WITH 17 Group 1-winners among an overall tally of 149 blacktype scorers, classic sire Rock Of Gibraltar is among Danehill’s (Danzig) top sons, just as he was during a glittering career on the track.

This made his son Society Rock an eye-catching new sire to stud. He won the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes and Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup and was multiple Group 1-placed, but he was only nine when he died. Two of his six stakes winners among 13 blacktype earners are stallions: prolific Group 2-scorer A’Ali and juvenile Group 1-star Unfortunately.

The latter was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, where his sire stood, and trainer Karl Burke bought him as a yearling. At two he won easily in May and was short-headed in a listed contest at Maisons-Laffitte the following month, before making a return trip to that venue to win the Group 2 Prix Robert-Papin. That was a month before he beat future Group 1-victor and Group 1 stallion Havana Grey by a length and a half when winning the six-furlong Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville.

The following autumn Unfortunately added the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes over the same trip at Naas, then he joined the stallion team at Cheveley Park Stud. He stood a single season in Newmarket before transferring to his present home.

His first crop included his best runner to date, Perdika won a pair of listed races at Chantilly, the Prix Marchand d’Or and Prix Ronde de Nuit, and last year she was second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. Unfortunately’s subsequent crops are Irish-conceived ones and last year his yearlings were purchased by, among others, Karl Burke and Nick Bradley Racing.

Unfortunately is out of the dual six-furlong winner Unfortunate (Komaite) and that granddaughter of Nureyev (Northern Dancer) also supplied the prolific fillies Busy Bimbo (Red Clubs), Red Roar (Chineur), The City Kid (Danetime) and Look Busy (Danetime).

Look Busy stands out, her dozen wins and just under £300,000 in prize money representing success in the Group 2 Temple Stakes and Group 3 Flying Five plus a trio of listed-race wins, and she has done well at stud too, with Keep Busy (Night Of Thunder) being the better of two blacktype offspring, and granddaughter Honey Sweet (Adaay) winning a listed race at Deauville. Five-time winner Keep Busy won a listed race at two and another one at four, she was a half-length runner-up to Glass Slippers in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes and has earned almost £190,000.

Further back, this is the family of Singing Steven (Balliol) who won the Group 3 King George Stakes and Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes before siring winners.

Race record

UNFORTUNATELY (IRE), Bay 2015. Champion 2yr old colt in France in 2017. Won four races, £284,239, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Darley Prix Morny, Deauville, Gr.1, Prix Robert Papin, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.2, Renaissance Stakes, Naas, Gr.3, also placed second in Prix La Fleche -P du Carrefour Montesson, Maisons-Laffitte, L.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2019, and sire of 19 winners, of 37 races, and £558,349, including PERDIKA (GB).

Information

Standing at: Springfield House Stud, Knock, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, R32 H425, Ireland.

Contact: Reddy Coffey or Linda Coffey

Telephone: +353(87 9666301 (Reddy) or +353 86 3310968 (Linda)

Email: info@springfieldhousestud.com

Web: www.oaklodgestud.com

Fee: €3,000