WHAT was victory in the Listed Watch Racing TV Irish EBF Lenebane Stakes at Roscommon worth to the team at Moyglare Stud? On the face of it, €25,500. The monetary worth of the race, while welcome, was insignificant compared to the increase for the winner, La Isla Mujeres. This four-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega (Shamardal) was purchased as a dual winner last December for 330,000gns through Jason Kelly and trainer Paddy Twomey.

She had a desirable pedigree, was already successful, and she seemed to be improving with age. Her trainer then, Ralph Beckett, had even targeted a Group 3 fillies’ race in Germany for her to gain valuable blacktype, but she didn’t take up the challenge. Her new owners instead set this as an aim, and now that dream has been achieved. While Moyglare will not be cashing in on this success, the knowledge that she would make more were she to be sold now is still a nice feeling.

It will be interesting to see what path La Isla Mujeres takes, and if she is good enough to succeed at group level. Her half-sister Andromede (Sea The Stars) was a listed winner in Germany and group-placed in France, and that five-year-old is still in training. Le Isla Mujeres and Andromede are among three winners, the first three runners, for their dam Honor Bound (Authorized).

Also trained by Ralph Beckett, Honor Bound won the Listed Oaks Trial Stakes at Lingfield and in 2021 was picked up by BBA Ireland for €60,000 at Arqana. Sent to be covered by Churchill (Galileo), her resulting son was sold from Clare Castle Stud to Dermot Farrington and SackvilleDonald in October for 310,000gns. La Isla Mujeres herself was sold by her breeders, Al Shahania Stud in France, as a yearling for €105,000, signed for by Alex Elliott.

Treasure Beach

Honor Bound was one of three stakes winners out of Honorine (Mark Of Esteem), a three-time winner. The best of the trio was Treasure Beach (Galileo), and he was a top-level winner on both sides of the Atlantic. He won the Group 1 Irish Derby and was runner-up in the equivalent at Epsom, while his biggest win stateside was the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington International. Their half-brother Elidor (Cape Cross) was a minor stakes winner in England.

Honorine was one of three winners out of the listed French winner Blue Water (Bering), and her son Indian Creek (Indian Ridge) came close enough a few times to winning a Group 1.

Successful at Royal Ascot in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes when beating Bollin Eric a neck, he was runner-up a year earlier in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes to Grandera, with Banks Hill and Nayef following him home.

Third to Nayef and Tobougg in the Group 1 Dubai Champion Stakes in 2001, as a three-year-old, the David Elsworth-trained colt was sixth the following year, and on what was to be his penultimate start, was third to Rakti and Carnival Dancer in the race as a five-year-old. Among those in arrears was Russian Rhythm, Alamshar and Nayef.

La Isla Mujeres is stakes winner number 60 for Lope De Vega, standing this year for €125,000 at Ballylinch Stud, but you have to add that number to his tally of 72 pattern winners. He is one of the world’s best sires.