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'We thought she’d either be very good or she’d be a terror!' - Little wonder as Lady Of Spain soars

County Westmeath breeder hit a milestone with exciting filly's French success

Lady Of Spain showed plenty of spark even as a foal
Lady Of Spain showed plenty of spark even as a foal

It is not too often that the year's final few days of European Flat racing action provide someone with a genuine career highlight.

For John Little and the Mullingar-based Ennell Lodge Stud, Christmas arrived on December 18 when Lady Of Spain extended her unbeaten record to four with a comfortable win in the Listed Prix Petite Etoile at Deauville.

Sold as a foal at Tattersalls, one of the very first progeny of the Irish National Stud’s Phoenix Of Spain to have been born, the three-year-old made her debut around this time 12 months' ago for Roger Varian and a partnership headed up by Leon Boros. 

Having been off for the majority of the season, Lady Of Spain was stepped up markedly in class after reappearing in a handicap at Southwell last month, but her three-length triumph under Christophe Soumillon at Deauville looked anything but the ceiling of her potential.

Little says: "I was looking at my record and I’ve bred 18 winners over the years. I’ve bought the mothers of horses that went on to get black type, but this is the first that has gained black type that I’ve bred on the farm.

"I wasn’t expecting it! I kind of thought she hadn’t met anything particularly strong in her races so far, although she kept winning. When I saw her entered up and looked through the list of other horses I thought, 'Jeez, this is a totally different ball game to what she’s come up against previously – don’t get yourself excited'."

Little, who is a practising veterinary surgeon alongside managing a band of nine broodmares, has found one or two canny purchases over the years, including Wana Doo, who subsequently emerged as the dam of Group 1 star and sire Toronado, and has had several six-figure windfalls.

It was a similar theme with Lady Of Spain’s dam Navette, bought for just €16,000 at Goffs as an unraced three-year-old before her half-brother Real World began to traverse the world for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor. He finished runner-up to Baaeed in his pomp in the Lockinge and Queen Anne as well as winning valuable prizes from France to Bahrain and Dubai.

"Her mum sadly got an injury to her tendon three days after she arrived home, but she came right and healed," recalls Little. "She’s the third foal. I sold a Belardo [Lagomago] as the second foal for very small money. He went to Italy but then won six races.

"This filly was a very good-sized foal, she was really leggy and had a great walk.

"She was a very straightforward filly but she had a little bit of bite to her as well, she didn’t like her ears being touched, but we did a lot of work on her and by the time she left she was very sweet. There was a bit of spark, just something about her; we either thought she’d be very good or she’d be a terror!"

Lady Of Spain certainly has a good role model in her family.

"It could be nice if there was any sign of Real World in her," says Little. 

"Mum’s nothing like Real World but I followed him after I bought her. He’s big and scopey and had the attitude to just take on other horses.

"This filly was probably the first so far that was like that. She had this ability to be in front, always the first one up to the gate, always the boss in the field, that sort of filly."

The material return has not been exceptional as yet, as Lady Of Spain was sold for 16,000gns through Norris Bloodstock and pinhooked by Whatton Manor Stud for 40,000gns, but prospects for the future are undoubtedly looking up.

Ennell Lodge is on the doorstep of Tally-Ho Stud, with Little’s near-neighbours in County Westmeath among many interested parties when he decides who he should cover Navette with next year.

"She’s in foal to Good Guess and Tally-Ho are very supportive, and bought the Mehmas colt foal off me for €50,000," says Little. "Tony O’Callaghan rang me to congratulate me about her, he said they’re going to breeze the colt.

John Little, pictured at Ennell Lodge Stud
"I'm still in disbelief, really" - John Little of Ennell Lodge Stud

"The mare does seem to get them like the sire, even though she’s by Invincible Spirit. The Mehmas is very nice, but he’s chalk and cheese in size with the Phoenix Of Spain."

He adds: "I’ll probably look around [before deciding]. I’m still in disbelief really, but if this filly is up to Group level then the mare should be covered strongly."

The amiable Little is a busy man. He specialises in reproductive work and has a small veterinary practice of his own at Ennell Lodge, the Midlands farm belonging to his father (also John), as well as running another base of his own nearby.

His late mother Margaret bought the place in 1980 and bred jumpers before Little took over and crossed into the Flat.

"I'm lucky to have good team and some girls that come into the yard," he says.

"I used to buy the odd chancy mare that had been covered, but I’ve moved into trying to buy the younger fillies, maybe the more commercial way of doing it, and trying to get the covers for them through the local studs.

"I’m very excited about Topaz Dream, my half-sister to [triple US Grade 1 winner] Program Trading.

Navette with her Mehmas colt born last year
Navette with her Mehmas colt born last year

"She’s in foal to Lope De Vega and her Invincible Spirit foal made €82,000 to Yulong at Goffs.

"I’ve also got a line from France and a daughter of one of the first mares I bought called Silirisa. I’m lucky enough to have a few good-looking mares that seem to sell well. Matching them with the right sires is the key part, trying to get the model."

If Lady Of Spain is anything to go by, Little’s system is starting to work rather well.


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