The founder of Juddmonte Farms died just four days before Mandaloun began his eventful sophomore campaign with third in the GIII Lecomte S. last year. Even as things stand, it is instructive of the standards set by the Juddmonte team that he proceeded to become their third runner-up from just six Derby starters. (The others, also homebred, being Aptitude {A.P. Indy} and Empire Maker {Unbridled} in 2000 and 2003 respectively.)

Those standards are so unstinting that breeders at every level avidly contest the mares culled by Juddmonte, who routinely top the bill at Tattersalls every December. A rare exception, however, was the one who gave us Call Me Midnight–winner of the Lecomte half an hour after Mandaloun, making a rather slicker start to his third campaign than to his second, won the GIII Louisiana S.

Overseen (First Defence) cost Hartwell Farm just $16,000 deep into the Keeneland November Sale of 2013, when offered through Mill Ridge as an unraced juvenile. As we'll see, she represents one of the great Juddmonte dynasties. But her dam had become a disappointing producer, while Overseen herself was so dismally lacking in size–as wittily implied in her naming–that her buyers immediately repented, trying (but failing) to discard her only weeks later at Fasig-Tipton's Mixed February Sale.

Fortunately Robbie and Susie Lyons of Hartwell have the good sense–so uncommon among breeders today, despite the vagaries of this business–to mate mares on the premise that the resulting foal might at least run if, for any reason, it can't sell. So instead of chasing those fleeting vogues that spark and fade around unproven stallions, Overseen was in 2018 sent to Midnight Lute.

Midnight Lute | Sarah Andrew

As it happens, that same spring the Hill 'n' Dale stallion had a sophomore filly on the rise in California, named Midnight Bisou. But there has always been far more to Midnight Lute than his headline act. Over the past two years, indeed, he has mustered his fourth and fifth Grade I winners–Keeper Ofthe Stars (Gamely S.) and Smooth Like Strait (Shoemaker Mile, and only caught late in Breeders' Cup Mile)–while maintaining a fee of just $15,000.

The mating that produced Call Me Midnight most blatantly entwined two lines of Fappiano, through his sons Quiet American and Unbridled: respectively the grandsires of Midnight Lute, via Real Quiet; and damsire First Defence, via Unbridled's Song. But while Fappiano is obviously a potent dirt Classic brand, not least through the endeavors of Empire Maker, Call Me Midnight's candidature for the Triple Crown trail is greatly fortified by Overseen's granddam: the Juddmonte foundation mare, G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Slightly Dangerous (Roberto).

By the early 1990s this was perhaps the most glamorous broodmare in Europe. Her second foal was the brilliant miler Warning (GB), a son of Prince Khalid's first stallion Known Fact (and a fragile European footprint for Man o' War via Diktat {GB}, Dream Ahead and now Al Wukair {Ire}). And while Juddmonte would experience rare disappointment in the stud career of its charismatic Arc winner Dancing Brave, Slightly Dangerous nonetheless managed to provide him with a Derby winner in Commander in Chief (GB). In addition, she produced three foals to emulate her own status as Classic runners-up: Dushyantor (Sadler's Wells) in the Derby (later multiple champion sire of Chile); Deploy (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) in the Irish version; and Yashmak (Danzig) in the Irish Oaks. The latter went on to win the GI Flower Bowl Invitational, securing her dam new distinction locally, as 1997 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.

After Yashmak, Slightly Dangerous managed two more foals by Danzig. Since the last was an unraced colt, her final bequest was effectively Jibe, second in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Ascot as a juvenile and a stakes winner over 10 furlongs at three. And this is the dam of Overseen.

As already indicated, Jibe had proved an ineffective conduit of her own dam's prowess by the time Overseen was moved on so cheaply. Of her eight foals, in fact, only one managed to win; the others either never made it onto the track, or shouldn't have bothered. But there are embers to this family that can still be stoked: the solitary winner out of Jibe, a filly by Empire Maker, went on to produce 'TDN Rising Star' Taraz (Into Mischief), who looked a special talent a couple of years ago in winning her first three starts for Brad Cox, only to suffer a catastrophic injury one morning at Oaklawn. She was a gigantic specimen, but little Overseen has herself already produced (from four starters to date) a Bayern filly, built on the same modest lines but beaten only a head in a juvenile stakes at Woodbine in 2019.

