SIXTH GROUP 1 ACE FOR SEA THE STARS
Gilltown Stud stallion and Timeform 140-rated superstar Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) notched up his sixth individual Group 1 winner when Cloth Of Stars beat Zarak in the Prix Ganay over 10 and a half furlongs at Saint-Cloud on Monday.
The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old is owned by Godolphin, he was bred by Peter Anastasiou, and he is out of Strawberry Fledge (by Kingmambo), a full-sister to Group 1 Oaks heroine Light Shift.
That star, who is a half-sister to the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Shiva (by Hector Protector), is the dam of the high-class performer Ulysees (by Galileo).
The top-class sisters are also siblings to Burning Sunset (by Caerleon), who is the grandam of Derby-placed multiple Grade 1 ace Main Sequence (by Aldebaran), and their grandam is the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-placed Group 1 Prix Vermeille and Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) star Northern Trick (by Northern Dancer).
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DARK ANGEL FILLY HAS CLASSIC POTENTIAL
Leading sire Dark Angel (by Acclamation) has a leading candidate for the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. His daughter Rehana impressively beat older horses in the Group 3 Canford Cliffs Irish EBF Athasi Stakes over seven furlongs at Naas on Monday.
The Michael Halford-trained filly is owned and bred by H H the Aga Khan, she is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Rayisa (by Holy Roman Emperor), and out of Rayka (by Selkirk), who is a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Rayeni (by Indian Ridge). He chased home Mastercraftsman in 2009's edition of the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.
Rehana's third dam is the 12-furlong Group 3 scorer Rayseka (by Dancing Brave), a lightly-raced filly who was runner-up to Vintage Crop in a Group 1 Irish St Leger and to Halesia in the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu.
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NEW PATTERN WINNER FOR DREAM AHEAD
Recent Group 3 scorer Al Wukair is one of the favourites for Saturday's Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas but his sire, Dream Ahead (by Diktat), also added to his pattern tally when Dreams Aplenty narrowly won the Group 3 Ascot Green Gunsynd Classic over a mile at Eagle Farm, in Australia, on Saturday.
The John Zielke-trained three-year-old was bred by T C Bloodstock, he is a half-brother to the multiple sprint winner Bootlegging (by Charge Forward) and is out of Tipsy Moment (by Redoute's Choice), an unraced daughter of the Group 1-placed listed scorer For The Moment (by Zabeel).
His third dam, Miss Elliot (by Bletchingly), is a triple seven-furlong winner and full-sister to the Group 2-placed stakes winner Wild Rampage. His fourth dam is the Group 2 scorer Frivolous Lass (by In The Purple) and other descendants of that mare include the Group 1 stars Niconero (by Danzero), Nicconi (by Bianconi) and Zip Zip Away (by Bellotto).
Outstanding sprinter Dream Ahead began his career at Ballylinch Stud and is now in his first season at Haras de Grandcamp in France.
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IFFRAAJ FILLY STEPS UP
Last year's listed scorer and Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes third The Black Princess made a winning reappearance at Chantilly on Sunday, taking the Group 3 Prix Allez France over 10 furlongs.
The John Gosden-trained four-year-old was bred by Petra Bloodstock Agency Ltd, she is a daughter of Dalham Hall Stud stallion Iffraaj (by Zafonic) and she is out of Larceny (by Cape Cross).
That mare is a half-sister to the classic stars Latice (by Inchinor) and Lawman (by Invincinble Spirit), which will make her daughter an exciting prospect whenever the time comes for her to go to stud.
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ITALIAN CLASSIC DOUBLE FOR DARLEY SIRES
Thunder Snow represents the first crop of Darley shuttle sire Helmet (by Exceed And Excel) in Saturday night's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby but the stallion has already got a first classic winner on the books following the success of Anda Muchacho in the Group 3 Premio Parioli Sisal Matchpoint (Italian 2000 Guineas) over a mile at Capannelle on Monday.
