Pier-less

Royal Ascot 2021 provided success for a broad range of sires and broodmare sires, but one mare rose above all others, writes Aisling Crowe

Rafha’s sons and grandsons

Prince Faisal’s diminutive Prix de Diane heroine Rafha was the matriarch who reigned over the 2021 Royal meeting – 13 races across the five days featured her name in the pedigrees of at least one of the first three home.

At Group 1 level she appears in the pedigrees of the winners of three of the meeting’s eight top level races through her stallion sons Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Invincible Spirit had a head-start over his half-brother Kodiac in establishing a sire line, which he has successfully achieved in both hemispheres.

His Group 1-winning son Kingman is one of the best young stallions in Europe and the Juddmonte sire has the top-class miler Palace Pier from his second crop.

Palace Pier gave the newly-formed father and son training team of John and Thady Gosden their first Royal Ascot winner in the first race of the meeting – the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.

It was at the 2020 Royal meeting when Palace Pier announced himself as a miler of distinction with his first Group 1 win in the St James’s Palace Stakes and his victory on Tuesday was his fourth Group 1 success in the silver silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum.

Post-race jockey Frankie Dettori reported that he believed his mount is “one of the best horses in the world”.

The four-year-old colt was bred by Highclere Stud and Floors Farming out of the Nayef mare Beach Frolic, who was sold for 2.2m guineas at the 2020 Tattersalls December to MV Magnier following the untimely death of the tenth Duke of Roxburghe.

Beach Frolic has a three-year-old Camelot colt named Tiger Beetle, who has been placed on his three most recent starts for

trainer Sir Michael Stoute and owner King Power Racing, who paid 300,000gns for him through SackvilleDonald at Tattersalls October Book 2.

Her two-year-old colt from the first crop of Highland Reel was sold for 320,000gns to Jamie McCalmont at Book 1 last October and she has a yearling colt from the second crop of Almanzor.

She was amongst the elite first book of mares covered by Blue Point in 2020.

Mayson making ground

Cheveley Park Stud’s Mayson may not have garnered as many sire accolades as some of Invincible Spirit’s other stallion sons, but the Group 1 July Cup winner had an excellent Royal Ascot.

His best son Oxted added a second Group 1 to his CV in the King’s Stand Stakes, while his three-year-old son Rohaan, denied the opportunity to prove he is a bona fide Group 1 sprinter in the Commonwealth Cup because he lacks a crucial part of the male anatomy, took the Wokingham by storm.

Mayson also added a winner as a broodmare sire, even though his daughters have had just five runners so far.

The 2020 July Cup winner Oxted returned to form after a down-the-field run in Saudi Arabia and placed efforts in a Group 3 and a Group 2 at Newmarket and York.

Oxted was bred by Homestead Wealth Racing out of the Choisir mare Charlotte Rosina, one of two Group winners during the meeting for the recently retired stallion as a broodmare sire.

Charlotte Rosina has a three-year-old full- brother to Oxted named Chipstead, her most recent foal.

She was bought for £45,000 by Tom Malone at the 2019 Ascot November Sale and was covered by Cable Bay in 2020 and Blue Point this year.

Cieren Fallon celebrating winning the King’s Stand Stakes on Oxted (Mayson)

Rohaan: a future Group 1 winner for Mayson?

Wokingham Stakes winner Rohaan looks to be a Group 1 winner in waiting for Mayson; his nose victory in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes over Dragon Symbol, first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup (G1), one of the best pieces of early sprinting form in 2021.

Amazingly, the 112-rated Rohaan started his handicapping career off a mark of just 55.

He was bought by David Evans and Martin Wanless for 20,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale after he been given two runs as a two-year-old by George Scott. With 12 further runs under his belt since October he is now rated 112.

He is out of the Acclamation mare Vive Les Rouges.

Significantly, who is out of Rosebride by Mayson, is one of three winners from the five runners (so far) out of Mayson’s daughters and he took the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes for Karl Burke.

Bred by Cheveley Park Stud, one of a number of British breeders to enjoy Royal meeting success, he is by Garswood and is line bred 4x4 to the great Pivotal. He is also linebred 5x5 to Storm Bird and to Danzig.

