JANNAH Rose has put herself firmly in the classic picture following her second run and win at the weekend.

One of the least experienced runners in the field, she nonetheless won with some authority, and has now started to justify the investment made in her by Al Shira’aa Farms.

The three-year-old daughter of Frankel (Galileo) and the unraced Indian Ridge (Ahonoora) mare Sophie Germain was sold by breeder John Hayes at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2021 for €650,000. That memorable occasion was the culmination of years of fun, risk and success for Hayes and his wife Una, together with their four children, and it all started with a speculative investment.

In 2007, Hayes went to Goffs and bought a foal, later to be named Sophie Germain, for €25,000. He had no idea how he would pay for her, remembered he had a few shares in Yahoo, sold them and settled his bill with the auction house. Sadly, Sophie Germain didn’t make it to the racecourse, but she has since served the Hayes family well.

It is a credit to Hayes, and probably was a disservice to Sophie Germain, that she didn’t make it to the track.

In an article in The Irish Field, John Hayes explained that business was tough at the time.

“I named the filly after a French mathematician and we intended to race her. However, the economy took a downturn around that time, and things got tough. It wouldn’t have been right to racing her when we had to let staff go in the business, so we kept her for breeding.”

John and Una raced two of her daughters, Creggs Pipes (Rip Van Winkle) and Silver Spear (Clodovil), and both earned blacktype. Having increased her value with a listed win in Killarney, Creggs Pipes, who failed to sell as a foal and as a yearling, did even better, winning the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh. Two of her daughters, by Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), have sold as yearlings for 180,000gns and €180,000.

Silver Spear won at two, was third in a listed race at the Curragh, and was sold to Yeomanstown Stud as a four-year-old for €155,000. With two talented runners, Hayes decided to upgrade Sophie Germain, and what an upgrade she got. He sent her to England, and told Ronan Groome, “I had no idea how I was going to pay the fee for Frankel.”

Fate struck, and Silver Spear was stakes-placed the day before Hayes sold a colt by Australia (Galileo) at Tattersalls, the update helping to boost his price to 300,000gns.

The breeder continues: “I used the money from that sale to pay for the Frankel fee. Of course, it was a big risk. There’s a lot of money tied up, and it’s very stressful. You’re just hoping that every day they stay sound.

“Having said that, I am not one for dwelling on that type of thing. Every time I looked at the Frankel I couldn’t get over the width between her eyes, and the width of her backside and her width in front. She’s just a stunning specimen.”

Promising

With Jannah Rose now emerging as one of the most promising three-year-old fillies in France, David Redvers will no doubt be happy that he invested €280,000 in the now two-year-old Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) daughter of Sophie Germain. This is a family that keeps on giving.

Sophie Germain has five winning siblings, all of which won in Italy. Sophran Nupri (Priolo) won 10 times, while Naucrate (King’s Best) was successful seven times. All five were multiple winners, as was their dam Nydrion (Critique). She visited the winners’ circle five times, once following her win in the Group 1 Oaks d’Italia.