JAMES’S Delight returned to the county of his birth last Saturday to contest the €120,000 Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh. This was the last time the race was run with Russell Ferris in charge at the sponsors, and he will leave later this summer when Sharon O’Regan ascends into the hot seat at the renowned firm. I wish them both well.

Sheila Grassick’s Newtown Stud is situated about 15 minutes from the Curragh Racecourse, and it was there that the Greenlands winner was bred. The gelded four-year-old is a son of the former Yeomanstown Stud stallion Invincible Army (Invincible Spirit), who is now in his first season in Normandy. His fee is €3,500, well down from his starting price of €10,000.

James’s Delight is from Invincible Army’s first crop, and one of just three stakes winner he has sired. Two of them, including the listed-winning Naana’s Diamond, are out of mares by Pivotal (Polar Falcon). Invincible Army made a solid start with his first crop which had a dozen winning juveniles, but his fee was in decline in recent years. He is well capable of getting winners, but a scarcity of blacktype performers didn’t help.

Newtown Stud will still be happy that they have a yearling filly by Invincible Army, as she is a full-sister to the Group 2 winner. Last year James’s Delight won a listed race in France and was beaten just a head in the Group 3 Prix de Meautry at Deauville. He could be a longshot to watch out for at Royal Ascot in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes if the ground is not too quick.

Heaven’s Peak, the dam of James’s Delight, was trained by Sheila Grassick’s brother-in-law Michael, and placed fourth twice. She has proven to be a better matron, with seven of her first eight foals making it to the races, and all but one of them winning. The odd one out was placed, while an unraced daughter is now a winner producer.

Heaven’s Peak is a daughter of the French group-placed Lurina (Lure), and two of her five winners were successful at stakes level. Siren’s Song (Azamour) was trained by Jessica Harrington for Patrick and Jules Cooper, and having finished second on her debut, she won the Listed Salsabil Stakes at Navan on her second start. That year she sold for 320,000gns. Her value was boosted by the fact that her older half-brother Centennial (Dalakhani) was a two-time pattern winner in England, successful in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial.

Alligatrix

James’s Delight’s third dam is Alligatrix (Alleged), a two-year-old winner who was placed in the Fillies’ Mile at Ascot 43 years ago. Then the race, now a Group 1, was a Group 3 contest. At stud Alligatrix had seven winners, and the best of these was the ultra-smart Croco Rouge (Rainbow Quest).

His four wins included the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan, Group 1 Prix Lupin, and Group 2 Prix Greffulhe, he was second in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby, and third in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Prix Ganay.

As meritorious as these achievements were, Croco Rouge was overshadowed by his half-sister Alidiva (Chief Singer). She won three of her five starts, including the Listed Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood, and bred four group/graded stakes winners, three were successful at Group 1 level.

The trio were four-time Group 1 winner Taipan (Last Tycoon), Sussex Stakes winner Ali-Royal (Royal Academy), and the latter’s own-sister Sleepytime (Royal Academy) who won the 1000 Guineas.

Taipan was a Group 2 winner in France, but in Germany and Italy he was up to winning at a higher level, capturing the Premio Roma twice and Europa Preis on two occasions. He later enjoyed success as a National Hunt stallion in Ireland. Ali-Royal also ended up at stud after his seven-victory racing career. Both were bred by Charlie Wacker, with Ali-Royal carrying his colours.

Classic win

Those silks were also carried to her classic win at Newmarket by Sleepytime, trained by Sir Henry Cecil. She beat her 14 rivals by four lengths on the day. Sleepytime is the third dam of last year’s leading three-year-old sprinter in Europe, the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Lazzat (Territories).

Wacker, who raced also as Greenbay Stables, enjoyed a couple of Grade 2 wins in the USA with Sleepytime’s half-sister Oonagh MacCool (Giant’s Causeway).

Mating Royal Academy (Nijinsky) with Alidiva was a potent combination, and it also produced the unraced Sometime.

She turned out to be a very successful broodmare, and her best son Somewhat (Dynaformer), third in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, went on to win the Group 1 Doncaster Mile Handicap at Randwick in Australia. Another fine runner of recent times in this family is Group 1 Saudi Cup and Group 1 Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa (Lord Kanaloa).

At two Invincible Army won the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes and chased home James Garfield in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes, Sands Of Mali in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes and Havana Grey in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes. At three he beat the Group 1-scorer Eqtidaar in the Group 3 Pavilion Stake before being short-headed by Sands Of Mali in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes.

The following year he landed the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes, Group 2 Duke of York Stakes and Group 3 Chipchase Stakes.