The Invincible Spirit line also produced a 1-2 in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes through his first-season sire sons Profitable and National Defense.

Brazen Beau, a son of Invincible Spirit’s leading southern-hemisphere stallion son I Am Invincible, failed to ignite when shuttled to Dalham Hall by Darley for four seasons, but is enjoying something of a renaissance this year, led by the dual Listed winner Logo Hunter.

At Royal Ascot he sired the Group 3 Jersey Stakes third Vadream and the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes third Boonie, both out of Shamardal mares.

First-season sire one-two: the Profitable filly Quick Suzy (right) beats Twilight Gleaming (National Defense) in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes

Commonwealth Cup: a family affair

Kodiac’s sons are helping him make up for lost time as a progenitor of stallions through the emergence of Kodi Bear last season and the lightning quick start made to his career in 2021 by Ardad.

Kodiac himself got on the Royal Ascot Group 1 score-sheet with the assistance of the stewards. They promoted Campanelle to first place in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup over Dragon Symbol, who would have been a first Group 1 winner for Invincible Spirit’s son Cable Bay.

The Johnny Murtagh-trained Measure Of Magic took third place and she is from the first crop of Kodi Bear.

Campanelle was winning at a second successive Royal Ascot for Wesley Ward and Stonestreet Stables. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, who have guided Kodiac from humble beginnings to the top table, Campanelle is out of the Namid mare Janina and was bought for 190,000gns by Ben McElroy at Book 1 in 2019.

Janina has not produced a foal since Campanelle, having been covered by Mehmas in 2019 and Galileo Gold last year.

Emulating his older half-brother Kodiac also had stallion sons sire a 1-2 in one of the meeting’s two-year-old Group contests.

First-season sire Ardad broke his Group race duck in the Norfolk Stakes – Perfect Power leading home Go Bears Go, who is from the second crop of Kodi Bear, in the 5f contest.

Young stallions emerge

The juvenile Group races gave younger stallions an opportunity to showcase their progeny and the first and season sires grabbed the chances afforded them.

As already mentioned Invincible Spirit’s sons Profitable and National Defense sired the first two home in the Queen Mary Stakes with Profitable’s daughter Quick Suzy providing her sire and her trainer Gavin Cromwell with first Royal Ascot winners.

Quick Suzy was bred by Oghill House Stud out of the Marju mare Snooze, a winner at three in Italy and a half-sister to Italian Listed winner Aria Di Festa.

The half-sisters have both provided firstseason sires with their first Group winners – Aria Di Festa is the dam of Aria Importante, a multiple Group winner at two and three by Twilight Son.

Quick Suzy was sold by Cloney Stud to Aoife Dunphy at the Goffs Autumn Online Sale for just €20,000 and was sold privately to Eclipse Thoroughbreds following her success in a 6f Curragh maiden in May.

Snooze has a yearling full-brother to Quick Suzy, a colt foal by Belardo and returned to Profitable this spring.

Profitable, himself a Royal Ascot winner courtesy of his success in the 2016 Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes, has had eight winners at the time of writing.

Wesley Ward and Barbara Banke’s Twilight Gleaming, runner-up in the Queen Mary, was the most expensive yearling from the first crop of her sire, the Irish National Stud’s National Defense, winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at two.

The filly was bred by the Morrin brothers and sold by their Pier House Stud to Ben McElroy at Goffs Orby Sale at Doncaster for £75,000, she is the out of the Dansili mare Thames Pageant.

She bred by the Queen and is a half-sister to Reach For The Moon, who finished second in the Listed Chesham Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot 2021 for Her Majesty.

Ardad building on fast start

Kodiac’s son Ardad, himself winner of the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes in 2016, leads the European first-season sires’ table at the time of writing with 12 winners from 29 runners.

One of that dozen is the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner Perfect Power, another successful graduate bred by Tally-Ho Stud. He was sold at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up in April for £110,000 to Blandford Bloodstock, having failed to find a buyer at Book 2 last October.

He is the first foal out of Sagely by Frozen Power, an Oasis Dream half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Finsceal Beo.

