Lancaster Bomber another Group 1 weapon for War Front

Claiborne Stud stallion War Front has endured questions over the ability of some of his juveniles in Europe to train on, with the likes of Air Force Blue, Brave Anna, Hit It A Bomb and War Command never winning again after striking at the highest level at two.

Four-year-old Lancaster Bomber, another by the sire, had also failed to find his way into the winner's enclosure after finishing second to Churchill in the Dewhurst Stakes at two – although no one could accuse him of having not trained on, as he finished second in the St James's Palace Stakes and Woodbine Mile last year and was third to Rhododendron in the Lockinge Stakes this month.

And he duly lengthened the list of War Front progeny to score in a Group 1 at three or older in Europe with an all-the-way victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday, beating Cliffs Of Moher (by Galileo) by two lengths in what looked a poor renewal of the race.

Lancaster Bomber joins Declaration Of War, winner of the Queen Anne Stakes and Juddmonte International, and Roly Poly, victorious in the Falmouth Stakes, Prix Rothschild and Sun Chariot Stakes, in that category.

Roly Poly's brother US Navy Flag – last year's champion juvenile in Europe after taking both the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes – is winless in three starts at three this year but was a fair second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.

War Front also fielded the runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on Sunday, Could It Be Love.

Overall, War Front – who commanded a fee of $250,000 at Claiborne this year – now has 17 Group/Grade 1 winners to his name.

Lancaster Bomber was bred by the Coolmore partners out of the Indian Ridge mare Sun Shower, who the organisation repatriated after being sold to India.

Sun Shower was initially bred from by Owenstown Stud but her first three offspring met with scant demand in the sales ring and as the worldwide economic crisis hit the bloodstock industry, she was sold to Hugo Merry to be exported to India for just €10,000 at the Goffs November Mares Sale of 2008.

However, her first foal Mull Of Killough – a son of Mull Of Kintyre not sold as a yearling for €2,500 – blossomed into a three-time Group 3 winner, while her third foal Excelebration – a son of Exceed And Excel who made €15,000 as a foal – went on to win three Group 1 races over a mile, which probably would have been many more if he had not had the misfortune to be born in the same year as Frankel.

After the emergence of Excelebration, who was sold to Coolmore midway through his racing career, his new owners decided to fetch his dam back from India.

Incidentally, it was Excelebration's first-crop son Barney Roy who beat Lancaster Bomber into second in the St James's Palace Stakes, illustrating why Coolmore were right to buy the dam.

During her spell in India, Sun Shower produced Shivalik Showers, a high-class horse on the domestic racing scene on the subcontinent.

Since her purchase by Coolmore she has spent much of her time in Kentucky being mated with War Front and she has an unraced three-year-old colt by the sire called Chief Of War and a yearling colt by him as well.

Sun Shower is a maternal granddaughter of Irish 1,000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Sarah Siddons, who produced Irish Oaks winner Princess Pati and also features as ancestress of Leggera, Wicklow Brave and Sea Of Heartbreak.

It has been a big weekend for Indian Ridge as broodmare sire, as his daughters were also responsible for Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Romanised and the Frankel filly who sold for €315,000 to break the Goresbridge Breeze-Up sale record.

Indian Ridge has long been an important name in this department, as he is also broodmare sire of top-flight winners Airwave, Charming Thought, Dancing Rain, Desert Blanc, Dolniya, Halfway To Heaven, Jwala, Kingsgate Native, Nahoodh, Nightime, Profitable, Reel Buddy and Wilko.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like...

Cable Bay brother earns Coventry Stakes quotes after debut success

Come back, Kuroshio? Shunned shuttle stallion off to a fine start

Tragedy to triumph as Betfair founder Black's miracle foal scores on debut