Racing Post

Dick Turpin

Arakan-merrily (Sharrood)

National Stud £7,000

RPR 124

Performance Richard Hannon has introduced a number of his top two-year-olds in maidens at Windsor, Dick Turpin included. He ran out an unchallenged winner under the guidance of the ultra-cool Richard Hughes and used that as a stepping stone to win his next three starts, including an easy victory in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes, where he beat Buzzword by three lengths. Upped to Group 1 level for his final two outings as a juvenile he was not beaten far in the Prix Jean-luc Lagardere and Dewhurst Stakes. The defeat of his highly touted stablemate Canford Cliffs in the Greenham at Newbury proved he had trained on and he went on to finish second in the Newmarket and Curragh 2,000 Guineas and in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was beaten by Canford Cliffs. His first Group 1 success came in the Prix Jean Prat, where he beat Siyouni by an impressive four lengths. He did not appear to stay 1m2f when disappointing in the Juddmonte Stakes behind Rip Van Winkle and he rounded off his three-year-old campaign with a commendable third behind Goldikova in the Prix de la Foret. He ran seven times as a four-year-old, winning the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown and the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua at San Siro.

Pedigree Dick Turpin is the headline act of the first three crops by Group 3 winner Arakan, also the sire of Champagne Stakes scorer Trumpet Major. The pair are the only stakes performers by the son of Nureyev, who stands at Ballyhane Stud for € 3,000. Dick Turpin is the last of seven foals out of the 5-6f placed Sharrood mare Merrily and he is a half-brother to two 5-6f winners in Britain and Ireland and a winner in Greece. Although Dick Turpin stays a mile well, this family is best known for producing tough sprinters: Merrily is a half-sister to Palace House Stakes winner Deep Finesse and to the dam of Cornwallis Stakes scorer Halmahera, while further back she is related to Monsieur Bond, the sire of Prix de l’abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl.

Dream Ahead

Diktat-land Of Dreams (Cadeaux Genereux)

Ballylinch Stud € 17,500

RPR 129

Performance Dream Ahead made an instant impact, winning on his debut over 6f by nine lengths to prompt trainer David Simcock to pitch the colt straight into Group 1 company and send him to Deauville for the Prix Morny. Dream Ahead coped with the rise in class with ease, comfortably accounting for subsequent Classic winner Tin Horse to win by a length and a half. Better was to come: in the Middle Park Stakes he slammed Strong Suit and Approve by nine lengths, a performance that led the son of Diktat to be rated the equal of Frankel on 126 on the 2010 European two-year-old rankings. After failing to stay a mile when unplaced in the St James’s Palace Stakes on his three-year-old debut, Dream Ahead was dropped back to sprint trips and did not look back, racking up victories in the July Cup, Haydock Sprint Cup and Prix de la Foret. Among his victims were eight Group 1 winners, including Goldikova and Society Rock, and accordingly Dream Ahead was rated the champion sprinter of 2011.

Pedigree One of 13 Group scorers by the Haydock Sprint Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Diktat, Dream Ahead is a member of the In Reality sire line that, while growing increasingly rare in Europe, is enjoying a resurgence in the US thanks to Tiznow and Successful Appeal. Although a half-brother to

Doonside Cup winner Into The Dark (by stamina influence Rainbow Quest), Dream Ahead’s female line is full of speed. His damsire Cadeaux Genereux and second damsire Green Desert were both July Cup winners. He is out of Flying Childers Stakes heroine Land Of Dreams, herself a daughter of a Molecomb Stakes winner in Sahara Star, who was in turn out of July Cup runner-up Vaigly Star. Further back it is the family of another July Cup runner-up in Vaigly Great.

Dream Eater Night Shift-kapria (Simon Du Desert) Vauterhill Stud £800 RPR 119

Performance Three wins from 34 starts does not quite do justice to Dream Eater’s ability. He was not beaten far in the Windsor Castle, July or Middle Park Stakes at two, but his only victory that season came in the valuable St Leger sales race. He started only twice at three, when fifth in Henrythenavigator’s 2,000 Guineas and third behind Aqlaam in the Jersey Stakes. At four he dead-heated with Confront in the City of York Stakes but, more eyecatchingly, was a narrowly beaten second to Paco Boy in the Bet365 Mile and to Pressing in the Topkapi Trophy. He held his form until five, as a third to Goldikova and Paco Boy in the Queen Anne Stakes and a repeat runner-up to Pressing in the Topkapi Trophy illustrated.