Bred in Ireland by Thomas Hassett, the colt is trained by Il Cavallo In Testa, he was a listed scorer at San Siro last month, and he is out of Montefino (by Shamardal).
He is a half-brother to the Group 3-placed juvenile winner Parsley (by Zebedee) and his dam is out of Group 2 Blandford Stakes heroine Monturani (by Indian Ridge).
Anda Muchacho is a €26,000 graduate of the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale.
Mi Raccomando, who won the Group 3 Premio Regina Elena Dimensione Suono2 (Italian 1000 Guineas), made €70,000 in Italy as a yearling and the Stefano Botti-trained filly is a second Italian classic scorer for Poet's Voice (by Dubawi).
She was bred by Razza Del Sole Societa Agricola Srl, she is out of Maschera D'Oro (by Mtoto), she is a half-sister to stakes-placed Michele Strogoff (by Aqlaam) and to listed scorer Mia Diletta (by Selkirk), the latter being the dam of last year's Group 3 Premio Parioli winner Poeta Diletto (by Poet's Voice).
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ANOTHER OF NOTE FOR THE ABSENT DUKE
Multiple Group 1 star Duke Of Marmalade (by Danehill) spent five seasons at Coolmore Stud before moving to Drakenstein Stud in South Africa and his European-born stock yielded yet another pattern winner when Marmelo won the Group 3 Prix de Barbeville, in a good time, over 15 furlongs at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Hughie Morrison-trained four-year-old has been lightly raced, he was Group 2 placed last year, and he looks like an interesting contender for this season's Cup races.
The colt was bred by Deepwood Farm Stud, he is out of Capriolla (by In The Wings) and that makes him a half-brother to Group 3 Henry II Stakes winner Vent De Force (by Hurricane Run), whom Morrison also trains for The Fairy Story Partnership.
CHAPARRAL'S GOOD YEAR CONTINUES CROSS HEAD
Coolmore Stud's late dual Derby and dual Breeders' Cup Turf hero High Chaparral (by Sadler's Wells) has had a notable run of success so far in 2017 and Fabrizio added to that with victory in the Group 3 Livamol Hawkesbury Gold Cup over a mile at Hawkesbury, in Australia, on Saturday.
The gelded five-year-old was bred by Corumbene Stud, he is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and he is one of three pattern winners out of Desina (by Desert King).
Half-sister Mahara (by Hussonet) was a Group 3 scorer over seven furlongs at Flemington and her gelded full-brother Eagle Falls got the best of his three pattern wins in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate over five and a half furlongs at Caulfield.
Desina is out of the multiple stakes-winning sprinter Presina (by Prego) and her siblings include Faster Pussycat (by Flying Spur), the stakes-placed dam of three pattern-placed stakes winners.
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FRESHMAN UPDATE
Three members of the current crop of freshman sires had winners this week, each of them coming on Monday afternoon.
The £38,000 Goffs UK Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale graduate Time Trail made a winning debut at Beverley. The Michael Dods-trained filly was bred by Kevin Daniel Crabb, she is out of Starbeck (by Spectrum) and she is a half-sister to the six-time scorer Harrogate Fair (by Trade Fair).
She is a daughter of Whitsbury Manor Stud's high-class sprinter Swiss Spirit (by Invincible Spirit).
Then the Kevin Ryan-trained Havana Star took the second division of that five-furlong contest. The €37,000 Goffs Sportsman Yearling Sale graduate was bred by Mubarak Al Naemi, and his dam Nagham (by Camacho) is a winning half-sister to a pair that won 18 races between them.
He is a son of Group 1-winning miler and Tweenhills Farm and Stud stallion Havana Gold (by Teofilo).
The third one was Rock Of Estonia, the Charles Hills-trained son of late Tally-Ho Stud stallion Society Rock (by Rock Of Gibraltar) who made it two from two when an odds-on winner over the minimum trip at Bath.
This chesnut colt was bred by Colin Kennedy and he made 90,000gns from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.