GROUP 1 DOUBLE FOR DUBAWI
Dalham Hall Stud's outstanding stallion Dubawi notched up a Group 1 double on Sunday, with the first leg being provided by H H the Aga Khan's Zarak.
The classic-placed four-year-old is trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre and he beat Silverwave by three-parts of a length in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 12 furlongs.
As has been widely publicised, Zarak is a son of the brilliant Zarkava (by Zamindar), the undefeated champion whose tally included the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).
About an hour and a half later, Nezwaah completed the Dubawi double.
The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old, who was bred by Darley, ran out an easy winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs, and the triple stakes winner has now won five of her nine starts.
She is out of Ferdoos (by Dansili), who won the Listed Pinnacle Stakes over 12 furlongs at Haydock, and that half-sister to Group 3-placed multiple listed scorer Brusco (by Rock Of Gibraltar) is, in turn, a daughter of Blaze Of Colour (by Rainbow Quest).
That stakes-placed mare won twice over 12 furlongs in England and is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed miler Equity Princess (by Warning).
This is a branch of the family of dual US classic star Real Quiet (by Quiet American), of Group 2 Queen Anne Stakes winner Allied Forces (by Miswaki), US Grade 1-placed Grade 2 scorers Real Cozzy (by Cozzene) and Andujar (by Quiet American) and, farther back, of the top-class full-brothers Crowned Prince (by Raise a Native) and Majestic Prince.
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ANOTHER PURPLE PATCH FOR GALILEO
The victory of Capri in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday was just one of the big wins for Coolmore Stud's phenomenal stallion Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) in Ireland last weekend.
Johannes Vermeer and Clemmie, both also trained by Aidan O'Brien, were pattern winners at the same venue on Sunday.
The former, who won the Group 1 Criterium International over seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud on his final start at two, is now four years old and he beat Success Days by half a length in the Group 3 Finlay Volvo International Stakes over 10 furlongs.
He was bred by Desert Star Phoenix Jvc, he is out of Inca Princess (by Holy Roman Emperor), and his full-sister Elizabeth Browning was third behind Key To My Heart in the Listed Naas Oaks Trial at the end of last month.
Inca Princess is a winning daughter of Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and Group 3 Park Hill Stakes winner Miletrian (by Marju) and that talented performer is, in turn, a half-sister to Mr Combustible (by Hernando).
He won the Group 2 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, was third to Milan in the Group 1 St Leger, and fourth behind Galileo in the Derby at Epsom.
Clemmie, on the other hand, is a two-year-old bred by Liberty Bloodstock, she won the Group 3 Grangecon Stud Stakes over six furlongs, and she is a full-sister to juvenile star and dual classic hero Churchill.
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KODIAC DOUBLE
Tally Ho Stud stallion Kodiac (by Danehill) notched up a blacktype double on Saturday with the first leg being provided by Koropick in the Group 3 Betfred TV Chipchase Stakes over six furlongs at Newcastle.
The Hugo Palmer-trained three-year-old, who gave jockey Josephine Gordon her first pattern winner, had previously been placed at Group 3 and listed level.
He was bred by Canice Farrell and he is out of Kathoe (by Fayruz), an unraced half-sister to five winners. His grandam, Water Spirit (by Riverman), was also unraced and that half-sister Group 2 Gallinule Stakes fourth (did count for blacktype in those days) Northern Date (by Far North), comes from a branch of the family of the Group 1 stars Jaazeiro (by Sham) and Woodstream (by Northern Dancer).
Within the hour, True Valour completed the double for his sire with a half-length success in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Celebration Stakes over a mile at the Curragh.
That Johnny Murtagh-trained three-year-old was bred by Pat O'Rourke, he is out of five-time scorer Sutton Veny (by Acclamation), and his grandam, Carabine (by Dehere), is a half-sister to Group 1 2000 Guineas victor Mystiko (by Secreto).
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REKINDLING ADVERTISES ST LEGER POTENTIAL
With defeat of Wicklow Brave at the Curragh on Sunday, Joseph O'Brien-trained three-year-old Rekindling advertised both the loss of Coolmore Stud's dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero High Chaparral (by Sadler's Wells) and his own potential as a serious Group 1 St Leger candidate.
His sire produced a string of top-level winners around the world and even if this young son doesn't take the final classic of the year, there is every reason to hope he can still win a Group 1 before his career eventually comes to an end.
He was bred by the Pocock Family, his Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup victory was his second pattern success of the year, and he is a full-brother to Golden Sword, who won the Group 3 Chester Vase and chased home Fame And Glory in the Group 1 Irish Derby.
His dam, Sitara (by Salse), is out of Souk (by Ahonoora) and so is a half-sister to Group 2 Goodwood Cup runner-up Golden Quest (by Rainbow Quest), to the smart Puce (by Darshaan), and also to Shouk (by Shirley Heights), dam of the Group 1 stars Alexandrova (by Sadler's Wells) and Magical Romance (by Barathea).
The former, who won the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks in 2006, is the dam of Group 2-winning stayer Alex My Boy (by Dalakhani) and of the tragically ill-fated Group 1-placed Group 2 star Somehow (by Fastnet Rock).
