RAHAAM (by Secreto) was a minor winner but a broodmare of considerable influence. A half-sister to the classic-placed miler Glory Forever (by Forever Casting) and from the immediate family of top-level stars such as Royal And Regal (by Vaguely Noble; classic sire) and Dowsing (by Riverman; sire of a Group 1 winner), she has a long and diverse list of pattern-winning descendants.
Cross Counter (by Teofilo), Halfway To Heaven (by Pivotal), Photo Call (by Galileo), Rhododendron (by Galileo) and last year’s standout Magical (by Galileo) have won at the highest level, whereas Verglas (by Highest Honor; sire of Group 1 winners) and his dam Cassandra Go (by Indian Ridge) were placed in Group 1 company. Just those brief highlights show that a high-class colt from this family has potential to become a successful sire, and as Land Force also has the attraction of being one of the first sons of No Nay Never (by Scat Daddy) to go to stud, it looks odds-on that he will be very popular in his new role.
Land Force is one of the family’s sprinters. He won a six-furlong Curragh maiden, was third to the subsequent Group 1 star Fairyland in the Listed Marble Hill Stakes, then a half-length third to Shang Shang Shang in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot before easily winning a five-furlong listed contest at Tipperary. That success came a month before he landed the Group 2 Richmond Stakes over six furlong at Goodwood, beating Marie’s Diamond and Shine So Bright in a performance that came 17 days before he finished fourth to Pretty Pollyanna in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville. He was sent to Australia in the spring of his three-year-old season but ran just once, finishing fourth over five furlongs.
One of 21 stakes winners already for Coolmore Stud’s rising star No Nay Never – a list that includes the top-level scorers Brooke and Ten Sovereigns – he is a half-brother to the mile Grade 1 star Photo Call out of the pattern-winning sprinter Theann (by Rock Of Gibraltar). He is, therefore, a great-grandson of Rahaam.
His dam’s siblings include the dual Group 3-winning sprinter Tickled Pink (by Invincible Spirit) and the classic-winning mile-to-10-furlong ace Halfway To Heaven, and it is the latter who has given us Magical and Rhododendron. That celebrity pair have won seven Group 1s between them, excelling at eight to 12 furlongs, and if Magical (she is still in training) is sent for the covering initially announced for this year – No Nay Never – then a resultant foal would be closely related to Land Force.
His grandam, the Group 2 King Stand Stakes and Group 2 Temple Stakes winner Cassandra Go, was one of the speediest members of the family and the Group 1 July Cup runner-up is a half-sister to Verglas. Land Force looks likely to get mostly sprinters and milers, with a few who will stay farther, and he is an intriguing addition to the British stallion ranks.
LAND FORCE (IRE), Bay 2016. Won three races, £192,043, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, at 2 years including, Qatar Richmond Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2, Coolmore Pride of Dubai Tipperary Stakes, Tipperary, L, also placed third in Norfolk Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, Cold Move EBF Marble Hill Stakes, Curragh, L.
Retired to Stud in 2020.
Stands at: Highclere Stud, Burghclere, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 9LT, England.
Contact: Jake Warren
Telephone: +44 (0)1635 253212 or +44(0)7730 272895
Email: jake@highclerestud.co.uk
Web: www.highclerestud.co.uk
Fee: £6,500