THE annual freshman sires competition generates a lot of interest, and although those who emerge as the future sources of leading Derby and Oaks contenders tend to make their move up the table in the latter half of the season (New Approach is an obvious recent exception), those who have the potential to become a source of two-year-old, sprint and mile stars can, by midsummer, already have taken high rank among their classmates.
Not every horse who tops the freshman table will go on to become a sire of note, as sales races and lowly-rated blacktype earners can inflate their position, but when one separates himself from the pack with such a show of strength as Zoffany did in 2015, then we have a young stallion who looks destined for the top.
By the end of June he had turned the competition into an apparent one-horse race, and despite a spirited challenge by both Canford Cliffs and Dream Ahead, he was never in danger of being caught.
That month Argentero won the Listed Rochestown Stakes, Waterloo Bridge took the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, Washington DC landed the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes and Illuminate impressed in the Group 3 Albany Stakes.
Later, Washington DC chased home European champion Air Force Blue in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Illuminate added Newmarket’s Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes before her half-length second to Lumiere in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.
Classic colt
Then there’s potential classic colt Foundation.
Depending on which part of the distaff side of his family is influencing his aptitude, he is a likely mile to 10 furlong colt who could manage to get the Derby distance, and the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner’s only defeat in four starts was his third place finish in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy.
Zoffany is a son of leading sire Dansili (by Danehill) and his pattern-winning half-brother Wilshire Boulevard (by Holy Roman Emperor) is starting a stallion career in Denmark this month.
His dam is a half-sister to the Grade 2 scorer Spotlight (by Dr Fong), his grandam Dust Dancer (by Suave Dancer) is a Group 3-winning half-sister to Bulaxie (by Bustino), and that mare’s descendants include pattern winners Claxon (by Caerleon), Cassydora (by Darshaan) and Ernest Hemingway (by Galileo).
Dust Dancer’s full-sister Dust Flicker gave us the juvenile stakes winner Sweepstake (by Acclamation), and her half-brother Zimzalabim (by Damister) was a Group 1-placed stakes winner in France.
This is a good racing family but now Zoffany is elevating it to one that can get stallions, and it is just a matter of time before he has a first Group 1 winner to his name.
Jt top rated 3yr old miler in Ireland in 2011. Won five races, £337,075, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 years including, Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1, Korean Racing Authority Tyros Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, Golden Fleece Stakes, Leopardstown, L, also placed second in Prix Jean Prat, Chantilly, Gr.1, St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, and third in Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1.
Retired to stud in 2012, and sire of the winners of 45 races, and £831,733, including FOUNDATION (IRE), ILLUMINATE (IRE), WATERLOO BRIDGE (IRE), ARGENTERO (GB), WASHINGTON DC (IRE), Dolce Strega (IRE), Light Up Our World (IRE), EL SUENA (IRE), SECRET TALE (IRE), etc
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars or Jason Walsh
Telephone: +353 (0) 52 6131298
Email: info@coolmore.ie
Website: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €45,000