WHEN I was starting out in the world of bloodstock sales, I was aware of a Carrigaline-based breeder, Vincent Bowen, He owned Northbrook Stud which, according to The Irish Field Directory of the time, was home to about three broodmares. Vincent had moved to Cork from his original base at Young Grove Stud in Clerihan.

Those small bands of mares produced no end of winners, and an occasional sale-topper, and two of the better runners were fillies, Fringe Of Heaven (Godswalk) who won seven races, including a listed race in Italy, and Lady Eileen. The latter, a daughter of Taufan (Stop The Music) and the Never Say Die (Nasrullah) mare Cotoneaster, won three times when trained by Kevin Prendergast, and was one of nine winners for her dam.

At two Lady Eileen landed the Listed Irish National Stud Fillies Stakes at the Phoenix Park and the following season added the Listed McDonagh Boland Stakes at the Curragh. She was twice runner-up in listed races at the now defunct Phoenix Park, beaten a head and a neck. Both Lady Eileen and Fringe Of Heaven produced half a dozen winners each.

Skip to Vincent’s grandson Karl, and again success abounds from a small broodmare band – just five in this case – and fillies also take pride of place. Based on the outskirts of the village of Drangan, less than five miles from Fethard, Karl Bowen’s Archway Stud is home to this quintet of mares, three of which have enjoyed major updates in the past 12 months.

Last year Karl was the recipient of a Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Month Award. He beat John Magnier, Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien and Tom Gaffney to win, thanks to the exploits of Champers Elysees (Elzaam). She earned her first blacktype at Galway when she won the Listed Corrib Stakes, added a Group 3 at Gowran Park, and crowned a magnificent season when she gave Johnny Murtagh his first Group 1 as a trainer, winning the Matron Stakes.

Reacquainted

While Karl delighted in having the dam, La Cuvee (Mark Of Esteem), at Archway, he was also grateful for the foresight that saw him acquire Champers Elysees’ five-time winning full-sister Daddies Girl (Elzaam) in a private transaction. Recently Karl visited Johnny Murtagh’s stables where, thanks to Valerie Keatley, he was reacquainted with the Group 1 winner. She will hopefully defend her Matron Stakes crown, but her long-term future is a stud career in Japan at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Farm.

As if having the dam of and a full-sister to a Group 1 winner was not enough, Karl is excited about the future racing career of the Willie McCreery-trained Insinuendo (Gleneagles). Patience has paid off with regard to the Deegan-owned four-year-old who has made just five starts, winning three. She recently added the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh to a victory in the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes at Naas.

In between these wins was an excellent fourth-place finish, beaten a shade over three lengths, in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Insinuendo has many options, and don’t be surprised if she emulates Champers Elysees by winning at the highest level.

Trump Alexander

One of the mares at Archway Stud is Insinuendo’s Iffraaj (Zafonic) half-sister Trump Alexander, in foal to Soldier’s Call (Showcasing). Having failed to sell her as a yearling for 180,000gns, breeder Noel O’Callaghan put her in training in England and there she was placed. Karl picked her up for just €12,500 at the Goffs February Sale and she has a filly foal, her first, by Kessaar (Kodiac).

One of the remaining two completing the broodmare line-up at Archway Stud is Pink Diva, a €475,000 Goffs Orby yearling, two-year-old winner and dam of two winners, and a daughter of Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) and the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Saoire (Pivotal). In a neat piece of synchronicity, Pink Diva’s fourth dam is Karl’s grandfather’s Cotoneaster, dam of Lady Eileen.

The fifth mare is two-time winner Witty Repartee, another daughter of Iffraaj and she is out of a winning Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare.

One thing you will notice is the strength of the sires in the pedigrees of the five mares. Karl is a disciple of pedigrees, spending hours and hours poring over them when he can. He is a man who makes considered decisions when it comes to matings, has his feet firmly planted on the ground, and is happy to eschew fashion and follow his instinct and gut feeling. He also places a huge value on seeing stallions in the flesh before making any selections for his mares.

Sound advice

Inheriting a family gene for horsemanship and equine knowledge, he has a close circle of bloodstock confidents, and says he appreciates getting sound advice from good friends. Nonetheless, the buck stops with Karl when it comes to making the final decisions.

His friends know who they are, but Karl does mention one man. Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley has been a friend and advisor for many years now. Karl sent La Cuvee to Elzaam (Redoute’s Choice) and now, having produced a Group 1 winner and in spite of many tempting offers to go to some of the world’s leading sires, Karl showed real independence by sending La Cuvee back to Elzaam this year.

She is happily in foal, grazing in the peaceful surrounds of Archway with her Cotai Glory (Exceed And Excel) colt.

Karl’s instinct has served him well, and will no doubt do so again.