Juddmonte unveil Frankel half-brother to Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Siskin at Kempton on Wednesday

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

Byblos

Unibet More Extra Place Races Novice Stakes (7.30 Kempton, Wednesday)

What's the story?

Juddmonte has unveiled some promising juvenile talent this year, headed by the unbeaten Phoenix Stakes winner Babouche and Saturday's exciting Solario Stakes victor Field Of Gold. The Abdullah family's operation could have another one, if pedigrees are anything to go by, in Byblos. 

How's he bred?

The John and Thady Gosden runner is by Frankel and the fifth foal out of the winning Oasis Dream mare Bird Flown who is a half-sister to stakes winner and Hardwicke Stakes second Barsanti, as well as to Rising Tornado, the dam of multiple American Grade 1 winner Close Hatches and the Grade 1-placed Lockdown, both of whom are by First Defence.

Close Hatches is in turn the dam of multiple Graded winner and Grade 1-placed Tacitus, as well as fellow Pattern scorers Batten Down and Scylla, the former recently second in two Grade 1 events. All three of those blacktype winners are by Tapit. 

Lockdown, meanwhile, is the dam of American champion Idiomatic, whose top-level victories include last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff. 

Idiomatic: winner of the 2023 Breeders' Cup Distaff Credit: Sean M. Haffey

Bird Flown is the dam of Siskin, whose unbeaten two-year-old season for Juddmonte culminated in victory in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. The following season, Ger Lyons' colt went on to land the Irish 2,000 Guineas and place third to Mohaather in the Sussex Stakes. The son of First Defence is now standing at Shadai Stallion Farm and already has winners on the board. 

The 13-year-old Bird Flown has a yearling brother and foal sister to Byblos and returned to Frankel again this year. 

Who does he face?

Telepathic was well beaten on his first start at Pontefract but is expected to put that truly behind him as an Oasis Dream brother to Middle Park Stakes winner Charming Thought. The colt is also a half-sibling to Finn's Charm, second in the German 2,000 Guineas last year. 

Other rivals include Pinatubo's son Sheikh Raj, a fine second at the track last month. A 150,000gns Tattersalls December Foal Sale graduate, the Tom Clover-trained colt is a close relation to Tattersalls Stakes winner La Barrosa and to the Listed-placed Itsy Bitsy from the family of Group 1 winners Precieuse, Hypothetical and Eqtidaar.

Another to note is Echalar, Peter Harris and Jane Chapple-Hyam's son of Too Darn Hot who was sixth on his racecourse bow at Ascot in July. A 310,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 purchase when selling to Stroud Coleman from Watership Down Stud, the youngster is a half-brother to Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit and Gordon Stakes third Canberra Legend.

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