Stakes at Rosehill and in the Group 1 Victoria Oaks at Flemington, and the colt she had after Highland Reel is the dual Derby-placed Idaho (by Galileo), one of the ante-post favourites for the Group 1 Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster in September. His was third to Harzand at Epsom in June and then runner-up to that star at the Curragh. His two-year-old full-sister Cercle de La Vie made 460,000gns from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and the mare had another Galileo filly in May 2015. Hveger's most notable half-brother is Haradasun (by Fusaichi Pegasus), the Australian champion and dual Group 1 star who took the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2008. He has not had as many notable progeny as might have been hoped, but he is the sire of South African Grade 1 scorer Harry's Son and the Australian Group 2 winners Kabayan and Respondent, among others of note.
Elvstroem is a full-brother to Hveger and the champion and multimillionaire won the Group 1 Victoria Derby, Group 1 Caulfield Cup, Group 1 Underwood Stakes and Group 1 C F Orr Stakes among a string of pattern successes in Australia, plus the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.
His many top-level placings included second to Valixir in the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp and third to Azamour in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at York, and having spent his early years at stud in Australia, he has now finished his first season at Haras du Petit Tellier in France. Elvstroem is an interesting addition to the European stallion ranks as he is a well-bred Danehill (by Danzig) horse that has proved that he can get sprinters, milers, middle-distance horses and stayers. His only Group 1 scorer among a dozen stakes winning offspring is Hucklebuck, a talented performer from six furlongs to mile and who is out of a mare by the outstanding Last Tycoon (by Try My Best) horse O'Reilly. His other pattern scorers include the Group 2-winning stayer Outback Joe, a son of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup heroine Let's Elope (by Nassipour). There are plenty of mares in Europe who represent the Try My Best (by Northern Dancer) and Blushing Groom (by Red God) lines and, of course, it will be interesting to see how he gets on with all those Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) and Green Desert (by Danzig) line mares too.
In addition to her victory in the Group 1 AJC Oaks, Circles Of Gold's top-level form includes second place in each of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, Group 1 Queensland Oaks and Group 1 Eat More Fruit 'n' Veg Stakes, and she is the best of several winners out of a four-times scorer called Olympic Aim (by Zamazaan). Her gelded half-brother Gold Wells (by Barathea) won a Group 2 contest over a mile, but the sibling that catches the eye on the page is National Song (by Vain).
She did not win anything, but her stakes-placed daughter Gold Anthem (by Made of Gold) is the dam of Starspangledbanner (by Choisir) and grandam of Amicus (by Fastnet Rock). The latter, a Chris Waller-trained filly who will turn five tomorrow, won the Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas over a mile at Caulfield two years ago, and twice at Group 2 level since then. Starspangledbanner, of course, won the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate in Australia, added the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes and the Group 1 July Cup in England, and he is a member of the Coolmore Stud stallion team in Ireland. As is well known, he was sub-fertile in his earliest years at stud and after two seasons on the Coolmore roster he went back into training and then back to his breeders' Rosemont Stud in Australia. Then his small first crop hit the track. Now aged four, they include the The Wow Signal, Anthem Alexander, Home Of The Brave and Silver Rainbow, and the stallion has completed a third Irish season. Group 1 Prix Morny and Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner The Wow Signal has finished his first season at Haras de Bouquetot in France, Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Anthem Alexander has been placed in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, Group 3 scorer Home Of The Brave was runner-up to Dutch Connection in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday, and Silver Rainbow made it five wins from a dozen starts when taking the Listed Prix du Cercle over five furlongs at Deauville yesterday. If you go back another generation of the pedigree then you will find that Olympic Aim, the third dam of Highland Reel, is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 star Bit Of A Skite (by Showoff) and to Shagolvin (by Sharivari), the Group 1-placed Group 2-winning third dam of Group 1 WATC Derby scorer Markus Maximum (by Pentire). This is a family that has a well-established tradition of producing Group 1 horses, and also ones who can travel and excel in both the northern and southern hemisphere. Highland Reel is a triple Group/Grade 1-winning son of Galileo, he has raced in seven different countries, on four continents, and he is an epitome of the modern top-class racehorse. He is related to three stallions who have sired a Group 1 winner, and he has a pedigree and CV that should give him plenty of appeal wherever he eventually goes to stud.
Dubai Destination (by Kingmambo) was a high-class racehorse. He rounded off his juvenile season with a length defeat of the subsequent prolific Group 1 star Rock Of Gibraltar in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, and although runner-up in the Listed Predominate Stakes on his only start at three, he bounced back at four to beat Right Approach by four lengths in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
A $1,500,000 yearling whose siblings include the Group 1-winning miler Librettist (by Danzig), he made a promising start as a freshman sire when his son Ibn Khaldun won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy. Since then he has continued to get stakes and pattern winners, but not of sufficient calibre and frequency to maintain a high level of interest in an ultra competitive flat market, and having spent his early years at Dalham Hall Stud, he is has been a dual-purpose sire at Glenview Stud since 2010. Sometimes a well-bred stallion who fails to hit the top as a sire of racehorses can become a broodmare sire of note, and Dubai Destination is excelling in that area. His daughters have come up with the Derby, Arc, Coral-Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes hero Golden Horn (by Cape Cross), with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup star Postponed (by Dubawi), and a string of other pattern winners, including Dutch Connection. That Charles Hills-trained four-year-old was bred by Susan Roy, whose colours were also carried by the colt's sire Dutch Art (by Medicean), and he recorded the best win of his career to date when beating Home Of The Brave by one and three-quarter lengths in the Group 2 Qatar Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday. This was his third run in the Godolphin colours, he chased home Mutakayyef in the Group 2 Summer Mile on his previous start, and he began his current campaign with a neck defeat by Toormore in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown in April. At two he won the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York before finishing third to Gleneagles in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh, and the highlights of his three-year-old season were victory in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes and second place in both the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat and Group 2 Lennox Stakes.
