ALBERT Sherwood and Peria Stud’s Pat Connell are two of the best-known figures in the National Hunt world, but they feature as a pair this week thanks to a Group 3 winner in Hong Kong.

Together they bred Helene Feeling, a five-year-old gelding from the first crop sired by Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy). The Royal Ascot Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner at two later triumphed in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, and the following year ran third in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes, also at the Curragh. Sire of the Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner Socks Nation with his first Australian crop, Sioux Nation has yet to hit that same height with his European crops, though that would appear to be just a matter of time.

Sioux Nation’s first crop born after he retired to stud at Coolmore is headed by four Group 2 winners, one of which, Matilda Picotte, was placed in the Group 1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Victory this week for Helene Feeling takes his sire’s tally of blacktype winners to 17, all but two of them achieving the feat in group races. The success of his runners last year, combined with exceptional demand for his foals which saw more than 50 sell for an average of just over €60,000, prompted a small rise in his fee for this season, to a new high of €30,000.

Name changed

Helene Feeling had his name changed from Indian Dream when he was sent to race in Hong Kong, where his seventh career success has taken his earnings to a little shy of £1.5 million.

Sherwood and Connell were not really rewarded in any sense when they sold the new Group 3 winner as a foal, getting just €15,500 for him at Goffs from JC Bloodstock. The then colt reappeared the following autumn in Book 2 of the October Sale from Kilminfoyle House Stud, where Nick Bell spent 40,000gns to acquire him.

Trained initially by Michael Bell, Indian Dream made a most promising start to his career when runner-up over six furlongs at Newmarket, but when he disappointed next time out he was quickly gelded. That worked the oracle, and in four more starts that season he won twice and was runner-up on the same number of occasions. A sale to Hong Kong ensued, and there he is trained by Danny Shum, best known recently as the man who has handled the career of Romantic Warrior, the leading money earner in the history of racing.

Indian Dream’s latest win is likely to inspire a hunt by breeders and agents for his only named half-sister Lil Gem (Sepoy). She showed nothing in six starts, and the now 10-year-old may well be competing as a polo pony, having been sold for that purpose for 800gns at the age of two. Prior to winning this year’s Group 3 January Cup at Happy Valley, Helene Feeling was placed in the same race a year ago.

First foal

The Sherwood/Connell team spent 20,000gns to purchase Helene Feeling’s dam, Cynthia Calhoun (Exceed And Excel), carrying her first foal. Sadly, that placed mare was to only have four foals, one of which was never named. Cynthia Calhoun is a daughter of The Jotter (Night Shift), and the latter must be considered unlucky to have failed to win a stakes race.

Trained by William Jarvis, The Jotter won twice at two, and was second three times, in successive runs, in listed races as a juvenile. She had three different riders on those occasions, Pat Eddery, John Reid and Lester Piggott, and it was the latter who came closest to winning a blacktype contest, going down by a short head in the Listed Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket. Sent to stud, The Jotter’s first foal was Final Row (Indian Ridge), and this six-time winner was twice second in stakes races in the USA.

The Jotter went on to produce five more winners, none earning blacktype, and she and the Group 1 Italian two-year-old runner-up Line Dancer (Shareef Dancer) were the best runners from Note Book (Mummy’s Pet). The Jotter’s winning own-sister Petite Epaulette (Night Shift) bred the Group 3 C L Weld Park Stakes winner Rag Top (Barathea). Note Book was a full-sister to the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes winner Colmore Row (Mummy’s Pet), and a half-sister to another smart two-year-old in Long Row (Linacre), successful in the Group 2 Horris Hill Stakes.

Front Row

Long Row, Colmore Row and eight other winners were produced by Front Row (Epaulette) who won the 1968 Irish 1000 Guineas. Front Row was trained by Ryan Jarvis, and bred in Co Kildare by Josphine Bourke of Cadamstown Stud. Front Row appears in the families of many stakes winners around the world, though few achieved much fame.

An exception is her granddaughter Possessive Dancer (Shareef Dancer) who won a pair of classic races, the Group 1 Irish Oaks and its Group 1 Italian equivalent.

Another runner in the family that people may remember with fondness was the Jack Berry-trained Mind Games (Puissance). He was another family member to win the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, and he was twice successful in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Sandown.

I wonder how many telephone calls have been made to Tattersalls in Newmarket this week, asking for a contact number for WB Polo, purchasers of Helene Feeling’s half-sister back in 2017?