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Juvenile behaviour
Lusail (third, right) became Mehmas’s first Group two-year-old winner of the season when taking the July Stakes (G2), a race the sire won himself
Juvenile behaviour
The July meeting is always something of a coming of age for this year’s two-year-old crop, and this year was no different. Aisling Crowe assesses the pedigrees and performances, as well as identifying some of the notable maiden winners in England and Ireland through the month
EUROPE’S RUNAWAY champion first-season sire of 2020 is leading the way with his twoyear-olds once more in 2021. Mehmas is not only leading the second crop sires’ table at the time of writing, but he is also winning the race to be crowned champion two-year-old sire with 19 winners from 50 runners.
Newmarket’s July meeting saw him record his fi rst Group winner from his current crop of juveniles and it was fi tting that the victory came in the Group 2 July Stakes, a race which Mehmas won himself, and for the same trainer and owners as he represented.
Lusail stepped up to Group level with aplomb for Richard Hannon and Al Shaqab Racing in the July Stakes to emulate his sire’s success of fi ve years previously. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, where Mehmas stands in partnership with Al Shaqab, Lusail was purchased by Charlie Gordon-Watson for 160,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 2 from the O’Callaghan’s draft.
He is the second foal out of Diaminda, a daughter of Diamond Green, who was a winner at two and fourth in the Listed Dick Poole Stakes for Alan Jarvis.
Diaminda is a half-sister to the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Fayr Jag and they are out of Lominda, a winning juvenile and a half-sister to the Italian Listed winner and Group 3-placed fi lly Oreade.
Lusail has now won three of his four stars with his only defeat coming on soft ground at Pontefract on his second start. He is entered in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes, but Hannon hinted that he could attempt to emulate Mehmas by winning the Richmond Stakes (G2) at Goodwood, a race that was won in 2020 by Supremacy, who subsequently became Mehmas’s fi rst Group 1 winner when taking the Middle Park Stakes for Clive Cox.
Interestingly, Mehmas is building up a bit of an early affinity with broodmare sire descendants of Green Desert – Diamond Green is by the sire, as is Invincible Spirit who is sire of two winners by Mehmas, while Supremacy’s broodmare sire is Arcano, a son of Oasis Dream and so a grandson of Green Desert.
Oasis Dream still turns out talented performers of his own. His son Native Trail, trained by Charlie Appleby, increased his sale price on each of the three occasions he went through the ring and he ensured his value is now even higher after his victory in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes.
He is Group winner number 62 for the July Cup hero and comes from a typically strong Juddmonte family – his dam Needleleaf is an unraced Observatory full-sister to African Rose, winner of the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup and third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1).
African Rose is the dam of the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner African Rose by Frankel.
Needleleaf is also a full-sister to the Group 3 Prix Aumale winner and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac second Helleborine, the dam of Coventry Stakes (G2) winner Calyx by Kingman.
She is part of the draft of five due to be sold by Native Trail’s breeders Haras d’Haspel.
Needleleaf was part of the sought-after Juddmonte draft at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, making 60,000gns to MAB Agency.
Her fi rst son sold for more than three times that at the Tattersalls Craven BreezeUp Sale when selling to Godolphin for 210,000gns from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm. That was an impressive return on the 67,000gns that Williamson paid for him at Book 1 last October where he was sold by Kildaragh Stud.
Native Trail’s first trip through the sales ring was as a foal at Arqana where he made €50,000 to Sam Sangster sold by his breeders.
Unbeaten in two starts now and holding an entry in the Group 1 National Stakes, Native Trail has certainly made his younger sister one of the likely more valuable commodities in Deauville.
It was a good July meeting for the Juddmonte Farms’ stalwart, who also sired the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes runner-up Desert Dreamer, out of the Montjeu mare Pure Innocence.
She found only the Group 3 Albany Stakes winner Sandrine too good for her in that contest and Kirsten Rausing’s homebred filly is writing the name of her sire Bobby’s Kitten in lights.
Sandrine: going from strength to strength
Sandrine’s second dam Starlit Sands is herself one of Oasis Dream’s 62 individual Group winners as she won the Prix d’Arenberg (G3) and was second in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2).
Kodi Bear’s second crop looking smart
As good as Kodi Bear’s first crop is, and they include the Oaks second and Listed Pretty Polly Stakes winner Mystery Angel as well as the Listed winner and Group 1 Commonwealth Cup third Measure Of Magic, his second crop appears to be better.
Rathbarry Stud’s young sire celebrated his first Group winner on Irish Derby weekend when Go Bears Go, runner-up in Royal Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes (G2), won the Railway Stakes, also a Group 2, for Amo Racing and trainer David Loughnane.
In doing so he forced Castle Star and Masseto, fi rst and second in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes, to be content with the minor placings, with the form of the Norfolk Stakes looking strong.
