IN June 2016, Prince Of Lir lined up for Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Norfolk Stakes having had one previous start. That was a five-furlong Beverley maiden less than three weeks before, and he had won it in promising style on fast ground.

He also won at Ascot, by a narrower margin than on his debut and this time with the ground riding soft, beating a colt who would go on to win one of the autumn’s top juvenile sprints. That rival was The Last Lion, winner of the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, and this was the second time he had beaten that runner.

Four years later, The Lir Jet also went to Royal Ascot off the back of an impressive debut success over five furlongs on fast ground, in his case at Yarmouth. After that win Sheikh Fahad swooped to snap him up. The Lir Jet also won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes from a future Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, Golden Pal, by a neck on good to soft. Like father, like son.

The Lir Jet was in the first-crop of Prince Of Lir, and whereas Royal Ascot was the career highlight on the track for his sire, the son would go on to be a short-head runner-up in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin over six furlongs at Chantilly and chase home Lucky Vega in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh. Transferred to the USA, The Lir Jet also won at Grade 2 level there.

Last year Prince Of Pillo became a second stakes-winning juvenile for Prince Of Lir, and he won three of his five starts, notably the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr, and he was third in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes and fourth in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes. Also last season, Live In The Dream was runner-up to group winner Mitbaahy in the Listed Scurry Stakes, with Caturra in third.

Prince Of Lir’s early runners also included the stakes-placed pair of two-year-olds, Queen Of Rio and Puerto Princesa, and the former was second in the Listed Roses Stakes at York, beaten by a nose.

A feature of Prince Of Lir’s performance to date, and one that breeders must take notice of, is that he has done all of this with limited representation. His fourth crop are two-year-olds, and 50% of all his runners have won. He has only had about 90 starters to date, and at €3,000 he must represent incredible value. His 2023 juveniles include a half-brother to Oscula who cost Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock €300,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale.

Kodiac

In 2010, the then freshman sire Kodiac (Danehill) caught the eye with three listed winners, a Group 3 Molecomb Stakes runner-up and several others who were multiple scorers. Kodiac and Prince Of Lir both went to stud at €5,000. Like father, like son.

Now the Tally-Ho sire is responsible for six Group 1 winners, and last year stood for €65,000.

A half-brother to the stakes-winning sprinter Nitro Boost (Dandy Man), Prince Of Lir is one of four winners out of a winning half-sister to the Group 3 sprint winner Resplendent Glory (Namid). His grandam is a winning half-sister to Group 2 King’s Stand Stakes-third Funny Valentine (Cadeaux Genereux) and to the stakes-placed dam of the Group 2-winning sprinter Donnerschlag (Bahamian Bounty).

There are some notable milers farther back on the page, including a Group 1 New Zealand Guineas heroine.

Race record

PRINCE OF LIR (IRE), Bay 2014. Won two races, £75,619, over 5 furlongs, at 2 years including, Norfolk Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2.

At stud

Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 112 races, and £1,256,390 including THE LIR JET (IRE), PRINCE OF PILLO (IRE), Live In The Dream (IRE), Puerto Princesa (IRE), and Queen Of Rio (IRE)

Information

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

Contact: Joe Foley or Jane Foley

Telephone: +353 59 972 2068, Joe Foley +353 86 252 4135, Jane +353 86 806 6000

Email: info@ballyhane.com

Web: www.ballyhane.com.

Fee: €3,000