Monday 31 August 2015 12:57, UK
Chris Hill brings us his round-up of the news from the bloodstock scene in a busy week at both home and abroad.
The opening day of the Ebor meeting at York saw David Elsworth's three-year-old filly Arabian Queen (Dubawi) land the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa, holding off the challenge of the previously unbeaten Epsom Derby hero Golden Horn (Cape Cross) to record a neck victory and become her Darley sire's twenty-second individual top level winner.
Owned and bred by Jeff Smith at his Littleton Stud in Hampshire and from the family of the 1996 Irish St Leger winner Oscar Schindler and the Grade Two winning hurdler Mamlook, Arabian Queen is the first foal out of Barshiba (Barathea), a half-sister to the 2005 Listed Stonehenge Stakes winner Doctor Dash (Dr Fong) and this season's Listed John Smith's Silver Cup Handicap runner-up Dashing Star (Teofilo), who Elsworth trained to record seven victories including successive renewals of the Group Two Lancashire Oaks in 2009 and 2010 as well as four Listed race successes.
A year after foaling Arabian Queen, Barshiba produced a filly foal by Fastnet Rock, subsequently named Australian Queen (Fastnet Rock) and now in training with Elsworth in Newmarket, whilst this year she produced a filly foal by Dubawi meaning her newest offspring is a full sister to Arabian Queen, with both being bred along the same lines as Group One winners Hunter's Light (Dubawi) and Monterosso (Dubawi).
In a Group One Yorkshire Oaks that featured a clash between the two 2015 Irish fillies' Classic winners, it was the Jim Bolger-trained Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Pleascach (Teofilo) who emerged victorious when overhauling the long-time leader Covert Love (Azamour), winner of the Irish Oaks in July, close to the line to run out a neck winner for Godolphin under Kevin Manning.
Bred by Bolger out of the two-time winner Toirneach (Thunder Gulch), a half-sister to the 2014 Panamanian Listed Clasico Laffit Pincay winner Capomorano (Bluegrass Cat), Pleascach hails from the family of the dual U.S. Grade One winner Spain - dam of the 2008 Group Three International Stakes winner Plan and the 2008 Listed Flame of Tara Stakes winner and Group One Fillies' Mile third Dreamtheimpossible - and the U.S. Grade Two winner Puerto Banus.
A year after foaling Arabian Queen, Barshiba produced a filly foal by Fastnet Rock, subsequently named Australian Queen now in training with Elsworth whilst this year she produced a filly by Dubawi meaning her newest foal is a full sister to Arabian Queen
Friday's highlight, the five furlong Nunthorpe Stakes, saw trainer Michael Dods and jockey Paul Mulrennan record their first victories at Group One level with the David Metcalfe-owned four-year-old filly Mecca's Angel (Dark Angel) chasing down the giant U.S. two-year-old filly Acapulco (Scat Daddy) in the final furlong to win by a convincing two lengths.
A 16,000 guineas purchase by Dods at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Mecca's Angel is a full sister to the Barry Hills-trained 2015 Group Three Criterion Stakes winner Markaz (Dark Angel), both being out of the six-time winner and 2007 Listed Lansdown Stakes runner-up Folga (Atraf), herself a half-sister to the 1994 Listed Prix de Lieurey winner Desert Kaya (Bikala) out of the Group Three Prix d'Arenburg winner Desert Dawn (Belfort).
For Morristown Lattin Stud resident Dark Angel, the winner of the 2007 Group One Middle Park Stakes and Group Two Mill Reef Stakes who Darley have recently bought an interest in, the victory of Mecca's Angel was a second individual winner at the highest level following the two Group One victories achieved by Lethal Force in 2013 when successful in the July Cup and Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Across the Channel at Deauville, both Group One races run last Sunday were won by British-trained raiders with Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) an impressive one-and-three-quarter length winner of the Prix Morny under Frankie Dettori for John Gosden and the Karl Burke-trained five-year-old mare Odeliz (Falco) a gutsy victor of the Prix Jean Romanet by a neck in the hands of Adrie de Vries.
The victory of Shalaa was a second consecutive success in the Deauville juvenile Group One for owner Al Shaqab Racing following the victory of The Wow Signal twelve months earlier and a second success at Group One level this year for leading stallion Invincible Spirit, the Irish National Stud resident who has been responsible for 2015 Prix Jean Prat winner Territories as well as last season's top class milers Kingman and Charm Spirit.
Twice a graduate of Tattersalls, on the latter occasion when purchased by Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock for 170,000 guineas at the 2014 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Shalaa is the best of three winners produced to date – and in Frankie Dettori's opinion the best juvenile he has ever sat on - by the three-time winner and U.S. Grade Three-placed Ghurra (War Chant), a half-sister to the 1997 Group One Middle Park Stakes winner Hayil (Dayjur), whose other foals include the winning hurdler and Grade Three Bar One Juvenile Hurdle runner-up Dai Bando (Montjeu) and the five-time winner under both codes, Pearl Castle (Montjeu).
Running in the colours of Mrs Barbara Keller, for whom she won the German Group Three Hamburger Meile earlier in the season, Odeliz was purchased by Burke for €22,000 at the 2011 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale and is the first flat winner at the highest level to be sired by the 2008 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) winner Falco, who stands at Haras du Grand Chesnaie in Menil, France and is also responsible for Nicky Henderson's exciting 2015 Grade One Triumph Hurdle winner Peace And Co.
For Morristown Lattin Stud resident Dark Angel, who Darley have recently bought an interest in, the victory of Mecca's Angel was a second individual winner at the highest level following the two Group One victories achieved by Lethal Force in 2013.
Out of the unraced mare Acatama (Efisio), a half-sister to the dual U.S. Grade One winner Amorama (Sri Pekan) - dam of this season's Group Two Prix Hocquart winner Ampere (Galileo) - as well as to the Listed winners Table Ronde (Astronomer Royal) and Uncoiled (Giant's Causeway) and Venetia Williams' 2014 Grade Three Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase winner Shangani (Giant's Causeway), Odeliz is herself a half-sister to three winners including the three-time winner Charitable Act (Cadeaux Genereux) from the family of Champion European Older Mares Treve, Trillion and Triptych.
Despite three lots making six figures at the Arqana v.2 Yearling Sale, the aggregate of €3,035,000 was a reduction of 18% on the 2014 renewal, with the average price of €33,922 a decrease of around 7%, though the median price of €30,000 was a slight improvement of around 7% on the previous year's sale.
Topping proceedings was a Kendargent colt out of the French three-time winner and 2011 Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles runner-up Ideechic (Chichicastenango), who was bought by Alain Decrion on behalf of owner Jean-Claude Seroul for €150,000. From the family of this season's Group Three Jersey Stakes winner and Group One Prix Jean Prat runner-up Dutch Connection, the sale topper is set to go into training, like many of Seroul's horses, with Frederic Rossi.
Jean-Claude Rouget signed for the sale's second priciest lot when going to €110,000 to secure a Wootton Bassett full sister to the trainer's dual winner Almanzor (Wootton Bassett). Out of the unraced mare Darkova (Maria's Mon), a daughter of the French Listed winner Darkara (Halling), the yearling filly hails from the family of the French Classic winners Darjina and Darsi. The third lot to make six figures when selling to Ghislain Bozo's Meridian International for €100,000 was a Zoffany colt out of the placed mare Silver Face (Iron Mask), a half-sister to the two-time French Listed winner Silva (Anabaa), from the family of 1985 French 1,000 Guineas winner Silvermine.
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
