Naval out to take Command as Godolphin unleash half-brother to Eldar Eldarov at Kempton

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Naval Command

Unibet Zero% Mission/EBF Novice Stakes GBB Race Div 1 (5.45 Kempton, Monday)

What's the story?

Godolphin hit the headlines last week, going on a spending spree at Tattersalls Book 1 which preceded a homebred Group 1 double in the Fillies' Mile and Dewhurst for Charlie Appleby.

The debutant from Moulton Paddocks in this race, Naval Command, is a juvenile who was purchased at Book 1 last October, though his sales ring price of 360,000gns makes him relatively inexpensive compared with Godolphin's purchases this time round.

How's he bred?

Extremely well, much better than his price tag would suggest. He is by Lope De Vega and out of All At Sea, making him a half-brother to the St Leger, Irish St Leger and Queen's Vase winner Eldar Eldarov. Roger Varian's five-year-old was retired earlier this year following a serious neck injury sustained in the stalls at Meydan.

Bred by Kirsten Rausing and the Lope De Vega Syndicate, he is the third foal out of All At Sea, who hails from Rausing's signature family. The daughter of Sea The Stars was a triple Listed winner in France and has produced three black-type performers from her first four foals.

In addition to Eldar Eldarov, she has foaled the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes third Kingswood, by Roaring Lion, and A La Voile, a daughter of Invincible Spirit who was third in the Listed Rothesay Stakes.

All At Sea is a daughter of the triple Group 1 winner Albanova, which makes her a three-parts sister to the Princess Royal Stakes runner-up Albamara and a half-sister to the Group 3 Newbury Arc Trial and Listed Cocked Hat Stakes winner Algometer.

She is also a three-parts sister to Listed winner Alignak and a half-sister to Alwilda, successful in the Listed Silbernes Band and now best known as the dam of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista and her full-sister, who sold for 2,500,000gns at Book 1 last Tuesday.

Eldar Eldarov winning the Irish St Leger Credit: Patrick McCann

Albanova is an Alzao full-sister to the dual Champion Stakes heroine Albanova, who also won the Pretty Polly and Nassau Stakes when they were Group 2 contests.

Third dam Alouette was a Listed winner who was third in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Naval Command was sold by St Simon Stud to Brooklyn Bloodstock for 300,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, while as a yearling, he was consigned by Longview Stud.

Who does he face?

One of his rivals includes a Too Darn Hot colt from another branch of his own family; Anglophile, trained by John and Thady Gosden for owner-breeder Denford Stud. He is a half-brother to Michelangelo and Private Secretary, both of whom won the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes, and to the dam of St Leger winner Galileo Chrome. 

His dam, Intrigued, by Darshaan, is a Listed-placed half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Aussie Rules and to Listed winner Approach, dam of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Prix Jean Romanet winner Coronet, by Too Darn Hot's sire Dubawi.

Second dam Last Second won the Sun Chariot Stakes and is an Alzao half-sister to Alouette, dam of Alborada and Albanova.

Hawaiian King represents Teme Valley and the 200,000gns Book 1 purchase is a son of Lord Kanaloa and the second foal out of Flutter, a Galileo full-sister to Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry, dam of this season's Flame Of Tara Stakes winner Dreamy, and to John F Kennedy, winner of the Golden Fleece Stakes.

They are out of the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Prix Marcel Boussac winner Rumpelstiltskin, a Danehill half-sister to Loves Only Me, dam of Group 1 winners Loves Only You and Real Steel.

Third dam Monevassia is a full-sister to Kingmambo and a half-sister to East Of The Moon, granddam of Alpha Centauri, Alpine Star and Discoveries.

His fourth dam is the great Miesque.

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