Prince Of Lir off the mark at stud in course record time

Freshman sire Prince Of Lir got off the mark at stud with the aptly named The Lir Jet, an impressive winner of the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Auction Stakes at Yarmouth for trainer Michael Bell.

Showing plenty of early speed and know-how, The Lir Jet cut out much of the running to go clear by two and three-quarter lengths. He clocked 59 seconds flat over the 5f trip, breaking the all-aged record at the track and could try to emulate his sire by lining up at Royal Ascot.

Prince Of Lir himself showed an abundance of early speed and precocity during his sole year of racing at two, winning the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot on just his second start after selling for £170,000 at the 2016 Goffs UK breeze-up.

Moreover, Prince Of Lir’s sire Kodiac is a leading source of two-year-old winners. Among Kodiac’s 370 juvenile winners to date, 80 managed to achieve black type at two. Prince Of Lir is a half-sister to 5f Listed winner Nitro Boost and out of a half-sister to 110-rated sprinter Resplendent Glory, asserting his strong credentials to sire sharp horses.

Prince Of Lir (right) wins the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016Credit: Edward Whitaker

The Ballyhane Stud resident stands at a fee of €4,000 this year alongside Dandy Man, Soldier’s Call and Elzaam and the stud’s roster has made a strong early start to the season. Elzaam sired the runner-up to The Lir Jet through the David O’Meara-trained Steadman, while multiple Group 1-producing sire Dandy Man, a leading source of early winners, got his first juvenile success of the season on Tuesday when Karl Burke’s Dandalla made a winning debut at Newcastle.

Prince Of Lir’s crop of 77 two-year-olds realised up to 260,000 guineas as yearlings. His top lot, named Siam Fox, is a three-parts brother to German 2,000 Guineas winner Fox Champion. In training with Richard Hannon for King Power Racing, the colt is entered at Newmarket on Sunday. Other trainers with his progeny include Wesley Ward, Archie Watson and Karl Burke.

The Lir Jet was bred by Hong Kong-based businessman Donal Boylan and realised €9,500 to Joe Foley at the Tattersalls Ireland Flat Breeding Stock Sale when consigned by Rockton Stud. Reoffered at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, breeze-up rider and consignor Robson Aguiar purchased the March foal for £8,000.

The colt was due to be offered at the Ascot breeze-up sale by Aguiar but was withdrawn after the rescheduling of the breeze-up due to coronavirus restrictions, instead joining Bell for his son Nick.

The Lir Jet, inbred 4s x 3d to Danzig, is out of a winning daughter of influential sire Green Desert and is a granddaughter of Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed middle-distance mare Papering.

The fact that The Lir Jet is one of Prince Of Lir’s less expensive colts bodes well for his future runners coming through. He is likely to sire plenty of juvenile winners this season and it could continue on Thursday when Off Galavanting, one of three horses by the sire to have already been placed, lines up at Lyon-Parilly for trainer Andrew Hollinshead and owner Theresa Marnane.

Marnane’s husband Con breezed Prince Of Lir in 2016 in addition to breeding his top lot, the aforementioned Siam Fox.

More to read

First-season sire Mehmas making up for lost time

How a purchase in the 1980s led Godolphin to Classic glory with Victor Ludorum