NEW GROUP 1 WINNERS FOR CHOISIR AND HIGH CHAPARRAL
Two former members of the Coolmore Stud stallion team added to their Group 1 tallies at the weekend with Choisir (by Danehill Dancer) supplying the winner of the Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes over a mile at Randwick about 40 minutes before a son of High Chaparral (by Sadler's Wells) took the Schweppes All Aged Stakes over a furlong less.
The latter is the Michael Moroney-trained four-year-old Tivaci who was running for the final time before taking up stallion duties at Waikato Stud in New Zealand.
Previously a Group 1-placed Group 3 scorer, he was bred by the late Bart Cummings, and he is the first foal of the dual 10-furlong winner Breccia (by Fastnet Rock).
She is a daughter of the versatile Group 2 scorer Luna Tudor (by Military Plume), whose 10 wins came from six and a half furlongs to two miles, and that makes her a half-sister to the Group 1 Oaks-placed, Group 1 Toorak Handicap heroine Allez Wonder (by Redoute's Choice).
Her siblings also include the prolific Pretty Pins (by Pins), who won at up to Group 3 level, while Luna Tudor's immediate relations of note include Group 2 Western Australian Oaks third Yasmin Tudor (by Polish Patriot), one of her half-sisters and dam of the Group 2-placed speedy stakes winner Amphritite (by Statoblest).
High Chaparral was also represented at Randwick that day by Top Of My List, who won a Group 3 handicap over 10 furlongs, and later at Newmarket by Tuesday's Listed bet365 Fielden Stakes winner Khalidi.
The dual Derby and dual Breeders' Cup Turf hero died aged just 15.
The Champagne Stakes went to the Paul Perry-trained juvenile The Mission, who was a Group 3 winner over seven furlongs at Rosehill last month.
The colt is a half-brother to Smart Amelia (by Smart Missile) who finished third in a Group 3 contest over seven at Randwick less than an hour and a half after her sibling's big win.
The pair are out of My Amelia (by Redoute's Choice), The Mission is inbred 3x3 to Danehill (by Danzig), and their grandam is 2005's Group 1 Champagne Stakes heroine Carry On Cutie (by More Than Ready).
Like his new Group 1-winning son, Choisir was trained by Paul Perry. He was a Group 1 star in Australia and in Europe, and the top-level winners sired during his time in Ireland include Olympic Glory, Obviously, and The Last Lion.
---
NEW PATTERN WINNER FOR GALILEO
Former Roger Charlton-trained chesnut Observational won the Group 3 Le Pine Funerals Easter Cup, a handicap over 10 furlongs at Caulfield on Saturday, taking his tally of blacktype wins to four.
Three of those have been in listed company, two of those over a mile in Australia and the other one the Cocked Hat Stakes over 11 furlongs at Goodwood.
The gelding is now six years old, he was bred by Highclere Stud and is a 200,000gns graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He is a half-brother to the prolific filly Party Line (by Montjeu) and out of Party (by Cadeaux Genereux), a stakes-winning grand-daughter of Group 3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Bellarida (by Bellypha).
That mare's descendants also include the Group 1 winners We Are (by Dansili) and Dominant (by Cacique), Group 2 scorer and Rathasker Stud stallion Es Que Love (by Clodovil), Australian Group 2 winner Adjusted (by Montjeu), and a string of other blacktype scorers that includes the Group 1-placed Lily's Angel (by Dark Angel), the 10-time scorer whose wins feature the Group 3 Chartwell Stakes at Lingfield.
---
POTENTIAL CLASSIC COLT IN RAJSAMAN'S FIRST CROP
The only defeat in Brametot's career to date was a shock 30/100 second in a Deauville listed contest in August. He bounced back to take a similar contest at Bordeaux Le Bouscat and then made a winning seasonal debut with an impressive performance in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over a mile at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained bay represents the first crop of high-class miler and young Haras de la Cauviniere stallion Rajsaman (by Linamix), he was bred by H Cardemil and made just €26,000 in Deauville as a foal.
That price looks remarkable given what he has achieved and that he is now a leading candidate for both the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) and Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), but also because he is out of Morning Light (by Law Society), a half-sister to Monsun (by Konigsstuhl).
That triple middle-distance Group 1 scorer spent his career at Gestut Schlenderhan, has sired 112 stakes winners including 22 Group/Grade 1 stars, and has become a stallion of considerable influence, both on the flat and in the National Hunt sector.
---
BLAME FILLY REPRESENTS FAMOUS FAMILY
Flaxman Holdings Ltd's homebred Senga advertised her classic potential when winning the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte – Etalon Kendargent over a mile at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Pascal Bary-trained bay is a ninth stakes winner for Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Claiborne Farm stallion Blame (by Arch) and she is a half-sister to seven-furlong listed scorer Bolting (by War Front).
Her dam, Beta Leo (by A.P. Indy), is a winning daughter of Denebola (by Storm Cat), the Group 1-winning daughter of Machiavellian's Group 1-winning full-sister Coup De Genie (by Mr Prospector).
Those latter two stars are, of course, siblings of the Group 1-winning miler Exit To Nowhere (by Irish River) and, farther back, it is the family of Northern Dancer (by Nearctic), Danehill (by Danzig), and Halo (by Hail To Reason).
Senga holds entries in the Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas and Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).
---
KENDARGENT COLT WINS DERBY TRIAL
Haras de Colleville stallion Kendargent (by Kendor) is a rising star in France and, on Sunday, his Andre Fabre-trained son Soleil Marin beat odds-on stable companion Akihiro narrowly to take the Group 3 Prix Noailles at Chantilly.
