PATTERN TREBLE FOR FRANKEL
Banstead Manor Stud's Frankel further advertised his status as a star second-crop sire when recording a pattern-race double at Deauville on Tuesday afternoon, adding to a Group 3 success at Haydock on Saturday.
First strike went to Frankuus, the Ballylinch Stud-bred and now dual Group 3 scorer who took the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes at the latter venue.
The Mark Johnston-trained grey is a half-brother to Group 1-placed Group 3 winner Us Law (by Lawman) and his dam, Dookus (by Linamix), is a half-sister to Pharmacist (by Machiavellian), the stakes-winning dam of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf hero Red Rocks (by Galileo).
His grandam is the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes heroine Pharoah's Delight (by Fairy King), and he is a €130,000 graduate of the Goffs Orby Sale.
The opening salvo at Deauville came from Eminent and the Martyn Meade-trained colt looked ready for a return to competing the highest level when making all for a three-length score in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain.
With Salouen and Avilius being the pair who chased him home, the form is still some way short of the top, but the time he clocked was impressive and the front-running tactics suited him well.
Eminent was bred by Premier Bloodstock, he is a 150,000gns graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and he is the second foal out of You'll Be Mine (by Kingmambo), a daughter of Group 1 star Quarter Moon.
That makes him inbred 3x3 to her sire Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer), and his dam a half-sister to Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Diamondsandrubies (by Fastnet Rock).
Quarter Moon is, of course, a full-sister to Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas scorer Yesterday, and this represent a a branch of Kirsten Rausing's famous 'A family' – that descending from Alruccaba (by Crystal Palace).
Its many stars include Group 1 aces Alborada (by Alzao), Albanova (by Alzao), Aussie Rules (by Danehill), and Allegretto (by Galileo).
Frankel's treble was completed about three-quarters of an hour later and in quite remarkable style.
The Andre Fabre-trained Lady Frankel met with trouble at a key stage of the race, was switched, and began to make up ground at such a striking rate that it looked briefly as though she would end up being an unlucky loser of the one-mile Group 3 Prix de Lieurey.
Instead, she hit the front near the line and beat Tisbutadream by a neck.
Gestut Ammerland's homebred bay is out of the Group 1-placed pattern winner Lady Vettori (by Vettori) and that makes her a half-sister to classic hero and Group 1 sire Lope De Vega (by Shamardal).
Her siblings also include six-furlong pattern-placed stakes winner Lord Of The Land (by Shamardal), 10-furlong Group 3 Prix Andre Baboin scorer Bal De La Rose (by Cadeaux Genereux), and Group 3 Prix de Psyche third Light The Stars (by Sea The Stars).
Frankel's first crop so far contains a dozen stakes winners plus seven others who have been blacktype-placed.
Of the first group, only Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes runner-up Mori is not a pattern winner, while the seven non stakes winners feature dual Derby-placed Cracksman and Group 2 Queen's Vase runner-up Count Octave.
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PURPLE PATCH FOR DREAM AHEAD
Brilliant sprinter Dream Ahead (by Diktat) spend his first five seasons at Ballylinch Stud, before moving to Haras de Grandcamp this year, and it was perhaps appropriate that his first Group 1 winner came with a colt bred by his former Co Kilkenny-based home.
Al Wukair got his nose in front in a three-way finish to the Prix du Haras de Fresney-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois over a mile at Deauville on Sunday, a first strike in the top level by the classic-placed bay.
He is trained by Andre Fabre, he is out of Macheera (by Machiavellian), and that half-sister to classic-placed La Nuit Rose (by Rainbow Quest) is a daughter of Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) heroine Caerlina (by Caerleon).
Two days later, Pursuing The Dream won the Listed Prix de la Vallee d'Auge – Etalon Kendargent over five furlongs at Deauville, a first blacktype success for the Jamie Osborne-trained juvenile.
She was bred by Kildaragh Stud, she is out of Crimson Lass (by Dubawi) and her dam is a half-sister to Foodbroker Fancy (by Halling), a dual listed scorer who was runner-up in the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes before going on to a successful career at stud.
That former David Elsworth-trained chesnut is the dam of Dalvina (by Grand Lodge) – the Grade 3-winning dam of Dal Harraild (by Champs Elysees) – of unbeaten listed scorer French Dressing (by Sea The Stars), and of Soft Centre (by Zafonic), who is the stakes-winning dam of Group 1 Nassau Stakes heroine Sultanina (by New Approach).
Later that afternoon, it looked as though Dream Ahead's stakes-winning daughter Tisbutadream was going to take the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey over a mile, but she was caught in the shadow of the post by Lady Frankel, who won by a neck.
Trained by David Elsworth and bred by John Tuthill of Owenstown Stud, the three-year-old is out of listed scorer Choose Me (by Choisir) and is a direct descendant of Group 1 Champion Stakes star Cairn Rouge (by Pitcairn).
