THOSE of you who know me personally will be aware that for six decades – and counting – I have been a fan of Manchester City. In the days when we had posters on the wall of favourite players, and bought the magazine Shoot weekly, I had an image of Frannie Lee hanging above my bed, unaware that he would later become a successful trainer.
On what was a weekend to remember on the sporting front, only the victory for Shane Lowry in the Irish Open could cap a derby win for Manchester City against United in the hierarchy of moments of happiness for me, while the number of racing victories that will be recalled in years to come seemed to be happening every few minutes.
Saffie Osborne winning the 250th St Leger, Scandinavia (Justify) cementing his position as the best stayer, Jessie Harrington winning the Irish Champion Stakes with Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot), Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) staking a claim to be best sprinter, while Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation) ran away with the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. All of these were among the highlights.
Pride of place has to go to Darley’s Blue Point (Shamardal) though, responsible for two Group 1 winners, one a juvenile, Folsom Blues, and the other the four-year-old Blue Bolt who captured her third win at the highest level in racing. Blue Bolt has been analysed in detail already this year, so for now I will simply summarise what has been written previously. Bred by Brendan and Anne Marie Hayes through C-Squared Investments, Blue Bolt was purchased for €400,000 as a yearling at Arqana.
On the upgrade
Having placed second on the final run of her six-start first season racing last year, the Juddmonte team decided to keep her in training. That run saw Blue Bolt finish second to Fallen Angel in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, and it was abundantly clear to them, and trainer Andrew Balding, that she was still on the upgrade. She has started five times in 2026, won all five – a listed race at Goodwood, the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes, and now three Group 1s, the Falmouth Stakes, Prix Rothschild and the Matron Stakes.
Purchased by Juddmonte from the Ballylinch Stud draft, and signed for by SackvilleDonald, Blue Bolt is out of the pattern winner Mayhem (Whipper). Her fifth dam was the well-named Truly Special, and that mare’s first foal, Solo De Lune (Law Society) bred two Group 1 winners. One of these was Cerulean Sky (Darshaan) who won the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary. Like other daughters of Solo De Lune, Cerulean Sky has established a very successful branch of this family.
Her son Honolulu (Montjeu) won the Group 2 Doncaster Cup and placed in the Group 1 St Leger, while two of her grandsons were Group 1-placed, Memphis Tennessee (Hurricane Run) in the Irish Derby, and Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Royal Bench (Whipper) was second in the Hong Kong Mile. He is a full-brother to Blue Bolt’s dam Mayhem. The latter has also been a star in the sale ring, her progeny grossing more than €2.5 million.
Increase greatly
That figure should increase greatly when her yearling son by Baaeed (Sea The Stars) comes up for sale in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale next month from Cotton House Bloodstock. He is Lot 106 in the catalogue, and in addition to Blue Bolt he is a sibling to a pair of stakes winners who were both group-placed, Sea Theme (Sea The Stars) and Sky Angel (Dark Angel).
Last month a lifetime breeding right to Blue Point, standing at Kildangan Stud, sold for €480,000 on Darley’s Winning Bid platform. This was the second breeding right to be sold in 2026, following a €470,000 purchase in July. Little wonder his popularity is growing, as three of his six Group 1 winners have earned this honour in 2026.
LITTLE wonder that Henry Beeby was looking so pleased after this year’s Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes. His company did not sell the winner, Folsom Blues (Blue Point), but they will be offering his yearling full-brother in a couple of weeks. Coincidentally he is Lot 106, the same as Blue Bolt’s half-brother in Newmarket!
Folsom Blues races for and was bred by Al Shira’aa Racing, and how apt it was that he should win his Group 1 about a five minutes’ drive away from his place of birth. Normally that organisation sells all its colts, but luckily this one didn’t go through the ring at Arqana. His full-brother will be consigned at Goffs by David Cox’s Baroda Stud.
Folsom Blues is the second group-winning juvenile from Liwa Palace (Oasis Dream), and the third winner for that mare trained for Al Shira’aa by Joseph O’Brien. He sent Cote Atlantique (Kodiac) out to win the Group 3 Killavullen Stakes at Leopardstown at two, and a listed race in France at three. Sold for 340,000gns after the French win, Cote Atlantique joined Henry Dwyer in Australia, was renamed Atlantic Coast, and last October won a listed race there.
In December, O’Brien won a median auction race at Dundalk with Greek Mythology (Pinatubo) on the colt’s debut, and this year he was placed on all his three runs, including a listed race at Naas and when three-parts of a length second in a listed race at Epsom on Oaks day, after which he was gelded. He has not run since. Now Folsom Blue has catapulted the family back into the limelight in his first season racing.
Folsom Blues’ five runs comprise being placed in a smart maiden at the Curragh, winning a Gowran Park maiden, finishing second in a Leopardstown Group 3 and to Sun Goddess in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, and now winning the National Stakes.
Highclere Stud
Liwa Palace was bred by Highclere Stud and sold to Shawn Dugan as a yearling for 330,000gns. She won in France, trained by Rob Collet, and he did well to get blacktype for her. She eventually found it in Italy, when third in a Group 3 at San Siro. She has been a much better broodmare. Liwa Palace is one of three winners from only five foals out of the winning Ladeena (Dubai Millennium). The next two dams were ultra-smart juveniles.
Aqaarid (Nashwan), as the name and sire might easily suggest, raced five times in the colours of her breeder Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. Trained by John Dunlop, she won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on her second start at two, made a winning reappearance at three in the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes, and suffered her first defeat at the hands of another Al Maktoum filly, Harayir, in the Group 1 1000 Guineas. She never raced again after running in the Oaks.
The fourth dam of Folsom Blues was Ashayer (Lomond), and at two she won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She was placed in the Fillies’ Mile when it was a Group 2, a comment that also applies to the Nassau Stakes. Like her daughter, she was trained at Arundel by John Dunlop.
Folsom Blues, this year’s Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Samangan, Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Big Evs, Group 2 winner Elmonjed, stakes winner Waldfrieda, group-placed Keran and stakes-placed Supido are all by Blue Point out of mares by Oasis Dream (Green Desert). This is one powerful nick.