The 10 and a half furlong contest is a trial for the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby).
Godolphin's colt has now won four of his five starts, he was bred by Ecurie Peregrine SAS, and he is out of Sousmarine (by Montjeu), a middle-distance winner whose dam, Underwater (by Theatrical), is a half-sister to the dam of classic-winning miler Falco (by Pivotal).
That mare is also a half-sister to Group 2 scorer Legrete (by Rahy) and she is out of Sea Hill (by Seattle Slew), a half-sister to Group 1 scorer and successful sire Groom Dancer (by Blushing Groom).
This is also the family of Group 1 scorers Plumania (by Anabaa) and Left Hand (by Dubawi), and of the Group 1-winning siblings Vert Amande (by Kenmare), Le Nain Jeune (by Pharly) and Indian Rose (by General Holme), the star offspring of Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Lady Berry (by Violon D'Ingres).
---
CLASSIC CANDIDATE FOR THE LATE DELEGATOR
Overbury Stud stallion Delegator (by Dansili) died late last year, when his first crop were juveniles, and he was among the freshmen who had a pattern winner in 2016.
Delectation was an easy winner of the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes over six furlongs at Ayr in September, when trained by Bryan Smart, and she extended her unbeaten record to three with victory in the Group 3 Karin Baronin Von Ullmann – Schwarzgold-Rennen over a mile at Cologne on Monday.
The Crossfields Bloodstock Ltd-bred bay is now trained by Andreas Wöhler and she is a leading candidate for the upcoming Group 2 German 1000 Guineas.
She is a daughter of Chushka (by Pivotal), who is a winning half-sister to juvenile Group 2 scorer Captain Hurricane (by Desert Style), and her grandam is Ravine (by Indian Ridge), a half-sister to the popular but tragically ill-fated Group 2 star Niche (by Risk Me).
---
NEW PATTERN WINNER FOR LOPE DE VEGA
Richard Hannon-trained four-year-old Steel Of Madrid, a 10-furlong listed race winner at Newmarket 11 months ago, appears to be better than ever in 2017 following his victory in the Group 3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes over nine furlongs at that same venue on Wednesday afternoon.
The colt was bred by Jeddah Bloodstock, he is a 120,000gns graduate of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and he is out of Bibury (by Royal Applause), a winning half-sister to Group 1 Gold Cup hero Rite Of Passage (by Giant's Causeway), one of the 'Living Legends' in retirement at the Irish National Stud.
The grandam of Steel Of Madrid is the blacktype-placed Dahlia's Krissy (by Kris S), and she is a grand-daughter of the Timeform 135-rated superstar Dahlia (by Vaguely Noble), one of the great fillies of the turf and one of the great broodmares too.
The classic and dual King George heroine was the dam of the Grade 1 winners Rivlia (by Riverman), Delegant (by Grey Dawn II), Dahar (by Lyphard), and Dahlia's Dreamer (by Theatrical), her Group 2-winning son Llandaff (by Lyphard) sired Group 1 scorer Vespone, while Group 2-winning daughter Wajd (by Northern Dancer) is the dam of classic star and Grade 1 sire Nedawi (by Rainbow Quest).
Steel Of Madrid is a second-crop son of dual classic star and Ballylinch Stud stallion Lope De Vega (by Shamardal), the sire of Group 1 winners Belardo, Jemayel, and The Right Man.
---
ACCLAMATION FILLY HAS CLASSIC POTENTIAL
Leading sprinter and noted speed source Acclamation (by Royal Applause), who stands at Rathbarry Stud, may have a classic contender in 2017.
On Wednesday afternoon his previously once-raced winning daughter Daban sprang a 12/1 surprise in the Group 3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket.
The John Gosden-trained bay was bred by Kildaragh Stud, she made 260,000gns at last year's Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale, and she is a half-sister to the high-class miler Thikriyaat (by Azamour).
Her dam, Malaspina (by Whipper), is a half-sister to the Group 3 scorers Johnny Barnes (by Acclamation) and Albisola (by Montjeu), and her grandam is the stakes-winner Mahalia (by Danehill), who comes from a prolific blacktype family.
---
7-UP FOR FRANKEL
Banstead Manor Stud's Frankel (by Galileo) got a seventh pattern winner from his first crop when Eminent maintained his unbeaten record with victory in the Group 3 bet365 Craven Stakes over a mile at Newmarket on Thursday.
The Martyn Meade-trained colt was bred by Premier Bloodstock and he is out of You'll Be Mine (by Kingmambo), a Group 1-placed half-sister to Group 1 star Diamondsandrubies (by Fastnet Rock). His grandam is classic-placed Group 1 winner Quarter Moon (by Sadler's Wells), a full-sister to classic heroine Yesterday.
---
PIVOTAL'S BRANDO WINS AGAIN
The Kevin Ryan-trained Brando is now a dual pattern winner following his victory in the Group 3 Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket on Thursday.
The five-year-old was bred by Car Colston Hall Stud, he is a gelded son of Argent Du Bois (by Silver Hawk), and is a half-brother to US Grade 1 star Ticker Tape (by Royal Applause).
Other top-level winners in the family include Reckless Abandon (by Exchange Rate), Crowded House (by Rainbow Quest), and, farther back, Storm Cat (by Storm Bird) and Royal Academy (by Nijinsky).