These recent distinctions had been preceded, in the wider family, by Yashmak's son Full Mast (Mizzen Mast), who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere; while a sister to Deploy produced two Group winners, and also features as second dam of two Group 1-placed colts (notably G2 Hardwicke S. winner Await the Dawn {Giant's Causeway}) and third dam of a G1 South Australian Derby winner. But Call Me Midnight really needs to keep progressing to reinvigorate a family that so aptly represents Prince Khalid's legacy to the breed. His damsire First Defence, remember, is a son of Honest Lady (Seattle Slew)–who shared her dam, the Juddmonte matriarch Toussaud (El Gran Senor), with Empire Maker among others–while Slightly Dangerous herself was acquired way back in 1982, in the same month that the Prince celebrated his first homebred winner.

Toussaud | Horsephotos

Slightly Dangerous had then just won the G3 Fred Darling S., a traditional signpost to the Classics, and was a granddaughter of Evelyn Olin's Noblesse (GB), the outstanding juvenile of 1962 and 10-length winner of the Oaks in a light career. Noblesse was also confined to a relatively limited output in the paddocks, but all five of her foals were stakes performers and included Where You Lead (Raise a Native)–herself runner-up in the Oaks, just as would in due course become the case of her daughter Slightly Dangerous.

It was only a few weeks after acquiring Slightly Dangerous that Prince Khalid doubled down on the family by buying a yearling (at the same auction where he found the dam of Danehill) by Blushing Groom (Fr) out of Slightly Dangerous's Group-winning half-sister I Will Follow (Herbager {Fr}). This would become Rainbow Quest, Arc winner and multiple Classic sire/damsire.

So this is a family saturated with Classic quality. A lot of people are dismissing Call Me Midnight as owing his day in the sun to a pace meltdown. But while his running style won't help in the modern Derby, which lacks the speed pressure of old since the exclusion of sprinters by the points system, we know to respect the Fair Grounds talent pool nowadays. And hindsight lends a coherent shape to his development. Sure, he took five juvenile attempts to break his maiden–but that represents a useful foundation of experience and he improved every time (bar a mad attempt to burn them off in :21.66 in a sprint, hardly his metier as it turns out). He was rubbing shoulders with some good horses along the way, for instance in chasing home subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) at Keeneland. Moreover he has won over the Derby track, and probably hadn't soaked up that effort when suffering a messy trip anyway in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. a couple of weeks later. All in all he'll have more going for him, entering the gate for the GII Risen Star S., than did Country House (Lookin At Lucky) at the same stage.

Call Me Midnight's Churchill maiden win Nov. 13 | Coady

It would admittedly be startling if he could keep ahead of that particular curve, as a horse who has already been through the ring four times. Hartwell got $25,000 for him as a Keeneland November weanling, from Milton Lopez; and, though a $37,000 RNA in the same ring the following September, he was allowed to go for $17,000 through Beth Bayer to Team Work Horseman Group at OBS the following month. That winter, however, he obviously began to get it together and he proved a very efficient pinhook when realizing $80,000 from Peter Cantrell for Navas Equine back at OBS March.

So there have been winners already, while Mr. Cantrell has 10 Derby points in the bank and Hartwell Farm can now hope to reap its rewards from Overseen's future stock. And there are actually gains to be made by us all, if Midnight Lute could get a Derby winner.

His standout Midnight Bisou emerged from a monster book assembled after his first sophomores caught fire with two Grade I winners, a Classic-placed colt and a colt and filly who both broke track records in respectively winning the Sunland Park Derby and Oaks by an aggregate 13 lengths. But before Midnight Bisou had even made her juvenile bow, her sire had already dwindled from 186 mares to 56–a classic example of the childish brevity of commercial attention. Through all these ups and downs, Midnight Lute has established a lifetime clip of 10% stakes performers and 5% graded stakes performers, to named foals, which stacks up competitively enough against many a more expensive rival.

