Eastern Lady the first Indian-bred winner in Britain in almost ten years

Eastern Lady became the first Indian-bred winner in Britain in almost ten years when opening her account in a 2m5f mares' handicap chase at Hereford on Tuesday.

The six-year-old mare is by Rahy stallion Dancing Forever, a US Grade 1 winner who took up residence at Hazara Stud Farm in India, and she dug deep in the final half-mile to record her first success at the 21st attempt.

Eastern Lady was bred by Hazara out of the King's Best mare Oriental Lady, a winner for the Wildenstein family who was purchased in foal to Holy Roman Emperor by Hugo Merry Bloodstock for 8,000gns at the 2010 Tattersalls December sales.

Watch Eastern Lady notch up her first victory

She delivered a colt foal named Be Safe the following spring who proved himself to be one of the best three-year-olds in India by winning the Indian 2,000 Guineas and Derby.

Meanwhile in Britain her Haafhd daughter Beacon Lady took a shine to switchback courses for trainer William Knight, winning five times at Brighton - including two races on consecutive days - and three times at Epsom.

That sequence of events led Andrew Black, who was part of the Pro-Claimers who owned Beacon Lady, to track down Oriental Lady in India. As the mother of a dual Indian Classic winner, Black was unable to secure her passage home, but managed to convince Hazara to part with two of her daughters by Dancing Forever.

The oldest was named China Girl and, trained by Knight, she placed four times in the colours of Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm, while Eastern Lady had failed to trouble the judge in 21 starts - including four for Chasemore and Knight - before Tuesday's belated victory.

The win bridged the gap back to the last Indian-bred winner in Britain when Southern Regent won on the Southwell all-weather on May 11, 2010, with the former Indian Derby winner having also struck in two novice hurdle races at Market Rasen.

Indian breeding was also seen to good effect in February when Lord Napier - a son of Galileo and champion Indian mare Jacqueline - landed a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Sandown.

Those wishing to catch the next runner with an unusual suffix may not have to wait long as Denis Hogan has entered the Austrian-bred newcomer Nobel Joshua at Dundalk on Friday.

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