GROUP 1 ONE-TWO FOR WAR FRONT
Claiborne Farm's outstanding stallion War Front (by Danzig) added another Group 1 winner to his tally when Brave Anna sprang a 25/1 surprise in the Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday and, for good measure, the filly she short-headed was Roly Poly, another Aidan O'Brien-trained daughter of the stallion.
Evie Stockwell's homebred won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and all three of the filly's wins, from six starts, have been over six furlongs.
Brave Anna is a full-sister to the mile Grade 1 scorer Hit It A Bomb and her dam is a half-sister to the 10-furlong Group 3 winner The Bogberry (by Hawk Wing), but for reasons I outlined earlier in the year, she is not guaranteed to follow in their path.
She is out of the pattern-winning sprinter Liscanna (by Sadler's Wells), who is out of the stakes-winning sprinter Lahinch (by Danehill Dancer), and so she could be more of a Commonwealth Cup filly than a classic one.
War Front was also in the news this week as his triple Group 1-winning son Air Force Blue, who was Europe's juvenile champion of 2015, is to take up stallion duties at Ashford Stud in Kentucky next season.
---
NEW GROUP 1 STAR FOR CHOISIR
Australian-bred sprint star Choisir (by Danehill Dancer), who shuttled to Coolmore Stud, notched-up the ninth Group 1 winner of his career to date when The Last Lion sprang a 25/1 surprise in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Mark Johnston-trained colt, who was bred by the partnership of Barronstown Stud and Liz Stack, cost €82,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, and Johnston had to go to €155,000 to secure his Power (by Oasis Dream) half-brother in Tuesday's session of that famous auction.
The Last Lion is out of Mala Mala (by Brief Truce), who finished third in both the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, her other progeny include the stakes winners Contest (by Danehill Dancer) and Russian Rock (by Rock Of Gibraltar), and she herself is a half-sister to two horses of note.
Her half-sister Tarascon (by Tirol) won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, when trained by Tommy Stack, and her half-brother Mister Monet (by Peintre Celebre) got his best win in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano.
This is the family of Group 1 winners such as Al Hareb (by El Gran Senor), Myboycharlie (by Danetime), and Snowland (by Snippets), each of whom has sired blacktype winners.
---
POTENTIAL CLASSIC COLT FOR AZAMOUR
Multiple Group 1 star and late Gilltown Stud stallion Azamour (by Night Shift) has had two Group 1 classic winners among his daughters – Covert Love and Valyra - and also this year's Group 2 German 1000 Guineas heroine Hawksmoor, and in 2017 he may have a son targeting the classics.
The Hugo Palmer-trained Best Of Days, who Godolphin bought after his impressive winning debut at Sandown in July, was a narrow winner of the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile at Newmarket on Saturday.
The performance earned an immediate ante-post of 25/1 for both the 2000 Guineas and Derby of 2017.
Best Of Days was bred by Gerhard Schoeningh, he is the first foal out of the mile stakes winner Baisse (by High Chaparral), and his grandam is the Listed Give Thanks Stakes third Best Side (by King's Best).
His dam's half-brother Azmeel (by Azamour) won the Group 3 Dee Stakes and was awarded the Group 3 Classic Trial, and his grandam's siblings include the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes winner Grand Ducal (by Danehill Dancer).
There are various other stakes winners within the first six generations of the family, mostly at around a mile to 10 furlongs, although Tree Of Life (by Shirley Heights), who could be described as being a three-parts sister to the colt's third dam Mood Swings (by Shirley Heights), was listed-placed in England over two miles.
---
BIG INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE FOR DYLAN THOMAS
Prolific Group 1 star and Coolmore dual-purpose stallion Dylan Thomas (by Danehill) recorded a notable international double at the weekend.
On Saturday, his five-year-old son Spark Plug was an impressive two and a quarter-length winner of the Betfred Cambridgeshire over nine furlongs at Newmarket, a performance that has seen his handicap mark rise to 112.
The Brian Meehan-trained gelding, who was bred by Airlie Stud, was runner-up in the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown in early July and he may now be set for a return to stakes level, or even a rise into pattern company.
He is out of the South African Grade 1 winner Kournikova (by Sportsworld), which makes him a half-brother to the stakes-winning stayer Slight Advantage (by Peintre Celebre) and to the Group 2-placed dual stakes-winning miler Pearl Of Africa (by Jeremy).
On Sunday, the Peter Schiergen-trained four-year-old Nightflower became the first filly to win the Group 1 Preis von Europa twice. Last year she took the famous 12-furlong contest by two lengths on soft ground, this year she landed the prize by three-parts of a length on good ground, and her multiple placings at the highest level include second in last year's Group 1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks).
The chesnut is owned and bred by Jurgen Imm, she is the first foal out of the Group 2 Oaks d'Italia winner Night Of Magic (by Peintre Celebre), and she comes from the immediate family of the German classic stars Night Petticoat (by Petoski), Next Desert (by Desert Style) and Next Gina (by Perugino).
---
ANOTHER GALILEO CLEAN SWEEP
The number of pattern races in which Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) has sired the first three home increased last weekend when Capri beat Yucatan and Exemplar in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes.
These Galileo colts, all of whom are trained by Aidan O'Brien, finished 16 lengths clear of the fourth, which is a good sign, even allowing for the effect on the others of the heavy ground.
The winner was bred by the partnership of Lynch Bages Ltd and Camas Park Stud, he is a grey son of Dialafara (by Anabaa) and he has now won three of his four starts.
