Expectant Veracious among a formidable Cheveley Park Stud band

It is always hard to pick just a few mares to focus on when dealing with the quality selection at Cheveley Park, where there is anticipation for both the action on the track and arrivals in the paddocks.

The leading Newmarket operation lost its owner David Thompson at the end of 2020 and mighty stallion Pivotal in November. David's widow Patricia remains at the helm of a business that has been a family concern since 1975.

Bloodstock manager Matthew Sigsworth reports Qipco 1,000 Guineas favourite Inspiral to be in fine form as the 2022 Flat season approaches, while Group 2 winner Sacred and Rockingham Stakes scorer Canonized are also part of a formidable squad.

The Cheltenham Festival and other big jumps meetings also give the team much to look forward to through the likes of Allaho and A Plus Tard, but attentions at the historic stud are for now firmly fixed on the broodmares and foaling time.

One such star mare is Falmouth Stakes heroine Veracious, a daughter of Frankel who is expecting her first foal by Dubawi shortly. Out of Cheveley Park's much-missed producer Infallible, the seven-year-old will return to Darley's supersire this term.

Sigsworth said: "She's doing great and is down to visit Dubawi again. She went to him last year and is expecting her first foal in the coming weeks. He fits so well with her that we decided to send her back."

The Dalham Hall Stud resident can expect further support from Cheveley Park in the form of Criteria, a winning Group 2-placed full-sister to triple Group 1 heroine Alice Springs, as well as the winning Provenance, a homebred daughter of Galileo who was placed three times in stakes company.

Sigsworth said: "Another one going to Dubawi is Criteria, it's a cross that obviously works well, along with Provenance; her son New Kingdom won on his second start at Haydock last year for Charlie Appleby and we'd sold him the year before for 800,000gns."

Integral: 2011 Falmouth Stakes winner will visit Palace PierCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Dubawi is not the only Dalham Hall stallion set for support, with champion miler Palace Pier set for strong representation in his first covering season. The son of Kingman will receive Intimation, a French Group 3-winning Dubawi half-sister to Veracious, as well as Falmouth and Sun Chariot Stakes scorer Integral.

"Intimation will visit Palace Pier and she's due [to foal] in late February to Sea The Stars," said Sigsworth.

"Another who will go to Palace Pier is Group 1 winner Integral; her second foal Fundamental picked up some black type last year and was also second in the Bunbury Cup."

Palace Pier's own sire Kingman will receive five of Cheveley Park's mares, including Queen Elizabeth II Stakes heroine Persuasive, whose first foal, the Frankel filly Persist, has been placed on two of her three starts.

Sigsworth said: "She's got a gorgeous Dubawi yearling on the ground and she's going to visit Kingman this time. We think he will fit quite nicely with her.

"Exhort, a stakes-winning half-sister to Golden Horde, Propriety, a winning maiden mare by Galileo who cost 1,200,000gns as a yearling and is related to Lady Wannabe, Breeders' Cup winner Queen's Trust and Red Starlight, who's by Pivotal and out of a Dubawi mare and from the family of Dream Ahead, will also go to Kingman."

Kingman's studmate at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor, champion sire Frankel, will also receive some of the choicest mares from nearby Cheveley Park including Furbelow, the dam of top-class sprinter Advertise, last year's Royal Ascot scorer Indie Angel and Sacre Caroline, a half-sister to multiple American Grade 1 winner Lady Eli.

Sigsworth continued: "The four for Frankel are Furbelow, Indie Angel - a maiden daughter of Dark Angel who won the Duke of Cambridge Stakes last year - Regal Realm, the dam of Regal Reality who has a nice yearling filly by him and is in foal to Ulysses.

Indie Angel: Duke of Cambridge winner has been booked to FrankelCredit: Getty Images

"The fourth one is Sacre Caroline, who is the dam of Sacred, who remains in training with William Haggas and we hope will be able to win a Group 1 having landed the Hungerford and Nell Gwyn Stakes last year."

The operation is not afraid to use a variety of sires, with stallions being used this year including Almanzor, Ardad, Churchill, Dark Angel, Night Of Thunder, New Bay and Time Test.

Top-class racemare Allegretto, whose victories included the Prix Royal-Oak and Goodwood Cup, has produced five winners to date including the dual stakes-winning and Group 2-placed Cabaletta.

