THE top-priced colt on the opening day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year was a Lope De Vega (Shamardal) colt out of the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner God Given, herself a daughter of Nathaniel (Galileo). He was knocked down to Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud for 725,000gns, named Silver Knott, and put in training with Charlie Appleby.

The colt was consigned by Ed and Katherine Player’s Whatton Manor Stud on behalf of Andrew Stone’s St Albans Bloodstock, and the same winning combination must surely be looking forward with great anticipation to offering the second produce of God Given, a colt by Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), as Lot 504 in Book 1 this year. In the spring God Given foaled a colt by Siyouni (Pivotal).

Silver Knott made an encouraging debut at Newbury in the middle of July, only a length and a half off the winner, and he made amends back at the same course three weeks later, winning comfortably over seven furlongs, while still looking like a horse who is learning the ropes. He will come on leaps and bounds.

Silver Knott is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Postponed ((Dubawi), and so the yearling for sale this autumn is very closely-related to that European champion. Furthermore, he is a great-grandson of the champion juvenile filly Bianca Nera (Salse).

At the time of his purchase Anthony Stroud said: “He moved extremely well, he is very light on his feet and he behaved very well here. He is out of a very good mare from the family of Postponed, whom we know well, and Lope De Vega we like very much. We think he is a very nice horse.”

Prophetic words perhaps.

Full circle

Ed Player added: “Andrew Stone of St Albans has entrusted us with God Given. We had Bianca Nera at the farm a long time ago and it has come full circle. We are absolutely delighted with the price, he is such a good walking horse. He walks for fun and he has not put a foot wrong here. God Given is at the farm and she is a beautiful mare; we are lucky to have her.”

David Loder trained Bianca Nera who was victorious on her first three starts, winning the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York before crowning her career with a win in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes 26 years ago.

Four years later, her half-sister Hotelgenie Dot Com (Selkirk) almost made it a family double at the Curragh, but had to settle for second best to Sequoyah. At stud Hotelgenie Dot Com made amends when she instead bred a Group 1 winner, Simply Perfect (Danehill).