Classic-placed dual Group 1 star Dutch Art stands alongside his sire, Medicean (by Machiavellian), and his Group 1-winning son Garswood at Cheveley Park Stud and his 23 stakes winners also feature the Group 1 sprint star Slade Power, who is a popular member of the team at Kildangan Stud. Both Slade Power and Garswood should be represented at this year's foal sales by members of their first crop.
Dutch Connection is the third foal out of Endless Love, he is a full-brother to the stakes-placed seven-furlong winner Dutch Romance, his younger full-sister Dutch Princess is also in training with Hills, and the mare is back in foal to Dutch Art. She was unraced, but her dam, La Vita E Bella (by Definite Article) was a mile listed scorer as a juvenile and placed in the Group 3 Prix Saint-Roman at Saint-Cloud. Her other progeny include a trio of multiple winners, two of whom have earned blacktype. Wittgenstein (by Shamardal) began her career in England, where she was placed over seven furlongs at Kempton on her third and final start, and then joined the Doug O'Neill stable, picking up placings in listed contests in California. Her first foal is a Kingman (by Invincible Spirit) filly, who arrived in April. Baltimore Rock (by Tiger Hill) bypassed the flat, made a winning debut in a Bangor bumper four years ago and, since then, the Neil Mulholland-trained gelding is best-known for his victory in the Grade 3 Imperial Cup at Sandown in 2014. On his most recent outing, he finished a well-beaten fourth behind Douvan in the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown in April. La Vita E Bella is a half-sister to Bella Tusa (by Sri Pekan), who was a talented juvenile before going on to produce some winners at stud. She won the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown and the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr, and she finished third in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte. There are lots of others in the various branches of the first four generations of the pedigree who have earned blacktype, including a Grade 3 scorer in Brazil, although nothing of the calibre of this week's Goodwood winner. Dutch Connections's good two-year-old form, along with that of his grandam and her sister, will catch the eye whenever the time comes for him to take up a place at stud, a role that he has surely earned. Other attractions are that he is inbred 4x4 to Mr Prospector (by Raise A Native) and has neither Danzig (by Northern Dancer) nor Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) in his lineage. In the meantime, however, there are more good prizes to be won with him, and his entries include the Group 2 Betfred Hungerford Stakes, Group 2 Celebration Mile, Group 2 Saint Gobain Weber Park Stakes, and Group 1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup. Azamour (by Night Shift) was a top-class performer. He won both his starts at two, including the Group 2 Beresford Stakes over a mile at the Curragh, and took third and second respectively in the 2000 Guineas and Irish 2000 Guineas on his first two outings the following spring before going on to a string of major wins.
Victories in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes and Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes preceded a third-place finish in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket, and when he returned to action at the age of four he added two more top-level wins: the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, run that year at York, and the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, run at Newbury. His final start was in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park, and after finishing third there behind Shirocco, he retired to Gilltown Stud. Sadly, Azamour died two years ago, when only 13 years old, but those he left behind include the Group 1 stars Covert Love (Irish Oaks, Prix de l'Opera), Dolniya (Dubai Sheema Classic) and ill-fated Valyra, who died shortly after her Prix de Diane (French Oaks) victory. In 2016, his representatives include the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas heroine Hawksmoor, Group 3 Bonham Thoroughbred Stakes scorer Thikriyaat, mile Group 2 second Irish Rookie (previously a classic-placed stakes winner), and Thursday's Group 3 Markel Insurance Fillies' (Lillie Langtry) Stakes winner California. The latter is trained by John Gosden, she carries the well-known Denford Stud colours and, like the colt (Mehmas) who won the Group 2 Richmond Stakes that same day, she was bred by Epona Bloodstock Ltd. That is Denis Brosnan's Croom House Stud in Co Limerick, the filly was bred in partnership with Patsy Byrne, and she made 75,000gns in Newmarket as a yearling. California made a winning debut over 10 furlongs at Wetherby a year ago, followed-up at Doncaster two months later and, two starts after that, was runner-up in a listed contest over 13 furlongs on the artificial track at Lingfield. She won a 12-furlong Ascot handicap three weeks ago, and her first pattern success, which came over a quarter-mile farther, has given her future paddocks value a tremendous boost. So have the recent exploits of her Group 1-winning 'cousin'. A half-sister to the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Drumbeat (by Montjeu), California is out of the now deceased Maskaya (by Machiavellian). Her two-year-old half-brother Poseidon (by Born To Sea) made €320,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, and her dam's final foal is a yearling So You Think (by Montjeu) filly. The mare's best half-brother, Chinese Whisper (by Montjeu), was placed in the Group 1 Gran Criterium, Group 3 Prix La Force and Group 3 Prix de Guiche, but two of her half-sisters are more notable. Modeeroch, a representative of the only crop of ill-fated sprint champion Mozart (by Danehill), won the Listed Fairy Bridge Stakes, Listed Knockaire Stakes and Listed Tyros Stakes, and her eight pattern placings included the runners-up spot in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes. She is the dam of winners but, as yet, it is the other sister who has made an impact at stud, one that could become stronger when her star son takes up stallion duties. Danaskaya (by Danehill) was runner-up in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes and third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, she was placed in two listed contests, and the lesser of her two prominent sons is the Scandinavian ace and multiple pattern scorer Berling (by Montjeu), a full-brother to Group 2 Debutante