Pedigree Dream Eater’s sire Night Shift is a proven stallion producer in both the Flat and National Hunt spheres. One son, Azamour, has got the likes of Eleanora Duse and Native Khan and another, Dyhim Diamond, is sire of Turtle Bowl, who in turn produced last season’s Criterium International winner French Fifteen. Midnight Legend, also by Night Shift, is one of Britain’s leading jumps sires, having upgraded his mares to get the likes of Midnight Chase and Sparky May. Dream Eater’s broodmare sire, the Kaldoun stallion Simon Du Desert, supplied high-class jumpers Good Bye Simon and Magic Sky. His dam, Kapria, was Group 3-placed over 1m3f in France and is a sister to Listed-winning hurdler Ikra. Her other progeny includes Epsom Derby Trial winner Dreamspeed and highly progressive triple scorer Gulf Of Naples.

Eastern Anthem

Singspiel-kazzia (Zinaad) Withyslade Farm £2,000 RPR 120

Performance The Darley homebred went down in many notebooks as a name to follow when scoring by five lengths in a Nottingham 1m maiden on his sole start at two. He did not live up to Classic hopes when third in the Listed Newmarket Stakes and second in the Cocked Hat Stakes on his two starts at three, but he slowly came to the boil with a Listed-race second and a ten-length 1m4f Newmarket conditions race score at four. The following season he flourished at the Dubai Carnival, winning two handicaps before defeating Spanish Moon and Purple Moon in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic. He went on to finish placed in three consecutive German Group 1s and, on his sole start at six, was a fair sixth behind Dar Re Mi in his repeat bid in the Sheema Classic.

Pedigree One of only two sons at stud in Europe by Singspiel alongside Moon Ballad, Eastern Anthem is the first foal out of 1,000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Kazzia. The first dam was joint third top-rated three-year-old filly in Europe in 2002 and second top-rated three-year-old filly in Britain in 2002. His younger brother Zeitoper was successful in the 2009 Group 3 Prix de Conde and his three-year-old half-sister Kailani, by Monsun, could be anything after winning a maiden on her sole start last season. Kazzia is a half-sister to German Listed-winning filly Kimbajar.

Elusive Pimpernel

Elusive Quality-cara Fantasy (Sadler’s Wells) Islanmore Stud € 1,000 RPR 116

Performance Windflower Overseas Holding’s homebred showed ability from the outset for John Dunlop, defeating Poet’s Voice when making a winning debut in an informative 7f maiden at Newmarket before showing a fine turn of foot to run down his rivals in the Acomb Stakes. A creditable runner-up effort to St Nicholas Abbey in the Racing Post Trophy sealed his juvenile season and he headed into winter quarters as a leading fancy for the

following year’s Classics. Those hopes were further strengthened when Elusive Pimpernel made an impressive winning return in the Craven Stakes and he was not disgraced in the 2,000 Guineas when fifth in a slowly run affair to Makfi. Unfortunately, a setback ruled him out of the French Derby and he was not seen again until the following April. Although he did not win at four, he recorded several encouraging efforts, notably when second in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

Pedigree Elusive Pimpernel fills the slot at Islanmore Stud left by Big Bad Bob, who transferred to the Irish National Stud in 2011 after making a fine start to his stud career with his first small crops. The pair descend from Cristina Patino’s foundation mare Gay Fantasy, a sister to Oath and Pelder’s dam Sheer Audacity. It is also the immediate family of champion Snow Fairy, while dual 1m4f winner Cara Fantasy is a half-sister to Listed winner Lucky Guest, another former Islanmore inmate. Cara Fantasy is also the dam of Group 3 winner Palavicini.

Frozen Montjeu-flamingo Fire Sea (Woodman) Coolagown Stud € 3,000 RPR 121 Performance Frozen Fire followed the template set by other highflying sons of his sire Montjeu, winning his maiden in the late summer of his juvenile season and developing into a top middle-distance performer at three. Trained by Aidan O’brien, he won over 7f on his debut in August before finishing a running-on eighth in the Racing Post Trophy. He surprised many on his three-year-old debut, running subsequent Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer to a head when second in a strong renewal of the Dante Stakes; Twice Over was two and a half lengths back in third. Frozen Fire may not have handled the unique Epsom challenge when a never-dangerous 11th in the Derby, but made amends in the Irish version, scoring by two lengths from Casual Conquest with Tartan Bearer promoted to third. He failed to recapture that form in his later starts at three and at four for Ballydoyle before being sold to be trained by Mike de Kock for South African connections.

Pedigree Frozen Fire’s sire Montjeu has proven to be Europe’s most reliable source of middle-distance talent. In just seven seasons with three-year-olds on the ground he has supplied three winners of the Epsom Derby, three winners of the Irish Derby and three winners of the English and Irish St Legers. Camelot’s impressive Racing Post Trophy victory hinted he can add to that tally this year. Frozen Fire’s dam, the Woodman mare Flamingo Sea, was a 1m winner in Germany and half-sister to Preis der Diana heroine Flamingo Road and to

NEW STALLIONS 2012

en-ie

2012-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2012-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://racingpost.pressreader.com/article/281573762589723

Racing Post