BRED by Ballygallon Stud, Hellsing graduated to become a stakes winner at Tipperary recently when the Ger Lyons-trained son of Dandy Man (Mozart) won the Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes, beating five smart opponents.

Successful in a maiden at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, Hellsing was off the track for two months before running a fine second to Proud And Regal in the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown. With a number of tasty entries already, it is inevitable that he will next attempt to capture a group success, and he is a horse worth following.

Belinda Strudwick’s association with this family began at the Tattersalls December Sale in 2004 when she paid 500,000gns for the Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Australie. She was one of eight mares at that year’s sale to bring that price or more, Ipi Tombe being the most expensive at 850,000gns. From a renowned distaff family, Australie boosted her sale prospects in the weeks before she was sold, adding a win in the Group 3 Prix de Flore to a prior listed success.

Since her purchase 18 years ago, this branch of the family has been upgraded many times. Australie herself is the dam of a pair of stakes winners, both in the Ballygallon Stud silks, Hawke (Oratorio) and Mireille (Dalakhani), and they gained their listed victories in Ireland and France respectively. Meanwhile, Australie’s half-brother Forgotten Voice (Danehill Dancer) won the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood.

Luxembourg

Even more importantly, two of Australie’s siblings matched her record by producing a pair of stakes winners each, but in the case of Attire (Danehill Dancer) she has outshone them all. Her two stakes winners are the 2021 Group 1 Vertem Futurity winner and classic-placed Luxembourg (Camelot), and the Group 2 winner Leo De Fury (Australia).

How the years can change a pedigree, in this case all for the better. In 2004, under Hellsing’s fourth dam Albertine (Irish River), there were a total of 10 stakes winners, among them her Group and Grade 1 winning son Arcangues (Sagace) and her classic-winning granddaughters Aquarelliste (Danehill) and Cape Verdi (Caerleon). That number 10 has now expanded to 47, and additional top-level wins have been achieved by Artiste Royal (Danehill) and Angara (Alzao) in the USA, as well as Alaskan Queen (Constitution) in Chile.