SIOUX Nation has already given breeder John Halley, trading as Fethard Bloodstock, much to cheer about. The colt won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and on Sunday went one better when taking the honours in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

A son of the much lamented Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), whose daughter Dacita also won the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes in the USA at the weekend, Sioux Nation is actually from a family that is better known in Europe than in the USA where the champion two-year-old elect (is it too early to say this?) was bred.

Sioux Nation is the second foal from the Irish-bred Dream The Blues, a daughter of Oasis Dream (Green Desert). She was bred by Helen Keaveney and sold for €60,000 as a yearling at Goffs. Dream The Blues made a single start, in the October of her three-year-old season, and it was a winning one at Redcar when carrying the colours of John Halley.

Sioux Nation has a yearling own-brother and a Declaration Of War (War Front) half-brother, born this year, while their dam was covered this time around by Air Force Blue (War Front). Dream The Blues is one of seven winners from Catch The Blues (Bluebird) and she was a talented sprinter, winning the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes and finishing runner-up in the Cork & Orrery Stakes and third in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup.

Daughters of Catch The Blues include the stakes-placed Colour Blue (Holy Roman Emperor), Dream The Blues’ full-sister Bean Uasal, a dual winner and dam of two winners, and the placed Catch The Sea (Barathea), the dam of Group 3 winner My Catch (Camacho) and the leading Spanish two-year-old and Group 1 Prix Morny third Vladamir (Kheleyf),

CATCH THE SEA

Catch The Sea has a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel (Danehill) in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale, while Bean Uasal has a yearling filly by Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) in the upcoming Goffs Sportsmans Sale.

This is a female line renowned for producing lots of winners. Catch The Blues bred seven, as did her dam Dear Lorraine (Nonoalco). She was a winner in France and one of five winners, from five foals, produced by the stakes-placed Native Loraine (Raise A Native). That mare was a half-sister to the French Derby winner Caracolero (Graustark) who made no impact as a stallion.