I MAKE no apologies for returning to familiar territory with my star review of the week. At this year’s ITM Stallion Trail I recounted a meeting I had a Ballylinch Stud with Seamus ‘Shem’ and Terese Phelan of Weylands Stud. They were beaming after a three-year-old colt they bred, Al Haram (Iffraaj), had just won the Saudi Arabian’s 2000 Guineas.

Well, I say won – but I mean to say he had obliterated the field in the local classic, which served as a qualifier for the Saudi Derby. The Derby is a very different kettle of fish, carrying international Group 3 status, and worth a staggering $1.5 million.

Of huge significance is the fact that it also earns the winner valuable points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, and the dream that an Irish-bred colt could triumph in the most famous race in the USA is very much alive.

At present, Al Haram is leading the Europe/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby table with 30 points, and race organisers can offer up to two places for horses from the region. It’s inconceivable that, at this stage, Al Haram would not be one be offered a place, given that he is unbeaten in all his four starts, and he accounted for a number of US and Japanese hopefuls with his Saudi Derby success. It is worth remembering that the 2024 Saudi Derby winner was Forever Young, now a dual Group 1 Saudi Cup hero.

“We are over the moon,” commented Shem Phelan after the race. “A great Valentine’s weekend!” It was not only the Saudi Derby win that Shem and Terese were celebrating with their family. They also have a little footnote in racing history, and more specifically in the continually unfolding success story of Joseph O’Brien. The night before the Saudi Cup, O’Brien trained his 1,500th winner worldwide when the three-year-old gelding Heartbeat Supreme (Supremacy) won a mile maiden at Dundalk, bred by Shem.

No inbreeding

Unusually these days, Heartbeat Supreme has no inbreeding for five generations, and he has made just two starts, seven days apart. He was third on his debut behind a more experienced stablemate over seven furlongs, but made no mistake when stepped up to a mile, winning by eight lengths. The manner of his victory suggests that there is more, and better, to come. Heartbeat Supreme is the first winner for his dam, Beat Of My Heart (Kendargent), and cost 60,000gns as a breezer last year.

A fourth-place finish over six furlongs in six starts was the best of the runs compiled by Beat Of My Heart when she was trained by Jessica Harrington. This was a disappointment for connections, given that six of her siblings were winners, and one was quite talented. He was Talwar (Acclamation), bred by Philip and Jane Myerscough, who won three times in succession at two; a maiden at Sandown, the Listed Winkfield Stakes at Ascot, and the Group 3 Solario Stakes by five lengths. Trained by Jeremy Noseda, he started his second season with another listed success.

Wise move

With the juvenile success enjoyed by her son Talwar, the Myerscoughs sold his dam Moore’s Melody (Marju) that year to Haras de Saint Pair for 260,000gns, in what proved to be a wise move. She won a couple of times in France, and her full-brother Bruges (Marju) provided a memorable racing moment at Leopardstown in July 2007. Bred by Philip and Jane, and carrying Jane’s pink and white colours, he won the Listed Golden Fleece Stakes when trained by their son David.

Let’s return briefly to the fairytale start to the racing career of Al Haram, whose four wins have netted some €825,000 for his owner, Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Al-Sabah. This is more than a fine return for his £150,000 yearling sale price at Goffs UK in Doncaster. He is the first foal for his dam, and unraced full-sister to the European champion sprinter Limato (Tagula), also bred by Shem Phelan.

The family was fully reviewed a few weeks ago, and can be found in the January 24th issue of the paper. One change since then is that the colt has moved to be trained by Abdullah Alsidrani.

HAVING sent out winner number 1,500 of his career (referenced above), Joseph O’Brien wasted no time in getting the next. By contrast with the €7,080 winner’s prize at Dundalk earned by Heartbeat Supreme, Sons And Lovers collected more than €1.25 million for capturing the Group 2 Red Sea Turf Handicap on Saudi Cup night in Riyadh.

Bred by Kirsten Rausing, and sired by her Lanwades Stud-based Study Of Man (Deep Impact), Sons And Lovers won the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes last year at Leopardstown after being gelded and joining O’Brien from Jane Chapple-Hyam. She had purchased him for €40,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, and highlights of his time with her included finishing second to Ombudsman in a listed race at Deauville.

Sons And Lovers is one of four winners out of the listed-placed, French two-year-old winner So In Love (Smart Strike), and her other stakes performer is last year’s Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Secret Of Love (Sea The Moon). Barouche Stud had the foresight to give 38,000gns in 2024 for So In Love’s winning daughter Spring Day (Bobby’s Kitten), whom they own in partnership with Bert House Stud. She had a colt last year by Showcasing (Oasis Dream) and was covered by Minzaal (Mehmas).

Miss Rausing sold a yearling full-brother to Sons And Lovers to Blandford Bloodstock for 95,000gns in December, while So In Love’s yearling this year is a colt by Havana Grey (Havana Gold). Excitingly, So In Love is due to foal this spring to Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact). In addition to four winners, So In Love’s two other runners have been placed, and they and the two younger produce are her first eight foals. Only one of her daughters has been retained by Miss Rausing.

Most successful

While the family has been one of the most successful for Miss Rausing, I only have space here to recap four generations. The first four dams all were bred and won for her, and she raced most of the big race winners. All that is missing in the first four generations if a Group 1 winner, but that will surely come. Another standout is the consistency of the mares in the breeding shed.

I have mentioned that So In Love has four winners with her first six foals. Her stakes-winning dam Soft Morning (Pivotal) is the dam of five winners from six runners, and she is out of Summer Night (Nashwan), responsible for 10 winners from 13 runners. Fourth dam Shimmering Sea (Slip Anchor) had 11 foals, all but one of which raced, and eight were winners. In addition to breeding and racing many of the family’s best, what pleasure it must have given Miss Rausing that she often used her own stallions too.

Study Of Man’s fourth crop are this year’s two-year-olds, and what a record he has compiled to date. Without the benefit of some of the bumper books of mares enjoyed by many of his peers, he has sired the outstanding Group 1 winner Kalpana, Sons And Lovers, fellow Group 2 winners Birthe and Deepone, and six other stakes winners. All of these come from his first two crops.