DAYS after Ben McElroy paid 335,000gns on behalf of Stonestreet Stables for an Oasis Dream (Green Desert) filly in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale, her year-older half-sister, Classic Flower (Calyx), boosted the pedigree significantly with victory in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly.

The sale last week was already a big win for the Morrin’s Pier House Stud, as they had purchased the yearling for 70,000gns as a foal, and then watched as Classic Flower won her first couple of starts, and placed a couple of times in pattern company. This Group 2 success was well deserved, and Classic Flower is proving to be quite a bargain purchase by Arthur Hoyeau, having cost 45,000gns as a foal.

Bred by Petches Farm, Classic Flower is the first foal from the twice-raced Crown Of Flowers (Garswood), and that mare ran in the colours of Saeed Suhail. Having shown a semblance of ability on her debut when beaten only two lengths into sixth place, Crown Of Flowers started favourite next time up, with Ryan Moore in the saddle.

However, nothing went right and she was virtually pulled up, never to be seen on the track again.

Broodmare prospect

Having cost 98,000gns as a yearling, Crown Of Flowers was part of a Godolphin consignment at the Tattersalls Ascot July Sale in 2019, and Petches Farm secured her with a bid of £25,000. She had plenty of appeal as a broodmare prospect, being a half-sister to the dual stakes winner Bahia Breeze (Mister Baileys), and that mare had by sale time bred the Group 2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes winner Beshaayir (Iffraaj).

Calyx (Kingman) was fast on the racecourse and he is proving to be equally fast at stud. His first crop has already produced 17 individual winners, and a number of them have shown themselves to be above average. His two stakes winners have won at Group 2 level, and, in addition to Classic Flower, the other is Persian Dream, a dual winner for Dominic Ffrench Davis and Amo Racing. Those wins included an impressive victory in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

Malc justified favouritism to win over five furlongs on his debut for Richard Fahey, and was runner-up in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Eben Shaddad earned a TDN rising star status when he won a novice stakes at Newmarket for John and Thady Gosden by almost four lengths on his debut and later was placed in the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket.

Meanwhile, Calyx’s daughter Angiolleta was a maiden winner at Del Mar for Doug O’Neill over a mile and placed in the Listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes.