BASIL Brindley was a man who excelled in many fields, professionally and personally. On the equine front he was a successful owner, breeder, trainer and rider, while for pleasure he enjoyed hunting. A colourful man, he was someone I knew for a long time and his death, three years ago last month, left a void in many lives.

The good news is that there is now another Basil Brindley, his grandson. He has quite the pedigree for success, being a son of Tony and of Florence Weld. Success takes many forms, one of which was his graduation from the Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Management Course six years ago. That was a year that is already making waves in the industry in a short period of time.

Bas, as he is more affectionately known to family and friends, can now claim another first, that of breeding his first winner in his own name. This horse didn’t just win, but he stamped himself as a potential star when landing his five-furlong maiden by no less than six lengths. His ability was not a secret, judged by his favourite’s tag as he lined up at Doncaster.

The race chosen by Michael Bell for the Brian Goodyear-owned son of Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) was the same won last year by Armor. That son of No Nay Never is already at stud, having gone on to win the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes and be Group 1-placed. Can Brave Nation emulate him? Well, there is lots of talk about Royal Ascot from a number of quarters, so perhaps Bas needs to get himself a top hat pronto.

Dylan Hogan rode the colt to make all the running. Going best of all, Brave Nation quickened approaching the final furlong and strode clear to score unchallenged. He continues a fine start made by Sioux Nation at stud, with Ocean Quest having won the first juvenile maiden of the Irish turf season. Interestingly, Ocean Quest’s dam is by Acqlaam, a son of Oasis Dream (Green Desert), while Brave Nation is out of Suite, a daughter of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert).

Suite was purchased by Bas and John Kennedy as a barren mare at Goffs in November 2018 for €20,000. Her first foal, a then two-year-old Yolo Again (Torenado) was a dual winner for Johnny Murtagh and missed out on blacktype when fourth in a listed race.

Yolo Again was sold to race in England and won twice again at three. She has been followed now by the six-time winner Gunnerside (Gutaifan), the placed juvenile Hazmat (Harzand), and now Brave Nation.

Based at Mullinam House Stud, where he has a handful of mares and their offspring, Bas was delighted to welcome a lovely half-sister to Brave Nation recently by New Bay (Dubawi). Final plans for her mating this week were in the throes of being made when I spoke to the breeder. Speed will be a key to the final decision.

Minimum trip

Suite was trained by Richard Hannon for Julie Woods and she won over the minimum trip at Kempton and was runner-up at Newbury at two. Suite is a full-sister to Parfait (Invincible Spirit), a 150,000gns foal and three-time winner, and a half-sister to the stakes-placed duo, Exactement (Speightstown) and Skill Set (Mastercraftsman). Their dam Rakiza (Elnadim) was twice a winner in France and listed-placed.

Rakiza is one of five winning offspring from three-time winner Filfilah (Cadeaux Genereux). The best of the quintet is the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner and Group 1 Falmouth Stakes-placed Baqah (Bahhare). At stud, Baqah is the dam of the US Grade 1 winner Almanaar (Dubawi).

There has been a significant update to the family in recent years too, thanks to Rakia’s unraced half-sister Naqrah (Haatef). She is the dam of the 2019 Grade 1 American Oaks winner Lady Prancealot (Sir Prancealot), and she is now a broodmare in Japan after Shadai Farm paid $1.6 million for her at Keeneland in 2020.