Persuasive visits Frankel as foaling season steps up at Cheveley Park Stud

Cheveley Park Stud ended 2017 on a roll, with Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner Ulysses joining its stallion roster and Persuasive landing a richly deserved Group 1 in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day. And the feel-good factor has continued into the current year, with some blue-chip matings lined up and a host of exciting new arrivals hitting the ground at the historic nursery.

Persuasive's career-defining performance proved to be her final outing on the racecourse, as the daughter of Dark Angel has joined the broodmare band at Cheveley Park. She did not have far to travel for her debut cover, as she has already made the short journey up Duchess Drive to Banstead Manor Stud where she was mated with Juddmonte's brightest young star, Frankel.

"Persuasive was a true professional in training and on the racecourse, so nothing has changed in retirement," said Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson. "She's letting down into the most lovely, roomy, broodmare who has already been mated to Frankel, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that she conceives. There's potentially very exciting times ahead."

With foaling season now in full swing, 32 new arrivals are now on the ground at David and Patricia Thompson's operation, among which are the progeny of some of the biggest names to have sported the famous Cheveley Park Stud silks.

Among those with newborns on the ground is Echelon, a daughter of Danehill who won nine races in a career that spanned four season - the pinnacle of which came when she landed the Group 1 Matron Stakes. Echelon, who is also the dam of dual Group 1 winner Integral, delivered a "stunning" filly by Dubawi on February 16, and will visit Cheveley Park's exciting new recruit Ulysses for her 2018 cover.

Joining Echelon among those visiting Ulysses is champion two-year-old Hooray, a daughter of Invincible Spirit who landed the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Gimcrack Stakes and who delivered a colt by Gleneagles on February 9.

Also visiting the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International Stakes winner is Mesa Fresca, a $2 million purchase by the stud at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The daughter of Sky Mesa was bought in foal to War Front, and delivered a filly that weighed in at a healthy 54kg on January 24. Mesa Fresca is already the dam of Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner Harmonize.

Another of Cheveley Park's new acquisitions is Angel Vision, a winning daughter of Oasis Dream who was picked up from Ballymacoll Stud dispersal for 600,000gns. The six-year-old is out of Ballymacoll's great racemare Islington, and delivered an "athletic" colt by Invincible Spirit on January 26. She is now due to visit Yeomanstown Stud's flagbearer Dark Angel.

Among the mares to have delivered foals by the stud's resident stallions is Resort, a winning daughter of Cheveley Park Stakes winner Gay Gallanta from the family of dual Group 2 winner Byron. Resort recently delivered a filly from the first crop of dual Group 1-winning sprinter Twilight Son.

"I'm delighted with the foals I have seen to date by Twilight Son, who look neat, well-balanced, sharp shorts, as one would expect from their sire and grandsire, Kyllachy," said Richardson.

Spacious, a daughter of Nayef who landed a brace of Group 2s during her own racing career, produced a bay colt by New Approach weighing in at 59kg on February 20. She is the dam of the promising Gabr, a son of Cheveley Park resident Intello, who wasn't beaten far into fifth behind Saxon Warrior in the Racing Post Trophy on his final outing at two. Spacious will visit the Prix du Jockey Club-winning son Galileo again in 2018.

Also keeping it in the Cheveley Park family is Royal Seal. The winning sister to Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Queen's Trust produced her second foal, a filly by Lethal Force on February 16. The daughter of Dansili is one of the select mares due to be covered by the stud's stalwart Pivotal in 2018.

The Listed-placed Galileo mare Provenance, another of Echelon's daughters, produced a "powerful" chestnut filly by Lope De Vega on February 19, and now visits Darley's Dalham Hall heavyweight Dubawi.

Another daughter of Galileo from the Cheveley Park Stud broodmare band, Between Us, is on a return visit to France having delivered a filly by Le Havre on Monday. The new arrival weighed in at 60kg. The half-sister to Prix de Diane winner Confidential Lady is scheduled to be among the first book of mares to be covered by champion three-year-old Almanzor at Haras D'Etreham.

If you enjoyed this story you may also like...

An epic book of mares for Ulysses as Cheveley Park changes course

Ulysses acquisition hints at a bolder policy for Cheveley Park Stud

Frankel my dear, I do give a damn!