Sheikh Mohammed, Godolphin

Pinatubo (Ire), 2017 c. by Shamardal out of Lava Flow, by Dalakhani

IN what has been a simply magical year for Sheikh Mohammed in the two-year-old colt division, Pinatubo demolished the opposition when winning the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend. This was a victory of seismic proportions and number five in an unbeaten run for the Sheikh Mohammed home-bred. He had previously won the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Qatar Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

That would have been enough for the majority of two-year-olds but connections went back to the well and came up trumps again, this time capturing the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

These six victories have netted more than £710,000 for Godolphin. Pinatubo joins juveniles Earthlight and Victor Ludorum, classic winner Castle Lady and leading sprinter Blue Point as 2019 Group 1 winners for their sire Shamardal.

Sheikh Mohammed raced Pinatubo’s grandam Mount Elbrus who won the Listed Prix Petite Etoile at Saint-Cloud over 10 and a half furlongs.

She bred the colt’s dam Lava Flow who was put in training with Andre Fabre and won the Listed Prix de la Seine at Longchamp. Mount Elbrus is out of an own-sister to Rafha, winner of the Group 1 Prix de Diane Hermes and the dam of a pair of leading sires, Invincible Spirit and Kodiac. Other Group 1 winners in the immediate family include Chinese White, Pride Of Dubai and the Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Uni.

John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt

Magical (Ire), 2015 f. by Galileo out of Halfway To Heaven, by Pivotal

SIMPLY put, there are few more successful current families in the stud book than that of the recently retired Magical, an outstanding racemare who is now slotted for a covering in the spring by No Nay Never. The earner of in excess of £3.3 million, she won four Group 1s, the QIPCO Fillies and Mares Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and the QIPCO Champions Stakes at Ascot, her swansong. She was five times runner-up at the highest level, notably in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

She is the fifth foal and winner for the triple Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven, and what a great investment she was when bought by Demi O’Byrne €450,000 at the 2006 Goffs Million Sale. She won the Irish 1000 Guineas and is now dam of two Group 1 winners, the other being triple Group 1 winner Rhododendron, Magical’s year older own-sister. Her third stakes winner is Magical’s Group 3 winning own-brother Flying The Flag. Halfway To Heaven is one of three group winners bred by Trevor Stewart’s Cassandra Go and she won the King’s Stand Stakes, now a Group 1. The other winners include Group 3 heroine Theann and she is dam of the dual Grade 1 winner Photo Call, by Galileo. She sold a few years ago for $3 million and $2.7 million this week.

Another star to emerge from the female line in recent times has been last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter.

David and Diane Nagle, Barronstown Stud

Technician (Ire), 2016 c. by Mastercraftsman out of Arosa, by Sadler’s Wells

THE upward career trajectory of the latest Barronstown Stud-bred Group 1 winner, Technician, is also a reflection on the skill of Dermot Farrington as a judge of a potential racehorse. The agent chose the colt at the Goffs Orby Sale when he paid just €40,000 for the then half-brother to three winners.

With victories in France this year in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay and the Listed Prix Ridgway to add to a success at Newbury in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, the grey has now amassed some £380,000 in stakes. The fourth winner for his US stakes-winning dam Arosa, Technician is followed by a two-year-old full-sister, Craft Rosa (Mastercraftsman), who sold to McKeever Bloodstock last year at Goffs for €50,000.

Technician’s earlier form this season saw Arosa’s yearling filly by Mastercraftsman soar in value to €240,000 at the Arqana Yearling Sale when she was purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds. Arosa is a full-sister to Italian and German Group 2 winner Crimson Tide, and the Irish Group 3 winner Tamarind, while two other siblings were stakes winners in the USA, including the similarly-bred Pharatta, a Grade 2 winning daughter of Sadler’s Wells’ full-brother Fairy King. The latter is the grandam of the dual Group 1 winner Recoletos.

The Nagles have been regular winners of these monthly awards and are also the recipients of a Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Year award.

David Harvey

Brain Power (Ire), 2011 g. by Kalanisi out of Blonde Ambition, by Old Vic

BRAIN Power’s recent Grade 1 success in the Grand National Hurdle in the USA was somewhat overshadowed by the death of Wicklow Brave. That was a pity as this former winner of the Grade 1 International Hurdle has now won eight times and has earnings approaching £500,000. Nicky Henderson’s charge has been placed at Grade 1 level over hurdles and fences.

The son of Kalanisi was bred by David Harvey who owned and trained his grandam Titian Blonde during her career. The daughter of former Garryrichard Stud stallion Callernish won six races for Harvey, two bumpers, three hurdle races and a chase. She garnered some valuable blacktype at Fairyhouse on the way.

Harvey sold the mare for 36,000gns, retaining a daughter by Old Vic. That filly was named Blonde Ambition and she won a couple of point-to-points for Harvey. Her first two foals have run and won and the second of them is Brain Power.

Another daughter of Titian Blonde is the unraced Oilpainting. Her second foal at stud was Vics Canvas, also by Old Vic, who ran the race of his life to finish third behind Rule The World in the Aintree Grand National. A Grade 3 winner over hurdles and fences, he was bred by Paul McNamee.

That family connection was begun years ago when Harvey trained Schwartzhalle to land the Grade 2 Flyingbolt Novice Chase, owned and bred by McNamee. He was a son of a full-sister to Titian Blonde.