GALE Force Ten (by Oasis Dream) is one of the freshman sires who notched up a double-digit tally of winners in 2018, and his list includes Life’s A Breeze, James Street, and Dom Carlos.

The latter ran four times for the Joseph O’Brien stable and followed a four-length victory at Cork with an honourable third-place finish in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. The subsequent Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes winner and Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye third Soldier’s Call won that race, and the horse who finished a half-length fourth was none other than Van Beethoven, who won the Group 2 Railway Stakes at the Curragh on his next outing. Dom Carlos, on the other hand, was not seen out again.

French-trained Life’s A Breeze is out of a daughter of Montjeu (by Sadler’s Wells), so it is no surprise that he looks like proving best over middle-distances. He won over a mile at Compiegne in early October and added a 10-furlong conditions race victory at Angers in November.

However, James Street’s future may lie in sprints. The Hugo Palmer-trained colt, who made €65,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, was a runner-up at Newbury on his debut in July, then won over six furlongs at Doncaster and Nottingham. After his disappointing run in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes he bounced back from that to win under 10st 2lbs at Kempton in December. He was short-headed on his first start of 2019, also over six furlongs on the Polytrack, and runner-up at Lingfield on Wednesday.

Gale Force Ten was placed in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and Group 1 Middle Park Stakes as a juvenile but was much better at three, easily winning a listed contest at Dundalk before chasing home Magician in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

Then he won the Group 3 Jersey Stakes over seven at Royal Ascot before running quite well in the Group 1 July Cup over six, out of the frame in sixth but still only beaten by a total of four and three-quarter lengths.

His dam Ronaldsay (by Kirkwall) won the Listed Warwickshire Oaks, and one of her half-sisters is the dam of the dual US Grade 3 scorer Pickle (by Piccolo). The Group 1 stars who appear under his third dam include Postponed (by Dubawi), Turning Top (by Pivotal), and Simply Perfect (by Danehill), in addition to Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Bianca Nera (by Salse).

Given his race record and pedigree, therefore, it can be expected that Gale Force Ten’s progeny will do best aged three and upwards, while plenty of them still manage to win at two.

GALE FORCE TEN (GB). Won three races, £209,794, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Jersey Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3, Elusive Pimpernel Patton Stakes, Dundalk, L, also placed second in Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, Norfolk Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, and third in vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winners of 18 races, and £173,237, including Dom Carlos.

Stands at: Irish National Stud, Tully, Kildare, Co Kildare, Ireland.

Contact: Cathal Beale, Sinead Hyland, Gary Swift, Patrick Diamond or Helen Boyce

Telephone:: +353 (0)45 521251

Email: reception@irishnationalstud.ie

Web: www.irishnationalstud.ie

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