The first of Midnight Lute's Breeders' Cup Sprints | Sarah Andrew

In the process, he has also established a capacity to draw out the two-turn reserves latent in his pedigree. His own career, as a dual winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, was famously a case of Bob Baffert managing the horse's wind troubles; no less notorious was his sheer scale, at 17 hands, while his own sire's exceptional caliber as a Classic performer was never matched by his opportunities at stud. One way or another Midnight Lute, elegantly proportioned within all that power, channelled his talent with exceptional flair for an unprecedented sprint Beyer of 124. And he has long proved a flexible match for his mares: while initially making his name with single-turn dashers like Shakin It Up and Midnight Lucky, he has since diversified his impact across many disciplines.

Should all else fail, indeed, connections of Call Me Midnight have the option of turf up their sleeve: we've seen all the European royalty behind the dam, while the sire's last two Grade I scores both came on grass. Midnight Lute's third dam, after all, was by Sea-Bird II (Fr) and the next two both won the Italian Oaks; and he was very adaptable himself, in terms of surface, bursting clear on the slop for his first Breeders' Cup and running 1:07.08 on synthetics for his second, besides setting a stakes record on the storied dirt of the GI Forego.

But the real spur to further achievement for Call Me Midnight, did he but know it, is the momentous vacancy available to any male that can salvage this tenuous branch of the Fappiano line.

You can't put a price on that. Quiet American is a Nerud/Tartan Farms time capsule, with the top-and-bottom duplication of two of the great postwar mares in Aspidistra and Cequillo: a genetic goldmine that measures up even to the way Overseen balances Slightly Dangerous and Toussaud. And their combination will surely have many of us in his corner, as Call Me Midnight continues to explore a shared legacy in the hoofprints of Mandaloun.

The post Dangerous to Slight Lecomte Breakout appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Tilsit is out of Multilingual (GB) (Dansili {GB}), an unraced half-sister to Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and a daughter of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches scorer Zenda (GB) (Zamindar). It is also the family of prolific sire Oasis Dream (GB).

Trained by Charlie Hills, Tilsit won last year's G3 Thoroughbred S. in his third start and took this year's Summer Mile after finishing second in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan.

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Despite the substandard nature of the opposition, very few horses can win a novice race by 19 lengths as Tilsit did on Newcastle's Tapeta last June and his next start saw him beat My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Goodwood's Thoroughbred S. at the end of July. Fourth on his 3-year-old finale in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket in September, the homebred was sent to Riyadh for the Feb. 20 Neom Turf Cup but could manage only fifth in that 10 1/2-furlong contest prior to his European comeback when again in front of My Oberon but behind Skalleti in the Prix d'Ispahan. This puts the winner in the mix for the July 28 G1 Sussex S. and Shoemark thinks the race could suit. “When they set off into group 1 company again, I think the tempo of races are just run that little bit quicker and you can ride a little bit more efficient race,” he said. “He's won at Goodwood before last year and I do think he's better on quick ground too. He's an exciting prospect.” Charlie Hills's assistant Jamie Insole told the Racing Post, “You'd have to face Palace Pier, but every horse is beatable and Tilsit won at Glorious Goodwood last year, so likes the track.”

Tilsit is the first foal out of the once-raced Multilingual (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who hails from one of the finest families in the world of breeding. She is out of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (GB) (Zamindar), responsible for the brilliant four-times group 1-winning Irish 2000 Guineas hero and prominent sire Kingman (GB), the G3 Tercentenary S.-winning Remote (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. third First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Also the second dam of the Listed Carnarvon S. winner and G2 Gimcrack S. third Repartee (Ire) by Kingman's sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen runner-up Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and the G3 Musidora S. third Ricetta (GB) (Camelot {GB}), Zenda is a half to the triple group 1-winning July Cup hero and leading sire Oasis Dream (GB) whose son Native Trail (GB) was flying his flag in the G2 Superlative S. on the big sprint's undercard on this afternoon.

The fourth dam is the matriarch Bahamian (Ire) (Mill Reef), producer of the G1 Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight (GB) who was in turn responsible for the four-times top-level winner Beat Hollow (GB) (Sadler's Wells). Also connected to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the star stayers Reefscape (GB) (Linamix {Fr}), Coastal Path (GB) (Halling) and Martaline (GB) (Linamix {Fr}), Multilingual has the unraced 3-year-old gelding Bilingual (English Channel), a 2-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy named Polyglot, a yearling filly by Noble Mission (GB) and a filly foal by No Nay Never.

