1,000,000gns half-sister to Classic hero and Juddmonte sire Chaldean to debut on Thursday

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Kassaya 

Byerley Stud British EBF Novice Stakes (3.00 Salisbury, Thursday)

What's the story?

Suelita has been a remarkable broodmare for Whitsbury Manor Stud and the latest chapter in the Dutch Art mare's tale is set to be told at Salisbury on Thursday. Her Kingman two-year-old named Kassaya will debut for Andrew Balding and Juddmonte and plenty of eyes will be on her for numerous reasons. 

The March-born filly was a 1,000,000gns purchase by Juddmonte from the Tattersalls December Foal Sale – not long off the back of her famed half-brother's Dewhurst Stakes success. That was duly bolstered and then some when Chaldean went on to 2,000 Guineas glory in the spring of 2023. 

How's she bred?

Being out of the unraced Suelita makes Kassaya a half-sister to four black-type winners, headed by the aforementioned Chaldean. The son of Frankel is standing his first season at Banstead Manor Stud this term, proving highly popular as a Guineas and Dewhurst-winning son of the team's champion sire.

The pair are half-siblings to the Showcasing pair of Alkumait and Get Ahead. The former won the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes for Marcus Tregoning and Shadwell and he resides at Capital Stud, with his first crop now yearlings. 

Get Ahead was a Listed winner and second in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes for Clive Cox and the Hot To Trot Racing Syndicate. 

Chaldean: 2,000 Guineas and Dewhurst winner's half-sister debuts on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Her racing record, alongside her pedigree, saw her 200,000gns Book 1 price tag transform to 2,500,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Mare Sale when heading to First Bloodstock from Whitsbury Manor Stud.

Suelita's brood doesn't end there. The Broghie Man, by Cityscape, was a stakes winner when landing the Committed Stakes at Naas, while Gloves Lynch, by Mukhadram, was a dual winner and also third in the Prix Herod at Chantilly. 

Get Ahead's Pivotal daughter Praised was a winner for Cheveley Park and William Haggas and was covered by Frankel last year. 

Suelita's now yearling Showcasing brother to Alkumait and Get Ahead sold to Alex Elliott for 260,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Foal Sale. She is currently back in foal to Frankel. 

Who does she face?

Kassaya's five rivals include Megalithic, Valmont and Ballylinch Stud's Wootton Bassett colt out of the Group-winning Galileo mare Wonderfully. 

Wonderfully has already produced a Listed scorer in Wonderful Times, while she is out of Danehill and Rafha's daughter Massarra, a Listed winner and dam of Superlative Stakes winner and Irish 2,000 Guineas third Gustav Klimt among seven stakes horses. 

Massarra is in turn a sister to top-class sire Kodiac and a half-sibling to fellow top-notch stallion Invincible Spirit.

Megalithic hails from the illustrious family of the great Invincible Spirit Credit: Patrick McCann

Another to note is Mystical Composer, a son of Whitsbury Manor's blistering first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev. The Clive Cox-trained colt is out of the winning Oasis Dream mare Mythicism, making him a half-brother to Prix Robert Papin winner Tis Marvellous and the multiple black-type-placed Mythmaker.

Blinky is by Mehmas and out of a Rip Van Winkle half-sister to dual Hong Kong Group 1 winner Xtension and to Beatrix Potter, the dam of champion sprinter and exciting young sire Harry Angel, and Triggers Broom, the dam of Middle Park and Richmond Stakes victor Supremacy. 

The winning Cotai Glory gelding Pont Neuf and Blue Point's twice-raced son Amerjeet complete the line-up.

Anything else of interest on the card?

There sure is. The Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Fillies' Novice Stakes (4.32) looks an interesting contest later on. Prince Faisal's famous family of Rafha, Invincible Spirit and Kodiac featured earlier on and he has his own contender here in Faifa. The daughter of Galileo sold to Ted Voute for 500,000gns from Tattersalls Book 1 and her pedigree needs no introduction as a daughter of the demoted 1,000 Guineas winner Jacqueline Quest. 

That makes her a sister to the ill-fated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line Of Duty, Group 3 scorer and Prix de l'Opera second Jackie Oh and the stakes-placed Hibiscus, the dam of the Group 3-placed Up And Under. Faifa is also a half-sibling to dual Listed scorer Onassis and Great Voltigeur Stakes second Secret State. 

Faifa: Galileo sister to Line Of Duty and Jackie Oh debuts for the Gosdens and Prince Faisal at SalisburyCredit: Laura Green

Another to catch the eye on pedigree is French Mistress, Philippa Cooper's homebred Kingman half-sister to Hampton Court Stakes victor Mohaafeth. The pair are out of the Listed-winning Sea The Stars mare French Dressing, a half-sister to American Grade 3 scorer Dalvina and Listed winner Soft Centre, the dam of Nassau Stakes winner Sultanina.

Birkin, White Birch Farm's Dubawi sister to American Graded winner Francesco Clemente, also lines up for her debut. 

Shadwell homebred Muqinah bids to improve on her sole start at two, the Frankel filly is out of a Raven's Pass half-sister to Oaks and King George heroine Taghrooda.

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