THE 12 winners who represented the Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer) line at Cheltenham last month included Labaik (by Montmartre), Might Bite (by Scorpion) and Nichols Canyon (by Authorized), a trio singled out because they were festival Grade 1 stars by sons of Montjeu (by Sadler’s Wells). Tiger Roll (by Authorized) was a Grade 2 winner this time around but winner of the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle in 2014.
Leading Light is not only another notable son of brilliant middle-distance horse and outstanding classic sire Montjeu, but he is among the best of them, getting his classic success in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster before going on to add the Group 1 Gold Cup at Ascot.
The Grange Stud resident has been one of the busiest stallions in Europe since he began his new career and his first foals fetched up to €27,000 at auction last year.
He made 560,000gns in Newmarket as a yearling, which says plenty about his looks and the strength of his pedigree, and it could be as little as another four or five years before Leading Light too gets a Cheltenham star.The amount of stamina he showed was something of a surprise given that his dam, Dance Parade (by Gone West), won the Group 3 Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot as a two-year-old, won a seven-furlong Group 3 at Newbury at three and then went on to Grade 2 success over a mile at Santa Anita as a four-year-old.
Her siblings include Californian Grade 3 winner Ocean Queen (by Zilzal) and a non-winner called Treasure Trove (by The Minstrel), and their dam River Jig (by Irish River) was a Group 3-placed stakes winner in Italy. Ocean Queen is the grandam of Grade 2 Sunland Derby winner, Grade 1 Malibu Stakes third and young Florida-based stallion Chitu (by Henny Hughes), while Treasure Trove is the dam of both Toylsome (by Cadeaux Genereux) and Coral Mist (by Bahamian Bounty).
Toylsome won 16 times including the Group 1 Prix de la Foret over seven furlongs at Longchamp, and the better of Coral Mist’s two juvenile wins came in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes over six furlongs at Ayr.
River Jig is, in turn, a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Miranda (by Forli), the mare who gave us the French stayer and nine-furlong Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Always Aloof (by Alleged) and is third dam of five and a half-furlong Group 1 star Bel Sprinter (by Bel Esprit).
Champion 3yr old stayer in Europe in 2013. Won eight races, £760,982, from 1 mile 1 furlong to 2½ miles, 2 to 4 years including, Ascot Gold Cup, Ascot, Gr.1, Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.1, Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, Ballycullen Palmerstown St Leger Trial, Curragh, Gr.3, Coolmore Vintage Crop Stakes, Navan, Gr.3, Sir Henry Cecil Memorial Queen’s Vase, Ascot, Gr.3, also placed second in Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger, Curragh, Gr.1.
Retired to stud in 2015, first crop now yearlings.
Stands at: Grange Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland
Contact: David Magnier, Peter Magnier, Albert Sherwood, Andrew Magnier, David O’Sullivan, Catherine Magnier
Telephone: +353 (0)25 33006
Email: info@grangestud.com
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €4,500