THE Martyn Meade-trained Irish Rookie caught the eye at Newmarket last Saturday when taking the Listed EBF Stallions Montrose Fillies’ Stakes over a mile.

She beat the favourite, and regally-related 450,000gns purchase Lady Of Dubai by half a length, at odds of 10/1, just a few weeks after her shock 50/1 debut success over seven furlongs at the same venue.

Bred by Kevin and Meta Cullen, who also bred this year’s Group 3 Prix Messidor scorer Graphic (by Excellent Art), she made just €16,000 at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, despite being by a notably successful stallion and from a family that has produced Group 1 stars and Group 1 sires.

Irish Rookie is a daughter of the dual classic-placed, four times Group 1 winner Azamour (by Night Shift) who, sadly, died this year at the age of 13.

The Gilltown Stud horse has been represented by 23 stakes winners, up to Monday night, including the ill-fated Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) heroine Valyra, and the Group 1-placed pattern scorers Dolniya, Eleanora Duse, Shankardeh, Colombian, and Native Khan.

She is a half-sister to two winners out of the unraced Bold Assumption (by Observatory), and her grandam Bold Empress (by Diesis) is a half-sister to the Group 1 2000 Guineas hero and dual champion Zafonic (by Gone West).

He was only 12 when he died, but those he left behind include the Group 1 stars Count Dubois, Xaar and Zafeen, and the Group 1-placed pattern scorers Iffraaj and Trade Fair, each of whom has enjoyed some success at stud.

Zafonic’s full-brother Zamindar won the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg, and was twice Group 1-placed as a juvenile, and his list of Group 1-winning progeny is headed by the undefeated Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava. Their stakes-winning full-sister Choice Spirit has also done her bit for the family as she is the grandam of the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Announce (by Selkirk).

As for Irish Rookie’s grandam Bold Empress, she has five winners to her name, two of whom have been stakes-placed, and one of the blacktype pair is Tsar’s Bride (by Sadler’s Wells), dam of the Italian dual Group 3 scorer Exhibit One (by Silver Hawk) and of the English listed scorer Pavlosk (by Arch).

Bold Empress’s unraced daughter Daring Action (by Arazi) has also chipped in, as she is the dam of the Group 2 Maurice Lacroix-Trophy winner Daring Love (by Big Shuffle), and several other winners.

This is a family that has a long history of producing high-class racehorses and breeding stock, and the fourth dam is the pattern scorer and Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes third Zaizafon (by The Minstrel), daughter of the multiple pattern-placed prolific winner Mofida (by Right Tack) and so a half-sister to the hugely influential mare Modena (by Roberto).

Modena was unraced but was the dam of the Group 1 stars Elmaamul (by Diesis) and Reams Of Verse (by Nureyev), of the pattern winners Manifest (by Rainbow Quest), Modern Day (by Dayjur), and Modernise (by Known Fact), of three others who won at listed level, and also one stakes-placed filly who has herself become a broodmare of significance.

Elmaamul sired winners at all levels, including the Group/Grade 1 stars Muhtathir and Sweet Return, Novellara (by Sadler’s Wells) is the stakes-winning dam of this year’s Australian Group 3 scorer Disclaimer (by Dansili), unraced Contiguous (by Danzig) is the dam of the Group 3 Joel Stakes winner Confront (by Nayef), and the three blacktype earners out of unraced Post Modern (by Nureyev) include the listed scorer Chasing Stars (by Observatory).

The most notable stud successes of Modena’s offspring, however, are arguably those of her classic star Reams Of Verse and of her stakes-placed daughter Midsummer (by Kingmambo).

The first named is the Oaks-winning dam of the blacktype scorers Eagle Poise (by Empire Maker) and Many Volumes (by Chester House), and also of Ithaca (by Distant View), who is the pattern-placed dam of the Group 1-placed, Group 2-winning miler Zacinto (by Dansili).

Midsummer, as is well known, is the dam of dual classic-placed, six times Group/Grade 1 star Midday (by Oasis Dream), in addition to the Group 1-placed pattern winner Hot Snap (by Pivotal), and the Australian listed scorer Midsummer Sun (by Monsun).

The celebrities descended from Modena’s branch of the family are quite distantly related to Irish Rookie, but as an undefeated Azamour filly from the immediate family of Zafonic, she is a very interesting prospect for 2015 and beyond.