WHAT do Contributor, Dundeel, Redwood, So You Think, Tivaci and Toronado have in common? They are Group 1-winning sons of the dual Derby and dual Breeders’ Cup hero High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) who have sired Group 1 winners.

Free Eagle has not yet achieved that feat, but the top-class racehorse got the Group 1 Derby runner-up and now young sire Khalifa Sat (dam by Tenby) in his first crop, and his son Bolthole (dam by Acclamation) is the subject of review in this week’s Breeding Insights column. He has clearly shown that he can get runners who can perform with credit at the highest level.

Six-figure earner Dancing King (dam by Big Shuffle) won the Group 3 March Stakes in England, whereas Justifier (dam by Invincible Spirit) was a pattern-placed juvenile stakes winner in Ireland before going on to further success in Hong Kong under the name Beauty Smile; his earnings are now around £520,000. Another son, Lips Freedom (dam by Big Shuffle) is a listed winner in Italy, while no less than eight other sons and daughters have been placed in group and listed races.

His first runners over jumps are not only winning, but many are multiple winners. The Gordon Elliott-trained Royal Eagle won on the level but is a four-time hurdle winner. At least four others have won twice, while Perry Owens and Eagle Fang have been placed in blacktype National Hunt races. This bodes well for his future,

Free Eagle, who raced as a Moyglare Stud homebred, short-headed classic star The Grey Gatsby in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, ran away with the Group 3 Enterprise Stakes over the same trip at Leopardstown, and was placed in both the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes and Group 1 Champion Stakes from only eight starts.

He is out of their standout broodmare Polished Gem (Danehill), so he is a half-brother to the dual Group 1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song (Galileo), Group 2-scorers Custom Cut (Notnowcato) and Sapphire (Medicean), Group 3-winner Valac (Dark Angel), pattern-placed stakes winners Amma Grace (Galileo) and Falcon Eight (Galileo), plus the young Kedrah House Stud sire Rich History (Dubawi).

Polished Gem’s full-sister Dress To Thrill is a Grade 1-winning daughter of Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Trusted Partner (Affirmed), while Free Eagle’s third dam Talking Picture (Speak John) won twice at the highest level on the track.

Race record

FREE EAGLE (IRE), Bay 2011. Jt Champion older horse in Ireland in 2015. Jt Champion older horse in Europe in 2015 (9.5-10.5f.). Won three races, £592,524, from 1 mile to 1 mile 2 furlongs, 2 to 4 years including, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, KPMG Enterprise Kilternan Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, also placed second in ICON Juv.Turf Trial Golden Fleece Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, and third in QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, Qipco Champion Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2016, and sire of 151 winners, of 401 races, and £6,504,972, including DANCING KING (IRE), BOLTHOLE (IRE), LIPS FREEDOM (GER), KHALIFA SAT (IRE), JUSTIFIER (IRE), Perry Owens (IRE), Wise Eagle (IRE), Eagle Fang (IRE), Biarchi (AUS), Jolly Jumper (IRE), Auxilia (IRE), La Hacienda (GB), Atlanta City (IRE), Aratus (IRE), and Wings Of War (FR).

Information

Stands at: Anngrove Stud, Mountmellick, Co Laois, R32 HR96, Ireland.

Contact: Alastair Pim

Telephone: +353 57 8624122 or +353 87 2902188

Email: stud@anngrove.com

Web: www.anngrove.com

Fee: Private