A WINNER in each of his four seasons in training, Es Que Love proved himself to be a really tough and consistent sprinter-miler. A Group 2 scorer by the grey Clodovil, who also stands at Rathasker, he increased his earnings every season and was at his best in 2014, his final year in training, when he was not only a group winner, but also group-placed four times.

Half-brother to a Group 1 winner and with a pedigree free of Sadler’s Wells, he offers breeders good value for his reasonable fee in his first season at stud.

Trained by Mark Johnston, Es Que Love should have won on his two-year-old debut, but his saddle slipped and he had to be content with third prize.

However, he soon made amends in his second outing, the Julie Burke Stakes at Beverley at the end of May, making all the running and coming home over three lengths clear of the nearest of his 12 rivals. Then he was second to Frederick Engels, who went on to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot next time out.

SMART SPRINTER

Es Que Love developed into a very smart sprinter as a three-year-old, when he won his first two starts, following up a success by a length at Pontefract with a two lengths victory in a handicap at Newmarket. Promoted to listed company, he ran Slade Power to a neck in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park, with champion sprinter Lethal Force third a length behind him at level weights, then he was a close second at Newmarket, all of those efforts being over six furlongs.

At four years of age Es Que Love was tried over slightly longer distances and in his first attempt at a mile he scored in the Betfred Handicap at Kempton Park. He was beaten only half a length by Prince Of Johanne when second in a valuable handicap at Sandown Park in July, then was a close second to Field Of Dream in the Bunbury Cup over seven furlongs at Newmarket.

It was in 2014 that Es Que Love was seen at his best, defeating Toormore and Garswood to win the Group 2 Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood and being placed in group races on four other occasions. He was trained that season by Clive Cox and he ran second in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes at Newmarket, third to Maarek in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes at York in May and third again in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, as well as fourth in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster, bringing his total earnings to £236,314.

Clodovil, the sire of Es Que Love, won the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and this good looking grey has sired the winners of over 600 races, including Nahoodh, who scored in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and the Group 2 Lowther Stakes. Es Que Love is one of four Group 2 stars sired by Clodovil, together with Gregorian, who won the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury and has been Group 1-placed four times, the Prix de Sandringham heroine Laugh Out Loud, and Moriarty, who had three Group 2 successes in Australia, among them the Brisbane Cup.

DAM

Es Que Love is a half-brother to a champion in Hong Kong, Dominant, who took the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase, as well as the Queen Mother Memorial Cup twice. Their dam, Es Que, is a daughter of Inchinor who won in France and is out of Bellona, winner of the Listed Prix Rose de Mai at Saint-Cloud. The third dam Bellarida scored in the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont; she produced two blacktype winners and is grandam of We Are, who won the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at the Arc meeting in 2014.

RATHASKER STUD

THERE are five stallions covering in 2015 at Rathasker Stud and the grey Clodovil, a son of Danehill who won the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, is firmly established as a top stallion, with the Group 1-winning filly Nahoodh and 15 other blacktype winners to his credit. Standing at Rathasker with him are talented juvenile Fast Company, who had over 25 individual winners with his first two-year-olds running in 2014, and Born To Sea, a half-brother to Galileo and Sea The Stars who was second to Camelot in the Irish Derby and now had his first yearlings. They have been joined this year by newcomers Es Que Love (a son of Clodovil) and Bungle Inthejungle, both winners of group races at Goodwood.

Extending to 300 acres in Kilcullen Road at Naas in Co Kildare, with 125 boxes, Rathasker Stud is also a major vendor at many of the major European sales, offering mares, foals and yearlings. Accommodation can be arranged at their sister studs in the Naas area for mares and other horses.

The owner and manager of Rathasker Stud is Maurice Burns, who comes from a family which has been in the thoroughbred business for more than three generations. Since Paddy Burns purchased Rathasker in 1985, they have owned and bred many champion racehorses and have broken European sales records for both foals and yearlings on various occasions.

ES QUE LOVE (IRE)

Race record: Winner of 5 races in England, £236,314, from 2-5 years, 5-8 furlongs, inc Lennox Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2; 2nd Abernant Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, and Sandy Lane Stakes, Haydock Park, L; 3rd Duke of York Stakes, York, Gr.2, and Hackwood Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3; 4th Park Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2, and Hopeful Stakes, Newmarket, L.

Stud record: Retires to stud in 2015.

Stands at: Rathasker Stud, Kilcullen Road, Naas, Co Kildare. Enquiries to Maurice or Madeline Burns on 045 876940, or (mobile) 086 2500687, or e-mail info@rathasker.ie.

Website: www.rathaskerstud.com

Fee: €5,000 (October 1st).