Galileo's daughter Allegretto has a useful prospect in Abbado and the decision has been taken to return her to his sire Almanzor, while Cabaletta has a first date with Dubawi's rising star son New Bay, who is at Ballylinch Stud in County Kilkenny.

Sigsworth said: "Allegretto has gone back to Almanzor off the back of Abbado, who was a nice two-year-old and won a couple of races for Sir Mark [Prescott] last year. We've repeated that mating as we think he's quite useful.

"Another going to him is Juliet Capulet; she's a Dark Angel who won the Rockfel Stakes a few years back."

Another high-class staying mare, Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Pilaster, is also bound for an exciting son of Dubawi, this one closer to home in the National Stud's second-season Time Test.

"Pilaster is going to Time Test, this'll be the first time we've used him and he's made a good start to his stud career," said Sigsworth. "Obviously being down the road we were keen to support him with a nice mare."

Kildangan Stud's Night Of Thunder will receive two stakes winners from the Thompson family's renowned band, with Sigsworth revealing: "We've got a couple going to him including Listed winner Perfection, a half-sister to Jersey Stakes winner Molatham, and Spangled, who won the Sceptre Stakes for Roger Varian."

Spangled: Sceptre Stakes winner will be covered by Night Of ThunderCredit: Nigel Roddis

Other significant bookings include that of Degree, a winning daughter of Dubawi and Matron Stakes scorer Echelon who won a race for Sir Michael Stoute and is heading to Coolmore to be covered by Churchill, while Angel Vision, the dam of last year's Coventry Stakes winner Berkshire Shadow, will join Ladyship and Vivionn in visiting Dark Angel.

The likes of Tally-Ho Stud's record-breaking Mehmas and last year's leading first-season sire Ardad will also receive mares.

Sigsworth said: "We're sending a nice Pivotal mare called Boost to Mehmas. She's a daughter of champion two-year-old Hooray, and her first foal by Acclamation won a couple of races for Clive Cox last year at two.

"Listed winner Red Box, who's by Exceed And Excel and out of Confidential Lady, and Pipalong Stakes winner Romola will also go to Mehmas.

"We're also sending a couple to Ardad for the first time in Zykina, who's a slightly older mare but is the dam of Spangled, and Diagnostic; she's by Dutch Art and out of Holistic and her first foal by Ulysses won for Sir Mark last year. She's currently in foal to Kodiac."

Home stallions

The beautifully bred Ulysses was one of the most promising first-season sires last year, so much so that Cheveley Park's son of Galileo and Light Shift is already fully booked this term.

The sire of 17 individual winners, including the Group 3-placed Piz Badile, the future looks rosy for the dual Group 1 winner who made only one start at the backend of his juvenile season.

Sigsworth said: "We were delighted, he made a fantastic start. For a horse who ran only once at two to have had that many two-year-old winners is incredible."

Accordingly, the Eclipse and Juddmonte International winner will receive strong home support, with Echelon, also the dam of Integral, and the quality racemare and dam Spacious among the 17 mares booked in from Cheveley Park.

Ulysses: two-time Group 1 winner has made a fine start as a stallionCredit: Cheveley Park Stud

Another on Cheveley Park's high-class stallion roster set to receive plenty of support is Twilight Son, with last year's prominent second-crop son of the late Kyllachy also getting double figures from his home team.

The ten-year-old is responsible for multiple Italian Group scorer Aria Importante and Cornwallis Stakes winner and Champagne Stakes third Twilight Jet amid nine stakes performers to date.

Sigsworth said: "Twilight Son's book is filling up nicely, he was one of the leading European second-crop sires last year in terms of winners and black type performers. We've got ten down for him, including stakes winners Dance Diva, On Her Toes and Zuhoor Baynoona, as well as Expressive, the dam of a stakes winner in Exceptional.

"Rosebride, who was Group 3-placed and is the dam of a stakes-placed performer in Significantly, and Royal Seal, who's a full-sister to Queen's Trust, are also among his book."

Mayson enjoyed another excellent year, with highlights including Oxted's King's Stand Stakes success and the fairytale rise of Rohaan. The son of Invincible Spirit will have more opportunities ahead given the support behind him.

Sigsworth said: "We're sending him Believable, she's by Acclamation and out of Irresistible. She's a half-sister to Infallible, while we're also sending Volition; she should suit him quite well and is a full-sister to a stakes winner in Fantasy Lady from the family of Ivawood."

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