Saturday, Ascot, Britain
BETFRED SUMMER MILE S.-G2, £110,000, Ascot, 7-10, 4yo/up, 7f 213yT, 1:43.73, g/s.
1–TILSIT, 127, c, 4, by First Defence
1st Dam: Multilingual (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Zenda (GB), by Zamindar
3rd Dam: Hope (Ire), by Dancing Brave
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Charles Hills; J-Kieran Shoemark. £62,381. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-3-2-0, $234,843. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Century Dream (Ire), 127, h, 7, Cape Cross (Ire)–Salacia (Ire), by Echo of Light (GB). O-Abdulla Belhabb; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. £23,650.
3–Al Suhail (GB), 127, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Shirocco Star (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (1,100,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £11,836.
Margins: 3/4, 1, NK. Odds: 4.00, 4.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: Top Rank (Ire), Haqeeqy (Ire), Regal Reality (GB), Sir Busker (Ire), Space Traveller (GB), Happy Power (Ire). Scratched: Duke of Hazzard (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

The post First Defence’s Tilsit Wins The Summer Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“I was really delighted with him,” said Hills. “Frankie [Dettori] gave him a great ride and it looked like he was always going to win the race. It's nice to have won the race twice now and he was 5lb worse off than last year. He seems to have come out of the race in great order and we'll train him for the Group 2.”

Another of Hills's pupils, the evergreen stable star Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), is wintering well and currently enjoying a holiday. The MG1SW is likely to make his first start in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot in June. Last term, the bay landed the King's Stand with Equilateral second.

“Battaash is still on his winter break,” he said. “He doesn't normally come in until the beginning of March. They all seem very happy with him. He's enjoying his hols at the moment.

“Last year he would probably have gone to Haydock [for the Temple S.] had that race been on. He's won first time out every year, so I think we'll just save him for Royal Ascot.”

Group 3 winner Tilsit (First Defence) is also being aimed at a Middle Eastern target, in his case the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt and the Middle Distance Turf Cup both in Riyadh on Feb. 20.

“He's in those two races and we're looking at it,” he said. “Hopefully we'll run him. We'll see how he is in a couple of weeks.”

The post Equilateral to Remain in Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Trained by Ger Lyons, Siskin won his first five starts, breaking his maiden at Naas in May of his 2-year-old year and quickly adding a listed race later that month, before first tasting group success in the G2 Railway S. that June. He saluted in the G1 Phoenix S. two months later and was put away for the winter. The son of the winning Bird Flown returned at three to salute in the June 12 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and was also third in the G1 Sussex S. in July. Fourth in the G1 Prix du Moulin later that summer, he was unplaced in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile and his record stands at 8-5-0-1 and $566,021 in earnings.

Siskin’s dam is a half-sister to SW & GSP Barsanti (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and SW & MGISP Lockdown (First Defence), as well as the dam of U.S. Champion Older Mare Close Hatches (First Defence), herself the dam of MGSW and GI Belmont S. runner-up Tacitus (Tapit). His third dam won the G3 Ballyogan S. and foaled European Champion 2-Year-Old Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) among others notable runners.

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Following the Breeders' Cup, Lyons indicated that Siskin will head to Japan to begin his stallion career in 2021.

Siskin won all four of his 2-year-old starts, including the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes and the G2 Railway, both at the Curragh. He returned to the Curragh to begin his 3-year-old campaign, kicking off with a win in the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas. Siskin then ran third in the G1 Sussex Stakes, beaten just 1 1/4 lengths, and was most recently fourth after missing the break in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Read more at racingpost.com.

The post Two-Time Group 1 Winner Siskin To Target Breeders’ Cup Mile, Then Head To Stud In Japan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“Tilsit had two runs at Newcastle, which is a completely different track to Goodwood, and it was his first start on turf so he has really stepped up and done so well,” commented trainer Charlie Hills. “It was a good step forward really and he has beaten two very nice horses. We knew coming into today that we would know where we would stand after the race and we are all very excited now. Tilsit has come a long way and the guys at home have done a great job. [NH jockey] Will Kennedy has been coming in most days to ride and he has done a fantastic job. A lot of thought has gone into this horse. We’ll see how he is tomorrow morning and go from there. We could maybe come back here for the [G2] Celebration Mile.”