Her siblings include Persuasive (by Pivotal), the pattern-winning grey whose unbeaten record came to an end when runner-up to Alice Springs in last year's Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
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NEW GROUP 1 STAR FOR SCAT DADDY
Late Ashford Stud stallion Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg) – a leading international classic sire best known in Europe for sprinters such as Acapulco, Caravaggio, Lady Aurelia, and No Nay Never – added to his Group 1 tally when Sioux Nation took the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained juvenile, who won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes over a furlong less at Ascot in June, beat the first-crop Bated Breath (by Dansili) colt Beckford by half a length, with first-crop Declaration Of War (by War Front) filly Actress in third.
Sioux Nation was bred by Fethard Bloodstock, he is out of Dream The Blues (by Oasis Dream), and his grandam is Catch The Blues (by Bluebird), who won the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes for O'Brien 20 years ago.
That smart sprinter is also the grandam of Group 3 Prix de Cabourg scorer My Catch (by Camacho) and of Group 1-placed juvenile stakes winner Vladimir (by Kheleyf).
If you go back another couple of generations then you will find some Group/Grade 1 standouts, not that those horse have anything but remote connection to Sunday's juvenile star.
Fifth dam Betty Lorraine (by Prince John) was a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Majestic Prince (by Raise a Native), she was the dam of Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club scorer Caracolero (by Graustark), and she was the grandam of both Group 1 Derby hero Secreto (by Northern Dancer) and that Epsom winner's celebrity three-parts brother Istabraq (by Sadler's Wells).
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DC A NEW PATTERN WINNER FOR ZOFFANY
Four-year-old Washington DC notched up the first pattern win of his career when justifying favouritism in the Group 3 At The Races Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Previously a Group 1-placed, four-time listed scorer, the Aidan O'Brien-trained bay represents the first crop of Coolmore Stud stallion Zoffany (by Dansili) and he was bred by the partnership of Paul Hyland with Chris and James McHale.
He is the second foal and winner out of stakes-placed sprinter How's She Cuttin' (by Shinko Forest) and his grandam is the multiple sprint winner Magic Annemarie (by Dancing Dissident).
Her relations include Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes winner and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Aspen Darlin (by Indian Haven), and her grandam is Coronation Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Magic Flute (by Tudor Melody).
Others of note who appear in those more distant parts of the family include Group 1 star and classic sire Grand Lodge (by Chief's Crown), which could make the talented sprinter an interesting prospect if he gets a place at stud.
Washington DC is a €340,000 Goffs Orby Sale graduate and I reviewed his pedigree in detail in the 9th April 2016 edition of The Irish Field.
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CANFORD CLIFFS STAKES WINNER
Ace miler Canford Cliffs (by Tagula), whose son Salouen was runner-up to Eminent in Tuesday's Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville, added to his blacktype record on Sunday when Princess Asta won the Listed Westminster Fliegerpreis over six furlongs at Hoppegarten.
The Mario Hofer-trained four-year-old was a Group 3 scorer at San Siro in October and listed race winner at Munich several weeks before that. She was bred in France by Aliette Forien and Jean-François Gribomont, and she is a €57,000 Arqana graduate.
The daughter of Lune Rouge (by Unfuwain) is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary scorer Ask For The Moon (by Dr Fong).
That top-level winner was bred to Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) in 2008 and the result was Astrology, the Aidan O'Brien-trained 11-length Group 3 Dee Stakes winner who finished third to Camelot in the Group 1 Derby at Epsom.
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FOURTH GROUP 1 WINNER FOR SOLDIER HOLLOW
Leading German stallion Soldier Hollow (by In The Wings) notched up his fourth individual Group 1 winner when Dschingis Secret beat Hawkbill by a length in the 127th Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin, over 12 furlongs at Hoppegarten on Sunday.
The four-year-old, who was bred by Gestut Park Wiedingen, is trained by Markus Klug, he was twice a Group 2 winner earlier in the season, and finished a close third to Isfahan in last summer's Group 1 Deutsches Derby.
His year-younger full-sister Diana Storm chased home subsequent classic star Lacazar in a Group 3 contest over 11 furlongs at Hamburg in early July, and this talented pair are the first two foals out of Divya (by Platini).
The mare, a triple winner whose yearling – also by Soldier Hollow – is catalogued as lot 182 in the upcoming BBAG Yearling Sale, is a full-sister to Group 3 winner and blacktype producer Deva and a half-sister to two listed scorers.
The third dam of Dschingis Secret is Diana Dance (by Northern Dancer), a Canadian-born mare who was a classic-placed pattern winner in Germany.
Soldier Hollow's other Group 1 scorers are the classic stars Pastorius and Serienholde, plus Ivanhowe.
That dual German top-level winner, who also took two Group 1s in Australia under the name Our Ivanhowe, is to take up stallion duties at Haras du Thenney in 2018.