FRESH from their coronation, King Charles III and Queen Camilla enjoyed a debut success with their two-year-old colt Serried Ranks, bred by the late Queen Elizabeth.

The huge significance of the victory was that it was a first for his sire Land Force (No Nay Never), and a day later the stallion doubled up when Natural Force won on his debut at Ascot. The latter colt was bred by Highclere Stud and Harry Herbert, both of whom have close royal connections.

Highclere is run by the late Queen Elizabeth’s racing manager Jake Warren and his wife, Carolyn. She is a sister of Harry Herbert, and their late father, Lord Porchester, was also racing manager to Queen Elizabeth.

Land Force was trained at Ballydoyle and won a six-furlong Curragh maiden, before running third to the subsequent Group 1 star Fairyland in the Listed Marble Hill Stakes. A half-length third in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, he then easily won a five-furlong listed contest at Tipperary.

That success came a month before he landed the Group 2 Richmond Stakes over six furlongs at Goodwood, beating Marie’s Diamond and Shine So Bright, and just 17 days later he finished fourth to Pretty Pollyanna in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. He was sent to Australia in the spring of his three-year-old season but ran just once, finishing fourth over five furlongs.

Obvious appeal

Land Force had obvious appeal as a stallion, being a son of No Nay Never (Scat Daddy), then emerging as a hugely successful sire. His current tally of seven Group 1 winners is only the beginning, and with much improved books of mares in more recent seasons, it is likely that the best is yet to come.

That is quite a statement when his present list of Group 1 winners includes such standouts as Ten Sovereigns, Alcohol Free, Meditate, Blackbeard and Little Big Bear.

This year breeders can avail of Land Force at £5,000, down from his starting price of £6,500. Should he continue in the same vein as he has begun, there is only one way that this fee will go in the future.

Bred by the late Evie Stockwell, John Magnier’s mother, Land Force is out of the Group 3-winning Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill) mare Theann, who is also the dam of the dual US Grade 1 winner Photo Call (Galileo). Theann is out of the influential and hugely talented sprinter Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge), a half-sister to classic heroine Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal).

A three-time Group 1 and classic winner, Highway To Heaven is the dam of top-flight winners Magical and Rhododendron, both daughters of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells). Cassandra Go is a half-sister to the successful sprint sire Verglas (Highest Honor).

Culled

What of the family of Serried Ranks? Well, for starters, his dam is no longer among the broodmare band at The Royal Studs. Pack Together (Paco Boy) was culled last year at the Tattersalls December Sale for 11,000gns, acquired by Culworth Grounds Farm near Banbury. The good news for them is that she was carrying a full-sibling to Serried Ranks.

That said, she needed to get her first winner, as her first three runners had all shown some ability, but had done no better than to be placed. Serried Ranks is her fourth offspring, while her fifth is a yearling filly by Cable Bay (Invincible Spirit).

Serried Ranks is trained by Ralph Beckett, while his dam Pack Together raced in the royal silks and was trained by Richard Hannon. She only won once, at two, but she was placed a number of times in listed races in England and France, beaten less than a length on each occasion when runner-up in such races at Ascot and Sandown Park. This is a female line that has a long association with Queen Elizabeth and The Royal Studs.

Right Approach

Pack Together is the sole stakes-performer among six winning foals of New Assembly (Machiavellian), and she was a stakes-placed full-sister to the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Stakes winner Right Approach. That colt raced for Queen Elizabeth and was runner-up to Dubai Destination in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Even so, he sold that autumn for just 65,000gns, and on his second start for new connections netted some £450,000 when dead-heating in a Group 1 at Nad Al Sheba!

Right Approach was one of nine winners out of Abbey Strand (Shadeed), a daughter of Christchurch (So Blessed). That winning mare had no fewer than 14 winners to her credit, while her placed daughter Spire (Shirley Heights) bred the dual Hong Kong champion Privilege (Last Tycoon).