RENOWNED Patrickswell, Co Limerick nursery Round Hill Stud welcomed the first northern hemisphere foal by the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega).

The dam of the filly foal is three-time, six and seven-furlong winner Grace And Virtue who was also bred by Bobby and Honora Donworth. The new filly hails from the family of champion three-year-old sprinter Golden Horde (Lethal Force), and the Roundhill-bred Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Zabeel Prince. The latter is himself a son of Lope De Vega (Shamardal).

This famous home of champions is no stranger to top-quality foals, and Bobby Donworth describes the filly as “a high-quality filly with plenty of substance; she’d encourage you to use Lucky Vega again this season. She’s immediately related to champion fillies Rizeena (Iffraaj) and 11-time Grade 1 winner Serena’s Song (Rahy), so it’s a superb fillies’ page.”

High-class winners

In fact, this is a page that contains no end of high-class winners, all tracing to Grand And Virtue’s third dam Imagining (Northfields). In addition to the stars already mentioned, you will find many more, the real problem being trying to fit them all on a catalogue page. Some of the others include the US champion Honor Code (A P Indy), and Group 1 Royal Ascot heroine Sophisticat (Storm Cat),

The Irish National Stud’s Gary Swift said: “It’s a tremendous start for Lucky Vega. The firepower this horse has been supplied with in his first and second seasons with top-class mares is unprecedented. Yulong have done everything to facilitate him becoming the most exciting young stallion around, and he is certainly the one to be on.” Lucky Vega stands for €15,000 in 2023.