Stakes third Diamond Sky. The other brother is, of course, 2014's juvenile champion Belardo, the first-crop son of Lope De Vega (by Shamardal) who, at Newbury in May, added the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes to his earlier Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes victory. He has also won the Listed Doncaster Mile and the Listed Denford Stud (Washington Singer) Stakes, he was runner-up Solow in last year's Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, third to Cable Bay in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, finished fourth (no blacktype) to Gleneagles in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas, and at Royal Ascot last month he chased home US champion Tepin in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, only beaten by half a length. The Roger Varian-trained colt was bred by Ballylinch Stud, he made €100,000 at Deauville as a yearling, and he joined the Godolphin team before the start of this season. And he is not the only Group 1 winner in California's immediate family. Majinskaya (by Marignan), the grandam of the newly crowned pattern race heroine, won a listed contest at Deauville and was placed in the Group 3 Prix de Psyche, she is out of the stakes-placed Makarova (by Nijinsky), and that makes her a half-sister to the dam of the French sprint star Kistena (by Miswaki). A Wertheimer brothers-homebred, that flying grey won the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, the Group 3 Prix de Meautry and the Group 3 Prix Seine-et-Oise, she was placed in a string of other pattern events, and earned a Timeform rating of 123. Belardo is Timeform-rated 126. Kistena's best runner is the US listed scorer Tompest (by Storm Cat), and from small numbers, he has been represented on the track by the stakes-winning juvenile filly Storm With Flair. The fourth dam of California is the dual blacktype scorer Midou (by Saint Crespin) and the most influential of that mare's progeny is Vallee Secrete (by Secretariat), the mare who gave us Fruits Of Love (by Hansel) and Mujadil (by Storm Bird). The former won the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes and two editions of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, and he was multiple Group/Grade 1-placed, although disappointing at stud. Mujadil, on the other hand, won the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes and went on to become a hugely successful stallion for Rathasker Stud, with the popular Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes hero Kingsgate Native the standout among his string of pattern-winning offspring. Midou's siblings included her Cheveley Park Stakes winning full-sister Mige, who became the grandam of Group 1 1000 Guineas heroine Ma Biche (by Key To The Kingdom), and if you go back another generation then you will find the brilliant Midget (by Djebe). The fifth dam of California, she was placed in the Prix Morny and won the Cheveley Park Stakes as a two-year-old, earning a Timeform of 130, and although dropping to 125 the following year, she won the Coronation Stakes, Prix de la Foret, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix Maurice de Gheest, and was placed in both the 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane (French Oaks). Those stars are remotely connected to California, and they will not appear on the catalogue listing of any of her future progeny that may turn up at the sales, but as a Group 3-winning relation of the Group 1 stars Belardo and Kistena, she has more than enough attractive detail on her page to warrant the best of opportunities at stud, and to give her the potential to become a broodmare of considerable note in the years to come.
Big Bad Bob was neither the most obvious candidate for success as a flat sire nor as one who might earn a place at a top stud, but at the time of his premature death following an accident earlier this year, he was a busy and popular member of the team at the Irish National Stud.
The son of Bob Back (by Roberto) won eight of his 22 starts, including a 10-furlong Group 3 contest in Germany and listed races over 10 furlongs at Deauville and a mile at Ascot, and he began his second career at his owner-breeder's Islanmore Stud. It was the surprisingly high strike-rate of good winners to runners from those early produce that let to his promotion to the big league. He has had nine stakes winners, plus eight others who have been listed or Group 3 placed, and his best runner is also one of his most notable sales graduates. Bocca Baciata made €230,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, and at the Curragh this afternoon this Group 1-placed pattern scorer won the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes. Victory in that nine furlong contest made her the first of her sire's progeny to score at that level. She has the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes and two listed race wins to her name too, and it is she who chased home Minding in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last month. She has an official handicap mark of 111, down 2lbs from her career peak, and she will be a fascinating addition to the broodmare ranks whenever her racing days come to an end. Big Bad Bob is also responsible for the Group 3 scorers Berg Bahn, Bible Belt and Brendan Bracken, of whom the latter pair have been placed at Group 2 level, and his five listed scorers include the dual Group 3-placed Bob Le Beau. Bocca Baciata is trained by Jessica Harrington, she was bred by Citadel Stud, and she has now won five of her 16 starts. Her recent Group 1 placing is one of four occasions where she has run at the highest level, and although she did not earn any blacktype for the other three, she was not disgraced when fifth behind Pleascach in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, fifth behind Simple Verse in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Filly & Mare Stakes, or fourth behind Fascinating Rock in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Bocca Baciata is one of three blacktype daughters of the Group 3 Prix Minerve third Sovana (by Desert King), and the other pair are the full-sisters Kalsa (by Whipper) and Topeka. The former won the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc over a mile at Saint-Cloud early last year, and Topeka won a mile listed contest and then the Group 3 Prix Miesque as a juvenile, and sprang a surprise when third, at 20/1, behind Beauty Parlour in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) four years ago.
