Anyone who either dabbles in the business with a mare or two, or operates in the higher echelons with a sizeable broodmare band, would be more than excited in the Classic countdown to have a five-length winner of a Newmarket trial who was catapulted into second favouritism for the Derby.
That was the position breeder Philippa Cooper found herself in on Guineas weekend when Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) cantered all over his rivals for a cosy success in the listed Newmarket S. for William Haggas and Shadwell. And she admits it was with some shock that she experienced something close to déjà vu when another son of Frankel bred under her Normandie Stud banner won an even more prestigious trial on York's Knavesmire on Thursday to join his erstwhile paddock mate high up in the betting for Epsom's blue riband.
Hurricane Lane (Ire) is now unbeaten in three starts for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby having prevailed in a driving finish for the G2 Dante S., with former Derby favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) two lengths behind him in third.
“I was shocked, I must say,” said Cooper in the aftermath of the race. “My husband was very emotional. He watched it at home, and this foal was born when he was in intensive care in hospital and he was quite emotional watching him win like that.”
She continued, “I remember showing the photo of the foal to my daughter and she took one look and said 'you sell him over my dead body', but I am afraid we have to sell to survive.”
From a crop of six colts that year, four ended up being sold by Cooper through John Troy. Mohaafeth and Hurricane Lane went through the ring just six lots apart at Tattersalls October Book 1, the former selling for 350,000gns after the late Sheikh Hamdan had given his approval to the colt so admired by his now-trainer William Haggas. The imposing Hurricane Lane came next, and was bought for 200,000gns by Godolphin.
“One of the six had chipped a bone so he wasn't able to go to the sale,” Cooper recalled. “I had four in October Book 1 and one in October 2. Sultanina's Dubawi colt was going through first and he didn't make his reserve so I dropped the reserve for the others to make sure they all sold—I have nomination fees and boarding charges to pay. Hurricane Lane was bought on his reserve. Nobody wants these big horses but Hurricane Lane still managed to win as a 2-year-old, as big as he is.”
From the same family as Mohaafeth, the colt out of Cooper's G1 Nassau S. winner Sultanina (GB) (New Approach {GB}) came home and, now named Diavolo (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), he was set to appear in his breeder's colours at Newbury on Friday until a foot abscess delayed his debut. Cooper will, however, be represented by another member of the crop at York on Friday in the form of her homebred filly Love Is You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), the Roger Charlton-trained daughter of Fallen For You who lines up in the Listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' S. off the back of a third in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. on Apr. 14.
Both Mohaafeth and Diavolo are descendants of Cooper's much-loved dual listed winner Foodbroker Fancy (Ire) (Halling). Mohaafeth's dam French Dressing (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) ran only twice but was unbeaten and won the listed Lyric Fillies' S. before retiring to stud.
Following the yearlings sales of 2019, Cooper cut her broodmare numbers significantly with a partial dispersal at the December Sale. She said, “If I'd known that I would sell all 14 mares then maybe I would have kept one or two of the yearlings back but decisions have to be made.”
Hurricane Lane's dam, the French listed winner Gale Force (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Seal Of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), was among those in Normandie Stud's reduction, and she was bought by Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber of Watership Down Stud for 300,000gns.
“I decided I was going to keep only eight mares and they were going to be from my three families—the Fallen Star (GB) family, the Dolores (GB) family and the Foodbroker Fancy—and they had to be group or listed class,” explained Cooper, who sold her Sussex-based Normandie Stud in December 2017 and now boards her mares at Coolmore and Newsells Park Stud.
“I set down those criteria and it was very difficult but I had to make that decision in order to be able to continue. We had to be very grown up about it.”
She has, however, taken a different tack with her current crop of 2-year-olds, and one which is no doubt sensible given the current clamour for progressive middle-distance horses in training.
She said, “I have 18 2-year-olds because I decided to keep the foals from the mares that I sold. I felt that I wasn't really getting the prices that I thought these horses were worth at the sales so I made the decision pre-pandemic to run them, and if they are good I will sell them in training.”
The group includes Hurricane Lane's half-brother by Sea The Stars (Ire), named Sweet William (Ire), who is in training with Roger Charlton.
“He's not a precocious type but he's not as big as Hurricane Lane,” said the breeder. “He's probably one of the best-looking horses I've ever bred, but then Sea The Stars is so good looking himself, I love him to bits. I don't know if lightning can strike twice—we shall see.”
French Dressing, meanwhile, has recently produced a full-brother to Mohaafeth and her 2-year-old, French Toast (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), is another with Charlton at Beckhampton.
“She's had five foals on the trot so she is having a well-earned rest,” said Cooper, a former French teacher, who added with a laugh. “Her Kingman (GB) yearling filly is named French Mistress after me.”
She continued, “Hurricane Lane will definitely stay, I wouldn't even worry about him getting the Derby trip, but I think Mohaafeth is more of a mile-and-a-quarter horse on breeding, but that doesn't mean he won't get the mile and a half, and he has the speed. I'd love Mohaafeth to win. He was the one I really wanted to keep, but there's no reason he would have done as well if I had kept him. He's with the right trainer and owner and I am blessed that they went to William and Charlie Appleby.
“Foodbroker Fancy was just the most wonderful mare. She died in terrible circumstances and she will forever be in my heart, so Mohaafeth is extra special to me. But let's hope Gale Force can go on and breed more good horses for the Lloyd-Webbers. They paid good money for her and I'd love to see her continue to do well.”
Cooper now keeps the majority of her mares in Ireland, with those set to visit British stallions based at Newsells Park Stud.
Following a period of adjustment after the sale of her own farm, at which Sultanina and fellow Group 1 winners Fallen For You (GB) and Duncan (GB) were bred, Cooper is full of praise for the help she has received from those charged with looking after her stock in some of the most famous paddocks in Ireland.
“I have to really say a big thank you to James Mockridge and the team,” she noted. “This is the first crop that was born and bred at Coolmore. It's really nothing to do with me, and I'm not saying that we were a bunch of amateurs at Normandie, but at Coolmore, it's not only the land, but their attention to detail is extraordinary. I wasn't finished when I sold the place but it was just a question of starting again and finding my feet and keeping the numbers tight.”
Cooper added, “I call myself a small breeder and people might laugh, but I am a small breeder in a sense, and it shows that it can be done. I'll just be so proud if they both make it to Epsom. If they can get there in one piece it will be the biggest thrill. The Derby is still the best race, whatever anyone says, and I'd never have imagined being in this situation.”
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