THE early stallion sons of Invincible Spirit (by Green Desert) include the Group 1-sires I Am Invincible and Lawman, plus notable 2018 freshmen Charm Spirit and Kingman, and that augurs well for the prospects of those by his three-parts brother Kodiac (by Danehill).
None has yet had runners, but Adaay, Coulsty, Kodi Bear and Prince Of Lir have yearlings in 2019, and the first foals by Ardad and Koropick are arriving now. Kessaar is the latest son of Kodiac to take up stallion duties, and significantly he has joined his sire at Tally-Ho Stud.
That team also bred the horse, they sold him for 100,000gns from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and John Gosden trained the late-April-born bay.
He was a half-length runner-up in a six-furlong York maiden on his debut in May, ran behind Soldier’s Call in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month, but then bounced back, in a first-time hood, to take a Windsor novice event by 10 lengths.
Juveniles who win by that sort of margin often turn out to be smart, and Kessaar did just that. Although beaten at Ripon next time, he was an easy winner of both the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes on the polytrack at Kempton and the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes on soft ground at Newbury before finishing fourth to Royal Meeting in the Group 1 Criterium International over seven furlongs at Chantilly in late October.
He looked like an ideal prospect for this year’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, which will be run barely two months after his physical third birthday but he will have completed his first season at stud by the time the fifth edition of that significant addition to the racing calendar has taken place.
Kessaar is a full-brother to a winner and is the second foal of Querulous (by Raven’s Pass), an unraced daughter of the Group 3-placed miler Contentious (by Giant’s Causeway). His grandam is out of an unraced Mr Prospector (by Raise a Native) mare but is a half-sister to Gone Astray (by Dixie Union). He won the Grade 2 Ohio Derby and Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby, both over nine furlongs, and the Florida-based stallion is the sire of Florida-bred Horse of the Year Three Rules, a sprinter-miler who has earned just short of $1 million.
Kessaar’s fourth dam is the US champion and six-time Grade 1 star Inside Information (by Private Account), a half-sister to dual Grade 1 ace Educated Risk (by Mr Prospector), and she has two offspring of note.
Smuggler (by Unbridled) won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks and Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes and was 2005’s US champion three-year-old filly, whereas four-time winner Manipulator (by Unbridled) has sired five Grade 1 winners in Argentina, including a one-mile classic scorer.
Kessaar’s sire and juvenile race record will attract plenty of breeders to him. His relationship to Gone Astray and Manipulator adds to his potential.
KESSAAR (IRE). Won three races, £98,112, over 6 furlongs, at 2 years including, Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2, 188Bet Casino Sirenia Stakes, Kempton Park, Gr.3.
Retires to Stud in 2019.
Stands at: Tally-Ho Stud, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland.
Contact: Tony, Roger or Henry O’Callaghan
Telephone: +353 (0)44 9348450
Email: info@tallyhostud.com
Web: www.tallyhostud.com
Fee: €8,000