Littleton's Group dynasty maintained as See The Fire follows Arabian Queen and Barshiba

Group success followed once more in the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes for a family which is part of the foundations of Jeff Smith's Littleton Stud.

Andrew Balding has assumed the responsibility for this particular line and the progressive See The Fire, admitting he was a lucky recipient after the retirement of David Elsworth. It was Elsworth who trained See The Fire's dam Arabian Queen as she upset Golden Horn in the 2015 Juddmonte International, infamously electing not to appear in celebrations or interviews afterwards as he had been irritated by the lack of pre-race attention paid to his filly, who had been a regular in big races during the season.

See The Fire, a three-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars, is the fourth foal out of Smith's Dubawi mare. A maiden winner on her debut at two who finished third in the Fillies' Mile and was recently shaded by Opera Singer in the Nassau Stakes, she is a fifth generation homebred from Littleton Stud, the Hampshire farm Smith took over in the early 80s.

Her granddam, Barshiba, was a tenacious front-running chestnut who won the Lancashire Oaks back-to-back, while she in turn was out of Chesham Stakes third Dashiba.

"We’ve always thought the world of this filly, she’s beautiful to look at," Balding told ITV Racing.

Arabian Queen and Silvestre de Sousa after their Juddmonte International triumph in 2015Credit: Edward Whitaker

"I've got to say a big thank you to David Elsworth for retiring when he did because I've reaped the rewards of having the mare's progeny. David did fabulously well with the family and she's an amazing broodmare."

Arabian Queen has had four winners from as many runners from visits to a few of Britain's and Ireland's most illustrious stallions, with Balding describing See The Fire's younger half-brother by Lope De Vega, Royal Playwright, a three-length winner on his debut at Salisbury last month, as "very smart". She has a yearling colt by St Mark's Basilica and a filly by No Nay Never.

"These owner-breeders are so important, to get these calibre of horses is special," Balding, whose father Ian trained the exceptional Lochsong in Smith's purple silks, continued. "Jeff has been an owner at Kingsclere since I was a kid, he's the most wonderful man to deal with and to train for, I’m thrilled for him."

Court summons

Goodwood's William Hill Prestige Fillies' Stakes, won in the past by Classic winners including Fairy Footsteps, Pure Grain and Billesdon Brook, has a proper bargain buy on its roll of honour for 2024.

Trainer David Loughnane signed off at just 5,000gns for Anshoda when she was offered by Diamond Stables in the breeze-up element of May's Tattersalls Guineas Sale. After claiming a Lingfield maiden and finishing second in the Listed Star Stakes in the colours of Nawaf Almutairi, she now represents the influential North American partnership of Gary Barber and Team Valor.

Anshoda, seen breezing before the Tattersalls Guineas Sale earlier in the yearCredit: Alisha Meeder

Anshoda is the first Group winner for Inns Of Court and hails from the second crop of the Tally-Ho Stud resident, who was standing for a fee of €5,000 this year. Andre Fabre and Godolphin's smart sprinter has had two previous Listed winners, Megarry and Ziggy's Dream, and is also sire of Railway and Richmond Stakes runner-up The Strikin Viking.

Mountain View Stud have a half-sister by Starman engaged in Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. They are out of the winning Unfuwain mare Silk Fan.

Another young Irish-based sire, Yeomanstown's freshman Shaman, had a big boost in the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket. Brian was already one of his six winning offspring and has become easily his biggest earner. Representing trainer Sylvester Kirk, the colt appeared at last year's Somerville but was bought back for just 6,000gns by Boherguy Stud. Brian's full-brother is engaged for Browne Brothers Bloodstock in Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.

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