Their three-year-old half-sister Suvenna (by Arcano) is trained by Michael Halford, won her maiden over seven furlongs at Dundalk in May and then followed-up over the same trip at Listowel nearly three weeks later. Sovana was sold for €58,000 as part of the complete dispersal of Citadel Stud's stock at Goffs in November 2013, she had a Dutch Art (by Medicean) colt in February 2015, and she is one of two blacktype earners for her dam, a one-time scorer named Piacenza (by Darshaan). That talented sibling is Perugina (by Highest Honor), who won the Group 3 Prix Eclipse over six and a half furlongs at Saint-Cloud as a juvenile and the Listed Prix Amandine over seven at Deauville the following summer. The best of that filly's placed efforts were her third in the Group 3 Prix du Bois and in the Listed Prix Herod, and although she became the dam of several multiple winners, most notably the prolific Si See Sea (by Cape Cross), her record pales in comparison to that of her half-sister. Piacenza, in turn, was out of the Listed Prix de Bagatelle runner-up Kahara (by Habitat) and that made her a half-sister to the outstanding Scandinavian horse Silvestro (by Zino), whose dozen wins included the Oslo Cup, Ovreroll Grand Prix, two editions of the Dansk Eclipse Stakes and also of the Stockholm Cup International. His half-sister Vitola (by Sallust), who was third in the Grade 2 Rare Perfume Stakes, became the dam of listed scorer Vitaba (by Northern Baby) and ancestor of several blacktype scorers, of whom Group 2 Premio Ribot scorer King Air (by Kingsalsa) is most notable. The fourth and fifth dams of Bocca Baciata are Listed Prix Finlande winner Starina (by Crepello) and Falmouth Stakes heroine Caprera (by Abernant) respectively, and the latter has quite a few notable descendants, starting with Starina's half-brother Romildo (by Busted). He won the Group 1 Prix Ganay, as did his son Marildo. Romildo's full-brother Pevero won the Group 3 Prix Foy and Group 3 Prix de Conde before going to stud in New Zealand, and their winning half-sister Virginia Reef (by Mill Reef) did her bit for the family by becoming the dam of dual Grade 3 scorer Virginia Carnival (by Carnivalay) and his notable half-sister Golden Reef (by Mr Prospector). That filly won the Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga as a juvenile, was placed in both the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes and Grade 1 Matron Stakes, and became both the dam and grandam of several blacktype earners. The most influential of Caprera's offspring, however, is her placed daughter Maresca (by Mill Reef). She was the dam of the Group 3 scorer Muroto (by Busted), of the stakes winners Vellano (by Lycius), Vanya (by Busted) and Mahalia (by Danehill), and of the multiple stakes-placed Zivania (by Shernazar), and so she is the direct ancestor of a long list of blacktype winners that includes the Group 1 stars Ectot (by Hurricane Run) and Most Improved (by Lawman). Those horses are so remotely connected to Bocca Baciata as to have little to no relevance beyond demonstrating how this is a family whose various branches have a long-established history of producing talented racehorses. She is a Group 2-winning half-sister to two blacktype winners, she represents the Roberto (by Hail To Reason) stallion line, and it will be fascinating to follow her eventual broodmare career.
Mecca's Angel earned a Timeform rating of 129 after her victory in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York last year, making her the most highly-rated of her sire's offspring (Lethal Force was on 128) and one of the best sprinters of recent years.
Now aged five, the Michael Dods-trained mare was a neck runner-up to subsequent Group 1 Kings' Stand Stakes winner Profitable in the Group 2 Temple Stakes on her seasonal reappearance, was found to be in season when a huge disappointment in that Royal Ascot contest, she but bounced back in style at the Curragh yesterday when beating Brando by three lengths in the Group 2 Kilfrush Stud Sapphire Stakes. The five-furlong specialist was bred by the partnership of Yeomanstown Stud and Doc Bloodstock, her trainer snapped her up for just 16,000gns in Newmarket as a yearling, and her pedigree was reviewed here several weeks ago after the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes victory of her full-brother Markaz. So this is a quick recap of her family's achievements, along with a look at what her sire has done in 2016.