Sagely won over 1m2f at three and is out of Saga Celebre, a Peintre Celebre grand-daughter of Saga D’Ouilly, a Linamix full-sister to Group 1 Arc winner and sire Sagamix and to Sage Et Jolie, the Group 2 winning dam of Sageburg.

Sagely has a yearling filly by Ardad’s sire Kodiac.

Like his father before him, Ardad appears to be imparting speed into stouter pedigrees. He also sired the Group 2 Coventry Stakes third Vintage Clarets for Perfect Power’s trainer Richard Fahey.

Ardad’s paternal half-sibling Kodi Bear is a year further into his stud career. His Norfolk Stakes runner-up Go Bears Go was bred by Finsceal Beo’s owner Micheal Ryan. Kodi Bear also got the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes third Measure Of Magic from his first crop.

Havana Gold: Royal Ascot glory topping a fine season

Havana Gold’s biggest and best crop are two-year-olds of 2021 and they are certainly making their mark with 11 winners to date, just one fewer than Mehmas and Ardad. Chipotle, winner of the Brocklesby for Eve Johnson-Houghton, took Royal Ascot’s Listed Windsor Castle Stakes for the Tweenhills Stud’s Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner.

Bred by Theakston Stud, Chipotle is the second successive winner of the race out of a mare by Makfi following Tactical in 2020.

He was bought for just 10,000gns as a yearling by his trainer and Highflyer Bloodstock having been bought back at 4,500gns as a foal by his breeders.

Chipotle is the second foal out of Lightsome, whose dam Aunty Mary is a Common Ground half-sister to Attraction, winner of five Group 1 races. Lightsome was covered by Havana Gold again in 2020.

Cotai Glory, second to Ardad in the firstseason sires’ table, was a Group 1 runner-up himself at Royal Ascot, and two of his sons gained second placings this year.

Eldrickjones was second to Berkshire Shadow in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, while Dig Two, who shares his broodmare sire with Perfect Power, filled the silver medal position in the Windsor Castle.

Second season sire success

Second-season sires Bobby’s Kitten, Awtaad and New Bay also registered their first Royal Ascot winners in 2021.

Awtaad and New Bay struck in threeyear-old handicaps – New Bay’s son Perotto upheld the family form by winning the Britannia Stakes for Marcus Tregoning and Halcyon Thoroughbreds.

Bred by China Horse Club he is the first foal out of Tschierschen, an Acclamation half-sister to Roodeye, the dam of last season’s Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather and the second dam of Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent.

Halcyon Thoroughbreds and Tregoning, who had obviously liked what they had seen by last September of Perotto, reinvested into the next of Tschierschen progeny, a 2019-born colt by Showcasing. He cost for 30,000gns at the Goffs UK Premier Sale.

Awtaad’s daughter Create Belief won the Sandringham Stakes over a mile to give Johnny Murtagh his first Royal Ascot winner as a trainer.

Bred by Laurence Kennedy and sold by Moyfinn Stud at Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale to her trainer, Create Belief is the first foal out of Girl Of The Hour, a winning daughter of Makfi.

Her second dam American Spirit is a Rock Of Gibraltar half-sister to the Derby, Racing Post Trophy and Juddmonte International winner and sire Authorized.

Bred in Britain

Bobby’s Kitten, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner by Kitten’s Joy, stands at Lanwades Stud and recorded a notable victory in the Group 3 Albany Stakes. The winner Sandrine is from his second crop and is the first Group winner sired by him, and remarkably is the first Royal Ascot winner bred by Kirsten Rausing.

“I bought this filly’s fifth or sixth dam as a yearling at Goffs in 1976 and the family has been with me ever since,” she said. “Everything on her catalogue page from top to bottom, we have bred at Lanwades.

“All my animals are homebred, so it gives me tremendous pleasure to keep the continuity. I also tend to support my own stallions, and this filly is Bobby’s Kitten’s first stakes winner, first Group winner, so we are thrilled with that.”

Sandrine is the second foal out of Seychelloise, a winning daughter of Pivotal and Starlit Sands, who was successful in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg and second in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.

David Probart and Sandrine

Starlit Sands is by Oasis Dream and out of the Group 3-placed Shimmering Sea, a half-sister to the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Petoski.

