From Dundalk to Del Mar, a dramatic few days for Coolmore starts with the debut of well-related Dramatic

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

DRAMATIC

DundalkStadium.com Fillies Maiden (3.44 Dundalk, Wednesday)

What's the story?

It’s almost certain to be a dramatic couple of days for Coolmore at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, with not just City Of Troy but a couple of others simply in the same race, not to mention other runners, but in the rather less glitzy surrounds of Dundalk on Wednesday afternoon they have an interesting debutante of that name.

The two-year-old filly Dramatic is drawn a potentially unlucky 13 of the 14 runners in the 7f fillies’ maiden and it will take all of Ronan Whelan’s guile to give her a constructive debut experience.

How's she bred?

The US-bred is by Jonabell Farm bigwig Medaglia D’Oro and out of Storm Cat’s daughter Serena’s Cat.

The dam has done well at paddocks, making the most of matings with a variety of leading US sires, most noticeably with A.P. Indy’s son Honor Code. (A point of order here that some might find interesting: A.P. Indy is a rare beast in being afforded full points in his name in the Racing Post as per house style – on account of his status!)

Anyway, getting back to the matter in hand, Honor Code, who now stands in Japan having been at Lane’s End, proved a dual Grade 1 winner on the track, landing the Met Mile and Whitney in a glorious summer campaign in 2015.

Serena’s Cat also produced, among others, Grade 2 winner Noble Tune, to Unbridled’s Song, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Declarationofpeace, a Listed winner by War Front

Who does she face?

It looks an interesting enough maiden, with plenty of the big yards represented. 

Dramatic’s stablemate Takemetothemoon, the mount of Gavin Ryan, looks the one to beat having finished a closing and close third on her debut over this trip at Leopardstown last week. That was on soft ground, so how she handles Polytrack remains to be seen of course.

She’s a huge tick on pedigree, however, being by Uncle Mo and out of Galileo’s Group 1-winning daughter Together Forever, so a half-sister to the aforementioned Derby hero City Of Troy. And yes, she was a Marking Your Card before her debut run.

Of the other newcomers, the Dermot Weld-trained After Love is worth a mention being a No Nay Never filly out of the Forest Wildcat mare Weekend Fling, so a half sister to the Group 3 winners Paris Peacock and Craftsman.

So too is the Ger Lyons-trained Ethical Code. By Justify, she is out of the Entrepreneur mare Damson, the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner who has done equally well in her prolific second career. Ethical Code is her 14th foal, her predecessors including the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Requinto and his Group-placed full-brother Independence Day. 

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