LANCASTER Bomber died at South Africa’s Drakenstein Stud in 2021, collapsing in his paddock following a heart attack. He left behind just two crops, and the success enjoyed to date shows that he has left a big gap. He is also becoming familiar to racegoers in the USA.

The five-year-old mare Beach Bomb (a four-year-old in the southern hemisphere) is one of three Group 1 winners in the first crop of Lancaster Bomber (War Front), and his second crop includes two more. They are five of the seven stakes winners sired by the former Aidan O’Brien-trained horse, and while the quality of South African racing may not always match that of the rest of the world, we have to take our hats off to Lancaster Bomber for his achievements.

Lancaster Bomber won just twice, at two and four, and his best performance came in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup which he won on what was to be his final start. In so doing he pushed his winnings to almost £1.1 million, and this was principally thanks to finishing second in prestigious Group and Grade 1 races such as the Dewhurst Stakes (to Churchill), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (to Oscar Performance), St James’s Palace Stakes (to Barney Roy), Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile, both times to World Approval. For good measure, he was third in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes.

South Africa

Beach Bomb was sent to race in the USA after her career in South Africa saw her win twice at two, including a listed race from three starts, while at three she won a pair of Group 1 contests, the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Cartier Paddock Stakes, and she was runner-up in the Group 1 Cape Derby. She earned a berth at the Breeders’ Cup, which was taken up, and she was eighth in the Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar. Prior to that she placed in a couple of graded stakes.

This year is proving to be more fruitful and she has won both her starts for owners Cayton Park Stud and trainer Graham Motion. She ran twice last month and won both times. Racing at Gulfstream Park, she tasted success in the USA for the first time when winning the Grade 3 The Very One Stakes, and doubled up last weekend in the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes. She is a mare who could well go on to win at the highest level in the USA too.

Beach Bomb is out of a champion racemare by Dynasty (Fort Wood). He was Horse of the Year, champion three-year-old, a four-time Group 1 winner and multiple champion sire, but died six years ago at the age of 19.

He is responsible for over 80 stakes winners, and is now an influential sire of sires and broodmare sire. Six wins in 13 starts for Beach Bomb is still at an early stage of what could become a prolific career for the mare. That said, she has a long way to go to match her dam, Beach Beauty (Dynasty). That mare took her family page to a whole new level during a racing career that saw he crowned champion twice in South Africa where she was a fan favourite.

Beach Beauty won 17 of her 31 starts, enjoyed five victories in Group 1 races, and four of her runner-up finishes were at the highest level. She has been just as impressive since going to stud, with her first five foals producing five multiple winners, three of them group winners, four of them stakes winners, and all of them earning some blacktype.

In addition to Beach Bomb, Beach Beauty is dam of the Group 2 winners Wild Coast (Trippi) and Amanzimtoti (Trippi). They won the WBS Guineas and Western Cape Fillies Championship respectively. The other stakes performers from the mare are triple listed winner Narina Trofon (Silvano) and the multiple group-placed Rex Union (Duke Of Marmalade). This is not likely to be the end of the story, as Beach Beauty has others to run for her.

Legend Of Arthur

The latest winner at Group 1 level for Lancaster Bomber came at the weekend in Turffontein. Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Legend Of Arthur won the South African Derby, seven years after his half-brother Hero’s Honour (Await The Dawn) did so.

They are two sons of Grail Maiden (Galileo), an Australian-foaled mare who won four times and was stakes placed. Grail Maiden’s dam Elaine (Common Grounds) didn’t race but found her way to Australia where she was a prolific winner-producer.

Elaine’s attraction was her pedigree. She is a half-sister to the Group 2 Leopardstown Derby Trial winner Fracas (In The Wings), out of the stakes winner Klarifi (Habitat), and from the immediate family of the dual Group 1 winner La Collina (Strategic Prince). It would need a couple of pages of the paper to do justice to the fourth dam of Legend Of Arthur, the multiple classic-placed Sorbus (Busted).

Gaynor Rupert owns Drakenstein Stud, and the farm is one of the most successful in the history of South African breeding. One of its most recent stallion additions was the Group 1 winner A Case Of You, most appropriate as the farm is in one of the most famous wine-producing regions.