Bliss for budget breeders as Accidental Agent lands the Queen Anne

The Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday gave all breeders operating on a shoestring reason to rejoice, as the winner Accidental Agent is by a stallion who stood at just £4,000 and the runner-up Lord Glitters has a sire advertised at a fee of €3,800.

Accidental Agent, who sprang a 33-1 shock after finishing sixth in the Lockinge Stakes last time out, is a son of Delegator – a son of Dansili who won the Craven Stakes and finished second to Sea The Stars in the 2,000 Guineas and filled the same position behind Mastercraftsman in the St James's Palace Stakes.

Subsequently sold to Godolphin, Delegator was eventually dropped to sprint distances and notched a notable victory over six furlongs in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes.

He stood at Overbury Stud for four seasons until his early demise due to an apparent heart attack aged ten in December 2016.

Delegator was never the height of fashion but he did well with his small early crops, with triple Group 3 winner Delectation and Listed-placed Zouk also on his roll of honour.

Indeed, the lower profile of Delegator might have helped explain why his first-crop son Accidental Agent was bought back by his breeder Gaie Johnson Houghton at just 8,000gns at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to be retained and sent to daughter Eve to be trained.

Accidental Agent is the first foal out of the Xaar mare Roodle, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton for her mother to win over five furlongs at Chepstow at two and a Yarmouth handicap over seven furlongs at four.

The dam did not have black type but she showed decent form when fifth in the Listed St Hugh's Stakes and sixth in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at two.

She has a two-year-old filly by Champs Elysees called Madame Tantzy and a yearling filly by Due Diligence, while she was covered by Muhaarar this year.

This family has been nurtured by the Johnson Houghtons for generations. Roodle is out of Roodeye, a daughter of Inchinor who was a dual winner and third in the Listed Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes for Fulke Johnson Houghton.

Roodeye is the dam of seven winners including Prize Exhibit, a daughter of Showcasing who is a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed in the US.

She in turn is out of Roo, a daughter of Rudimentary who also produced Prix Morny runner-up Gallagher and the Listed-placed Quick Wit.

Roo is a half-sister to the Johnson Houghton-bred Gimcrack Stakes winner Bannister, out of Shall We Run, a daughter of the family's foundation mare Sirnelta, who produced Cheveley Park Stakes and Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine Dead Certain for them.

Lord Glitters, runner-up to Accidental Agent at Royal Ascot, is by Whipper – who was advertised at €3,800 at Haras de Treban this year.

Whipper is also the sire of Recoletos, winner of the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan last month and seventh in the Queen Anne Stakes.

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