Chris Hill brings us the latest bloodstock news and reflects on the action on track and in the sales ring.

Chris Hill brings us the latest bloodstock news as he reflects on Royal Ascot and the action from the sales ring.

The opening race of Royal Ascot 2014 saw Toronado (High Chaparral) claim his second Group One with a comfortable success in the Queen Anne Stakes for Richard Hannon, ahead of Aidan O’Brien’s U.S. import Verrazano (More Than Ready).

Twice a graduate of Arqana having made €40,000 as a foal at the Deauville December Breeding Stock Sale before changing hands eight months later for €55,000, Toronado was bought privately by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani at the beginning of the 2013 season. The four year-old son of High Chaparral is a half-brother to the Grade Two Italian chase winner Wan (Tagula) being out of the dual French winner Wana Doo (Grand Slam) who is herself a half-sister to the 2010 Racing Post Trophy winner, Casamento (Shamardal).

A Royal Ascot Group One sprint double was initiated on Tuesday day by the seven year-old gelding Sole Power (Kyllachy), who was winning consecutive renewals of the five furlong King’s Stand Stakes for owner Mrs Sabena Power and trainer Eddie Lynam, and was sealed by the decisive victory of Slade Power (Dutch Art) in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over a furlong further on Saturday.

Bought by Lynam at the 2008 Doncaster St Leger Yearlings Sale for £32,000, Sole Power is undoubtedly the best of the three winners produced by the unraced mare Demerger (Distant View), the other two being the fifteen-time winner and Group Three runner-up Cornus (Inchinor) and the French winner and Listed race runner-up Sotka (Dutch Art), with the further family being that of Grade/Group Two winners Auction House and Tychonic.

From the first crop of the dual Group One winner Dutch Art, Slade Power became the Cheveley Park Stud resident’s maiden winner at the highest level with other notable performers being Group Two scorers Caspar Netscher, Garswood and Producer.

The first foal bred by Mrs Power at Horse Park Stud in County Wicklow, Slade Power was bought back by Lynam for £5,000 when offered at the 2010 Doncaster Premier Yearlings Sale and is a half-brother to the one-time winner Cool Power (Verglas). Out of the five furlong winner Girl Power (Key of Luck), the five year-old colt is from the family of the Grade One Hollywood Gold Cup winner Slew The Dragon, the U.S. Grade Two winner Slew The Knight and the Italian Group Three Premio Primi Passi winner Balqis.

From the first crop of the dual Group One winner Dutch Art, Slade Power became the Cheveley Park Stud resident’s maiden winner at the highest level with his other notable performers being the Group Two scorers Caspar Netscher, Garswood and Producer as well as Dutch Masterpiece who went off favourite for last season’s Prix de l’Abbaye off the back of a Group Three success at the Curragh.

The third Group One on the opening day, the St James’s Palace Stakes, saw the John Gosden-trained Kingman (Invincible Spirit) exact revenge on his 2000 Guineas conqueror Night of Thunder (Dubawi) when quickening impressively to land the day’s highlight by two and a quarter lengths.

The Juddmonte homebred is from a family that Gosden knows particularly well having trained Kingman’s half-brother Remote (Dansili) to win the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes at last year’s Royal meeting, as well their dam Zenda (Zamindar) to win the 2002 French 1000 Guineas and her half-brother Oasis Dream (Green Desert) to four Group One victories and 2002 Champion European Two Year-Old and 2003 Champion European Three Year-Old Sprinter honours.

Further back, the three year-old colt is related to the 1993 Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight - herself the dam of the four-time Grade/Group One winner Beat Hollow - the Prix du Cadran winner Reefscape, Phoenix Stakes winner La Collina and the French Group Two winners Bellamy Cay, Coastal Path and Martaline.

Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes saw Gosden’s The Fugue (Dansili) record a fourth success at Group One level when running out a hugely impressive winner on the fast ground she relishes ahead of Magician (Galileo) and Treve (Motivator).

Bred by Watership Down Stud out of the nine furlong winner and 2005 Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes runner-up Twyla Tharp (Sadler’s Wells), a half-sister to the Group One winners Summoner (Inchinor) and Compton Admiral (Suave Dancer), who was subsequently sold to Mandore International for 1.7 million guineas at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, The Fugue is the second Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner the stud has bred following the success of Rewilding in the 2011 renewal.

The sale’s second priciest lot was the Frankel foal who was offered alongside his dam Crystal Gaze (Rainbow Quest), who is carrying a foal to the ten-time Group One winner, with the joint package being purchased by M V Magnier for £1.15 million.

Last year’s St Leger winner Leading Light (Montjeu) claimed a hard-fought victory in Thursday’s Ascot Gold Cup for Aidan O’Brien ahead of last year’s winner Estimate (Monsun) and the game front-running mare Missunited (Golan).

Purchased at the 2011 Tattersalls October Yearlings Sale back by Demi O’Byrne on behalf of Coolmore for 520,000 guineas, Leading Light is a full brother to the five-time winner and Group Two Royal Whip Stakes-placed Warwick Avenue (Montjeu) being out of the Grade Two Buena Vista Stakes winner Dance Parade (Gone West) who is herself a half-sister to the Grade Three winner Ocean Queen (Zilzal) and Treasure Trove (The Minstrel), the dam of the Group One Prix de la Foret winner Toylsome (Cadeaux Genereux).

Last season’s Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes winner and Champion Two Year-Old Filly in Ireland, Rizeena (Iffraaj), returned to winning ways when landing Friday’s Coronation Stakes for trainer Clive Brittain, having finished seventh in the 1000 Guineas on her seasonal reappearance.

A 50,000 guineas purchase by Rabbah Bloodstock at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Rizeena is the first winner produced by the seven furlong winner Serena’s Storm (Statue of Liberty) - a half-sister to the two-time Australian Group Two winner Puissance de Lune (Shamardal) - who is herself a granddaughter of Serena’s Sister, a full sister to the eleven-time Grade One winner and Champion Three Year-Old Filly Serena’s Song, the dam of the 2002 Coronation Stakes winner Sophisticat.

Prior to the start of Royal Ascot, Goffs held their inaugural London Sale at The Orangery at Kensington Palace with the offerings including the first Frankel foal to be auctioned in public, two year-old breeze-up horses and horses-in-training, with many lots holding entries at the Royal meeting.

One such lot was Cappella Sansevero (Showcasing), a winner of all three of his previous juvenile starts for Ger Lyons who topped the sale when selling to Sheikh Fahad Al Thani for £1.3 million and the following day finished a close second to The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner) in the Group Two Coventry Stakes.

The sale’s second priciest lot was the Frankel foal who was offered alongside his dam Crystal Gaze (Rainbow Quest) - the dam of the 2013 Group Two Prix du Gros-Chene winner Spirit Quartz (Invincible Spirit) - who is carrying a foal to the ten-time Group One winner, with the joint package being purchased by M V Magnier for £1.15 million.

At the close of the sale, forty-one of the fifty-three lots had changed hands (a clearance rate of 77%) for a total of £7,915,000 at an average price of £193,048 and median price of £120,000.

Finally, Monday saw the racecourse debut of Europe’s priciest yearling when Al Naamah (Galileo), an Andre Fabre-trained full-sister to the 2012 Oaks winner Was (Galileo), made an impressive start to her racing career when scoring by two lengths from a previous winner Kenouska (Kendargent) at Chantilly.

Bought at last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by Nicolas de Watrigant on behalf of Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing for 5 million guineas, the two-year-old filly’s performance earned her quotes of 16-1 for next year’s 1000 Guineas.

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