Aidan and Annemarie O’brien, Whisperview Trading

Iridessa (Ire), 2016 f. by Ruler Of The World out of Senta’s Dream, by Danehill

WHEN Iridessa landed the Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket last October for trainer Joseph O’Brien, he was doing his parents a big favour as the filly was bred by them and was crediting Group 1 Derby winner Ruler Of The World with his first stakes winner in his first crop. Aidan and Annemarie bred Iridessa under Whisperview Trading Limited and she is the best winner from Senta’s Dream.

Now the filly has added a second Group 1 success, winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh following an encouraging fourth in the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.

Once sold for €300,000 as a yearling in France, Senta’s Dream never made it to the racecourse and was ultimately sold for just 14,000gns in 2013 to BBA Ireland, acting for the O’Briens. Iridessa is followed by Order Of Australia, a two-year-old son of Australia, and a yearling filly by Camelot.

Senta’s Dream is the first foal of the outstanding racemare Starine. Successful at listed level in her native France, Starine transformed herself when sent to the USA where her victories included the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes.

Sadly Starine only had two foals at stud, Senta’s Dream being followed a year later by the colt Media Stars who recorded three victories. Starine was the outstanding runner in her family for a number of generations, but now her Group 1-winning granddaughter has added further lustre to the pedigree.

Pat Fitzsimons, Oak Lodge Bloodstock

Blue Point (Ire), 2014 c. by Shamardal out of Scarlett Rose, by Royal Applause

BLUE Point has been retired with a record of 11 wins in 20 starts. He scored a notable Group 1 double at Royal Ascot, winning a second King’s Stand Stakes before adding the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. In March he won the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint. The former Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes hero is a group winner in each of his four seasons racing and has only finished out of the money twice. In 2017 he was third in the Group 1 Commonwealth Stakes, while at two he was placed in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

The soon to be Darley stallion was raised at Springfield House Stud in Tipperary. He was bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock and sold as a foal for 110,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sale, purchased by Matt and Kate Sigworth’s Ebor Bloodstock. He resold as a yearling from West Moor Stud for 200,000gns.

The Fitzsimons family, through bloodstock agent John Walsh, paid 50,000gns for Scarlett Rose, the dam of Blue Point and Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Formosina, as a five-year-old, carrying her first foal by Starcraft, the subsequent multiple winner Esytopolishadimond. The daughter of Royal Applause, who had been placed a number of times, is a half-sister to seven winners, the best of which was Tumbleweed Ridge, a multiple group winner. Their sibling Tumbleweed Pearl bred the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Gilded.

Scarlett Rose has a yearling filly by Invincible Spirit.

Pat O’Kelly, Kilcarn Stud

Channel (Ire), 2014 f. by Nathaniel out of Love Magic, by Dansili

CAN you believe it? A classic winner bought for just €18,000 as a yearling in Goffs from one of the most successful breeders in Ireland. This is the story of Channel. She made a figure somewhat closer to her value when she resold as a two-year-old at Arqana for €70,000.

Channel caused a minor surprise with her victory in the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines, the French Oaks. She is now winner of three of her four starts, but this was just her first outing in a blacktype race. Channel is the best of the two runners and winners to date from Love Magic, a juvenile winning daughter of Dansili. Owned by Lady Rothschild, Love Magic was sold carrying Channel for 170,000gns.

Love Magic is one of seven winners from Magical Romance who sold in Tattersalls in 2006 for 4,600,000gns. Channel’s third dam is the three-year-old winner Shouk and while her daughter Magical Romance won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, her Sadler’s Wells daughter Alexandrova surpassed that achievement. She won three versions of the Oaks at Epsom, the Curragh and York, and she is dam of three stakes winners to date. Alexandrova is also grandam of Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner Aspetar.

Another generation back and a recent international star emerges. Shouk is a half-sister to Sitara and she is the dam of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling.

The fourth progeny of Love Magic is a filly foal by Sea The Stars.

David and Diane Nagle, Barronstown Stud

Sovereign (Ire), 2014 c. by Galileo out of Devoted To You, by Danehill Dancer

IF betting on the outcome of the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby was based on the quality of the breeders, Sovereign would quite likely have started favourite. He was bred at Barronstown Stud which was established in 1980 by David and Diane Nagle and the couple have a roll of honour of winners that is second to none.

Barronstown has yielded the winners of at least 35 Group 1 races in nine countries and across three continents, a list that started with Generous who became a dual Derby winner, and the stud can boost of producing, on average, a Group 1 or classic winner for each crop of racing age it has produced.

While the Nagles are breeders of renown, they have also enjoyed great success as owners, and Diane’s name has been associated with many high-profile victories, none more famous than the immortal Yeats, celebrated with a bronze in the paddock at Ascot following his feat of winning four consecutive Ascot Gold Cups. He was bred in partnership by the Nagle and Magnier families and raced for Sue Magnier and Diane.

David and Diane were inducted into the ITBA Hall of Fame in January and here they are with another classic winner. Sovereign is the best of four winners for his Group 2 runner-up dam and this is the immediate family of another Irish Derby winner in Balanchine.

Devoted To You has a juvenile colt, Dawn Rising, and a yearling filly by Galileo.