DARK ANGEL STAKES TREBLE
Yeomanstown Stud's star stallion Dark Angel (by Acclamation) has had another good week and this time recorded a blacktype treble.
The first leg was provided by Sovereign Debt, who the stud bred, and although seven years old the David Nicholls-trained grey retains plenty of ability and enthusiasm.
He beat Blue De Vega by two lengths in the Listed TheTote.com Knockaire Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown on Saturday. The 2015 edition of that event is also among his career tally of 10 wins, a record that also includes listed races at Wolverhampton and the Curragh and Group 3 success at Tipperary.
He is a 105,000gns graduate of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, he is out of the stakes-placed Kelsey Rose (by Most Welcome) and that makes him a half-brother to the seven-furlong Group 3 scorer Puff (by Camacho), a filly who missed out on Group 1 placing when fourth behind subsequent classic star Special Duty in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
Other talented performers in the family include The Bonus King (by Royal Appaluse) and Indian Rocket (by Indian Ridge).
Just over an hour and a half later, Estidhkaar beat stable companion Kool Kompany by a neck in the Listed “Hats Off” To Steven Brown Ben Marshal Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.
The Richard Hannon-trained four-year-old was bred by BEC Bloodstock, he made £200,000 in Doncaster as a yearling, and he won both the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and Group 2 Champagne Stakes as a juvenile.
He is a son of Danetime Out (by Danetime), which makes him a half-brother to the Group 1 star and juvenile champion Toormore (by Arakan), who is joining the stallion roster at Dalham Hall Stud in 2017.
With Dark Angel's sons Lethal Force, Alhebayeb, Gutaifan, Heeraat and Tough As Nails already at stud, it is just a matter of time before Estidhkaar joins them.
On Tuesday, Dame Du Roi won the Group 3 Prix Miesque over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte, a second blacktype success for the Freddy Head-trained juvenile.
Owned and bred by E Puerari and Mme P Ades-Hazan, she is the first foal out of Uruguay (by Authorized) whose dam, Uruk (by Efisio), is a sprint Group 3-winning half-sister to 12-furlong listed scorer All The Aces (by Spartacus).
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NEW PATTERN WINNER FOR CANFORD CLIFFS
Ace miler and Coolmore Stud second-crop stallion Canford Cliffs (by Tagula) added to his blacktype tally when the Mario Hofer-trained Princess Asta sprang a 30/1 surprise in the Group 3 Premio Chusura over seven furlongs at San Siro on Saturday.
The three-year-old, who was bred in France by Mme G Forien and J-F Gribomont, is a €57,000 Arqana graduate, she is out of Lune Rouge (by Unfuwain) and that makes her a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Ask For The Moon (by Dr Fong).
Canford Cliffs has also been represented this year by the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes winner Al Jazi, by Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Irish Oaks third Harlequeen, by Melrose Handicap and Mallard Handicap scorer Wall Of Fire, and by Salouen, the colt who finished third to Rivet in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster just 20 days after chasing home National Defense in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly.
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THIRD GRADE 1 WINNER FOR SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
Beeches Stud's dual-purpose stallion Soldier Of Fortune (by Galileo) notched up his third Grade 1 winner on the flat when Nieta Querida took the Premio Alberto Solari Magnasco over 10 furlongs on the dirt at Hipodromo Chile on Saturday.
The Alvaro Fernandez-trained three-year-old was bred by Haras Porta Pia and she is out of Queen's (by Jaded Dancer).
That mare is a half-sister to seven a half-furlong Grade 1 scorer Querido Machito (by Hurricane Cat), she is out of the Chilean Grade 2 winner Quiet Call (by Quiet American) and comes from the family of prolific US Grade 1 stars Chris Evert (by Swoons Son) and Chief's Crown (by Danzig).
In addition to his seven flat stakes winners, Group 1 Irish Derby and Group 1 Coronation Cup hero Soldier Of Fortune is responsible for last season's Grade 2-winning juvenile hurdler Slowmotion and dual French chase scorer Bleu Azur.
The flat tally also includes Bokan, winner of the Listed Songline Classic over 10 and a half furlongs at Bro Park, in Sweden, on Sunday.
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DARLEY SIRES' JUVENILE BLACKTYPE TREBLE
Kildangan Stud stallions supplied two new juvenile stakes winners in the space of hour last Saturday, an achievement that was topped the following afternoon when a member of the Dalham Hall Stud team got his first Group 1 star, and all three got their wins in the Godolphin colours.
Really Special (by Shamardal) justified favouritism with a two and three-quarter-length score in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Montrose Fillies' Stakes over a mile at Newmarket.
The Saeed bin Suroor-trained bay, who won over six furlongs at Chelmsford on her only previous outing, is a Darley-bred daughter of Rumh (by Monsun), a 10-furlong listed scorer who stayed two miles.
Her grandam is the mile Group 3 winner Royal Dubai (by Dashing Blade), who is a half-sister to the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes heroine Royal Highness (by Monsun). Dam of Group 2 winner and new Haras de Cercy stallion Free Port Lux (by Oasis Dream), Royal Highness could be described as being a three-part sister to Rumh.
This is also the family of Group 1 stars such as Arctique Royale (by Royal And Regal), Ardross (by Run The Gantlet), Cerulean Sky (by Darshaan), Electrocutionist (by Red Ransom), and Moonstone (by Dalakhani).
