Siskin to Stand at Shadai Stallion Station in 2021

Classic winner Siskin (First Defence-Bird Flown {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand for ¥3,500,000 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the stud announced on Tuesday. It was earlier revealed the Juddmonte homebred’s breeding rights had been sold to a group of breeders in June.

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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Two-Time Group 1 Winner Siskin To Target Breeders’ Cup Mile, Then Head To Stud In Japan

A Group 1 winner at both two and three, Juddmonte's Siskin could be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 7, reports racingpost.com. The sophomore son of First Defence will make the trip if he's doing well and the ground is expected to be relatively firm, according to trainer Ger Lyons.

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

“I'm delighted for him because he's going to get a quality book of mares that he probably wouldn't get in Ireland, but I'd have loved to have trained him at four,” Lyons told racingpost.com. “But it just goes to show you where we are in the industry when powerhouses like Juddmonte, Coolmore still sell their best horses and have to sell their best horses for economic reasons.”

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.

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Tilsit Confirmed Thoroughbred Winner After Enquiry

Khalid Abdullah’s Tilsit (First Defence) followed up a June 4 debut second at Newcastle with a breakthrough score–by a whopping 19 lengths–back there June 27 and survived a lengthy stewards’ enquiry to be confirmed the winner of Friday’s G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. The 10-1 chance was steadied to race in third behind a modest tempo set by My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and remained there through halfway in this turf bow. Quickening to launch his challenge at the quarter-mile marker, he edged in front entering the final eighth, but suddenly veered right to force that rival into the far-side fence with 150 yards remaining before returning on an even keel to hit the line with a 1 1/2-length advantage. My Oberon somehow managed to remain upright for second place, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 4-7 favourite Khaloosy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third. As expected, Ryan Moore was sanctioned for the final-furlong incident which impeded My Oberon and incurred a five-day suspension for careless riding in the debrief.

“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.

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Bloodlines: Irish 2,000 Guineas Winner Siskin Fits The Juddmonte Farms Blueprint

An acrobatic little bird of the finch family, a siskin weighs about half an ounce and prefers the seeds of conifers to other food. It is one of the most entertaining and generally charming winter birds that we find at feeders in North America and Europe.

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.

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