FIVE faced the starter for the Group 2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday, three trained by Joseph O’Brien and two by his father Aidan. The favourite was Alpha (Sea The Stars) from Ballydoyle, and this Group 3 Leopardstown winner is the fourth foal out of the mare in whose name the race was run.

Alpha had to settle for third place behind two Carriganóg fillies, and the winner was an important one for Joseph O’Brien. Green Empress (Saxon Warrior) started her racing career in the colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and was, according to jockey bookings, the second string when she made her debut in a late-May maiden at the Curragh. She was five lengths behind the winner in second place, and more than two lengths in front of the third at odds of 33/1.

The winner that day was none other than Sun Goddess, and the pair met again a month later in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes. This time Green Empress got to within a length of the subsequent Group 1 winner, but significantly she was sporting different silks, those of The Thoroughbred Corporation. Now, with just three starts under her belt, she is a Group 2 winner, and will most likely be seen next in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Why is Green Empress listed as bargain of the week, given that she cost €55,000 as a yearling. Bred by Sunderland Holding, and sold in Book 1 of last year’s Goffs Orby Yearling Sale from Harry McCalmont’s Norelands to Highflyer Bloodstock and Joseph O’Brien, Green Empress would have cost her new owners a great deal more than that to prise her away from Munir and Souede. She is the second foal of her dam, Sea Empress (Sea The Stars), and the first sold for 320,000gns in 2024 to Stonestreet Stables.

That filly, Amberglen (Night Of Thunder), on the first day of this month, took her tally of wins to three, but significantly it was in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes over eight and a half furlongs on the turf at Saratoga. This was her first start at graded stakes level, and trainer Brad Cox clearly likes her. He indicated afterwards that the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga tonight would likely come too quickly for her, and that he would be patient with her. So it transpired.

Great interest

Two group or graded stakes winners with her first two foals means that there will be great interest in the next offspring of Sea Empress to come up for sale. Her third progeny is a yearling son of Space Blues (Dubawi), and a glance though the sales catalogues for the next few weeks shows that he is due to come under the hammer at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale. The page for Lot 61 reads a whole lot different now to when it was published. This year Sea Empress produced a colt by Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy).

The Tsui Family bred Sea Empress, and sent her to be trained by William Haggas. She won at two and three, over a mile and 10 furlongs, but was found wanting on the three occasions she tackled stakes company. That said, on her debut she won by a length from another daughter of Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), and that was Teona. She would go on to win the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

Sea Empress is one of five winners out of Tayma (Exceed And Excel), all of them by Sea The Stars. Tayma was bought by Fortmill Farm for €17,000 after winning once and being second twice in six runs for Godolphin. A year later, and thanks to her full-brother Buratino (Exceed And Excel) becoming one of that year’s best juveniles, she resold from Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud for 170,000gns, and was bought by Sunderland Holding. Buratino won the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, was second, beaten half a length by Shalaa, in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, and third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. He did not train on and had moderate success at stud.

Kath Bloodstock

Tayma was sold last year for €70,000 to Kath Bloodstock and foaled a daughter by Sea The Stars this spring. Incredibly, the mare’s yearling colt by the Gilltown stallion will sell a few hours after Green Empress’ yearling at Fairyhouse. Since the catalogue was printed, Tayma’s two-year-old has been given the great name of Grand Cru Classe (Sea The Stars). Given so many opportunities to visit one of the world’s great sires, and get five winners by him, there could be yet another major family update to come.

While Buratino failed to train on and disappointed as a sire, the same comments do not apply to the best runner in the family. He is Danehill Dancer (Danehill).

Saxon Warrior has just completed his eighth season at Coolmore Stud, at a low of €10,000. Last year he had nine group/stakes winners worldwide, and is well on the way to matching that in 2026, with seven to date. This week his daughter Sheza Alibi was second in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, having won twice at that level in March and April. His trio of Group 2 winners in 2026 are Green Empress, leading German colt Gostam, and the Oak d’Italia winner Piccolo Piuma.