WHO could have predicted in 2002, when the unraced Cozzene (Caro) two-year-old Easy To Imagine was sold at the Doncaster November Mixed Sale for 5,200gns, that she would go on to leave such a mark on the world of racing as she has done. Her achievement?

Well, when Alpha Delphini (Captain Gerrard) was announced as the winner of the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes by a whisker, he became the second son of Easy To Imagine to win a Group 1 sprint in Europe. Seven years ago his half-brother Tangerine Trees (Mind Games) triumphed in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.

Retained as a yearling for 8,000gns at Doncaster’s October Yearling Sale, Tangerine Trees was still winning races at the age of 11, amassing well over £300,000 in a career that saw him win on 15 occasions. His biggest victory in England came in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, a race in which he was also placed.

Alpha Delphini is now a seven-year-old and his biggest success was the eighth of his career to date, though he has outperformed his sibling in terms of earnings, winning more than £350,000 to date.

Prior to his Group 1 success his most prestigious win was in a listed sprint at Beverley, though he has been group-placed on a number of occasions.

The fifth and sixth runners and winners for Easy To Imagine came this year when her two-year-old daughter Kurious (Kuroshio) won on her debut at Sandown for Henry Candy before running a fine race at Royal Ascot behind Signora Cabello, and then her three-year-old Fairy Falcon (Sepoy) was a smooth three-length winner at Thirsk on just her second start at the beginning of August.

Fairy Falcon is also trained by Bryan Smart, who is responsible for Alpha Delphinia and was the trainer of Tangerine Trees, and this filly was a 180,000gns yearling buy by Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley on behalf of Clipper Logistics.

Prior to that rewarding sale for her breeder Marie Matthews, the biggest price achieved in the ring by an offspring of Easy To Imagine was the 20,000gns brought in Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by the current sprint star in the family.

Being multiple winners is a feature of the progeny of Easy To Imagine and both of her other winners have been successful for Rod Millman, the 8,000gns yearling buy Masai Moon (Lujain) winning eight races and almost 10 times his purchase price, while the 3,000gns yearling purchase Galatian (Traditionally) won five races.

Easy To Imagine was bred in the USA by Gainsborough Farm and she is a half-sister to five winners, the best of which was five-time winner and Grade 3-placed Base Commander (Officer).

They are all out of Zarani Sidi Anna (Danzig) who was trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and she won four times in England and the USA.

She never managed to land a stakes win, though she was third in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot (a length behind the winner) and occupied the same position in the Grade 1 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park,

Zarani Sidi Anna is a three-parts sister to Dancing Shoes (Danehill) and her winning progeny include the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita winner Striking Dancer (Smart Strike), and this year’s smart three-year-old Raymond Tusk (High Chaparral) who is being aimed at the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.

Bryan Smart also trained Alpha Delphini’s sire Captain Gerrard (Oasis Dream) who has been largely – and mistakenly – ignored by breeders; a shame given the strike rate of his runners produced from generally small books of mares.

At a fee of about €3,000, he gives breeders a great chance to breed a winner, especially if you are looking for an early type.

His top 15 winners are also prime examples of the durability and soundness of his runners, having started an incredible 497 times to date – that’s an average of 33 times each! Richard Kent’s telephone at Mickley Stud should be ringing off the wall!