Pedigree enthusiasts set for an exciting Saturday that could prove the first step to stardom

It will be a seminal Saturday for the winner of the season's first juvenile Group 1, the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, but it is also a significant day in the careers of the two-year-olds making their debuts on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Maidens at the Curragh and Newmarket have been chosen as the starting point for a number of aristocratically bred youngsters, and in a year or two those in attendance at either meeting may very well be able to boast they were present when a champion took their first steps on the track.

The afternoon's action in Kildare also holds major importance for Irish language broadcaster TG4, as for the first time in the channel's history a Group 1 contest will form the centrepiece of their racing coverage. The Phoenix Stakes is the showpiece event, supported ably by the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes, but it is the trio of juvenile races which will attract the eye of pedigree enthusiasts.

Another Ballydoyle old master

The action kicks off at the Curragh with the Bord Na Mona Recycling Irish EBF Maiden (1.40) and Susan Magnier's naming policy immediately pulls the attention towards the Ballydoyle newcomers.

Diego Velazquez; revered artist of the Spanish Golden Age, inspiration for Spain's 20th century masters of Dali and Picasso and now the name bestowed upon a Frankel colt with the pedigree, price tag and looks befitting a work of art. 

The equine Velazquez was bred by Epona Bloodstock and is a son of Sweepstake, whose first masterpiece, the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome, also adorns the Ballydoyle galleries. He is one of two Group winners the daughter of Acclamation has produced to Australia with the other, Point Lonsdale, successful in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes and Huxley Stakes, and third to Emily Upjohn in this year's Coronation Cup. The full-brothers are also Royal Ascot winners, with Point Lonsdale victorious in the Chesham Stakes and Broome's win coming in the Hardwicke Stakes.

Their two-year-old brother by Frankel turned heads at Tattersalls last October, when he brought a winning bid of 2.4m guineas from MV Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. Offered by the Brosnans' Croom House Stud, he was the second-most expensive yearling sold at Book 1 last year and one of a trio by Frankel to make in excess of 2m gns at the sale.

Broome is closely-related to Diego VelazquezCredit: Edward Whitaker

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the acquisition, Magnier said: "It's a family we know well, Denis Brosnan is a very good breeder and we've had a lot of luck buying from him in the past. Frankel is doing very well, we have the two brothers and they're two very good horses, so let's hope this one is too."

One of the most famous works by Velazquez is Las Meninas, which hangs in the galleries of Madrid's Prado museum, but was also the inspiration for Robert Sangster's 1,000 Guineas winner and Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up of 1992. Diego Velazquez has an entry in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes, which was won by Point Lonsdale, and the Group 1 National Stakes and has the potential to become Sweepstake's greatest masterpiece.

While Diego Velazquez is set to carry Derrick Smith's purple and white colours, Sue Magnier took her inspiration from the natural world when naming the colt who carries her navy silks in the same race. Old Faithful is the most famous geyser is Yellowstone National Park and the newcomer who carries that moniker is bred on the Siyouni - Galileo cross that has erupted into a reliable source of Group 1 horses.

Old Faithful cost €580,000 at last August's Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale, where he was purchased by Oceanic Bloodstock from Ecurie des Monceaux. He is the first foal out of Sapa Inca, who won the Listed Beckford Fillies' Stakes at Bath for China Horse Club International and Mark Johnston. Sapa Inca is a Galileo full-sister to Group 1 Criterium International winner Johannes Vermeer, who was also placed in the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Racing Post Trophy and Ladbrokes Stakes. 

Her full-sister, Elizabeth Browning, won the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes and another full-brother, Wembley, was second in both the Dewhurst and National Stakes.

Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive is related to GuildensternCredit: Edward Whitaker

The impeccably bred colt also holds entries in the National and Futurity Stakes, as well as the Gimcrack at York's upcoming Ebor meeting.

