STRADIVARIUS landed the newly promoted Group 1 Goodwood Cup this week and in so doing became the eighth Group 1 winner for his Gilltown Stud-based, Tsui Family-owned sire Sea The Stars.

Anyone over the age of 12 and with even a vague interest in racing will be aware of the exploits of the John Oxx-trained son of Cape Cross (Green Desert) who won eight of his nine starts, six at Group 1 level.

Horse of the Year in 2009, his two-year-olds of 2017 are members of his fifth crop of racing age. His first crop include three Group 1 winners, Taghrooda (Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes), Sea The Moon (German Derby and Lanwades Stud sire) and Vazira (Prix Saint-Alary). While his second crop failed to yield a Group 1 winner, it came close with the dual Derby-placed Storm The Stars and dual Group 1 runner-up Endless Time.

It was back on track with crop number three, the dual Derby winner and now Gilltown stallion Harzand leading the way, joined by Cloth Of Gold (2017 Prix Ganay winner), Zelzal (Prix Jean Prat) and Mekhtaal (2017 Prix d’Ispahan). Now Stradivarius is the first member of his fourth crop to win at the highest level.

A son of the stakes-placed Private Life (Bering), Stradivarius is the second stakes winner for that mare, eclipsing the achievement of his half-brother Persian Storm (Monsun) who was a dual Group 3 winner in Germany. Private Life is a half-sister to the listed winner Parisienne (Distant Relative) and she is the grandam of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Monsun).

The third dam of Stradivarius is Pawneese (Carvin II) and she was a champion in France and England where her victories included the French and Epsom Oaks and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. Stradivarius is owned and was bred by Bjorn Nielsen and purchased as a broodmare for 70,000gns at the Tattersalls December Sale by Blandford Bloodstock.

WHAT a bargain Breton Rock has proven to be since his £20,000 private purchase at the DBS Premier Yearling Sale in 2011.

He has now amassed more than £575,000 with 10 victories and his 50/1 starting price for the Group 2 Qatar Lennox Stakes was an insult, given that he ran third in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes on his previous outing.

Bred at Knockenduff Stud in Co Waterford by George Kent, the seven-year-old is a son of Bahamian Bounty (Cadeaux Genereux) and the first foal of the stakes-winning Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill) mare Anna’s Rock.

She was trained by Jim Bolger for Kent following her purchase for €125,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. Like Stradivarius, Breton Rock is from a family with strong Wildenstein connections.

Anna’s Rock’s dam is a half-sister to Arcangues (Sagace) who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic; the French 1000 Guineas runner-up Agathe (Manila) who went on to produce the French Oaks winner Aquarelliste and Grade 1 winner Artiste Royale (both by Danehill); the winning filly Afrique Bleu Azur (Sagace) who bred the champion and 1000 Guineas winner Cape Verdi (Caerleon); and the placed filly Ange Blue (Alleged) who is the dam of the dual Grade 1 winner Angara (Alzao).

RATHBARRY Stud stalwart Acclamation (Royal Applause) was a most consistent racehorse and gained his biggest success at four when winning the six-furlong Diadem Stakes. He stood for €10,000 in his first season, dropped to €9,000 for three seasons and this year he commanded €30,000, a small decrease from a career high of €35,000.

He continues to fire in the winners. It is also about quality and therefore no surprise that trainers love his stock who have included Group 1 winners Dark Angel, Equiano and Marsha, while other standouts have been Mehmas, Acclaim, Harbour Watch, Lidari and Lilbourne Lad.

In 2017 alone his stakes winners include the aforementioned Marsha, Daban, Absolutely So, Oh This Is Us, Drumfad Bay and Tabarrak, while all of their performances were eclipsed at Goodwood by the runaway victory for the Juddmonte home-bred Expert Eye in the Group 2 Qatar Vintage Stales.

Expert Eye is the second foal and first winner for her dam Exemplify (Dansili) who was a juvenile winner in France. She is a half-sister to Special Duty (Hennessy) who was champion filly at two in Europe after winning the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

At three she won the French and English 1000 Guineas – in both cases benefiting from the disqualification of the first past the post!

Exemplify’s dam Quest To Speak (Distant View) is an own-sister to the exceptional Sightseek who won a dozen of her 20 starts, with seven Grade 1 victories.

Delight for O’Flynns

VICTORY for Here Comes When in the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes was a shock for many but a delight for the O’Flynn family who bred the seven-year-old gelding under the banner of Old Carhue and Graeng Bloodstock. They sold the son of Danehill Dancer (Danehill) for €170,000 through Grove Stud as a yearling.

The best of four winners from his dam Quad’s Melody (Spinning World), he is joined on that list by this year’s three-time winner Melodic Motion (Nathaniel) who was group-placed herself at Goodwood on Thursday. Last year Old Carhue Stud sold a Sea The Stars half-brother to Here Comes When to Rabbah Bloodstock at the Goffs November Sale for €240,000.

Quad’s Melody was a Group 3 winner at two years in France and one of four stakes winners from Fab’s Melody (Devil’s Bag). The best of the quartet was Bonapartiste (Kendor) and he won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap and was three times runner-up in Grade 1s.

HAVANA Grey, bred by Mickley Stud (Richard Kent) and Lady Lonsdale, will forever have a special place in the story of Tweenhills Stud sire Havana Gold.

The 42,000gns foal buy at Tattersalls December Sale and €70,000 pinhook at Arqana last August was his sire’s first stakes winner and this week became his first group winner when landing the Group 3 Bombay Sapphire Molecomb Stakes.

Havana Grey is the first foal of Blanc De Chine and this daughter of Dark Angel (Acclamation) won six times over five furlongs, the only distance she tried in a 20-race career.

He is followed by a yearling full-brother who sold last year for 37,000gns, while there is a Fast Company colt on the ground.

Bland De Chine’s half-brother Fast Act (Fast Company) was runner-up in the 2016 Molecomb Stakes.

Blanc De Chine’s third dam Chain Store was a smart racemare and better broodmare, the best of her winners being the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom) and she in turn bred the 2000 Guineas and Champion Stakes winner Haafhd (Alhaarth).

Al Bahathri’s unraced own-sister Chain Fern bred the Grade 1 winner Spanish Fern (El Gran Senor) and is grandam of Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) and Heatseeker (Giant’s Causeway).