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STARSPANGLEDBANNER SON WINS AGAIN
Coolmore Stud's top-class international performer Starspangledbanner (by Choisir) had very small initial crops but, in addition to Group 1 star and young stallion The Wow Signal, they also include Home Of The Brave.
The Hugo Palmer-trained chesnut took his record to six wins from 15 starts when justifying favouritism in the Group 3 Betway Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday. This was his second pattern success and his fifth one in blacktype company.
Home Of The Brave, whose pedigree I reviewed in detail in the 25th July 2015 edition of The Irish Field, is now five years old. He was bred by Earl Ecurie Du Grand Chene and he carries the Godolphin colours.
The €80,000 Arqana August Yearling Sale graduate is out of Blissful Beat (by Beat Hollow), who is a half-sister to the nine-furlong Group 3 winner and somewhat successful French sire Rashbag (by Reprimand) and also to Suggestive (by Reprimand), whose four blacktype wins also include the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket.
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FLAT LISTED WINNER FOR YEATS
Castle Hyde Stud stallion and star stayer Yeats (by Sadler's Wells) is building a good profile as a National Hunt stallion but had a stakes winner on the flat on Saturday.
The Jedd O'Keeffe-trained four-year-old Lord Yeats, who is owned and bred by Geoff and Sandra Turnbull, beat Second Step by a neck to take the Listed Betway Fred Archer Stakes over 12 furlongs.
This was the gelding's third win from 11 starts and he holds and entry in the Group 1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh in September.
Lord Yeats is inbred 2x4 to Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) as his grandam, Royal Jubilee, is a daughter of that great horse's son King's Theatre.
He is the first foal of the hurdles and dual middle-distance flat scorer Bogside Theatre (by Fruits Of Love) and his three-year-old half-brother Kilowatt (by Power) won over 12 furlongs at Ripon last month.
His dam is a half-sister to the blacktype-placed dual-purpose horse Lindenhurst (by Captain Marvelous), his grandam is a half-sister to a string of flat winners, and his third dam is Jaljuli (by Jalmood), a Group 1-placed half-sister to multiple Group 1 star Kooyonga (by Persian Bold).
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MAYSON SHOWING A LOT OF PROMISE
Cheveley Park Stud's Group 1 sprint star Mayson (by Invincible Spirit) is showing a lot of promise as a stallion and his long list winners, from his first two crops, includes nine stakes horses, four of whom are blacktype scorers.
The most recent addition to that quartet is Dance Diva, the Richard Fahey-trained juvenile who won the Listed Betway Empress Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday. Cheveley Park Stud's homebred is now unbeaten in three starts.
She is the fourth foal out of Dance East (by Shamardal), who won three times at up to nine furlongs, and her grandam, Russian Dance (by Nureyev), is a half-sister to Group 1 Racing Post Trophy, Group 2 Beresford Stakes and Group 2 Dante Stakes scorer Saratoga Springs (by El Gran Senor).
Dancing Diva's third dam is, therefore, Population (by General Assembly), a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Play It Safe (by Red Alert), to Grade 1 Washington DC International winner Providential (by Run The Gantlet), and to the talented Irish colt Prudent Manner (by Cure The Blues) whose wins included the Group 3 Glencairn Stakes.
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LISTED WIN FOR POUR MOI FILLY
Coolmore's recently crowned classic sire Pour Moi (by Montjeu) had a day of mixed fortune at the Curragh on Saturday as his Derby-winning son Wings Of Eagles was a close third, but injured, in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, and his daughter Only Mine won a listed race.
That was the six-furlong Dubai Duty Free Jumeriah Creekside Dash Stakes, in which she beat Gordon Lord Byron by a neck.
The four-year-old was bred by the late Marguerite Weld, she is trained by Joseph Murphy, and she is out of Truly Mine (by Rock Of Gibraltar), who won the Listed Salsabil Stakes at Dundalk and finished third in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes at the Curragh.
A full-sister to listed scorer True To Form, Truly Mine is out of Truly Yours (by Barathea), a winning half-sister to Grade 1-placed Group 2 Prix de la Nonette winner Dream Peace (by Dansili) and also to the classic-placed Catcher In The Rye (by Danehill), a Grade 1 sire in South America.
The third dam is, therefore, Grade 2 E P Taylor Stakes winner Truly A Dream (by Darshaan), the fourth dam is Group 3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Truly Special (by Caerleon), and so Only Mine comes from a branch of the famous Group 1-producing family whose role of honour includes Cerulean Sky (by Darshaan), Moonstone (by Dalakhani), Arctique Royale (by Royal And Regal), Ardross (by Run The Gantlet), and Electrocutionist (by Red Ransom), among others.
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DARK ANGEL FILLY STRIKES AGAIN
Roger Varian has had a great year with his Irish runners and Realtra added to the tally when winning the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Brownstown Stakes over seven furlongs at Fairyhouse on Wednesday evening.
The five-year-old daughter of Yeomanstown Stud stallion Dark Angel (by Acclamation) was bred by Tom and Geraldine Molan and this was her second win at pattern level. She also has two listed race wins to her name among an overall tally of seven wins from 22 starts.
She is out of one-time scorer Devious Diva (by Dr Devious) and her unraced grandam Dawn Chorus (by Mukaddamah) is responsible for the notable Hong Kong performer Supreme Rabbit (by Definite Article), who was previously known as Solid Approach.