WHEN Godolphin sold the unraced Dansili (Danehill) three-year-old Frequential at the Tattersalls February Sale to BBA Ireland six years ago, they were parting with the first foal of a four-year-old winner in France by Kingmambo (Mr Prospector).

That mare was Violante, and in addition to her single success, she was placed on no fewer than 13 occasions. A full-sister to the stakes winner Reunite (Kingmambo), Violante was a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby winner Anabaa Blue (Anabaa), and to the dam of the dual Group 1 winner Tamayuz (Nayef).

At the time of the sale, there were six stakes winners under the filly’s grandam Allez Les Trois (Riverman). She, of course, was a Group 3 winner and a half-sister to none other than Urban Sea (Miswaki).

While the female line is just about one of the most famous in the world, BBA Ireland signed the docket on the day for 48,000gns. Perhaps other buyers were not willing to take a gamble that something would pop up in the immediate family, but how wrong they are proven to have been.

Frequential moved to Tipperary and was covered a number of times by Camelot (Montjeu), producing her first three foals. The first pair are both group-placed winners, and the third is Los Angeles (Camelot), a winner first time out of a nine-furlong maiden at Tipperary sponsored by Camas Park, and now he is an unbeaten Group 1 winner after taking the honours in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over a furlong further.

Bred by Paul Shanahan’s Lynch Bages and Longfield Stud, Los Angeles must go into winter quarters as a real classic hope, and he also has the pedigree of a great stallion prospect. No doubt Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock will be quite chuffed to have purchased the fourth produce of Frequential, a yearling son of No Nay Never (Scat Daddy), in the recent Book 1 October Sale for 150,000gns.

Major updates

This Group 1 success is far from the only major update in the family since Frequential was sold. Her dam Violante was sold last year by Godolphin, again to BBA Ireland, but this time she cost 330,000gns, as her son Impulsif (New Approach) was now a Group 3 winner.

Now Violante is responsible for three winners, as this year her daughter Veil Of Shadows (Frankel), is a winner and was runner-up in the Group 3 Pride Stakes at Newmarket. While there were six stakes winners under Allez Les Trois six years ago, now there are an incredible 19, and two of these were featuring last weekend too.

Grosvenor Square (Galileo), a half-brother to the Group 1 Irish Derby winner Santiago (Authorized), won the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown, while their close relation Facteur Cheval (Ribchester) chased home Big Rock in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. A Group 3 winner, Facteur Cheval was runner-up to Paddington in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.

It is hard to believe that Los Angeles is from the seventh crop by Camelot, and that it is now 11 years since he failed to complete the Triple Crown.

The European champion three-year-old sired Group 1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe and Grade 1 Belmont Oaks winner Athena in his first crop, while Group 1 winners Sir Dragonet and Wonderment emerged in his second crop, the latter also winning the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in 2018. His tally of top level winners now stands at 11.

Sunway

With the subsequent Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist being the best of the most recent winners of the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Thunder Snow has been the best of the winners during the past decade of the one-mile Group 1 Criterium International run on the same card. This year’s winner Sunway could be another to go on and make a name for himself at three.

The son of Galiway (Galileo) was bred by Guy Pariente who now owns him in partnership with Thomas Lines and Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing. The new ownership group was formed after the colt was sold for €300,000 at last year’s Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Sunway joins his full-brother Sealiway (Galiway) as a Group 1 winning son of Galiway, and he is from the sire’s fifth crop. Sealiway is from his second crop, while among his 14 stakes winners to date is a great favourite of Irish racegoers, the Group 1 Melbourne Cup-bound Vauban. Galiway achieved his biggest success in a six-race career when landing a listed race at three, while as a juvenile he travelled to England and chased home Piping Rock in the Group 3 Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury.

First season

Sealiway has just completed his first season at Haras de Beaumont in France, where he stood for €12,000, some way less than the €30,000 now commanded by Galiway at Haras de Colleville, and that figure is 10 times what he stood for in his first four seasons at stud.

This is a family that has sprung to prominence in recent times. While the first four dams of Sunway are winners, most were of the ordinary kind. His third dam bred seven winners, the best of which was placed in a listed chase at Ayr, but his grandam won five times as a two-year-old and placed on 10 occasions. She only had four foals, two of which won, and she sold for €4,500 the year after foaling a daughter by Kendargent (Kendor).

That filly is Kensea, and she was a smart juvenile, winning the Listed Prix Herod at Chantilly. At stud she is the dam of four winners, three by Galiway, and her yearling filly by the same stallion sold for 260,000gns at the Tattersalls Book 1 Sale. When her best runner to date, Sealiway, sold as a yearling he realised €62,000. He showed what a bargain that was when he was crowned champion in France at two, winning the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

At three he was denied a classic success in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby by St Mark’s Basilica, but made amends when he won that year’s Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Kept in training at four, he failed to build on those achievements, but was placed behind State Of Rest in the Group 1 Prix Ganay.