IN the same week of the announcement that Lonhro (Octagonal) has been retired from stallion duties, his Group 3-winning son Sweynesse sired the Group 1 The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup winner, Lucky Sweynesse, at Sha Tin.
This was in fact the second Group 1 win of the season for the four-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, and his tenth victory in all, and he defeated a small but select field, with the Irish-bred California Spangle finishing runner-up.
Lucky Sweynesse also won the Group 1 The Centenary Sprint Cup, and his earnings stand at £2.85 million. What a bargain he was when costing NZ$90,000 at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale.
Lucky Sweynesse is the first Group 1 winner for his sire who stands at Novara Park Stud in Waikato, New Zealand. He is one of a pair of winners produced from mating that stallion with the listed winner Madonna Mia, and she is a daughter of the former Tally-Ho stallion Red Clubs (Red Ransom).
The second winner out of the mare is Lucky Sweynesse’s year-older own-sister Signora Nera (Sweynesse), and while she did not manage a stakes victory, her placed efforts included running third in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.
Signora Nera and Lucky Sweynesse are the first two foals from their dam, and she in turn is a daughter of the unraced Hill Of Hope (Danehill). While this branch of the dam line has been a little quiet for a few generations, other arms of it have thrived.
Madonna Mia’s third dam was the leading juvenile filly Beach Gown (Cerreto), and she bred two outstanding fillies, the Group 1 winner Wrap Around (Bletchingly), and the champion two-year-old filly Rose Of Danehill (Danehill).
Wrap Around has herself become the grandam of another Australian champion two-year-old, Fashions Afield (Redoute’s Choice).
Irish-bred Honour lands Australian feature
BRED in Ireland by Macha Bloodstock and Meridian International, Dubai Honour left his Group 1 winning rivals four and a half lengths and more behind when securing the 10-furlong Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill under Ryan Moore on Saturday.
Following Protagonist’s victory in the previous weekend’s Group 3 Sky High Stakes, this result takes trainer William Haggas’ record in Australia to seven wins from 11 runs, four of those victories at Group 1 level, twice in the weekend’s feature.
Dubai Honour is now poised to run in the A$5 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 8th. Haggas has known form in taking a Ranvet winner on to success at Randwick, having saddled Addeybb to win both contests in 2020.
Dubai Honour is the second Group 1 winner, joining Bella Nipotina, for Coolmore’s Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) who stood for three seasons in Ireland. He had previous Group 1 form, chasing Sealiway home in the 2021 Group 1 Champion Stakes, and that was a good season as he won a pair of Group 2 races in France. With more than £1.2 million in the bank, Dubai Honour has well repaid the 110,000gns invested in him as a yearling.
Retained
Mondelice (Montjeu), the dam of Dubai Honour, was sold as a yearling in Keeneland for $270,000, but having failed to race she was sold on, carrying her first foal, our Group 1 star Dubai Honour, for just 75,000gns. At the 2021 December Sale, following her son’s good three-year-old season, she was reoffered for sale, covered by New Bay (Dubawi), but retained at 775,000gns.
Her second foal was placed in the USA, and she has a three-year-old, Manxman (Cracksman) with Simon and Ed Crisford, while her two-year-old son of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) sold to Ben McElroy last year for 220,000gns.
A half-sister to Group 3 winner Last Kingdom (Frankel), Mondelice is a granddaughter of Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Damson (Entrepreneur). Her nine winners included the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Requinto (Dansili).
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