Frankel has a fine Classic contender in Dee Stakes dazzler Rostropovich

Frankel came oh so close to supplying a Derby winner from his first crop of three-year-olds when Cracksman and Eminent were third and fourth to Wings Of Eagles in last year's Epsom Classic.

But he has a live chance of achieving the feat in his second crop with Rostropovich, a wide-margin winner of the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester on Thursday – although the Prix du Jockey Club has also been mooted as the possible target for the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt.

Rostropovich won the Futurity Stakes and finished third in the National Stakes last year, and had finished fourth in the Prix de Fontainebleau on his seasonal bow last month.

He is owned by the Coolmore partners and Markus Jooste having been bought from breeders Croom House Stud – who trade under the name Epona Bloodstock – for 1,100,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2016.

That makes him the second seven-figure Classic trial winner at Chester for connections this week after Magic Wand – a former €1.4 million Arqana August Yearling Sale top lot – took the Cheshire Oaks in some style on Wednesday.

Rostropovich owes his lofty price-tag not only to the identity of his sire, but also a prepossessing pedigree.

He is a half-brother to Phoenix Stakes winner Zoffany, who gave Frankel one of the very few scares in his racing career when he came with a wet sail to finish second to Sir Henry Cecil's masterpiece in the St James's Palace Stakes.

Zoffany has since made a big impact with his early runners as a stallion, fielding three two-year-old winners at Royal Ascot from his first crop in Illuminate, Washington DC and Waterloo Bridge, as well as the Group 1 scorer Ventura Storm and Oaks runner-up Architecture.

Consequently, Rostropovich will hold obvious stallion appeal if he supplements his racing record with big-race success.

Tyranny, the winning daughter of Machiavellian who is the dam of Rostropovich and Zoffany, has also produced Anglesey Stakes winner Wilshire Boulevard and the useful handicapper That's Plenty.

Tyranny – who died in 2016, leaving a Dubawi two-year-old filly named Tierra as her final foal – was a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Spotlight, later the dam of recent Abernant Stakes third Projection.

The pedigree was shaped by the Goulandris family at Hesmonds Stud in East Sussex, who bred Tyranny and sold her to Normandie Stud as a yearling for 270,000gns, with Normandie Stud later reselling the mare – carrying Zoffany in-utero – to Croom House Stud for 230,000gns.

Tyranny's Group 3-winning dam Dust Dancer was also a Hesmonds Stud homebred, as were her siblings Bulaxie – winner of the Fred Darling Stakes and ancestress of Group winners Claxon, Cassydora and Toulifaut – and Listed winner Zimzalabim.

Landikusic, a winning Dansili sister to Zoffany and half-sister to Rostropovich, is one of the early lots announced for the Goffs London Sale next month. Eye-catchingly, she is set to be offered in foal to Frankel.

Even if the blueblooded Rostropovich does not make it to Epsom, Frankel has several other candidates entered in the Derby including Ballysax Stakes winner Nelson and 2,000 Guineas fourth Elarqam.

The Ballydoyle bandwagon rolled on to the Ormonde Stakes at Chester on Thursday with Idaho, another exceptionally well bred colt trained by Aidan O'Brien for Coolmore, also streaking clear of his rivals.

Placed behind Harzand in the Epsom and Irish Derby in 2016 and triumphant in the Hardwicke Stakes last year, he is a Galileo brother to the great Highland Reel, who is standing his first season at Coolmore.

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