DAWN APPROACH STRIKES AGAIN
Kildangan Stud's juvenile star and classic star Dawn Approach (by New Approach), whose Group 3 Prix de la Grotte heroine Musis Amica gave him a first stakes winner recently, made it a quick double when Mary Tudor powered away from her rivals to take the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes over 10 furlongs at Navan on Sunday.
This was a first win in four starts for the Willie McCreery-trained grey, a Darley-bred mid-May foal who was third to Magical in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes at the Curragh in August.
A half-sister to two winners, she is the fourth foal of stakes-placed 10-furlong filly Antiquities (by Kaldounevees), and her grandam is Historian (by Pennekamp), the stakes-winning half-sister to Group/Grade 1 star Street Cry (by Machiavellian).
Classic sire in North America and champion sire in Australia, the sire of Winx and Zenyatta is a full-brother to Helsinki, the stakes-placed dam of classic star and leading European sire Shamardal (by Giant's Causeway).
Now a private stallion at Kildangan, Shamardal notched up his 114th stakes winner on Tuesday when Shamtee won the Listed Prix Finlande over nine furlongs at ParisLongchamp.
The three-year-old is trained by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, she was bred by SF Bloodstock LLC, and is out of Truth Beauty (by Dubai Destination), who is a granddaughter of Shamardal's third dam.
This means that Shamtee is inbred 3x3 to 1985's Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Helen Street (by Troy).
She does not yet hold any big-race entries, but this €240,000 Arqana Deauville October Sale graduate is an intriguing prospect.
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CITYSCAPE EXTENDING SHARPEN UP'S INFLUENCE
The racing and pedigree profile of Overbury Stud's high-class miler Cityscape (by Selkirk) suggested that he would be a stallion that would get some two-year-old winners and blacktype contenders but that it would be as three-year-olds that they would start to show what they can really do.
His first crop are now among the classic generation and two of them became stakes winners last weekend.
First strike went to classic prospect Dan's Dream who beat prior pattern winner Tajaanus by a length and a quarter in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free (Fred Darling) Stakes at Newbury, a second win three starts for the Mick Channon-trained filly.
She was bred by Hunscote Stud, she is the first foal the unraced Royal Ffanci (by Royal Applause) and that mare is out of triple mile winner Madamoiselle Jones (by Emperor Jones) whose trio of blacktype siblings feature Penkenna Princess (by Pivotal).
That filly also won the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes, albeit by a short-head, she won the Listed Oh So Sharp Stakes at two, and she lost out by a short-head when pipped by Saoire in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and by Maids Causeway in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes.
On Sunday, Cityscape made it two first-crop stakes winners when the Adrian Keatley-trained gelding The Broghie Man made a winning seasonal reappearance in the Listed Committed Stakes over five and a half furlongs at Navan.
The Whitsbury Manor Stud-bred chesnut showed promise in five starts for Brendan Duke last year, then joined Keatley in mid-October, dropped back to five furongs, ran away with a Navan maiden, and then took third in a listed contest at Chantilly.
He is the first foal out of Suelita (by Dutch Art), who is a winning half-sister to Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes runner-up and prolific five-to-seven-furlong scorer Outer Space (by Acclamation), and he comes from the direct family of several notable horses, including stayer Opinion Poll (by Halling) and mile star Markofdistinction (by Known Fact).
Cityscape's first crop also includes the stakes-placed pair Ballymount and Freescape, and he has had a Grade 3-placed runner in Argentina.
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DALAKHANI'S RISING STAR
Retired Gilltown Stud and Haras de Bonneval stallion Dalakhani (by Darshaan) has nine Group 1 winners among a current total of 52 blacktype scorers. The smaller group includes promising young sire Reliable Man – who has two pattern winners, a listed scorer and two Group 1-placed horses so far from his global first crop – while the larger figure includes Defoe.
That Darley-bred four-year-old is trained by Roger Varian, he was Timeform-rated 119 last year when his sequence of wins culminated in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury in August, and he returned to that venue on Saturday to take the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise (John Porter) Stakes in style.