Teddy Grimthorpe added, “That was a huge step forward, but he is still very babyish and has to mature. You could see that slightly in the paddock beforehand, but he was much better than he was the previous two times. He has handled the race pretty well, but he did wander a bit, no doubt about that. He has some talent, no question, and I think fast ground is the key to him as well. I think he is still a bit goofy and immature and I wasn’t at all optimistic we would keep the race. He was the best horse, no doubt about that, but it always worries me. Ryan [Moore] had his whip in his right hand, so that was good, and he has just dived in. He was always going to win so from that point of view the rules are spot on, but it is always a nervous moment. This was Tilsit’s first race on turf and part of the learning curve for him, but he is pretty progressive by the looks of things. The Celebration Mile here could be a possibility and it is always nice to have a few thoughts about where we go and what to do. He looks on an upward curve and, trip-wise, I think we will stay at a mile.”

Tilsit is the first of four foals produced by a daughter of G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (GB) (Zamindar), herself a half-sister to MG1SW sire Oasis Dream (GB) (Green Desert). The homebred bay is a half-brother to the unraced 2-year-old gelding Bilingual (English Channel), a yearling colt by Kitten’s Joy and a 2020 Noble Mission (GB) filly. Zenda, of course, is also the dam of MG1SW sire Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), GSW sire Remote (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and G3 Cumberland Lodge S. third First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She is also the second dam of this month’s G3 Musidora S. third Ricetta (GB) (Camelot {GB}), GIII Sham S. second Let’s Meet In Rio (Flatter), G2 German 2000 Guineas runner-up Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and stakes-winning G2 Gimcrack S. placegetter Repartee (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), himself last of five in this contest.

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
BONHAMS THOROUGHBRED S.-G3, £50,000, Goodwood, 7-31, 3yo, 8fT, 1:40.46, g/f.
1–TILSIT, 127, c, 3, by First Defence
                1st Dam: Multilingual (GB), by Dansili (GB)
                2nd Dam: Zenda (GB), by Zamindar
                3rd Dam: Hope (Ire), by Dancing Brave
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Charlie Hills; J-Ryan Moore. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $42,992. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Oberon (Ire), 127, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–My Titania (Ire), by Sea the Stars (Ire). O/B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. £10,750.
3–Khaloosy (Ire), 127, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Elshaadin (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £5,380.
Margins: 1HF, 2HF, 2HF. Odds: 10.00, 3.00, 0.57.
Also Ran: Mystery Power (Ire), Repartee (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Tilsit Confirmed Thoroughbred Winner After Enquiry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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There's not a lot in that description of the bird that links directly to the equine Siskin (by First Defence), except the part about being charming. Siskin has attracted a legion of fans with his speed and dramatic finishes; that was once more on display over the weekend, as Siskin sliced between rivals in the closing furlongs of the Irish 2,000 Guineas on June 12 to snatch victory from the six-horse Ballydoyle troop by a length and three-quarters.

The Irish classic is the latest top-level success for the international Juddmonte Farms of Prince Khalid Abdullah. He acquired the first elements of Siskin's family with the purchase of the yearling filly later named Monroe in 1978, and Juddmonte's Kentucky farm manager Garrett O'Rourke said that, “it's not easy to get your hands on these elite families, and it's not easy to keep them producing at this level for decades,” because of the challenges of racing and breeding at the intensely selective international level.

A foal of 2017, 40 years on from his highly successful third dam, Siskin was bred by Juddmonte, like both his parents and three of the four grandparents. The Kentucky-bred Siskin is a son of the Unbridled's Song stallion First Defence, who is out of Toussaud's high-class daughter Honest Lady (Seattle Slew). Siskin's dam, Bird Flown, is by the very quick Oasis Dream (Green Desert) out of the stakes-placed Silver Star.

Silver Star's sire, Juddmonte's 1993 2,000 Guineas winner Zafonic (Gone West), was one of the early stars of the operation's Kentucky breeding program, although he raced overseas. Most of the Juddmonte stock, regardless of birthplace, begin their careers in Europe, and only Honest Lady and a scant few others so suited to American racing by pedigree and type begin their careers in the States.