Seychelloise has a yearling colt from the only crop of the ill-fated Roaring Lion and has a colt from the first crop of Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man, a stud mate of Bobby’s Kitten at Lanwades.

A good week for Cheveley Park

During an excellent meeting for British owners and breeders, Cheveley Park Stud enjoyed success in all facets of their business.

As owners the red, white and blue silks were carried to success in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes by Indie Angel, a daughter of Dark Angel and Listed winner Indigo Lady, a daughter of Sir Percy, an another Lanwades-based stallion.

Bred by Ringfort Stud and Paul Hancock Indie Angel was bought by Capital Bloodstock for 600,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Indigo Lady has a two-year-old Churchill half-sister named Miss Clementine, who cost Ed Dunlop and BBA Ireland 90,000gns at Book 2 and a half-sister from the first crop of Blue Point.

Cheveley Park also bred the Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner Berkshire Shadow, another one of the three winners by Dark Angel at the meeting.

Berkshire Shadow is the second foal out of Angel Vision, a winning Oasis Dream daughter of the brilliant racemare Islington. She was purchased by Cheveley Park Stud for 600,000gns from the Ballymacoll dispersal in 2017.

Andrew Balding bought Berkshire Shadow for 40,000gns from Cheveley Park Stud at Book 1. Angel Vision was covered by Iffraaj this spring.

The Cheveley Park stallions past and present also brought much glory to the farm.

We have already reviewed Mayson’s exploits, but Pivotal, who was retired this spring at the age of 28, was the meeting’s

most successful broodmare sire with his daughters producing the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Love, the Group 2 Queen’s Vase Kemari, and the one-two in the Group 3 Albany Stakes as Sandrine and Hello You are out of Pivotal mares.

Garswood now stands in France at Haras de la Huderie, but began his stud career at his birthplace of Cheveley Park Stud. He is sire of the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes winner Significantly, who has Cheveley Park’s Mayson as his broodmare sire.

Significantly was the second winner of the week bred by the Thompsons.

Saturday’s Wokingham Stakes also produced a 1,2,3 success for the Newmarket farm’s stallions as winner Rohaan, already

a Group 2 and 3 winner in 2020, is a son of Mayson, while the second and third – Fresh and King’s Lynn – have Kyllachy as their damsires.

A Wonderful Hardwicke Stakes

Chris Wright did not breed his Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes winner Wonderful Tonight at his Stratford Place Stud, but the Le Havre filly, a dual Group 1 winner last season, will join the music mogul’s broodmare band when her racing days are over.

Her owner was another prominent British breeder seeing his silks carried to victory for the first time at the Royal meeting and

Wright was overwhelmed by the magnitude of Wonderful Tonight’s success.

“I have been running horses here for 40 years, almost every year at least one, sometimes several,” he recalled. “I’ve never ever had a winner at Royal Ascot – lots of seconds, lots of very good horses.

“Culture Vulture, who won a Classic, was second twice, but I’ve never had a winner here. I almost can’t believe it!

“It means everything, actually. There are winners and winners, but a Royal Ascot winner… I’ve won a lot of very good races, but to win at Royal Ascot is like I’ve died and gone to heaven!”

Wonderful Tonight was bred by Ecurie la Cauviniere and sold by Anna Sundstrom’s Coulonces Sales to trainer David Menuisier and Crispin de Moubray for €40,000 at Arqana’s 2018 August Yearling Sale.

She is out of Salvation, a winning daughter of Montjeu and the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Birdie, who is an Alhaarth half-sister to Fickle, the second dam of the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Irish Derby winner Camelot (Montjeu).

Salvation is also the dam of the Listed Forever Together Stakes winner Penjade (Air Chief Marshall) and has a three-yearold full-sister to Wonderful Tonight named Chuppy, who has made just one start so far for Fabrice Chappet.

Her two-year-old and yearlings are both by Recorder with the juvenile colt named Ak Ishan, also in training with Fabrice Chappet.

Acclamation: broodmare laurels

Rathbarry Stud’s stalwart has enjoyed an excellent spell recently with his sons and grandsons adding to their success and the old man getting in on the act too.