Mecca's Angel is the first foal out the stakes-placed six-times sprint winner Folga (by Clantime), Markaz is her year-younger brother, and they have a two-year-old full-sister named Dirayah, who made 825,000gns from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
The Group 1 star is on course for an attempted repeat victory in next month's Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, so long as the ground is suitable, while her brother is engaged in both the Group 2 Qatar Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood and in the Group 1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup over six. Their aptitudes are a nice example of how, as with humans, full-siblings can show their talents in different ways. Their grandam, Desert Dawn (by Belfort), was a quick and precocious juvenile who won the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg and was placed in both the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes and Listed St Hugh's Stakes, but she was also effective as a three-year-old, when she added a listed sprint at Sandown. Desert Dawn is also the dam of a mile listed race winner called Desert Kaya, and despite the speed of the mare and her descendants, that filly's comparative stamina was not really any surprise. That is because she was by the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) winner Bikala (by Kalamoun), a half-brother to runaway Group 1 Irish Derby hero Assert (by Be My Guest) and to Group 1 Irish St Leger winner Eurobird (by Ela-Mana-Mou). These are the highlights of the first few generations of the pedigree, which makes it likely that its recent notable upgrading is due to the influence of Dark Angel (by Acclamation). The Yeomanstown Stud stallion raced only as a juvenile, when his best win came in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, and his 30 individual stakes winners include Lethal Force, Alhebayeb, Gutaifan and Heeraat, all of whom are pattern winners standing at stud. In Europe in 2016, Divine has won the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes and was a head runner-up in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes yesterday, Persuasive is an unbeaten mile stakes winner, and Nations Alexander a Group 2-placed juvenile listed scorer. Birchwood, who was a Group 1-placed juvenile Group 2 scorer last year, is a listed race winner this term, as are Log Out Island, Easton Angel, and Group 2-placed Gabrial. Although the multiple blacktype scorer Sovereign Debt has been out of luck so far this year, his half-length second to Gordon Lord Byron in the Group 2 Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh today was his fourth consecutive blacktype second place finish. The David Nicholls-trained seven-year-old, who was bred by Yeomanstown Stud, has more than £420,000 in earnings to his name, and has more than enough ability to add at least one more blacktype win to his record. But back to Mecca's Angel, one of the two Group 1 stars for her sire. She has won nine of her 17 starts, to date, and been runner-up four times, with career earnings in excess of £400,000. In addition to her Group 1 and Group 2 prizes, she has won the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp, the Group 3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury, and the Listed Scarborough Stakes at Doncaster, in which she beat Reckless Abandon by two and a quarter lengths, and her four lesser wins were achieved by an impressive aggregate of 26 lengths. It is entirely possible that she will win at least once more at the highest level before eventually going to stud, and as her offspring will have blacktype sprinters for each of their first three dams, there is every reason to hope that at least some of them will be notably talented. And as her own brother stays seven furlongs, and there is a mile stakes winner in the family, it is possible that, depending on their sires, some of her progeny could be potential Guineas-types. Former Tally-Ho Stud stallion Bushranger (by Danetime) was exported to Turkey last year following a disappointing phase of his stallion career. Hugely popular when he retired from the track, the dual Group 1-winning grandson of Danehill (by Northern Dancer) was an initial hit in the sales ring. But when stakes winners failed to materialise, the inevitable happened.
Almost as inevitable is that a disappointing stallion's best results will emerge after he is no longer available, either due to death or export, and in 2016 Bushranger has been having a breakthrough year. Mobsta won the Listed Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in early April, added the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh just over a month later, and he holds entries in both the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Group 1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup. Ross Castle won the Group 3 Prix Texanita over five and a half furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte in mid-May, and Now Or Never, who was an impressive mile Group 3 scorer at Leopardstown a few days before, has since been third in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh and fourth (no blacktype) in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Ascot. She holds an entry in the Group 1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes. Outback Traveller moved up to a career-best mark of 109 after his narrow defeat of subsequent pattern scorer Brando in the Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) at Ascot last month, and although disappointing at York last week, he holds an entry in the Group 2 Qatar King George Stakes and also in the Qatar Stewards' Cup. The Bushranger revival also features Ridge Ranger, and Con Harrington's homebred mare, who is trained by Eric Alston, won the Group 3 188Bet Summer Stakes over six furlongs at York last Friday. Previously a pattern-placed stakes winner who was short-headed in last year's Group 3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy over the minimum trip at Newbury, the five-year-old is now on a career-best mark of 110. She too holds an entry in the Qatar Stewards' Cup, although with a pattern success now to her name, one would imagine that she might stick to that level, or even step up in grade. Ridge Ranger is a very valuable prospective broodmare, and not just because she is a pattern-winner for the mighty Danehill sire line. She is out of the six-furlong winner Dani Ridge (by Indian Ridge) and, in addition to the Group 3-placed pair Danidh Dubai (by Noverre) and Full Mandate (by Acclamation), she is a half-sister to current sprint star and future Darley stallion Profitable (by Invincible Spirit). Harrington also bred that Clive Cox-trained four-year-old. Last year he won a listed contest at York and finished fifth in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, but this year he has made considerable progress. He sprang a 20/1 surprise in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on his seasonal reappearance, followed-up with a neck defeat of Mecca's Angel in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock, and the added the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Ascot. He finished fourth behind Limato in the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday, his first attempt at six furlongs, and, as you might expect, his entries include the Group 2 Qatar King George Stakes at Goodwood, the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (British Champions Series) at York and the Group 1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup. Daniella Drive (by Shelter Half), the grandam of Ridge Ranger, won a dozen of her 60 starts in the USA, and her Group 3 Diomed Stakes winner Blomberg is a full-brother to Dani Ridge. She was the better of two multiple winners out of De Laroche (by Noble Decree), a Canadian-bred mare that failed to win in 11 starts but had several prolific siblings. Wave To Dave (by Wavering Monarch) won six times, Jrs Lucky Lady (by Sensitive Prince) won 13, High Mesa (by Relaunch) reached a total of 15, and Manitoba Derby third Deemed Dividend (by Tentam) notched up 22 wins and 38 places from an impressive 119 starts. Their siblings also include Bold Flair (by Bold Reason), who was unraced but did her part for the family by producing 10-times scorer Choke Dado (by Full Choke). Winning is something that this family does a lot, and that augurs well for the eventual broodmare career of Ridge Ranger. Her siblings also include the five-times scorer Invincible Ridge (by Invincible Spirit) and that one's multiple-winning full-brother Ridge Wood Dani, and her three-year-old half-brother Acclaim The Nation (by Acclamation), who is also trained by Alston, was runner-up over five furlongs at Newcastle on his debut in May before opening his winning account over the same trip at Beverley 13 days ago. Dani Ridge had a full-brother to that gelding last year, and a Mastercraftsman (by Danehill Dancer) filly in 2014, who was bought back for 110,000gns at Newmarket in October. There are no guarantees in this business, although it is remarkable just how often export or death precedes a sudden leap forward in a stallion's profile.
