A NEW arrival at Moortown Stud in Co Wexford this year is Life Force, who was unraced owing to an injury, but is a full-brother to the Breeders’ Cup winner Vale Of York.
This attractive son of Invincible Spirit is also a half-brother to the Kodiac colt who was the most expensive yearling of 2016 by his sire when he topped the Newmarket October Book 2 Sale last autumn, bought by John Ferguson for 380,000gns.
At Moortown Stud Life Force joins Watar, a son of Marju who won four races in France, including the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil, and has been a very popular stallion in Wexford in the last few seasons, covering over 70 mares in both 2015 and 2016.
Life Force’s own-brother Vale Of York was rated the top juvenile colt in the USA in 2009 both by Timeform and by the official Experimental Free Handicap, putting up a brilliant performance to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He defeated five Grade 1 winners in this $2 million event, including the two top horses of his generation in the United States, the previously unbeaten Lookin At Lucky and Eskendereya.
Vale Of York was given the high rating of 118 in the World Rankings for 2009, making him the joint second-best two-year-old trained in England, equal with Canford Cliffs.
Vale Of York has already made an excellent start as a stallion, as he has 55 individual winners of over 110 races and €1,400,000 in his first three seasons with runners, including Afandem, who scored in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at Chantilly, and Fontanelice, champion two-year-old filly in Italy and winner of the Group 3 Premio Dormello and the Group 3 Premio Primi Passi, both at Milan.
Vale Of York is currently standing at the Haras des Faunes in France.
Life Force is a son of the champion sprinter Invincible Spirit, who has already been represented by almost 100 blacktype winners, which in addition to Vale Of York include Kingman, Lawman, Shalaa, Charm Spirit, Territories, Mayson and the flying fillies Fleeting Spirit and Moonlight Cloud.
Life Force’s dam Red Vale is also the grandam of Responsibleforlove, who won three races in Italy in 2015 and 2016, including a listed race at Milan. Red Vale is an unraced half-sister by Halling to nine winners, among them Uraib who won three stakes events in California, including the Grade 3 Buena Vista Handicap at Santa Anita.
The next dam Hamsaat won her only start and is an own-sister by Sadler’s Wells to the dual Group 2 star Batshoof, successful in the Tattersalls Rogers Gold Cup (now Group 1) at the Curragh and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot before becoming quite a successful sire.
This is also the family of Steel Heart and the 2000 Guineas hero King Of Kings.
Unraced, owing to an accident. Own-brother to VALE OF YORK (IRE).
Retired to stud in 2017.
Stands at: Moortown Stud, Moortown, Killinick, Co Wexford, Ireland
Contact: Dermot Day
Telephone: +353 (0)87 2771580 and (0)53 9135358
Email: moortownstud@yahoo.co.uk
Fee: €2,500