Success for Yorkshire and Normandy despite quiet European show at Santa Anita

Saturday's Breeders' Cup meeting provided one highlight through Iridessa from what was an admittedly weak European raiding party but there were several other fine results for nurseries across the continent to be found.

The electric Turf Sprint winner Belvoir Bay was bred by the late Lenore 'Lennie' Peacock, long-standing custodian of Manor House Stud in Middleham and breeder of the likes of dual Guineas winner Tirol and smart Australian sprinter Redkirk Warrior.

Now six, the mare had gained prominence as she was one of the horses to have been caught up in last year's fire at San Luis Rey Downs. She went missing for several days after being evacuated from her stable and had to be treated for burns to her legs.

Belvoir Bay had already been involved in a small piece of racing history in Britain by providing a final winning ride for Richard Hughes at Glorious Goodwood in 2015, having spent her juvenile days with Richard Hannon.

On finding her metier at shorter distances, Belvoir Bay has been a revelation for trainer Peter Miller and broke the track record in dominating the five-furlong event from pillar to post.

She becomes the second top-level star for Newsells Park’s Equiano, to follow the numerous sprinting efforts of The Tin Man, having already won the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes at the same California track and chasing home Blue Point in this year’s Al Quoz Sprint.

Belvoir Bay is the second foal of Rock Of Gibraltar mare Path Of Peace, who won once for James Bethell in the Peacock silks at Newcastle.

The dam comes from a family steeped in US tradition as she is out of a sister to Bold Arrangement, who was bred by the stud and came as close as any British runner has to winning the Kentucky Derby by finishing second in 1986.

Peacock’s nephew, Charlie Nelson, is now overseeing Manor House, which has a history stretching back to the late 1800s.

Lennie Peacock developed racing families over decades in Middleham

"This very much goes back to the Peacock family, Lennie Peacock herself establishing these lines decades ago, so the families go back a very long time," he told GBRI.

"She would be very, very pleased, having got close as a second in the family to have won a Grade 1 in America with Bold Arrangement, to have cracked the track record in a Grade 1 at Santa Anita at the Breeders’ Cup.

"Very much the credit goes to her, and all the people who work at Manor House Stud, who have my highest regard and credits for a really well deserved success."

Nelson said that there were now just "a handful" of broodmares at the premises, but added: "There have never been more than about 10 mares of her own at the stud but it has always punched amazingly above its weight.

"They all seem to come and throw good horses right the way through. The mare has got no yearling for this year but she is in foal to Equiano, so we’ll hopefully have a full brother or sister to Belvoir Bay."

Belvoir Bay was sold for $625,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale and could command appreciably more should she take up her engagement again there shortly. Meanwhile Path Of Peace’s most recent progeny, a son of Muhaarar, was sold to Shadwell for 100,000gns at Book 2.

Uni: landed the Breeders' Cup Mile for Chad BrownCredit: Edward Whitaker

Uni, the mare who struck on what is usually fertile European ground in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, was a triumph for Haras d’Etreham, which had sold her for €40,000 at the Arqana August Sale four years ago only for her to make her first few starts in France for Fabrice Chappet in the stud’s colours.

Sol Kumin’s Head Of Plains Partners had bought into her before her victory in the Listed Prix Matchem in 2017 and she has progressed through the ranks after being transferred to Chad Brown, being supplemented for the Breeders’ Cup after landing the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland.

The winner carries a GB suffix, with her dam Unaided having visited Uni’s sire More Than Ready in Kentucky before being covered by Dutch Art at Cheveley Park the following year.

She was Unaided’s first foal and her subsequent two have achieved little so far. A Le Havre two-year-old named Bring Him Home is with Charlie Hills while she had an Almanzor colt foal this year.

Joseph OâBrien with Iridessa (Wayne Lordon) after winning the Filly &Mare TurfSanta Anita 2.11.19 Pic: Edward WhitakerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Joseph O’Brien, whose list of accomplishments becomes increasingly shaming for his fellow 26-year-olds, has single-handedly flown the flag for stallion Ruler Of The World with the sire’s daughter Iridessa now racking up four top-flight wins following her game effort in the Filly & Mare Turf.

She was bred by the O’Brien family’s Whisperview Trading, being produced out of the unraced Danehill mare Senta’s Dream, bought for just 14,000gns through BBA Ireland. Coincidentally, Iridessa's grand-dam, Starine, landed this same race for Bobby Frankel back in 2002.

Senta's Dream's other progeny have been unremarkable, but her two-year-old Australia colt, named Order Of Australia, was an encouraging fifth on his debut at Naas on Sunday.

Iridessa is from Derby winner Ruler Of The World’s first crop and will undoubtedly help his cause as he moves from Coolmore to Haras de Bouquetot for next year.

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