At Royal Ascot he added another string to his bow, as a broodmare sire, matching the outstanding Pivotal on three winners.

He looks to have an exciting prospect in Point Lonsdale, who gave Australia his 19th individual stakes winner when justifying favouritism in the Listed Chesham Stakes.

Bred by the Brosnan’s Epona Bloodstock and sold by their Croom House Stud to MV Magnier at Book 1 last year for 575,000gns he is a full-brother to Broome, who chased Wonderful Tonight home in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes.

The five-year-old Broome is from Australia’s first crop and was placed in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at two.

As a three-year-old he won the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and was fourth to Anthony Van Dyck in the Derby. Both he and Point Lonsdale are the best two performers from the five winners produced so far by Sweepstake, a daughter of Acclamation who won the Listed National Stakes at Sandown, was second in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland and third in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes.

Her dam Dust Flicker is a Suave Dancer full-sister to Group 3 Prix de la Nonette winner Dust Dancer, the second dam of Group 1 winner and stallion Zoffany.

Point Lonsdale is the 22nd stakes winner out of Acclamation’s daughters, who have three black-type winners from six runners by Australia.

Dark Angel tied at the top

Acclamation’s son Dark Angel has surpassed his Dad’s achievements as a stallion with more Group 1 winners than him and he ended Royal Ascot 2021 tied with Frankel with three winners through the week.

A pair of Dark Angel Group 2 winners, including in the highly influential Coventry Stakes, was supplemented by the victory in the Royal Hunt Cup of Real World.

All three horses were notable also for their connections to major breeding operations.

Indie Angel is owed by Cheveley Park Stud and Berkshire Shadow was bred by Newmarket farm, while the four-year-old Real World is owned and bred by Godolphin.

He is out of Nafura, a Dubawi half-sister to the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner and sire Dubai Destination and Librettist, who won the Group 1 Prix du Moulin and Prix Jacques le Marois.

Nafura is the dam of this season’s Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Dubai Fountain (Teofilo). She has a two-year-old Profitable colt named Home City, who has made two starts for Saeed Bin Suroor, including in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.

Art Power was once again knocking on the door in a big sprint with King Power’s four-year-old Dark Angel colt finishing third in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, less than 2l behind Dream Of Dreams.

The tough filly Love won one of the races of the week, the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

Breeders enjoy great week with broodmare sire Danehill Dancer

DANEHILL DANCER’s reputation as a broodmare sire of note predated this year’s Royal Ascot meeting as the 15 individual Group 1 winners out of his daughters indicates.

Almost half of those are by Galileo and the pair’s rapport with each other is long established – the cross has produced a ratio of 25 per cent winners to runners.

At Royal Ascot 2021, Danehill Dancer’s success as a broodmare sire was facilitated by sons of Galileo – the Group 1 winners Australia and Gleneagles, who stand alongside their father at Coolmore, and the wins came in successive races.

First up for Danehill Dancer’s daughters was Loving Dream in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, a first homebred Royal Ascot winner for Trevor and Libby Harris of Lordship Stud.

“We’ve never had a homebred Royal Ascot winner before,” explained Libby Harris. “It has taken

a long time to come so this is a very, very special moment. It really is. It was unbelievable really, the way she battled on, galloped, always quickened when the other horse came to her, she was so game and genuine, it’s just fantastic to see that.”

Loving Dream is a half-sister to the Grade 1 American Oaks third Amandine (Shamardal) and they are out of Kissable, who was a Listed winner and placed in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

She is from a fine Juddmonte family as a daughter of Kitty O’Shea, herself a Listed winner and a full-sister to the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy and St Leger winner Brian Boru and to Soviet Moon, the unraced dam of Derby and Arc hero Workforce by King’s Best.

Another of her full-sisters Kushnarenkova is the dam of the triple Group 1 winner Best Solution, a son of Kodiac, who stands at Gestüt Auenquelle following successes which included a win in the Caulfield Cup.

Kissable is a three-parts sister to the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes winner and young Burgage Stud sire Sea Moon.

