COOL CLASSIC DOUBLE FOR McCORMACK FAMILY
When Cool Catomine won the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Tuesday he completed a remarkable classic double for Bernard and Karen McCormack of Mapleshade Farm in Ontario.
This race is the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and last year the same breeders supplied Sir Dudley Digges, the colt who won the Queen's Plate – the first leg of that series and Canada's equivalent of the Derby.
Originally from Dalkey, Bernard is the son of late Irish racing journalist and pedigrees expert Tom McCormack and, like his son Connor and famous bloodstock agent brother John, a graduate of the Irish National Stud's thoroughbred breeding course.
Cool Catomine is by the Grade 1 Donn Handicap winner Spring At Last, one of the leading runners for Silver Deputy (by Deputy Minister), a leading North American sire who began his stallion career at Windfields Farm, in Ontario, when Bernard was its general manager.
The young classic hero is a half-brother to Fury Stakes heroine Wild Catomine (by Milwaukee Brew), he is out of Smart Catomine (by Smart Strike), and his third dam is the Group 2 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) and Group 2 Prix de l'Opera heroine Martessa (by Solarstern).
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NOTABLE US WINNER FOR DARK ANGEL
Yeomanstown Stud stallion Dark Angel (by Acclamation) has a galloping advertisement in the USA as his five-year-old son Hunt won the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes over nine furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday night.
A seven-furlong Dundalk scorer when trained by Johnny Murtagh, the gelding is now in the care of Philip D'Amato. He was bred by Michael O'Callaghan and is a €78,000 graduate of the Goresbridge Flat Breeze-Up Sale.
The grey is the fourth foal and second flat winner out of Mansiya (by Vettori), a half-sister to Listed Cheshire Oaks scorer Abury (by Law Society) and to the blacktype-winning chaser Shadows Lengthen (by Dansili).
His grandam, Bay Shade (by Sharpen Up), is also the grandam of dual South African Grade 1 star Bad Girl Runs (by Western Winter) and she was among several stakes-winning offspring of the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes scorer Bay Street (by Grundy).
That mare's 13 successful offspring also featured Grade 3 winner Daarik (by Diesis) and Group 3 Prix de Flore heroine Bex (by Explodent), the latter also notable as being the dam of Group 2 winner Crimson Quest (by Rainbow Quest) and grandam of Group 1 star Al Shemali (by Medicean).
There are many other blacktype earners within the first few generations of the pedigree.
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GRADE 2 FOR MADAM DANCEALOT
Tally Ho Stud's Group 2 winner and freshman sire star Sir Prancealot (by Tamayuz) has had two stakes winners in his first crop and the better of them is Madam Dancealot.
Last year she gave him a first pattern winner when taking the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury and, at Del Mar on Sunday night, she added a near two-length score in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap over a mile.
She was trained by Joseph Tuite as a juvenile, was sold for €260,000 at the Goffs Champions Sale in September, is currently with Richard Baltas, and was bred by Tally Ho Stud.
The chesnut is the best of several multiple winners out of Sisal (by Danehill), a mare who could be described as being a three-parts sister to pattern scorer Restructure (by Danehill).
That talented colt was a half-brother to Group 1-placed Group 2 scorer and subsequent Grade 1 Champion Hurdle hero Alderbrook (by Ardross).
This is a branch of the famous family descending from 1955 Irish Oaks heroine Agars Plough (by Combat) and her classic-placed and influential daughter Mesopotamia (by Zarathustra).
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SOCIETY ROCK LOSS ADVERTISED
Group 1 sprint star Society Rock (by Rock Of Gibraltar) was a popular addition to the team at Tally Ho Stud but, sadly, died last year. His first crop are juveniles and, although there is a chance the result could yet be overturned on appeal, for now he has joined Declaration Of War as a 2017 freshman with a European pattern winner in his first crop.
Even if the appeal is successful it does not take away from the promise shown by the Karl Burke-trained Unfortunately in passing the post a half-length in front of Frozen Angel in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on Sunday.