Duke Of Marmalade (by Danehill) was triple Group 1-placed as a three-year-old, a top-class middle-distance runner as an older horse, and his pedigree made him an exciting prospect when he retired to Coolmore Stud. A son of one of the world's most influential stallions, he comes from the famous sire-producing family of stars such as A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew), Al Mufti (by Roberto), Summer Squall (by Storm Bird), and Lemon Drop Kid (by Kingmambo). How could he fail to get at least a few Group 1-winning offspring? His early results would have been very good for most stallions, a string of stakes and pattern winners, some of whom were making the frame in the highest grade. But nothing won beyond Group 3 level and so the inevitable happened. Off he goes, up pops a Group 2 scorer in Australia, and then the 2015 season features Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) victory for Star Of Seville, Group 1 Deutsches Derby success for Nutan, and wins in both the Group 1 St Leger and Group 1 Qipco British Champions Fillies/Mare Stakes for Simple Verse. His final Irish-conceived crop are juveniles, and Europe's loss is South Africa's gain. He is heading into his third season at Drakenstein Stud. Duke Of Marmalade's notable results last year also featured a pair of Group 2 wins for Big Orange. The Michael Bell-trained gelding had won a couple of listed contests as a three-year-old, was beaten by 25 lengths and by 42 lengths in his first two outings at four, and then sprang a 25/1 shock in the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket. That half-length defeat of Second Step was followed three weeks later with a neck victory in the Group 2 Goodwood Cup, and three months later he was beaten by only two and a half lengths when fifth behind Prince Of Penzance in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. He kicked off his latest campaign with a neck defeat by Vazirabad in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over two miles at Meydan in late March, was a little disappointing when a nine-lengths third behind Exosphere in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket a month later, but then bounced back on the July course this afternoon for an impressive repeat success in the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes. He holds entries in the Group 2 Qatar Goodwood Cup and in the Group 1 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger, and his presence cannot be ignored in any good race from 12 furlongs to two miles. Big Orange was bred by Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs, he is the second foal out of a mile all-weather winner called Miss Brown To You (by Fasliyev), and his older half-sister, Empowermentofwomen (by Manduro) won an eight and a half furlong contest at Wolverhampton in February of her three-year-old season. She is now at stud and had a Choisir (by Danehill Dancer) filly last year, while her dam has a juvenile colt named Stormy Blues (by Sepoy) and had a Poet's Voice (by Dubawi) filly in 2015. Miss Brown To You is a half-sister to the pattern-winning sprinter Almaty (by Dancing Dissident), but also to the top-class international performer Military Attack (by Oratorio), who was known as Rave when winning at Newmarket and twice at Ascot in 2011. That dual 10-furlong Grade 1 scorer has earned the equivalent of just over £4.9 million and was last seen in action when out of the frame in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over 12 furlongs at Sha Tin in May. That earnings total is impressive, but his 'nephew' Red Cadeaux (by Cadeaux Genereux) was just short of the £5 million mark at the time of his tragic death. That popular Ed Dunlop-trained gelding won the Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase, Group 2 Yorkshire Cup and Group 3 Curragh Cup, but he was second or third a total of 20 times, many of those placings coming in major events around the world. He was, for example, the horse who chased home Animal Kingdom in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, and he was three times a runner-up in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, beaten just a nose by Dunaden in the 2011 edition of that famous two-mile contest. His dam Artisia (by Peintre Celebre) is slightly closer than just a half-sister to Miss Brown To You as both are by sons of Nureyev (by Northern Dancer). Almaaseh (by Dancing Brave), the grandam of Big Orange, was only placed, and her siblings include an unraced half-sister, Gmaasha (by Kris), who is the dam of Group 1 scorer Gladiatorus (by Silic) and of Group 3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) winner My Sweet Baby (by Minardi). She is also a half-sister to the Group 1 Coronation Stakes runner-up and Phoenix Park listed scorer Hasbah (by Kris), who is a blacktype producer at stud, to Group 2 Challenge Stakes scorer Munir (by Indian Ridge), and to one-time winner Alyakkh (by Sadler's Wells), who is the dam of two listed race winners and grandam of four other blacktype scorers. The most notable of Almaaseh's siblings, however, is Haafhd (by Alhaarth), champion three-year-old of 2004 when he added the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket to his earlier win in the Group 1 2000 Guineas. He also won the Group 3 Craven Stakes, he stands at Beechwood Grange Stud, and his double-digit tally of stakes-winning progeny includes the Group 2 scorers Junoob, Noble Protector and Silver Grecian. As will be obvious from the identity of these relations, the third dam of Big Orange is the classic-winning miler Al Bahathri (by Blushing Groom). Her prolific half-sister Geraldine's Store (by Exclusive Native) was a Grade 1-placed Grade 2 scorer, and her unraced half-sister Bloudan (by Damascus) is the dam of Group 2 winner Radevore (by Generous), grandam of Group 3 scorer Lateen Sails (by Elmaamul) and third dam of the smart Richard Pankhurst (by Raven's Pass). Al Bahathri was also a half-sister to Peplum (by Nijinsky), who won the Listed Cheshire Oaks and was third in the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes, and that filly went on to become the grandam of the Grade 2 scorers Aviate (by Dansili) and Jibboom (by Mizzen Mast) and of Group 1-placed pattern winner Early March (by Dansili). Arguably the most interesting of Al Bahathri's siblings, however, is her unraced full-sister Chain Fern, because it is she who gave us the ill-fated Grade 1 star Spanish Fern (by El Gran Senor) and from whom the Group/Grade 1 winners Lord Shanakill (by Speightstown), Together Forever (by Galileo), Heatseeker (by Giant's Causeway) and Hearts Of Fire (by Firebreak) descend. The first-named of that quartet was in the news recently as his son My Dream Boat won the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Big Orange, of course, cannot have a stud career, but if he stays sound, happy and healthy then it is reasonable to think that he could become the next seven-figured earner in this famous family.
