Choisir son Psychedelic Funk is related to a classic sire

PSYCHEDELIC FUNK (GB) - 2014 chestnut colt

Top-class sprinter Choisir (by Danehill Dancer), who was Group 1 placed in both his starts over a mile, is among the most successful of the reverse shuttle stallions. The long-time Coolmore team member has given us top-level winners such as Olympic Glory, Obviously and The Last Lion from his northern hemisphere crops and standouts such as Starspangledbanner, Sacred Choice and Divine Prophet from his southern hemisphere offspring.

His final Irish crop are members of this year's classic generation and his penultimate one includes Psychedelic Funk, the Ger Lyons-trained colt who won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes over seven furlongs at Naas this afternoon. He gave Downforce 3lbs and a two-and-a-quarter-length beating, with Making Light, who was another half-length behind, finishing a length in front of fourth-placed Larchmont Lad.

Both the second and third had 2018 blacktype-winning form but for the winner this was a first outing since he beat Downforce by half a length in the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes over a half-furlong farther at Tipperary at the start of October, also on heavy ground.

Talented horse - Lockinge entry Psychedelic Funk wins the Group 3 Gladness Stakes at @NaasRacecourse for @gerlyonsracing and @ctkjockey: pic.twitter.com/OcYEf1s3F4

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 13, 2018

His five wins from 13 starts also include a four-length defeat of Panama Hat over a mile on good ground at Naas last July plus both his first two starts as an early-season two-year-old, and the races in which he has been placed include the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, Group 3 Anglesey Stakes, Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes, Group 2 Boomerang Stakes, and Group 3 Lacken Stakes.

The first and last of those pattern events were sprints won by Caravaggio, and the penultimate one on that list was a third-place finish, over a mile, to Suedois and True Valour, who were just three-parts of a length and a head in front of him.

Colin Keane bags another in his title bid as Psychedelic Funk lands the Flat feature at @tipperaryraces, the @coolmorestud Concorde Stakes: pic.twitter.com/v8c1chkc1K

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 1, 2017

Psychedelic Funk was bred by Joanna Imray of Eildon Hill Stables in the Scottish Borders and he has proved to be a tremendous bargain as he made 13,000gns in Newmarket as a foal and £30,000 at the DBS Premier Yearling Sale, and his latest victory took his earnings to just over £147,000.

He is the third foal out of Parabola (by Galileo), a lightly raced mare who was placed several times between seven to 10 and a half furlongs, and both of his older siblings are winners. Indeed, Gurkha Friend (by Showcasing) has won five times from six to nine furlongs.

The mare had a daughter of Gale Force Ten (by Oasis Dream) in 2016, her current yearling, an Ivawood (by Zebedee) filly, made 48,000gns in Newmarket in late November, and she is out of Zietory (by Zieten) who won the Listed Atalanta Stakes at Sandown and Listed Prix de Lieurey at Deauville, both over a mile.

​Zietory's half-brother Welenska (by Danzig Connection) was a stakes-placed six-time winner, there are two blacktype-placed hurdlers among the siblings of third dam Fairy Story (by Persian Bold), who won five times from two to five years of age, and these are the highlights of the first few generations of the pedigree.

Fifth dam Epithet (by Mill Reef) was runner-up in the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont and Group 3 Cheshire Oaks and, in addition to Certain Story (by Known Fact) – the unraced fourth dam of Psychedelic Funk – her offspring included Kiltimony (by Sharpo) and Shomoose (by Habitat).

Irish racegoers may remember the former as she won four sprints plus a mile handicap for trainer Con Collins. Shomoose, on the other hand, was unraced, but in 1997 her son Shaamit (by Mtoto) won the Group 1 Derby at Epsom, finished third to Pentire and Classic Cliche in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and was fourth to Timarida in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Shaamit was only eight when he died, and even though those he left behind featured Group 1 St Leger scorer Bollin Eric, he was a disappointing stallion.

Psychedelic Funk, who is inbred 4x4 to Danzig (by Northern Dancer), is a Group 2-placed, dual pattern-winning sprinter-miler whom Timeform rated 106 at two and 112 at the age of three. He was a precocious two-year-old who made the frame at Royal Ascot and he appears potentially better than ever now that he's a four-year-old.

It is true that his relationship to Shaamit is remote, but should he be given a chance at stud then the fact that his fourth dam is a half-sister to the dam of that classic horse adds a little to his appeal and to his prospects of success.

Yes, that Derby hero was a poor sire with just one big hit to his name, but his young and distant relation is not only speedier and more precocious than he was, but he represents a much more successful sire line – attributes that the market views favourably – and so would receive notably different support than Shaamit got.

Psychedelic Funk appears to be effective on any ground, even though both of his pattern wins have come when there was heavy in the description, and that should give him more opportunities to show his talent. He holds entries in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes and Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, both over a mile, and it will be interesting to see how highly he will be ranked among his peers at the end of the year.