Dubawi on the cards for Cheveley Park stars as operation reveals mating plans

Cheveley Park Stud was dealt a hammer blow in December when co-founder and owner David Thompson died aged 84 but business must go on for the famed Newmarket operation, with mating plans drawn up for its high-class broodmare band.

Among the maiden mares to join the likes of Queen Elizabeth II Stakes heroine Persuasive and Breeders' Cup scorer Queen's Trust is Veracious, the winner of the Falmouth and Atalanta Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute.

The daughter of Frankel was retired from racing last year and the stud's bloodstock manager and head of nominations Matthew Sigsworth revealed that an up-the-road visit to the mighty Dubawi is on the agenda for the six-year-old, who is out of Cheveley Park's great, late producer Infallible.

Sigsworth said: "She's settled back into life on the stud really well and is going to Dubawi for her first cover. We're sending the best to the best and hoping for the best."

Veracious is not the only leading Cheveley Park light on Dubawi's dance card, with the aforementioned Persuasive, winner of not just the QEII but two other stakes races for John Gosden, also booked in for the short journey to Dalham Hall.

Persuasive: in foal to Dubawi and returning to the supersireCredit: Edward Whitaker

Sigsworth said: "Her first foal by Frankel has gone to William Haggas and is called Persist. She's currently in foal to Dubawi and will go back to him."

Infallible's other daughter, the Group 3-winning Dubawi mare Intimation, recently produced a filly by Golden Horn and will head to Sea The Stars.

Sigsworth added: "She's a half-sister to Mutakayyef, who was by Sea The Stars, while we're also sending a mare called Troarn, who is a half-sister to Almanzor. She had the top-priced Ulysses yearling last year, who made 320,000gns to Shadwell at Tattersalls Book 1."

Queen's Trust, a daughter of Dansili who landed the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf for Stoute, is another high-profile name in the broodmare band and will return to Kingman upon delivering his foal.

Sigsworth said: "She's going to Kingman and is in foal to him. We're also sending him a maiden mare named Preening, who was a Listed winner for James Fanshawe, and the Shamardal mare Entity. She's the dam of Existent, who's a nice three-year-old colt by Kingman who won his maiden nicely here at Newmarket.

"He then ran in what is the Horris Hill at Newbury on terrible ground, which he didn't enjoy at all. John [Gosden] thinks quite highly of him, while it made sense to send Entity back to Kingman."

Sigsworth revealed that Sacre Caroline, a half-sister to Breeders' Cup scorer and multiple Grade 1 winner Lady Eli, would be visiting Frankel.

The daughter of Blame has so far produced Sacred, a winning daughter of Exceed And Excel who was a narrow second in the Queen Mary, Lowther and Flying Childers last term.

Among other regally-bred mares with exciting coverings are Integral, a daughter of the late Dalakhani who won the Falmouth and Sun Chariot and visits Blue Point, and Furbelow, the dam of Advertise, who will be covered by Sussex Stakes hero Mohaather.

Integral: 2011 Falmouth Stakes winner on Blue Point's dance card for 2021Credit: Alan Crowhurst

The stakes-placed Pivotal mare Safina, a daughter of the brilliant Russian Rhythm and the dam of the promising Potapova, will be covered by the fast-rising Wootton Bassett.

Sigsworth added of Potapova: "She won very nicely for Sir Michael [Stoute] last year and she's one of our big hopes for this year."

He continued: "We're sending Allegretto back to Mastercraftsman on the back of her daughter Cabaletta, who stays in training with Roger Varian and has reportedly done very well over the winter. She won a Listed race and was Group-placed for us last term."

Pilaster, a daughter of Nathaniel who struck in the Lillie Langtry Stakes for Varian, is joining Allegretto in visiting Mastercraftsman.

Sigsworth added: "The two visiting No Nay Never are Fools In Love and Mesa Fresca; we bought both in America a couple of years ago.

"Mesa Fresca is the dam of Del Mar Oaks winner Harmonize, while Fools In Love has produced Seahenge, who won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. She's also the dam of Max Player, who's a good horse in America.

"We've also got a couple of nice mares visiting Night Of Thunder, including Dark Lady, who won the Dick Poole and is a maiden mare, and On Her Toes, a Listed-winning daughter of Kodiac."

Home stallions

Cheveley Park boasts a strong stallion roster to go with its quality broodmare band, and the mighty Pivotal remains in fine fettle at the age of 28 alongside first- and second-season sires Ulysses and Twilight Son, plus the proven pair of Mayson and Dutch Art.

Pivotal, the aptly-named son of Polar Falcon, has been responsible for 32 individual Group 1 winners and enjoyed a big-race double at Ascot on Champions Day last year, when Glen Shiel and Addeybb landed the British Champions Sprint and Champion Stakes respectively.

Sigsworth said: "Pivotal is in good form for his age but we haven't decided [on any mating plans] this year. We're going to let him tell us in a couple of weeks' time and we'll make a decision."

Ulysses: will receive strong home support once againCredit: Cheveley Park Stud

Waiting in the wings is Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International hero Ulysses, whose first yearlings went under the hammer last year and who is again set to receive a strong cast of mares, befitting his race record and pedigree.

Sigsworth said: "We're really looking forward to his first two-year-olds running. His offspring have gone to some of the top trainers in Europe, such as John Gosden, Sir Michael and William Haggas."

The son of Galileo and 2007 Oaks heroine Light Shift will cover 34 mares from the operation, including top-level winners in Echelon and Hooray, plus the Group 1-placed Heaven Sent and Guineas runner-up Starscope.

"We're sending him Echelon, who has a Ulysses in training with Sir Michael - a colt named Profession - and Hooray, a champion two-year-old filly and Cheveley Park winner," said Sigsworth.

"There's also the Group 1-placed Heaven Sent, Starscope and Regal Realm, the dam of Regal Reality, plus Exhort, a Listed-winning-daughter of Dutch Art and a half-sister to Golden Horde."

Stud mate Twilight Son enjoyed a productive season with his first two-year-olds and Sigsworth is confident of further improvement as the stallion's first crop turns three.

He explained: "He had 24 first-crop winners and we're really pleased with how they've gone. Twilight Son himself improved 34lb from two to three and it looks like a lot of his first runners will follow suit."

Among Cheveley Park's 17 mares being sent to the nine-year-old are Zuhoor Baynoona, a half-sister to top sprinter Hello Youmzain, plus the Listed winners Dance Diva and Red Box, an Exceed And Excel mare out of Prix de Diane heroine Confidential Lady.

Oxted: son of Mayson struck in last year's July CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mayson and Dutch Art complete the line-up, with the pair enjoying productive seasons in 2020. Mayson shelved his Group 1 tag when Oxted struck in the July Cup.

Sigsworth said: "He's so solid and consistent, he had 43 individual winners last year and Oxted should hopefully be among the leading sprinters this year too.

"We're supporting him with mares such as Field Of Miracles, a Group-placed Galileo mare, and Dance East, the dam of stakes winner Dance Diva."

On Dutch Art, whose consistent son Brad The Brief led the way with Listed and Group 3 strikes in 2020, he added: "He'll cover a limited book of around 18-20 mares because he has to cover them twice in the cycle. If he covers too many then his fertility drops off.

"Among the seven mares we're sending him are Rosebride, a Group-placed filly by Mayson and the dam of Significantly, and Ardent, a Pivotal mare who has produced Eternally."

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