In the recent articles on Hawkbill and Endless Time, and in the earlier one on Group 2 Dante Stakes winner Wings of Desire, I noted the tremendous benefit that the all-weather tracks have been to racing in Ireland and Britain. To those three leading performers we can add last year's classic stars Jack Hobbs and Covert Love as shining examples of how high a horse can go having got their early start on the artificial surfaces.
France also has all-weather tracks and on Sunday the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud went to a colt whose only two starts as a juvenile were on the Viscoride surface at Pornichet La Baule. He made a winning debut over eight and a half furlongs that October and followed-up a few weeks later with a three-length score over the same course and distance. Silverwave kicked off his three-year-old campaign with a seven-length win over 10 furlongs on turf at Angers, he beat Epicuris by four lengths in the Group 3 Prix La Force over the same trip on heavy ground at Longchamp the following month, and was one of the market leaders when unplaced behind New Bay in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly. He was only beaten by three and a quarter lengths when fourth behind Erupt in the 12-furlong Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in July, chased home New Bay in the Group 2 Prix Niel at the same venue two months later, and was 100/1 when unplaced behind Golden Horn in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Clearly he had plenty of ability, but improvement would be necessary if he was to be up to winning at the highest level at four. So far in 2016, the now Pascal Bary-trained colt has run four times. He was unplaced behind Garlingari in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt, 25/1 when chasing home Dariyan in the Group 1 Prix Ganay, and then third behind runaway winner A Shin Hikari in the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan. This form suggested that he was as least as good this year as he was at his best last season, but still some way below the very top. On Sunday he benefitted from some disappointing performances from the leading contenders and this enabled him to register a first win at the highest level. He beat Erupt by a length and a quarter, with the capable mare Siljan's Saga a neck back in third.
Silverwave was bred by the partnership of Marie-Laure Collet, Jean Collet and Marylene Collet, and after those two winning juvenile starts, he made €420,000 at the Arqana Deauville Autumn Mixed Sale. He was trained at two and three years of age by Alain Couetil, he is a first-crop son of classic winner and Haras de la Hetraie stallion Silver Frost (by Verglas), and he is one of five blacktype horses for his dam.
That mare is the unraced Miss Bio (by River Mist) and she is now one of those notable individuals who have produced at least two Group 1 winners at stud. In 2006, her son Stormy River (by Verglas), who could be described as being a three-parts brother to Silverwave, won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat and Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau. He was runner-up to Araafa in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes and to Librettist in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and he was only beaten by three-parts of a length when third to Aussie Rules in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas). A Group 1-placed pattern winner at the age of four, Stormy River stands at Haras de Saint Arnoult and his early progeny include the middle-distance Group 3 scorer Remus De La Tour and additional blacktype scorers Coaintiorn, Tara River, Storm River, Stormyra and Tempete Nocturne. Line Drummer (by Galileo), who is another of their half-brothers, has been pattern-placed in France and in Italy, half-sister Mary D'Or (by Verglas) is the stakes-placed dam of an Australian-bred listed scorer, and ill-fated Saphir River (by Slickly) was a multiple winner on the flat before going on to success over hurdles and fences, with his most notable piece of blacktype coming when runner-up in the Grade 1 Grand Prix d'Automne over three miles at Auteuil five years ago. Miss Bio is out of a one-time scorer named River Sans Retour (by Vacarme) and the standout among her 10 winning siblings is Fantastic Filly (by Myrakalu). She was a winner in France before crossing the Atlantic to take the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes and the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes, and her progeny include the lightly-raced Nouvelle Vague (by Henrythenavigator), who finished third in the Listed Prix La Camargo at Saint-Cloud early last year. The third dam of Silverwave is Riverstar (by Sir Ivor), a winning daughter of Prix de Royallieu scorer Riverside (by Sheshoon) and so a half-sister to the top-class Riverqueen (by Luthier), who won the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary and Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks). Riverqueen's descendants include the dual Group 1 Premio Presidente della Republica scorer Altieri (by Selkirk) and the ill-fated Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Rouvres (by Anabaa), both of whom are only remotely related to Silverwave. Riverside's siblings also included Lorn Lady (by Lorenzaccio) and that one-time scorer is the dam of Lady in Silver (by Silver Hawk), who won the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) in 1989 and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Arlington Million, and others who descend from Lorn Lady include the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche winner Nobel Prize (by Lode), the ill-fated Grade 2 Lexington Stakes winner Quintons Gold Rush (by Wild Rush), and that colt's half-brother Golden Soul (by Perfect Soul) who chased home Orb in 2013's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. Silverwave is a first Group 1 winner for his sire, the second one for his dam, and although he still has some way to go to take high rank among the very best older horses in Europe this season, Sunday's victory has probably all but guaranteed that a place at stud will await him whenever his racing days come to an end. Hawkbill was not the only major winner this weekend who got their start on the all-weather tracks. Like Saturday's Group 1 Coral-Eclipse hero, and last year's classic stars Jack Hobbs and Covert Love, the Charlie Appleby-trained Endless Time got her maiden success on an artificial surface.