Racing in Europe, Silver Star was one of seven stakes horses from the Juddmonte foundation mare Monroe (Sir Ivor), who was herself a daughter of the great producer Best in Show (Traffic Judge), the dam of Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom), as well as Monroe's full brother, Irish highweight 2-year-old Malinowski.

“It's a very good family that we have a very good branch of, and it's a family that's been producing Grade 1 winners for longer than since I was a boy,” O'Rourke said. “Some families go dormant, but this one has never gone dormant. They're lovely looking horses, they're fast and sound, and they are versatile. I remember when Monroe was running, and she was a five-furlong sprinter, but at the same time, there was another member of the family that was a staying horse.”

The best of Monroe's produce was the highweighted English colt Xaar, a full brother to Silver Star who won the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at two, but failed to gain another victory at that level in two further seasons of racing.

Last year, Siskin was poised to follow Xaar's path of success by contending for the divisional leadership in the Dewhurst Stakes against Pinatubo and others, but the dark brown colt lost his cool in the starting stalls for the Middle Park Stakes, was scratched by the stewards, and derailed for the rest of his juvenile season.

Unraced since then and making his seasonal debut in the Irish Guineas, Siskin was blocked in until quite late by what trainer Ger Lyons called “a football team,” but jockey Colin Keane helped create a seam about a furlong and a half from the finish, and once released, the colt's closing kick was too strong for the opposition.

The manner of his classic victory leaves Siskin and the Juddmonte team in an enviable position to seek and dominate the competition at principal events at a mile, or perhaps more, through the rest of the season, and there is evidence from the pedigree that continued improvement would be a reasonable expectation.

The sire, First Defence, improved nicely from his 3-year-old season to win the G1 Forego at Saratoga as a 4-year-old. Likewise, his dam, Honest Lady, was a Grade 2 winner at three, won a Grade 1 early at four, then tilted against colts to finish second in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The best previous racer by First Defence was champion older mare Close Hatches, a multiple Grade 1 winner who is the dam of Wood Memorial winner Tacitus (Tapit), also second in the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. Close Hatches and her stakes-winning full-sister Lockdown are out of the Storm Cat mare Rising Tornado, a winning half-sister to Bird Flown.

So, three of the five or six best offspring by First Defence are out of half-sisters from the same family. Probably just a coincidence, right?

Sure.

Siskin is from First Defence's final Kentucky crop, as the horse was sold to stand in Saudi Arabia. Siskin is the second foal of his dam, and Bird Flown has a 2-year-old by Juddmonte-bred and -raced Flintshire, who is syndicated and stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington. That filly is named Talacre, and the mare has a yearling filly by Noble Mission, as well as a colt of 2020 by Flintshire.

Bird Flown is in foal to champion Arrogate, the best son of Unbridled's Song. A reason to hope, a reason to dream.

The post Bloodlines: Irish 2,000 Guineas Winner Siskin Fits The Juddmonte Farms Blueprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“This means everything, it means 30 years’ hard graft for everybody–to win a Guineas was always my number one and hopefully it’s the first of many,” Lyons said. “I’m delighted with the support we are getting from owners and the quality has increased year on year. That was hard work and full credit to Colin Keane. You don’t get a Guineas handed to you and they both stood up when it was needed. If there was a kink in that horse, then he wasn’t going to go through that gap. Colin is the best there is at the minute. He’s only a kid and he’s going to keep improving. I also want to thank Khalid Abdullah, who is watching in Paris I’m sure. They are the ultimate breeders.”

Siskin showed instant class on his Naas debut as long ago as last May, 13 days before coming here for the first of three contests and coming away with the Listed Marble Hill S. Adding the Railway to his tally in June, the uncomplicated bay again emerged on top in the Phoenix in August despite unsuitably soft ground and a potential disturbance caused by the loose Mount Fuji (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) on the way to the start. What happened at Newmarket on his intended season-closer remains a mystery to all bar him, so out of character were his antics and that episode could only plant a seed of doubt into Lyons’s mind as he prepared all winter long for this moment.

