BLUE Hen. You will see this term used regularly to describe broodmares of exceptional quality, but it is also in danger of being overused. For me, I prefer to retain it as a description for any broodmare who breeds four or more Group or Grade 1 winners on the flat.

Using that metric, you will find just eight mares in the world, and they are Eight Carat (dam of five Group 1 winners in Kaapstad, Marquise, Mouawad, Octagonal and Our Diamond Lover), Hasili (the only other mare to breed five Grade 1 winners in Banks Hill, Cacique, Champs Elysees, Heat Haze and Intercontinental), Dahlia (dam of Dahar, Dahlia’s Dreamer, Delegant and Rivlia), Darara (dam of Darazari, Dar Re Mi, Diaghilev (also known as River Dancer) and Rewilding), Ebaziya (dam of Ebadiyla, Edabiya, Enzeli and Estimate), Fall Aspen (dam of Fort Wood, Hamas, Northern Aspen and Timber Country), Toussaud (dam of Chester House, Chiselling, Empire Maker and Honest Lady) and finally Urban Sea (dam of Black Sam Bellamy, Galileo, Sea The Stars and My Typhoon).