BEN Keswick and his wife Emma own Rockcliffe Stud, and there they breed from a small broodmare band, often racing their progeny. They are most famously associated with the Group 1 winner Snow Lantern.

Now the couple have another homebred to cherish, the Group 3 Markel Molecomb Stakes winner Trillium. Victory number two on her third outing holds the promise of more for yet another juvenile stakes winner by No Nay Never (Scat Daddy), and this major update to the family will also enhance the sale prospects of the filly’s Iffraaj (Zafonic) yearling half-brother who is due to be consigned from Highclere Stud at the upcoming Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. Check out Lot 113.

This Group 3 success will also have brought joy to David Menuisier who, in February, purchased Trillium’s three-year-old half-sister American Kestrel (Starspangledbanner) at Tattersalls, the filly having won at Newbury on her juvenile debut. Without doing another thing American Kestrel has multiplied in value. In hindsight, it was perhaps surprising that the Keswicks let her go.

The couple also bred and raced Trillium’s dam Marsh Hawk (Invincible Spirit). She was a smart juvenile when she won twice, also being placed at Group 3 level. Her first foal, Mohawk King (Siyouni), was sold for 220,000gns as a yearling, washed his face when selling for 250,000gns as a breezer, and he is now a six-time winner. Twice successful at two, this year Mohawk King has won four times in the USA and been stakes-placed.

Three juveniles

American Kestrel followed, and now Trillium has made it three juvenile winners with her first three foals for Marsh Hawk. This year the mare had a colt foal by Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj). Marsh Hawk was foaled by Asaawir (Royal Applause), a stakes-placed winner of a pair of two-year-old contests. She was one of the first mares acquired for Rockcliffe Stud in 2008, the year of its establishment, costing 155,000gns. Assawir is now the dam of five winners, including the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes-placed Hairy Rocket (Pivotal).

This is a family on the up and up, and Trillium looks like she could be the star of this particular branch. Other branches, all descending from fourth dam Triple Reef (Mill Reef), have produced Group 1 and 2 winners Duncan (Dalakhani), Talented (Bustino), Carlton House (Street Cry), Lazuli (Dubawi), Wavy Run (Commanche Run), Gretchen (Galileo) and Samuel (Sakhee), as well as the Randox Grand National winner One For Arthur (Milan).