Owenstown’s double Champions’ delight

DUBAWI is edging closer and closer to a notable landmark as a sire, his 50th Group 1 winner.

At Ascot his gelded three-year-old son Creative Force, bred by John Tuthill’s Owenstown Stud, stepped up to the big time and added the Group 1 British Champions Sprint to an earlier win in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This €400,000 Goffs Orby Sale purchase by Godolphin was winning for the sixth time, and becomes the second Group 1 winner for his dam, Choose Me (Choisir). The first was also a hero of British Champions Day, Cheveley Park’s Persuasive (Dark Angel) being successful in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

That duo are among six winners, from the first six foals, for their dam and that list also includes the stakes winner and group-placed Tisbutadream (Dream Ahead). Last month Owenstown sold a full-sister to Persuasive for €230,000 to Amanda Skiffington at Goffs, while Choose Me’s only other produce is Mr Zero (Dark Angel), a two-year-old who has yet to see a racecourse.

Choose Me was bred at Owenstown Stud and raced in the colours of Tuthill’s aunt Averil Whitehead. When she won the valuable Tattersalls Ireland Sales Race and the Listed Fairy Bridge Stakes at Tipperary, Choose Me was the last winner as an owner for Mrs Whitehead who died in 2010. Afterwards the filly continued to race for John Tuthill and was placed a number of times, including in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes.

Creative Force’s fourth dam was the Michael Cunningham-trained Cairn Rouge (Pitcairn), the Irish 1000 Guineas and Champion Stakes at Newmarket winner. While she did not breed a winner approaching her own class, she has through her daughters and descendants left a rich legacy.

The best known runners in the family include Harlem (Champs Elysees) in Australia, the Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Epoca D’Oro (Orfevre), four-time US and Canadian Grade 1 winner Ventura (Chester House) and the Irish-bred, dual South African Group 1 winner Queen Supreme (Exceed And Excel).