LANDMARK SUCCESS FOR TEOFILO
A stallion's name joins the protected list when he gets his 15th individual Group 1 winner and Kildangan Stud's Teofilo (by Galileo) achieved that feat on Tuesday when Cross Counter won the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
Yet another major victory this year for the Charlie Appleby stable, the three-year-old is a Godolphin homebred who was gelded in the spring after the second of two easy wins at Wolverhampton.
He was impressive when beating Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee to take Group 3 honours at Goodwood in August, and followed that with a head second to Old Persian in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, in which Kew Gardens was third.
A half-brother to dual winner Right Direction (by Cape Cross), Cross Counter is the second foal of Waitress (by Kingmambo), a stakes-placed daughter of pattern-winning sprinter Do The Honours (by Highest Honor).
His third dam is, therefore, Persian Secret (by Persian Heights), the stakes-winning half-sister to Verglas (by Highest Honor) and Cassandra Go (by Indian Ridge).
This makes Cross Counter the third Group 1 star of the year to descend from Rahaam (by Secreto) as that mare – with whom I worked briefly many years ago – is the third dam of the celebrity full-sisters Rhododendron (by Galileo) and Magical.
That pair are, of course, out of the multiple Group 1 heroine Halfway To Heaven (by Pivotal).
Teofilo's 15 Group 1 winners are among an overall tally of 83 blacktype scorers (to Wednesday night), and his success in 2018 also comes as a grandsire as his Group 1-winning son Havana Gold is the sire of Group 1 Flying Five Stakes victor Havana Grey, himself about to embark on a stallion career in England.
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10TH TOP-LEVEL WINNER FOR MASTERCRAFTSMAN
Coolmore Stud's Mastercraftsman (by Danehill Dancer) had an international blacktype double at the weekend, and one of those winners saw him hit a notable career landmark.
The top-class grey, whose stars of 2018 include the brilliant Alpha Centauri and US Grade 1 heroine A Raving Beauty, got his 10th individual top-level winner when Cambridge landed the Grade 1 Premio El Ensayo in Chile, that country's equivalent of the Derby.
He also supplied both the third and fourth in the 12-furlong turf classic.
The winning colt was bred by Haras Don Alberto, he is out of Catalina La Grande (by Stagecraft), and so represents another example of the Danehill and Sadler's Wells lines coming together to produce a good horse.
He is one of three stakes winners for his dam, is a half-brother to Grade 1 scorer Caserta Mia (by Stuka), and also to the dams of Grade 1 winners Vamo A Galupiar (by Proud Citizen) and Cascada Surena (by Rock Of Gibraltar), the latter a winner of the Polla De Potrancas (Chilean 2000 Guineas).
Mastercraftsman's aforementioned A Raving Beauty had to settle for third in Saturday's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs, but his two-year-old daughter Blue Gardenia got off the mark in style in England that same day, breaking her maiden in a listed contest.
The David O'Meara-trained bay is owned and bred by Sir Robert Ogden, and this British Stallion Studs EBF Montrose Fillies' Stakes victory over a mile at Newmarket came on her fifth start.
Her only older sibling, Amadeus (by Fastnet Rock), is a winner over 12 furlongs, her dam is the mile winner Alegra (by Galileo), and her grandam is Altitude (by Green Desert), a 12-furlong-winning half-sister to Kirsten Rausing's multiple Group 1 stars Alborada (by Alzao) and Albanova (by Alzao).
Therefore, Blue Gardenia represents a branch of one the most famous and prolific Group 1-producing families in the stud book, one whose other representatives in 2018 include top filly Coronet (by Dubawi).
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NEW GROUP 1 WINNER FOR LATE AZAMOUR
Late Gilltown Stud stallion Azamour (by Night Shift), whose star offspring feature Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Covert Love, ill-fated and unbeaten Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) star Valyra, and Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner and Arc fifth Dolniya, struck again at the highest level a few days ago.
His four-year-old son Best Of Days followed-up a recent 10-furlong Group 3 score at Caulfield with victory in the Group 1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington, taking the valuable handicap by half a length.
He is trained by James Cummings, having previously been based in England with Hugo Palmer, and carries the famous Godolphin colours.
The colt was bred by Gerhard Shoeningh, is the first foal of mile listed scorer Baisse (by High Chaparral), and could be described as being a three-parts brother to his dam's most talented sibling, Azmeel (by Azamour).
That one won the Listed Washington Singer Stakes at two and added both the Group 3 Classic Trial at Sandown and Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester at three.
Their dam, former Kevin Prendergast-trained Listed Give Thanks Stakes third Best Side (by King's Best), is a half-sister to Group 3 Gallinule Stakes scorer Grand Ducal (by Danehill Dancer).
Mood Swings (by Shirley Heights), the winning third dam of Best Of Days, is out of Group 1 Coronation Stakes fourth Moogie (by Young Generation), which makes her a full-sister to Catwalk, who won the Listed Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket as a juvenile.
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COURT CAVE SON STRIKES AGAIN
With the turf flat season now over, thoughts become directed more towards Cheltenham and so it was appropriate that one of the weekend's National Hunt blacktype scorers was a horse who won at the Festival in 2018.
Mister Whitaker got his head in front almost on the line when taking the Listed Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase over the extended two and a half miles there in March, and the Mick Channon-trained six-year-old followed that with a winning seasonal debut at Carlisle on Sunday.
There he led at the last before going on to land the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase by two and a quarter lengths, taking his record over fences to four wins from just six starts.
He was rated 145 before this latest success and so is already good enough to make his presence felt in Grade 3 company – which makes it no surprise that he holds entries in both the Grade 3 Betvictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy Chase – and his age makes it likely that there is more improvement to come too.
