Sister to Harry Angel and Jet Setting's first foal head up Baroda Stud draft

Founded in 1948, when the Maharajah of Baroda's dual Irish Classic winner Sayajirao became the first resident of the farm's stallion boxes, Baroda Stud in Newbridge, County Kildare, boasts a well-deserved and hard-earned reputation as one of the finest nurseries around.

Now under the stewardship of David Cox and his wife Tamso Doyle, and with recent graduates including the Group 1 winner Cloth Of Stars, the next chapter of this lengthy story of success could well be written at the Goffs Orby Sale.

This year's Orby catalogue looks a particularly punchy one, and the Baroda Stud draft offers ample strength in depth. The 19-strong group of yearlings includes a handful of the sale's stand out pedigrees, such as a full-sister to Harry Angel, the first foal of the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Jet Setting and a regally bred daughter of Dubawi, the only filly by the sire in the catalogue.

"Goffs has been good to us over the last few years," says Cox. "Over the last few years our draft has been improving and we have shown in the past that you can sell a good horse as well at Goffs as anywhere in the world. Our clients are backing us by sending very good stock to the Orby; this year I have yearlings related to top horses and some great physicals.

"I have a lot of sire power too; established stallions like Dubawi, Lope De Vega, Dark Angel, Sea The Stars, Frankel, Le Havre, Kodiac, Iffraaj and some great young sires like Night of Thunder, Wootton Bassett, Australia, Gleneagles as well as first-season sires such as Fascinating Rock and Harzand."

View Orby Sale catalogue and previously sold lots

Cox could hardly have hoped to bring a stronger offering to Ireland's flagship yearling auction, where he will be flying solo for the first time in eight years, with Baroda Stud and David Myerscough's Colbinstown Stud having brought their eight-year long partnership to an amicable close earlier this year.

"It's a very busy but exciting time at the moment as there's extra workload due to us now consigning on our own," he says.

Ticking all three boxes of sire, siblings and physical model is the Dark Angel filly out of Beatrix Potter (156), whose brother Harry Angel now stands under the Darley banner at Dalham Hall Stud having won the July Cup and Haydock Sprint Cup during a quite brilliant career on the track.

The Dark Angel full-sister to Harry Angel strikes a poseCredit: Baroda Stud

"She's a full-sister to Harry Angel, who was once rated the world's best sprinter, and is out of a mare who is herself a half-sister to a Group 1 winner [Xtension] so she has a great pedigree and the looks to match it," Cox says of the April-born foal.

"She has been very straightforward since she was born, has a lovely attitude and takes everything in her stride. She will also be a lovely broodmare in a few years' time but looks like she is going to be a racehorse first. She's a very nice filly who has really thrived and is very athletic."

Another seriously eye-catching pedigree in this year's Orby Sale catalogue is the Le Havre colt out of Jet Setting (301), the daughter of Fast Company who rose from 12,000gns horse-in-training purchase to Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine during a memorable 2016 campaign. She later joined the China Horse Club ranks in the afterglow of that Classic success when signed for at £1.3 million at the Goffs London Sale.

Jet Setting's first foal by Le Havre gleaming in his coatCredit: Baroda Stud

"It's very exciting to be consigning the first foal of a Classic winner," says Cox. "Jet Setting shocked a lot of people when she beat Minding to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she was a classy filly in her own right.

"He's one of just three colts in the catalogue by Le Havre. He's done really well in the preparation, has a nice temperament and is a very nice colt overall."

Both the Le Havre colt and the Dark Angel filly were bred by the China Horse Club. That operation is not the only big name among the breeders Baroda are consigning on behalf of, with the Dubawi filly out of Purr Along (440) having been bred in partnership by Qatar Racing and Newsells Park Stud.

The dam, a daughter of Mount Nelson who landed the Lanwades Stud Stakes and Prix du Calvados during her own racing days, is already off the mark at paddocks, as her first foal is the useful dual winner Zuba.

The Dubawi filly out of Purr Along bred in partnership by Qatar Racing and Newsells Park StudCredit: Baroda Stud

"Her dam was a high-class racemare and has already produced a winner with her first foal, a full-brother to this filly," says Cox of the Dubawi filly. "She's a gorgeous individual, a very attractive and racy filly with a great walk and lovely balance. She looks a runner."

Another headline offering from Baroda is the Frankel filly out of Manderley, a Listed-placed sister to Gregorian (357).

"This filly is out of a full-sister to Gregorian who was fourth to Miss France in the 1,000 Guineas," says Cox. "Gregorian was a high-class racehorse too and has made a good start to his stallion career. Manderley's first foal is a filly by Galileo who's in training with Aidan O'Brien. She's a well-balanced and good-looking filly."

Such a power-packed draft undoubtedly comes with its share of heightened expectations and increased pressure, but Cox says the team putting in the hard yards at the farm ensure the balance remains healthy.

"I have a very good team at home which takes a lot of pressure off, they're an integral part of the whole operation," he says. "When I'm out at Goffs UK, Keeneland or Fairyhouse it's great to know the horses for the next sales at home are being looked after so well."

Baroda Stud's Night Of Thunder filly out of Zarabaya practising showing with Jess FinneganCredit: Baroda Stud

The bar has been set high for the Orby Sale, not only by last year's results, which included the sale of a €3.2m Galileo sister to Forever Together to Phoenix Thoroughbreds, but with auctions elsewhere this year witnessing record-breaking trade.

"I expect the trend to continue," Cox says of the current market strength. "There seems to be a huge demand for the top horses and hopefully we have a number of them in our draft. Goffs have done a lot of work and clocked up a lot of air miles to promote the Orby Sale and a large contingent of internationals are planning on attending."

With the Baroda Stud battalion joined by a plethora of other well-credentialled youngsters - including full siblings to Group 1 winners such as Alice Springs, Forever Together and Sovereign - this year's Orby Sale is one you won't want to miss.

Click here to read the Autumn Yearling Sales Pullout Preview in full