First stakes winner for Churchill as Ladies Church powers to Naas success

Coolmore's exciting first-season sire Churchill was provided with a first stakes winner when Ladies Church powered to an easy victory in the Marwell Stakes at Naas on Wednesday.

The Johnny Murtagh-trained filly was bred by Dukes Stud and Overbury Stud and was subsequently snapped up by Mags O'Toole for 62,000gns as a foal from Tattersalls.

Having sold to Murtagh and Peter Nolan for £160,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale, Ladies Church shelved her maiden tag when winning on her second start at Tipperary late last month.

Owned by Mark Dobbin, she is the first foal out of the stakes-winning Rio De La Plata mare Rioticism, who was picked up for 90,000gns by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Churchill, a son of the late Galileo and the prolific Storm Cat mare Meow - runner-up in the Queen Mary and a Listed winner for David Wachman - has so far been provided with eight individual winners from his first crop.

A champion juvenile himself when notching up wins in the Chesham, National Stakes and Dewhurst at two, Churchill went on to land the English and Irish Guineas at three.

A full-brother to Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Clemmie and Group 3 winner Blenheim Palace, he retired to stud for the 2018 breeding season and currently stands for a fee of €30,000.

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