THINK back to the Breeders’ Cup meeting 24 years ago at Arlington Park in Chicago. One of the most anticipated races of the meeting was the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The overwhelming favourite for the race was the Aidan O’Brien-trained Rock Of Gibraltar, coming on the back of seven straight wins in Group 1 company, and about to sign off on his racing career and join the Coolmore stallion ranks. After he won the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, O’Brien and his owners chose to supplement Landseer (Danehill) for the race, though the favourite was his nemesis.

Landseer had won that year’s Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas, while Rock Of Gibraltar won the English and Irish equivalents. At two, Landseer was successful in Royal Ascot’s Group 3 Coventry Stakes, with Rock Of Gibraltar sixth. When they next clashed, in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, it was very close, with just a short head denying Landseer victory. As classic winners over a mile, it was no surprise that they would meet again in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, but this time Rock Of Gibraltar’s winning margin was nearer to two lengths.

They took separate paths after that, until Chicago. Racing in mid-division for the first half mile in a 14-runner field, jockey Edgar Prado made his move on Landseer, but disaster struck at the top of the stretch, and the colt went down. His injuries were such that he was euthanized. Rock Of Gibraltar, on the other hand, had to take evasive action to avoid the stricken Landseer, and despite a powerful stretch run he failed to peg back Domedriver.

Landseer was the best of 10 winners for the unraced Sabria, and her sire Miswaki (Mr Prospector) was also responsible for the great Urban Sea. Landseer was owned and raced by Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier. The best of his siblings was Ikhtyar (Unfuwain), and while he only won a listed race, he put up a fine effort to place third to Rakti and Powerscourt in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, two years after Landseer contested it.

Walter Swinburn

Madonna Dell’orto (Montjeu), a half-sister to Landseer, was bred by Rockwell Bloodstock, a trading name for Walter Swinburn. The brilliant rider turned trained saddled Madonna Dell’orto to race six times, and she showed fair form to be placed on half of her starts. She went to the family’s Genesis Green Stud, who consigned all of her young stock who were offered for sale, and hit a sale high in 2021 when her Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) colt foal sold for 1,800,000gns.

At the time, Walter’s brother Michael said he had purchased Sabria with Oliver St Lawrence, much to his parent’s annoyance, and it was Walter who dug him out of a hole and gave him the 25,000gns. He said: “We’ve had the family ever since, and it has probably built Genesis Green”. Madonna Dell’orto has gone on to breed seven winners, notably I Can Fly (Fastnet Rock). A Group 2 winner and Group 1 second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, she is dam of January (Kingman), who was runner-up in three Group 1 contests. A yearling colt by Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) in Book 1 sold for 160,000gns to Stroud Coleman this month out of Madonna Dell’orto.

Angel’s Point

A few years ago Genesis Green sold a daughter of Madonna Dell’orto, Angel’s Point (Dark Angel), for 260,000gns as a yearling to Andrew Balding, but she proved to be no great shakes as a race filly in two starts. She was resold for 90,000gns at three, and the Swinburn family bought her back. What a wise move that proved to be. Her first offspring, a colt by Sea The Stars, sold to M.V. Magnier as a foal for 1,000,000gns, and is named Wall Street. He is in training at Ballydoyle.

While Ascot stole the limelight on Saturday, Wayne Lordan and Aidan O’Brien made a piece of history at Leopardstown, combining to win six of the seven races. It included the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes, won last year by the Derby hero Christmas Day, and this time Ballydoyle won it with Wall Street. He is unbeaten in both his starts. This was pattern winner number 91 and stakes winner number 154 for Sea The Stars, who will be joined on the Gilltown roster next year by his son Daryz.

No slowing down for Dubawi

SEA The Stars is now 20, while Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) is four years his senior. The Dalham Hall great sired the other Group 3 winner on the Leopardstown card, both pattern races sponsored by the Kildare-based Mongey Communications.

The Killavullan Stakes was won by Capability Brown, a steadily improving sort who beat a smart field to land this prize. He comes from a family that needs little elucidation here. He is the third group winner out of the Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Maybe (Galileo), and what a bargain she was when sold for €340,000 at Arqana 16 years ago.

Maybe’s roll of honour as a broodmare is headed by Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact), the result of sending her to Japan after she retired from racing. She had two progeny by Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) from her first stay there, and another after a return visit. Pavienko was stakes-placed and is a winner producer, Drumroll won the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes, while Saxon Warrior was one of the very best of his generation at two and three.

As a juvenile, Saxon Warrior beat Roaring Lion by a neck in a stirring finish to the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy, though he would go on to suffer defeat twice, both also by a neck, to the same colt in the Irish Champion Stakes and Eclipse Stakes.

Saxon Warrior did have his nemesis two and a half lengths in arrears, in fifth, when he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Saxon Warrior has completed his eighth season at stud, and in a year in which he sired eight stakes winners, two each at Group 1, 2, 3 and listed levels, his fee of €10,000 looks exceptional value.

M.V. Magnier

Maybe is out of the sprint stakes winner Sumora (Danehill), and after her daughter became a Group 1 winner, she was sold to M.V. Magnier for 2,400,000gns. Sumora justified her purchase when getting the Group 3 juvenile winner Promise To Be True (Galileo) who was third in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and the Group 2 Queen’s Vase second Barbados (Galileo). In addition, her winning daughter Fluff (Galileo) bred Group 1 St Leger winner Continuous (Heart’s Cry).

Sumora is a three-parts sister to the Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Preis der Diana-German Oaks heroine Dancing Rain (Danehill Dancer), and she too has been a success at stud, with three stakes winners, all of which have been placed at Group or Grade 1 level. Sumora is out of an unraced half-sister to Derby hero Dr Devious (Ahonoora) and notable sprinter Archway (Thatching), both the sires of Group 1 winners. A pair of their siblings produced the Group 1 Irish Oaks winner Even So (Camelot) and Japanese Group 1 winner Suzuka Phoenix (Sunday Silence).