GIVEN his ability and propensity to sire two-year-old winners, it must be something of a shock that Honora and Bobby Donworth were unable to sell their Mehmas (Acclamation) yearling filly last year in Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale.

Born in February, she was the first foal out of Serena’s Queen (Iffraaj), a winner at the backend of her two-year-old career over seven furlongs when trained by Ralph Beckett, and who followed up with another win at three. Serena’s Queen showed versatility to win on the turf and the all-weather. Bred and raced by the Donworth family, Serena’s Queen is a full-sister to the champion Rizeena (Iffraaj), and is in foal to Blue Point (Shamardal).

With all of these positives, and given the emergence of another star runner in the family this year, it was perhaps fate that saw the Mehmas filly retained. Now named Shahbanu (a title for empress regnant or empress consort in Persian and other Iranian languages), and in training with Bobby’s and Honora’s son Tim, the filly made a winning start to her racing career at ParisLongchamp on Sunday in a mile maiden, showing plenty of guts to do so.

Given the profile of the other debutants, this could well be an above-average maiden. Shahbanu holds an entry in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and what a fairytale it would be were she to go and win such a race. Her connections are realists, and they will do what is in the best interests of this promising juvenile. Mehmas has already sired the winner of that juvenile test in the shape of Vertical Blue, while his other Group 1-winning daughters are Believing and Going Global.

Bobby and Honora were honoured recently as the Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Flat Breeders of the Year for 2024-25. They have nurtured Shahbanu’s family for more than two decades, and it has yielded five Group 1 performers since. Rizeena won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at two, adding the Group 1 Coronation Stakes the following year. Zabeel Prince (Lope De Vega) won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan, while this year Field Of Gold (Kingman) triumphed in both the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes.

Lady Of Spain still climbing the ranks

BASED in Co Westmeath, John Little is another veterinary surgeon celebrating a breeding success in the past week. Owner of Ennel Lodge Stud, and trading as Littlejohn Bloodstock, he bred the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes winner Lady Of Spain (Phoenix Of Spain), a four-year-old who is unbeaten now in five starts.

The Roger Varian-trained filly was last seen winning the Listed Prix Petite Etoile on the Deauville all-weather in December, and her weekend win at Sandown was further significant as it was a first ever run on turf for her group of owners.

From the initial crop of her Irish National Stud sire, Lady Of Spain sold for only 16,000gns as a foal (from a €20,000 stud fee), but Ed Player’s Whatton Manor Stud who bought her made a profit when selling her on for 40,000gns as a yearling.

Roger Varian must think highly of Lady Of Spain, and she holds an entry for the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes. Her winning rider said after her win at Sandown that “she seems like a proper filly, she was a willing partner and had to be tough, and she obviously has plenty of ability.”

Lady Of Spain is not likely to remain the only stakes winner for her unraced dam Navette (Invincible Spirit). That mare was bought from Godolphin by John Little for €16,000 at Goffs, and if she didn’t always reward the breeder when it came to selling her offspring, she justified his belief in her by producing runners with ability. Her first foal placed a few times, her second Lagomago (Belardo) won six races in Italy, and Lady Of Spain is her third. Navette has an unraced three-year-old son Sopran Vivaldi (Dark Angel), while her two-year-old is a winner who made some headlines earlier in the year.

Big profit

First Legion (Mehmas) was sold as a foal for €50,000 to Tally-Ho and kept by Tony O’Callaghan to breeze. He resold at this year’s Tattersalls Craven Sale for 500,000gns, and won first time up for Richard Hannon’s yard at York. Stepped up in class, First Legion finished second in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown.

Navette is a daughter of the winning Nafura (Dubawi), and a half-sister to four winners, the best of which is Real World (Dark Angel), a Group 2 winner in France and the UAE and second in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes and Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes - to Baaeed on each occasion. His half-sister Dubai Fountain (Teofilo) won the Listed Cheshire Oaks.

Nafura is a half-sister to two Group 1 winners, and to the dam of another. Librettist (Danzig) won the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and Prix Jacques Le Marois, while Dubai Destination (Kingmambo) enjoyed his best day when winning the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. Their half-sister Inner Secret (Singspiel) bred the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Royal Marine (Raven’s Pass).

A moment to savour for Yulong Investments

I CANNOT believe that Treasurethe Moment has not been reviewed in this column before, but never too late to do so. The daughter of Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) was bred by and races for Yulong Investments, and has no end of Irish connections.

Her win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes in Melbourne was her tenth in 12 starts, and she was runner-up both times she was beaten. This is her fourth Group 1 win, after the VRC Oaks, Vinery Stud Stakes and Australian Oaks, while three other victories came in Group 2 contests. She has passed the Aus$3 million mark in earnings, more than £1.4 million. She is worth even more to her connections as she is the last offspring of her dam, Draconic Treasure (Street Cry), and one of just three foals she had.

Two of the three raced and won, the other being a filly too, Mihoko Takeo (Grunt), successful twice in Australia. Purchased as a yearling through BBA Ireland at Keeneland for $320,000, Draconic Treasure contested nine maiden specials in the USA. She was second on her last start at two, occupied the same position on three of her first four starts at three, and then finally got her head in front for a long overdue success.

Treasurethe Moment’s grandam Hazy Glow (Invincible Spirit) won a maiden at Dundalk at two for Moyglare Stud, Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen. She is a half-sister to eight-time winner Rich Tapestry (Holy Roman Emperor), and he won at two in Dundalk before being sold. Rich Tapestry went on to enjoy success in the USA (Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship), the UAE at Group 3 level, and the Listed (now Group 2) Sprint Cup in Hong Kong.

Rich Tapestry’s dam was an own-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner and sire Refuse To Bend (Sadler’s Wells), and a half-sister to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle (Theatrical). Treasurethe Moment is by miles the best winner sired by Group 1 winner Alabama Express. His five stakes winners are all from his first crop.