It was the colt's second win from five starts, his first time running in a visor, and, if he keeps the prize, ample compensation for his head defeat by Ardenode in the Listed Prix La Fleche at the same venue last month.
Unfortunately was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, he is a €24,000 graduate of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, and he is out of dual scorer Unfortunate (by Komaite), which makes him a half-brother to four prolific winners.
Look Busy (by Danetime) is the best of that quartet and her dozen wins featured the Group 2 Temple Stakes, Group 3 Flying Five Stakes, and three listed contests.
Honour And Glory (by Hotfoot), his grandam, was unplaced but a half-sister to Singing Steven (by Balliol), who won the Group 3 King George Stakes, Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes, and Listed Harry Rosebery Challenge Trophy.
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ZEBEDEE SON WINS AGAIN
One of the best sons of Tally Ho Stud stallion Zebedee (by Invincible Spirit) struck again last weekend, this time taking the Group 3 bet365 Hackwood Stakes over six furlongs at Newbury.
Magical Memory, who was bred by Wardstown Stud Ltd, represents the first crop of his sire, as does the classic-placed dual Group 2 scorer and Coolmore stallion Ivawood, and this latest success was the eighth of his career.
The Group 1-placed triple pattern winner, who took the Stewards Cup two years ago, is the best of several winners out of Marasem (by Cadeaux Genereux), a winning half-sister to Group 2 Rockfel Stakes heroine Sayedah (by Darshaan).
His third dam is the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner and Group 2 Lowther Stakes runner-up Muhbubh (by Blushing Groom), and I reviewed his pedigree in detail in the 23rd April 2016 edition of The Irish Field.
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NATHANIEL FILLY SHOWS POTENTIAL
Group 1 star and Newsells Park Stud stallion Nathaniel (by Galileo) has made a very promising start to his career and, in addition to dual classic heroine Enable, his first crop includes God Given.
St Albans Bloodstock's homebred is trained by Luca Cumani and she followed last month's four-length maiden success with victory in the Listed Betbright Aphrodite Stakes over 12 furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday.
She is the fourth foal and second blacktype scorer out of Ever Rigg (by Dubai Destination) and as her siblings include the multiple Group 1 star and almost £5 million earner Postponed (by Dubawi), it would be no surprise to see her succeed at pattern level at least once before her racing career eventually comes to an end.
Her grandam is the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 2 Lowther Stakes star Bianca Nera (by Salse) whose siblings include Hotelgenie Dot Com (by Selkirk), the dual Group 1-placed dam of Group 1 Fillies' Mile and Group 1 Falmouth Stakes winner Simply Perfect (by Danehill).
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GALILEO'S RISING STARS
Coolmore Stud's prolific champion sire Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) was presented by some potential classic candidates for 2018 on Thursday evening's card at Leopardstown, each of them trained by Aidan O'Brien.
Delano Roosevelt made a winning debut in the mile maiden, getting up on the line to beat odds-on favourite and stable companion Coat Of Arms by a head. The runner-up is also by Galileo, is a full-brother to classic heroine Seventh Heaven and half-brother to Group 1 Middle Park Stakes scorer Crusade (by Mr Greeley).
The winner, on the other hand, is a full-brother to a listed race winner and out of Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas star Again (by Danehill Dancer), a mare whose dam, Cumbres (by Kahyasi), is a half-sister to prolific Group 1 star and leading classic sire Montjeu (by Sadler's Wells).
Then Happily ran away with the Group 3 Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes over seven furlongs.
Now winner of two of her three starts, she is out of Giant's Causeway's (by Storm Cat) Group 2-winning full-sister You'resothrilling and that makes her a full-sister to the Group 1 standouts Gleneagles and Marvellous.
Both Delano Roosevelt and Happily were bred by Orpendale and Chelston.
The third Galileo-sired winner on the card was The Pentagon, the colt who was so impressive when running away with a Curragh maiden two weeks ago. He too has won two of his three starts.
He was bred by Barronstown Stud, his siblings include Group 2 scorer Vadamar (by Dalakhani), and his dam is the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Vadawina (by Unfuwain), who is a half-sister to 2014's winner of that same top-level race: Vazira (by Sea The Stars).