McCartan production line supplies record-breaking Dark stars

In an exhibition of raw speed, a three-year-old son of Dark Angel bred and raised by Paul and Marie McCartan's Ballyphilip Stud overwhelms the opposition to capture a Group sprint, breaking the track record in the process. It doesn't take too much imagination to envisage the horse holding his own in top company and many of the feature summer sprints suddenly become feasible targets.

Remarkably, that scenario sums up not one but two current graduates of Ballyphilip Stud. The most accomplished remains Commonwealth Cup runner-up Harry Angel, the record-breaking winner of the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park in May. But not far behind is Battaash, a beast of pure speed who never saw another horse when setting a new track record in Saturday's Coral Charge at Sandown.

These former paddock mates are the products of the first two mares sent by the McCartans to Dark Angel. And with that the bar has been set incredibly high for the stud's next round of foals by the stallion due to arrive next year, among them hopefully a sibling to Battaash.
Battaash is the first foal out of Anna Law, bought for just 14,000gns by the stud at the end of her two-year-old season.