THE result of the Listed EBF bumper at Cheltenham last weekend will have been welcomed by William and John Flood at Boardsmill Stud. While they had no direct connection to the winner Poetic Music, the unbeaten rising star is a daughter of Poet’s Voice (Dubawi), and the Trim stud farm is home to that stallion’s best runner, Poet’s Word.
To be fair, Poetic Music was not bred to be a National Hunt star, being purchased as a yearling at the Goffs UK Yearling Sale for £11,000. She was a half-sister to a couple of multiple winners, but it had been some years since their dam Mofeyda (Mtoto) had produced a successful offspring.
Patience paid off when, last October, the now three-year-old Poetic Music made her debut in a mile and five-furlong ‘bumper’ at Market Rasen, springing a surprise and winning handily.
Next stop was the sale ring, the Tattersalls Cheltenham November edition, and trainer Fergal O’Brien paid £60,000 to secure her for his Gloucestershire yard.
Now, in the space of less than three weeks, the four-year-old has added wins at Newbury and Cheltenham and it would seem the world is her oyster.
Though she hails from one of the best families in the stud book, her third dam South Sea Dancer (Northern Dancer) being a full-sister to two champions in Storm Bird and Norternette, Poetic Music’s dam is a half-sister to the six-time National Hunt winner Salhood (Capote) who was Grade 2-placed.
Exceptional company
Back to Poet’s Word. This dual Group 1 winner beat Crystal Ocean to land the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, while over the same course in the 10-furlong Prince of Wales’s Stakes he had more than two lengths to spare over Cracksman. In addition to twice winning at the highest level, he was four times runner-up in Group 1 races, always keeping exceptional company.
Poet’s Word retired to the Nunnery Stud at first where he covered a small book of mares, and this year he will have his first runners. Thankfully the Floods spotted an opportunity and acquired this exceptional good-looker (he realised £300,000 as a yearling). Breeders in Ireland flocked to him and he covered more than 200 mares in his first season in Co Meath.
The resulting foals hit the market in November and December and they sold like hotcakes. They averaged well over three times his covering fee – always a great litmus test – and sold for up to €85,000. The buyers list shows that all the good judges were on them, and six of the foals realised €40,000 or more.
The roads to Boardsmill will be busy again this spring.
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