It was Go Bears Go’s fi rst run over 6f with his debut success and his Royal Ascot run both at the minimum trip. Go Bears Go is another to hold an entry in the Phoenix Stakes (G1) at The Curragh in early August and he has strong chances of becoming the fi rst Group 1 winner for his sire, himself runner-up in the Dewhurst Stakes as a juvenile.
Go Bears Go was bred by Micheal Ryan, owner of Finsceal Beo, out of the Giant’s Causeway mare In Dubai, a winner at two and a half-sister to Group 1 Prix de l’Opera and Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Nahrain, who is the dam of Benbatl, a son of Dubawi whose three Group 1 victories include the Caulfi eld Cup.
Go Bears Go is becoming one of the year’s two-year-old stars: he is out of the 85-rated two-year-old winning mare In Dubai (Giant’s Causeway)
In Dubai is also a half-sister to Listed winner Baharah and to the second dam of Group 3 Palace House Stakes winner Far Above.
Her dam Bahr by Generous won the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) and was placed in both the Oaks (G1) and Irish Oaks (G1), as well as the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1).
In Dubai is now the dam of six winners and Go Bears Go was sold by Ryan’s Al Eile Stud to Robson Aguiar for £50,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.
He formed part of a strong draft of breeze up horses for Aguiar Bloodstock in 2021 and was bought by Alex Elliott on behalf of Amo Racing for 150,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up.
Good run of form for Gleneagles
Gleneagles is leading third-crop sire courtesy of a run of three-year-old Group winners in recent weeks, but it is a member of his fourth crop who caught the eye at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien for his mother Ann-Marie, Velocidad won the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes, a race which has previously been won by subsequent Group 1 winners Listen, Roly Poly, Clemmie and Albigna.
Velocidad had the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes second Cheerupsleepyjean 4l behind her in third, with Butterflies, the first foal out of Yet, a Galileo half-sister to Giant’s Causeway, splitting the pair in second.
The winner is unbeaten in her two starts and holds entries in the Lowther Stakes (G2) and the Phoenix and Moyglare Stud Stakes (both G1).
Bred by Bugley Stud and D B Clark, she was sold by Ted Voute for 25,000gns to Donnacha O’Brien at Book 1 (see page 12).
Velocidad is by far the best of the five runners to date out of Astrantia, a Dansili full-sister to Strategic Prince, winner of the July and Vintage Stakes, who is the sire of Group 1 winner La Collina. Their dam Ausherra won Lingfield’s Listed Oaks Trial and is a Diesis full-sister to the dual Classic winner Ramruma and the Listed Chester winner Royal Scimitar.
Ausherra is also a three-parts sister to All The Good, winner of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup. Astrantia has a yearling filly by Adaay.
Havana Gold: living up to expectations
There were high hopes for Havana Gold’s two-year-olds of 2021, his fifth crop of racing age and the best he has bred so far, conceived the year his first crop turned three. That first crop contained Havana Grey, himself now a sire of yearlings, and the winner of the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at two and the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at three.
Havana Gold currently lies third in the table of leading European sires of twoyear-olds with 12 winners from 39 runners, headed by two his stakes winners – the Listed winners Chipotle and Fearby.
Chipotle has been a star for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton since the season’s flag fall, winning three of his four starts so far beginning with the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster on the opening day of the campaign.
Bred by Theakston Stud and sold to his trainer and Highflyer Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, he is out of the Makfi mare Lightsome, whose best results were a trio of second placings over 7f at two.
Lightsome does have a good family to fall back on – she is a half-sister to the Firth Of Clyde Stakes (G3) second Mary’s Daughter and to the dam of Sussex Gardens, second in the Naas Juvenile Sprint Stakes (G3).
Lightsome’s dam Aunty Mary won at two and is a Common Grounds half-sister to the fi ve-times Group 1-winning miler Attraction, dam of Group 3 winners and sires Elarqam and Fountain Of Youth. Attraction also has two colts by Frankel yet to run for her, whilst her 2016 Dubawi colt Maydanny is on an upward plane – he is now rated 103, his highest mark yet.
Havana Gold’s second Listed-winning two-year-old of 2021 is Sandown’s Dragon Stakes winner Fearby. Bred by Ringfort Stud out of the One Cool Cat mare Coolminx, he was an impressive 5l winner of the 5f contest at the start of July for Ed Bethell and Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing.
Coolminx was second in the Listed Rockingham Stakes over 5f at York as a twoyear-old and won fi ve times between 5f 6f. She is a half-sister to a high-class performer in Beau Recall, a daughter of Sir Prancealot and the winner of fi ve graded races in North America and second in four Grade 1 contests.
