Beau Recall breeder welcomes big win and birth of half-sister on same night

County Westmeath breeder Tom Wallace almost experienced a busier Kentucky Derby day than the Churchill Downs stewards – but with far more pleasurable results.

Just four hours after watching Beau Recall, a daughter of Sir Prancealot he bred at his Lemongrove Stud, run out a convincing winner of the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the undercard of the Derby on Saturday, he brought into the world the five-year-old's half-sister by Mehmas.

Beau Recall and the newborn are out of Wallace's mare Greta D'Argent, a 19-year-old daughter of Great Commotion who was a smart middle-distance handicapper for Mark Johnston in her racing heyday.

Greta D'Argent – bought by the breeder for just €3,000 at the Goffs November Sale in 2008 – is the dam of six winners in total, including another black-type performer in Rockingham Stakes second Coolminx, bred by the mare's previous owner Daniel Couper.

“She was looking like she was going to foal throughout the day on Saturday, and at one stage it even looked like she was going to foal while Beau Recall was racing,” Wallace said.

“But luckily she didn't and conveniently she waited until the Kentucky Derby and just after the result of the stewards' enquiry had been called. She started foaling then, so I went out and it was all pretty straightforward.”

Greta D'Argent with her Mehmas filly, who was born in the early hours of Sunday morning

Greta D'Argent has been lucky for Wallace since the outset of their association.

“She was carrying to Chevalier when I bought her and I managed to get €20,000 for the resultant filly at the foal sales, which was a great return because I think by then the sire had been sold to India,” the breeder said.

“She was a really good-looking foal and she eventually went to Poland, where she won the Polish Guineas and ran third in the country's Oaks.

“That was the start of it, and the mare then bred me a couple of nice horses – not superstars but rated in the 80s and 90s.”

Beau Recall is from the first crop of former Tally-Ho Stud resident Sir Prancealot, whose daughters exported from Europe have fared uncannily well in America, with Madam Dancealot a dual Grade 2 winner and Lady Prancealot and Lexington Grace stakes-placed stateside.

Wallace said: “I worked for Tony O'Callaghan at Tally-Ho when I came out of college years ago and I was over there looking at Sir Prancealot in his first season, hemming and hawing over whether I liked him or not. Tony said 'he's the best looking horse you'll see that's been retired to stud this year' and encouraged me to use him.

“I went away and looked at the pedigrees and thought the mating would work as there was inbreeding to Nureyev and elements in Sir Prancealot's family that had worked with Greta D'Argent's before. So I went for it, but Tony's as much responsible for the choice as I am.”

Wallace continued to pay tribute to the O'Callaghan family.

“Tally-Ho is a brilliant operation, they're so hard-working – they never sleep,” he said. “They're going 24 hours a day and they're local to me so nearly all of my mares go to Tally-Ho. It's just easy, the sort of stallions they have suit my mares and we use the same vets.”

Greta D'Argent's latest filly – her sixth on the trot – is a fine advertisement for Tally-Ho's young stallion Mehmas, Wallace stated.

“I'm delighted with the foal, she's gorgeous but hopefully the next one will be a colt!” he joked, before adding that the filly would likely head to the sales this year to maintain cash flow. “I have a Mehmas colt out of Bo Bridget, a half-sister to Beau Recall by Mastercraftsman, to sell as well and I'd love to keep one of the fillies from the family, but the hard reality is I need to sell them.

“I'm only a small operation – this year I'll have seven foals and cover eight or nine mares. They're cheap and cheerful mares, but I've always been quite lucky.

"I bred the useful hurdler Hannon out of a homebred mare, and a few years ago I bought Hawala, the dam of Air Chief Marshal and Flag Of Honour – but I can't afford to hold on to mares like that. When their pages start improving, I have to sell them.”

Indeed, one of the first mares Wallace bought when he started out around 20 years ago was Hawattef, a daughter of Mujtahid, for 2,000gns. She would later produce the high-class Kodi Bear for another party.

Wallace enjoyed another fair payday in November when he sold another Sir Prancealot filly foal out of Greta D'Argent to Mark McStay on behalf of Beau Recall's joint-owner Slam Dunk Racing for €35,000.

He is looking for an upgraded cover for Greta D'Argent – who, despite her advancing years, "looks more 12 or 13” – this season and has one in particular in his sights: with the king of the Tally-Ho stallion ranks.

“I hope they'll be able to squeeze me in for a foal share to Kodiac, I've already suggested it to the O'Callaghans,” he said. “I used Kodiac a lot when he was cheaper but this mare never went and I can't think why. She certainly deserves it now.”

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