Unproven beyond six and up against a sizeable and classy Ballydoyle contingent, Siskin at least had a favourable inside draw and fast ground to fully complement his acceleration and a confident Colin Keane was happy to let him cruise in mid-division buried against the rail. With Fort Myers (War Front) and Royal Lytham (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) forcing the pace up ahead, the Juddmonte silks could be spotted motionless passing the three-furlong pole behind that duo and another Rosegreen runner in Vatican City. Siskin looked trapped down there as Seamie Heffernan unleashed Lope Y Fernandez out wide two out, but as the latter veered right towards the already-crowded rail the gap came for the favourite and he was on the scene in an instant.

That brief spell of anxiety for watching connections was quickly replaced by elation as Siskin cut down Lope Y Fernandez with as much as 150 yards remaining. From there, he was able to stamp his authority on affairs as Vatican City delivered a taking late surge on his first start outside of maiden company. That runner-up was unable to get out of the crowd as soon as the winner had and so was possibly unlucky not to have finished closer, while Lope Y Fernandez may not have truly stayed the mile as he clung on to third from Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Keane, who was riding as if this was his umpteenth Classic win, reflected on what is bound to be a career-changer. “It means the world to win this for the boss–to get a horse of this calibre in the yard is the thing of dreams,” he said. “I am in a very lucky position, I wouldn’t be here without Ger so I’m just happy to pay him back with his first Classic winner. All he does is put confidence in you and he said to ride him like the best horse in the race.” Of Siskin, he added, “The more time we’ve given him, the better he’s become so it’s all worked out. I was little bit uneasy on the rail for a while, but the further he went the stronger he galloped and he has such acceleration. When the gap appeared, I had the horse to get there. The hood seems to help him in the stalls, so fingers crossed that will keep that at bay. He got the mile well today.”

Lyons admitted to some understandable jitters as he pondered this big day during the winter spell. “I was worried about this horse’s trip around February and March, but when we went into lockdown then I was confident that the mile wasn’t an issue,” he explained. “If we were a sprinter then we were in trouble, because we weren’t quick enough. He’s a very easy horse to train and no question he’s the best I’ve trained. We’ll probably go to Goodwood next for the [G1] Sussex, but I want to keep Colin on him and hopefully the 14 days [quarantine] will be gone by then. We are definitely skipping Ascot. We’ll have a chat about it, but that was the plan providing he was good enough today. I know he gets the mile and I wouldn’t draw a line through 10 furlongs at the moment.”

Siskin is the second foal out of Bird Flown (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who scored over seven furlongs on soft ground at Clairefontaine for Andre Fabre in 2013. She is a half-sister to the strong-staying listed scorer and G2 Hardwicke S. runner-up Barsanti (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and to the dam of the multiple grade I-winning champion Close Hatches and the aptly-named GI Kentucky Oaks third Lockdown by Siskin’s sire First Defence.

Close Hatches also went on to produce Tacitus (Tapit), who took last year’s GII Wood Memorial and GII Tampa Bay Derby and was also third in the GI Kentucky Derby and runner-up in the GI Belmont S. The listed-placed second dam Silver Star (GB) (Zafonic) is a full-sister to the G1 Dewhurst S.-winning champion Xaar (GB), while this is also the family of the GI United Nations H. hero Senure (Nureyev), the group 1-winning sire Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk) and high-class sprinter Bated Breath (GB) (Dansili {GB}). From the dam line of the blue hen Monroe (Sir Ivor), Bird Flown’s 2-year-old filly is by Flintshire (GB), who has also provided her with a colt foal, while her yearling filly is by Noble Mission (GB).

Friday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 2000 GUINEAS-G1, €250,000, Curragh, 6-12, 3yo, 8fT, 1:38.49, g/f.
1–SISKIN, 128, c, 3, by First Defence
1st Dam: Bird Flown (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Silver Star (GB), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Monroe, by Sir Ivor
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €145,000. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $492,325. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vatican City (Ire), 128, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–You’resothrilling, by Storm Cat. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €50,000.
3–Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), 128, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Black Dahlia (GB), by Dansili (GB). (€900,000 Ylg ’18 ARAUG). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €25,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, NO. Odds: 2.00, 14.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Armory (Ire), Fiscal Rules (Ire), Sinawann (Ire), Monarch of Egypt, Royal Lytham (Fr), Fort Myers, Rebel Tale, Free Solo (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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