Meta & Dermot CANTILLON, Tinnakill House Stud

State Of Rest (Ire), 2018 c. by Starspangledbanner out of Repose, by Quiet American

CASAMENTO, Alexander Goldrun and Red Evie gave Dermot and Meta (Osborne) Cantillon previous Group 1 successes as a breeder, but they are celebrating an important anniversary since they founded their Co Laois farm with a superstar product of the stud, State Of Rest.

He has now won four top-level races in four countries and on three continents, and they are the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby in the USA, the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia, the Group 1 Prix Ganay in France and the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

In addition to breeding State Of Rest, the Cantillon-Osborne team can also lay claim to breeding his dam Repose, the only one of 10 yearlings they brought to sale in 2013 and had to bring home. She was out of a mare that Dermot selected for purchase as a 16-year-old, giving €42,000 for the stakes winner Monaassabaat, a daughter of Zilzal.

Dermot has earned quite a reputation for buying older mares, with good pedigrees, for value prices, hoping in most cases to get a filly.

State Of Rest has the dual champion It’s In The Air, by Mr Prospector, as his third dam. Five of her 16 career wins were at Grade 1 level 40 years ago, and she has since gone on to establish a number of successful female lines since. It looks like Dermot and Meta have another one.

TONY & ANNE O’CALLAGHAN, Tally-Ho Stud

Perfect Power (Ire), 2019 c. by Ardad out of Sagely, by Frozen Power

THE Tally-Ho Stud-bred Perfect Power reverted to sprinting at Royal Ascot and was most impressive when landing the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup. This was a sixth win for the son of Ardad, half being gained at the highest level. At two he won the Middle Park Stakes and the Prix Morny.

Ardad was himself a Royal Ascot winner. Later that season he added the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes when he beat the Group 1 winner The Last Lion. Ardad was also bred by Tally-Ho Stud and sold for £170,000 to Blandford Bloodstock as a yearling.

His son Perfect Power is the first foal from the dual winner Sagely. She was purchased by the O’Callaghans for 42,000gns and sent to Ardad. Having failed to sell the resulting colt as a yearling for 16,000gns, O’Callaghan breezed him and was rewarded when Perfect Power made £110,000 at Goffs UK, where he was also purchased by Blandford.

Sagely’s three-parts sibling, Margaret Elizabeth, by Kodiac, sold last year for €230,000, while there is a yearling colt by Galileo Gold in Co Westmeath.

Perfect Power is the standout in his branch of a very successful female line that goes back to his fourth dam, Saganeca. A French Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed in Italy, she sold to John Magnier as a 15-year-old for $2 million. She is dam of a pair of Group 1 winners and three of her daughters have bred Group 1 winners.

EVA-MARIA BUCHER-HAEFNER, Moyglare Stud Farm

Kyprios (Ire), 2018 c. by Galileo out of Polished Gem, by Danehill

“WELL done Polished Gem,” was the immediate reaction as Fiona Craig represented Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner in the winners’ enclosure following Royal Ascot’s exciting Group 1 Gold Cup.

Victory for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Kyprios now means that Polished Gem becomes one of those rare beings, the dam of three Group 1 winners. This was win number five from seven starts for her still progressive son, also successful in the Group 3 Saval Beg Stakes and Listed Vintage Crop Stakes.

Kyprios is one of eight blacktype winners for Polished Gem, a daughter of the classic winner Trusted Partner. A winner at two, and an own-sister to Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes winner Dress To Thrill, Polished Gem has an impeccable record as a broodmare; her 10 foals are all winners. She is one of 13 named foals out of Trusted Partner, a dozen of which ran and all but one, who was placed, won.

Polished Gem has crossed well with Galileo and another son of Sadler’s Wells, High Chaparral. Kyprios is a full-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Search For A Song and two other stakes winners, and a sibling to a Royal Ascot winner, Free Eagle, who won the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

This is truly an amazing family and what a special race to win in the year when the stud celebrates 60 years since its founding by Walter Haefner.

BERND & UTE SCHONE

La Petite Coco (Ire), 2018 f. by Ruler Of The World out of La Petite Virginia, by Konigstiger

THE decision to keep La Petite Coco in training, with a Group 1 as the aim, was justified when she landed a thrilling renewal of the Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes. This was her first run since September, and great kudos to Paddy Twomey for having her spot on to hit the target.

She is one of six stakes winners for her sire Ruler Of The World, and she is the second of her sire’s daughters to enjoy success in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Last year La Petite Coco beat Love and the Group 1 winner Thundering Nights to win the Group 2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes, and Team Valor’s filly was also successful in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes at Cork.

La Petite Coco started her career in the colours of owner Ute Schone, the filly having been bred by her with husband Bernd. The breeders are based in Rhode, Co Offaly, and La Petite Coco is the second winner for her unraced dam La Petite Virginia. The breeders no longer have La Petite Virginia but do have her two-year-old Ivawood filly La Petite Sissi.

La Petite Coco’s dam is a half-sister to two talented Group/Grade 1 winners, the champion three-year-old Lavirco who won the Group 1 Deutsches Derby and Europa Preis in Germany, and his own-brother Laveron who won the Group 2 St Leger in Germany, placed in the German Derby, and went on to win twice at Grade 1 level over hurdles in France.