IN 1981 a yearling full-brother to Storm Bird (by Northern Dancer) set a new world record price of $3.5 million in Keeneland, he joined the all-conquering Vincent O’Brien stable, and he was named Ballydoyle.

He was only fourth on his debut, then second before taking a six-furlong Naas maiden by three lengths, the highlight of a brief career. He sired some prolific winners at stud in the USA, and died at the age of 20, largely forgotten.

This year the current Ballydoyle team have another horse bearing that name, and this time it is one who could be a classic star.

She too began her career with the form figures 421, and her margin of victory in a seven-furlong Newmarket maiden was just short of three lengths, but her second place finish was a short-head defeat in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Ascot, and since her initial success she has added the figures 121.

She beat Minding by two lengths in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh in August, was runner-up to that same rival in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes three weeks later, and then beat Turret Rocks by a length and a quarter at Longchamp last Sunday to take the Group 1 Total Prix Marcel Boussac - Criterium des Pouliches over a mile.

Five years ago her full-sister Misty For Me (by Galileo) won the same contest before going on to add the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, and that filly rounded off her career with a close third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs.

Misty For Me also won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, reversing the placings with Laughing Lashes, the filly who beat her in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes.

Her first foal is a juvenile filly named Cover Song (by Fastnet Rock) and she had a War Front (by Danzig) filly last year.

Ballydoyle was bred by March Thoroughbreds, she is trained by Aidan O’Brien, and it would be no surprise to see her follow a similar schedule to that of her sister.

Misty For Me

Misty For Me stayed on well to be third over 11 furlongs in the Breeders’ Cup, but was beaten seven and a half lengths when fifth behind Dancing Rain in the Oaks, and there is no guarantee that Ballydoyle will stay any better at Epsom than she did.

Although they are daughters of Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) they are out of Butterfly Cove (by Storm Cat), an unraced full-sister to the seven-furlong Group 3 scorer Kamarinskaya, who was beaten by 20 lengths and more on her only tries at a mile.

Her half-brother Fasliyev (by Nureyev) ran only at two and the unbeaten champion took the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and the Group 1 Prix Morny, earning a Timeform rating of 120.

Some of his better progeny have been effective at around 10 to 12 furlongs, but sprinters and milers are what one more commonly associates with him.

Mr P’s Princess (by Mr Prospector) did not race, but given the exploits of her famous half-brothers it might have been expected that the seven to nine furlong range is where she would have been effective, perhaps with the stamina to stay 10 furlongs.

The older of the brothers was Desert Wine (by Damascus), a leading US juvenile whose three Grade 1 wins featured the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, and whose Grade 1 placings included the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

His half-brother, who was also placed in those two classics, is more closely related to Butterfly Cove than he was as Menifee, who was best at nine to 10 furlongs, is a son of the dual Grade 1 winner Harlan (by Storm Cat).

There is one more piece of evidence to suggest that Ballydoyle may stay 10 or 11 furlongs but struggle with the Oaks distance, and that is the record of her other talented full-sister Twirl.

She was runner-up in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York but then well-beaten in the Oaks, in the Ribblesdale Stakes, and in the Irish Oaks before taking the Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes over nine and a half furlongs at Gowran Park.

Although her sisters failed to stay the 12th furlong, it is possible that Ballydoyle could manage it. We will just have to wait and see.

Her pedigree does tilt the balance more towards the likelihood that it will prove just a bit too far for her, indicating that the eight to 11 furlong range is where she may excel, and so the Guineas races and perhaps the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) could provide her best classic moments.