BALLYHANE Stud has proven itself to be top-notch for providing commercial breeders with choice and value, and Joe and Jane Foley’s farm this year welcomes a sprinting star who has exceptional good looks, and a pedigree that is faultless.

The loss of Dandy Man was a sad end to 2023 for Ballyhane, a year that saw the first crop of Soldier’s Call enjoy a magnificent season. That son of Showcasing (Oasis Dream) was also lost to Ballyhane, moving to stand this year at Dullingham Park, but Joe Foley struck to secure the services of another of his sons, and introduces Asymmetric at an opening fee of €7,000.

Trained in England, the USA and France, Asymmetric made his presence felt everywhere. His best season was as a two-year-old when he won half of his six starts, all over six furlongs. They comprised novice events at Goodwood and Newmarket, and he was back at the former to land the Group 2 Richmond Stakes. His defeated opposition that day included Group 1 winners Perfect Power and Ebro River.

Narrowly beaten by Lusail in the Group 2 July Stakes, Asymmetric was placed behind Perfect Power in the Group 1 Prix Morny.

Asymmetric left Alan King and moved to Wesley Ward in the United and there he was runner-up to Big Invasion, just denied victory in last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, in a listed race at Belmont Park.

Back in France last year with Maurizio Guarnieri, Asymmetric landed the five-furlong Listed Prix du Cercle at Deauville and was group-placed. His Deauville victory came half an hour before his half-brother Mill Stream (Gleneagles) won the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud on the same card. Both colts were bred by Jimmy Murphy’s Redpender Stud.

Mill Stream won the Group 3 Prix du Meautry and he and Asymmetric are the first two foals for Swirral Edge (Hellvelyn), a dual winner herself, including at two. Asymmetric was sold for 150,000gns as a breezer, while Mill Stream realised 350,000gns.

A feature of this family is that the first four dams in the pedigree have almost faultless records at stud. Swirral Edge is one of five winners from five runners for Pizzarra (Shamardal). The best of that quintet is the listed winner and group-placed Fashion Queen (Aqlaam), and last year her son Noble Title (Siyouni) enjoyed a stakes win.

Pizzarra was placed and was the only one of the nine runners out of Pizzicato (Statoblest) not to win. The eight included a pair of blacktype-winning fillies, and both have bred stakes winners. Wunders Dream (Averti) won the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and Group 3 Molecomb Stakes, while Grecian Dancer was successful in the Group 3 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes.

Pizzicato was one of six successful offspring of Musianica (Music Boy). Those half a dozen came from seven runners, and two were top-class in Hong Kong. Mensa (Rudimentary) was a champion there where his victories included the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, while his half-brother Firebolt (Flying Spur) was runner-up in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint.

Race record

ASYMMETRIC (IRE), Bay horse, 2019. Won 4 races, value £213,032, at 2 and 4, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, Richmond Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2, Prix du Cercle, Deauville, L., also placed second in July Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.2, Paradise Creek Stakes, Belmont Park, L. and third in Prix Morny, Deauville, Gr.1 and Prix du Petit Couvert, ParisLongchamp, Gr.3.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2024.

Information

Stands at: Ballyhane Stud, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, R93 K095, Ireland.

Contact: Joe or Jane Foley

Telephone: +353 (0)59 9722068 or +353 (0)86 2524135 (Joe) or +353 (0)86 8066000 (Jane)

Email: info@ballyhane.com

Web: www.ballyhane.com

Fee: €7,000