'Dad has left us with another beauty' - Elwick Stud toasts siblings after big weekend double

The colours made famous by Lord Glitters were back on the big stage over the weekend as Elwick Stud celebrated a Premier meeting double with siblings Iron Lion and Lava Stream.

Iron Lion set himself up for a possible tilt at the Ebor by winning the ITV-televised 1m4f handicap at Haydock on Saturday before his half-sister Lava Stream sprang a 14-1 surprise in the Listed fillies' race at Goodwood on Sunday.

As well as obvious delight, there was poignancy in the victories as the David O'Meara-trained pair were out of Stream Song, who was the last mare bought by owner-breeder Geoff Turnbull before his death in 2020.

Turnbull's son Nick said: "It was a nice weekend. It's great when it comes like that and the celebrations were long into the night. Stream Song has had a really good weekend and Dad has left us with another beauty."

Although races such as the Ebor and Melbourne Cup were mooted after Iron Lion's victory, Turnbull is taking it one race at a time with the progressive son of Roaring Lion.

"We'll look at the Old Newton Cup [at Haydock on July 6] next with Iron Lion and if he was to win that, you'd imagine he'd get in the Ebor. He's a very big horse with a lot of improvement left in him.

"We'll make a plan with Lava Stream, but the options have obviously got a lot bigger for her. We went to Goodwood to try to get a place and get some black type, but the race seemed to fall into her hands and Danny [Tudhope] gave her a fabulous ride.

"David is very good at picking the right race and the credit has to go to him and the team as they do a really good job."

Lava Stream (right): her late run lands the Listed Agnes Keyser Fillies' Stakes at GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

There is clearly a healthy sibling rivalry between Iron Lion and Lava Stream as they both won on the same Doncaster card last month too.

As well as Lord Glitters, Geoff Turnbull and his wife Sandra had success at the highest level with Mondialiste and although the racing interests at Elwick Stud in Hartlepool have been streamlined, there is still a desire to reach those levels again.

"Dad was a very lucky guy and it seemed whatever he turned his hand to would go right, and having his first two major purchases go on to win two Group 1s each was phenomenal. It leaves something you've got to try to compete with," added Turnbull.

"The key once Dad went was to try to get the number of racehorses down and make the stud more of a commercial operation. Dad wanted to keep them all and we had 54 in training, but we're down to about 28 now.

"You really do appreciate these days more as when you've been in the game as long as we have, you realise how few and far between they are."

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