Qatar Racing's Kitten's Joy colt latest to debut for St Leger heroine Simple Verse

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

Delta

BoyleSports Money Back If 2nd To SP Fav Irish EBF Maiden (3.05 Galway, Saturday)

What's the story?

Qatar Racing and Joseph O'Brien team up with Delta, a notably well-bred newcomer in the two-year-old maiden on the penultimate day of the Galway Festival. 

This race has been won by some useful sorts, including Royal Lodge Stakes second Ontario (2020) and Buckaroo (2021), a dual Listed winner for O'Brien before his transfer to Australia, where he placed third in the Ranvet Stakes to Via Sistina.

How's he bred?

The son of the late Kitten's Joy is the third foal out of top-notch race filly Simple Verse, a daughter of Duke Of Marmalade who won the St Leger and British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes for Qatar Racing and Ralph Beckett. 

She is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Guantanamera, making her a half-sister to Ribblesdale Stakes winner Even Song, herself the dam of Listed winner and Criterium International second Espionage.

Queen Of The Pride: progressive and exciting fillyCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

Simple Verse is the dam of Qatar Racing's exciting filly Queen Of The Pride, a daughter of their much-missed Roaring Lion. The four-year-old trained by John and Thady Gosden has progressed rapidly, winning the Lancashire Oaks and Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock this term. She holds an entry for the Yorkshire Oaks this month. 

Her dam, who sold to Oliver St Lawrence for 500,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2022, produced a colt foal by Zarak this year.

Who does he face?

Delta's five rivals include Ballydoyle runner Puppet Master, a decent second on his debut at Killarney next month. He was bred by Barronstown Stud out of the Group-winning Dark Angel mare Realtra. 

Joseph O'Brien saddles newcomer Tennessee Stud, a Wootton Bassett colt bred by his mother Annmarie out of In My Dreams, a Sadler's Wells half-sister to brilliant miler Rock Of Gibraltar. 

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