WELL done to my friend Barbara Keller who once again experienced Group 1 success when Blond Me landed the E P Taylor Stakes at Woodbine over the weekend.

Two years ago her Odeliz (Falco) won twice at the highest level and later sold privately for a million guineas. Now Barbara has another hugely valuable mare in her possession and it will be interesting to see what she decides to do with her.

Blond Me was purchased by her trainer Andrew Balding for 65,000gns as a yearling from her breeders Mark and Elaine Clarke of Wardstown Stud. At the recent Goffs Orby Sale they sold her Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) half-brother for €60,000, just after Blond Me had run second in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. She had already won Group 2 races in England and Turkey and a couple of listed races.

The Clarkes purchased Holda, the dam of Blond Me, from Ballymacoll Stud for 30,000gns at Tattersalls over a decade ago. The then three-year-old Docksider (Diesis) filly had only made a single start over seven furlongs and it was a winning one, landing her maiden at Newmarket as a two-year-old. She comes from one of the Co Meath farm’s great female families, sadly being dispersed at present, but she was then just the first foal of her dam Spring Symphony.

The Clarke’s faith in the family paid off handsomely and Holda’s subsequent siblings include the Verglas (Highest Honor) colt Glass Harmonium who won the Group 1 Longines LKS Mackinnon Stakes in Australia, and Arab Spring (Monsun) who won the Group 3 John Porter Stakes and September Stakes. He sold in July for 100,000gns, the first lot in the ongoing Ballymacoll dispersal.

Another major boost to the pedigree after the Clarkes bought Holda was the fact that her dam Spring Symphony’s half-brother Conduit (Dalakhani) became an outstanding international runner, landing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf twice as well as winning the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Group 1 St Leger. The next dam River Dancer (Irish River) bred the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and Champion Stakes winner Spectrum (Rainbow Quest) and is grandam of Petrushka (Unfuwain), the Group 1 Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and Prix de l’Opera winner. Another generation back and the Group 1 St Leger winner Millenary (Rainbow Quest)pops up. The first four dams of Blond Me have now bred a Group 1 winner; quite an achievement.

Blond Me is the latest Group 1 winner for Derrinstown Stud’s Tamayuz, quite a bargain really at his fee of just €8,000 this year. Earlier this season his daughter Precieuse won the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), while a few years ago his son G Force won the Haydock Sprint Cup. Tamayuz’s ability to get high-class performers over a range of distances is exemplified by his three-year-old son Desert Skyline winning this year’s Group 2 Doncaster Cup on his most recent start, while Tupi is a listed winner over six furlongs this season.