The second leg of the Kildangan double was provided by Dubai Sand (by Teofilo), who trainer Jim Bolger bred in partnership with Ennistown Stud.
A half-brother to two multiple winners, Dubai Sand is out of Bring Back Matron (by Rock Of Gibraltar) whose dam, Elida (by Royal Academy), is a half-sister to Teofilo's stakes-winning dam Speirbhean (by Danehill).
On Sunday, Dalham Hall Stud's shuttle stallion Helmet (by Exceed And Excel) notched up his first Group 1 winner when Thunder Snow ran out a five-length winner of the Criterium International over seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud. The dual Group 2-placed colt, who finished fourth behind Churchill in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes last month, is a Darley-bred bay trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
He is a half-brother to the classic-placed pattern scorer Ihtimal (by Shamardal), to the Group 1-placed stakes winner Always Smile (by Cape Cross), and to Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes winner First Victory (by Teofilo), and his dam, Eastern Joy (by Dubai Destination), is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) scorer West Wind (by Machiavellian).
This is also the family of the Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Irish Derby heroine Balanchine (by Storm Bird).
The Darley stallion team also had a major result in Germany on Tuesday when four-year-old Guignol (by Cape Cross) won the Group 1 Pastorius Grosser Preis von Bayern over 12 furlongs at Munich.
Stall Ullmann's homebred colt is trained by Jean-Pierre Carvalho is out of the Group 1 Oaks d'Italia heroine Guadalupe (by Monsun) and that makes him a half-brother to last year's Group 1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis – Bayerisches scorer Guiliani (by Tertullian).
Guadalupe's dual Group 1-winning full-brother Getaway stands at Grange Stud.
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NH BLACKTYPE FOUR-TIMER FOR SADLER'S WELLS LINE
Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) has had a profound impact on the breed and his influence on the National Hunt sector was evident last weekend when four of its blacktype events went to descendants of the late Coolmore colossus.
Of the three blacktype events at Ascot's big National Hunt fixture on Saturday, two went to grandsons of Coolmore Stud's late classic sire Montjeu (by Sadler's Wells).
Sternrubin, a son of Derby hero and Haras du Logis stallion Authorized (by Montjeu) sprang a 12/1 surprise in the Listed William Hill Handicap Hurdle over a few yards short of two miles, and then Antony, a son of Grange Stud's Derby runner-up Walk In The Park (by Montjeu), was a four and a half length winner of the Grade 3 Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase over three miles.
Sternrubin was bred in Germany by Gestut Karlshof and is trained by Philip Hobbs. Last season he won the Grade 3 The Ladbroke at Ascot before finishing third in the Grade 3 Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The five-year-old is out of Sworn Mum (by Samum), who is a stakes-placed half-sister to Group 3 winner Sworn Pro (by Protektor) and to listed scorer Sworn Sold (by Soldier Hollow).
Victory for Antony took his record over fences to three wins from six starts and it was a first blacktype success for the Gary Moore-trained six-year-old, who was bred in France by Marie-Laure Besnouin.
He is a half-brother to the successful point-to-pointer and hunter chaser Soleil D'Avril (by Laveron) and his dam, Melanie Du Chenet (by Nikos), who won on the flat in France, is out of the prolific dual-purpose mare Biolaine (by Iron Duke).
His four-year-old half-brother Cadeau Du Bresil (by Blue Bresil) is in training with Gordon Elliott, finished third in a Downpatrick bumper in September, and is entered in several maiden hurdle events around the country this coming weekend.
Stephanie Frances (by King's Theatre), a dual novice chase scorer in August, returned the smaller obstacles at Wetherby on Saturday and won the two-mile Listed oblg.com Mares' Hurdle.
It is a second blacktype success for the Dan Skelton-trained eight-year-old. She was bred by Maynard Hamilton, she is out of Brownlow Castle (by Supreme Leader), and her grandam, Miss Lamb (by Relkino), is a flat and dual hurdle-winning half-sister to the Grade 2-placed Stormhead (by Move Off).
Just over half an hour later, Silsol (by Soldier Hollow) won the Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle (registered as the West Yorkshire Hurdle) over three miles.
The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old was bred by Gestut Hof Iserneichen and he is out of Silveria (by Groom Dancer), a half-sister to middle-distance Group 2 scorer Scatina (by Samum) and to Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Sevenna (by Galileo).
The latter is the dam of the dual Group 2-placed Group 3 Prix de Royaumont winner Savanne (by Rock Of Gibraltar) and also of last year's middle-distance listed scorer Sassella (by Lope De Vega).
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FRESHMAN UPDATE
The big news on the freshman front this past week was the victory of Thunder Snow in the Group 1 Criterium International over seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, a first winner at the highest level for Dalham Hall Stud's shuttle stallion Helmet (by Exceed And Excel).
There weas also some blacktype for Thais (by Rio De La Plata), who finished third in the Group 3 Prix Miesque at Maisons-Laffitte on Tuesday.
Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) hero Tin Horse (by Sakhee), who stands at Haras de Grandchamp, was represented by nine-furlong winner Arpani at Chantilly on Saturday, while Haras de la Cauviniere's Rajsaman (by Linamix) added to his tally when Namasjar scored over a half-furlong farther at the same venue on Monday.
Original Choice (by Dragon Pulse) justified favouritism in a seven-furlong maiden at Redcar on Tuesday and Dolokhov (by Harbour Watch) won again at Chantilly on Thursday.