ANTONIA ANOTHER RISING STAR FOR VEGA
Ballylinch Stud stallion Lope De Vega (by Shamardal) is having an outstanding season and the classic sire added to his blacktype haul when Antonia De Vega easily won the 10-furlong fillies' listed contest at Newbury on Thursday afternoon.
The Ralph Beckett-trained three-year-old is a €130,000 graduate of the Goffs Orby Sale, she was bred by Fermoir Ltd, and has now won three of her four starts.
Her debut success over seven furlongs at Newmarket 11 months ago was followed by victory in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes over the same trip at Goodwood several weeks later.
Her only defeat so far has been in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in mid-October when she trailed home last behind Iridessa, but clearly that is no reflection on her talent.
Her big-race entries include the Group 1 Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs and the 12-furlong Group 1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks, so another attempt at the highest level looks likely before long.
She is the first foal of Witches Brew (by Duke Of Marmalade) and that stakes-placed half-sister to the classic-placed, Group 1-winning miler and young Haras de Bouquetot stallion Al Wukair (by Dream Ahead) is a granddaughter of the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) heroine Caerlina (by Caerleon).
Those of note within the branches of the first three generations of the pedigree also include US Grade 2 scorer Tam Lin (by Selkirk), dual classic-placed filly La Nuit Rose (by Rainbow Quest), and the Japanese Group 1-placed pattern scorers Curren Mirotic (by Heart's Cry) and Hikaru Amaranthus (by Agnes Tachyon).
Go back another step on the page and you will find a branch leading to the multiple Group 1-placed dual Group 2 scorer Sri Putra (by Oasis Dream), among others of note on the international scene.
Antonia De Vega is by one of the most important young stallions in Europe, and she is a filly with the obvious potential to hit the top on the track and at stud.
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GROUP 3 FOR SON OF FAST COMPANY
Kildangan Stud team member Fast Company (by Danehill Dancer) is the stallion who gave us the Group 1 classic stars Jet Setting and Robert Bruce – the latter's top-level wins also include the Arlington Million – and classic-placed Group 2 scorer Devonshire, and his most prolific winners include a gelding who has won twice in blacktype company so far in 2019.
Safe Voyage, who has won five of his last six starts and all three outings this year, easily beat Suedois in the Group 3 Betway John Of Gaunt Stakes on Saturday.
This came a month after he picked up a listed contest on good-to-soft, his first run of the current campaign saw him land a valuable handicap on soft, and all three of these performances have come over seven furlongs at Haydock.
In April of last year he was a six-length winner over the same course and distance, and these are among a career total of nine wins from 19 starts for the John Quinn-trained six-year-old.
The £52,000 DBS Premier Yearling Sale graduate was bred by Schneider Adolf, his siblings include the prolific Lyrica's Lion (by Dragon Pulse), and his dam is Shishangaan (by Mujadil), a dual stakes-placed half-sister to two blacktype earners.
Mister Ryan (by Acclamation) was short-headed in a listed sprint, Parker's Way (by Pivotal) was runner-up in a listed contest over 12 furlongs in France and they are out of Irish Flower (by Zieten). Her wins came from six to eight furlongs in France and her blacktype placing over seven.
Irish Flower's half-brother Doreg (by Fools Holme) won the Listed Ruby Stakes over a mile at Tralee back in 1993, and they are out of Sally St Clair (by Sallust), a winning half-sister to the Group 1-placed, Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes star Superlative (by Nebbiolo).
That horse became a somewhat successful stallion and the German middle-distance Group 1 scorer Kornado headed his roll of honour.
Safe Voyage is a high-class seven-furlong horse and it catches the eye that he holds an entry in next month's Group 2 Minstrel Stakes over that trip at the Curragh.
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FRESHMAN STAKES WINNER FOR BEAU
Darley's reverse-shuttle stallion Brazen Beau (by I Am Invincible) notched up a first stakes winner from the northern hemisphere half of his global first juvenile crop when Avengers Queen took a six-furlong listed contest at San Siro on Sunday.
The Group 1 sprint star, already the sire of a Group 2-placed listed scorer in Australia, stands at Dalham Hall Stud.
His Italian-based daughter was bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud in England, she is an £8,000 graduate of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, and the first foal of the multiple sprint winner Showstoppa (by Showcasing).
That former Mark Johnston trainee is a half-sister to the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes scorer Temple Meads (by Avonbridge).
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AGA KHAN FILLY ONE TO WATCH
Alain de Royer-Dupre's talented team includes Edisa, an Aga Khan homebred who narrowly won the Listed Prix Melisande over 10 and a half furlongs at ParisLongchamp on Monday.
The three-year-old is a daughter of leading international sire Kitten's Joy (by El Prado) and is the first foal of the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu winner Ebiyza (by Rock Of Gibraltar).
That mare is the best of three flat blacktype earners out of Ebalista (by Selkirk) and she is a granddaughter of 1997's Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla (by Sadler's Wells).
That classic star is, of course, a daughter of the phenomenal broodmare Ebaziya (by Darshaan), a high-class racehorse whose offspring also included the Group 1 winners Enzeli (by Kahyasi), Edabiya (by Rainbow Quest), and Estimate (by Monsun).
Edisa holds entries in the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly and Group 2 Prix de Mallaret at Saint-Cloud so it seems likely that we will see her step up to pattern company the next time she runs.