Kingman and Nahrain to the fore as Elmalka evokes special memories for Roger Varian

Kingman and two special broodmares were the stories behind the significant fillies' races at Newmarket on Sunday.

The last-gasp success of Elmalka in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas was Juddmonte sire Kingman's first in a British Classic and his 11th individual score at Group 1 level.

As Roger Varian noted in the immediate aftermath, the victory was particularly poignant as Elmalka is a daughter of Nahrain, who provided the trainer with the first Group 1 of his career after taking over from his mentor Michael Jarvis when striking in the same yellow silks of Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum in the Prix de l'Opera of 2011.

Bred, as was 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech, by Godolphin, Elmalka is from a branch developed by the Maktoum family down from champion New Zealand filly La Mer. Her half-brother by Dubawi is Godolphin's flagbearer Benbatl, the winner of £6 million in prize-money and top-level races around the world who is standing at stud in Japan, with Varian also training his full-sister Fooraat to stakes places.

Kingman, who was beaten half a length by Night Of Thunder in the Guineas ten years ago before landing the Irish equivalent, had earlier been the sire responsible for Friendly Soul taking her dam In Clover’s exemplary record as a producer to seven black-type winners in the William Hill Pretty Polly Stakes.

Friendly Soul looked a fine prospect in the Pretty Polly StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Owner-breeder George Strawbridge bought In Clover’s mother, the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont winner Bellarida, in 1997 after she had had some success for the Wertheimer family.

In Clover, by Inchinor, has been more prolific. She carried Strawbridge’s colours to a Group 3 victory over an extended mile and a quarter at Saint-Cloud in 2005 for Freddy Head, who trained many of her best early progeny.

They are headed by a Group 1-winning trio. Call The Wind, by Frankel, landed the Prix du Cadran, while Dansili sisters With You and We Are took the Prix Rothschild and Prix de l’Opera respectively. Further siblings Incahoots, Dream Clover and In Crowd all won Listed races in France.

Friendly Soul was a late foal, born in mid-May 2021, who had her first outing at Kempton before Christmas and returned with a game performance to beat Kalpana in this traditional Classic trial. She is the result of In Clover's first mating with Kingman, a likely influence on her joint-trainer John Gosden's suggesting a mile and a quarter would be her trip. He added that she "might be a filly for a visit to Chantilly" for the French Oaks.

In Clover did not produce a foal from a subsequent visit to Kingman and Dubawi, most recently going back to the former for her latest cover.

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