Timeform have raised the grey to 122, which suggests that he has the potential to go on to greater things.
He is the first foal out of 10-furlong winner Dulkashe (by Pivotal), his grandam Saik (by Riverman) is a half-sister to dual 10-furlong Group 3 scorer Husyan (by Alleged), and a three-parts sister to Gazayil (by Irish River) – the dam of Mubtaker (by Silver Hawk).
That popular but ill-fated chesnut won 13 of his 31 starts, including three editions of the Group 2 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, and it was he who chased home Dalakhani in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Mubtaker was rated at least 120 by Timeform every season from four to nine years of age, with his standout figure being 132 in that Arc-placed campaign.
Defoe has a long way to go yet to hit that sort of peak, but he holds entries in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, so should be seen in action at the highest level soon.
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GARFIELD EXCELS AGAIN
Last year's Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner James Garfield took his record to three wins from eight starts when adding the Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld Supporting Greatwood Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
The George Scott-trained son of Kildangan Stud ace Exceed And Excel (by Danehill), was bred by Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs, and the Gredleys' homebred holds entries in the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes and Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.
A half-brother to stakes-placed The Shrew (by Dansili), he is out of Listed Chesham Stakes winner Whazzat (by Daylami), and that half-sister to mile Group 3 scorer Whazzis (by Desert Prince) is a granddaughter of Eljazzi (by Artaius).
That makes James Garfield's third dam, Wosaita (by Generous), a half-sister to Rafha (by Kris), the classic-winning dam of leading international sire Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) and to popular blacktype and sales sire Kodiac (by Danehill).
With those family connections, clearly the potential of James Garfield goes beyond him being a high-class racehorse who could be up to doing well at Group 1 level – he looks sure to be a popular new stallion some day.
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FRESHMAN UPDATE
Rathasker Stud's Bungle Inthejungle (by Exceed And Excel) has made a quick start to getting first-crop juvenile winners and he notched up his first French winner on Saturday.
Nakakande, who was unplaced at Bath on her debut, scored over five and a half furlongs at Nantes.
The early April-born bay was bred by Tom McDonald and her mile-winning dam Tallawalla (by Oratorio) is a granddaughter of Edabiya (by Rainbow Quest), the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes-winning half-sister to Group 1 stars Ebadiyla (by Sadler's Wells), Enzeli (by Kahyasi) and Estimate (by Monsun).
Then, on Monday, the John Quinn-trained Carey Street made it number four for the stallion when taking a novice race at Pontefract.
This was a second outing for the Matt Brazill-bred gelding, and the €13,000 Goffs Sportsmans Yearling Sale graduate – a half-brother to two winners – is the fourth foal out of Undulant Way (by Hurricane Run).
That middle-distance winner is out of a half-sister to Group 1 Derby Italiano scorer Single Empire (by Kris) and full-sister to Rubhahunish (by Darshaan), who was placed in that same Italian race before going on to become a Grade 1-winning staying hurdler.
That same evening, high-class sprinter-miler Gregorian (by Clodovil) got off the mark when the Tom Clover-trained Gypsy Spirit made a winning debut at Windsor.
Clover bought her for 6,000gns from Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, she was bred by Bearstone Stud, and she is out of Romany Gypsy (by Indesatchel), which makes her a half-sister to four-time winner Gypsy Major (by Major Cadeaux).
Her grandam, River Song (by Siphon), is a half-sister to Group 2 Queen Anne Stakes scorer Allied Forces (by Miswaki).
Gregorian's second winner was the Bryan Smart-trained Aerosphere, who made a winning debut at Beverley on Thursday.
The Crossfields Bloodstock Ltd-bred bay is a half-sister to a sprint winner, she is the third foal out of Rhal (by Rahy), and her dam is a half-sister to Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes winner and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Illuminate (by Zoffany).
Like Bungle Inthejungle, Gregorian is on the Rathasker Stud roster, but he stands for them at the National Stud in Newmarket.