A new juvenile star for No Nay Never? Nymphadora shines in Marygate Stakes

No Nay Never notched a new black-type performer on Friday when daughter Nymphadora ran out an impressive winner of the Listed Langleys Solicitors British EBF Marygate Fillies' Stakes over five furlongs at York.

Andrew Balding trains the two-year-old filly for Andrew Stone's St Albans Bloodstock after the filly was signed for by Blandford Bloodstock at 185,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

That was the second occasion she had changed hands at public auction, having been pinhooked by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud at 90,000gns when she was offered by Tweenhills Farm & Stud at the Tattersalls foal sale in 2019.

Bigger things surely await Nymphadora, who boasts a pedigree featuring juvenile Group 1 success. She is the second living foal out of Bewitchment, a daughter of Pivotal who is related to a host of notable Cheveley Park Stud-owned performers.

No Nay Never: son of Scat Daddy is the sire of 50 stakes performersCredit: Coolmore

Bewitchment is out of the Listed-winning Hypnotize, making her a half-sister to Hooray, winner of the Cheveley Park and Lowther Stakes during a juvenile campaign that saw her crowned champion two-year-old filly.

Other siblings include Hypnotic, a son of Lomitas who won the Listed Criterium de l'Ouest, and Mazyoun, a son of Mayson who was third in the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy.

View full Marygate Fillies' Stakes result and replay

Having raced for Cheveley Park Stud, Bewitchment has something of a varied sales history as she was initially bought by McKeever Bloodstock for 100,000gns in 2013 before being resold to the Cumanis' Fittocks Stud while in foal to Invincible Spirit at 238,095gns some 12 months later.

The resulting foal from that mating with Invincible Spirit was subsequently named Laith Alareen and won four races for Ivan Furtado. Bewitchment was then reoffered while carrying Nymphadora in utero and was duly bought by Tweenills at 150,000gns. She was mated with the farm's Zoustar, and the resulting colt foal was signed for by David Howden at 100,000gns at Tattersalls last year.

Nymphadora going through the ring at Book 2, where Blandford Bloodstock signed the ticket at 185,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Bewitchment was also back on the market last year when reoffered in foal to Zoustar, but she was retained by Tweenhills at 125,000gns.

Nymphadora's Listed success saw her become No Nay Never's 50th stakes performer, with his stud record featuring 14 Group winners, including top-level scorers like Alcohol Free and Ten Sovereigns, and the same number of Listed winners. The son of Scat Daddy is standing his seventh season at stud at Coolmore at a fee of €125,000.

The Marygate Stakes has been used as a springboard to Royal Ascot success in recent times, with past winners Signora Cabello (2018) and Ceiling Kitty (2012) going on to land the Queen Mary Stakes. Friday's performance and a classy pedigree make Nymphadora a lively candidate to follow suit.

Later on the York card Primo Bacio stepped up to Listed company to land the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes over a mile, seeing off a field of bluebloods including Snow Lantern and Love Is You.

The Ed Walker-trained three-year-old is the second Listed winner from the debut crop of Derrinstown Stud's Awtaad, the Irish 2,000 Guineas-winning son of Cape Cross. She was sporting the colours of David Ward, who struck with the homebred Starman in Wednesday's Group 2 Duke of York Stakes.

Primo Bacio after her Listed success at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

Primo Bacio was sourced at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by Sackville Donald, who paid 100,000gns to secure the youngster from the draft of breeder Kildaragh Stud.

She is the first foal out of Suvenna, a daughter of Arcano who carried the colours of Kildaragh Stud's Antoinette Kavanagh to two victories. In turn, Suvenna is a sibling to three black-type winners, most notably the Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed Bocca Baciata and Group 3 scorer Topeka.

Arcano, himself a son of an accomplished broodmare sire in Oasis Dream, is building an eyecatching CV as dam sire, having been presented by the likes of last year's Middle Park Stakes hero Supremacy and the rapidly progressive and unbeaten sprinter Dragon Symbol.

View full Michael Seely Memorial Stakes result and replay