Stakes Races: 12/04/2014 Winners Pedigree:

Navan Racecourse, Ireland

3:00pm Irish Stallion Farms EBF  Salsabil Stakes

Dazzling (IRE)
3yo Bay Filly by Galileo x Secret Garden

This well related filly made all in this moderate listed race. The step up to 10 furlongs seems to bring out the best in her & it seems the step up to 12F in the Oaks would suit her quite well. Dazzling didn't come cheap as Coolmore had to part with £925,000 to acquire her at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Coolmore had enjoyed classic success with her full brother Roderic O'Connor, he won the Gr1 Gran Criterium as a 2yo before finishing second to Frankel in the Dewhurst, and going on to land the Irish 2000 guineas as a 3yo. Dazzling is the second stakes winner produced by her dam Secret Garden. A daughter of Danehill she was a stakes winner herself and was placed at Grade 3 level in America. Dazzling's third dam Durtal was a champion at two. She produced Gr1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Glidoran at stud. Secret Garden was purchased for £900,000 at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mare Sale to Hugo Lascelles Bloodstock, she has a 2yo and yearling brother to Dazzling & Roderic O'Connor.


3:35pm Ballysax Stakes Group 3

Fascinating Rock (IRE)
3yo Bay Colt by Fastnet Rock x Miss Polaris

This colt prvided his sire with his first stakes winner in Europe. Fascinating Rock is the third foal out of maiden winner Miss Polaris, a daughter of Polar Falcon. He is a half brother to minor winner Secretsubstitute and hurdle winner Quick Jack. His dam is a winning sister to Slovakian stakes winner Euro Falcon. Further back in the family is Italian Group winners Gothenberg & Omaha City. This is from the immediate family of champion Japanese 3yo filly Cesario & Group 2 placed Anna Pavlova.


Newbury Racecourse, Britain

1:50pm Dubai Duty Free Surprise Stakes Group 3

Cubanita
3yo Chesnut filly by Selkirk x Caribana

This well bred filly is the first foal of her dam. Her third dam is Group 1 yorkshire oaks winner Key Change. She produced Grade 1 hurdler Pittoni, as well as Listed winner & Group placed Calorand. This is the family of Group winner Discreet Belief.


2:20pm Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling) Group 3

J Wonder
3yo Bay Filly by Footstepsinthesand x Canterbury Lace

This filly is also superbly bred & cost connections $300,000 as a yearling. Her full sister is Chachmaidee who won the Group 1 Matron stakes & was also placed in the Group 1 Sun Chariot. Her dam is the unraced Canterbury Lace. She is a sister to Irish Derby runner up Alexander Of Hales and is also a sister to Group 1 Gran Criterium runner up Chevalier. Canterbury Lace is a 1/2 sister to classic heroine Virginia Waters, they are out of Legend Maker, a Group 3 winner. This is from the family of Group 1 winner & sire In The Wings & also to stakes winner Alive Alive Oh.

2:55pm Aon Greenham Stakes Group 3

Kingman
3yo Bay Colt by Invincible Spirit x Zenda

Kingman certainly stamped his authority in this Guineas trial event. A homebred of Juddmonte Farms, he is outstandingly bred. Kingman is by champion stallion Invincible Spirit and is out of Group 1 french guineas heroine Zenda. Before Kingman burst on the scene Zenda had already supplied a stakes winner courtesy of Remote. She is a 1/2 sister to champion sprinter and sire Oasis Dream. Their dam Hope is an own sister to Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight, she in turn is the dam of multiple Group/Grade 1 winner and sire Beat Hollow. This is from the family of Reefscape. Zenda has a 2yo full sister to Remote and foaled a filly by Juddmonte's first season sire Bated Breath.

Broodmare Focus: Atlantic Jewel

The last few years in thoroughbred racing has seen some tremendous fillies. Australia has been blessed in recent times with the likes of Black Cavair undefeated in twenty-five races & the mare in question Atlantic Jewel who lost her unbeaten record by a short head.

Atlantic Jewel was the winner of four Group 1 races in Australia including the 1000 guineas & the Cathy Pacific Caulfield stakes. Atlantic Jewel was ultra consistent winning ten times from eleven runs. Her career was blighted by injury problems which prevented her from racing over seas. 

Atlantic Jewel has a very strong female pedigree. She is a daughter of Australia's leading sire Fastnet Rock. She cost Coolmore $320,000 as a yearling & was trained by Mark Kavanagh. 

Atlantic Jewel was the second & first living produce foaled by her dam Regard. A daughter of champion sire Zabeel, she was twice a winner & is a half sister to the dual stakes placed Shaan. They are both out of Nanshan who won twice as a three-year-old. Regard was a high class broodmare who was plagued by foaling problems, her only two living progeny were both Group 1 winners. Regards first foal died soon after birth, she then foaled Atlantic Jewel, while her third foal was Group 1 thousand guineas winner Commanding Jewel, her fourth foal died and tragically she died herself. 

Atlantic Jewel comes from a top class European family. Her fourth dam was Group 1 cheveley park stakes winner Pass The Peace, she in turn produced Embassy who emulated her dam by winning the cheveley park stakes & by becoming a Group 1 producer when her son Kings Apostle won the Group 1 Prix Maurice De gheest. This is from the immediate family of stakes winners Vital Statistics & Cobra.

It didn't come as much surprise to racing fans when Coolmore announced Atlantic Jewel would visit their flagship sire Galileo. The Galileo/Fastnet Rock cross has yet to be tested, but if Galileo can replicate the success he has so far had with the sire line then this cross could produce the next generation of champions. Atlantic Jewel  arrived at Coolmore in Ireland well in advance for her date with the worlds best sire. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of her first foal.