His dam stayed 12 furlongs, and his grandam, Diamilina (by Linamix), won the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret over that trip before losing out in a photo, with Aquarelliste, in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.
His string of top-level entries include some of the best juvenile contests of the next month, and also next year's Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and Group 1 Investec Derby.
Yucatan is out of the brilliant Six Perfections (by Celtic Swing), which makes him a half-brother to the Group 2-winning sprinter Planet Five (by Storm Cat) and to the Grade 3 scorer Faufiler, and he was bred by the Niarchos Family.
Exemplar, who is out of Miarixa (by Linamix), is a half-brother to the dual classic star Blue Bunting (by Dynaformer). He was bred by the Miarixa Syndicate.
---
TEOFILO'S CURRAGH DOUBLE
Kildangan Stud's classic sire Teofilo (by Galileo) added two new stakes winners to his tally at the Curragh on Sunday, one of whom could be a classic contender in 2017 and the other a potential Cup star.
The Aga Khan's homebred juvenile Eziyra is trained by Dermot Weld and she won the Group 3 C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes over seven furlongs, the race named in honour of her trainer's parents.
This was her second win from four starts, she was a neck runner-up to Sea Of Grace in the Group 3 Flame Of Tara EBF Stakes on her previous outing, and this half-sister to mile listed scorer Eshera (by Oratorio) is out of Eytarna (by Dubai Destination).
That mare won at up to 12 furlongs and, as she is out of the Group 2-placed triple stakes winner Ebaziya (by Darshaan), she is a half-sister to the Group 1 stars Ebadiyla (by Sadler's Wells), Edabiya (by Rainbow Quest), Enzeli (by Kahyasi), and Estimate (by Monsun).
The latter named pair won the Group 1 Gold Cup at Ascot and it is that famous event for which Twilight Payment could become a contender.
Jim Bolger bred and trains the three-year-old, who chased home Order Of St George in the Group 3 Curragh Cup in August and beat Forgotten Rules by half a length in the Listed Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Loughbrown Stakes over two miles on Sunday.
He was rated 108 going into that race, he was third to Sword Fighter and recent Group 1 St Leger hero Harbour Law in the Listed Queen's Vase at Ascot in June, and has only run six times to date.
Godolphin's colt is the second foal out of the mile winner Dream On Buddy (by Oasis Dream) and his dam is a half-sister to the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes winner and Group 1 Irish Oaks runner-up Banimpire (by Holy Roman Emperor).
She, in turn, is out of My Renee (by Kris S), a pattern-placed dual stakes-winning grand-daughter of the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Detroit (by Riverman), dam of the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner and successful sire Carnegie (by Sadler's Wells).
Teofilo was also represented at that Curragh meeting by Flight Risk, the pattern-winning entire who was a three-quarter-length runner-up to The Happy Prince in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes over six furlongs.
He was bred by James Hanly, is trained by Jim Bolger, is half-brother to the pattern-winning filly Marionnaud (by Spectrum), and out of Raghida (by Nordico), a pattern-placed half-sister to classic-placed Group 1 scorer Sholokhov (by Sadler's Wells).
---
FRESHMAN UPDATE
Coolmore Stud's juvenile and classic star Power (by Oasis Dream) notched-up his second stakes winner when the pattern-placed colt Biz Power won the Listed Premio Vittorio Riva in Milan on Sunday.
The Stefano Botti-trained colt was bred by Massimo Parri and he is out of Biz Bar (by Tobougg), who is the stakes-winning dam of the Group 1 star Biz The Nurse (by Oratorio) and pattern scorers Biz Heart (by Roderic O'Connor) and Misterious Boy (by Arcano).
Rosabelle (by Mayson) took the five and a half furlong nursery at Chester on Saturday, her second win from six starts, just over half an hour after Celestation (by Excelebration) made it fourth time lucky when scoring over seven furlongs at that venue.
That same afternoon, the Richard Hannon-trained Barney Roy (by Excelebration) looked potentially pattern class on his debut at Haydock, taking a mile maiden by three and three-quarter lengths. The £70,000 Doncaster graduate comes from the immediate family of Group 1 sprint star Gordon Lord Byron (by Byron).
Their Coolmore-based sire also added to his tally when Party Tiger, running for the fourth time, got off the mark in a six-furlong maiden on heavy ground at Hamilton on Monday, and he got his second blacktype horse when Istan finished third in the Listed Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse on Tuesday.
The runner-up in that six-furlong contest was Born To Be (by Born To Sea).
The Charlie Appleby-trained colt Timeless Flight (by Helmet) made it two wins from three starts when justifying favouritism over seven furlongs at Kempton on Wednesday evening.
Mutahaady (by Elzaam) completed a hat-trick when taking the seven-furlong nursery at Epsom on Sunday, and Drop Kick Murphi (by Sir Prancealot) also made it three wins from six starts when successful in the five and a half-furlong nursery at Bath on Monday.
Quinteo (by Requinto) showed plenty of improvement from his unplaced debut effort when springing a 12/1 surprise in the seven-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.
The Roger Varian-trained colt Trick Of The Light (by Dragon Pulse) also made it second time lucky when striking over the minimum trip at Nottingham on Wednesday, half an hour before Saeed bin Suroor's Darley-bred newcomer Dowayla (by Sepoy) made a winning debut over the extended mile at the same venue.
Iftitah (by Harbour Watch) got off the mark at the sixth attempt when scoring over six furlongs at Chelmsford on Thursday evening, that four and a half-length nursery success coming about 90 minutes before Under Control (by Power) took the mile nursery at the same venue. Victory for the latter, a William Haggas-trained gelding, was his second from three starts.