Mister Whitaker was bred by Patrick Callinan, he is by Boardsmill Stud's regally-related stallion Court Cave (by Sadler's Wells), and that makes him bred on very similar lines to the hugely popular and prolific Grade 1 star Cue Card (by King's Theatre).
Their actual relationship is remote, but both are by a notable son of Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) and both have the 1947-born mare Clear Bay (by Baman) as their fourth dam.
Court Cave's other offspring of note include Court Minstrel, Champion Court, and Willoughby Court.
Mister Whitaker's dam is also a producer of note as her string of successful offspring include the listed-placed multiple hurdles and point-to-point scorer Christdalo (by Glacial Storm), and talented stayer Broadway Buffalo (by Broadway Flyer), whose blacktype placings including chasing home Cause Of Causes in the listed four-mile chase at 2015's Cheltenham Festival.
That dam is Benbradagh Vard (by Le Bavard), who finished third and fourth from just two starts in bumpers, and her siblings include Floppy Disk (by Patch), the multiple hurdle-winning third dam of Coolmill (by Cloudings).
That Denis O'Shea-trained grandson of Sadler's Wells is by the sire of ill-fated Grand National hero Many Clouds, his wins include a Grade C handicap hurdle over two and a half miles at Cork, and he was a runner-up over fences at Fairyhouse last month.
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GROUP 1 FOR ANOTHER NATHANIEL FILLY
Newsells Park Stud stallion Nathaniel (by Galileo) had an international top-level double at the weekend as Enable's victory in the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Saturday was followed by God Given taking the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio over 10 furlongs at Capannelle on Sunday.
The Luca Cumani-trained four-year-old is owned and bred by St Albans Bloodstock Ltd, she is out of Ever Rigg (by Dubai Destination) and that makes her a half-sister to the Timeform 130-rated multiple Group 1 star Postponed (by Dubawi), a Dalham Hall Stud stallion whose first foals will be arriving in a few months' time.
Her grandam, Bianca Nera (by Salse), was champion two-year-old filly in Ireland after a Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes success, and that mare – also the grandam of the talented pair Turning Top (by Pivotal) and Robin Hoods Bay (by Motivator) – is a half-sister to Hotelgenie Dot Com (by Selkirk) and Crackling (by Electric).
The first-named was twice Group 1-placed at two, but what makes the pair significant is their descendants.
Hotelgenie Dot Com is the dam of Group 1 star Simply Perfect (by DAnehill) and grandam of classic-placed pattern scorer Bondi Beach (by Galileo), while those who descend from Crackling include classic-placed pattern winner and young Irish National Stud stallion Gale Force Ten (by Oasis Dream).
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DARK ANGEL FILLY SHINES
Yeomanstown Stud stallion Dark Angel (by Acclamation) added another stakes winner to his tally when Angelic Light came out best in a three-way photo for the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Bosra Sham" Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket last Friday.
Her victory in this six-furlong contest was her second in six starts, and although she has been out of the frame in each of her other runs, three of those were in blacktype company, including the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Michael O'Callaghan owns and trains the grey, and she was bred by Trevor Stewart. She is the first winner from her dam's first four foals, is a €23,000 graduate of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, and O'Callaghan secured her for €56,000 at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale in May.
Her dam, Delia Eria (by Zamindar), won over 10 and a half furlongs, which suggests that the filly may stay a mile next year, but whether or not she improves enough to figure in the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas – for which she holds an entry – remains to be seen.
Her grandam's only two wins were short-head successes in middle-distance sellers in England, but that mare – Flow Beau (by Mtoto) – is out of Group 3 Prix Corrida scorer Radiance (by Blakeney), which makes her related to a long list of talented performers.
The family's brightest stars are remotely connected to Angelic Light – the likes of Irish Derby hero Treasure Beach (by Galileo; sire of an Argentine Grade 1 winner on Saturday), this year's Group 1 star Kitesurf (by Dubawi), and the high-class Indian Creek (by Indian Ridge) – but it seems that Dark Angel may have reignited the family's spark, which makes this filly an interesting prospect for 2019.
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FINALE GOES TO MEDICEAN SON
The last race of the Irish flat season on turf, the appropriately named Finale Stakes, produced a runaway winner with the potential to make an impact in pattern company in 2019.
Mustajeer, who showed flashes of talent in England before moving to Ireland late last year, has been transformed by trainer Ger Lyons, winning a 10-furlong handicap at Naas and making the first four in every outing since, of which only the Ebor Handicap – in which he finished fourth – was not a blacktype event.
He was rated 108 before his six-and-a-half-length win in 12-furlong the listed race at Naas on Sunday, and he is stakes winner number 46 for Medicean (by Machiavellian), the Cheveley Park Stud homebred who died in August but whose son Dutch Art and grandson Garswood are on the roster at that famous Newmarket base.
The gelding was bred by Shadwell Estate Co Ltd, he was picked up by his current connections for 50,000gns in Newmarket last year, and his siblings feature Makruma (by Dubawi), a dual listed-placed filly in France who won two major prizes in Qatar.
They are out of Qelaan (by Dynaformer), whose two middle-distance wins in England were achieved by a combined margin of 15 lengths, and her pattern-placed dam, Irtahal (by Swain), is out of a full-sister to the Timeform 137-rated sprinter Dayjur (by Danzig).
Mustajeer is no Dayjur, and considerable improvement would be required if he is to threaten at Group 1 level, but the way in which he won on Sunday suggests that middle-distance Group 3 or possibly even Group 2 success may come his way.