THE foaling season is well under way at Cheveley Park Stud where some 30 foals have been born in recent weeks, including seven foals by Ulysses (Galileo). After foaling a Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) filly in 2018, My Hope (Afleet Alex) gave birth to the first Ulysses foal on the farm when she delivered a filly on January 22nd. My Hope was bought at Keeneland in 2017 for $525,000 and is set to visit Cracksman (Frankel).

Other recent recruits to the broodmare band at Cheveley Park have also produced Ulysses foals. Mesa Fresca (Sky Mesa), a $2 million purchase at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale foaled a colt on February 4th. Mesa Fresca is dam of Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner Harmonize (Scat Daddy) and a War Front (Danzig) yearling filly, and she returns to Ulysses in 2019.

Troarn (Wootton Bassett), acquired for €600,000 at the Arqana December Sale, delivered a colt by Ulysses, her first foal, on February 10th. Troarn is a listed-placed own-sister to European champion Almanzor and she is due to be covered by Intello (Galileo).

Managing director, Chris Richardson, said of the first foals by Ulysses “I am impressed with the foals we have here and several others around and about, as they certainly have good bone, a quality outlook and terrific depth of girth/heart room. Federico Tesio once said: ‘A horse gallops with his lungs, perseveres with his heart, and wins with his character’ – the foals by Ulysses look to have plenty of the latter.”

Persuasive (Dark Angel) produced a Frankel (Galileo) filly on January 18th. She enjoyed her finest hour when she stormed to victory in the 2017 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, beating seven Group 1 winners in the process. Persuasive is set to return to fellow QEII winner Frankel.

Intimation (Dubawi) was another to produce a Frankel foal, this time a colt on January 25th. A half-sister to group winners Mutakayyef (Sea the Stars) and Veracious (Frankel), Intimation is a Group 3 winner herself and this is her first foal. She is pencilled in to visit Ulysses.