DON’T buy the offspring of old mares. They are never any good. Many people will recognise, and despise, this advice.

Thankfully there are enough people who ignore such a false adage.

Take Mark Johnston for example. The most successful trainer in the history of flat racing in Britain, currently speeding his way to 5,000 wins, he knows a thing or two about buying sound horses that win races. He is also a veterinary surgeon and brings a level of additional knowledge to his selection process. He is certainly not afraid to buy the progeny of an old mare.

When he went to Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale two years ago, he paid just 18,000gns for a colt by Free Eagle (High Chaparral), the Irish National Stud stallion, out of the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed sprinter Agnetha, a German-bred daughter of Big Shuffle (Super Concorde).

Free Eagle and Big Shuffle were both bred by Moyglare Stud as it happens, raced for them, and were both trained by Dermot Weld. Not surprising then that the Rosewell House trainer would have wanted to train offspring of Big Shuffle, and 21 years ago he paid 240,000 deutsche marks for a full-sister to Germany’s leading sprinter, and later champion sire, Areion (Big Shuffle).

Bargain

That was something of a ‘bargain’, given that the following year he was represented again at the Baden-Baden Sale and paid more than three times that price for the next full-sister. She was named Anna Frid, raced for Joe Higgins, and became a listed winner. She has since been a successful breeder of winners.

The first own-sister to Areion was named Agnetha, and she raced for the trainer’s mother. Her two wins were significant, the Listed Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown at two, and the Group 3 King George Stakes at three. She chased home, from a distance, Johannesburg and Miss Beabea, when she was third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown.

At stud at Mrs Weld’s Springbank Way Stud on the Curragh, Agnetha had 13 foals, all of which made it to the races. All bar two won, another was placed, and Agnetha made a perfect start with her first four foals winning, albeit just a single race each.

Struck gold

Agnetha struck gold with her sixth offspring, her only produce by Galileo (Sadler’s Wells). This was Starstruck and she won as a three-year-old at Dundalk, at the sixth time of asking, and was fourth back at the Co Louth venue in a listed race.

Starstruck was sold to Calumet Farm in the USA, went to race there, and she twice landed the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park. She is now a stakes producer.

Foal number nine was Sea Swift (High Chaparral), a dual winner who was placed in listed races at Gowran Park and Naas, and then Agnetha had three foals in a row by Famous Name (Dansili) who now stands at Alastair Pim’s Anngrove Stud. They have all won and amassed 10 victories between them.

Lucky 13

Finally, Agnetha’s 13th offspring was born, the aforementioned son of Free Eagle. Named Dancing King, he ran three times last year at two, showing a glimpse of what might be when third on his final outing. He has certainly benefitted from being gelded, and his eight starts this year – Mark likes to run his horses – have yielded five wins and a couple of placed efforts.

Dancing King won the Group 3 March Stakes at Goodwood at the weekend, improving on his placed efforts in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket and the Listed Chester Stakes. He is now the highest-rated offspring of his dam, and the first group winner for his sire.

Free Eagle was a top-class runner, and he raced against the best. At two he ran second to Australia (three Group 1 wins) on his only start after winning a maiden. A curtailed second season saw him win a Group 3 and finish third to Noble Mission (three Group 1s) and Al Kazeem (four Group 1s) in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

After just four starts in his first two seasons, he ran a further four times at four! He beat French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby (two Group 1s) in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, and was most unlucky when third in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes to Golden Horn (four Group 1s) and Found (three Group 1s).

Dancing King is Free Eagle’s first group winner but his third stakes winner.