Kissable cost 180,000gns at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale and has a two-year-old Sea The Stars filly named Five Star, who was bought by Mark Johnston for 48,000gns from New England Stud at Tattersalls October Book 2.

She foaled a full-brother to Five Star this spring and her yearling is by Camelot.

Subjectivist dethroned Stradivarius and derailed his bid to join Yeats with a record-equalling four Ascot Gold Cup victories.

The four-year-old son of Teofilo was backing up success in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak last year and the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan in March for owner Dr Jim Walker and trainer Johnston.

The Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist and groom David Hickin

Bred by Susan Hearn at Mascalls Stud in Essex, he is also out of the Danehill Dancer mare Reckoning, who was bought at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Hearn paid 160,000gns for the mare, who is from the family of the Eclipse and Irish Derby runnerup and now successful NH sire Sholokov, and Soldier Of Fortune.

She won over a mile as a twoyear-old, and was second once and third twice in three 1m2f Listed races for trainer Jeremy Noseda.

Reckoning has produced three black-type performers from four runners with the 2016-born Sir Ron Priestley, by Australia and still an entire, also with Group 1 form to his name. He finished third in the Group 1 St Leger in 2019, and this season has won the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes and Listed Further Flight Stakes, also for Johnston. He beat three home in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes behind Wonderful Tonight.

Reckoning’s three-year-old Muhaarar filly Alba Rose races in the same silks as Subjectivist and is a third sibling trained by Johnston, who bought her for 100,000gns at Book 2 in 2019.

She was third in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes last season and holds an entry in the Irish Oaks.

Susan Hearn bought back Reckoning’s two-year-old Ulysses filly for 140,000gns at Book 2 and she has joined her half-siblings in Yorkshire.

Reckoning has a yearling colt from the only crop of Roaring Lion and was covered by Too Darn Hot in 2020.

Hearn’s husband Barry, who runs events such as the World Snooker Championship, spoke afterwards of his pride in his wife’s achievements.

“To have the character to stand your ground and say, ‘I love this business, I love the horses I breed,’ is fantastic. Susan has had the nerve to stick with a very tough game and days like today make it worthwhile. I am very proud of her.”

DANEHILL DANCER’S son Choisir, the first Australian horse to win the King’s Stand Stakes, then a Group 2, and the Group 1 Golden (now Diamond Jubilee) Stakes was also the broodmare sire of two Group winners at Royal Ascot 2021: fellow King’s Stand winner Oxted and Jersey Stakes winner Creative Force.

Choisir was retired at the end of the 2020 southern-hemisphere breeding season.

Choisir shuttled for eight seasons to Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud, more than enough time to leave an important legacy.

Oxted is one of four individual Group 1 winners so far out of Choisir’s daughters and they include the four-time Group 1-winning miler Winter. Three of those four winners have emulated their damsire by winning a Group 1 at Royal Ascot.

Choisir’s daughter Choose Me has proven herself a producer of note for John Tuthill’s Owenstown Stud and this year’s Group 3 Jersey Stakes winner Creative Force (Dubawi) is the third stakes winner that she has produced so far.

Choose Me was bred by Tuthill’s late Aunt Averil Power out of the Hector Protector mare Hecuba (Hector Protector), a purchase from Juddmonte, who won the Listed Fairy Bridge Stakes over 7f at Tipperary and was placed at Group 2 and Group 3 level for the family.

Retired back to her birthplace outside Maynooth, she has produced six winners from six runners to date.

Her best performer so far is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive, a daughter of Dark Angel, who was bought by Cheveley Park Stud at the 2014 Goffs Orby Sale for €140,000.

She is also the dam of Listed Sandown Distaff Stakes winner Tisbutadream (Dream Ahead).

On the back of Persuasive’s exploits in Group 1 company Choose Me was sent to Dubawi in 2017. The resulting foal is Creative Force, who was sold by Owenstown to Godolphin for €400,000 at Goffs’ Orby Sale in 2019.

Tuthill sent Choose Me back to Dark Angel in 2018 and she has a two-year-old colt by him who was bought for 100,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale by Sackville Donald.

Her final foal is a yearling fullsister to Persuasive, who may be retained by Tuthill for Owenstown’s broodmare band.