Globetrotting Japanese filly puts Australian owners on the map at Goodwood

Australian builders Paul and Anthony Silvestro struck gold, well at least a nugget, on the path to a potential breeding mother lode at Goodwood on Thursday with their first northern hemisphere winner.

Heart Of Grace, a three-year-old Heart's Cry filly, won a 1m2f maiden on debut in impressive fashion. She was purchased by agent Justin Bahen of Bahen Bloodstock on behalf of the father and son owner-breeders, who reside in Perth in Western Australia, at the 2016 Japanese Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Yearling Sale.

View full result and replay from Heart Of Grace's Goodwood win

Thus it has been quite a journey for the Silvestros and, indeed, the ¥41 million filly (£281,590/€321,485) who was bred by Northern Farm and who has ventured from Japan to Newmarket and rewarded her owners for their patience.

And there might be more to come, with trainer William Haggas's wife Maureen telling Racing UK immediately after the race that the filly "was not wound up by any stretch" and jockey James Doyle telling Bahen that she won despite still being very green.

"William thinks she's an old fashioned staying filly who will keep improving and James has no doubt she'll see out a mile and a half. Paul and Anthony were absolutely delighted and I'm 'wrapped' for them," Bahen said.

Heart Of Grace's sire Heart's Cry wins the 2006 Dubai Sheema ClassicCredit: Edward Whitaker

Heart Of Grace won the Goodwood maiden by a neck from Anasheed, a Frankel filly raced by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Bahen bought two Heart's Cry fillies at Northern Horse Park in 2016 for the Silvestros, who raced the 2007 New Zealand Derby winner Redoute's Dancer. The other is named Saint Diana, also with Haggas, and is expected to debut soon.

"The fillies were purchased with the long-term view that they could be mated, to southern hemisphere time, with one of the top stallions in Europe and the progeny return to Australia," Bahen added.

Heart Of Grace's win was also timely for the JRHA, which this week launched the catalogue for this year’s Select Sale, that will take place on July 9 and 10. A total of 243 yearlings and 239 foals have been catalogued, including 26 yearlings and 14 foals by Deep Impact and 14 yearlings and 15 foals by Heart's Cry.

As impressive as Heart Of Grace's victory was, she has some way to go to rival another recent Japanese-bred winner on British turf, with Deep Impact's unbeaten son Saxon Warrior winning the 2,000 Guineas and now odds-on for Derby glory.

Meanwhile, another of Heart's Cry's Select Sale graduates is Yoshida, who won the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs on the same day as the 2,000 Guineas and is now bound for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

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