FAMILY TIES - RECENT WINNERS

There is definitely some extra pressure placed upon the siblings of Group horses, or the produce of very successful race-mares, by dint of their pedigrees. Whilst there are plenty of well-bred individuals that underwhelm on the track, there has been a good number of very well-related winners in recent weeks – perhaps there is something to ‘best with the best’ after all.

Dalham Hall’s Perfect Power, (whose eldest crop are now yearlings) was one of the classiest two-year-olds of 2021, triumphing in the Middle Park and the Prix Morny, before adding the Commonwealth Cup to his list of Group successes at three. His dam Sagely, a daughter of Frozen Power, was responsible for her third juvenile winner from as many runners when the Charlie Appleby-trained Wise Approach made a winning debut at Ascot at the end of April, in the Godolphin silks. The Tally-Ho-bred Mehmas colt was knocked down for 1,000,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1, and one wonders if connections might want to target the Coventry or the Norfolk Stakes, the latter having been won by his half-brother four years ago.

Frankly Darling’s first foal  won second time of asking in recent weeks too. The charmingly named Mister Rizz is a son of Lope De Vega and was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud. A 425,000gns yearling, he was sent into the care of Ed Walker and won quite easily at Doncaster. On debut he did get beaten, but only by subsequent Esher Cup success Fifth Column. Frankly Darling struck in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and came third in the Oaks behind the inimitable Love and Ennistymon – so it’s no shock that her son coped well with over a mile. He now holds an entry for the Dante Stakes.

Arrow Eagle, a son of Gleneagles, won this year’s G3 Prix d’Hedouville at Longchamp. As he is out of the Anabaa Blue mare Absolutely Me, he is a half-brother to Cracksman’s Arc and Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact, now standing at Haras de Beaumont. Absolutely Me has also produced black-type performers by Australia and Rock Of Gibraltar – Alessandro and Apollo Flight.

Night Of Thunder added another black-type scorer to an increasingly long list last week when Sunly triumphed in the  Listed Prix de la Seine at Longchamp on behalf Juddmonte and Francis Graffard. The Juddmonte home-bred is out of Suffused, a daughter of Champs Elysees who earnt herself Graded success in the States. Suffused is out of Scuffle, making her a half-sibling to St Leger hero Logician. Sunly is currently two from two.

Another top-flight race-mare to prove herself in the paddocks lately would be Newspaperofrecord. Lope De Vega’s dual Grade 1-winning daughter is out of the Sceptre Stakes winner Sunday Times and hails from the same family as Irish Derby champ Latrobe. Aiden O’Brien trains her daughter Giselle, a three-year-old by Frankel, who struck cosily in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield this weekend and is now well-fancied for the Oaks as a result. The filly won on her second start last October, having been just bested by subsequent Debutante Stakes success Bedtime Story on debut. written by Gabriella Herbert