THERE have been few better catalogue updates than that enjoyed by Lot 189 at the upcoming Arqana October Yearling Sale which starts on October 18th. Ecurie des Monceaux is consigning a son of Makfi out of the unraced Kingmambo mare Angel Falls. The colt is the fourth produce of his dam.

The first foal is the stakes-placed Teofilo filly Cascading, while the second is the winning three-year-old filly Andalouserie, by Poet’s Choice. However it is the mare’s third foal that is creating all the excitement as he is the two-year-old Invincible Spirit colt National Defense, the near five-length winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Purchased as a yearling at Deauville last August for €280,000, National Defense has justified the investment in no uncertain terms and he is the 15th Group 1 winner for his Irish National Stud sire. He joins an elite group that includes Kingman, Charm Spirit, Moonlight Cloud, Lawman and Shalaa.

National Defense’s grandam Anna Palariva, by Caerleon, won the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale at two and a third of her nine winners won at stakes level. Best of these was the Dubawi filly Anna Salai who won a Group 3 race and was beaten a head by Bethrah in the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2010. Anna Of Saxony is the third dam of National Defense and she won the Park Hill Stakes and is the grandam of the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational winner Ave.