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Found and Treve among the ace mares who could have first runners in 2020

A dozen elite performers whose early offspring could debut this year

The Dubawi colt out of The Fugue sold for 1,000,000gns and now named Mahomes
The Dubawi colt out of The Fugue sold for 1,000,000gns and now named MahomesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Acapulco

The filly, initially trained by Wesley Ward for Coolmore partners before joining Aidan O'Brien late in her career, formed part of the Scat Daddy invasion of Royal Ascot in the last decade.

She was a true product of her sire, showing uncommon pace and precocity to win the Queen Mary Stakes in impressive fashion, before becoming a rare two-year-old runner in the Nunthorpe, in which she found only Mecca's Angel too good.

Acapulco's first foal, bred by Coolmore, is a two-year-old filly by Galileo.

Amazing Maria

David O'Meara's reward for sending out Sir Robert Ogden's homebred Mastercraftsman mare to win the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Falmouth Stakes and Prix Rothschild is taking receipt of her first offspring.

The well-bred youngster in question is a two-year-old filly by Dubawi named Amazing Grace.

O'Meara also has Amazing Maria's half-sister by Frankel, named Turandot, in his care. Golden Hind, their three-year-old half-sister by Golden Horn, was a promising second on debut at Catterick last October for the trainer.

Arabian Queen: took the scalp of Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International
Arabian Queen: took the scalp of Golden Horn in the Juddmonte InternationalCredit: Edward Whitaker

Arabian Queen

Jeff Smith's mare will go down in history as a giant-beater for outpacing Golden Horn to win the Juddmonte International but she showed her class on numerous other occasions, including when taking the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at two and Princess Elizabeth Stakes at three.

By Dubawi out of dual Lancashire Oaks winner Barshiba, her first date upon retirement was with Frankel. The resultant offspring is a two-year-old colt named Spirit Mixer, in training with Andrew Balding.

Ballydoyle

Ballydoyle is impeccably bred, as a Galileo sister to Misty For Me, a champion who later became the dam of Roly Poly and US Navy Flag, winners of five Group 1s between them. She lived up to her pedigree by winning the Prix Marcel Boussac and finishing second to Minding in the 1,000 Guineas, when she was a little unlucky in running.

We will soon find out if Ballydoyle can also be an accomplished broodmare, as her first offspring is a Fastnet Rock two-year-old filly named Monday and in training with Aidan O'Brien.

Ervedya: a superstar from the first crop of her sire Siyouni
Ervedya: a superstar from the first crop of her sire SiyouniCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ervedya

Ervedya was the highlight of the first crop of Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Siyouni, whose fee at Haras de Bonneval has ascended from an opening mark of €7,000 to €100,000 this year.

The first foal out of the Aga Khan's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Coronation Stakes and Prix du Moulin heroine is a two-year-old filly by Sea The Stars named Erdana who is in training with Jean-Claude Rouget.

If Siyouni takes after his father Pivotal, he could become a broodmare sire of serious consequence.

Found

Coolmore's homebred daughter of Galileo and Lockinge Stakes winner Red Evie must rank as one of the most admirable racemares of recent times.

From 21 starts for Aidan O'Brien – including eight at three and ten at four – she finished out of the first three just once. Her most notable victories came when leading home a one-two-three for her sire and trainer in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and taking the scalp of Golden Horn to win the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Found's first offspring is an unnamed two-year-old colt by War Front – so bred on the same cross as Group 1-winning siblings Roly Poly and US Navy Flag – in training with O'Brien.

Mecca's Angel: rags to riches Dark Angel mare was bought by Coolmore
Mecca's Angel: rags to riches Dark Angel mare was bought by CoolmoreCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mecca's Angel

The daughter of Dark Angel may have cost her trainer Michael Dods only 16,000gns as a yearling and once raced in a Class 6 nursery at Southwell, but she blossomed into an elite sprinter who took back-to-back renewals of the Nunthorpe.

Her Cinderella story was completed when Coolmore bought her in a big-money private deal at the end of her racing career, the operation ever eager to send the best sprinting mares to Galileo to mitigate his stamina influence.

Her first foal by the perennial champion sire is a two-year-old colt named Hudson River in training with Aidan O'Brien.

Pleascach

Like her sire Teofilo, Pleascach was bought by Godolphin after showing top-class ability for her genius breeder, trainer and original owner Jim Bolger.

In her case, she defeated Found to take the Irish 1,000 Guineas before her sale to Sheikh Mohammed's operation. She later carried the royal blue silks to victory in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Her first date in retirement was with Darley's flagship sire Dubawi and the resultant foal is an unnamed two-year-old colt in training with Charlie Appleby.

Qualify: Oaks winner was bought by Godolphin for 1,600,000gns
Qualify: Oaks winner was bought by Godolphin for 1,600,000gnsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Qualify

Godolphin bought shock Oaks winner Qualify for 1,600,000gns at the end of her Classic season and immediately sent her to Dubawi.

Charlie Appleby is yet to take the wraps off the resultant foal, the three-year-old filly Adept.

Qualify's offspring are likely to need a trip. The daughter of Fastnet Rock was not only an Epsom Classic scorer herself, but she is out of a Park Hill Stakes runner-up by Galileo and hails from the family of middle-distance celebrities Best Solution, Brian Boru and Workforce.

Ribbons

Ribbons' first foal, an unraced three-year-old filly by Frankel named Tilly Frankl, has been leased by her US-based breeders Pursuit of Success LLC to Fred Archer Racing and is in training with James Fanshawe.

Tilly Frankl, a 300,000gns vendor buyback as a yearling, was reported to be a backward two-year-old. That much is unsurprising considering Ribbons is by Manduro and she made a winning debut in the November of her juvenile season, not hitting peak form until the ages of four and five when she won the Prix Jean Romanet and Blandford Stakes.

Ribbons could also be represented by her two-year-old daughter by Dubawi, sold to Westerberg for 725,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 last autumn and in training with Ralph Beckett under the name Missile.

The Fugue: multiple Group 1 winner is owned by Watership Down Stud
The Fugue: multiple Group 1 winner is owned by Watership Down StudCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Fugue

Watership Down Stud retained the first two foals out of its four-time Group 1 winner The Fugue, both fillies by Dubawi, but neither the four-year-old Fughetta nor the three-year-old Counterpoint have run yet.

They could be beaten to the track by the Dansili mare's third offspring, a two-year-old colt also by Dubawi who was sold to David Redvers on behalf of Qatar Racing for 1,000,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

He has been named Mahomes in honour of the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, and is in training with John Gosden, who oversaw The Fugue's glittering career.

Treve

Al Shaqab Racing have two youngsters out of their popular dual Arc heroine who could make their debuts this year – Qous, a three-year-old colt by Dubawi, and Paris, a two-year-old filly by Shalaa. Both are in training with Andre Fabre.

Qous was only named late in his two-year-old season, so has presumably been something of a late developer. Paris, whose sire was a top-class two-year-old sprinter and is by Invincible Spirit, could be considerably more precocious.


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