THE following is an extract from my report on the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in April.

‘Tally-Ho Stud had the largest consignment and sold 14 lots for £619,500. More than a quarter of this total was accounted for by their Kodiac colt out of Good Clodora and this first foal of his dam is from the immediate family of the speedsters Maarek and Anita’s Prince. Home-bred by the O’Callaghans, he cost Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock £170,000 and will go into training with John Gosden.’

Well, the colt was named Ardad and in the space of a week he won at Yarmouth on his racecourse debut and followed up with a convincing success in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He also represented some clever selling and buying by the shrewd O’Callaghans.Brothers Roger and Henry O’Callaghan bred the dam Good Clodora and sold her as a yearling for €48,000.

The following year, following three unsuccessful outings, she was bought back by them for just 7,000gns. She is now the dam of a high-priced, stakes-winning juvenile with her first foal. She has a yearling filly by Society Rock.

Interestingly, Good Clodora is the only runner from her dam Geht Schnell not to win.

The nine successful progeny include a trio of stakes winners at two; the Danetime filly Alexander Alliance in Ireland, the Inzar colt Inzar’s Best in Germany, and the Indian Rocket filly Ruby Rocket in England.

Ruby Rocket was easily the best of them but her own achievements on the track have been well eclipsed by her son Maarek. The now nine-year-old son of Pivotal has won 13 times and more success is yet possible.

His biggest days were at Longchamp and Ascot where he won the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp and the Group 2 British Champions Sprint Stakes.

SPEEDSTER

Maarek is not the only leading speedster in the family. Geht Schnell’s grandam bred a top horse called Ready in Hong Kong, as well as the champion three-year-old sprinter in Europe 32 years ago. That was Anita’s Prince and while his three victories included just a Group 3 and a listed race, he was placed at the highest level in both the King’s Stand Stakes and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. He was moderately successful later at stud.