Saturday 23 May 2015 11:00, UK
Our pedigree expert Chris Hill reflects on the recent action from both on the track and in the sales' rings.
Last year’s 2000 Guineas hero Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) returned to the winner’s enclosure for the first time since that victory when making a successful seasonal reappearance last Saturday in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. Having been purchased by Sheikh Mohammed earlier this year, the Richard Hannon-trained four-year-old colt was piloted to a neck victory by one of their newly retained jockeys, James Doyle, wearing the famous Godolphin blue ahead of stablemate Toormore (Arakan).
Originally purchased by Rabbah Bloodstock for 32,000 guineas at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Night Of Thunder is the first and only foal produced by Forest Storm (Galileo), a winning juvenile for Jim Bolger and runner-up in the 2008 Listed Flame of Tara Stakes, who passed away in 2012. Forest Storm is out of the two-time winner and dual Listed-placed Quiet Storm (Desert Prince), a half-sister to the 2000 Listed Easter Stakes runner-up Safarando (Turtle Island) and to Castilian (Priolo), third in a Norwegian Listed race in 1999, with all three being out of a daughter of Forest Flower, the Champion European Two-Year-Old Filly in 1986 and winner of the following year’s Irish 1000 Guineas.
In last week’s Group Two Dante Stakes at York, Anthony Oppenheimer’s three-year-old homebred colt Golden Horn (Cape Cross) maintained his unbeaten record when seeing off Jack Hobbs (Halling) – who Godolphin have just this week bought into - by two-and-three-quarter lengths in the hands of William Buick to record a one-two for trainer John Gosden.
Offered at the 2013 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale but bought back by Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Stud for 190,000 guineas, Golden Horn is a half-brother to the 2014 Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial Ballymacoll Stud Stakes winner Eastern Belle (Champs Elysees) out of Fleche d’Or (Dubai Destination), an unraced half-sister to the 1997 Group One Coronation Stakes winner Rebecca Sharp (Machiavellian), the 1996 Group Three Lingfield Derby Trial winner Mystic Knight (Caerleon) and the 2004 Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Hidden Hope (Daylami).
David Simcock’s five-year-old colt Glass Office (Verglas) caused something of a shock in the Group Two Duke of York Stakes on the opening day of the Dante meeting when finishing first in a blanket finish at 40-1 under Jim Crowley.
A 24,000 guineas purchase by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2010 Tattersalls December Foal Sale before Stephen Hillen purchased the then yearling for €60,000 at the following year’s Goffs Orby Sale, Glass Office is a half-brother to the two-time winning stablemate Captain Morley (Hernando) being out of the dual winning miler Oval Office (Pursuit of Love), a half-sister to Group Three winners Bluebook (Secretariat) and Myself (Nashwan), from the further family of the dual New Zealand Group One winner Tavistock and the European Group Two winners Danceabout, Jupiter Island, Precocious and Pushy.
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute and jockey Ryan Moore won back-to-back renewals of the Group Two Yorkshire Cup on the final day of the Dante meeting when the Juddmonte homebred Snow Sky (Nayef) narrowly got the better of Brown Panther (Shirocco) on the Knavesmire by half-a-length.
One of three winners out of Prince Khalid Abdullah’s two-time winner and Listed Prix des Tourelles third Winter Silence (Dansili), a half-sister to the 2004 Grade One Manhattan Handicap winner Meteor Storm (Bigstone) and the 2004 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Polish Summer (Polish Precedent), as well as to the Group Three-placed grandam of the 2013 Group One Nassau Stakes winner Winsili (Dansili), Snow Sky is a half-brother to the dual six furlong winner Exhortation (Zamindar) and Clariden (Zamindar), a winner for Criquette Head-Maarek on debut this season.
The first French Classics of the 2015 season, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) saw two young sires record breakthrough successes in their fledgling careers with Make Believe (Makfi) becoming the first Group One winner in the Northern Hemisphere for Tweenhills Farm and Stud-resident Makfi when leading home an Andre-Fabre-trained one-two in the 2000 Guineas and Ervedya (Siyouni) landing a first win at the top level for her sire Siyouni, who stands for the Aga Khan as Haras de Bonneval, when victorious in the 1000 Guineas for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.
Purchased by Hugo Merry Bloodstock, on behalf of owner Prince Faisal, for 180,000 guineas at the 2012 December Foal Sale, Make Believe (Makfi) was bred by Aston Mullins Stud out of the juvenile winner Rosie’s Posy (Suave Dancer), a half-sister to the 2004 Group One Haydock Sprint Cup winner Tante Rose (Barathea) and the 2003 Listed Sweet Solera Stakes winner Bay Tree (Daylami), making the three-year-old colt a half-brother to the 2011 Grade One Yellow Ribbon Stakes and Gamely Stakes winner Dubawi Heights (Dubawi).
An Aga Khan homebred out of the two-time French winner and 2007 Group Three Prix Vanteaux runner-up Elva (King’s Best), Ervedya (Siyouni) is a half-sister to two winners, the three-time winner under both codes Elmal (Dalakhani) and the dual French winner Ennaya (Nayef), with the further family being that of the Group One Premio Jockey Club e Coppa d’Oro winner Erdelistan and the French Group Three winners Euliya and Imyar.
In other bloodstock news, the breeding rights for American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), who remains on course for the American Triple Crown after winning last weekend’s Preakness Stakes, have been purchased by Coolmore so once the Ahmed Zayat-owned colt’s racing career concludes he will stand at the operation’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Coolmore have also announced that the 2013 Epsom Derby hero Ruler of The World (Galileo), who they own in partnership with Al Shaqab Racing, is to miss the remainder of the covering season after picking up an injury last weekend, though the five-year-old colt, who was standing his first season at stud in County Tipperary, is expected to make a full recovery and return to normal stud duties next year.
Finally, just days after her three-year-old daughter Crystal Zvezda (Dubawi) put herself firmly in the picture for next month’s Oaks Stakes with an authoritative win in the Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury, Crystal Star (Mark of Esteem), who is also the dam of last year’s Grade One Canadian International Stakes winner Hillstar (Danehill Dancer) and the dual-Group Two winner Crystal Capella (Cape Cross), sadly died at owner Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s Southcourt Stud at the age of fifteen.
Chris Hill
Chris is a Pedigree Researcher for Weatherbys Ltd, the company that provides the majority of pedigrees for thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Britain and Ireland and who offer a range of products and services to suit your Bloodstock needs.
For further information please visit http://www.weatherbys.co.uk/bloodstock