Havana Gold’s two-year-olds number 146 and they also include Little Earl, who was second in the Listed National Stakes for Robert Cowell and Mrs Fitri Hay.
Gold’s highlights: Havana Gold has had two Listed juvenile winners this campaign so far, above, Chipotle, winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes, and, below, Fearby, who took the Dragon Stakes
MAIDEN WINNERS TO NOTE: Tosen Lydia looks a promising sort for The Gurkha
TOSEN LYDIA could be a significant filly for her young sire The Gurkha, with the impressive Bellewstown maiden winner boasting a Group 1 entry and a red-hot pedigree.
She is the first winner out of Early Addition, an unraced Makfi half-sister to Love, the winner of five, and counting Group 1 races. Early Addition is also a half-sister to Lucky Kristale, winner of two juvenile Group 2 contests and to the Group 3 winners Peach Tree and Flattering. Second dam Pikaboo is a Pivotal half-sister to Arabian Gleam, a three-time Group 2 winner, the Listed winner Kimberella and to the dam of Listed winner and Group 1-placed Pogo.
Bred by Michael Cunningham, she runs in the colours of Japanese owner Takaya Shimakawa and is trained by Joseph O’Brien. She is entered in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, which was won in 2019 by her close relation Love.
Her sire, the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Sussex Stakes winner, has three winners from 12 second-crop runners so far and his best performer is the German juvenile Group 3 winner Best Of Lips, who won the Group 2 Union-Rennen at Bonn this season and was also third in the Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen – the German 2,000 Guineas.
Piz Badile was a fitting first winner for the Niarchos family’s Juddmonte International and Eclipse (G1) winner Ulysses, who stands at Cheveley Park Stud.
Trained by Donnacha O’Brien for his owner-breeders the Niarchos family Piz Badile is inbred 3x3 to Lingerie – his second dam, the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Shiva, is a Hector Protector half-sister to Light Shift, the Group 1 Oaks winner and dam of Ulysses.
Piz Badile is a big, raw and unfurnished colt who looks as if he will truly come into his own at three and older, it was an impressive performance to win his maiden at Killarney on debut.
He is entered in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes and is the first foal out of That Which Is Not, the best runner out of Shiva. The Elusive Quality mare won the Listed Prix Zarkava at four over a 1m2f and was second over course and distance at Saint-Cloud in the Group 2 Prix Corrida.
The Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes has been mooted as the next challenge for the Newmarket July meeting maiden winner Ardbraccan.
The daughter of Lawman shrugged off the attentions of the drifting Calm Skies to win over 7f for Richard Hannon and owner Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd and partner. Calm Skies had interfered with Ardbraccan’s run in their previous meeting over course and distance, but the £25,000 Goffs Orby purchase by Peter and Ross Doyle was battle-hardened on her third start and gained her revenge on the Shamardal filly.
She is a full-sister to Fool For You, a winner over 5f at two and three who was also fourth in the Listed Land O’Burns Fillies Stakes at Ayr last season for Richard Fahey and John Dance.
They are two of three winners from four runners produced so far by Bosphorus Queen, who was third in the Listed Golden Fleece Stakes at Fairyhouse as a two-year-old.
By Sri Pekan she is one of four winners out of Turunuc, a winning full-sister to Indestachel (Danehill Dancer), who won the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and was second in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains.
Discoveries, the full-sister to Alpha Centauri and half to Alpine Star, won a 7f maiden at the Irish Derby meeting, on just her second run. Representing the same combination of owner-breeder the Niarchos family and trainer Jessica Harrington as her Group 1 Coronation Stakes-winning siblings, she held off the sustained challenge of another regally-bred filly in Tuesday, the Galileo full-sister to Group 1 winners Minding and Empress Josephine.
Discoveries holds entries in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes, won by her Sea The Moon half-sister Alpine Star in 2019, and the
Group 1 Moyglare Stakes in which her Mastercraftsman full-sister was fifth before embarking on a stellar three-year-old career which encompassed four Group 1 victories.
Ardbraccan: broke her duck on her third start in a Newmarket maiden and will bid to emulate her sister who got to a career-high mark of 92
Beauty Inspire made a winning debut in the Irish Derby meeting’s opening race, a 6f maiden, for Ger Lyons and his Hong Kong-based owners Beauty Stables.
The third foal and second winner out of Darwell, a daughter of Zamindar who won once from three runs at three, is held in high regard by the Glenburnie team as Shane Lyons confided afterwards.
Unusually for an unraced horse from that yard, he was given an entry in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and is also entered in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes.
By Mehmas, he cost just €10,000 at the Goffs February Sale last year when breeder Michael O’Mahony sold him to Cross Stables.
The Tally-Ho team then paid £25,000 for him at Tattersalls Ireland’s September Yearling Sale and he was withdrawn from the Craven Breeze-Up and sold privately.