Shakespeare provokes many different emotions and thoughts, but arguably his most famous work was the inspiration for the name of the Starspangledbanner colt representing Joseph Murphy. Guildenstern was a childhood friend of Hamlet but the equine version is a three-parts brother to Listed Fairy Bridge Stakes winner Choose Me, by Choisir. She in turn is the dam of Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive and Creative Force, who was successful in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Guildenstern was bred by Owenstown Bloodstock and sold for €105,000 to Crampscastle Bloodstock at last year's Goffs Orby Sale.

Homebred heroines

The daughters of two Group 1 winners are among the exciting cast assembled for the opening race at Newmarket, the Tiber Tiger British EBF Newcomers Maiden Fillies' Stakes (1.55).

Monterosa is the first foal out of Anapurna, who earned herself a prominent position in the story of Frankel's stallion career with her victory in the Oaks of 2019, the first British Classic win for Juddmonte's all-conquering sire. A homebred for Meon Valley Stud, Anapurna is descended from one of the farm's foundation mares in the shape of 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner One In A Million, who is her fourth dam.

Anapurna is out of the Listed Hoppings Stakes winner Dash To The Top, a daughter of Montjeu who was also placed in the Fillies' Mile and Yorkshire Oaks, and is a half-sister to Listed Warwickshire Oaks Stakes winner Dash To The Front, the dam of Prix de l'Opera and Prix Jean Romanet winner Speedy Boarding, by Shamardal. Anapurna's third dam is Milligram, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Coronation Stakes.

Monterosa represents her owner-breeders and the Gosdens, whose Clarehaven yard sent out her dam to win the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu and the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial. 

Anapurna, dam of Monterosa, winning the Oaks.Credit: Getty Images/Alan Crowhurst

Arabian Queen stunned Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International at York and Jeff Smith's homebred daughter of Dubawi is the dam of three winners from three runners, headed by the Listed King Charles II Stakes third Arabian Storm. The three-year-old son of Kingman, like his winning half-siblings, is trained by Andrew Balding and the latest member of the family to emerge from Kingsclere is See The Fire, by the brilliant Sea The Stars.

Cosmopolitan Queen, a Dubawi full-sister to Arabian Queen, was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida in foal to Kingman at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale of 2021 for 320,000gns. The colt she foaled in Japan was the third most expensive yearling at last month's JRHA Select Sale, where he made $2,097,093 to TN Racing.

Tepin: selling for $8,000,000 at Fasig-TiptonCredit: Fasig-Tipton Photo

Charlie Appleby unveils the romantically named Beautiful Love, a Siyouni half-sister to last year's Group 3 Zetland Stakes and Listed Stonehenge Stakes winner Flying Honours. She is the third foal out of Powder Snow, who won the Group 3 Prix Fille de l'Air for Godolphin and Henri-Alex Pantall. The daughter of Dubawi is out of Snow Ballerina, a Sadler's Wells close relation of the unbeaten Derby, King George and Arc hero Lammtarra. 

Eight million dollar mom

Back at the Curragh and the first runner by one of the most expensive mares to ever sell at public auction appropriately makes her debut in the ARC American Racing Channel Irish EBF Juvenile Fillies Race (2.15).

Grateful is a daughter of Tepin, the dual North American champion turf mare, and Galileo and is the third foal but first runner for the daughter of Bernstein, who cost MV Magnier $8,000,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale in 2017. Bred by the Tepin Syndicate, she represents the Coolmore partners and Aidan O'Brien. She is a half-sister to Tepin Thru Life, a five-year-old daughter of Curlin.

Tepin's six victories at the highest level included the Breeders' Cup Mile and trainer Mark Casse was rewarded for his gumption in sending the half-sister to multiple Graded winner Vyjack to Royal Ascot, where she defeated a field that included Ervedya, Belardo and Amazing Maria to win the Queen Anne Stakes in 2016. Her two-year-old daughter has no future entries, but a large legacy to inherit.

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