Fifth of 12 in a seven furlong maiden at Newmarket in early August of her two-year-old season, her only other start that year came 18 days later, a neck win over a mile on the polytrack at Kempton. Since then she has run six times, winning five, and she has made the progression through handicap ranks to become a potential Group 1 contender. Next month's Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks may be on the agenda for Godolphin's four-year-old following her half-length success in the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks over 12 furlongs on soft ground at Haydock on Saturday. This was her seasonal debut and she rounded off 2015 with an easy listed race success over the same trip at Naas. Endless Time was bred by Mabaki Investments, and having initially made 115,000gns in Newmarket as a foal, she returned to that venue the following autumn where John Ferguson Bloodstock bought her for 180,000gns. Last year her full-sister made 240,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, a price that could have been even higher had the auction been a fortnight later. Now named The Sky Is Blazing, the filly was bought on 7th October, by Mayfair Speculators / Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock, which was four days after Endless Time won a 12-furlong handicap at Newmarket, a performance for which her handicap figure would increase to 98. Earlier in the year she had beaten subsequent classic star Simple Verse over the same trip at Goodwood. It was on 18th October, however, that Endless Time impressed in the Listed Es Que Love European Breeders Fund Bluebell Stakes over 12 furlongs at Naas. Endless Time is one of the latest major winners for multiple classic hero and outstanding young Gilltown Stud stallion Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) and she is her dam's first blacktype horse on the flat. Her half-brother Courage (by Invincible Spirit) is a blacktype-placed staying hurdler, and her half-brother Marhaba Malyoon (by Tiger Hill) won over 10 furlongs and 14 furlongs in England, finished last in Pour Moi's Derby at Epsom, and has won as an older horse abroad. Mamonta (by Fantastic Light), who is the dam of Saturday's Group 2 scorer, has a yearling son of Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway) and a colt foal from the second crop of juvenile and classic star Dawn Approach (by New Approach), and she is on target to surpass her own dam's record at stud. Mamoura (by Lomond), who won twice as a three-year-old, came up with eight winners from 16 foals and, like her daughter, she has a Group 2 winner to her name. Mouramara (by Kahyasi), who is a half-sister to a pair of blacktype-placed multiple winners, won the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu and is now a notably successful broodmare whose offspring include two Group 1 performers. Mourayan (by Alhaarth) is the more notable of the pair as he won the Group 1 Sydney Cup at Randwick, was runner-up in the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap at the same venue, in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington and in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at Rosehill, and he finished third behind Fame And Glory in the Group 1 Irish Derby. Mourilyan (by Desert Prince) won the Listed March Stakes at Goodwood and his Group 1 placing came when finishing third to Shocking in the 2009 edition of the Melbourne Cup. He was also runner-up in the Group 2 Goodwood Cup and in the Group 3 Dubai City of Gold, third in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes and also in the Group 3 September Stakes. Their half-brother Mourad (by Sinndar) is also a blacktype winner, although his talents lie over obstacles. He was trained by Willie Mullins, won the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, the Grade 2 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan, and his Grade 1 placings include three times behind Quevega in the Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. Mamonta and Mouramara are also half-sisters to a one-time scorer called Mouriyana (by Akarad), and what makes that one significant is that her string of successful progeny includes the 10 and a half furlong listed scorer Epatha (by Highest Honor) and also Skins Game (by Diktat). That triple blacktype winner took the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc at Saint-Cloud, he was pattern-placed several times from eight to 10 furlongs, and he took up stallion duties in France in 2012. Mamouna (by Vaguely Noble), who is the third dam of Endless Time, earned her blacktype when runner-up in the Listed Atalanta Stakes at Sandown and third in the Group 2 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, and in addition to Mamoura, her six winning progeny, from nine foals, include the Listed Challenge Stakes runner-up and Group 3 Meld Stakes third Mirana (by Ela-Mana-Mou). That filly became the dam of the Group 3 Prix de Flore scorer Miliana (by Polar Falcon). Fourth dam Mabira (by Habitat) won a listed handicap at Saint-Cloud and was a half-sister to 1984's Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) heroine Masarika (by Thatch). The next dam, Miss Melody (by Tudor Melody), was runner-up in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes, and the notable horses who descend from the various branches extending from that mare include Group/Grade 1 stars Sulk (by Selkirk) and Dank (by Dansili) and the classic-placed Group 2 scorers Massyar (by Kahyasi) and Eagle Mountain (by Rock Of Gibraltar). That latter group of horses are so remote to Endless Time as to be all but irrelevant beyond illustrating the broad influence that her family has had. But there is more than enough talent among her more immediate relations to show why her pedigree always gave her a chance of becoming a high-class racehorse. It will be interesting to find out just how high in the rankings she can go by the time her racing career finally comes to an end, and as a Sea The Stars filly from this family there is every reason to hope that she can also become a notable success at stud. |
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