ZOFFANY (by Dansili), the juvenile Group 1 star who went on to chase home Frankel in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, has made an outstanding start to his career at Coolmore Stud and he had another big day at Newmarket last Saturday.

His Group 2-winning daughter Illuminate lost her unbeaten record when a half-length runner-up to Lumiere in the Group 1 Connolly’s Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes just over half an hour after his son Foundation kept his one intact in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes.

The John Gosden-trained chesnut, who was bred by Eyrefield Lodge Stud, is a €190,000 Goffs Orby Sale graduate, and he is one of five stakes winners for his sire up to Monday night.

Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner Waterloo Bridge, the Group 1-placed listed scorer Washington DC, and the stakes winner Argentero are the other three, and the stallion also has the pattern-placed filly Light Up Our World to his name.

Inbred 4x3 to Danzig (by Northern Dancer), Foundation is a half-brother to the dual Topaz Mile (Premier) Handicap winner Vastonea (by Verglas), and his stakes-placed dam Roystonea (by Polish Precedent) is a half-sister to the stakes-winning milers Bermuda Rye (by Cape Cross) and Bermuda Grass (by Danehill).

His grandam Alleluia Tree is by the brilliant sprinter-miler Royal Academy (by Nijinsky), she is a half-sister to the mile stakes winner Rimpa (by Last Tycoon), and also to Sylvativa (by Thatching), the stakes-placed grandam of the speedy Italian listed scorer Royal Rhapsody (by Ali-Royal).

All of this suggests that Foundation could be a mile to 10-furlong horse next year rather than a potential Derby colt.

The doubling-up of Danzig may pull him in that direction despite the stamina that also features in his family, especially given his sire’s racing talent and that of his closest relatives.

It cannot be ruled out, however, that he could stay beyond 10 furlongs because his grandam is also a half-sister to Ardmelody (by Law Society), the unraced dam of the Group 1 St Leger, Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, and Group 1 Coronation Cup hero Scorpion (by Montjeu).

It could be argued that Scorpion could only have been a middle-distance or staying prospect given his combination of sire and broodmare sire, and so his presence in the family may not have any value in predicting the potential distance preference of his more speedily-bred relation.

That said, his half-sister Memories (by Don’t Forget Me) won a 12-furlong Grade 2 handicap at Gulfstream Park, his talented half-brothers Garuda (by Danehill) and Danish Rhapsody (by Danehill) were effective middle-distance performers, and his ‘nephew’ Zipping (by Danehill), who is inbred 2x4 to Danzig, is a dual 10-furlong Australian Group 1 scorer who was fourth behind Americain in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

None of that stamina was surprising as Ardmelody was a grand-daughter of Le Melody (by Levmoss), the mare who gave us the dual Group 1 Gold Cup hero Ardross (by Run The Gantlet) and from whom so may other top horses descend.

This is the famous family of Group 1 stars such as Electrocutionist (by Red Ransom), Arctique Royale (by Royal And Regal), Cerulean Sky (by Darshaan), Moonstone (by Dalakhani), Robertico (by Robellino), Royal Highness (by Monsun), and many others of note, quite a few of whom were middle-distance horses or stayers.

There is more six to 10-furlong pace in Zoffany’s pedigree than an ability to stay further, although some of his relations did achieve the latter, and he could certainly get a good 12 furlong horse with the right mare. But is that Roystonea?

She and her immediate relations give the impression that they represent a faster than usual branch of this famous staying family, even though her sire, himself a brilliant miler, often passed on more stamina than expected, and her half-brother White Collar (by Sakhee) showed stamina in low-level contests in France.

It is hard to get away from the fact that the first and second generation of the pedigree is about milers.

Foundation holds an entry in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and it is possible that the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy may also be an option. He clearly has plenty of ability and, as one would expect, he is among the market leaders for next year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas and Investec Derby.

It would be no surprise to see him win at the highest level, and it is possible that he will stay at Epsom, but if he is going to prove more typical of his immediate relations rather than those further removed, then 10 furlongs may be as far as Foundation wants to go.